Author Note: For disclaimer and introduction, please see chapter one. This story is not a continuation of the previous chapters. Robbie and Laura reboot!

Innocent: You were at [Yellin's] talk?

Peterson: Yeah, with Dr Hobson.

Lewis and Hathaway: *glare*

…

Innocent: Why are you all just sitting there looking at me like dogs being shown a card trick?

-The Indelible Stain

Prologue: Dr. Hobson's office

DI Alan Peterson exited the pathologist's office, leaving DI Lewis and Dr Hobson in an awkward silence. Hobson knew she had to explain. "He came in for some test results." Her flimsy excuse did not satisfy his questioning eyes. "And to ask me to dinner." She owed him the truth, but she was also dangling the bait in front of him. How would he react, she wondered.

She was disappointed by his response. "When?" Lewis asked in a brusque tone, as if he were asking about an act of brutality. He wanted to ask "why?" or exclaim "what?" but "when?" was the operative question he was most comfortable asking her. When was the time of death, Doctor? When were the wounds inflicted, before or after? When. That was the question with Lewis and Hobson.

DI Peterson returned to the station after leaving Hobson's office and was cornered by Chief Superintendent Innocent.

"Inspector Peterson, could I have a moment?"

"Yes, ma'am." He entered and she shut the door behind him.

"Forgive me; I know you're busy, but this is more of a personal chat. May I call you Alan?" He nodded. "How are you adjusting to Oxford? Meeting people outside of work?"

"Yes, very well, ma'am, thanks. Everyone's very professional and friendly, and I've asked Dr Hobson to dinner this weekend."

"Right… That's actually why I wanted to talk to you personally. Look, I certainly don't want this conversation to be misconstrued as a directive. I would never presume to tell you whom you can see and whom you can't, but as you are still the new boy in town, I'd like to fill you in on some of the background."

Peterson was confused. "Ma'am?"

"What I mean is this: Lewis and Hobson are the Oxfordshire Police's worst kept secret. No one knows what it is but everyone knows it's something."

"Lewis? With all due respect, ma'am, I am reasonably sure that Dr Hobson is single."

"Only because Lewis can't get over his dead wife. Hobson is the one who has been there for him through it all. The way Hathaway tells it, she's even making dental appointments for him." She paused. "You're right, though; Lewis won't do anything about it and Hobson is free to see whomever she chooses- as are you. But if you do pursue a relationship with her, you would be wise to shield it from Lewis. He used to be a boxer." Innocent didn't actually anticipate any physical wrath on the part of Lewis, though she let Peterson believe otherwise. She just couldn't bear the thought of Lewis' sad face hanging around the station late, knowing that he'd rather be having dinner and downing pints with Hobson.

Peterson pulled an awkward face as he thought back to walking in on Lewis and Hobson in her office earlier, but he regrouped as professionally as he could. "I'll take that under consideration, ma'am. Is there anything else?"

"No. Thank you for listening, Alan."

Several hours later, Peterson was mapping points of distribution for Oxford's drug trade when his mobile rang. It was Dr Hobson herself. "Hello, Laura!" He greeted her optimistically, still unsure of what to make of Innocent's observations.

"Listen, Alan, thanks very much for the invitation to dinner, but I don't think that…."

He understood that Innocent was right and decided to cut her off to save face. "Say no more. Lewis is a lucky man," he said as gallantly as he could muster.

"Pardon?" Hobson's mouth was agape; good thing this was a phone call and Peterson couldn't see her stare.

"Inspector Lewis. I got an earful this afternoon about how much you mean to him. I didn't know that you two had all that history when I asked you out. No harm done, I hope?"

"None. Thanks for understanding," she said, though she herself did not understand. She hung up the phone relieved that it was easier than she thought it would be to let him down easy. But she was utterly perplexed all the same.

