A/N: contains references to child abuse, and abortion, just to warn you.
Laura was completely lost in thought when Robbie came to find her, and he startled her from her musing as he slid his arm around her. "You alright love?" he enquired and Laura smiled. "Yeah, just reminiscing about Christmas," she replied, leaning her head against his affectionately. "Did your nieces enjoy their Christmas festivities?" Robbie asked and Laura smiled. "Yes, I think so," she replied warmly and Robbie pressed his lips to the side of her head. "I reckon those potatoes must be done," he observed and Laura cast a glance towards the saucepan. Robbie kissed her again and then moved to the hob, picking up a fork and testing the potatoes to see if they were cooked. Determining that they were ready, he drained the potatoes and then set about mashing them, adding butter and milk before presenting Laura with the saucepan. "That do?" he asked, and Laura nodded. "Thanks," she said cheerfully, and Robbie turned his attention to the vegetables, draining them and then retrieving the plates from the oven so that Laura could dish up. She served their supper deftly before handing a plate to Robbie and flashing him a smile. He squeezed her shoulder affectionately and then headed to sit down at her dining table. Laura set her plate down, and then returned to the kitchen, collecting a bottle of red and two glasses. Robbie looked up at her quizzically as she sat down. "I'm off call, and I am done for two more days," Laura explained, pulling the cork from the bottle and then pouring a glass for herself. "Wine?" she asked and Robbie nodded. "Please, pet," he said and Laura smiled softly. "When are you back on duty?" she asked as Robbie began to eat. "I've got tomorrow off," he replied between mouthfuls "and then I'm back on call over the weekend." Laura smiled and began to eat. "Mmm," she observed "if I say so myself, this is delicious." Her eyes were sparkling when Robbie looked over at her. "It is, absolutely," he replied and she crinkled up her eyes in that way she did when she was happy about something.
After dinner, they curled up on the sofa, and Laura put the television on, lazily flicking through the channels until she found something to idly watch. After a few minutes, Laura suddenly leapt up and Robbie fixed her with a confused expression. "I brought home a box of chocolates," Laura explained when she came back into the room, holding a box "Christmas present from my team." Robbie reviewed the confectionary options in front on him and wrinkled his nose. "Are they all dark chocolate?" he asked in distaste, and Laura chuckled, curling her legs up underneath her. "Well," Laura replied "my team do have some sense of my preferences." Robbie pulled a face and Laura began to open the box. "You don't like milk chocolate?" he asked and Laura shook her head. "I make an occasional exception for Maltesers," she owned and Robbie wrinkled his nose. Laura rolled her eyes, and gestured to the coffee table. "I think there's another box of, I don't know, Roses, something Cadbury's, under there. You're welcome to it," Laura said and Robbie grinned. "Much more like it," he replied enthusiastically "though they've never been the same since they got rid of the toffee penny." Laura laughed, her hand poised to pick a chocolate from the selection. "Oh, Robbie…" she chided and he looked indignant. "What?" he replied and Laura shook her head. "Wasn't that Quality Street?" she enquired and he sighed. "Probably, our Laura, probably."
Robbie gestured to the television. "I thought this wound you up?" he enquired and Laura glanced at the screen. Oh, Silent Witness. Or, Witless Silence, as it had been so beautifully reframed by French & Saunders. "Well, it does sometimes," she replied thoughtfully "I mean, the idea that you'd ever do a post mortem in a very expensive silk shirt is just laughable. But sometimes it makes for intriguing background noise…" Robbie rolled his eyes and Laura chuckled. He reached for the second box of chocolates, and perused the list of contents on the lid of the box. Laura settled back against him and he looped his arm around her shoulder, pressing his lips to the side of her head. "So tell me all the hanes. How are Lynne and Tim?"Robbie grinned and tucked Laura against him, closer and he inhaled the scent of her shampoo gently. "All well. Tim moved jobs earlier in the autumn, seems to like it, and Lynne's enjoying her nursing. And she was very keen to hear about you," he told her. He felt Laura stiffen slightly in his arms and he nudged his nose into her hair. "Hey," he said softly, keeping her close. "Laur, she's delighted we're seeing each other," he continued and Laura exhaled slowly. "She's fond of you, and she'd chuffed to find out that for some reason I've yet to fathom, you seem to feel something for me. Which I can barely believe my luck about," Robbie continued, his arm still tightly around Laura. He didn't tell Laura, at least not yet, that Lynne had teared up, half nostalgic for her mother, and half happy for her father, and they'd both shed a tear of two over a glass of whiskey, toasting Val and beginning to see the way forward to a future not completely stained by grief. Robbie pressed a kiss into Laura's hair, and Laura turned her face towards him, smiling as he nuzzled against her cheek, trailing a sequence of kisses until their lips met, and Laura sighed in satisfaction.
