Author's usual notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of my stories and the developments I've let them go through.

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Author's note and summary: She softly murmured that she was so very tired. "And it's freezing cold, Sir. Let's go home." - Well, some more in London, still cold, still those two. Mmmmmh! Sequel ;-)

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London Winter - Sequel

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She softly murmured that she was so very tired.

"And it's freezing cold, Sir. Let's go home."

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"Indeed we should."

Tommy put his arm around her shoulder and Barbara encircled his waist. They slowly walked down the looping path and when they passed through the gates of the park they entered the already busy world again. Some people on their way to work went past them in a hurry, the footways and streets already were cleared from the snow. Tommy and Barbara went the way slowly and in their own world of thoughts.

In the yard to her flat the snow still was untouched but the path already was covered with multiple footsteps.

When Barbara closed the door behind them they were excluded again from the bustle outside. It almost was 5:30 now.

Tommy stood in the middle of her small living room and looked a bit lost. In fact he was a bit lost. Although he knew her place he did not know now if he should sit down or what to do next so he kept his coat on. What was happening between him and his Sergeant was too fragile to be disturbed by forcing it into any direction. In fact he was afraid to destroy it. He could not yet quite believe what was going on so he waited for Barbara to lead the way and set the pace.

"Make yourself comfy, Sir." she said throwing her parka on the backrest of the armchair. "Tommy." she added with a smile.

While he placed his coat and scarf on top of hers Barbara discarded her shoes and then impulsively turned and tugged at his jumper above his chest. Why not kiss him properly? Although a bit taken by surprise Tommy gladly obeyed and they exchanged a small kiss that developed into one that was full of desire. But before the situation could slip into something far more intense Barbara lost her courage and retreated.

"Sit down." she murmured a bit out of breath. "I'll make us some hot cocoa." With red cheeks she vanished in the kitchen. Tommy followed.

"Can I help you?" he shyly asked right behind her. Barbara turned. His eyes told her that he wanted to stay close to her.

"Ta." she said.

Tommy had been in her kitchen many times before so he fetched the pot from the cupboard while Barbara took the milk out of the fridge. He knew where the cocoa and the sugar was and intensely sweetened the hot beverage. Meanwhile Barbara had put two mugs onto the worktop so he could fill them with the steaming, sweet hot chocolate.

It made him chuckle that Barbara topped the dark drinks with some spray cream and micro-sized colourful marshmallows.

"You're amazing, Barbara, do you know that?" he smiled and gently stroked her cheek. Barbara blushed.

With the mugs in both hands and their hips leaned against the worktop and the cooker they silently enjoyed each other's presence and the hot chocolate, both so very warming from the inside. Eventually they started to talk about how easy the case went despite all its horror but that both did not yet want to return to the office in the morning.

"Besides..." Tommy yawned. "...we would be of no great help, as sleepy as we would be tomorrow morning. We should take a day off."

Barbara nodded. After having spent more than twenty hours awake now she was quite tired herself.

"Should I write Winston an e-mail?" Tommy pulled out his mobile phone and wrote the note immediately. "Just a short note that I had a real bad night - which is true until I found you in the park - and that I agreed on a day off for you yesterday afternoon but forgot to send a memo. Is that okay?"

Barbara nodded again and yawned. Winston would suspect something but she did not care at the moment. Another thing crossed her mind. How did he know where she was? Why did he appear there in the middle of the night? Why had he been looking for her anyway? "By the way - how did you know where I was?"

"I didn't. Just followed your footprints in the snow..." He blushed. "I've come around in the middle of the night once more. Sorry. It's..." Pensively he swirled the hot chocolate in his mug. "It's a bad behaviour, I know. But I was... I was so lonely and I couldn't find sleep... alone at home and... I knew I would find peace once more on your sofa." Tommy smiled apologetically. "I find peace when you're around." He shrugged.

They shared a long look until Barbara nodded and looked away. Yes, she knew what he meant because she felt likewise.

