Chapter Twenty Four

"I can't believe it!" Simon cried in horror, "Eighties night! Bloody eighties night!"

Neither he nor Robin had been especially in the mood for another night in a karaoke bar but Gene had been very insistent. Plus, witnessing the fruition of his promise to get a round in was worth the trip alone.

The afternoon had passed quickly; gathering evidence against Nailer, beginning some preliminary questioning and compiling The Official Nick Nailer Arrest Joke Book. The two men had found it hard to keep their mind away from thoughts of going home. Both felt sure arresting Nailer had been the key, but with both of them still firmly footed in 1995 they couldn't understand why they hadn't woken up yet.

"Maybe we'll wake up after he'd been officially charged?" Simon suggested.

Robin hoped he was right. The strange day so far had helped to keep his mind away from dwelling on 1995, the first time around. Now that things were slowing down, memories of his father's attack and losing his mother were coming closer and closer all the time.

At least there was no chance of a trigger song, he reassured himself. The fact that it was 80s night may have been a bit of a nightmare for Simon but a blessed relief to Robin.

They weaved their way through the crowd and came to a table where Alex and Gene were sat, the latter of the two complaining that his planed karaoke number had been scuppered by the themed night. Since their talk that afternoon they'd taken strength from each other and although both knew that something was brewing in the air they knew they could face it together. They were prepared for whatever lay ahead.

"Gentlemen," Gene rose to his feet up as the two men approached, "never let it be said that the Gene Genie does not make good on his promise." He indicated two drinks on the table.

"I see," said Simon, "there, erm… don't seem to be very many though," he observed.

"Not my fault we were the only ones here when I got the round in," said Gene.

Glancing at Alex, Simon noticed she had her arm bound up and resting in a rather uncomfortable-looking sling. She also had a bandage wrapped around her head.

"What happened to you?" he cried.

"Oh… Susannah finally noticed my arm," Alex said, rather annoyed, "and insisted on this."

"What happened to your head?"

"She dropped the first aid box on it."

Simon cringed and sat down as an excitable Robin grabbed the karaoke list and hovered around him, flitting from one side to the other.

"This is great!" he enthused, "look, Si, they've got all our favourites!

A notable difference had come over robin's temperament since Nailer's arrest. There was a renewed hope and positivity about him. Finding that they were at no risk from unwanted Mike and the Mechanics songs had just topped it off for him.

"Are you sure your friend hasn't taken any free samples from Nailer?" Gene asked.

Robin leaned over Simon's shoulder.

"I think I might have a go tonight," he said.

"You hate karaoke!" Simon pointed out.

"We're in some weird place, far away from home - no one's ever going to know!" Robin pointed out. He scanned the list of songs for a moment. "I'm going to see if they have…" he whispered something to Simon who developed an embarrassed smile.

"Rob, don't be so cheesy!" he cried.

"Nothing wrong with cheesy!" Robin declared as he bounced of.

Alex raised an eyebrow and turned to Simon.

"He seems… brighter," she said.

Simon nodded and stared after Robin.

"You're seeing more of my Robin now," he told her as Gene got up and walked to the bar.

"How is he coping?" asked Alex.

Simon's eye never strayed from Robin.

"OK, I think," he said, "I've see a few little things remind him of his family and make him flash back a little, but I think he's doing well. Really well." His eyes finally started to scan the crowd. Susannah and Malcolm were a short distance away; Susannah looking distant and nervous while Malcolm seemed confused by something she was saying. He also seemed to be sitting down a little more carefully than usual. Other than that, the only other person Simon spotted that he recognised was Terry who was doing an interesting interpretation of Nalier's trouserless arrest in an attempt to impress a couple of women at the bar. "No sign of Kim?"

Alex took a sip of her drink and shook her head.

"No," she said quietly, "I wasn't expecting her to come if I'm honest. She's getting more distant."

Simon sighed.

"I tried to speak to her yesterday," he said, "screwed it up. Not trying that again."

Alex gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Simon, do you remember our first proper conversation? When you were in hospital after breaking your toes?" He looked at her blankly. "No, I don't suppose you do. You were enjoying those little blue and white pills too much." she paused. "That was the first time I tried to talk to someone who knew this place wasn't their home. It was the first time I had to cover up what I knew. If you could remember you'd definitely see that screwing it us is fairy normal for a first attempt."

Simon gave a slight smile.

"That's good," he said quietly, "I didn't want Hunt blaming me for letting the side down."

"I'm sure you did everything right" said Alex.

