In the end, Laura's birthday was just as she'd wanted it. Quiet and unremarkable. As he'd promised, Robbie did indeed appear with a takeaway and a bottle of wine and they spent the evening curled up on her sofa, putting the world to rights, as they so often did. Laura sat back on the sofa, feet curled underneath her and sipped from her glass of wine cheerfully. "42 eh?" Robbie mused and Laura snorted in derision. "It's hardly a significant birthday," she retorted and he smiled at her. "I know you had your fortieth birthday party, but what did you do for your actual birthday?" Robbie asked and Laura smiled broadly. "Sam and Mim treated me to an very fancy dinner out" Laura replied, smiling at the memory "Le Manor aux Quat Saisons?" she continued and Robbie looked impressed. "Wow," he replied and Laura smiled. "Sam likes to spoil his baby sister," she said "he took me to the Ritz for afternoon tea when I passed my consultancy exams. He's a doting older brother, and woe betide anyone who oversteps what he considers the mark. And if you think he's protective of me, pity anyone who might try to date my nieces…" Robbie chuckled. "God, the idea of anyone dating your daughter is just horrific," he mused and Laura looked entertained. "How *are* you getting on with Tim?" she enquired lightly and Robbie shook his head. "He seems like a nice enough bloke, and Lynne loves him, so…" he replied and Laura smirked. "You're trying so hard to like him, aren't you?" she replied and Robbie sighed. "Wait till you have kids, Laura. It's quite difficult to explain…" he replied and Laura laughed aloud. "Oh Robbie, I think that ship has sailed. I'm 42, for goodness sake," she replied, taking another sip of her wine and Robbie considered her for a moment. "Look, it wasn't that I actively didn't want children, like, say, Ellen. It's just never happened, and you know, I'm okay with that," Laura said softly, and he looked at her. She shrugged and took another sip of her wine. "Sam likes you," Laura owned and Robbie met her gaze with a curious glance. "Oh?" he replied, taking a gulp of wine.
Laura smiled to herself, remembering her conversation with Sam a few weeks previously. It had been a few days after the whole horrible mess with Ligea, and she and Sam had been eating breakfast after the girls and Miriam had headed off for their respective days at school and work. "Robbie seems like a decent chap," Sam observed and Laura met his gaze steadily. The downside of your older brother knowing you as well as Sam knew Laura was that sooner or later he was going to start asking pertinent questions. There were eight years between Sam and Laura, and he really doted on her. He always had and Laura knew she was lucky that they were so close. Their parents had passed away several years ago now, and Sam lived halfway between Oxford, where Laura lived and London, where he worked. In the aftermath of her being attacked, he'd appeared in the middle of the night, and scooped Laura up, taking her back to the safety of his home and taking time off work in order to spend time with her until he was satisfied she was really going to be alright. Sam had taken Laura to all her appointments, and liaised with Robbie to retrieve a set of Laura's belongings, and he'd begun to get to know the man who appeared to play some significant role in his sister's life. "He is," Laura replied, nursing a large mug of coffee, and meeting her brother's curious look. "The two of you seem close," Sam continued, fixing his sister with a knowing look and Laura sighed. She shook her head and Sam regarded her curiously. "Tell me about him," Sam suggested and Laura took an enormous gulp of her coffee "because he's obviously fond of you. And you know I'm very protective of my little sister." Laura rolled her eyes and Sam chuckled.
"Robbie and I have worked together for about fourteen years now. I met him on my first ever job with Thames Valley," Laura began, tucking her feet up underneath her, and sitting back with her mug of coffee. "I suppose we've always got on well. His wife was lovely, and I coached his daughter, Lynne, through her A-levels. She did biology and chemistry, and I used go through it all with her. Lynne started me teaching. But she, his wife Val, I mean, was killed in a hit and run, back in 2005. And he, understandably, took it badly. He ended up taking a two year secondment to the British Virgin Islands, and we kept in touch while he was away, just the odd email, Christmas cards, that sort of thing. He's the go to guy for murders so funnily enough, we coincide a lot. And we get on well, really well. Coffee, here and there, drinks in the pub, that sort of thing." Sam look intrigued, and gestured that Laura should continue. "And, I don't know, well. We were going to go to Glyndebourne together in the summer, but we both got called into work, and since then we've been in this funny sort of limbo," Laura halted and Sam considered what she'd told him. "How old are his children?" he enquired and Laura thought about it. "His son's 30 and his daughter's 26," she replied and Sam pursed his lips. "Patrick lives in Australia, and Lynne lives in Manchester," Laura continued, sipping her coffee.
