Lewis
Rating: T
Pairing: Robbie/Laura
Disclaimer: I don't own Lewis or any of its characters. I'm only borrowing them. This is for fan purposes only.

Summary: Poor Monty has to go to the vet.

"Where is he?" asked Laura as she cautiously got up from looking under the table, being careful to mind her head so she didn't end up wearing a nice big lump come Monday morning.

"He was here a second ago!" replied Robbie as he looked over at the blonde haired doctor.

Laura walked over to the open door and looked into the hallway, confusion beginning to furrow over her brow. "I know I saw him!"

"He's been sitting in the same spot for the past four days and now that we're taking him to the vets he's decided to eventually move!" Sighed Robbie, as he threw his hands up into the air in defeat just as he'd seen so many of the criminals he'd arrested over the years do. Their search for Monty was proving unsuccessful to say the least and both of them just wanted to give up.

"It's almost as though he knows where we're taking him – providing we actually find the stubborn thing." said Laura as she walked through the door and out into the hall.

"Where are you going?" Robbie questioned whilst he followed her out and up the stairs.

"To the one place where he knows we'd never look." She reached the top of the stairs, momentarily pausing to turn and wink at the retired detective before walking towards the door of their bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar allowing a line of light to slither out of the room and onto the landing. Laura gently opened it further so that she could see into the room and smiled at the sight that greeted her.

"Come on." she whispered, her eyes glued to the furry bundle curled up quietly in the centre of her and Robbie's bed.

"Cheeky sod!" he whispered from behind Laura when he saw Monty.

She managed to drag her eyes away from their pet and looked at Robbie "Get the box thing before he wakes up and starts moving again."

"It's a pet carrier." he smiled, pleased with himself for knowing the proper name.

Laura stared at him "Does it really matter what it's called? Just fetch it."

Robbie went downstairs, got the pet carrier from the kitchen table and returned upstairs as fast as he could without seeming like he was following Laura's orders.

"I'll hold the pet carrier and you can put Monty in it." Laura stated as she took the carrier from Robbie before slowly, carefully and quietly walking into the room. Robbie sneaked around to the opposite side of the bed and carefully lifted Monty into the plastic carrier before the cat could awaken and react.

They then closed the metal barred door, effectively sealing the carrier, and it was then that Monty started to become restless and awaken.

"Will you carry him downstairs? I don't think my scrawny little arms can manage." She joked whilst a smirk played on her lips.

"Anything for you" he smiled, matching her joking tone as he took the carrier from her. They went downstairs and Laura grabbed her keys from the hall table before she opened the front door for Robbie who was stood just behind her.

"I think it's best if I drive." Robbie changed the carrier over to his other hand and then used his free hand to search his pocket for his own car keys.

"You can hold Monty if I drive." She stated, still holding the door open for him.

"I'm not holding an irritated cat whilst trying to giving you directions." He lifted the carrier up to sneak a look in, and see Monty who seemed ready to scratch his eyes out had there not been metal bars between them.

"Well then tell me now." She said.

"I'll drive." He tried not to smile when Laura relented and threw her keys back down on the table and bolted out the door in a fake huff.

"What happened to 'anything for you'?" She shouted from outside whilst she waited for him to join her.

"That's only in certain circumstances." He replied as he shut the door and left the house smiling.

…

"How is he?" Robbie asked.

"I'm scared to check in case he decides to try to attack me through the bars" Laura gripped the carrier on her lap tighter as she spoke, grateful for the barrier between herself and the cat.

"Just check to make sure he's still living."

Laura turned the carrier slightly so that she could peep through and see Monty, who to her surprise was no longer conscious "Robbie, he's asleep!" she exclaimed, shocked.

"Naw, he can't be!" He replied in disbelief. "He doesn't sleep when he's in the carrier, he goes mad! Why do you think I wanted to drive?" He glanced over in her direction and when he saw her jaw drop he swerved a little before regaining control of the car. Robbie reluctantly realised that he had just dropped himself in it.

"I hate to inform you that he is in fact no longer in the land of the living." She didn't know whether to be annoyed at Robbie for his sneakiness, or to be pleased with Monty for his sudden loss of energy.

"How did you get him to sleep? When James and I bring him to the vet he won't conk out for either of us, stays awake, claws at the bars and makes one hell of a noise!"

"It's a gift, you either have or haven't, Robbie, I can't teach you." She grinned smugly at the confusion on the side of Robbie's face. She would have liked to have seen his whole face but since he was driving she'd have to do with a small view.

"Let's hope you can do the same on the way home." He said as he pulled into the parking space in front of the vet's surgery. Once he'd stopped the car Robbie got out and went around so he could open Laura's door.

"Ever the gentleman." She smiled, but when he reached out for the carrier she sighed dramatically. "You're really letting yourself down today Robbie!" She was only teasing him and he knew she was so he didn't bite at the comment.

"I'll make it up to you when we get home." he said, smirking, and walked into the vets.

"I'm going to hold you to that!" She smiled as she followed him inside the building.

Once they were in the waiting room, they paused and looked into the pet carrier at Monty and saw he was beginning to wake. With that they sat down on the cheap plastic chairs and began to wait for their turn. The waiting room was rather empty apart from one woman who also had a cat with her. Robbie and Laura chatted among themselves until the woman spoke up.

"Robbie?" The man in question looked over at the woman who had short brown hair and was about the same age as Robbie and smiled. "I thought it was you! How are you enjoying retirement?"

"It's great; I wish I'd done it sooner!" The three of them laughed and Laura discreetly nudged Robbie asking him to introduce her. "Oh sorry, this is Laura, my umm-"

"Significant other" Laura smiled as she rescued him. She wasn't embarrassed about being with him; it was just that they weren't sure how to describe their relationship and were obviously not prepared enough for any questions about the topic.