Simon ran a hand through his hair.

"She's a strange girl," he said quietly, "I mean, aside from what she's going through. She kind of reminded me of someone but I couldn't place her."

"What do you mean?"

Simon shrugged.

"I just feel like I'd seen her somewhere before." He shook his head slightly with a tiny laugh. "Alex, I'm sorry, I can't take you seriously with that… thing on your head."

Alex gave an annoyed sigh and snatched off the bandage.

"I told her cream wasn't my colour," she snapped.

A hand appeared in front of Simon with a bottle of fancy orange juice in it.

"There," Gene's voice began, "one drink. Good work today, Shoebury. It's good to have you on the team."

Simon glanced up in surprise.

"Thank you," he said, "I… appreciate that. I really do."

Gene sat down, a second bottle in his other hand.

"I got one for Batman too," he pointed out, "but he seems busy getting his cape tangled in the microphone lead."

Simon looked toward the stage where Robin appeared to be getting ready for karaoke but faced trouble dealing with the wire. He tried to step out of the tangled flex but succeeded only in causing it to wrap more tightly around his legs. It reminded him of the scene from the Bagpuss episode about the lost ballet shoe where Professor Yaffle became entangled in a ribbon.

"I'm sure he'll be very grateful," Simon told him. He paused for a moment to gather a little courage, then asked the question he couldn't shake from his mind. "So… when are we going home?"

Gene took a mouthful of his pint and sighed.

"If you're asking for a lift don't look at me, I'll be legless by the end of the night."

"No," Simon began patiently, knowing full well that Gene understood what he meant, "Home. Two thousand and ten." He paused, waiting for a response but Gene gave none. "Come on, Hunt. Nailer's away. We did what we were here to do. We can go home now."

"I warned you it didn't work like that," said Gene.

"Then what do we have to do?"

"Look," Gene leaned across the table toward him, "I don't make the rules, I just live by them. I'm not privy to all the notes, clauses and appendices. I don't have the answer."

Simon looked seriously at Gene. He hated to admit it but he really didn't seem to have the answers he was looking for. He stared at his orange juice as he thought about home, his father and sisters, his colleagues, even his guinea pig. He missed them all. He'd felt such a buzz from catching Nailer that he'd almost forgotten the truth behind their situation. His thoughts brought him down to earth with a thump.

Just as he was beginning to feel extremely melancholy, a few familiar bars of a song struck up and he glanced around to see Robin on the stage, microphone in hand.

"I don't believe it," he began as a smile began to spread across his face, "how cheesy can he get?" He turned to Alex, "this is 'our' song," he explained, "Absolute Beginners. We have a long history with it."

Alex couldn't help but smile too as she watched Robin beginning to sing.

"…I've nothing much to offer

There's nothing much to take

I'm an absolute beginner

And I'm absolutely sane…"

"That's sweet," she said.

"Too mushy for me," said Gene, "someone needs to show this establishment a thing or two about music." He got up again, pint in hand and began walking toward the stage.

"Oh no, you're not going to sing again are you?" Alex asked nervously, "you already worked your way through your Nik Kershaw repertoire last week…"

Simon blanched.

"I'm glad I wasn't here for that," he commented.

His eyes fixed in Robin as he continued to sing their favourite song. A smile of true inner happiness and warmth spread across his face as the familiar words swept him away.

"…As long as were together

The rest can go to hell

I absolutely love you

But were absolute beginners

With eyes completely open

But nervous all the same…" #

"You know," Simon began quietly, "it's strange, but one thing I've noticed about being here is that music seems to take on a whole new meaning."

"What do you mean?" asked Alex.

"Lyrics," said Simon, "I find myself fitting them into our situation. Like they make too much sense. Like every song is a part of the story."

Alex stared onto her drink. She'd been guilty of doing that too.

"Being here makes you romantic and cynical, hopeful and desperate, strong and terrified," she confided.

Simon nodded slowly.

"I'm starting to see all of that," he agreed.

Alex saw the look in Simon's eyes as he watched Robin singing every word of the song very pointedly in his direction. The closeness they shared was very clear to see. Alex thought sadly about what Simon had confided in her the day before. His special plans, taken away in an instant. She gestured toward Robin.

"Why don't you ask him?" she said.

Simon frowned.

"Ask him what?"

"'Ask' him," Alex repeated, "the important question you had for him yesterday."

Simon turned to Alex looking crestfallen. He had almost managed to forget about his lost chance at proposing. With a heavy heart he said,

"I can't ask him now. Not in this time."

