Prometheus Unbound, or the Revenge of the Battleship Potemka

Disclaimer- This story is for fan purposes only. All of the characters are property of their respective owners (not me) and are used here without permission. Enjoy!

Author note: This story is not a continuation of the previous chapters; each chapter is a different story about what might have been. Robbie and Laura reboot!

This story is set shortly after The Point of Vanishing. I actually started it in 2013 prior to seeing Ramblin' Boy, along with the other chapters in this series. When I revived it from the scrap heap of WIPs, it was impossible not to be a little influenced by later episodes as well, so there is a hint of what might have been in What Lies Tangled here as well.

Dr. Laura Hobson drove through the main gates of Erstmere, a country manor in Oxfordshire full of bucolic charm. She smiled to herself as she checked her notes- it would be another scenic rendez-vous with a certain Inspector. Rather, it would be if It weren't for the corpse, of course. Alas, there was no romantic pretense for Hobson and Lewis occupying the same space; Dame Bianca Schwartz had met her end under mysterious circumstances.

Sergeant Hathaway was announcing the cast of characters to Lewis as Hobson entered the mansion. "Dame Bianca's family had acquired the estate from the 7th Baron whosit who had died without issue. Bianca herself was honoured as Dame by the Queen in the nineties for… outstanding achievement in the field of excellence."

"One of those, eh?" Lewis said, rolling his eyes.

Hathaway continued, "She leaves two children as heirs- Kallista "Kallie" Schwartz and Lazarus Schwartz IV, known to his friends as…" Hathaway paused for dramatic effect… "Lumpy."

"Of course," Lewis remarked. He acknowledged Dr Hobson's presence with a shy nod and then turned back to Hathaway. "James, why don't you go have a talk with this Lumpy and his sister while I get Dr Hobson's first impressions of the scene upstairs."

Lewis extended his arm in front of him and smiled ever so slightly as Hobson preceded him up the stairs.

Hobson and Lewis were in Dame Bianca's bedroom assessing the situation. "I'd say suffocation by pillow, but I'd like to see SOCOs find the pillow," Hobson told Lewis, who was hovering over her shoulder. "She clearly resisted, but not hard enough. She may have been drugged. I'll know more with the post-mortem."

Lewis remained close to Hobson for a few moments hoping that she might have something else to say.

Hobson didn't really mind his proximity but decided to call him on it. "Are you just going to stand over my shoulder or are you going to do something useful, Inpsector?"

"Right." He straightened up and set about examining the room. As he opened the closet door, he heard a subtle click, and then noticed a trip wire. It dawned on him that he had triggered something and for a second, he thought he should cover Hobson, hunker down and brace for the worst. But he decided to run instead. "Hobson, we've got to go," he said urgently.

"What?" Hobson was still bent over the corpse.

"The room's been booby-trapped."

She turned her head to look at Lewis just in time to see him in motion. He swooped towards her and grabbed the loose hood of her scene suit to yank her to her feet, somewhat like a mother cat might pick up her kitten by the scruff of the neck. He gave a tug to her arm as well as she rose to her feet.

"Move, Laura!" As instinct kicked in, he had switched to her given name.

Lewis yelled to the other investigators to clear the building as he pushed Hobson down the stairs in front of him. At the bottom of the landing, Lewis gave Hobson a final shove towards the front door and commanded, "tell everyone outside to get away and maintain a safe distance. Hathaway and half our crew are still working in the parlour. I've got to see that they've found the way out."

Hobson froze as she saw him dart off in the opposite direction. "Robbie!"

"Go!" He yelled forcefully. She turned around and did as he'd said. Once outside, she began to herd people away from the building and explained to uniform what was going on. Seconds later, a powerful explosion detonated in the upstairs of the house. Smoke billowed from the windows. Hobson found herself praying that Lewis was out of harm's way as stone and ash rained down.

Laura Hobson doesn't do frantic she kept trying to remind herself as she sought out a uniform with a radio. PC Julie Lockhart was trying to reach her colleagues who had been inside. "Anything from Lewis?" Hobson asked, trying to hide the desperation in her voice. Lockhart shook her head.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally had a response. It was Hathaway's voice that confirmed all were present and accounted for. "And Lewis?" She asked over Lockhart's shoulder, but Hathaway didn't hear her. Hobson drew in a cleansing breath and told herself to trust Hathaway.

