Author's note: all usual disclaimers apply.

Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah / Season's Greetings to everyone in the ILM FF community across the globe. Irrespective of your beliefs I hope this time of year is a time of peace, love and family for you.

Since April I have written 38 stories totalling over 340,000 words about our two friends. Authors write primarily for their own reasons but it is also rewarding to know my stories bring pleasure to others. So thank you all for reading and for your encouraging comments throughout the year especially jan danek 10, Tess 45, LewisHobsonFan and TheaMcK who have commented on almost every chapter I have written and although I have never met them, we have become friends.

Detective Seargent Barbara Havers rubbed her eyes and yawned. It had been a long boring shift and she still had fifteen minutes before she could escape and go home. Being Christmas Eve there had been the usual tally of drunken idiots before three in the morning but since then she had been sitting at her desk daydreaming. She had nominated to work over Christmas so that her colleagues could spend time with their families. She had hoped for dayshift but had been given nights. She had done three nights in a row and now did not have to come back until the twenty-ninth. Four days and nights to sit around staring at the walls of her flat. It almost defeated the purpose of volunteering. At least she could sleep through most of Christmas Day.

She tried hard not to wonder about Tommy. He had left three days ago for his estate at Cornwall and would be back in time for New Year. He had pestered her for weeks about going with him but she had steadfastly refused claiming it was a time for family. She knew he viewed her as family in a way. He treated her almost as a sister. Yet she still did not think it was right to impose on his family even though now she regretted that decision.

She finished her shift promptly at seven and headed for the Tube. A train came just as she walked onto the platform and by half past seven she was unlocking her flat. She took a slug from the milk bottle then made herself a brew of tea. She glanced at her phone. Tommy would text her at exactly eight o'clock with his customary Christmas wishes. He did it every year, even when she went to Howenstowe with him last year. She had gone as support. He had not wanted to face the family alone after the trauma of Helen's death and his rather self-pitying reaction to it. It had gone well but this year she thought she would be more of an intrusion than a distraction.

Barbara was tired and wanted to shower. She was tempted to shower anyway then text him back after she finished but he would not understand. There was a ritual and it needed to be observed. He texted at exactly eight and she replied instantly. With a minute to go Barbara took her phone and flopped onto her couch to wait. She was excited to hear from him. She had missed him the last few days even though they had exchanged a few texts.

The hour ticked over and she looked at her screen in anticipation. Nothing flashed or beeped. A minute passed and then another. She began to frown and tried not to worry. It was only a silly coincidence perhaps that he was always on time. After five minutes she was not sure whether to text him or wait. At ten past she started to pace the room worried that he had fallen from his horse on his morning ride. An alternative might be that he had become depressed and was passed out drunk in his room. Then it struck her that perhaps he had become involved with one of his mother's guests and was sleeping naked next to a beautiful woman or worse still they were not asleep. She tried to push the images from her mind but the harder she tried the more vivid the woman's lithe body became. Barbara put her phone on the bench and went for her shower.

The warm water temporarily eased her mind and relaxed her body. She banished bad thoughts and assured herself that a text would be there waiting when she finished. It was false hope and her screen remained agonizingly blank. It was after eight thirty so she send him a cheery greeting. Nothing too over-the-top but warm and genuine. Merry Xmas Sir. Hope u are having great time. She waited but there was no reply. She took the phone to her room and placed it within easy reach on her bedside table. She had no reference point as to how to react. Should she be worried? Accepting? Angry? Sad? Or all of them? Most of all she felt alone and unloved. Her rock had vanished and to hide from that reality she tried to empty her mind and sleep.

It had just gone noon by the time her phone finally buzzed. The sound woke her and she snatched the phone from her table and hurriedly unlocked it. He was alive.

Sorry forgot my charger and my phone was flat but I did think of you at eight. Merry Christmas Barbara. May all your Christmas's come at once.

