Robert and Joey reached the house they were working at and got out of the car. All the blokes were standing outside, most of them smoking their last cigarettes of the morning before the work day started. When they saw Robert, there was a loud commotion of greetings combined with a lot of slapping on the back and hand clasping. He was happy to see the old blokes again. When things died down a bit, they started in on him.

"You gonna do a runner today, Robbie?"

"I hope you make it to the end of the week before you run away again."

"It's a good thing you drove him here, Joey. He might've scarpered if you hadn't."

He knew they'd take the mickey out of him for the lie he'd told. He stood there and took it good naturedly. The fact they were treating it so casually made him realize that Joey had never let on to the blokes how traumatic his disappearance had truly been, or how hard it had been on his family, and he was deeply grateful. If they knew how much his family had suffered, they'd probably be treating him a lot more like his sisters had, or perhaps like the police. They certainly hadn't thought it was something to laugh about.

---Then---

When Robert and his dad were alone in the kitchen, his dad rang the lead detective on Robert's case to let him know Robert had returned. After a brief conversation, his dad covered the mouthpiece, looking deeply worried.

"The detective wants you to come in for an interview," he said quietly.

Robert was immediately worried too. The last thing he wanted to do was to lie to a detective about why he'd been missing for two months. But what choice did he have? He shrugged his shoulders and his dad set the appointment for a few days later.

The night before the interview, while he and Georgie were in bed, he talked to her about it, walking her through what was going to happen. He wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to prepare for him leaving without her. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened the other day when he'd gone to see his band mates. Especially because this time there was no question she had to stay home. It was far too dangerous to allow her to come with him to the station. He couldn't take a chance the detective would decide to talk to her. He wasn't sure she'd be able to stick to the story he was going to tell, and if she didn't, the consequences could be disastrous.

While they talked about it, her body was tense next to his, but to his surprise she wasn't upset at the thought of him leaving her. It was something else that worried her.

"I don't want you to go to the police station, Robert," she cried.

"Why not? What d'you think is going to happen?"

"They might arrest you," she said quietly, and it startled him. For a brief second he wondered if they would actually do that, but then decided it was unlikely. He'd certainly never heard of them doing that to someone who'd disappeared and then come back.

"That's not going to happen, alright? They just want to ask me some questions. That's all," he said gently.

"But you get in trouble with the police when you run away from home," she said plaintively.

"No, I won't. I'm an adult, yeah? I'm allowed to go anywhere I want."

"I - guess so," she said hesitantly. "I'm just worried they'll be mad at you." He couldn't help laughing a little.

"Georgie, the police don't get mad at people. They're professionals, yeah? They just do their job. Don't worry about this, alright? I'll be fine," he said gently.

"I'm afraid they're going to take you away from me. I don't want to lose you," she said quietly, her voice breaking as she snuggled closer to him.

He sighed deeply and rolled over so he could hold her tight against his chest. She adjusted to the new position, tucking her head under his chin and hugging him tight. He could feel her tears on his chest as she cried quietly.

They'd been home for nearly a week now, and he couldn't understand why she couldn't seem to relax. At a time when she should be happy and enjoying her new life, she couldn't seem to shake the fear she was going to lose him. Then he remembered what his dad had said a few days before, about not expecting too much too soon from her. He reminded himself he just needed to be patient. She just needed time.

"You're not going to lose me, alright?" he said gently, stroking her hair. "I'll just answer some questions and come right home. I promise."

"Okay, Robert," she said tremulously, but he didn't feel the tension leave her body until she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

The next morning, Robert took his time getting ready while Georgie watched him. She was being more quiet than usual and he could tell she was worried, but trying not to let it show for his sake. He dressed carefully, in his good trousers, a white buttoned shirt over a white vest, and a tie borrowed from his dad. He tried to tame his out of control hair as best he could, but it didn't help much. It still looked out of control and crazy, the waves going all over and falling in his eyes. He wished he'd thought to get it cut when he found out he had the interview.

