AN: Pure unadulterated FLUFF ALERT. Sorry not sorry.

PS thank you all for reading and leaving your lovely reviews. I'm so glad that there is still an audience for our heroes.

Anniversaries - Part 2

In the forensic lab, Laura closed her locker shut before picking up her bag. She was done for the day and was looking forward to an evening and then a weekend with Robbie. That morning he had promised her a special evening and gift for their anniversary. She smiled. Knowing Robbie he would have left things to the last minute. She didn't care. As long as they spent the evening together she couldn't give two hoots about gifts. Despite this, she had a pretty impressive gift lined up for him. She checked her watch and saw it was spot on finishing time. He would be waiting for her in the car park. She smiled to herself as she thought of the gift she had in store for him. As she walked down the corridor to the exit, the smile turned to a grin. Pack it in Hobson she said to herself, but this just made her smile even more.

Out in the carpark she saw Robbie in his car. He was talking on the phone and gave her a wave when he saw her approach. She waved back, still smiling, and went up to the car and got in.

"Right, well, thanks anyway. Cheers. Bye" Robbie finished his conversation and turned to Laura as she got in the passenger seat. "Hello love!" he said rather exuberantly.

"Hello" she replied, cautiously, narrowing her eyes at his enthusiasm "Who was that?"

"Oh, nothing, um, just traffic requesting a meeting next week, some demonstration or other on the high street. How are you? Good day?"

This seemed to placate her and she closed the car door. She reached for the seatbelt; for a brief moment she paused, looking around. She looked towards Robbie with an incredulous and repulsed look on her face. "Robbie, what on earth is that smell?!"

"What smell?"

"Don't tell me you can't smell it- it's . . . horrid what the hell is it?!"

Shit thought Robbie. "I can't smell anything?" he said and he put the car's air conditioning on. He cursed to himself. Laura had the nose of a sniffer dog and could decipher all sorts of scents within seconds. He tried to distract her.

"So how was your day?"

"Not too bad, made headway on the Mitchel case, just waiting for the final forensic report, I've done what I can now though, it's all handed off until Monday."

"Good, good" Said Robbie. The air-con had kicked in.

"So I'm all yours" and she ran her hand up his thigh.

"Steady on" he said and smiled at her. Phew he thought, that was a close one as he turned into their road.

Laura continued to chat about her day and Robbie listened and asked her things about a case he'd been working on. It was a usual routine for them but tonight as they went through the door of the house they both relaxed into the knowledge that it was a night off with the weekend to enjoy. In the hallway, Robbie took Laura's jacket off her and she secretly reveled, as she often did, in his old fashioned manners. She often teased him for being stuck in the past but this old-school chivalry of his was a guilty pleasure of hers.

"So, what have you got planned for tonight ? Should I dress up?" Her back was still turned from him as she asked the question.

"Yes absolutely" he winced. Talk about making a bad situation worse.

"Exciting. I'm going for a shower. What time are we off out?" There was no response, She turned round to face him.

"Robbie?"

He took her hands in his and with a guilty almost schoolboy look on his face he spoke.

"Laura, I'm sorry. I haven't got anything lined up. I spent all afternoon ringing round to find somewhere to eat but everywhere's all booked up, even for later tonight. Some conference or symposium or something. I'm sorry. We'll have to eat in."

Laura laughed. She had half expected this and as before didn't care too much.

"What?"

"Nothing, don't worry, I don't mind" She squeezed his hands and smiled at the remorseful look on his face. The expression on his face, close to that of a naughty puppy didn't subside at her reassurance. Avoiding her eyes and with an even more apologetic look on his face he continued to talk

"Actually, not only have I not got a meal booked, I haven't got you anything special either. I'm sorry. I just. . . I couldn't think what to get you. Will you take a rain check? I'm so sorry. Maybe I can take us away somewhere, I dunno maybe somewhere you've never been before, I know that's difficult, you've done loads of travelling. Anyway, I'm sorry; like I said, I just couldn't think of what to get you."

He sighed "You've got everything you want or need"

She smiled back at him and with their hands still clasped together she tugged him in towards her and pulled his hands behind her. He let go of them and grasped her hips and he pulled her into him.

Her hands went around his back and she stood on tiptoes and gave him a kiss. "You're right" She said. "I have got everything I want and need. Right here"

"Give over" He said smiling shyly at her. "You'll make me blush. Not to mention giving me a big head"

She raised her eyebrows and gave him a lewd smile

"Hey - you can pack that in, Dr. Hobson, you cheeky so and so. Bit early in the evening for that don't you think?" But he still pulled her in for another kiss.

"So what are we going to eat?" Laura asked him when they finally pulled apart.

"Well, when I was in town I did get some of that pasta you like, from that deli. But you'll. . ." He paused midway through speaking and pulled a cross face, frowning at himself before continuing "For Pete's sake, you'll have to cook it, it always turns into soup when I do it. I'm so sorry, Laura, some anniversary celebration this is turning into"

She laughed and kissed him again "Sounds perfect to me. Let's eat soon, I'm starving. I'll just grab a quick shower"

"I'll put a pan of water on and open a bottle" said Robbie as she disappeared up the stairs with her bag.

