Disclaimer: This story is for fan purposes only. The characters and storyline are property of their respective owners (not me!) and are used here without permission.

Author note: When I write, it is very stream-of-consciousness. Certain scenes are connected in my mind, even if it does not reflect the proper sequential order of the actual episode. (So no complaining- hey, that's not what happened next!) I tried not to re-write what was so brilliantly done by Lucy Gannon but to offer interpretation of and extrapolation from a few of the episode's charming quirks. Special appreciation also goes to those fanficcers who have beautifully rendered this episode before me. As Noenigma said, it's inevitable that sooner or later we'll all have to try our hand at it.

Act I- Riparian reflections

Laura Hobson chose a dress with a tulip print, just long enough that she could still ride her bicycle decently. The dress and the bike sent the message that she was ready to have fun, but she was clearly trying too hard to be excited about this date. The guy she was waiting for works on television scripts*. Whodunnits, he'd said. He was interested in her work as a pathologist; surely she must have some insights on murder to share. You don't know the half of it, she thought. She sighed because she knew that she didn't want the made-for-telly version; she wanted the real thing. She wanted the detective down the path staring at the river.

Laura got her wish, albeit in a different venue, a bit later when Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis asked if she wanted to meet for sandwiches at a sidewalk café. She was happy he'd invited her out, even if she had to tell herself that he was taking her to lunch only as a proxy for his sergeant off on holiday. If Lewis was trying to impress her by saying that he was so much more fun than Sergeant Hathaway, he wouldn't do it by talking while he was chewing. But that's just it; he wasn't trying to impress her (unlike the television writer). Robbie was merely being comfortable around her, which apparently included chewing with his mouth open.

She decided to stir the pot a bit and tell him that she'd seen him staring at the river Friday night. He'll ask why I didn't say hello when I saw him all alone. But he didn't ask. It then dawned on her that Lewis already knew about her date. It was entirely possible that if she'd seen him, he'd seen her too. Damn it, he knows. And how did he respond? Not jealously like he did with Franco, but with a subtle reminder that he depended on her. His phone rang with a lead on the identity of the corpse du jour, and he abruptly left, sticking Laura with the bill. What's this, Robbie? She didn't mind paying for the sandwiches, but she was stunned nonetheless. Chivalrous Lewis always paid- coffee, dinner, pints- and even if he'd had to make a work-related departure he'd be sure to take care of the bill first. He really does miss having a sergeant to take advantage of… or, dare I even think it… he's finally willing to let me take care of him. Robbie had been depending on her for years now whenever he needed moral support- especially if he and Hathaway had had a tiff, but this was different. In making her pay for lunch, he was asking her to take care of him physically. In not so many words, he was saying, "I'm yours" to feed… and love.

Days later, Robbie called and said he wanted to see her again. No other reason was offered. Laura didn't know that he had just left Louise Cornish's house and was determined to prove that a person who'd lost a partner could love again. Seeing Louise abandon all hope after her husband left was like seeing his former self- before he had given up the life of a martyr and surrendered to Laura's love.

They were staring at the river together this time; not by the river where she'd had that date or where that boat went up in flames, but on a quiet part of the stream, on a bridge. He asked if she wanted to take a bike ride some night after work, and his request gave her pause. Robbie Lewis on a bicycle? That seemed far too random for him to suggest out of the blue. It was the second confirmation that the stealthy detective had known of her date with the television writer. Robbie'd seen her arrive on bike wanted to prove that he was every bit as able. "A ride?" she uttered.

Robbie saw the wheels turning in her mind and assumed she'd thought the suggestion was more akin to rumpy-pumpy than to cycling. It's a good opportunity for some teasing, and he wrapped his arms around her, locking his hands at the small of her back as they laughed together. As their laughter ebbed, he realized that he didn't want to let her go. He kissed the top of her head first, and then she looked up at him expectantly. Their lips joined, and then tongues; it was not their first kiss, but rather the first time that they let themselves go at it in earnest. There was no one there to disturb them, and the swans floated on by.

*Author note 2: My theory is that the man Laura was on a date with must have been someone involved in the production of Lewis because he was uncredited, yet had ample screen time to wave good-bye. And as we know, in Intelligent Design, frequent show writer Stephen Churchett played the first victim. PM me if you know who Laura's date is in real life!