By 5 AM the crying stopped and Robbie and Laura stood peering down into the cot.
"Did you make a wish?"
Laura reached down to touch the silky blond head. "Yeah, and not one involving gin and a slice of lemon this time. You?"
"Probably the same as yours, that the bairn sleeps better tonight." Robbie steered Laura back to bed.
Robbie tried to snuggle up to a very tense Laura as she flopped about. "I can't believe I forgot we had a baby in the house."
He pulled her into stillness and massaged her back and shoulders. "It happens to new parents all the time, sleep deprivation, change of circumstances."
She broke away from him and propped herself up on one elbow. "Then how come it didn't happen to you?"
"I suffered from insomnia for years and learned how to function without sleep."
Laura flopped back down on the bed with an audible thump. "Well, don't tell Brad, he'll never let me live it down."
Robbie rubbed his chin and chose his words carefully. "Brad's a little busy right now."
An hour later Robbie and Laura whispered over coffee and toast in the kitchen, the intercom on to alert them of any sounds coming from the nursery. They had silenced their phones and one of them vibrated. It was Robbie's.
Chief Superintendent Moody was calling to ask Robbie to come into the station. There was a team badly in need of Robbie's mentoring. Moody was hoping that an Inspector Lewis with recharged batteries and just home from the other side of the world would be able to set them straight.
Laura could tell that Robbie was interested in Moody's request. Robbie unconvincingly told her that he would prefer to stay home and help with the baby. Instead of accepting his offer she assured him his skills were needed elsewhere. Feeling guilty that the night before she slept blissfully while Robbie paced the floor with a colicky infant, from her family not his, she determined to go it alone.
"Go, be brilliant."
On his way out the door Robbie promised there would be no need of a bullet proof vest and that he was not going to be home late.
Moody met briefly with Robbie, explained the problem and introduced him to the team and their current investigation, although no introduction was needed. The problem appeared to be overzealous interrogation of suspects and witnesses causing them either to clam up or disappear.
After a few hours of babysitting, Robbie found an errand to send his charges on and he went to find James alone in the office they had previously shared.
James was concentrating on some objects spread out on his desk. Robbie knocked on the doorframe a second time, this time much louder than the first, causing James to look up. "Did you enjoy your trip?"
"Yeah, it was grand, more than I ever imagined."
"Good. You deserved it." James was not aware of Robbie's new assignment. "Is this a social call?"
"No, I'm back to work."
James took on a lecturing tone. "Why so soon? Has Laura gone back to work too or has she gone off you?"
"No, she's still putting up with my snoring, just extending her leave."
James knew there was something going on. "So why didn't Laura want me to pick you up at the airport?"
"Long story."
He pointed at Robbie's watch. "I've got time. I sent Maddox to the morgue to discuss forensic results with Rawbone." James looked up at the ceiling. "Now there is someone who should have retired ages ago."
"Retirement isn't for everyone."
"It should be for people who have a reason to look forward to going home to at night."
Robbie's phone beeped. He was needed elsewhere. "Gotta go, I have a date."
James spoke to Robbie's retreating back. "You don't date!"
Curious, and bored with his current investigation, James penned a quick reply to Moody's request for a case status, 'Victim still dead', put his jacket on and followed Robbie, leaving enough distance between them so he would go unnoticed.
Laura made a mental list of the things she needed to do that morning beginning with 20 minutes of Yoga, then a shower. Forgoing her usual longer routine Laura started out in Child's pose. The crying resumed and interrupted her attempt at relaxation. She leapt up and ran over to the cot and administered a back rub. There was quiet just long enough for Laura to get into the Happy Baby pose. Muttering to Osborn the dog, who took a great interest in the new member of the family, 'There are no happy babies in this house' she changed the nappy, had some success with feeding the bottle, extracted an extremely loud burp and declared a temporary victory until the crying started again. She considered calling Robbie or Lyn, but no, they were busy at work. Her sister-in-law Carole, the grandmother, was still looking after her own mother and experiencing a lot of pain from her broken shoulder. Laura assured Carole yesterday when she visited that her grandchild was in good hands and did not want to worry her. Her nephew Brian knew less about babies than she did. And her brother Brad, he was wandering about on some mysterious assignment.