Another minute of dead air passed before Hathaway came on the radio again and recounted how he, Lewis and the SOCOs had left through the back and were gathered on the other side of the estate. Hobson clutched her chest in relief.

Lewis sat himself down in the middle of the field and tried to catch his breath. Hathaway finished talking to PC Lockhart over the radio and then did the same.

"I'm getting too old for this, Sergeant." Lewis said, still panting.

Hathaway nodded. "So am I, sir." His fingers were still trembling as he lit a cigarette.

"Did Lockhart say anything about Hobson?"

"She didn't say. I can find out though if you're worried?"

Lewis nodded. "Nah, I'm sure she's fine. She's a spry lass, quick on her feet."

"You care for her though," Hathaway was ever so good at pushing Lewis' buttons, even when both of their ears were still ringing.

Lewis glared at him and decided to change the subject. "Did you learn anything useful from those two over there?" Lewis pointed at Kallie and Lumpy Schwartz, who were heading for the stable.

"Yes, do you remember that part about Bianca being knighted for 'outstanding achievement in the field of excellence?'"

"Yeah, do we know what that actually means now?"

"Cold war espionage. Lumpy and Kallie were particularly keen to have me know that family secret."

"So they suspect a foreign conspiracy?" Lewis asked. Hathaway nodded.

"Innocent is going to love this," Lewis grumbled. He decided to lay down in the grass for a few more minutes.

It didn't take long after that for Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent to arrive on the scene. She surveyed the premises and saw Hobson idly resting against her car with her arms folded nervously.

"Dr. Hobson, I do believe that your corpse has been blown to bits, so you can go back to the mortuary if you've given your statement."

Hobson lifted her head to meet Innocent's stare. "I need a few minutes," she responded.

PC Lockhart silently mouthed the name "Lewis" to Innocent, who rolled her eyes. Everyone in the Oxfordshire police force understood that Lewis and Hobson had unresolved issues, to say the least.

"Of course," Innocent answered. "Take all the time you need, Dr Hobson."

Eventually, Lewis, Hathaway and a gaggle of SOCOs made their way back to the front of the estate to meet with Innocent. They had taken the long way around in order to avoid any further danger with the building until it was swept clean by an explosives team.

Innocent noticed that Lewis was still slightly disheveled from the explosion as he approached. "Good to see you alive and well, Lewis. Fix your tie."

"Ma'am," Lewis did as he had been told. "I opened the closet door and tripped a wire, ma'am. It was approximately two minutes after that when…"

Lewis fell silent when Innocent firmly gripped his shoulders and turned him around.

"I believe that Dr Hobson has been waiting for you." Innocent said as she gave Lewis a playful shove in the direction of Hobson's car. Hathaway smirked at Innocent, jealous of her audacity.

Hobson smiled broadly and held out her hand as Lewis approached her. He reached for her, but their fingertips merely grazed one another's as she then turned and scampered off towards the woods. "Follow me, Robbie," she beckoned.

"Where are we going?" He asked

"Away from prying eyes," he heard the fleeting words as Hobson disappeared into the cover of the trees. He hoped that she knew the way through the woods… Despite that momentary hesitation, Lewis followed her at a good pace, catching up to within arm's length as he trod on the woodland roots and littered leaves. Once Hobson decided the spot was secluded enough, she stopped and spun on her heels. Lewis didn't stop in time; he careened into her, arms outstretched to brace himself before he hit a tree. The two would have hit their heads if it hadn't been for the height differential. Hobson was petite but well-grounded; she landed her head into Lewis' chest and wrapped her arms around him. It will remain a mystery who kissed whom first, but they remained tangled together there in a passionate embrace for a good while.

When at last he realized what he was doing, Lewis raised his head towards the sky and murmured "Oh Laura." He held her head to his chest, fondling her hair and her ear. "Are you all right?"

"I am now." She responded as her tears mixed in with his sweat-soaked shirt. "You?"

"Yeah, so am I." They held each other and listened to each other's vital signs, the murmurs of frantic heartbeats and breath. "Sorry about the tree," Lewis regrouped. "Probably could have managed that a little better."

"You won't hear me complain," murmured Hobson and she decided to kiss Lewis again.

Hathaway grinned as he watched from a distance the pair emerging from the woods hand in hand, though they dropped their hands as soon as they realized that they had an audience. Lewis held the car door for Hobson, then stood there mesmerized as she drove away. Finally, Hathaway approached Lewis. "Did you have a good nature walk, sir? Fresh air and all that?" Lewis could only muster an aloof look in response.

