Author's note: all usual disclaimers apply. For Sparklebright.

The pub was noisy and the newly promoted Detective Chief Inspector Tommy had no interest in staying. "I might go home."

Stuart Lafferty raised his eyebrows. "Are you missing her that much?"

"Who?"

"Who? Barbara of course."

"No." It was a lie. He felt quite adrift without her.

The pathologist muttered something into his drink then called out, "Winston."

Tommy groaned inwardly. His poor constable had taken the brunt of his temper in the week Barbara had been away on course. He was not likely to give Lafferty a glowing report.

"Yeah?"

"Has Lynley here missed DI Havers?"

"Like a panda without bamboo."

"Winston! I don't consume Barbara as part of my diet."

The policeman shrugged. "It's sort of like saying fish miss water or humans miss air."

Tommy felt his temper fraying. Yes, he missed her - far more than he had realised and definitely more than he was willing to admit to his colleagues. "I'm tired. I'm going home."

"Belgravia?" Stuart asked.

"It is where I live."

"Barbara should be home by now," Winston said. "Her flight got in at seven."

"How do you know that?"

"She smsed me earlier." Winston grinned at him.

"Good for her. Goodnight."

Tommy started to walk to the door but he could still hear the others sniggering. "She was checking up on him," Winston told Stuart.

"You'd think they'd see it, wouldn't you? They hate being separated. I bet he goes there now."

"Sir!"

"Is it too late?"

Barbara yawned. "No, come in. I haven't been back long."

Tommy followed her into her flat. "You didn't send me your flight details."

"Was that required?"

"I would have picked you up."

"Why have you come out to Heathrow on a Friday evening when I could catch the tube and a bus?"

"Because we could have... seen each other."

Barbara frowned. "Is everything okay? Fancy a drink? I've got some whiskey somewhere."

"Yes, thanks. A whiskey would be good. I just... wish you were still my partner." Barbara smiled at him making his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, well, take promotion or go to Traffic kinda left me with no choice. You too. Where did Hillier threaten to send you?"

"Two years in Wales."

"See. No choice. Anyway, I'm back, so we'll be able to annoy each other again."

"Is that what I do? Annoy you?"

Barbara smiled tightly. "No. Sorry, I don't know why I said that."

"It's okay. Maybe we could have dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yeah. Oh, no, not tomorrow, sorry. I have plans."

Tommy felt an unreasonable surge of anger. "Oh?"

Barbara frowned. "I'm going to a baseball game."

"Baseball?"

"Yeah. A girlfriend of mine won two tickets to the demonstration game at The Oval. I said I'd go."

"Do you like baseball?"

She shrugged and handed him a whiskey. "No idea. Guess I'll find out tomorrow. What about Sunday? We could have lunch."

At least it was not a date with a man, and she wanted to see him. Unless it was just because she felt obligated? He smiled tightly. "Lunch it is. Now tell me about your course."

Tommy had just finished lunch and was reading in his library when his mobile rang. He yawned as he answered it. "Wyn-er-ley."

There was a bemused chuckle. "Sorry to bore you before we even speak."

"Barbara. No sorry. I was reading. How are you?"

"Yeah, good. Must be a fascinating book."

"It's about the Reformation in Germany. It's actually very interesting."

"I'll believe you. Is your offer of dinner still on?"

He sat up straight. "Yes, of course. What happened to the baseball?"

"My friend is sick. She said I could have the tickets, but..."

"I'll come with you." He frowned. Why did he suggest that when they could have a quiet dinner?

"Really? Yeah, okay might be fun. It starts at four-thirty."

"Maybe we could go for a meal afterwards?"

"Umm... I was going to try their hotdogs and peanuts."

Tommy frowned at the thought. "Together?"

Barbara laughed. "No, with some beer in between."

"What a relief. Who's playing?"

"No idea. Two baseball teams from the US."

"Very informative. Where should we meet?"

"I can catch the Tube from here direct to The Oval. So there maybe?"

"Right. I can walk from Vauxhall. Which entrance?"

"Is there more than one?"

"Yes."

"Right. Hang on." Tommy heard rustling and something falling followed by a curse. "Section 8 Row JJ, enter via the Alec Stewart Gate."

"I know it. We'll be in the OSC stand. We should get a good view. I will meet you there at what, three forty-five?"

"Yeah. Good, and thanks again, Sir."

"It will be fun."

Tommy checked his watch. He had nearly two hours before he needed to meet her. He Googled the game. The New York Yankees were playing the Baltimore Orioles. The match was an offical MLB game, and part of a three game series being played here and Manchester to promote baseball. "Seriously?" he muttered, "how do they think they can compete with cricket?"

The Yankees were blue and white and the Orioles orange and black. The latter were definitely not his colours, so he decided to wear his jeans, a white shirt and his casual blue blazer. He shaved, showered and dressed quickly. He debated whether to walk to Victoria and catch the Tube, or walk directly to The Oval. It was a pleasant summer afternoon. A walk would do him good.

"Hiya. Thanks for this. I know it's not your thing."

Tommy smiled. "My pleasure. Is it yours?"

"Not really, but... well it's nice to do something different."

"It is. Shall we find our seats?"

"Yeah. Oh, hang on, I want to buy a souvenir."

