Author's Note: This is the second and final part of this story. I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: The same apply. I do not own Lewis or its characters.
The next day, Laura woke before Robbie. Gently, so as to not to wake her friend, and with slight remorse, she released herself from his embrace. She put on her dressing gown, brushed her teeth, and headed down stairs to put the kettle on.
Fifteen or so minutes later Robbie awoke, feeling better rested than he had in years. He chucked his clothes back on and, much the same as Laura, brushed his teeth before plodding down stairs. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he stepped into the kitchen. Laura was cooking bacon and eggs and making a pot of tea. She looked up and smiled as she heard him enter the room.
"Morning! Sleep well?" She was far more relaxed than when they'd gone to bed the night before. This pleased him. "Aye. Like a baby! You?" "Best sleep I've had in weeks." She said with that bright eyed smile he loved so much. "I'm not surprised. Not exactly had it easy recently." He stopped there, sensing that she wasn't ready to talk about it yet.
"Breakfast?" she exclaimed, holding out a full plate of bacon, scrambled egg and fried bread toward him. "Aaah, perfect. Thanks pet!" Then, to her surprise, he leant down and kissed her. Not a passionate kiss. Not a tentative kiss. It was an affectionate kiss; the type of kiss that someone who didn't know them would assume they shared regularly. "No problem... It's the least I could do." She smiled, and then stared at him in bewilderment as he, ever so casually, collected up the two mugs off the counter, and headed towards the table in the conservatory. Blinking a few times, to confirm she was definitely awake, Laura picked up her own plate, along with the tea pot and milk, and went to join Robbie.
Over breakfast they chatted, about nothing in particular. Both content in each other's company. "Seeing as neither of us have to go back to work until Monday, do you fancy doing something today? Long walk, fish and chips?" She looked deeply into his eyes, trying her best to hide the smile that was threatening to fill her face. "I'd love that Robbie." It was him that smiled this time. His grin spreading from ear-to-ear. "Great! Well when we've finished here, I'll help you clear up, then go home, shower and change, and then come and pick you up. How's that sound pet?" "Wonderful."
••••••••
An hour later and they'd finished breakfast, so set about clearing up. Laura washed, Robbie dried, and in no-time they were done. "A man that helps with the washing up? I might just keep you." She joked, throwing him a wink as she took the tea towel and chucked it in front of the washing machine. Robbie raised his eyebrows and nodded towards the washing machine as he added, "I can work one of them as well y'know..." "Oooh, Inspector... I'm impressed!"
A few minutes later Robbie headed back upstairs to collect his jacket. "I'll get off then. I'll walk back to the cemetery to pick up me car, then head home to freshen up. Swing by to pick you up in an hour and a half?" "Sounds good to me!" He grinned before kissing her again and waving goodbye.
••••••••
Laura was truly baffled! What had just happened? Robert Lewis had just kissed her. Twice. Out of the blue, and he was so casual about it. As if it was the least peculiar thing in the world that he could do. After standing in disbelief at the closed front door for ten minutes, she shook her head, smiled, and went off for a shower. She'd ask him about it later.
••••••••
Robbie walked away from Laura's house with a spring in his step and a huge grin on his face. He hadn't intended on kissing Laura when he woke up that morning, but he had. He didn't regret it. He knew that she'd want an explanation at some point, and he would provide one. He knew exactly what he would say.
••••••••
An hour and a half later, just as he promised, Robbie knocked on Laura's front door. Almost immediately, it sprang open, and a fresh-faced Laura Hobson stood before him. "Ready pet?" he said with a smile, and then he did it again. He kissed her. "Yep! Just let me grab my coat." When she had done this, Robbie rested his hand on her back, and went to lead her out of the house. "Actually Robbie... Before we go anywhere, can I ask you something?" He knew what was coming, but pretended to be oblivious. "Of course you can! Go ahead."
Laura took a deep breath, not quite sure what she was going to say. After a minute or so of silence, she went for it. "What happened this morning Robbie? I mean, I'm not saying that I'm not happy about it. Just... why now? What's changed?"