"Does it matter what year you're in?" Alex asked, "If you love each other, that's all that matters."

Simon stared ahead at Robin as he came close to finishing the song.

"Maybe," he said quietly. He sighed and shook his hesd. "No, I need to do it right. Not in a year Robin hates so much. I'll do it when we get back to two thousand and ten. It'll give me an extra incentive to get home."

Alex gave him a thin smile.

"It's your decision," she said.

The last line of Absolute Beginners arrived and Simon stood up, a smile across his face and his hands beating together to offer joyful applause to Robin. He leaned toward Alex just a little and said,

"Anyway, you could always take your own advice."

Alex frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Simon nodded toward Gene.

"Ask him," he said.

"Ask who what?"

"Hunt," said Simon, "why don't you 'ask' him?"

Alex waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't be silly," she said, her cheeks turning a bright shade of crimson.

Simon gave a sly grin.

"It's leap year next year," he pointed out, then set off to envelope Robin in a warm hug, congratulating him on his moment of glory.

Alex stared sadly at Gene as Simon walked away. There was a part of her that had to admit she'd thought about it now and then, but it simply wasn't that easy. Gene's comments about marriage left her in no doubt that he wasn't the biggest fan of that particular institution. The thought of asking and receiving a knock back was something she couldn't bare to imagine.

~xXx~

"Are you going to tell me?"

Susannah glanced up.

"Huh?"

"Are you going to tell me what the matter is?" Malcolm asked.

Susannah didn't know quite what to say.

"Nothing's the matter," she said quietly.

"I know today's be… weird. And tough," Malcolm began, "I'm worried too. But you've been so quiet since this afternoon." He paused. "Is it something I've done?"

Susannah shook her head.

"No, of course not."

"Something about DC Hunt?"

"Not really."

"Then what?"

Susannah bit her lip and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure what to tell him. She didn't know whether she had the strength to say the words. She'd spent the best part of the afternoon and the evening facing an internal battle, whether to speak the truth or to keep it within her to spare the fear of others. It was bad enough making a discovery so terrifying herself. Having to say the words to share it with somebody else seemed beyond what she could bear. Eventually she gave a very slow nod, affirming to herself that she had finally made the decision, then looked Malcolm in the eye.

"You're right," she said quietly, "there is something."

Malcolm hesitated. He had rarely seen her so scared.

"Susie, you're shaking," he said quietly.

Susannah swallowed. She took in a deep, slow breath.

"I know who it was," she whispered, "I know who Kim was talking to."

Malcolm wasn't expecting that. He froze for a moment.

"Who?"

Susannah glanced around.

"Not here," she whispered.

Malcolm got to his feet and held out his hand.

"Let's go outside," he said quietly.

Nervously, Susannah nodded and followed him through the crowd to the doors where they escaped the sticky, hot club and took their secret into the chilly night outside.

~xXx~

"Never let it be said I lack romance," beamed Robin as Simon finished offering him seven shades of praise for his serenade. He coughed a little and cleared his throat.

"Are you OK?" asked Simon, "did you sing too loudly or something?"

"No!" cried Robin, "ugh, not used to the smoke in here, that's all. Forgot the smoking ban doesn't exist yet here." He sighed. "I'm just going to go and walk round the block, get a bit of fresh air.

"Ill come with you," said Simon.

"Simon, wait!" Alex's voice called him before he had a chance to go anywhere. He looked around.

"What's wrong?"

Alex caught up to him.

"Can you help?" she asked sheepishly, "Gene's got his foot caught between the steps leading up to the stage and I've only got one arm to pull it out with…"

Simon frowned, thinking it was some kind of wind-up that would end up with a shoe-related joke but as he glanced over he could see that Gene was, in fact, stuck.

"Bloody hell, there's never a dull moment here, is there?" he asked, "Look, you go ahead, Rob. I'll help work his foot free then I'll join you for a walk."

"OK," smiled Robin, giggling just a little at the thought of Gene's trapped extremity.

Simon gave Robin a warm kiss before setting off with Alex to the cries of, "I paid five quid to get in your bloody club, are you telling me you can't afford a bloody saw to get me out of this?"

"It's certainly been a day of surprises," he said innocently.

~xXx~

"So?" Malcolm could feel fear growing inside of him as he walked along with Susannah, "who was it then?"

Susannah folded her arms to try to block out the bitingly cold air. It was an October night and the winter was fast chasing autumn away.