Lewis and Hathaway spent the rest of the day and evening following up on the leads provided by Kallie and Lumpy Schwartz. Innocent herself got permission from the Chief Constable to try to glean some information from some of her contacts in Whitehall. It was half ten when they finished for the night.

Lewis climbed into Hathaway's car using his favourite expression, "Home, James." He then pulled out his mobile. "I promised to ring Laura when we were through with this mess."

"Ooh, Laura." Hathaway teased.

"Eyes on the road, sergeant. I'm just checking in." Lewis was eager to hear Hobson's voice, but also anxious as he was unsure of what would be said. Moreover, he was unsure of how to go forward after their afternoon snog in the woods. That's why he was actually more comfortable making the call with Hathaway in the car- having a chaperone would buy him some time to think things through.

"Laura?"

"I need to see you, Robbie. Can you come over? Or I'll go to you."

"What, tonight? I'm sorry it's so late, lass."

"Are you hungry? I could fix you something," she offered knowing that her pantry was nearly bare.

"No, no, James and I grabbed a sandwich earlier." He was doing his best to deny temptation- be that food or Hobson- until he figured out how to deal with what he wanted.

"Please, there are things that I need to say and if I don't say them tonight, they might never be said."

"I'm in the middle of a murder inquiry!"

"That's precisely why it has to be now. Because you're on the case, you're following your instincts, listening to your gut… if I wait until you wrap up the case and you have time to start over-thinking it and brooding again… you'll never come. It can't wait, Robbie. I can't wait any longer."

"I'll see what I can do." He hung up without waiting for her to respond.

Hathaway had only heard half of their conversation, but he could imagine Hobson's supplications that Lewis was trying too hard to resist. This is going to be awkward, he thought.

"Where to then, sir?" He asked with some trepidation.

"Home, of course."

Hathaway mustered up his courage. "Sir, don't refuse her. If you do, you'll regret it."

"Mind your own business."

Hathaway made an unexpected turn, but Lewis knew exactly where he was going. "This isn't the way back to the station- or home. Turn around."

"No."

"I'm giving you an order, sergeant."

"Do you remember when you threatened to feed me to the Battleship Potemka?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." (Though Robbie Lewis did vividly remember the ultimatum he had once made to his sergeant: go have a proper goodbye with Fiona McKendrick or else he would pay the 80 quid to see that James got a full body massage at a dodgy gentleman's club with even dodgier historical references.*)

"You were right about me and Fiona. That was the last time I saw her; if you hadn't made me go to her, I would still have all these nagging feelings of remorse."

"Laura Hobson isn't going to bloody Scotland Yard! She's not going anywhere. She'll always be right here…" Lewis didn't need Hathaway to point out the absurdity of his reasoning as Hobson herself had made it clear to him that she was not going to wait.

"No, but she's going to date other men, then I'm going to have to put up with your moods."

Hathaway stared straight out the windscreen, making no eye contact as he said, "Go to her, Robbie." Lewis' ears perked up for Hathaway had never called him by his first name. Hathaway continued. "I don't have the opportunity to avail myself of them often, but I have them just in case. What I mean is, there is… protection… in the glove box. You should take it."

"You'd best be referring to firearms because I would very much resent the suggestion that I go for a roll in the hay with our colleague while we're all trying to solve a murder!"

The two of them drove the rest of the way to Hobson's house in stubborn silence. As Lewis left Hathaway's car, Hathaway reminded him, "the glove box." Lewis shook his head no and made his way to Hobson's door.

How dare he, thought Lewis. How dare Hathaway compare my decades of friendship with Laura- a friendship I would never do anything to jeopardise- to his clandestine affair with Fiona McKendrick? Why, I didn't even know they were seeing each other until Laura picked up on it. What did she say? While Fiona and I were air-kissing like a couple of tarts at an operetta, James did nothing. And it bothered Laura that they did nothing. Laura… she was the reason I had threatened to feed James to the Battleship Potemka… Bloody hell, it was Laura all along.

