The police and detective teams gathered together at the wedding reception for one of their own-DS Sian Owens. There was a band, therefore LIVE music, and lots of drinks and dancing. The reception took place downtown at a hotel event room, and many guests had rented out hotel rooms, as they planned on partying into the wee morning hours with absolutely no intentions of driving home after. It was a night of celebration complete with rounds of whiskey and glasses of champagne for Tom, Mared, and Lloyd who were so happy for their friend and colleague.

Mared seemed to never leave the dance floor. The music was upbeat as the lighting changed colors.

Tom marvelled at Mared's carefree joy this night as he watched her dance moves smiling from his seat at a table.

"Whoa...I never knew DI Rhys could be so...relaxed," Lloyd spoke to Tom. "Check it out. She's having fun, isn't she?" Lloyd quipped.

"Yes," was Tom's simple reply.

"Great band." Lloyd said.

"mhmm." Tom responded.

Mared's world began to spin as the effects of the alcohol were presenting themselves. She began to feel that sense of dizzy euphoria.

She cheered as everyone cleared the floor for Sian and her groom to dance the final song.

She walked towards Tom's table in a bit of a crooked pattern of footwork. He wanted to steady her.

"Why don't you have a seat for a moment? Hydrate," Tom talked to her loudly also leaning in towards her direction, so that she could hear his voice which was being drowned out by the echoing of the music through the speakers. He passed her a glass of water at the table.

Guests applauded as the bride and groom exited. It was just after midnight.

It was Sian herself-the bride-who had rooms reserved for wedding guests at the hotel that night. Both Mared and Tom each had a room.

Tom opened Mared's clutch purse at the table to find the key to her room.

"I'm going to escort you to make sure you get there safely." Tom said to Mared.

"Yes, sir." Mared said in a mocking tone.

She threw an arm over Tom's shoulder hanging on to him, as they walked to the elevator.

"Wasn't it beautiful? This was lovely. All lovely," Mared clinging to Tom spoke and kept speaking mindless chatter. As they walked down the hall towards her room, she began to sing one of the songs the band had sung at the reception.

"Shhh". Tom tried to gently quiet her. "People are asleep."

Mared giggled, "You just don't like my singing..."

Tom opened the door.

"Ok," Tom said in a way to say they reached her destination. Mared strutted in playfully, as he held the door open for her to enter first.

"Dance with me, Tom."

Mared saw the look of hesitation on Tom's face, though truly she was only half aware of what she was doing and saying at that very moment.

"You didn't dance with me enough tonight. Only the once."

"Right, then, but after this you have to go to bed." Tom answered her.

"Maybe," She giggled. "Come to me..."

She reached out to his hands to pull him into a dance hold. Her body rested against his softly, and they slowly moved to dance together. Mared lay her head on Tom's shoulder at first in silence. She broke the silence by complimenting Tom, "You smell good." said, entering further into a dizzy state of unawaredness, and then she began to sing again -this time a different song and more softly. She was singing the lyrics to the chorus of the song "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper.

After a minute, Tom separated from her hold.

"It's hot." Mared suddenly complained. "Very hot in this room." In her dizzy, drunken state, she pulled her dress over her head without a further thought, it seemed. She was now clad in her very revealing low-cut and short slip/underdress standing in front of Tom.

At first, it was not an attempt at seduction, as Mared truly was expressing, drunk as she was, that she genuinely felt hot, but as she looked at Tom and caught his surprised soulful gaze upon her, her eyes sparkled, and her drunken state aided her quick change of emotion to pure lust and desire for Tom.

"Mared, I think you just need to lie down...probably should just go to sleep now. Get some rest."

She giggled and spun around dragging Tom down on the bed with her.

"Come on, Mared." There was a hint of frustration in Tom's tone, though he remained calm.

He tried to sit up hovering over her a bit, as she remained lying on her back.

She latched her arms around his neck trying to bring him down to her to kiss him but he struggled against it countering the pull of her force. Her lips got very close to his. His lips lingered there ever so gently and near to hers, but never quite touching. His defensive strength against the pressure pull prevented their lips from meeting.

"Noo," He whispered softly and yet so tenderly and sweetly. Mared let go. He was able to get off the bed.

"I wish I were beautiful," she then said. It was chatter again. "If I were beautiful, you would want me as I want you...as I've always wanted you..."

Tom reacted, "It's not a question of wanting you, Mared, please." He paused, then continued, "You just...need to sleep, Ok? Go to sleep." He pulled the sheet to cover her up over her chest very tenderly.

"I can't," she fussed.

"Just close your eyes,". He spoke to her in a soothing voice.

She obeyed him and within moments was just so. Mared was asleep in seconds.

Tom placed the key on the desk/table, so that she would find it in the morning and quietly left, gently shutting her hotel room door behind him.