When they went down to eat breakfast, he could feel himself getting more nervous. He tried not to let on, not wanting to make Georgie more anxious than she already was. When he walked in the kitchen, his mum was already seated at the table with her tea. Having Robert back home had seemed to speed up her recovery and she was already able to manage the stairs on her own.

"Oh, Robbie! You look so nice!" she exclaimed, her eyes glowing. It wasn't often he dressed like that, and he waited a moment before he went to her, letting her get a good look at him.

"Cheers, mum," he said when he gave her a hug and kiss.

His dad's eyes didn't exactly glow but Robert could tell he approved of how he looked, except for his hair. His dad refrained from saying anything but Robert saw his eyes linger on it before he looked away, shaking his head. The four of them sat down for breakfast and the conversation was light. No one brought up the appointment with the detective.

When it was time for him and his dad to leave, Georgie wasn't physically clinging to him, but she stayed close by him, never letting him get too far from her. He gave her a hug and kiss goodbye at the door, and was relieved she let go of him, even though she looked at him like she wasn't sure she was ever going to see him again, blinking hard. It was a big improvement over how she'd been a few days before, and he felt hopeful it was a sign she was getting better.

When they got in the car, his dad looked grim. Robert knew he probably looked grim too now that he was away from Georgie. They drove in silence to the police station. When they arrived, his dad told the officer at the front desk they had an appointment and they were directed to sit and wait until called.

Robert was extremely nervous and could tell his dad was too. In a few minutes, he was going to have to lie convincingly to a man who was probably trained to spot people who were being untruthful. And it didn't help they were surrounded by people who looked like they'd spent far too much time in police stations. Robert kept his eyes down and concentrated on keeping his breathing steady.

His name was called and they made their way over to the detective who was waiting for them. When he shook the man's hand, Robert maintained eye contact and tried to look relaxed. He could tell he was already being evaluated by the way the detective was looking directly in his eyes.

He was younger than Robert had expected, maybe still in his thirties, and a big man, barely fitting in his suit jacket but Robert could tell it was all muscle. His hair was cut short in the style they wore in the military. Robert saw the detective take a long lingering look at his hair before he looked away. It hadn't left a favorable impression.

The detective turned to his dad, saying, "I hope you don't mind if I talk to Robbie on his own." He was smiling when he said it but it wasn't a request.

"No, not at all," his dad replied quickly, but Robert could tell by the look on his face how deeply worried he was.

"Right. If you'll follow me," he said to Robert firmly, and turned away.

"It'll be alright, dad," Robert said quietly, trying to make him feel better before he followed the detective.

He was taken to an interrogation room with a large table and two chairs. Now he felt even more nervous, knowing this was where they interviewed drug dealers, murderers and other criminals. Robert hoped it was because the detective didn't have an actual office to conduct the interview. The detective put a yellow pad of paper and a folder with Robert's name on it on the table as he sat down opposite Robert. Then he pulled a ball point pen out of his jacket pocket, leaned back in his chair and looked at Robert appraisingly while he clicked the pen over and over.

Robert held his gaze, trying not to let on the clicking was setting him on edge. He could feel his hands starting to shake and he clasped them together in his lap under the table to hide it. He tried to look calm while he concentrated on his breathing.

"So, Robbie," the detective said, leaning forward a little. Robert was grateful he'd stopped clicking his pen.

"Your father told me you voluntarily returned home. I don't know if he told you, I wanted you to come in and make a statement so I can close your case. Why don't you start by explaining to me why you decided to leave without telling anyone where you were going?"

Robert pushed his hair out of his eyes and then quickly moved his hand back under the table, hoping the detective hadn't noticed it shaking.

"Well, uh - I was feeling like I was - under a lot of pressure - and I decided to, uh, leave for a while - so I could clear my head." Get a grip, he thought. He was so nervous he was finding it difficult to form a coherent sentence.

"Pressure?" The detective was watching him carefully.

