AN: Seasons Greetings Robson fans, may all your stockings be stuffed with fluff. Thanks to everyone who keeps reading my offerings, especially those of you who take time to leave a review or send me a message. You really do feed my muse and keep me writing. So THANK YOU! I will be continuing with my other story (the way young lovers do) in due course. I had to take a break for a while as work was busy and I wanted to write this little bit of Christmas Robson tinsel. Merry Christmas all :)
It was a Friday night in mid-December. It was freezing cold. The roads of Oxford were icy and the pavements were slippery with frost. Laura Hobson's shoes crunched on the grit and salt as she walked her way carefully along the street to the restaurant for the annual festive departmental meal.
The shops on the high street were decked out for Christmas and there were festive lights and Christmas trees at every turn. For the most part Laura loved Christmas, even though it was a busy time of year for her. There always seemed to be an increase in deaths both suspicious and regular during the festive period. She was used to working over the holidays but this year she wasn't rostered on over Christmas. Despite having to work the next day, Laura was looking forward to the Christmas meal. Mainly, she admitted to herself, because it was an opportunity to spend time with Robbie Lewis. Recently she had found herself thinking more and more about him. Their friendship, special in itself, was as strong as it had ever been and the more time she got to spend with him, she felt her longstanding attraction to him grow and grow. They'd had several tough cases recently and had spent time discussing forensic results, often over a drink. This was nothing new but she'd noticed that their conversations of late had soon changed to the more personal, rather than lingering on the professional. They often went out for lunch and coffee and could talk for hours. She loved it. But she wanted more. She had done for a long time. She sighed, her breath clouding the air in front of her as she walked, hands tucked into her coat. She knew Robbie still wasn't ready for anything remotely close to a relationship. But she also knew he held a candle for her. She had seen his disgruntled face, barely hidden, when sometimes she'd told him she was off on a date but at the same time he seemed unable to let himself go, to finally ask her out for a drink or a meal that might result in taking them beyond their friendship. She had tried in the past to create opportunities that might have steered them to something more than friendship, but she would never make a move on him. It was up to him. Horses and water she thought to herself. How long would she have to wait for him? Still she kept vigil for the moment that she knew full well might not come.
Looking up the street, before crossing it, Laura sighed again. She was a little tired, maybe even a little depressed. She had been working hard along with attending all the usual festive gatherings and get-togethers that it seemed obligatory to be in attendance to in the hectic run up to Christmas. She'd not seen sunshine or daylight, it seemed, for a week due to her shift pattern. It wasn't long now, however, until she could take a proper break. She had the evening off and then 4 days of shift work before she went on Christmas leave. She should be looking forward to it but deep down, in spite of her plans, perhaps because of her plans, she felt discontented.
Frowning at the thought of her busy schedule and coming plans she checked the time on her watch and quickened her pace along the pavement.
She met James Hathaway as she turned into the street where the restaurant was located
"Good evening Doctor, you look ready for a night out" he said as he opened the door for them both.
"Thank you, James, and so do you, I'll take it as a compliment"
Hathaway smiled and, unwrapping his scarf, followed her into the welcome warmth of the restaurant.
The table allocated for the departmental festive meal was long and as Laura went in she saw Robbie seated at one end chatting with a couple of his team. She was hoping it would be a sit-where-you-like do and that Jean Innocent's secretary hadn't over engineered the evening with place names on the table in a silly forced effort to get the different departments to mingle. With a relief she saw it was a free for all and followed Hathaway as he went towards the end of the table towards Robbie. She was confident that some of her team would join her at the end of the table when they arrived and sure enough they did. Laura didn't care too much where they sat however, she just wanted to be near to Robbie so she could spend the evening with him. More and more she realised how much she loved being in his company, especially when it wasn't work related.
"Hi Robbie" she said with a bright smile
"Hullo Doctor, are you joining us at the naughty end then?" And he gestured up to the top of the table.
Laura laughed, already some of Robbie's team were looking well-oiled on drink. He had a glass of wine and looked relaxed, smiling fondly at her as she sat down opposite.
She smiled back. She loved to see him in a good mood. For a while now she'd noticed a bit of a change in him, it was only subtle. He seemed a bit happier, smiling more often than she'd ever seen since before the death of his wife. She assumed it was because he had been to see his daughter and grandson; he'd managed a few trips up to Manchester and they'd also been to visit. She did know that he wasn't able to spend much of Christmas with them however as he was rostered on duty between Christmas and new year. Part of her wished she was too, despite the current status quo of her social and personal life.
