Chapter 2

This snapshot takes place leading up to and during Your Sudden Death Question, or the episode that I call, "How the hell did they get to an overnight date?" I know I have explained it in Stress Relief but here is my alternate (alternate) version.

Laura sat in the restaurant waiting for Robbie to join her. She reflected on the last few months and their series of weekly dinners. The smile that crossed her face as she thought about them was unplanned.

It was odd, until that night in the pub she had never seriously considered Robbie as someone to date. Not that she didn't find him attractive or that she didn't want to date him. It was more that she hadn't ever thought he would want to date, anyone, not her specifically. James' questions, both about her and Robbie and about him, had stunned her. Robbie's reaction to them had taken her even more by surprise.

She hadn't expected him to ask her to dinner, just the two of them. She certainly hadn't expected that the invitation would become a weekly event. A weekly event that she found herself looking more and more forward to. She had no idea where, or if they were going anywhere but she found that she was open to the idea of them going somewhere.

Robbie stood outside the restaurant watching Laura at the table. He hadn't intended to linger, watching her. But as he'd spotted her this amazing smile bloomed across her face. He wondered what had prompted it. He smiled to himself thinking he would give anything to make her smile like that.

His hand went to his breast pocket checking the contents one last time. He'd bought the tickets on impulse. One night when he couldn't sleep he thought about their dinners and how he might be able to turn them into more than a weekly dinner. He'd come to the conclusion that the only way to do that was to be somewhere where they couldn't be interrupted. Somewhere where they wouldn't get a call to work or bump into someone they knew. The idea of a weekend away was born.

He took one last look at her before heading into the restaurant. The tickets in his pocket feeling slightly heavier as if they knew the burden they carried. They could be the key to moving this from friendly weekly dinners to the beginning of something more. As she waved at him from across the restaurant, the weight lifted, this is what he wanted; she was what he wanted.

They had eaten their meal and were enjoying lingering over one last drink. Neither really wanted the evening to end nor could they think of a way to plausibly extend it. Robbie still hadn't asked her about what he had in his pocket.

He'd watched her toy with her glass and decided that it was now or never, "Laura, what are you doing at the end of the month?"

She looked at him quizzically, "Do you have a specific date in mind or is that a generic question?"

He smiled at her directness, "Specifically Bank Holiday weekend?"

Taking a small sip of what was basically water from her glass she shrugged before rambling on with an answer, "I don't really have any plans. Honestly, hadn't thought about it. I guess I'll just hang around here, maybe do some reading, run some errands, nothing exciting."

His hand went to his jacket pocket without him realizing it, "Would you be opposed to doing something with me?"

She smiled at him, "Do you mean dinner?"

"Well we would have to have dinner at some point but I was thinking maybe we could go away somewhere."

"Do you mean like a day trip somewhere?"

He shook his head, this wasn't going the way he planned. He reached across the table and took her hand, "I was thinking more like an overnight trip." He saw the look of shock on her face and almost changed his mind then decided to push forward. He pulled the tickets from his pocket and placed them in front of her, "I like our dinners Laura. And I think I would like to see what could happen between us if we weren't somewhere where we can easily be interrupted." He paused for a moment and looked at her. He couldn't read her expression and pulled his hand back and looked down, "I don't even know if you want that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Laura saw his discomfort and decided she had to do something before he panicked and ran away. She reached for his hand and twined their fingers together, her thumb lightly stroked his, "Tell me what you had in mind."

He looked up at her, hopeful, "Really?" She nodded and smiled at him. With his free hand he pointed to the tickets and told her what he thought they could do. At the end he looked at her shyly, "Of course, we would have to spend at least one night but I thought since we have the long weekend perhaps we could stay two nights, explore a little."

The way he said explore sent a chill through her, "Robbie, I think that sounds like a lovely plan."

He squeezed her hand as he smiled, "So is that a yes?"

"Yes, that's a yes. And since you've already purchased the tickets, will you let me take care of the hotel?"

Their eyes locked as the word hotel left her mouth. Suddenly his mouth was very dry. He'd planned for them to stay overnight but the reality of where they would stay hadn't really registered for him. He swallowed as he stared her, then tried his best to nod nonchalantly, "That seems fair."

Robbie followed Laura from the main room wanting to get a moment alone with her. Once he was sure that he was clear of everyone, he lightly touched her arm. She turned back to him and smiled, "Any luck with the tickets?"

"I phoned the box office they reckon they might be able to get rid of them."

"I hope so, it's a lot of money."

He shrugged, "You lose some you lose some." They looked at one another for a second, "Still, we can try again another time." He looked down at her a bit concerned that she was relieved their plans had fallen through, "That is if you're happy about that."

She paused for a moment looking him up and down. As he asked the question, she realized how disappointed she was they'd had to cancel their plans, "Yeah, I'm happy about that."

They smiled at one another as Robbie answered, "Good."

Robbie watched her walk away pleased with himself and didn't see James sneak up behind him, "Your date for the weekend, Dr. Hobson?"

Robbie cringed inwardly, he hadn't wanted James or anyone for that matter to know about their weekend, "We were going to Glyndebourne to see The Faerie Queen. Alright? Now you know all there is to know."