Meanwhile, Laura Hobson paced nervously in the living room of her home, breaking her stride occasionally to peak through the curtains of her window. Moonbeams- or were they more accurately the glare of streetlamps- shone through the pane and cast their glow on the silk robe that covered her sylph-like frame. Laura had been practicing a speech that she had been planning to give Robbie for some time. She had always thought it would be a speech to be made on the occasion of his retirement but she knew that it had to be now. When he came- if he came at all- she would tell him how she needed him in her life, how she knew that he needed her too, how she could be patient with him as he warmed to her firm plan to offer him companionship in a more-than-friendly-colleague kind of way… And if he didn't show up, she would stay up all night rehearsing that speech.

Her heart skipped a beat when the doorbell went, pulling her out of her trance-like state of readiness. She opened the door to find Lewis looking terrified. "I'm glad you made it. Can I offer you a beer?" She rubbed his arm, trying to put him at ease.

Lewis was indeed terrified. He had no idea what he was going to do, but he knew he was going to do something. "Maybe something stronger?" he croaked.

"I thought you said you couldn't stay."

"Do you have any scotch?"

"Of course." She ushered him in and went to her liquor cabinet. She smiled to see that he had taken off his jacket and draped it over a chair, though he did not look any more relaxed. As she poured his drink, she felt him come up behind her and kiss her neck. She gave a little sigh and he put his arms around her waist. She raised his drink to her own lips, taking the sting of the alcohol in her throat as a reality check that he really was there, kissing her neck softly. She leaned her head back into in him and there was no doubt what he wanted. She whispered, "Do you want to talk about it first?"

He raised his lips to her ear and nibbled gently before whispering, "No, I'm rubbish at talking about these things. You said for me to rely on me gut, go on instinct."

Her carefully rehearsed speech completely evaporated into the allure of his musky scent. It had been a long day, and Robbie probably could have done with a shower or a fresh coat of deodorant, but to Laura, he smelled alive. "OK, let's go with that then." She handed him the tumbler of scotch and then began to loosen his tie.

He felt his body responding and suddenly panicked. "I didn't bring any… you probably want me to use…" he fumbled.

"Don't worry, I have everything we need. Trust me. Don't overthink this, Robbie."

He kissed her in response, then broke away again. "Is your fireplace in working order?" He asked. Hobson found that to be a strange question coming from someone who had just agreed not to overthink anything.

"What?"

He had no words to express it, but the desire in his eyes conveyed his meaning well enough. Laura knew what he wanted to do by the fire.

"Really?" She asked. He nodded with an eager grin.

She giggled at his enthusiasm. "Yes… the fireplace works marvelously." As soon as she freed him of his tie, he darted towards the French doors.

"Do you keep firewood in the garden? No wait, you have a garage don't you? It'd be drier out there, surely…" He was getting excited.

"Robbie, come back here." She turned a knob, flipped off the light switch and picked up a remote control that she pointed at the fireplace. Flames instantly rose.

"How the hell did you do that?" He came back to her side, mystified.

"Gas fireplace." She handed him the remote. "Why don't you adjust the fire how you want it while I grab a few things?"

Robbie grinned. With this remote he could control fire! He was utterly mesmerized by the ebb and surge of the flame at his whim. He didn't notice when Laura came back into the room.

"All right, Prometheus, let's build our own fire over here."

He turned around to find that Laura was kneeling on a blanket arranging some pillows for them. He realized that he was suddenly in command of things he never though he could control- not only the fire, but his grief as well, and his passion.

They had migrated to her bed at some point in the night, but Laura was devastated to wake up alone. She heard him in the shower and then plod downstairs. He's leaving? Not even saying goodbye? Laura couldn't pull herself up out of bed to see him out, and fought back the tears. She looked at the clock- not quite six. She heard him coming back up the stairs, and she decided to feign sleep.

Robbie sat next to her on the bed and gently rubbed her arm to wake her. She could tell he was fully dressed, but in the dark she couldn't see his loving expression. Stay, Robbie. Don't leave me after what we shared. Alas, her pride stopped her from begging him not to go. "Lock the door handle before you pull it closed behind you when you go." She mumbled.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine. I'm not going anywhere without you, Laura, so you'd best get a wriggle on."

"What?"

"We need breakfast. You know you only have one egg in the fridge? Things are going to change, lass. It's a new day." He switched on the light on her bedside table and was alarmed to see her tears. "Are you crying, love?" He bent down to kiss her tears, and she threw her arms around him.

"I thought that you were leaving- that you thought this was all a mistake."

"Mistake? God, no, Laura. We're all right, and I can prove it."

