Work Text:
FRIDAY
DECEMBER 22, 2006
"Ladies and gentlemen. . .and all those in between." A mild smattering of laughter filled the pub at the MC's joke. "Grab a drink and put on those thinking caps. The special holiday edition of Quiz Night starts in ten minutes!" There were a few whistles and cat calls, along with some applause, as people made their way to the bar to snag one last round before the questions began to fly.
"Explain to me again why we're here, Laura?" Robbie grumbled from their corner table at The Bear Inn.
"Because all work and no play makes Robbie a dull boy," Laura teased with a grin.
"I've just been tyin' up some loose ends before me trip."
"Eight late nights in a row is more than just 'some loose ends'," Laura countered. "It's time to have fun. And besides, Lizzie deserves some time with Tony once in a while."
"I wouldn’t call a pub quiz 'fun," Robbie argued.
"You just hate pub quizzes because you always lose. But tonight our fortunes will change, thanks to the dishy Father Hathaway."
"Hathaway? Dishy?" (1) Robbie repeated incredulously.
Laura just laughed at Robbie’s reaction. "You can't fool me. You're quite fond of your priest."
It seemed as if Robbie's cheeked pinked at her comment, but due to the dim pub lighting she couldn’t be sure. "He ain't 'my' priest," Robbie weakly disputed. "But yeah, a'course I'm fond of him. He's a good bloke."
"That's a glowing review."
Robbie gave Laura an odd look. "Are you all right, woman?"
"I'm just happy for you, that's all. It's nice that you have a. . ." Laura paused for a moment, as if trying to choose the right word, before settling on the safest option. "A friend outside of work."
"I have loads of friends," Robbie fired back, whether trying to convince Laura or himself was anyone’s guess.
"Work colleagues, maybe, but no one like James the Just."
"Did I hear my name?" James asked as he approached the table, hands cradling various glasses of various liquids. The man stood out from the crowd, with his lanky figure, his stylish immaculate black suit, and his ever-present silver cross hanging low and proud against his chest. He had chosen to forgo his usual dog collar for the night, but his entire presence still screamed 'man of the cloth'.
"Indeed you did, my good man," Laura said, taking her glass of white wine. "I was just explaining to Mr. Grumpypuss. . ."
"I'm not grumpy," Robbie grumped, as James handed him a pint of lager.
". . .that tonight Team Three of a Kind will be unstoppable," Laura finished.
James took his seat next to Robbie, resting his glass of merlot on the table. "I like the name," he complimented. "Good job, Doctor."
"Why thank you, kind sir," Laura replied with a playful giggle.
"I can't believe you dragged James into this nonsense," Robbie muttered, drinking deeply from his glass.
"It was an honor just to be asked," James replied smoothly and honestly.
"I thought you once said quizzes were terminally pointless. Like slugs and black pudding,"(2) Robbie pointed out.
James took a sip of his wine before stating, "Am I not allowed to change my mind?"
Laura refrained from pointing out that James had pretty much said the same thing to her until she mentioned Robbie would be tagging along. Only then had James 'changed his mind'.
"This coming from the most stubborn man in Oxford," Robbie joshed.
"You've got some competition in that race, James," Laura kidded, poking Robbie in the shoulder, and laughing when he swatted her finger away.
James chuckled along. "Don't I know it. Oh, I almost forgot. Nibbles." From his jacket pockets he produced three packets of crisps and placed them on the table.
"Cheese and onion?" Robbie asked, hopefully, digging through the offerings.
"Sold out, I'm afraid. Salt and vinegar okay?"
Robbie sighed. "They'll do, I sup'ose," as he opened one of the bags.
James nudged Robbie with his elbow. "C'mon, Detective Inspector. Turn that frown upside down."
Robbie swallowed his mouthful of crisps before flinging a sarcastic, "Don't you have some heathens that need saving or something?"
"I've been trying, but you keep fighting me."
Laura snorted at that. "I think you've met your match there, James."
"That's only because he never met Morse," Robbie commented, popping a couple more crisps into his mouth.
"Too true," Laura agreed. "That man would make a saint drink."
"Actually, many of the saints were far from saintly," James shared, as he opened his own package of prawn cocktail. "They just had good PR people."
"And THAT'S why we've got this quiz in the bag," Laura declared. "Me on science and maths. James on theology and the humanities. And you, Mr. Lewis, on sports."
"Oi! I know more than just sports," Robbie argued.
Laura grinned widely. "Of course. I forgot your extensive knowledge of 'Doctor Who'."
"And old fogey rock bands," James chimed in.
"Plus a smidgen of opera," Laura added.
"As long as it's Wagner," James finished with a smirk.
"Ya’ know, I don't need this abuse," Robbie groused good-naturedly. "I could be home packing."
"I'm still amazed you managed to talk him around," Laura told James, as she stole one of Robbie's crisps. "I've been trying to get him to make this trip for ages."
"I didn't talk him into anything," James corrected. "I just reminded him to make time for family."
