"What did they say?" Lewis asked in a tired voice.
"That heaven is on lock down and Morse isn't playing by the rules.
Robbie laughed and said, "He never did."
"I also seem to have scored a post-mortem job interview," James said in amused but undecided pleasure.
"How's the pay? Have to be a bomb if it means chasing Morse for eternity? I hope they have a golf course, me," Robbie said skeptically.
"He also said that we should carry on," James said as he sat down. "I didn't quite get to finish."
Robbie looked at him with regret, "So long as you understand. It is a one off. I am not a cheating man."
James nodded and then pecked him on the cheek. "I do. I think I'd rather keep it as interrupted rather than you ending it, when I will never want to."
Robbie gently pulled James back toward him. He touched his hair and smiled before meeting his eyes. "I had no idea, canny lad. I wish you'd have told me, because I wasn't done either." He bent his head to the younger man and used his many years of playful experience to make James the ghost-whisperer release groans that had nothing to do with haunting.
Finally they parted because both were near the end of their reason. Robbie's eyes were wide and horrified as he took deep calming breaths and argued with himself that he had to stop this at once.
James looked up at him from his place across Robbie's lap and the light slowly faded from his eyes and he knew they had made a horrible mistake. "Oh God Robbie…how do I?" He didn't finish his question, but instead sat up and made his face perfectly blank, "That was the most…umm…just thank you."
Robbie stood up. "You need Ice on that leg. It is swelling."
"Yes. You should probably get home. Laura will be worried. Make her breakfast."
"I guess that would be for the best," Robbie acknowledged. "You'll be okay?"
"Yep. Fine."
"I will check in with you about Perry later?"
"It's Saturday. See you Monday, Robert."
Robbie sighed heavily and nodded. "Call me if you…"
James lifted his chin and pretended to smile.
Twenty minutes later James was curled up in his bed, the curtains drawn and the room as dark as he could make it as he cried into his pillow. He never cried in front of anyone, couldn't in fact since Zoe. But when the tears came, they were very hard to shut off.
A soothing voice came to him in the dark. "Funny thing, getting just a taste of something you want so badly. I don't know which of us has the worse end. You for knowing, or me for not ever telling him."
James stilled and rolled toward the voice. "You? Cared for him?" James sniffed and wiped at his eyes with his sheet.
Morse just looked down at him fondly, sitting stiffly and formally on the very edge of Hathaway's bed. He nodded once slowly, almost like a bow.
"But you never told him?"
"Of course not. He was too young for me and he was married…quite happily, in fact." Morse admitted with a twinkle in his eye. "You will keep my secret, won't you? I never told anyone…not a soul."
James nodded before stipulating, "If you will tell me the truth."
Morse cocked his head. "I will try."
"Are you…here as my reaper? I don't mind. I won't fight you if you are, but if one has nothing to lose, it elicits a certain freedom of action. You frighten me, sir, only in that I may have missed a clue and play this out…by the rules. I want the freedom to exercise no caution. I want to win. He has Laura and she has him. I'm redundant." James frowned wondering if he was getting his intent across. "You say he can't lose me, but I think you are trying to tell me that he is going to. Isn't he?"
Morse looked away and seemed to consider his words. "I honestly don't know, lad. I have mucked about with the stream and it always changes the outcome. I knew he was coming. I had to do some things I can get in an awful lot of trouble for just to find out the possible catalyst in the chain. If you were never involved, I would have been there to greet him. Yes. I was perfectly happy to sacrifice you and I …I didn't know you. No family, no friends, such weight on your soul…"
"And now, because you know me, has that changed?" James asked without judgment.
Morse scrunched his face up in a wince of a person just guessing, "For a while here, I am afraid both of you had signed up for the cruise. I have that sorted, but I have made a mess. I told you things I shouldn't and got you involved before the case started and you don't have a death wish but you seem to have some personal need to slap it in the face and duck."
James smirked then almost whispered, "Takes one to know one."
"Lewis was always genuinely brave, but he was never reckless like us."
"I am glad you came, Morse. To hell with the rules. 'He who obeys, does not listen to himself!'― Friedrich Nietzsche, " James said with his spirit perked up.
Morse chuckled then rolled his eyes. "You are bloody mad as a box of frogs."
"If I am mad, it is mercy. Lovecraft," James said.
Morse sucked a deep breath through his nose and squinted his eyes trying to recall the quote. "I have harnessed the shadows that stride from world to world to sow death and madness" He beamed down at James and said, "What? Lovecraft is a genius. Wait till you see what he's writing now!"
The Lewis series is filmed in blocks of two episodes. It takes approximately four weeks to film two episodes. Only one of those weeks is spent in Oxford.
Some of Morse's favourite pubs, The Eagle and Child, The White Horse, The Kings Arms and The Bear are all in the city centre and have featured in episodes. The Trout Inn is a short trip away at Wolvercote
What connects Starsky & Hutch to Lewis & Hathaway? David Soul (who played Ken Hutchinson) appeared on Lewis in 'The Indelible Stain' as American academic and murder victim Paul Yelland. David Soul, like Laurence Fox, at one time played an overly educated tall blond cop who played Guitar and sings in real life as well as for his character. Laurence Fox released his first CD a few months ago called 'Sorry for my words" It is amazing and you should check it out.