It was nearly seven by the time Lewis had a moment to sit down. The afternoon had been a bit of a blur, from the shock of the poor lad on that slab in the mortuary, to the quick dash to the hospital to check on him. The signs were good, and although still unconscious, it looked like no serious harm had been done. Thank god he'd not been any later. His stomach rumbled, and he sighed. No dinner with the lovely Laura tonight after all. He'd tried her phone a few times, only to find it went straight to voicemail. He wasn't worried though…in their line of work, something could always come up, and if she was out in the field she probably wouldn't answer her phone.

By eight, Laura was completing her final survey of the young woman on her slab. The call had come through just after 5, cutting her tutorial short. An RTA, nothing suspicious, but requiring the necessary nonetheless. She sighed, her shoulders beginning to protest at the awkward angles required to inspect the chest cavity. She eyed the clock ruefully…no romantic dinner tonight. She'd tried his phone earlier, but it seemed like his network was down. It was ok, though, he'd understand.

She'd just begun to clean up when Peterson strode into the mortuary, and she tried not to look too displeased to see him. It had been another long day, and she still had to write this one up before leaving.

"Hi Laura…sorry to interrupt"

He grinned boyishly, clearly not caring at all that he might be interrupting,

"Just wondered if you'd had a chance to look at the toxicology report for the Samuels kid?"

She dried her hands carefully,

"I'm afraid the results aren't back yet…won't be for another couple of days, at a guess"

He'd asked before, and she distinctly remembered having explained how the various tests would need an appropriate amount of time. With a small sigh, she realised that, once again, he wasn't here to talk about test results.

"Oh well…never mind."

He grinned again, and she smiled deliberately, the warmth never quite reaching her eyes.

"Any plans for tonight, Laura?"

Here we go again…

She smiled tightly, and nodded,

"Mmm…yes, once I manage to get home"

To be fair, he looked a little crestfallen,

"Ah, ok. I was wondering if you might be free at the weekend then?"

Placing the towel carefully back on the rail, she considered her words,

"Sorry Alan, but I'm in Suffolk all weekend, visiting a friend"

She kept it deliberately light, pleased that it was the simple truth and not a quickly invented excuse.

Again he looked disappointed, and paused for a moment, obviously trying to decide what to say. Then he stepped towards her, his hand coming to gently grasp her arm,

"Laura…"

The insistent ringing of her phone on the shelf behind her interrupted him before she could. She turned away from him, suddenly a little uncomfortable at his proximity, and grasping the phone, pressed accept,

"Robbie…"

Peterson instantly heard the softness in her voice, and the smile which was clearly spreading across her face. Unconsciously he stepped back slightly. He couldn't hear what Lewis was saying, but he couldn't deny the way Laura was reacting.

"Hmm…yes, still here I'm afraid, traffic accident. But I'm just about finished now…. God, really? Is he ok?….Good thing you got there so soon….OK. No that's fine…have you eaten yet? Good…"

She had turned to face him now, her back resting against the table. She looked at ease, her eyes were sparkling with mischief. Robbie Lewis, you jammy bastard. He couldn't be sure, not really. But whatever was going on, Laura was clearly interested. She must have seen the look on his face, and the quick thought he'd had to leave, because she gestured for him to wait a moment. Intrigued, he perched on a chair.

"Listen, I need to go Robbie…mmm….no, you caught me in the middle of a conversation with Peterson…" She laughed loudly, and he dreaded to think what Lewis had just said. "I promise….about ten? I will…"

As she ended the call, Peterson noticed how she bit her lip, how her shoulders became a little tenser, and the steeliness returned to her eyes as she looked up at him. She was waiting for him to say something.

"So…you and Lewis."

It was more of a statement than a question, but she nodded. There was a hint of defiance in her eyes, and he knew better than to say any more.

For a moment Laura wondered if she'd done the right thing. She waited for the dread to fill her…but it didn't. It felt good to tell someone. And it felt even better to tell Peterson.

"Yes. For quite a while."

He nodded, and attempted a faint smile. She stepped forward slightly, and rubbed his elbow affectionately,

"Friends?"

He grinned, and nodded more confidently.

"Good"

After Peterson had left, Laura spent another hour writing up her notes, and then headed home. It was nearly nine thirty when she pulled up outside her house. As she closed the heavy oak door behind her, she noticed an envelope on the mat. Turning it over in her hands, she smiled, immediately recognising the handwriting. Robbie.

Once in the kitchen, her bags deposited on the table, she opened the envelope. It was a simple card, with a large cat on the front…wearing a police uniform. She raised an eyebrow, and opened it, almost dissolving into laughter as she read…

Ten Reasons why you shouldn't fancy Action Man

1. He will take at least an hour in the bathroom every morning.

2. Did you see his goatee?

3. He works even more night shifts than I do.

4. He thinks lectures are appropriate dates.

5. He doesn't know how to make a fry up properly.

6. He supports Man Utd.

7. Hathaway would never let you live it down.

8. He probably has at least three psycho exes who would stalk you.

9. He likes Genesis.

10. He's rubbish at driving fast.

Love, Robbie x