Laura had been seeing someone on and off and recently it had developed into something more but not particularly on her part. His name was Malcolm and he was a don at one of the colleges. She had met him at an alumnus function and they'd got on well, at least well enough to meet up a few times and then tentatively start what could be considered a relationship. She knew in her heart it wouldn't last but she was willing to give it a try. So much so that she had agreed to go away with him over the Christmas break.
Malcolm was pleasant enough but he had the aloof arrogance that was often prevalent in his type. She was well used to it; most of the men she had ever dated had some sort of a superiority trait or complex. She realised quite rapidly that he wasn't ultimately going to float her boat. In the past he may have, but her parameters had changed as she got older. More and more Laura's "type" was becoming less frequent in an ever-growing pool of unsuitable suitors. Still, she valiantly tried her best to make it work. When Laura had told Malcolm how she loved long beach walks in bad weather, he'd told her about his large seafront flat in Brighton. It had been difficult to turn down his invitation to spend some of Christmas with him after that. She wasn't particular to go, but as she thought to herself, why not? What else would she do if she wasn't working? Plans to visit family had fallen through at the last minute as quite often they did as her close family were scattered to the four winds.
She'd had a decent offer of going to the Norfolk coast with Ellen Jacoby and some other old college friends. She hadn't ruled it out. She sighed. If things didn't work out with Malcolm, and part of her knew full well it wouldn't, then she'd give the online dating yet another go. She didn't quite know why she was so desperate to be with someone. It wasn't even about the sex anymore like it had been in the past. She was lonely, it was a simple as that. There were only so many clubs or societies or social nights out or interesting lectures and seminars to go to. She wanted, needed something simpler than that. Someone to spend time with during the dull hours after work, to snuggle up with on the sofa and watch crap telly with, someone to go to bed with at night and to wake up with each morning, to enjoy dinner and breakfast with, for more than just a few errant days between busy schedules. Someone to make love to in the proper sense of making love, with someone you actually loved.
"You alright, Doctor?"
She looked up from her ruminations. Robbie was smiling at her from across the table, his eyebrows raised with his question.
"We lost you for a minute there" he said and his gaze lingered slightly, as did his smile.
"Cheers" he said, suddenly a little self-conscious and he offered his glass to hers.
Pulled from her thoughts she smiled back at him and he saw her eyes sparkle in that familiar way that he adored. He checked himself. This was Doctor Hobson. A good friend. Always there for him. Attractive, brilliant and full of kindness for him. He'd come to realise recently that she meant so much to him than just friends. It was difficult to admit to, but he was starting to allow himself to think that he couldn't hide from it anymore. Despite this acceptance, slow as it was, things were still hard. Grief still shaded his life. Granted, these days it wasn't as bad, perhaps, but it was there. Over the years it seemed to have diluted a little, but like a drop of ink in a jar of pure clear water, the dark hue of grief over his wife's death still tinted his life.
Robbie started to ask Laura about her plans for the Christmas period but one of her assistants had joined her at the table and had started chatting to her. Robbie took the opportunity to look at Laura. He thought not for the first time that night how pretty she looked. She was wearing a black dress that had a dark red rose pattern on it. He noticed how it hugged her body, her curves. It also had a low-cut neck and he found himself looking at the pale skin of her neck and the sweet points of her collar bone.
He stopped himself looking any further. Guilt sounded in his head right on cue as it always did, a deafening gong, proclaiming his betrayal to Val. He felt guilty about thinking of Laura in any other way than as a friend but he knew at the back of his mind that she meant more to him than that. He felt it, deep inside when he sometimes thought about her or looked at her. The searing guilt and feeling of betraying Val was another clear signal to him that Laura meant so much more. It was a cruel paradox that always threw his emotions off balance. Tonight, however, he was distracted enough to muffle away the guilt. This was a works do. Nothing more nothing less. He was just glad to spend some time with Laura away from the routines of work.
The evening, as it wore on, was a pleasant affair, the different departments mingling and generally letting their hair down. Robbie and Laura stuck to a couple of glasses of wine along with others who were working the next day. Those who were off duty were able to enjoy a more libatious night and there was a lot of raucous laughter up and down the table. This pleased Jean Innocent greatly as she went round everyone in turn, chatting and thanking them for a year of hard work.