"Yeah, sorry. I was in a band instead of going to university and, uh - it wasn't going well and I, uh - was worried I'd made a mistake." The way the detective was looking at him was making him even more nervous. Robert was starting to sweat even though the room was slightly cool.

"Was there anything else you were feeling pressured about?" he asked, still not taking his eyes off Robert.

"No." The detective wasn't writing anything down and for some reason, it added to his nervousness.

"So you decided to leave."

"Yeah."

"And not tell anyone."

"Uh, yeah."

"You must've known your family would be afraid something had happened to you - that people would be worried about you,"

"Uh, well - I guess I didn't - think about - that," Robert said quietly. The way the detective was looking at him made him feel incredibly guilty, as if he really had run off.

"I see," he said. "Why don't you tell me what happened the night you decided to leave. Walk me through your actions."

"Well, I had a show with my band. It was at a club near my flat and, uh - instead of walking home, I went to London - Kings Cross, actually and, uh - took a train up to Scotland - Edinburgh." He'd researched this bit.

"How'd you get to London?"

"Train."

"How late was this?"

"Not long after eleven. I, uh - caught the last one."

"And you got to London after midnight?" Robert couldn't tell if the detective was trying to trap him or not.

"No, it was before midnight."

"And you went to Kings Cross station."

"Yeah."

"Then you caught a train to Edinburgh."

"Not right away. The first train doesn't leave till after five a.m. so I, uh - walked around a bit."

"At Kings Cross."

"Yeah."

"You didn't use your credit card or make any bank withdrawals when you disappeared. How'd you pay for all your travel?" Robert thought fast.

"I got paid - that night - for the show." He reckoned the police would never find out his share had only come to twenty quid, not nearly enough to get him all the way to Edinburgh.

"There's no CCTV footage of you at the train station here. I know because we looked."

Fuck. He forgot about the cameras. He was sweating profusely now and prayed it wouldn't soak into his shirt.

"That's strange - because I was there," he replied, looking at the detective steadily, willing himself to look truthful and calm. The detective looked at him just as steadily and, perhaps in an attempt to unnerve him, resumed clicking his pen.

Why the hell wasn't he writing anything down, Robert wondered angrily. Was he just going to commit all this to memory?

"You were gone for over two months. Were you in Edinburgh the whole time?" the detective asked, the clicking suddenly stopped.

"Yeah."

"Did you get a job?"

"No."

"How'd you live without any money?"

"Well, I, uh - met a girl the first day and - she invited me to stay with her. So that's where I was, uh - with her and she took care of me the whole time." The look on the detectives face let Robert know he thought even less of him now than he had before.

"What's she called?"

"Georgia Russo." Finally, the detective leaned over his pad of paper and wrote something down.

"Address and phone number?" he asked, looking at his paper, pen poised to begin writing.

"Well, uh - you see." The detective looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"She, uh - decided to come back here - with me, and she's staying with me. So - it would be my parents' address - now."

The detective leaned back in his chair and started clicking the pen furiously. Robert could tell he'd sweat through his shirt under his arms and prayed the detective wouldn't notice.

"So she's living here now?" he said after a minute, the pen silent again.

"Yes, with me - at my parents'."

"Has she any plans to return to Edinburgh?"

"No. She's staying here."

"I see," he said, drawing out the 'see'. There was another long pause while the pen clicked furiously. Robert held his gaze, trying not to give anything away.

Then the detective stopped clicking the pen and leaned forward, his eyes showing a little anger. Robert couldn't help thinking of what Georgie had said.

"You do realize a lot of resources were used in an attempt to find you?"

"Yes, sir. I'm very sorry about that," he said, trying to sound as apologetic as he could.

"Officers spent a lot of hours interviewing citizens. They searched the area for you."

"Yes, I understand." Robert was starting to get worried. He hoped they weren't going to arrest him or dole out some punishment.

"Your family printed up flyers at their own expense," he said a little louder, his eyes showing more anger. "They distributed them everywhere - your mates did too. They searched for you as well. They were quite concerned for your safety, you know."