Laura found that if she held the infant and kept moving there was much less crying. Balancing her charge on her hip she dug into one of the shopping bags Robbie had returned with the day before. She pulled out the item he bought that was not on her list. She forgot all about her admonishment to Robbie that these things caused orthodontia problems, ear infections, and psychological attachment issues and popped the soothie pacifier into the baby's mouth. Good thing Laura knew a very good dentist, the child might need one in future.
After roaming the halls with her bundle of joy and using one hand on her phone to do some research Laura decided another shopping trip was in order. It was an unusually warm and sunny day so she secured the ties of the breathable 50+ UPF sun hat that had traveled with them all the way from New Zealand, grabbed her purse and medical bag and headed to the garage. In only 20 minutes she had the squirming body securely fastened into the infant car seat. Immediately after the final buckle was fastened the projectile vomiting began, covering most of the surfaces of the back seat of the car including the iconic Oxford Dodo onesie vest.
After cleaning up, changing clothes, and repeating the car seat process adjusting it to the proper tension this time in only 19 minutes, they were finally on their way.
Laura managed to get to only one shop for the first item on her list. She remembered her medical bag but that was of no use as fortunately there were no medical emergencies only a hungry, wet, newborn with no bottles or nappies.
When they returned home, Laura was met at the front door by Monty the cat and his new plaything, a live mouse. A few steps into the lounge she was greeted with the malodorous reminder that she had neglected to take Osborn out on his usual morning walk.
That afternoon DS Lizzie Maddox noticed that her boss took an usually long lunch and also went out in the afternoon. When he returned to the office she gave him the highlights of Rawbone's post mortem. Seeing that Inspector Hathaway wasn't concentrating on work she changed the subject.
"I heard Inspector Lewis has been assigned to work with DI Peterson to teach him how to be less actiony. Seems Moody is of the opinion we don't need him anymore."
James was more interested in this news. "We may not need him but someone else does. Inspector Lewis has changes in his personal life too."
Lizzie looked up expectantly. "How's that sir?"
"Inspector Lewis has a new woman in his life. He had a date with her this morning."
"I don't believe it. He appeared to have all his limbs when I saw him earlier."
James flashed her a rare smile. "Dr. Hobson not only approves, she is part of the new relationship."
"A threesome? Not his style, or hers. I do believe you are taking the Mickey sir."
James hung his head. "Guilty as charged although Maddox you really need to start frequenting a different pub, your mind is in the gutter." She tried not to look embarrassed.
Lizzie listened to the explanation of the excess baggage from New Zealand and took the news with a range of emotions appropriate for the situation.
"Are you going to be okay on your own sir?" Lizzie was to begin her temporary assignment the next day.
He replied tersely, "I'm fine on my own." Then he walked over to Lizzie and put his hand on her shoulder. "You'll be missed. Take care, Maddox."
"I'm off to hold hands with a nervous computer programmer. The only danger I'll be in is dying of boredom."
At 5 PM both Robbie and James had each separately decided to call it a day. James exited the station and took a few long strides to catch up with Robbie just ahead of him.
"Pint?"
"Nah, I should be getting on home."
Robbie's phone beeped with a message from Laura. 'All is well here, have a catch-up with James.' He shrugged. "Well, a pint it is. You're buying."
James updated Robbie on his father's worsening condition and the slight thaw in the relationship with his sister. Robbie told James about their stay in New Zealand and the same slight thaw in his relationship with his son during a side trip to Australia. Had they talked about work it may have been discovered that the items on James' desk were related to the case that Peterson was mishandling.
Robbie arrived home to find the house immaculately clean and the delicious smell of lasagna coming from the kitchen. Laura greeted him at the door with a kiss. She had the baby bundled into the newly purchased carrier, securely strapped around her waist and over her shoulders. Robbie noticed that the bairn snuggled approvingly into Great Auntie Laura and could be heard making a giant sucking sound on the previously banned soothie. Robbie wisely made no comment about either.
