Disclaimer. I do not own Strike. Wish I did! All copyright belongs to the BBC and JK Rowling (Robert Galbraith). No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred.

Curry Night

Cormoran had to admit his brother in law was a good cook. At least when it came to curry night. He knew he rarely looked forward to seeing his family, the death of his mother always the unspoken elephant in the room but now Robin had been staying with them he seemed to be finding more reason to visit. As promised he brought the beer and was just about to open a can when the red haired woman walked into the room.

"Oh, didn't hear you arrive." She smiled as he handed her a can.

"Not surprised, with the kids making the racket they were. Don't they have a volume button?" He turned as his younger sister walked into the room. She laughed.

"I wish!"

"Brought beer."

"You always do." She took a can from him. "Anyway they are asleep now."

"They're good kids." Robin smiled as she thought of the little tomboy and her brother who reminded her so much of their uncle. Comoran shrugged.

"Yeah, they are. Guy making this curry or what?"

"No." Ilsa smiled. "He's ordered it. Didn't have time to do any shopping. So, its homemade curry from the Raj tonight. Like it or starve. Your choice."

"I'll love it." He flashed his best charm smile as he shrugged off his coat. His sister raised an eyebrow, knowing that there was more to the couple sat in front of her than they wanted her to know. For a moment she wondered if Robin's mother had been right to question whether there was anything going on between them. She made a mental note to interrogate her brother the moment she could get him alone.

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The meal had passed in relative peace. Robin seemed happy and settled, more so than Cormoran could remember seeing her in weeks. He had never been more relieved than the day she had announced her and Matthew were getting a divorce. He had never liked the guy, seeing him for the controlling, adulterous creep he was. He knew his friend deserved so much better. Robin was everything her ex-husband wasn't and he knew Matthew just couldn't handle that. He handed the tea towel he had been using to his sister before putting the last of the plates in the dishwasher.

"Remind me, why do we rinse and then dry the plate just to put it in that thing?"

"Because its my house, my rules." She watched as he raised an eyebrow. "Also, it gives me a chance to talk to you."

"Ok." He watcher his sister. "What have I done now?"

"Nothing." She smirked. "This time."

"Then what? You ok? The kids, Guy?"

"Are all fine." She took a deep breath. "I was just wondering when you are going to tell her."

"Who? What?"

"Robin."

"Tell Robin what?"

"That you are in love with her and have been for a very very long time." She watched as the colour drained from his face.

"Leave it."

"Corm"

"No, I mean it. She doesn't need to have any more crap at the moment. Bloody Hell, the ink on her Decree Absolute is barely dry. She's stopping with you until she gets her share of the flat but that prick isn't selling it. She's waiting for him to buy her out, which he's not rushing. So, no I am not going to add to her problems." He knew there was more to it than a messy divorce but there was no way he was going to share that with his sister. He sighed, she was two years his junior but he always felt like she was the older one. Ilsa raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe, she feels the same way."

"What?"

"You didn't deny it." She pointed out as she added the cleaning solution to the machine. "You are in love with Robin Ellacott."

"Leave it."

"Why?"

"Because, even if she did feel that way nothing good could come of it. Look at my track record eh? I'm hardly batchelor of the year am I? One broken engagement and I was too much of a coward to break up with Lorelei in person. Had to get her to do it." He looked at his feet. "In the last month two women have said that they love me."

"Listen to you." She smiled. "Why is that a bad thing?"

"One was my ex, pregnant with twins by her new husband, the other a woman I liked a lot. I did, I do but I couldn't say it back."

"And neither of them were Robin?" She squeezed his arm as he closed his eyes. "I'm right aren't I?"

"Aren't you always?" He sighed as she handed him his can back. "I can't tell her." They both looked up as the door opened to the kitchen.

"Tell me what?"