Upstairs Laura showered quickly and then changed into a new outfit that she was going to wear if they had been going out for a meal. It was a little black dress that hugged her figure and although Robbie had seen it on the hanger he hadn't seen it on her. Why not wear it? she thought with a smile.

Back downstairs, with the pan of water on the hob and the table set, Robbie was on the sofa reading the paper. Laura smiled as she came downstairs and saw he was looking at the sports supplement. Perfect. She thought.

She went up behind him and put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She nuzzled her lips close to his ear. "Happy anniversary" she said. In her hand was a large purple envelope. Robbie put the paper down as she handed it to him.

"What's this?" He said, surprised as he looked at what was now in his hands.

"Open it and see"

He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. He was speechless for a few seconds. He blinked, mouth open in shock. He looked down at what he'd taken out of the envelope.

Two tickets to the Men's Wimbledon Final.

"Bloody hell! Hobson! How did you wangle these!?"

Laura laughed at his evident thrill and surprise and kissed him again, still from behind him as he sat on the sofa. "Let's just say that an old friend owed me a very big favour"

"Not that lass who's the sports physio? Jemima is it?" Robbie couldn't take his eyes off the two tickets in his hand.

"The very same"

"Bloody hell. I won't ask what it is you've got on her to warrant this"

"No, best you don't"

Robbie grinned and then looked at the tickets again.

"These, these are just amazing." He felt her smile against his cheek, clearly delighted at his excitement. He smiled back. He suddenly felt incredibly guilty and humbled at the same time "Love, these are fantastic, for me, but you don't really like tennis, are you sure you want to celebrate our anniversary this way?"

"No, I'm not that keen on tennis, but I'm not averse to spending the day with you whilst eating strawberries and drinking Pimm's or champagne, or both. Plus, I've also, as you say, wangled, a penthouse suite in a house in Wimbledon so we won't have to travel halfway across London in this heat"

"You're joking. How much did all this cost?"

"Not a penny, due to the massive favour that Jemima owed me. I did however donate the equivalent amount of money to that police benevolent charity you support."

Robbie felt his throat tighten with emotion at her revelation. The charity helped bereaved police families, not just those who had died through duty but all bereavement and all circumstances. It was the same charity that had helped him and the kids after Val had died. Robbie felt a familiar swell of emotion and love for Laura, one that he recognised, that he knew had been there from before they'd got together. Sometimes he was rendered speechless by the thought and care that she had for him. She'd done all this for him. He stood up, he needed to hug her and show her his gratitude where words failed him. He saw she had changed into a dress for dinner. He gave her a look that she recognised as one that he wore when she knew he was lost for words. She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. He adored it and he adored her.

"Come here, you" and he pulled her close, his voice was low with emotion and in his embrace he held her tightly against him "You're one in a million, did you know that?"

"Actually Robbie, a million's not that big a number these days" she gazed up at him with a cheeky expression on her face.

Robbie gave her one of his exasperated looks as he always did when she called him out.

"Alright well one in 7 billion then, you bloody pedant, will that do?"

"Yes, that'll do" she said

"Come here, give us a snog" he said with a chuckle.

He leant in to kiss her and she let her senses get lost in his lips and then, gently at first, and then with more persuasion, his mouth.

When Robbie broke the kiss he pulled her in for a hug, his lips were close to her ear and she felt them softly kiss her neck.

Squeezing her further into his embrace, he whispered "Y'know, I could just kiss you like that all night and not need anything else?" He kissed her neck again before the low tone of his voice sent another shiver of pleasure down her spine. "I'm glad we're not going out. It means I can get you out of that dress quicker. You look bloody gorgeous, do you know that?"

Laura smiled at his words "Mmm, I think I do, yes and you can, but could we eat first ? I'm starving, Robbie" Despite her plea he continued to kiss her neck but then relenting, planted a big noisy kiss on her cheek.

"Aye, come on then, the pan's on. Should be nearly up to boil, which is not the only thing" and with a final squeeze he let go of her with a low laugh and a smile.

Taking her hand he led her into the kitchen. He sighed to himself and cursed again at his lack of decent gift for her. Her gift only served (and he wryly noted the pun to himself) to make his gift to her even more paltry. Still, it was better than nothing.

As they entered the kitchen Laura saw Robbie had set the table and made a decent effort with it. He'd put out her favourite earthenware pasta dishes and a glass bowl full of her preferred salad leaves which he also must have bought. He'd also got a tub of his favourite nocellaria olives, tipped out onto a glazed olive dish that he'd brought with him when he moved in. She smiled and her heart melted a little at his efforts. She knew he'd be beating himself up over not getting them a place to eat that night but he'd taken time to make their simple meal as special as he could. There was even a lit candle even though it was still full sun outside and plenty of daylight left.