Lewis had talked to Peterson about her? Had he made some declaration of jealousy- or even love? Finally?! She was touched… and yet at the same time, angry. How dare Lewis meddle in her life and claim her as his own when he didn't even have the courage to talk to her about it in person! But the more she let this scenario play out in her head- Lewis confronting Peterson- she came to realize that Lewis wouldn't have been aggressive and possessive in a "hands off my woman" sort of way at all. Rather, whatever Lewis said to Peterson must have involved a good deal of stammering and scratching at his ear- his nervous tic. Frustrating as Lewis was, Hobson could never stay angry at him for long. She took out her mobile and almost called Robbie. But she knew if she did she would melt for him like a silly school girl… she still needed to play it cool. So she sat back in her office chair and continued to daydream about Lewis finally standing up for her, and what he might say to her the next time they met.

After work that night, Peterson went to the pub for a few drinks. He noticed Lewis at the bar watching the game on a stupid-sized telly. Lewis was in a bad mood, suffering from a toothache, a snarky Hathaway, and an underwhelming performance from Newcastle. Seeing Alan Peterson come up with a drink for him did nothing to improve his mood. Peterson put the beer down in front of Lewis. "Sorry, mate, I didn't mean to move in on your girl. I didn't know." Lewis just stared at him blankly. "Hobson. She's quite a woman, am I right?"

"Aye. But we're not..." Lewis was unable to finish that thought. What were he and Hobson?

"That may be, but I asked her out to dinner and was given the impression that there was another Inspector she'd rather be with- if you know what I mean." Lewis hid his smile in his beer as he wondered what Hobson had told Peterson when she cancelled their dinner.

"Is that so?" Lewis asked rhetorically.

"Yeah. I don't get you, Lewis. After the drug bust, you didn't want to be interviewed with me and Innocent. Now, you've got a pretty bird like Laura Hobson falling all over you and you don't do anything about it. You do good work, man, why not reap what you sow?"

Lewis sighed. He had just explained to Hathaway that he was too stuck in the past to embark on anything amorous with Hobson, and he wasn't about to go there with Peterson. Lewis decided instead to tackle the publicity question. "Look, man, I do press conferences when it's in the interest of public safety, not sensationalizing a crime or making a drama out of something we took care of just because we were doing our job. And those media types can be vultures, man."

(He thought back to a particularly nasty journalist who dogged Morse once just for the sport of it. Come to think of it, that journalist reminded him a lot of Laura's ex Alec Pickman- someone else who, like Peterson, annoyed the piss out of him.)

Peterson responded. "I'm on the police force because I get results. If you don't crave the attention you get for making a difference, why did you go into policing in the first place? And don't say you just want to help people, for Christ's sake."

Because I want to help people, you bugger. "Duty, I guess. When I was a lad, my best friend Stewart joined the air force. I wasn't too keen on the armed services, but I thought that policing would be a good fit. Made me parents proud. Good, steady career, provided for me little family. Heh, I'll admit it though… I like it when me kids see their old man on the telly. But they're the only public whose opinion matters to me."

"Sure, the kids are important, but you're forgetting about Hobson, man! You've known her a long time, haven't you?"

"Nearly twenty years."

"She must have been a bombshell back then. Still is, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Lewis conceded, but he remained tight-lipped on the subject for the rest of the match.

Two hours later, Laura Hobson was wandering alone down by the river. She couldn't believe her luck when she recognized the silhouette of her fellow wanderer down the path, queuing up for fish and chips. She approached Robbie Lewis from behind as he was ordering. "Make that two." She said to the vendor. She flashed Lewis a smile and said, "fish and chips are soft and easy to chew, eh? How's your toothache?" She brushed his jaw with the back of her hand. Lewis was unclear if she meant to soothe or exploit his weakness.

But he remembered what Peterson had said about Hobson falling all over him. She might have a sarcastic way of doing it, but Peterson was right, she did genuinely keep her eye on him- as she had for years. "Doctor, I didn't realize you cared so much."

"Do you think I make dental appointments for all the inspectors? I'm not a bloody personal secretary."

"No, I just thought you enjoyed torturing me."

She picked up a little plastic fork and started to poke him. "Well, that too."