She sniffed and smiled. "Dare I ask what your proof is, detective?"

"I woke up with you in my arms and a hunger in my belly. I got up to make you a big breakfast, but your kitchen's bare. Not that mine's much better, mind you…"

"And breakfast will validate our relationship?

"It's just that…" He sat upright again and turned away from her. "I never thought I could be with a woman after Val without hating myself for it. In the BVI, you see, there were some things I regret…"

"That was a long time ago, Robbie." She rubbed his arm.

"It wasn't right, Laura. But this is."

"I think I'm just lucky that no island lass ever offered you breakfast."

"You didn't let me show you the proof yet."

"Go on, then!"

He held up his wallet, battered leather that was threatening to fall apart. "Right here. After I discerned that there wasn't enough food in the house, I checked me wallet to see if I have enough cash to take you out for a full English breakfast. Twenty quid ought to do, don't you think?"

"If we skip the champagne mimosas." She quipped. "But I still fail to see how breakfast proves anything."

"Open me wallet, Laura." He pressed it into her hands and she did as he asked. She was instantly greeted by a faded photo of Val and the kids, all smiles, from many years ago.

"You and I were together last night, Laura, and it was wonderful. I don't feel the slightest bit guilty, even when I see me family. For the first time I realize that loving you doesn't mean I'm betraying what I had what I had with me wife, or the kids, grown and flown though they may be. I love you, Laura Hobson."

Laura's face contorted and she started to cry again.

"Sorry, love, it's too soon to say that, isn't it?"

"Too soon? I've waited years to hear you say that, Robbie Lewis! I love you too."

They cuddled together for a few moments before Robbie said, "Shower and get dressed, woman! I'm starving. We've got to eat and then you've got to take me back to my flat so I can change before Hathaway comes to get me at half seven."

The revelation in Robbie's wallet was a lot for Laura to process. Yes, she'd always known he had a family, but she suddenly was questioning how she would fit into it. Robbie Lewis hungrily eyed his full English while Laura Hobson had just ordered toast, saying it was far too early to eat anything so heavy. He just laughed and forked a hot buttered mushroom. He raised his fork to her lips. She stared at it for a moment skeptically.

"Come on, love, eat up."

She leaned forward slightly and took the mushroom with her teeth. It tasted better than she thought.

"What will it be like, Robbie, us together at home and at work?"

"I'm all in, Laura. We can't just switch our relationship on and off like your fireplace." Then suddenly a look of brilliance flashed across his face. "That's it! The fireplace, Laura, your fireplace is remote controlled. I can't wait to tell Hathaway! He'll be miffed, of course, that the international spy thing was a red herring."

Hobson was perplexed. "Am I supposed to be getting on with something?"

"The case, Laura. Keep up. The room wasn't booby trapped with the wire. The explosion was triggered by a remote control by someone close by. That's why the bomb didn't detonate until we were all outside at a safe distance. It wasn't meant to hurt anyone else but to blast away the evidence of the murder. Or to destroy the building. I'll bet that Lumpy and Kallie Schwartz didn't want the inheritance all spent on the upkeep of the estate, so they decided to blow it up and make it look like an act of revenge by foreign agents because their mum had been a spy. Only their mum found them out at the last minute and threatened to expose their plan."

Hobson realized that everything had changed and yet nothing had changed between them. She laughed as Lewis rambled on. "I mean, did you see the hair on that Lumpy? He's got mad bomber written all over him…"

When the case was all wrapped up, Lewis and Hobson found themselves with a little free time to breathe and explore their new relationship. They were back at his flat, enjoying a glass of wine on the couch.

"I got you something, Robbie," Hobson handed him a box. Inside Lewis found a new leather wallet. "I noticed your old one was getting tattered and worn. See what's inside." Lewis opened the wallet to find the same snap of his family tucked in the photo sleeve. "Moving on doesn't mean that you lose sight of what's most important to you."

Lewis was impressed. "What, how did you get that in there?"

"You didn't notice me pick your pocket, Robbie? Don't forget that I take wallets off bodies all the time. And they never notice."

"Yeah, but they are dead!"

"And you, my love, are very much alive."

"Well then, let's celebrate being alive. Together."

*the Battleship Potemkin is the historical reference, but it becomes Potemka wherever Robbie wants to send James for a massage.

Author Note: Happy belated Valentine's day, fellow Robson admirers!