"I don't even know why we didn't think of it sooner," she said quietly, "last number redial. We should have done it straight away." she paused. "While you were the toilet, it suddeny came to me"

Malcolm felt his mouth grow very dry. He took a deep breath and tried to prepare himself for the worst.

"So you pressed it?" he asked.

Susannah nodded as their steady pace of walking trailed to a halt and she turned to look at him seriously.

"I wasn't expecting it," she whispered, "not to hear his voice. Not to hear his name."

"Whose name?"

"It's impossible, Mal… I don't know how this can be."

"Just tell me, Susie, you're scaring me."

Susannah closed her eyes for a moment. She took a deep breath.

"He's dead, Malcolm."

"Who is?"

"I heard his voice, I heard his name… but he's dead."

Malcolm held her hands.

"Tell me, Susannah, please."

Quietly, Susannah leaned forward and spoke the name the filled her with dread. Malcolm's eyes opened wide and his heart thumped heavily within his chest. All at once, the fear in her eyes made sense - but it was the only thing that did.

It wasn't possible, it just wasn't possible. And yet somehow, it was true.

~xXx~

Robin's feet scuffed through leaves as he walked along. He didn't dare go too far, knowing Simon would be out when he'd helped Gene to work his foot free but he was enjoying the night air. It settled across his shoulders and filled his lungs. How could this feel so real? It was the strangest thing to consider.

"Enjoyed the pictures, did you?"

Robin froze. He recognised that voice. It was the same voice he'd heard the night before. He slowly glanced around and found a figure once again hiding in the shadows. There was an outline of a man but not a lot more.

"Pardon?" he asked nervously.

"The photographs," the man began. "I take it they were helpful?"

Robin swallowed.

"Yes," he said quietly, "if you mean the photographs of Nick Nailer, they were very helpful." he paused.

"So I take it you were pleased with my tip-off?"

Robin felt his hands tremble just a little. He couldn't explain the feeling of cold dread washing over him but it was far deeper than any fear he'd experienced in his life.

"Who are you?" he demanded, "what are you doing here and what do you want?"

"It's not about what I want," the voice told him, "it's about what you want." he paused. "To go home." Robin's skin began to crawl. "You do want to go home, don't you Robin?"

"How do you know my name?" Robin hissed.

"I make it my business to know things," the man told him, "that's why I made such a good informant." He paused. "Now I'm going to inform you of something else."

"It had better be your name," snapped Robin.

The man stepped out of the shadows.

"I was thinking more along the lines of how to find your way home," he said.

As the light hit his features, the stranger became familiar to Robin. It took him a while to link it up; to realise who he was. A digitised picture on the database, a glimpse in the darkness, photos on the news reports, images in the case notes.

That face. That man. That terrible, evil man.

"I know you," he breathed, the terror causing every muscle in his body to twitch and tremble.

"That saves on the introductions," the man commented.

Robin swallowed.

"Keats," he whispered, "Jim Keats."

Keats gave a hearty laugh and glowered at Robin.

"I'm flattered you remember me so well," he said, "considering we only met in passing."

Robin's eyes flashed with a mix of anger, fear and absolute horror. He swallowed to stop himself from screaming.

"You drugged Simon… shot him… stalked us both, tried to kill Alex."

"I don't think much of your small-talk," Keats told him.

"You bastard," Robin hissed, "you're an absolute evil bastard."

Keats seemed not to have heard.

"Like I said, I have something else to inform you of."

Robin trembled a little, torn between running for is life and hearing what the man had to say.

"Yes?" He whispered

Keats reached into his long coat and from within he pulled a tape. He stretched out his offering and placed it into the unwilling hands of Robin.

"Your boyfriend enjoyed this tape," he said, "I think you should see it too." He turned to walk away. "And then, maybe when you've watched it, you can ask yourself who you should really be trusting so far away from home." he began to walk away. "Goodnight, Robin. Sleep tight." He paused. "don't let the millennium bugs bite."

As Robin watched him walk away he couldn't make sense of what had just occurred. The tape in his hands felt like it could burn right through his fingers and the sight of the man who'd near destroyed Simon now etched forever onto his mind.

He stared at the tape. Whatever was on it could never change the way he felt about Keats, he knew that much.

"How the hell is he here?" he whispered, "and what the hell is he trying to do with me?"

He didn't know what to do or where to go. A few moments earlier it all seemed so simple - job done, first exit coming up on the right.

Now the devil was offering him his hand - and Robin couldn't stop shaking.