She smiled with relief. It was not his usual greeting, in fact it was quite obscure but at least he had not forgotten her. It was odd that his phone had stayed charged until yesterday but she tried to dismiss the logic. He always had a charger in his glovebox that plugged into his cigarette lighter. Perhaps he had needed to drive around for a while to recharge it. That would have amused the locals.

She texted back. Thx. I thought of u 2. Enjoy your break. CU She knew that in the smartphone age he abhorred shortened texts and always typed his in full. She was still angry enough to want to send him the subtle message that she was annoyed, even if he had an excuse. Who forgets to pack their charger?

Further sleep would be futile so she quickly dressed and ran a comb through her hair. She was hungry but the cold supermarket chicken that she had in her fridge and the tinned fruit pudding could wait. Barbara grabbed her coat and headed to the pub. She had a choice of three but choose the one she normally went to with Tommy. She was disturbed that she needed to make that choice but she went anyway. The closer she could feel to him the better. She even persuaded the couple sitting in the booth that they normally used to move seats. He had scared her today and even the remotest possibility that he would not be around or that their relationship might change terrified her. She wrapped her hands around her pint glass to stop them from shaking and only moved them when her hot, salty chips and a slice of pudding smothered in brandy custard were unceremoniously slammed onto her table.

"Sure you don't want some Christmas dinner love?" the barmaid asked her.

"No thanks." She had ordered the pudding because she could only get a drink with a Christmas meal.

"Suit yerself."

Barbara started to savour the greasy flouriness of her chips. She felt her thigh buzz and pulled her phone from her pocket. Lynley had sent another text. Where are you?

It seemed an odd question but she replied straight away. The pub.

Which one?

Kings Head

She waited watching the screen but no reply came. Tommy was behaving very oddly today but she liked that she was at least on his mind. She ate the rest of her chips quickly trying hard not to wish he was here with her or think about how much she missed him. It had been all she could think about last night. She had even sat in his office for a while to feel closer to him. Well this morning had brought her back to Earth with a thud. She sighed then took a series of sips from her beer.

She had no sooner set her empty glass down when the barmaid reappeared and put another two in front of her. Barbara looked up questioningly. "That posh bloke yer normally wit', he rang and ordered yer two." The barmaid walked away leaving Barbara puzzled. It was a sweet gesture but why would Tommy order her two drinks?

Barbara hefted her glass in a toast. "Cheers Tommy. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Barbara."

The voice was soft and ethereal. Great, now she was hearing his voice as well! She had slipped badly these last weeks from her 'love him from afar' stance. She had to get over herself. "Oh Tommy, you don't know how much I miss you."

"I have a fair idea."

This time she spun around. Tommy was standing behind her looking slightly dishevelled. When she turned his face lit up into a grin that made her flush with pleasure. She wanted to stand and hug him and never let him go but that would be inappropriate. She had no idea why he was here but she was overjoyed to see him. She knew she was smiling foolishly. "Sir!"

Tommy slid into the booth and sat much closer than he normally did. "Merry Christmas Barbara. I missed you too." He kissed her quickly on the mouth. Tommy then picked up his glass and clinked it against hers before taking a sip.

Tommy had never greeted her like that before. He usually hugged her shoulders or rubbed her arm. She was stunned. It was quick enough to be a friendly greeting between friends but slightly longer than was usual for that. Barbara was unsure how to react. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Cornwall?"

"I thought that might be obvious," he replied, "I wanted to have Christmas lunch with you."

Before she could reply Tommy had signaled the barmaid. He ordered two turkey dinners and two puddings. Her original pudding was taken away. Tommy had wrinkled his nose at the skin that had formed on the custard and waved dismissively at it.

"I'm sorry I couldn't text you at eight. I was already on the the road and I couldn't get a signal until I was almost in the city. I think the cells were congested with holiday calls."

"I was worried Sir," she said honestly.

Tommy put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to him. That was more normal and Barbara felt safe and back on familiar ground. "What happened to calling me Tommy?" That ground slipped from under her but he still had his arm around her.

"You weren't supposed to hear that."

"But I've wanted to hear you call me Tommy for years."