"So, are you seeing each other?" Sam enquired bluntly and Laura snorted softly. "What?" Sam asked, amused and Laura shook her head. "I don't know, Sam. Seeing each other sounds a bit more definite than whatever Robbie and I have going on," she replied. "He's not messing you around?" Sam looked unimpressed and Laura shook her head. "No, that wouldn't be fair, to say that" she replied thoughtfully "we're sort of somewhere between friendship and romance." "That what you want?" Sam pushed and Laura sighed, resting her head on her hand. "I don't want to push him. It's only four years since Val died, and… I don't know. He's a good man, Sam," Laura said and Sam considered his sister thoughtfully. "You like him?" he asked gently and Laura nodded. "Love him?" Sam asked knowingly and Laura looked up at him reproachfully. "Oh stop it," she muttered and Sam chuckled. "Ah, Lou," he said, squeezing her shoulder affectionately and Laura's expression softened at the use of her childhood nickname.
"Sam and Mim want us to go for dinner," Laura owned and Robbie looked surprised. "I hope I'm not presuming too much," Laura said, and Robbie reached for her hand, carefully entwining his fingers with hers, and then squeezing them gently. "Love, if that's what you'd like, then I am more than willing," Robbie replied and Laura smiled. "I would like to introduce you to them," she replied softly and Robbie nodded. "Grand," he replied, squeezing her hand again. "Properly, that is," Laura said and he smiled at her. "Is he going to quiz me on whether my intentions are honourable?" Robbie enquired jovially and Laura choked on her wine. She set her wine glass down slightly shakily and tried to recover herself whilst Robbie looked bemused. "Bloody hell Robbie," she replied and he laughed. Laura shook her head ruefully. "Are they?" she enquired, picking up her glass again and fixing him with a look. Robbie returned her gaze for a moment, took a long, slow sip of his wine and then set his glass down on the table. He turned to Laura, retrieving her glass and set that down too, and then he cupped her cheek with his hand and leant in to kiss her slowly and gently. "Laura, love," he murmured, brushing his lips against her softly and Laura closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, as she kissed him back, hoping the gesture conveyed some degree of her yearning for him. She smiled against his kiss as she felt his fingertips slide into her hair, drawing her closer and she slid her hand to cup his cheek, her thumb caressing his stubble. Minutes later, as they drew apart, Robbie met her gaze steadily and Laura shook her head in amusement. "Well, you'd better not do that in front of him," she remarked and he kissed the tip of her nose affectionately. "I'm not sure you answered my question," Laura continued and Robbie smirked. "Which was?" he enquired teasingly and Laura caressed his cheek again. "Whether your intentions towards me were entirely honourable?" she replied, and he leant into her touch. 'That is a very good question, Doctor Hobson," he said and she smiled at the expression on his face. "But to be honest, that's very much a matter between you and me, I'd say," Robbie continued and Laura smiled. "Mmhmm," she replied "and yet you still haven't answered my question…" she trailed off and he looked straight at her. "Laura," he said levelly "I know how I feel about you, and I don't intend to mess you about. But I promised you time and space, when we were in Dorset, and I intend to stick to that promise. So my intentions, in that regard, are entirely honourable." Robbie couldn't quite read her expression, and he tilted her chin up so that her gaze met his. "Don't doubt the sincerity of my affections, Laur," he chided and she smiled at him, leaning in so that their foreheads were touching. "Alright," she replied softly, and he pressed his lips to her cheek.