It was him that had to take a deep breath this time. He knew exactly what he wanted to say to her; how he planned on explaining his actions, but the words didn't seem to want to come out. He gave her one more kiss, before finally explaining exactly how he felt. "The thing is pet... Recently, I suppose it's been about a year now; I've felt differently about you, about our relationship, like. To be honest I've sort of been trying to ignore it. Thought I was too stuck in the past to be able to move on... Bank holiday weekend, when Ethan Croft got killed, and our trip was ruined. I was really disappointed. I just wanted to spend some time with you, without the pressures of work hovering over us. See where things went, y'know...Then when the case was done, and you asked me about loneliness, I realised that I'm becoming less familiar with that feeling. When I'm with you, I don't feel lonely... Since then, when I've been talking to Lyn, she's asked me how I am, and told me that she doesn't like to think of me on me own. That's when I realised that It's okay for me to move on. That Val wouldn't want me to be lonely either. So I've sort of been trying to figure out a way to approach the subject with you, but you know how crap I am at that sort of thing... The past couple of weeks, as awful as they've been, seem to have acted like a sort of catalyst I suppose. I could see how it was all effecting you, and all I wanted to do was comfort you; but I didn't think I had the right. I thought that I'd lost your trust completely, by demanding your alibi. Then when we went to your house and that PC had been attacked, and you were nowhere to be found... Well I was terrified. I thought I'd never see you again. I haven't felt fear like that since... well since I got the call about Val. The fear of losing the woman... The woman I love... Because it was then that I truly realised that I seem to have fallen in love with you. The fact that I haven't had the guts to tell you made it worse. I mean, Val knew how much I loved her... Still do love her; but you don't.. Well at least you didn't then, 'cause I'm hoping that this makes it a little clearer. I can't stand the idea that you could have died, and I'd never told you that I love you... This morning, when I came downstairs and saw you, it just felt natural. Natural to wake up to you... So I just went for I suppose... I guess that kinda answers your questions?" He was terrified to hear Laura's response when he first started taking, when she'd merely stared at him. His confidence grew as she began to smile at what he was saying, and thought he saw tears begin to pool in her eyes when he spoke of Val, and admitted that he'd fallen in love with her.
••••••••
If she'd been surprised by Robbie this morning, then Laura didn't know what she called this! She knew her and Robbie had something special, of course. She was there when he lost Morse, and Val; and when he returned to Oxford from the BVI, she was the one thing from his old life that was still there. Her feelings for him had deepened over the years, yes; but she never thought that their harmless flirting would ever lead to a full-blown relationship. She was lost for words. However, she decided that actions speak louder, so flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. When she pulled away, they were both grinning from ear-to-ear, and he softly wiped away the tears that were now trickling down her face. "I love you too Robbie." At this, he pulled her closely to him, as if he never wanted to let her go. With her cheek resting against his chest, she continued. "I'm sorry if I made you feel like that Robbie. I was hurt by you asking for my alibi, but I wasn't looking at you as a detective doing his job; I was looking at you as my best friend, who I couldn't believe didn't trust me. I knew, realistically, that you had no choice, I just wasn't thinking clearly. In the end though, you saved my life; and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that." "You don't need to apologise to me love. Or thank me for that matter. I can't imagine what was going on in your mind while this was all happening. I'm just glad to have you back." They stood together in her hall for a while, letting this revelation sink in. After about ten minutes of silence, Robbie gave Laura a reassuring kiss on the top of her head, before she went off to rinse her face.
When she came back down stairs, she kissed him again, before they walked out of the house, hand-in-hand.
••••••••
They walked for hours. Laura, with this new-found knowledge about Robbie's feelings for her, was finally able to talk about everything that had happened since Halloween. He listened intently and comforted her when it got too much. He could tell that a huge weight had been lifted off her, just by telling him her biggest fears.
They stopped for fish and chips on their bench, before heading back to Laura's. Robbie stopped briefly at his car and grabbed the bag and bottle of wine he'd packed, in case Laura wanted him to stay again.
••••••••
Later that evening, Robbie and Laura were sat on the sofa with the wine, watching a film. With their arms around each other, both thought how lucky they were to have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. For Robbie was Laura's light, and she was his. As long as they had each other, neither one of them had to fear the darkness any longer. They would help each other through the effects of the past, and look forward to a much brighter future... Together.