"Oy, lass!" He laughed and forgot his cares.

They took their fish and chips to a bench down by the river. She sighed because she had hoped he would tell her what he'd made clear to Peterson, but she should have known that it would be up to her to drag it out of him. "So, I understand that you and Peterson were talking about me?"

"Ah. We were just talking at the pub; ran into him there quite by accident. Sorry about that."

"Sorry? What for?" She asked coyly, hoping he would confess. But no, he wouldn't divulge a thing.

"For not minding me own business." He sighed. "You're free to see anyone you want, Laura- anyone but Peterson."

Hobson was not satisfied by that answer at all. "Why not you, Robbie?"

"Ach, damaged goods, me."

"Aren't we all? At least your romantic history is something you can be proud of. Who could possibly want to make an honest woman out of me at my age, not to mention my string of failed relationships?" He realized then that she'd been through a lot too, over the years. Nevertheless… she was a lovely sight in the moonlight.

"Plenty. I think there's a queue, in fact."

"A queue of tossers like Peterson. Nice enough for now, but not forever."

"I didn't think you wanted someone forever."

"Maybe I do- if it's the right person."

"I'm not one to question your judgment, but why even go out with someone to begin with if you know he's not the right person?"

She turned to look at him. "Maybe the right person isn't ready. Maybe he never will be." Hobson watched as Lewis drew in a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. She continued. "It's OK. I accept it. But I don't do loneliness, Robbie. I go out and meet people."

"Maybe the right bloke's just a sodding old fool who doesn't realize what he's missing." Lewis laughed nervously to break the tension. "Whoever he is," he added.

Lewis was struck by a sense of déjà vu; he was just having the same conversation with his sergeant this afternoon, wasn't he? Hathaway had reproached him for being stuck in the past. Laura understood that though, and that made all the difference in the world. She had hopes for him without having expectations; she cared about him despite knowing that he might never be able to let go of his emotional baggage.

He imagined for a moment Hobson telling Peterson that Lewis was the only man for her, imagined her telling Peterson she was waiting for Lewis, imagined something generally emasculating happening to Peterson. He could not deny how much he liked these thoughts- lust mixed with schadenfreude. These two vices mingled and subconsciously coerced him to slip his arm around Hobson. Can two wrongs make a right? Yes, because when Laura Hobson nestled her head against him and he caught the scent of her hair, it was as if he had breathed in a fresh spirit of life. He nuzzled her in return.

"What are you thinking about, Robbie?" She asked after a time.

"I'm thinking how nice it is to get fish and chips with my best girl. I could get used to this." He meant it sincerely, that it would be an adjustment for him, but he was realizing that it would be worth the effort.

"So could I, Robbie." They shared a tentative kiss in the moonlight. She deepened the kiss but was worried when he pulled back.

"Toothache." He said, and added, "I'm suddenly looking forward to getting that taken care of..."

Laura laughed. "Glad to hear it. Whatever pulls you through."

"You do, Laura. You always have."

After that, it was only a matter of time before Lewis and Hobson were sharing their happy news. Everyone was elated, yet no one was surprised. No one who knew Robbie needed to ask who the lucky lass was or why or how they got together, just when.

It's a good thing that nobody asked why or how, because that was all an (Innocent) misunderstanding that Lewis and Hobson never cleared up, not even between themselves. Both of them had assumed that they confessed their true feelings for one another to Peterson, but they never spoke of it because neither one wanted to give Peterson credit for pulling the strings. After all, they were only acting on what they had both known for years.

Author note: The Indelible Stain is one of those episodes whose conclusion so frustrating that it begs to be retold several ways. One year ago, I started writing A Generation of Delible Dentist Appointments, an episode tag in two parts- for Generation of Vipers and the Indelible Stain. That was my first fic in about a decade. Now, one year and an addiction-to-fan-fiction later, I wanted to revisit The Indelible Stain to explore Peterson's role as a foil to Lewis. This iteration also responds to what could have happened at the end of Your Sudden Death Question. Hope you enjoyed it!