This was news to Robert, and he suddenly felt rage beginning to boil up towards the bastard for everything he'd put his family through. He made an effort to push it down. He didn't want the detective to pick up on it.

"Yes, sir. I know it was wrong now, and I won't ever do anything like that again," he said, trying to sound humble instead of angry.

"Well, I certainly hope not," the detective said quietly. It sounded menacing.

Robert didn't say anything while the detective glared at him, still leaning forward in his chair. The pen was silent and Robert suddenly wished he'd start clicking it. The fact that he wasn't, added to the tension in the room.

Finally, he broke eye contact with Robert and gathered up the folder and notepad, saying, "Well, I guess I have everything I need. If anything else comes up -?" He trailed off as he looked back at Robert, raising an eyebrow. This was also not a request.

"Oh, of course. If you have any other questions, please let me know," Robert replied quickly, praying he would never see the man again.

He suppressed the urge to sigh with relief when the detective stood up. He slid his hands across his trousers to wipe them as he stood up and shook the detectives' hand, keeping his arms close to his body, then was led back to his dad. When his dad looked up and saw him, Robert thought he did a convincing job of hiding his relief.

As soon as they were outside the building, Robert yanked off the tie and unbuttoned his shirt while walking to the car. Once he'd peeled off the sweaty shirt, he felt like he could finally breathe again for the first time since he'd left home.

When they reached the car, his dad looked at him over the roof and his shoulders drooped with relief. "Let's go home, Robbie," he said quietly.

"Alright, dad," he replied with a sigh.

While they were driving home, Robert felt limp, like he'd been worked over by the detective. "I'm sorry you searched for me, and for the flyers and all that," he said quietly.

"Don't apologize for that, Robbie," his dad said firmly. "It wasn't your fault." No, it wasn't, Robert thought angrily, looking out the window, and he allowed the murderous rage for the bastard to come to the surface, letting it boil through him.

When he and his dad walked in the front door, Georgie jumped off the couch where she'd been sitting with his mum watching TV, and threw herself at him, nearly knocking him over, hugging him tight while she cried with relief.

"I'm alright, Georgie. See? It was just as I said. I answered some questions and that was all they wanted," he said quietly into her hair.

"They weren't mad at you for running away?" she asked, looking at him with concern, wiping her tears away with her fingers.

"Not at all," he lied, and hugged her to him so she couldn't see his face.

---Now---

Robert and Joey were setting up, getting ready to paint side by side like they always had when Robert heard a quiet, "Alright there, Robbie?" and turned around. He was surprised to see another band mate there.

"Chris!" he exclaimed and clasped hands with him. "What're you doing here?" he asked, although it was obvious. Chris's clothes had paint on them.

"I work here now," he said quietly. Chris had been the drummer in the band, and was almost painfully shy.

"What about your parents' place?" Robert asked. Chris's parents owned a DIY shop and he'd worked there alongside them for years.

"Yeah, well," he said quietly, looking away. "I kinda quit. They understood though. Joey helped me out."

"Well, that's great," Robert said, smiling at him. Chris hadn't changed at all, still barely speaking in full sentences.

"So, um, how's your girl -," Chris started, but he couldn't finish because he was shouted down by the other blokes. The radio had just been turned on to the local sports talk station and the rule was nobody was allowed to talk while it was on.

Robert smiled at Chris and shrugged his shoulders as if to say he was sorry they couldn't continue the conversation. Chris hunched a little and wandered off while Robert turned back to finish setting up with Joey, still smiling. This was why he'd wanted his old job back. Now no one would be able to talk to him until the end of the day as long as he stayed near the radio since it was never turned off.

When he and Joey started painting, Robert turned off his mind and went somewhere else. That was the other reason why he'd wanted his old job back.

****

I have to say, I'm pretty proud of my writing in this chapter. This was one where all the elements came together for me, both the flashback and the current storyline. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please leave me a comment and a vote. Thanks!

Dedicated to a good friend, biglittleme. :)