"Well, when you didn't answer I turned to leave and then I just followed those footprints in the snow without really knowing that they were yours. How stupid..." He stared a while onto the opposite wall before he went on. "But when I came to the memorial I already knew that it must be you." Tommy smiled and blushed a little. He hid it behind his cocoa mug. "This bench has a special meaning for me."

Barbara held out her hand and stroked his upper arm. "For me too."

When her fingers slid down his arm Tommy grabbed them to prolong the wonderful feeling to feel her.

"Really. Life is too short." he whispered. They kept their hands entwined and simply looked at each other for a while.

Since Barbara yawned once more Tommy let go of her hand and placed his mug on the worktop.

He cleared his throat. "I should go now. You'll need some sleep." He offered though he would have loved to spend the night on her sofa, staying near her, maybe hearing her, maybe watching her sleep.

"Mh." was her undefined answer. Yes, she was tired but she also did not really want him to leave. Nonetheless she followed him into her livingroom where he already had put on his coat.

"Have lunch at one? I think..." Tommy smiled at Barbara. "We really do have to talk, don't we?"

"Yah." Barbara sheepishly returned the smile. Then they exchanged another short kiss. He did not really want to leave so he turned once more when he stood on her doormat outside.

"See you at one."

She simply nodded. Their eyes were locked. She wanted him to stay, she wanted him to stay with her until they would wake up together. She needed his arms around her until she would fall asleep. She wanted to smell him, wanted to feel him, wanted to be warmed up by Tommy, to be hummed into sleep by Tommy. And then she wanted to be waken up by Tommy.

"Stay." Her voice nearly cracked.

Tommy's heart jumped. Had she truly invited him to stay for the night? He wondered what she was expecting. Was that an invitation for her sofa? Or... or into her bed? He longed to hold her through the night. Suddenly the idea of making love with her tonight popped up in the back of his head but he also simply wanted to feel her proximity, wanted to feel her warmth, wanted to feel her arms wrapped around him. Wanted to be totally soothed by her. He shoved the other unseemly ideas away but yes, he dearly wanted to stay.

"It's-"

"Please stay." she cut him off. "I want to fall asleep in your arms, Tommy. I don't want you to go now."

Without a word Tommy stepped over the threshold back into her flat. Barbara backed off and let him close the door again. He took off his coat once more and threw it carelessly onto the sofa. His arms went around her and they hugged close. Tommy buried his nose into the soft wool of her jumper while Barbara breathed into the crook of his neck. She placed a little kiss there and whispered that she wanted to fall asleep in his arms and that she wanted to wake up in his arms. She told him that she needed to feel him next to her tonight. She confessed that she don't want to be alone tonight.

"I..." Tommy did not know what to say. He felt a desire running through him that he thought was not at all appropriate in such a moment.

Barbara closed her eyes and swallowed because she had to tell him somehow that she was not after sex. He should not get the wrong impression and she also was afraid of making love to him. Though she definitely wanted that too.

"I'm so tired. Please hold me until I can find sleep."

"I will." They shared a gentle kiss until Barbara took his hand and pulled him into her bedroom. He pulled off his shoes before he followed her through the door.

"Sorry, it's just a small bed." she whispered. Suddenly shyness overwhelmed her. What a stupid idea to invite him. Her bed was four foot broad and she had a huge duvet and they probably would have enough space but the realisation that she was about to share it with Tommy, the realisation where this might end after all, the realisation that she would spend the night with the man she adored for such a long time now made her blush.

"It's sufficient. This bed is going to be our little doldrums tonight, Barbara." Tommy smiled reassuringly. "But I still could leave if you wish. Or I'll simply hug you until you sleep and then I'll leave t-"

"No!" Her firm interruption made him smile. "No. I want to wake up in your arms as well..." She blushed.

Barbara grabbed her pyjama and turned to the bathroom. When she came back he already had fluffed up the pillows and crawled into her bed. She saw his trousers and his jumper neatly folded on the chair under the window. Tommy saw in her eyes how she calculated what he was wearing now.

"I'm still decently dressed, Barbara." he said low. "And you've definitely seen me with less cloth before. Come to bed and let me hold you."

Barbara blushed once more but nodded. She pulled the duvet up to her chin after she had crawled into bed next to him.