"Table looks lovely" she said to him with a smile.

"Of course" He said, then reaching to the right of him, behind a stack of her cookery books, he retrieved something that he'd obviously had hidden from view.

"Here" he said "There's just this that needs to go on the table"

She watched as carefully he handed her a small glass vase, similar in shape to an onion, which contained a single, pink rose bloom

Robbie watched as Laura took the vase from him and he saw a grin beam across her face.

"Robbie is this. . .?" She brought the rose up to her nose and sniffed "it is, isn't it? It's a Gertrude?"

"It is" He smiled at her. It was his turn to see the pure delight on her face.

"You remembered"

"I did"

Laura remembered, exactly a year ago, the canal-side walk they had taken. She fondly recalled the heavy downpour and how they had sheltered under the overhanging trees by the waterside. She remembered how giddy she'd felt, finally just being close to Robbie, protected from the summer rain while his arms had pulled her close. His voice in her ear telling her how much he was enjoying spending even the smallest amount of time with her. They had kissed and she had felt like a teenager again. The scents of the elderflower blossom and honeysuckle had surrounded them but there had also been another scent. Laura had noticed through the foliage a pink rose pushing its soft petals through the leaves. She'd shown it Robbie and told him it was her favourite rose, named after a horticulturist called Gertrude Jekyll. She'd told him it wasn't her favourite just for the intense scent alone, but also because when she'd been a little girl she remembered it growing in her great aunt's garden when she used to go and stay with her for holidays. Robbie had said it was a beautiful rose but that it wasn't as beautiful as she was and at first she'd mildly scoffed at him and said it wasn't true; but he had insisted, and she'd blushed at his words and they'd kissed again. Robbie, at the time, full of a sense of newfound love for her promised he would get a Gertrude Jekyll rose for her.

"Thank you" she said taking another sniff at the potent rose scent of the rose.

"Hang on, there's one more thing. Come with me" Robbie took her hand again and led her outside into the garden.

The midsummer sun was still high and fierce but in the garden there was a pleasant breeze and the air was full of summer scents. Robbie stopped by the log store and motioned to Laura to look by the side of it.

With a curious look on her face, Laura looked down. At the side of the log store, in a pot, was a Gertrude Jekyll rose bush, full of blooms like the one Robbie had just given her in the little vase.

Robbie watched as Laura bent down to look at the rose.

"I thought you might like it in the garden somewhere. I know you have it all set out, y know, the garden, all your plants and stuff, but there might be a space for it somewhere."

"Robbie. . . " She was a little lost for words now. He had said he'd not got her anything special, but he couldn't have presented her with anything more precious if he'd tried. She laughed to herself, knowing that he had tried to get her something special.

"Robbie, it's wonderful. Thank you" She started to stand back up then saw something else, next to the rose bush.

"Robbie what's this?" She asked, with an amused look on her face. She started to laugh.

"That? erm, well, it's a bucket of shit. Horse shit to be precise"

"For the rose?"

"Yep. When I had the idea about trying to get one I went into the allotments, I thought maybe someone would know where I could get one. There was an old boy there I got talking to, I told him I was after a Gertrude Jekyll rose and he gave me the name of a rose nursery in Boars Hill where he said I'd get one. He insisted I took it and I didn't have the heart to refuse. He said it needs to rot down or something."

"Is this what made the car stink?"

"Yes. I just had time to get it all back here before coming to pick you up. It stank worse before you got in believe me."

"Anyway I suppose you could say it's probably symbolic; y'know all the crap that accompanies me." He smiled but it was with a sigh "I've given you the runaround a few times, at work, at home. I can be too quick to come to conclusions sometimes when I get the bit between my teeth."

Laura laughed but shook her head at his words. She put her arms up and over his shoulders and smiled at him

"If that's the case then half of it's my crap too"

"I don't think so"

She nodded. "I've given you the runaround too"

"No you haven't"

"Come on, you know I have. I lose my rag pretty quick. I've brought work home too. And you were there for me when I did. So half of that's mine" She nodded towards the bucket.

"Ok, if you insist. I suppose you can't have the good times without a bit of crap along the way."

"I wouldn't change a single thing since we've been together, Robbie." They gazed at each other, taking in the weight of her sentiment.

"I'll try and remember that next time you're bollocking me or, wait, what is it they say now? Tearing me a new one?"

She laughed. "Very good, see you're not all stuck in the past like everyone says you are"

"No, I'm not. And I wouldn't change anything either"

Robbie looked down tenderly at Laura, before kissing her. "Come on, Hobson, let's go and have our anniversary dinner". Above the garden, the swifts screamed in the summer blue of the sky and the heady scent of the roses and the earthy but honest scent of the manure filled the air as hand in hand they both went back into the house.

There is a bonus M chapter for this story, find it on my profile page, it's called "Beneath The Rose" thanks for reading, your reviews and messages help fuel my muse, so big thanks to all those who take time to get in touch or leave a review :)