And so, a continuation of 7.3...
"You owe me a drinks. In fact, several drinks," Laura announced as she appeared behind Robbie, as he set down the last of the evidence boxes. "Number one, dental records from the other side of the world," Laura continued, holding out the report "confirming that this is indeed Soo-Min Cheong from the Ita-Wan district of Seoul. Number two, the preliminary report I was able to drag out of the forensic anthropologist which confirms the skeleton dates back to the late 1990s and who says that he finds me "unnecessarily pushy." The expression Laura made belied how unimpressed she was with this statement. "Yeah, we…" Robbie began but Laura cut him off. "Uh uh. Number three," she said, holding up a report, eyes dancing "a luminal test on the suitcase showed a small amount of dried blood. The DNA was pretty degraded but there was enough to do a reasonable comparison. And it's a match for Professor Seager," Laura concluded, clearly pleased with progress made. "Seager's blood is on Soo-Min's suitcase?" Robbie asked and Laura showed him on the photo print. "Here, under the handle," she explained and Robbie considered the photograph. "I knew there had to be a connection," he told her and she smiled broadly at him, thoroughly pleased with her afternoon's work.
"At the end of the afternoon, James shut the file on his desk, tossed his pen down and sighed. Robbie glanced at the clock. "Calling it a day, Hathaway?" he enquired, returning his attention to the screen and James leant back in his chair. "That chair's gonna take you with it one day, and then you'll be sorry when Laura's stitching your forehead back together," Robbie reminded him and James snorted in amusement. "Yeah, that's probably true," he replied lightly, returning all the legs of the chair to the floor. "You sure you don't want to come over to Laura's tonight for some takeaway?" Robbie asked and James suddenly took a great interest in a spot on the ceiling. "It's very nice of Laura, but I wouldn't want to intrude," he replied levelly and Robbie all but rolled his eyes. "She wouldn't have invited you if she didn't mean it," he reminded James who glanced at him, and then linked his hands behind his head. "You'd not be intruding," Robbie said pointedly and James sighed. "Not tonight. I've got a few things to do," James replied and Robbie considered his sergeant. He knew when a conversation had become pointless. "Well, if ye change yer mind, you know where to find us," Robbie concluded and James nodded. "Well, er, have a nice weekend," James said as he got up and shoved his chair under his desk, before heading out and across CID, leaving his Inspector musing in his wake.
Laura fixed Robbie with a look he knew well. "I worry about Jim," she said pointedly, and then she sighed. "I can't quite believe I'm willingly drinking de-alcoholised wine…" Robbie laughed, leant in to press an affectionate kiss to Laura's cheek and retrieved the glass from her hand to try some before setting it down on the table. "I mean it Robbie. Finding that young man, feeling like it's his fault. It must be hard to feel things as intensely as James does, and to be alone with all that emotion," Laura observed and Robbie considered for a few moments, chewing his mouthful of food carefully. "I did invite him for dinner," Robbie said, slightly plaintively and Laura glanced at him. "He'll be under the impression that he'd be playing gooseberry. He doesn't know that while this is new to him, it isn't new to us. He's always trodden a funny line between the two of us, you know that," she pointed out gently, and Robbie sighed. "He's probably sinking a bottle of whiskey and playing his guitar," he mused and Laura grimaced. "Alright for a night, but hardly a healthy coping mechanism in the long run," she chided. Robbie toyed with his food for a moment and Laura watched him, silently waiting for her words to sink in. She remembered more than one occasion where she'd pried an empty bottle of single malt from Robbie's hand, and forced him to go to bed and sleep off the worst of what had to have been at best, a cataclysmic hangover and at worst, functioning alcoholism. "I did me best, Laura. I can't force the man to come for supper," Robbie replied and Laura huffed out a breath of amusement. "No, that's my specialism," she observed and Robbie caught her eye, visibly entertained. "I'm saying nothing, love," he demurred and Laura smiled broadly.