Tommy tried not to frown. "Why not? What did you have in mind?"

"A baseball cap. They have a souvenir truck over there."

"That's for the Orioles. Where's the Yankee's one?"

"Why? Are you going to buy a cap too?"

"No, but aren't we going for the Yankees?"

"You might be. WE are not. I'M going for the Os."

"Why?"

"When I Googled it, I decided their colours suit me better. Besides, all the nobs go for the Yankees. Baltimore is a more working class city."

"Well technically it was before a lot of industry shut down. Now it's primarily a service economy."

Barbara grunted. "Exactly my point."

"There are working class people in New York too. I'm sure many of them are Yankees fans."

"I chose my team, and I'm sticking to them."

Tommy shrugged. "It probably wouldn't feel normal if we were on the same side."

"No, it probably wouldn't."

Barbara smiled. It was a relaxed and happy look that made his stomach clench. That caught him off guard. "You're Havers."

She frowned and looked around. "Last time I looked."

Tommy looked anywhere but at Barbara. It felt inappropriate to have even a fleeting sexual reaction to his partner. Well, technically his ex-partner. "Sorry. I... never mind. Let's get your cap."

Tommy's knowledge of The Oval helped them find their seats quickly. "Seems funny seeing the square underneath a mound of sand."

Barbara raised one eyebrow. "If you say so. Nobody's ever brought me here to the cricket."

"Are you saying you'd come if I invited you?"

He studied her carefully. Her face coloured slightly. "Yeah. Just to see how your lot waste your day."

"Waste? A day of test cricket is never a waste."

Barbara grinned at him again. This time he savoured the sensation that ran through him. He never had to tell her. He could just dream of what might have been.

"Your game makes no sense. Five days and it might not get a result. Give me baseball any day."

Tommy turned to the voice. He smiled politely at the American couple beside Barbara. "Yes, many people fail to see the beauty. Visiting for the baseball?"

"Yes, Hon," the tall woman replied. "We're from B'awlmer."

"Where? Oh, of course. I should have recognised your shirts."

The woman's flowing red hair covered an orange baseball shirt with 'Orioles' embroidered in bold black letters diagonally over her chest. Several pins from different players and milestones were pinned to the front, clanging together as she laughed.

"You came over just for the baseball?" Barbara sounded astounded.

"We love London, so any excuse."

"This is our third visit," her husband added. He extended his hand to Tommy. "Bright. Paul Bright. And this is my wife Jane."

Tommy shook his hand. "Tommy Lynley, and this is my... friend, Barbara Havers."

"Great to meet some real Londoners. Are you MLB fans?"

"No," Barbara replied. "I had free tickets."

"Well, you picked the right team, hon."

"The colours suit me better." She pointed her thumb at Tommy. "This one is a bit toffy so he went for the Yankees."

"There's nothing toffy about the damned Yankees. I still haven't forgiven them for..."

Paul patted his wife's arm. "I'm sure Tommy and Barbara don't want to listen to sixty years of baseball rivalries. You know I think Jane's dream job would be archivist for the O's. Talk about an encyclopaedic memory."

"Paul! I'm not that bad."

The jovial bearded man raised his eyebrows then gave his wife a quick kiss. "No, dear."

The group exchanged pleasantries about London and the weather before each couple drifted back to their own conversations. "See, people from Baltimore are nice," Barbara said quietly as she leaned close to Tommy.

"I never said they weren't."

"So have you changed allegiances?"

"I really don't care who wins."

Dat da da dat. Dat da da dat. Take me out to the ballgame.

The unmistakable sound of an organ was piped through the speaker system. "Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to Game One of the official MLB series between the Balt-eee-more O-ri-oles and the Neeeew York Yan-keeees!"

"It's very American," Tommy muttered with mild distaste. It seemed out of place at The Oval.

"It's exciting."

He watched Barbara's eyes darting around taking in the colour and spectacle. It was only following her gaze that he noticed the huge billboards next to the electronic scoreboard above the temporary padded fence on the far boundary. That end of the ground was closed off with most spectators lining the home base to first base line. A fair crowd was also building between home and third.

"Hotdogs! Hotdogs! Come and get your hot doggies."

Barbara raised her hand. "Here."

Tommy groaned. Even the smell as the seller opened his pot of boiled dogs gave him indigestion. "Not for me."

"Sure?"

"Positive."

Barbara ordered a classic wet dog - a boiled saveloy that had broken through its red skin sitting on a stale, sweet bun and smothered in mustard that was far too yellow to contain anything real. Paul and Jane ordered even more exotic dogs with Chili beans, chopped onion and jalapeños. "Water, please," Tommy said when asked what he wanted.

Barbara tucked in as if she had not eaten in three days. "This is good."

Tommy smiled tightly. "I'm pleased for you," he lied. He was not pleased. Not even mildly satisfied. The whole stand reeked of cheap boiled meat and chili.

Barbara pointed. "Look here come the teams. Why do they line up between the bases."

"For the national anthem I think."

Barbara finished her dog just as the first long warning note of God Save the Queen started. They stood. He mumbled the anthem while Barbara sang it beautifully. They remained standing for the Star-Spangled Banner. Paul and Jane also had excellent voices, adding to his creeping sense of inadequacy. As Tommy sat, he began to fear it would be a long afternoon.