"Why are you here, Laura?"
It was just after 10am, and they were sitting at the breakfast table, nursing large mugs of coffee. The previous night had ended with them staying up late, drinking too much wine, and watching an absolutely awful straight-to-DVD rom-com into the early hours.
"Bit early in the morning for an existential crisis, isn't it?"
Laura yawned loudly, as if to emphasize the point, and took another long sip of the steaming liquid.
"I'm serious, why did you come?"
Confused, but warming to the topic, she answered simply,
"Um…because you invited me?"
Ellen smiled curiously, and pulling her knees up under her, fixed Laura with a patient look,
"Try again"
Laura reached out for a slice of toast, and after methodically applying some butter and marmalade, sighed and glared back,
"Because I was worried about you…"
There was a pause, and Ellen replied gently, not wanting to force the point home,
"But I'm fine…you know I'm fine. Alec and me…well…it was never going to be the romance of the century, was it?"
Laura smiled sympathetically, rising to refill the kettle,
"I suppose not."
She set the kettle back down and stared out of the window into the garden, the penny finally dropping,
"You think I should go home?"
They'd tiptoed around the subject all weekend. Laura didn't feel comfortable asking for advice, but in truth, it was what she wanted. Some reassurance that things would work out. That she wasn't making a mistake. She hadn't run away from Oxford, circumstance had simply presented the opportunity…but distance had prompted her to consider the implications of everything that had, and hadn't happened.
"I just think you should talk to him…before you get too involved. I don't want you to get hurt again"
Laura ran the water, filling the washing up bowl carefully, her hands busy as the lump rose in her throat,
"I called him last night…he's fine. Working a lot of overtime, finishing a case"
She added the detergent and took another deep breath, utterly confused by her reaction, the way her heart was beating loudly in her chest.
"Laura, I've never seen you like this…you're on edge…he's really got to you this time, hasn't he?"
Before she really knew it, warm tears were pricking at her eyes, and the breath caught in her throat. All the nervous tension from the past week came flooding over her at once. She swallowed quickly, willing herself to calm down, and began to wash the breakfast things. As she turned to pick up the extra plate, Ellen immediately saw her reddened eyes,
"Oh sweetie, come here"
Quickly Ellen wrapped her in a tight hug, copying what Laura had done for her so many times over the years.
"I'm sorry…this is pathetic…I don't even know why I'm getting upset"
Ellen hesitated, wondering if she should offer an opinion, but opted instead for retrieving a tissue and flicking the kettle on. It wouldn't help her to hear a theory right now, and anyway, Laura was more than astute enough to understand her own mind.
"You're just wound up…and hungover"
Laura tried to laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly,
"Well who's fault is that?"
Ellen grinned and stepping back rubbed her hands up and down Laura's arms.
"Guilty as charged, officer"
The kettle pinged off, and Laura slumped back down in her chair, the washing up forgotten. Crossing her arms, and lying her head over them she took a deep, shaky breath.
"You ok?"
She nodded quickly, and straightening up, held out her hand,
"More coffee please…"
By midday, she was on the road. They'd talked more over their third mug of coffee, and by the time she'd finished it, she had decided. For days she'd been winding herself up, desperately fluctuating between worrying about what he would say, how she would feel about it…and the warm, comfortable happiness of their new closeness. She just couldn't reconcile the excitement with the fear it might all…what? End? No…just that it would change things.
Gradually the contradiction had created a tension that had to break. She'd been close on Friday, when they'd so nearly argued…and it wasn't helping anyone, least of all her. Ellen had helped her to see that. She knew he would probably be working, that she wouldn't see him until Monday night, but at least now she wouldn't have driven five hours before having to prepare him dinner, and face whatever it was they needed to talk about.
She put some music on and tried to relax as she threaded her way down the country lanes towards the A12. She hadn't called him yet, she'd wait until she was closer. She wasn't coming back to see him today anyway, just to be at home, to calm herself down with the familiar. God, I'm such a basket case. She wasn't, of course, but for someone who spent her life so entirely in control of her emotions it was alarming, this sudden shift in her balance. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought about him before…she had for many years…but it had always been so entirely one-sided, so controlled. Suddenly reality was beautifully and frighteningly imposing itself.