Laura found herself glancing at Robbie often during the evening. This had not gone unnoticed by Hathaway. The young sergeant liked and respected the doctor and had long since suspected that she had romantic feelings for his boss. She was fiercely protective of him and her compassion and solicitation for his wellbeing had always been apparent. He knew that Hobson dated other men but that she would do anything for Lewis. He also suspected that given her pragmatic and decisive attitude to life that she wasn't going to hang around waiting for Lewis to wake up to the situation.
Hathaway looked at the pair now they were chatting easily and Hobson was berating Lewis over something while Lewis was protesting and laughing. Like an old married couple though Hathaway sardonically. It wasn't that often that his boss laughed or even smiled but Hathaway knew it was almost guaranteed when he was in the company of Hobson. He knew Lewis was in love with Dr Hobson. Not that Hathaway would ever dare to suggest the fact in any certain terms. It was a subject off limits. But even so, he often found himself frustrated by his boss. Laura Hobson was brilliant, attractive and sexy for a woman of her years and obviously cared deeply for Lewis. Yet his boss seemed immune to her reality in his life. Maybe in the new year it was time to start gently forcing the issue for the sake of Lewis.
After desserts Jean Innocent, now wearing a red velvet Father Christmas hat, trimmed with white fur, distributed the Secret Santa gifts from a rustic hessian sack covered in felt snowflakes. She went back and forth around the table pulling out the presents, reading the preprinted tags that her secretary had made when organising the secret Santa draw. The dinner was now drawing to a close and those who were not on duty the next day were moving onto the hard stuff. Robbie was on duty the following day but bought some of his constables a round of shots as a thank you. Laura made a comment about rare moths and Robbie's wallet which caused much merriment to his department and to Jean Innocent as she dug into the sack of presents.
"Ah, James, this is yours" she said with a big smile, handing a parcel to Hathaway.
Laura and Robbie watched on as Hathaway opened his Secret Santa gift, a small bottle of good single malt and a pair of XL superman underpants.
"I think I know who got you those, Sergeant" Robbie chuckled as he nodded in the direction of the other end of the table where some of the younger up and coming constables were seated. One in particular, Robbie had noticed over the last few months, had taken a shine to his sergeant.
Hathaway, with a deadpan poker face looked down the table at two of the WPCs who were giggling uncontrollably and then back at Robbie and then Laura, his face not giving anything away. Robbie and Laura were now laughing, Laura almost choking on her wine.
"Doctor Hobson we need you to settle an argument"
One of Laura's team, a little worse for wear had made her way up the table and started chatting to Laura through drunken hiccups.
Laura frowned "Oh for heaven's sake. Not this mitochondria business again? I've told Simon, it's not a clear-cut issue"
She got up from the table, shaking her head with mock consternation and went over to the opposite end of the table.
Robbie watched her as she made her way up to the gaggle of pathologists who were already drunkenly firing questions at her. His glance went beyond the feelings of friendship. The simple feeling of the attraction he felt towards her that he was slowly allowing himself to admit to was ever apparent. He couldn't hide from it anymore but at the same time he couldn't quite start to embrace it.
"Very becoming James" said Jean Innocent to Hathaway as she eyed his recently unwrapped underpants. Robbie laughed as he saw his sergeant's face set in deadpan neutrality once again, his attention diverted from watching Laura who was, in a rare moment, laughing with her students who were now in fits of loud drunken laughter.
Pulling her hand out of the Christmas gift sack Jean Innocent handed over a gift.
"Robbie, this is yours. Looks very posh and carefully wrapped" She said with a warm smile.
"Thank you Ma'am" said Robbie as he took the gift.
"Come on, open it sir" Hathaway was smirking at his boss, glad of a distraction away from his superhero underpants
Robbie looked on with a curious frown at the gift Jean Innocent had handed to him. It was a shallow shape in between the size of a paperback book and a bar of chocolate. It was covered with elegant geometric patterned paper and tied with a complimentary dark grey ribbon. There was something distinctly opulent about the package and he was intrigued. He pulled the ribbon from the gift and unwrapped the paper to reveal a box. Robbie lifted the lid.
Inside were three meticulously folded white cotton tailored handkerchiefs. Crisp and smooth, each hankie had on it, beautifully embroidered in peacock blue silk, the initials RL. Robbie looked down at them. Hathaway noted that there was an odd look on the Inspector's face, but he was himself distracted by the luxury gift Lewis held in his hands.