"As I recall," Robbie cut in, "you chastised me by saying not everyone is as lucky as I am, and you were right. I am a lucky man, even if I don't appreciate it as much as I should."
"Well done, James," Laura said, patting his hand that was resting on the table, and using the opportunity to steal one of his crisps, too. "You're such a good influence on our Robbie."
"Yeah, he's not just a pretty face," Robbie joked, sipping at his lager.
Laura watched as James ducked his head, trying to hide the bright blush that suddenly touched his high cheekbones at Robbie's off-hand comment. A blush not even the dim pub lighting could conceal. It was one of the few times he had taken his eyes off Robbie since sitting down at the table, a fact Robbie seemed utterly clueless about. Either that, or he was so used to it he didn't even notice it anymore.
She would be the first to admit that she was intrigued by Robbie's friendship with James. Robbie tended to be a rather private man these days and didn't make friends as easily as he once did. The fact that James was a priest made it even more extraordinary. Knowing Robbie's attitudes towards God, which had only gotten more adversarial since Val's death, it seemed an odd choice of companions.
But after she had met James, she could understand. He was friendly and kind, funny in a droll kind of way, easy to talk to, and quite knowledgeable on a vast array of subjects, from the important to the inane.
In many ways, James was rather like Morse. Not as prickly as Robbie's former boss, and there was the whole religious aspect that Morse would have scoffed at. But there were many similarities, too. Perhaps those similarities were what drew Robbie to James.
Or perhaps, it was something more.
There was a niggling at the back of her mind as she observed how they interacted. The things they said without saying a word. The way they sat so close to each other, completely ignoring the concept of personal space, which had nothing to do with how crowded the pub was. The little looks. The little smiles. If James wasn't a priest, and Robbie hadn't been married for so long she'd almost think maybe. . .
Maybe. . .
Laura couldn't deny that she liked Robbie. A lot. Had for a long time. Years now. But back when they first met, he had been unavailable because he was a happily married man. Then suddenly Val was gone, but Robbie was still unavailable because he was grieving her loss. And now he was unavailable because no woman would ever compare in his mind and heart to his beloved Val.
But a man? A man may have a chance where she didn't. Especially a man as good and true as James Hathaway. Was she disappointed? Yes. Should she be upset? Also yes. Did Robbie Lewis deserve to be happy? A resounding yes.
Oh, there definitely seemed to be something between those two, whether they were aware of it or not. Forbidden fruit and all that. But it wasn't her place to mention it. They were grown men. They would either figure it out or they wouldn't. Secretly, she knew which one she was rooting for.
For now, she kept her thoughts to herself and just stuck with the game plan. "What gift did you end up getting Teddy?" she asked Robbie. "You never said."
"Nothin' yet," Robbie admitted, sheepishly. "Not quite sure what to get a four-month-old bairn these days."
"Christmas day is just around the corner!" Laura exclaimed in mock-horror. "Time's ticking, mister!"
"I know. I just want it to be perfect. It's his first Christmas and all. Don't want to disappoint the little tyke."
"He's still in diapers," James pointed out. "He'd probably have more fun playing with the box than anything inside it."
Laura snickered, her face scrunching up in amusement. "He's not wrong, Robbie."
"Fine. I'll wrap up an empty box and tell him it's from St. Jimmy," Robbie snarked, causing James to throw back his head with a bark of laughter.
"Well, just remember, we'll be expecting pictures, granddad," Laura reminded him.
"You may come to regret that request." Taking a long pull from his glass, Robbie asked, "So what plans do you two have?"
"In case you hadn't noticed, Christmas tends to be the church's busy season," James replied. "I think I have a half dozen services over the next few days, including a midnight mass in Latin."
"Sorry I'm gonna miss that," Robbie said, his tone sounding as if he was genuinely upset, and adding yet another question to Laura's growing list about these two. "What about you, Laura? Anything exciting on the horizon?"
Laura took a drink of wine before quipping, "Holidays and suicides. It tends to be my busy season, too."
Robbie finished off his snack before noting, "And here you were, just tellin' me * I* work too much."
"My lack of plans doesn't negate that fact," Laura stated. "I just call them like I see them."
"So, give us two poor overworked souls a thought while you're enjoying your mince pies and mulled wine," James deadpanned, the small twitch of his lips ruining his delivery.
"Well, if you two change yer minds, you're welcome to join us," Robbie announced. "Just pop on up."
"Don't you think you should check with Lyn first?" Laura asked.
"Nah, the more the merrier. Family first, right?" Robbie held up his half-filled glass. "To family, whether by blood or by choice."
"To family," James and Laura echoed, clicking their glasses and each taking a drink.
"People, may I have your attention please?" the MC announced from the stage. "Take your seats, the quiz is about to begin!"
Over the loud cheers, Laura called out, "Ready, gang?"
"I was born ready," James responded, enthusiastically.
The fond, doting smile Robbie directed at James in that moment was Laura's lasting memory of that night.
THE END