"Hold me." she whispered closing her eyes, cuddling close to him. And he held her.

"Why had it taken me so long to realise my feelings for you?" Tommy whispered.

"I don't know, Tommy, and I don't care. Just don't leave me tonight."

"Not forever."

" 'n' please don't make promises tonight you may not be able to keep tomorrow, Sir." Barbara swallowed and buried her face in his chest. He smells so good and he was so comfortably warm. He should never leave but that was what she wished for. Tommy should not promise her things he might see different in broad daylight. Now she just wanted to savour this night, savour this moment. Tomorrow was another day. She had watched him for years and knew how things rapidly could turn though right at the moment she did not care. Nothing else mattered than Tommy in her arms. Nothing more and nothing less.

"I'll keep them." Tommy knew what she meant because he knew himself and hated himself for his indecision, for his behaviour through all those years, with other women, even with Helen. Now he knew that his search was over. He had found what he had looked for for so many years. He should have looked in front of his nose, on the passenger seat of his car, at the desk in the office next to his. On the other hand he was glad of all those years they had spent together as colleagues, later friends but not as lovers. Not yet. He hoped their friendship and their respect for each other was a strong fundament for what might follow after tonight, what he hoped would follow after tonight.

Barbara already was sound asleep when Tommy murmured into her hair once more. "I'll keep them."

Barbara woke up late. She sensed it through her closed eyes that her room already was lit by daylight. She also felt a warm body next to her, breathing onto her arm, his own arm across her belly, a leg almost twisted around hers. She laid on her back and kept her eyes closed. He was still there and she had woken up next to him. What a feeling! No, she won't move until Tommy would wake up. She believed that the awkwardness would follow soon enough.

As if he had sensed her waking he scooted a bit closer. Barbara pretended to be still asleep but turned her head a bit into his direction. His face nuzzled unconsciously onto her shoulder as if he was still asleep. It would do no harm to cuddle with him, Barbara convinced herself, so she moved her leg until his knee was on the mattress between her knees. She longed to pull him on top of her. As if he felt, or maybe knew, she was awake Tommy's nose stroked the side of her neck and his lips brushed her skin. Barbara heard him swallow and she could tell that now he definitely was awake. She wondered if he had his eyes open but she dared not to check. She bent her knee and turned onto her side, facing him with still closed eyes. This proximity, this moment, this whole situation was nearly heartbursting. Barbara was sure hers could be heard two blocks down the road.

Tommy's hand slowly slid under her pyjama and came to rest on the warm skin of her waist. A pleasant wave of goosepimples washed over Barbara. She laid her hand onto his upper arm. Their faces were an inch apart and she could feel him breathing. She still did not look and neither did he. Instead he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Then finally both opened their eyes and watched each other. They saw love and tenderness and an unbelivable peace. She stroked up the side of his neck and gently laid her hand onto his stubbly cheek where her thumb caressed his cheekbone.

" 'morn', Tommy." Barbara whispered.

The hand on her waist softly increased its pressure.

" 'morning, Barbara." Tommy's voice was hoarse. His eyes clearly said what he wanted and it was exactly what Barbara wanted.

In one sudden move she pressed her hip against his. His palpable desire even made her craving for more. Her heart beat faster, her breath went shallow in anticipation and without a sound, almost without a breath her mouth formed the words

'Love me!'

Their lips melted in a tender kiss.

Hesitating, resisting the urge to go on Tommy seriously looked in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Right now? Hell, yes!" Barbara nodded and pulled him close again.

For a long while nothing could be heard from her bedroom but uneven heavy breathing, little enchanted moans and the sound two people made when their mouths were engaged in a desireful wet encounter, when their lips and tongues explored the other one's skin. The silence only was interrupted when Tommy desperately moaned her name and her approving "Oh, yes!" initiated the final peak of their connection.

They shared each other's warmth until both had calmed down again.

Quite worn out Tommy laid down next to Barbara and whispered into her ear. "Not that I'd disagree but are you still sure?"

"Now? More than ever!" she answered with a broad and cheeky grin.

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