James smiled smugly, "Were you overnighting?"

"Mind your own business."

"It's only because I care."

Robbie walked away needing to get as far away from James as he could. James watched him thinking that perhaps his conversation in the pub with Dr. Hobson hadn't gone amiss. He knew he'd embarrassed Robbie by sneaking up on him. He'd find another moment and quiz him again.

Robbie and James sat on the bench waiting for the suspects to fill out their witness forms. Neither of them were particularly fond of these people and what they saw as their willingness to obfuscate the investigation.

They went back and forth talking about the case and several witnesses. As they reached the end of the conversation, Robbie saw Laura walking across the courtyard. His eyes were drawn to her. James knowing this was his moment commented, "You're good together, you know?"

Robbie looked at him, "Who?"

James nodded in Laura's direction, "You and the doc."

Robbie took a deep breath. He'd hoped James would let this be, "We were going to the opera together, that's all. We weren't planning to elope. I wouldn't even know the way to Gretna Green."

"Since you were overnighting, where were you going to stay?"

Robbie looked at James annoyed, "I booked the tickets; she booked the hotel."

"One room or two?"

"Do us a favor will ya? Mind your own business. Go find your guitar or something." Robbie checked his watch and stood, "They should be ready to hand in their homework by now.

James followed Robbie. He knew he wouldn't get anything more from his DI but maybe he could find a moment alone with the lovely Laura.

James was off to speak with one of the witnesses when he spotted Laura in the hallway. He didn't think five minutes would make a difference so he detoured to bump into her, "Good afternoon doctor."

She smiled up at him, "Hello James, where's your better half?"

He forced the smile away. She was going to make this too easy, "So you think the Inspector is the better man?"

Laura gave him a flat stare. She knew he was up to something and was curious to see where this was going, "I guess it depends on the circumstances." She took a step closer to him her body just brushed against his, "I mean he's never almost asked me out then run off because he got a better offer." She ran her finger down his chest grasping his tie and pulling him to her. She looked up at him through her lashes, "Unless you want to ask that question and I can reevaluate my opinion."

James hadn't expected this turn of events, he took an abrupt step back. He looked away trying to gain some perspective, "I couldn't do that. It's my understanding that you had a weekend date booked with the Inspector."

Laura paused for a moment, "Did Robbie tell you that?" James couldn't quite nod, she smiled, "Or have you been listening at doors again James?" She saw the blush rise up his neck. Once again she took a step forward. This time she pulled him down to her, "There's nothing that says a girl can't date two men. Let me know when you get up the nerve to ask me that question."

She let him go and casually sauntered away. James leaned his head against the wall and wondered when exactly he'd lost control of the conversation. Laura looked briefly over her shoulder at James slumped against the wall. As she turned to leave she thought, "Serves you right you cheeky sod."

Laura and Robbie sat on the bench eating their fish and chips. He looked at her slyly. "Had you booked somewhere nice to stay?"

"Hmm, just a modern little country house hotel with its own grounds and a swimming pool, a gymnasium and a jogging trail. And just to stop you wondering, I booked two rooms."

"Of course." He grinned at her. "It would have been a damn sight more exciting than a quiz weekend though wouldn't it have been." She giggled. "What's the attraction about quizzes, why do people do it?"

She nodded her head. "Compulsive list makers. Clinically speaking they're obsessive neurotics."

Robbie looked around. "Here's a question. If you went on Mastermind, what would be your chosen specialist subject?"

"Hmm, well the thing I know most about is corpses."

Robbie laughed. "That would go down great, barrel of laughs."

"What about your specialist subject?"

He thought for a moment. "Aside from work and the kids, I haven't got one."

She looked at him. "What about loneliness?"

The stared at one another for a moment, tension in the air. Then Robbie smiled, "Passed."

The sat eating in silence. Two dear friends enjoying the comfort that comes with knowing one another so well. As Laura finished eating, she balled up her wrapping and looked at him, "You don't think this weekend was our moment passing do you?"

He looked at her not quite sure how to answer that. Concern was etched on her face. He shook his head, "I don't think so. I think it was just a bit of bad luck."

Laura was late getting to work the next morning. She'd spent entirely too much time thinking about the question she'd asked him. He had seemed so certain that it was a passing moment of bad luck. She wasn't quite as sure of that. There was a nagging fear in the back of her mind that they had somehow missed a chance this weekend.

The package on her desk distracted her. She opened it to find an old copy of "Winnie the Pooh". There was no note but she could see a piece of paper. She almost pulled it from the book before realizing that it was a bookmark.

Carefully she opened the book. Written on the piece of paper was a note from Robbie, "I thought about your question all last night. Sometime early this morning I remembered a line from Our Lyn's favorite book when she was a kid. She must have asked me a hundred times what it meant. I think last night it was never more clear to me. I hope you feel the same."

Laura looked at the pages of the book. Nothing was marked. She sat in her chair and began reading. It only took a few moments before she found the line in question, "Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."

She felt the tears gather in her eyes. At the same time all of the fears that had worried her through the night receded. Their time hadn't passed, it simply hadn't arrived yet.