Silent Witness long forgotten, Laura found herself pressed into the sofa, powerless to resist Robbie's kisses. God, she'd missed him. She slid her hands under his shirt, relishing the warmth of his skin under her fingertips. His skin was surprisingly soft, and Laura was reasonably confident she could name all the muscles in his back as she caressed him. It felt so good to be back in his arms, kissing each other with such yearning. Robbie's hands were beginning to wander and she smiled as his hand moved up to cup her breast, his thumb nudging against her nipple. Laura arched her back in pleasure at the sensation. Robbie pushed her shirt up and out of the way, bringing his head down to nuzzle at her chest, taking her breast into his mouth and caressing it with his tongue. Laura moaned as he did so. Tugging the offending item up and over her head, Laura discarded it onto the floor, her fingertips attempting to make short work of Robbie's shirt. Frustrated, Robbie yanked it off, returning his attention to Laura's body. Hands roaming and caressing each other, Laura could feel Robbie's arousal pressing against her through his jeans and she fondled him, grinning as he moved against the pressure of her touch. She made short work of his belt, unbuttoning his fly and sliding her hand in to stroke him, causing him to curse under his breath. "Laura," he muttered urgently as she caressed him, his breathing ragged. Laura moistened her hand, and Robbie keened as she began to touch him again. He scrabbled to undress her, fumbling with her trousers and hitching them down, easing her kickers over her hip.
"I want you so badly," he muttered as Laura helped him divest himself of his jeans. He slid his hands under her bottom, cupping her cheeks and Laura kissed him longingly. "Please, Robbie," she murmured, sliding a hand to his hips and guiding him between her legs. She inhaled sharply as he thrust into her, bringing his hand around her shoulder to draw her closer as they kissed. Laura widened her legs and Robbie sank deeply into her, causing Laura to cry out in pleasure. "God, Laura, I love it like this," Robbie told her and Laura grinned, reaching up to brush his hair from his eyes. "No complaints here," she replied huskily and he leant in for another kiss, filled with longing as they moved together. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, ducking his head to run his tongue around her areola, lapping at the nipple. The sensation sent shivers of pleasure through Laura and she closed her eyes, hands at his hips. His mouth scuffing over her breasts was proving seriously arousing, and it was all Laura could do to focus on the sensations his mouth was evoking as he thrust in and out of her. Lifting his head for a moment, he sucked his fingers before reaching between them, and beginning to touch Laura intimately. There was something intense, evocative about this easy lovemaking, and Robbie was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being deep inside her, kissing and caressing her body. He slowed his movements, gratified when she shifted her hips so that he was even deeper within her. "Oh, god, Laur," he murmured urgently, his breath hot on her chest and Laura arched her back, eyes shut. He took her breast into his mouth again, laving at the nipple, and caressing her nub with his thumb. He stilled within her, wanting to feel her come undone around him and Laura wrapped her leg around his waist, bucking her hips slowly and deliberately as she began to allow the sensations he was evoking to course through her. Laura was so close to the edge, and she could hear the hitch in her breathing. Robbie's hands and mouth were everywhere she wanted them and she shivered as a wave of pleasure began to fizz through her veins. "Oh, Laura," Robbie muttered, thrusting slowly and deeply into her, causing her to cry out. He hooked his hand under her bottom, shifting her hip slightly and the change in angle saw Laura grip her hands around his back, kissing him desperately before resting her forehead against his cheek and crying out his name as she came, letting him take her as hard as he dared, collapsing on top of her just a few moments later. "Oh my god," Laura muttered, eyes still tightly closed, and arms around his shoulders. Robbie leant his cheek against his, and she smiled.
Later, in Laura's very comfortable bed, they were curled up together, Laura's head resting back against Robbie's collarbone and his arm slung around her shoulders. "I think, maybe, you should be on call over Christmas more regularly," Robbie mused and Laura glowered at him. "Why on earth would you wish that on me?" she enquired grumpily. "Aye well," Robbie began "no bodies to come back to this week, you know? It'll be a pleasant start to the week, that. A clean slate." Laura tutted and Robbie squeezed her shoulders affectionately. "Well, I'll be back at the end of the week, so we shall see," Laura replied, shifting her position, so that she was on her side, and her wrist resting over Robbie's stomach. He pressed a kiss into her hair and she smiled absentmindedly. "I've got to go to court in the New Year," Laura mused "that awful case with the teenage girl, the one who tried to give herself an abortion at home and end up bleeding out?" Laura shuddered at the memory. Robbie hadn't worked on it, but it had been a rough few weeks for Laura. Abused by her stepfather, the girl had been so terrified upon realising she was pregnant that she'd taken drastic and ultimately fatal measures to deal with the circumstances in which she found herself. Laura had dealt with it all in her usual professional way, but it had been horrible. The scene was one of the worst she'd encountered, blood everywhere and this young, frightened girl, curled up. Laura thought it quite unreasonable that in the twenty first century, any child. any woman no less, should have found herself in such a position.