"Yes, so how are you?" Asked Robbie, pleased that Laura had cut in and saved him from stumbling.

"I'm very well, poor Pepper isn't though" The woman indicated to the pet carrier at her feet "He's stopped eating and drinking, how's Monty?"

"He's got a sore paw, limping everywhere." They continued comparing notes about their pets until the woman was called away with Pepper.

"Should I know her?" asked Laura. The carrier was on Robbie's lap so she bent down a little to look in at an agitated Monty.

"Wouldn't think so, I'm not even sure how I know her!" he explained "Her name is Emily, lovely woman, has quite a few cats."

"Ahh, Mr Lewis" A tall elderly man with a thick head of grey hair, wearing a seemingly well worn suit appeared from out of one of the rooms at the side of waiting room. "What seems to be the problem with the Mighty Monty?"

Robbie and Laura smiled at his description of their beloved pet. "He's got a cut on his front right paw, he can't walk on it and we think it is causing him pain." Robbie replied.

"Come on in then." The vet walked back into the room. They got up and Robbie carried in the pet carrier which now contained not just an agitated cat but an incredibility loud one at that.

…

Somehow they were able to take Monty out of the carrier and remain relatively unscathed. Robbie was now holding him securely on the bench so that his paw could be examined. "It appears to be the infection which is doing most of the damage, he probably got a cut from something sharp from roaming around in the garden and then an infection set in." The vet dropped Monty's paw back onto the bench "You can pop him back into the box now."

The vet turned his back and Laura grinned at Robbie and mouthed 'box' to him as he locked Monty up again.

"You were the one who said it didn't matter what it was called" He whispered and returned her grin.

"Right so here are some antibiotics to fight the infection and once that is gone the wound should heal itself, and umm . . ." He nodded his head in Laura's direction while he wrote on the little packet of pills

"Laura" She said, answering his question.

"Right, Laura, you make sure you give him half a pill in the morning and the other half at night, starting tomorrow. I don't trust Robbie!" He handed Laura the packet, and stood up straight before crossing his arms loosely and directing his glance to Robbie. "Remember what happened the last time you and the tall blonde fella came here with Monty?"

Laura looked at Robbie bewildered; his cheeks were telling a great part of the story by just being red. "I umm I may have forgotten to give him a pill and then gave him two the next day…"

"Finish the story" The vet smirked at an ashamed Robbie

"I may have found him lying in the middle of the hall on his stomach, with his paws stretched out by his sides." Robbie looked up sheepishly, and met Laura's gaze, he smiled at her but she remained expressionless.

"Robbie how did I not know this?"

"I… umm… James doesn't know either if that helps." He was too embarrassed to answer her properly.

"Just wait until I tell him, he'll be shocked to hear that you tried to kill Monty!"

"Don't exaggerate, I didn't try to do that, I just forgot!" he shot back trying his best to defend himself, but failing hopelessly.

"Monty survived and that's all that matters." The vet joked, hoping he wouldn't end up with a domestic on his hands. "And he'll survive this too as long as you give him the pills at the correct times and in the correct amounts"

They answered in unison

"She will"

"I will"

"Great, and if he's no better by this time next week, call in, and I'll check him again." The vet walked around the table, as Robbie lifted the carrier which didn't house a vocal cat anymore, only a silent one, something Robbie was very thankful for. Laura smiled at the vet and tucked the pills into her pocket as she walked out of the room leaving the two men alone.

"Thank you Arthur, how much will that be?" Robbie reached into his pocket but froze, and looked back at the vet when he placed his hand on Robbie's shoulder.

"What happened to the toy boy?" Robbie turned around with a look of incredulity on his face and stared at him. Neither spoke until Arthur smiled broadly and then broke into a fit of laughter. The expression on Robbie's face meaning the vet couldn't keep his face straight any longer. "I'm only pulling your leg, she seems nice and it seems serious, living with her are you?"

Robbie's eyebrows rose up to his forehead until they could go no further and then it dawned on him about the vet telling Laura to give Monty the pills at morning and at night. "You're in the wrong profession!"

"Bit old to consider changing careers, but I do enjoy trying to figure out people when they walk in with their pets." Arthur winked at him. "Now on you go, can't leave Laura waiting in the cold; you've got the car keys after all."

"How did…?" Robbie stopped talking and looked at Arthur blankly.

"Wouldn't you like to know, now forget about money this time. I'm in a generous mood." He bounced out of the room with more enthusiasm that his seventy odd years should allow. In an upside down way it made Robbie feel his own age. The retired detective then walked out to the car in a haze, and was met by Laura who immediately shot her hand out and placed it on the door handle. She got in after he unlocked it and then he placed the carrier on her lap.

"I hope he's quite now!" Robbie stated as he turned the key in the ignition.

"He will be, I'm holding him!" She reassured him with a hint of pride and smugness.

…

Laura was right, Monty was quiet the whole way home and now the three of them were snuggled up on the sofa in front of the TV. With a blazing fire as the only light in the room apart from the telly which was showing a rerun of one of their favourite shows. Robbie pulled Laura closer and she nuzzled into his chest. They both chuckled slightly when Monty limped from beside Robbie up onto his lap.

"Feeling left out?" Laura asked the injured cat as she scratched behind his ear, and soon Monty was spread out over the two of them purring as though his life depended on it.

"He does like me." Laura smiled contently.

"I know someone else who likes you too." Laura lifted her head off Robbie's chest and kissed him lightly.

She nestled back into him and sighed. She could get used to nights like this.