Barbara was compelled to look up. His eyes were simmering with an emotion she had not seen before. She had no reference points with his or any other eyes but she fleetingly wondered, or maybe hoped, it was love. Tommy removed his arm and the moment passed.

Their meals arrived and they ate while she talked about how boring dealing with the drunks had been and he discussed how boring his family had been. As they finished their pudding Tommy told her why he was there. "I woke up this morning and the only thing I could look forward to was texting you. It made me realise," he said slowly, "that the only person I wanted to be with today was nearly three hundred miles away so I left Mother a note, jumped in the car and drove here. Can you imagine how disappointed I was when you didn't answer your door?"

"Yes," she replied, "I felt that way when you didn't text." She noticed he was going to try to apologise again and she raised her hand to stop him. He slipped his arm around her shoulder again. "But you're here now and that is far better than a text." That was the closest to a declaration of love she was prepared to risk. His eyes were brimming with that same look again and for a moment she hoped he was going to kiss her. He made no attempt to do so and she thought she was mistaken. He might be lonely but he had simply missed his friend, his best mate. She sighed.

"Come on," he said standing up and extending his hand to her to help her slide out of the booth. "It's a nice afternoon. Let's go for a walk."

Barbara did not object. Irrespective of his motives and intentions she was enjoying having him to herself at Christmas. There was no work and no family to interfere. Tommy led her to his car. "Short walk," she joked.

"It's a sunny day. I thought it might be pleasant to stroll along the embankment."

They chatted as he drove. He pulled into an exclusive hotel on The Strand and tossed his keys to the valet. He signed a chit then showed Barbara through the hotel and down the back stairs. Barbara tried hard not to look stunned or out of place but she noticed the glances of some of the staff they passed. Each of them nodded deferentially to Tommy and looked her up and down. She was obviously not his usual style of woman that he must take regularly. Even though she was with him now she felt a strange pang of jealousy.

They headed downriver and continued to chat about work and inconsequential things as they strolled. Tommy put his arm around her shoulders again. "This is a far better way to spend Christmas Day than with stuffy relatives."

"Your mother will be furious I suppose."

"Quite the opposite I hope when she reads my note," he said cryptically.

Barbara would never know where she found the courage but at the time it seemed the most natural thing in the world. She slipped her arm around his waist and hugged him closer. It was as if an electrical current passed between them. Tommy stopped talking mid-sentence and tilted his head to rest on hers. Silently they kept walking but their pace slowed to a stop. They turned and faced the river and stood for minutes arm in arm not saying anything that might break the spell. Tommy let go and in a smooth movement lifted Barbara and sat her on the cold stone of the wall so that their faces were level. His hands were resting lightly on her waist. They were staring at each other. She could tell he was searching for some clue but she did not know what he was looking for so she simply smiled at him. He smiled back then moved closer.

This time there was no confusing his kiss with a greeting but it was polite and seemed to be seeking permission. His lips barely moved, it was just a soft and affectionate application of pressure. She enjoyed just feeling connected to him but Barbara was not sure what to do. She wanted this but it frightened her and she sensed it also scared Tommy. She closed her eyes and responded tentatively holding herself back from eating him alive. His lips seemed to be trembling. This was a significant change in their relationship and so much was at stake if they got this wrong. It did not feel wrong. In fact nothing had never felt more right. Tommy was slowly gaining confidence and softly broke the connection then kissed her again in a flurry of tender butterfly kisses. She felt her inhibitions dissolving with each one but knew he was restraining himself waiting for a signal. She reached up and put her hands behind his neck. He kissed her more urgently. She ran her fingers up into his hair. Tommy groaned and his arms encircled her. He pulled away and nuzzled into her neck.

Barbara was worried that perhaps she had alarmed him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"What are we doing?"

Tommy pulled back and looked at her. "They call it kissing. It's something people who discover they care deeply for each other like to do. We do care deeply for each other don't we?"

Barbara knew he needed to know he was not pushing her into something she did not want. "We do."