Robbie grimaced at the memory. Laura had been as angry as he'd ever known her when she'd finished the PM. He'd gone down to the mortuary to get her to explain again the biology behind a particular aspect of a report she'd written, and he'd found her sat at her desk, silent and furious. He'd tapped on the door, and regretted it the second she'd glanced up. "Everything alright Laura?" Robbie asked, uncertainly and Laura scowled darkly. "Can I help, Inspector?" she'd asked curtly and Robbie studied her before he replied. He leaned against her office door frame and held up the report. "I wondered if you'd explain something in here to me," Robbie began "but you don't seem to quite be in the frame of mind. Can, I, er get you a coffee?" Laura folded her arms around her, considering this option and then she sighed heavily. "A coffee sounds great," she replied, her voice tense and Robbie smiled tentatively. "Fancy a walk?" he enquired and Laura stood up abruptly. "God, yes," she replied, picking up her jacket and heading out of her office. Laura walked through the corridors until she reached the mortuary staffroom. "I'm going out. Page me if you need me," she said to the assistants, and then she made her way out to the station car park, Robbie trailing in her wake. They walked silently towards a local cafe, Laura's caffeine haunt of choice, and Laura didn't speak except to order her coffee. Robbie handed a ten pound note over to the barista, and ordered his own drink. Laura retrieved her coffee, thanked the staff and headed outside to sit down.
"You alright?" Robbie asked after they had sat in silence for a few more minutes, watching the street of Oxford bustle past them. Laura sighed. "I had a bad PM this morning," she said and Robbie sipped his drink, hoping his silence would induce her to continue. "A teenage girl, barely out of childhood. Pregnant. Tried to give herself an abortion at home. Perforated a uterine artery. She bled out. Locked in her bedroom. I have never seen anything like it, Robbie. And I am so angry that I don't know what to do with myself. She was thirteen years old, thirteen years old and I am just livid, Robbie." Robbie glanced at her, one arm tightly wrapped around herself and the other hand clutching her coffee. He inhaled slowly, considering how he should respond, and in the end he reached out slowly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He drew her closer, and Laura sighed as he squeezed her shoulder affectionately. "She must have been so scared," Laura murmured and he grimaced. "She was holding a toy rabbit. It must have been hers when she was a child. And she was curled up, holding it, with tear stains on her cheeks," Laura sniffed and dashed at her cheeks with the back of her hand. "That's rough, pet," Robbie murmured and Laura took a gulp of her coffee. "Thank you," she replied quietly and Robbie frowned. "For getting me out of the office," Laura explained and he nodded. "Pleasure," Robbie replied, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. After a few more minutes sat in a companionable silence, Laura glanced at her watch. "Better be getting back?" Robbie enquired, and she smiled at him and nodded. They walked slowly back to the station, coffee in hand, and when they reached the loading bay, Laura turned to Robbie. "You doing anything tonight?" she asked and he shook his head. "No plans," he said simply and Laura nodded. "Takeaway at mine?" she asked, a hint of weariness apparent in her voice and Robbie flashed her a smile. "Aye, yeah, that'd be nice," he replied and Laura smiled in return. "I'll text you when I'm done here and we'll work out the specifics?" she proposed and Robbie nodded. "Grand, ta." he said and she lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "See you later," she replied.
"I imagine your evidence is going to be pretty central to the case?" Robbie mused and Laura nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty damning. She would only have been twelve when that baby was conceived, so her stepfather is up for a whole host of child molestation charges," she replied listlessly and Robbie nodded. "Let me know when you're due in court," he murmured and Laura nodded, turning to snuggle into his arms more. Robbie clasped his arms around her and she settled against him, drawing some comfort from being held closely. "So are you up to anything tomorrow?" Robbie asked and Laura shook her head. "Lie in, coffee and papers, maybe a walk if it's dry," she mused and Robbie kissed her hair. "By yourself?" he enquired and Laura smirked. "Mmm, well," she said and then chuckled as she felt him kiss the side of her head again. "It might be nice to have some company," she mused, in a tone of voice that suggested she might just been teasing.