"Sir, they're absolutely lovely. Top quality and monogrammed. I'd bet they're from the tailor in Little Clarendon street." Robbie could see that Hathaway was genuinely impressed.
"Someone's spent out on you, sir. I wonder if the recipient of your gift will be as pleased as you must be with this gift. Let's hope they like Milk Tray." Hathaway smirked at his boss, delighted he could score a point and deflect away from the attention his gift had encouraged.
"I'm going to choose to ignore that, Sergeant and just for the record it wasn't Milk Tray, it was a box of Thornton's I'll have you know. And I can guarantee that those chocolates will bring someone a lot of joy. Anyway, shouldn't you be putting your new keks on?"
Robbie was still looking at the handkerchiefs and his sergeant noticed again a shadow briefly flit across his face, as if something was deeply troubling his boss. Hathaway, tuned as he was to the nuances of his superior, frowned to himself. But then the moment passed as down the table there was a roar of laughter from the young constables who were now drinking shots of Jägermeister. Seconds later an equally raucous din issued from the drunken pathologists who were responding to something Laura had just said to them.
When she came back to the table Laura opened her secret Santa, a hardback edition of a new Donna Leon crime novel.
" Oh. Perfect!" she said with a surprise.
"Fan of a Venetian murder mystery are you Doctor?" Hathaway asked her, seeing genuine enthusiasm on her face.
"Actually, yes. A good friend of mine has a palazzo in Venice which she lets out. It makes for a spectacular weekend away."
"I don't doubt it" said Hathaway and he was about to ask her more about it when suddenly there was a sound not dissimilar to a chiming bell and conversations and laughter fizzled to a murmur as Jean innocent tapped a fork on her wine glass.
"Here we go" said Robbie, smiling at Laura as she sat back down at the table.
Jean Innocent, sober but full of enthusiasm for the festivities thanked everyone again for their hard work and co-operation. The evening, as far as the meal was concerned was coming to a close and people were getting wrapped up to face the cold night air. Robbie and Laura made their way outside amidst the boozy chatter and prolonged drunken goodbyes from those who were going home and not onto another bar. They watched as Hathaway talked for a while to the WPC who had bought him the pants, before they both joined the drunken trail of revelers as they headed to their next drinking hole.
"I think he's pulled" said Laura
"No Chance" said Robbie. "A tenner says he'll go home alone"
"You're probably right" She laughed back.
They watched as the crowd of drunken PCs and pathologists and clerical staff tumbled down the road. Jean Innocent, wrapped up in a camel coat smiled fondly at Robbie as she exited the restaurant.
"I'm going to go home and have a lovely cup of tea and one of these chocolates." She said to Robbie, clutching at a big box of Thornton's as she got into a taxi that was waiting for her.
"Enjoy, Ma'am, see you tomorrow" Robbie smiled as the door of the taxi slammed closed. He turned and looked at Laura. "Walk you to the taxis?"
She smiled and nodded, taking his arm when he offered it to her. It was a secret pleasure of hers, hooking her arm though his and just walking and chatting. It was so easy and comfortable. He felt it too. It wasn't a long way to the taxi rank and they both seemed to slow to a gentle pace along the cold street, as if prolonging the walk for as long as possible.
It was bitterly cold and the freezing temperature of the night air seemed to scorch Laura's skin. She wasn't sure, but she thought she felt Robbie pull her in a bit closer to him, as if trying to keep her warm as they walked.
Above them the night was icy-clear and a cold pearly moon shone like a coin in the dark blue velvet of the sky. The city trees were sparkling with a frost that had been there all day and had crystallised further after the sun had gone down. The street seemed to shiver in the beauty of the winter night.
"So" Laura cleared her throat self-consciously and looked down at the frosty pavement, mottled grey in the gloom and peppered with flat discs of chewing gum that had been trodden down. "Was your secret Santa gift something nice?"
Robbie raised his eyebrows at her question. "Erm, yeah, I suppose so." He said, looking down at her as they continued to walk. "I mean, yes it's lovely, just a bit, I dunno, a bit uncanny really."
Laura stopped walking, Robbie stopping with her as she did so. She turned to look at him in the streetlight, he saw she frowned a little "how so?" She asked
Robbie sighed. "It's an absolutely lovely gift, it's just well. . ." His voice trailed off and he looked up the frosty street for a moment before turning back to look at Laura "Listen, I know it's getting on, but do you fancy one last drink?"