The following morning, Laura was woken by her phone and she groaned into her pillow as she fumbled for it on the bedside table. "Hobson," she said sleepily as the cheery voice from Dispatch greeted her. Robbie pushed the covers back, and retrieved his dressing gown before pocketing his phone, fully expecting it to ring next before heading downstairs to make Laura a slice of toast and a cup of tea. She'd been queasy so many mornings recently, and the last thing she needed at a scene was rampant nausea. When she appeared a few minutes later, dressed and sleepy, he handed her a mug of tea and the plate of toast while on the phone to Dispatch and she pressed a kiss to his cheek appreciatively. He grinned at her as she ate the first piece, leant against the worktop. As he ended the call, he set his mobile down on the countertop, and picked up his own cup of tea. "Shall I lock up?" he enquired and Laura nodded. "Yes please," she replied appreciatively "thank you for my toast." Robbie smiled. "Least I can do, pet," he said and they smiled at each other. After Laura finished her toast, and downed her cup of tea and tiptoed up to kiss Robbie goodbye. "See you later," she murmured. "Love you, Laura," Robbie told her, kissing her again and she smiled. "Love you too," she replied, before heading off to the hall and scooping up her keys and purse, and then her bag. As her car reversed off the drive, Robbie made his way up to the bedroom and retrieved a clean shirt from the wardrobe. He hadn't quite officially moved into the Laura's house yet, but a fair number of his things were beginning to make their way over here. He kept a couple of suits, some shirts and ties as well as other necessities. He shaved quickly, washed his face and combed his hair into some semblance of order before dressing and making his way out of the house, locking up as he went.
"A scene of crime fit for an Agatha Christie novel," Laura mused when Robbie arrived on scene with James in tow. She stood up properly, covering a yawn with her hand and Robbie flashed her a sympathetic look. "She was found by some students out rowing," James observed and Laura nodded. "Enough to give you nightmares for months," she remarked and James caught her eye, amused. James had been noticeably withdrawn lately, Laura had observed, which given all that he had endured on this case alone was hardly surprising, so it was a relief to see him smile, even if it was only a little. Laura began to talk them through the preliminary findings, and once she was satisfied that they were briefed sufficiently, she left them to it and walked back to her car to clean her kit and dispose of her scene suit. Laura yawned and touched the back of her hand to her mouth. A few minutes later, she turned to find Robbie ambling over towards her and she flashed him a smile. "Hello," she said softly and he grinned at her. "Hathaway's marshalling the troops. Thought I'd delegate dispatches to him," he explained and Laura nodded. "I better get back to the mortuary. I'm supposed to be starting a PM in half an hour, so if I get a shift on, my day might just about stay on track," she replied. "I'll, er, see you later?" Robbie said, stepping towards her and she nodded. "Drop me a text when you're done?" He murmured as he stooped to kiss her cheek and Laura smiled. "Of course," she replied in the same low tones and they smiled at each other.
With the postmortem completed, and the mortuary cleaned down in anticipation of the next one, Laura dug her thumbs into the small of her back, and grumbled to herself. She was absolutely shattered, though she knew it had to be hormones. Prior to this pregnancy, Laura had had considerable periods of insomnia but it had gradually been improving. Waking in Robbie's arms most mornings helped. His gentle touch easily soothed her back to sleep when she woke early, and right now she was so exhausted that she was in bed by 8pm most nights and Robbie had taken to waking her the last few mornings with tea and toast to try and coax her out of bed. Laura sighed heavily and her assistant glanced in her direction sympathetically. "Everything alright Doc?" she enquired kindly and Laura closed her eyes for a moment. "I am so tired," she replied honestly and Anne Marie considered her boss. "Early night?" she suggested and Laura chuckled. They had the room to themselves and Laura was so bone achingly tired that she decided she just had to spill. "Mmm, while that does sound nice, I suspect it isn't going to help that much," Laura said and Anne Marie tilted her head at her boss curiously. "No?" she asked and Laura shook her head. "I'm pregnant," she confided and Anne Marie grinned at her. "Aw, Doc, that's lovely news," she said, genuinely pleased by this revelation and Laura smiled. "Please keep it to yourself for now," she continued and Anne Marie nodded. "Of course," she replied kindly. Laura allowed her hand to rest over her abdomen for a moment and Anne Marie's smile broadened. "Thank god for scrubs and elasticated waists," Laura said and Anne Marie laughed loudly. "Yeah, they're a godsend sometimes," she replied and Laura smiled ruefully. "Hide a multitude of sins," she observed and Anne Marie nodded. "You, and, er, Inspector Lewis, eh?" she enquired, slightly warily for she knew how her boss guarded her privacy. Not that carefully recently though. Anne Marie had been quite bemused to walk in on her boss with her arms entwined around the neck of a certain Inspector one morning that week. Laura and Robbie might have moved apart as quickly as they could but they had definitely been busted by Laura's team. Laura arched an eyebrow in amusement. "Indeed," she replied and Anne Marie grinned. "Glad you've both found a bit of happiness together," she replied warmly and Laura smiled. "Thank you," she replied softly, her hand instinctively drawn to her abdomen and Anne Marie smiled broadly. "When are you due?" she enquired, picking up the last couple of pieces of PPE to dispose of them in the clinical waste bin and Laura dropped her apron into the same bin. "January, but I have a feeling it might be December," she replied and Anne Marie considered Laura quizzically. "I'm pregnant with twins," Laura explained and her colleague grinned broadly. "Well, that is exciting," she replied warmly and Laura stifled another yawn. "Something like that," Laura replied "something like that."
