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It wasn’t as if Robbie hadn’t had his suspicions. Over the course of his career, he had met all kind of folks – most of them decent, some of them not – and whether or not they were human had little, very little to do with that.
And so, he had learned to keep his eyes and ears open, just in case someone needed help because they were not quite what someone else had expected…
Meaning, he was sure about James rather early on. There were only so many meals a man could skip while still looking perfectly healthy, if a little bit thin, before Robbie’s curiosity was peaked, and of course there were other signs – not that Robbie would be able to perceive –
Humans couldn’t. Well, most of them, anyway. There were mediums and the like who claimed they could, and some genuinely gifted folks who seemed to have no problem to see what was right in front of them – Chief Inspector Morse had never come out and said it, of course not, he wouldn’t have, but Robbie was rather sure that he had been one of them – but the point was that Robbie, well, he couldn’t. He was like most, he just stumbled along on this great big path of life and hoped for the best.
Once or twice, it was true, he had imagined that he had seen something when he looked at James – that – well – that he was just a little too pale, or perhaps… but he hadn’t thought about it. Much. James deserved his privacy just like anyone else, whether he had such blood in him or not.
That he took Halloween, or Hallow’s Eve, as many called it, off, didn’t mean a thing. Quite a few people did, although Robbie never had – it was his duty to look after the people he had sworn to protect, that meant this day as well as any other.
So, really, there was no reason to think that James had, well, a reason to skip Halloween – for example, the fact that this was the one day in the year when certain people couldn’t hide who, or rather what, they were.
But then –
This year, too many people were sick. Now, Robbie himself had always been rather healthy, probably because Val had looked after him so well, and even now, he took good care, but there would always be those who didn’t pay attention when someone talked about colds and influence and the like, so of course half the station was out for the count.
James, therefore, couldn’t take his holiday.
There’d been a small incident in the morning – nothing much, just some shoplifting, but James had been the only sergeant around, so he’d called Robbie to let him know he couldn’t pick him up – and he was busy finishing up some files when his bagman came in –
Only even before he raised his head he registered that these were not James usual decisive strides. Something was off.
And when he did look –
Oh. Well, there was an explanation for everything, and this as apparently the one that –
He nodded towards James, knowing that he would understand immediately because – well, this was James they were talking about.
"This is new."
He hesitated, then slowly answered, “Yes. I know that – well – I would be at home, this time of the year, but with everyone being sick –“
“Aye” he agreed. “Never saw the problem some have with it, anyway. People are born a certain way, and that’s it – shouldn’t we all agree on that by now?”
He visibly relaxed, then said, “Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t mention it, lad.”
And they sat back down like nothing had changed, and it hadn’t. So James was sporting fangs. What did it matter? Not one bit – Robbie knew him, yes, he had kept a secret from him, but well, he couldn’t fault him for that, the way some, mostly older people (and even Robie had to admit in his weak moments that he was one of those) seemed to think they should all be burned like in the dark days – he was still the segreant who had solved so many cases with him, and his friend.
And so, they worked away until James finally asked, “Sir… I don’t mean to – but do you really not mind?”
“No, why should I? Like I said, about time people came to tolerate others, at least.”
He nodded at him again, then was shocked when Robbie added, “And if you need blood, just let me know –“
“Sir!”
“I am just saying, lad.”
Hathaway swallowed, but seemed grateful as he nodded, and even though Robbie didn’t know that this was, in many ways, a new start, and that around this time next year, he would have to secure his home and his office because he had willingly invited the supernatural into his life, it still felt like something new had just begun.