Robbie had dragged himself into the office at eight, only for Innocent to send him back off out to Faulkener's place with a few officers. By ten he was sat in the accused's office, surrounded by an ever increasing pile of open files. It wasn't that the evidence was lacking…they just wanted to sequester the lot before anyone thought to destroy something that might be used at a later date. The contents of the file in front of him was very damning. Lists of names, shipments, right down to the percentages of inert chemicals being used to cut the drugs. It made him slightly queasy, just the thought of it.
Just after midday he checked his watch and called time on the search. They packed the vans with over 30 evidence boxes, and he shuddered at the thought of so much paperwork. Not for the first time, his heart lifted at the prospect of a few days off, maybe with Laura. He hadn't mentioned it, not really, but he was due nearly a week off, all told, and he was hopeful they might spend some time together, just the two of them.
Gray was looking exhausted after four nights in a row, and so he put him out of his misery and sent him home to have a few hours rest. Grabbing his jacket, Lewis checked his phone, no messages. He frowned slightly, then pulled himself together. If she was sensible she'd still be curled up in bed. Now there was a nice thought…
Like any other driver, Laura positively loathed the M25. After nearly half an hour sat in very slow moving traffic she started to get bored. It was just after two, and she'd hoped to be nearly half-way there…but no. Gridlock. From the radio update it sounded like there had been an accident and some kind of diversion was backing everyone up. There was absolutely nothing she could do about it, and so, as she found herself crawling to a halt again, she reached into her bag and set up the hands-free.
He was driving back to the station when his phone buzzed.
"Lewis"
She grinned. It had been a while since she'd last heard that. She rather liked it…
"How's my favourite DI?"
"He's very well thank you, all the better for hearing from you. But he is just pulling in to the station car park…give him a half a second and he'll call you back."
She hung up and waited, pondering not for the first time whether there was anyone who made her smile as much as he did. She didn't have to wait long, and her phone flashed insistently,
"Managed to park that ridiculously sized car of yours?"
"Watch it, you…it's not that big. And I'm excellent at parking"
"Hmm…I've seen you in the station car park…it takes you ages"
He grinned, instantly lifted by their easy banter,
"Some of us like to take our time, do things carefully"
"We are still talking about the car, aren't we Robbie?"
For a moment he was speechless, before replying rather too calmly,
"Of course we are, Laura. Where are you? Escaped Ellen again?"
She smiled, hoping that he would be pleased,
"I'm coming home tonight Robbie…I'm stuck on the M25 now, which is…joyous"
"Everything ok?"
"Yeah…just wanted to sleep in my own bed"
"It is a very comfortable bed"
"Hmm….you noticed"
"Best night's sleep I'd had in months"
"Assuming the enormous traffic jam I'm currently sat in doesn't get any worse, I should be back around six…"
"I'm afraid I'm working…
"I know"
"…until about nine-ish"
"Oh"
He wondered for a moment whether he should give her some space, but couldn't help himself, he was too eager to see her,
"Would you like me to come over after?"
She paused, just for a moment, not really considering it, just hesitating at the decision she hadn't seen coming,
"Yes"
He waited, his practical mind thinking ahead, to the interviews scheduled for eight thirty on the Monday morning, not sure how to say it, opting for the obvious,
"Can I stay?"
Again she hesitated, without really knowing why, the answer already clear in her mind,
"Yes"
He smiled, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly,
"I'll have to leave early, we're interviewing first thing…"
"It's ok, I don't care…I just…"
She trailed off, the words now somehow inadequate to express the whirl of feelings that had been building all weekend.
"I know, pet…me too"
A/N - OK, I have a question... I'm sure you can all see where this is heading (*nudge nudge, wink wink*), but I'm undecided about whether to bump the rating up to a 'gentle' M (come on, this is Lewis...) or to keep it at a T. Does anyone have strong feelings either way? The whole 'game' of this story has been to keep it in canon, so I'm wary of going too full-on, but it is shown after 9pm in the UK... ;) Answers on a postcard please x