Robbie's conversation with James at the end of the day, in some ways, came as less of a surprise to him than he expected. "I need a change…" James mused and Robbie considered his colleague. "I need a drink…" he retorted, and James looked over at him. "C'mon," Robbie said. "Pub." Seated in the garden of one of their preferred haunts, pints cradled in hand, James and Robbie passed the late afternoon in easy conversations. Somehow, in speaking openly to Robbie, some kind of dam seemed to have been breached within James, and Robbie observed it was one of the more frank discussions they'd had at leisure for sometime. "Laura and I are going to need you to hang around in Oxford for a bit longer, though, James… At least until the end of August, or at least, get you to promise that you'll come back," Robbie observed, and James considered him thoughtfully. "Laura and I are, er, planning to get married," Robbie said, and then he sipped his pint nonchalantly, James still staring at him. "I beg your pardon?" James said dryly, and Robbie set his pint back on the table. "You heard," Robbie continued, and James frowned. "I don't follow," he replied and Robbie huffed out a laugh. "Laura and I are going to get married," Robbie said cheerfully and James shook his head. "Quite the whirlwind romance," he replied, amused and Robbie laughed. "Ye have realised that Laura and I have been together for quite a while now," he retorted, amused and James frowned. "But…" he trailed off, and then sat up properly. "How long, exactly?" James enquired pointedly, and Robbie shrugged easily. "Well over two years," he replied, taking another sip of his pint and James stared at him, aghast. "Two years?!" he exclaimed and Robbie nodded. "Damn," James said and Robbie laughed. "What?" he asked as James pulled his phone and tapped a message out. James shook his head. "Two bloody years," he muttered and Robbie smirked. He sipped his pint again in satisfaction, and then his phone buzzed and he rooted in his pocket for it. He smiled when he saw a message from Laura. "You caved, didn't you?" it read and Robbie looked at James reproachfully. "And what exactly did you text Laura about?" he asked and James laughed loudly. "Oh, it wasn't just Laura…" he replied, amused. Robbie's brow furrowed and his phone buzzed in his hand again. Laura. He glanced at her message warily. The game is up. Thank James nicely, because he's paying for our next date. Robbie's frown grew deeper. "What on earth does Laura mean by this?" he wondered aloud and James snorted in a derisory fashion. "Laura has profited from a long running bet, which she has mysteriously failed to call in until now," he explained and Robbie laughed. "And how long, exactly, has this racket been in place?" he enquired, entirely amused. James took a glug of his pint, before setting the glass down and glanced at his watch. "Well," he began, under the gaze of his boss. "I believe it had its roots in Laura's 40th, but at least three years…" Robbie shook his head in disbelief. "Honestly," he muttered before draining his pint glass and setting it down on the bench.
"This seems like a dubious honour," James acknowledged as he sat down opposite Laura in the Turl one lunchtime a few days later. Laura raised an eyebrow at him quizzically. "Are you and Inspector Lewis playing good cop bad cop?" James wondered aloud and Laura laughed. "Hardly, James," she replied, amused. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure then Dr. Hobson?" James enquired, cradling his pint in his hand and Laura considered the lanky policeman sat opposite her. "Well," Laura said kindly "putting it bluntly, you're looking a little grey around the edges and I thought a decent lunch might do you good." James considered her for a moment and Laura tilted her head at him, as though to encourage his confidence. "I mean it Jim. You've had a really rough case, and you wouldn't be human if it didn't have an effect on you. It's important to talk about these things, and if Robbie won't force your hand I jolly well will," Laura said. "This based on your extensive experience in trauma counselling?" James enquired wryly and Laura arched an eyebrow at him. "It's based on a considerable career specialising in death and destruction, James, and several years of therapy, even if it's only on an ad hoc basis. The very basics of trauma counselling includes a considerable emphasis on talking through bad days, and dealing with those bad days as a team. Something the police could do with adopting as an approach. This hard man approach doesn't wash with me, James. If you're not affected by a girl dying in your arms one month, and finding a teenage lad having hung himself the next, then, frankly, there is something badly wrong with you," Laura replied "and I can't make you talk to me, James but I would be a lousy colleague and a horrible friend if I didn't try."