When Barbara woke she forgot what had happened. She looked around the room and was confused. Then it flooded back; she had slept with Tommy. She smiled at the memory of being in his arms. Their strength and comfort was something she had wanted to feel again since that horrible day when she had wanted to kill that policeman. Last night when he had put his arm around her in the dark hallway she had collapsed willingly into his embrace ignoring consequences or reason. Anything he had wanted at that moment she would have gladly given.

Tommy was nowhere to be seen and she wondered if something that had seemed logical and magical in the dark would prove painfully embarrassing in the light. She glanced at her watch and was surprised that it was already after nine o'clock.

"Good morning." Barbara jumped. "I've made us some breakfast. Would you like it in here or the kitchen?"

"Er, oh the kitchen please," she replied as his voice materialized into a smiling face in the doorway. He had showered and dressed but his hair was damp and an awkward lock tumbled across his face. Barbara wanted to reach out and push it back behind his ear. No! Stop that right now. He told you last night, you are just his friend. Don't let him see what he really means to you.

Tommy watched her intently. She was dishevelled and clearly disorientated by what had happened last night but was trying hard to pretend that sleeping with your boss was the most normal thing in the world. He thought it was cute and he wondered why his usual comprehensive vocabulary had been replaced by meaningless words like nice and cute. How could they help him understand how he felt about Barbara? Whatever was happening between them over the last few months was affecting him more acutely than he had thought. Surely it was just deeper friendship. He should be careful not to think of it as anything more. He did not have that same rush of blood and awkwardness that he had experienced with Helen and Deborah so he could not be falling in love with her. And he did not have lustful twinges when he looked at her. This was different and more noble. It was a close friendship and a mutual need for each other that was hard to define. It was love most assuredly but he was not in love with her. I can't be surely? Not after all these years.

She stretched and got out of bed aware that Tommy was still watching her. He looked puzzled and uncertain. Wondering why you offered to share you bed with me are you? Don't worry I won't tell anyone and ruin your reputation. She did not know what to say about last night that would not sound pathetic so she would wait to see if he broached it first. "Give me a few minutes to freshen up and I'll come out."

"Fine, no hurry." Tommy felt he had been dismissed and he was disappointed. He had decided not to say anything about last night unless Barbara did but he had hoped for some form of acknowledgement. Having her in his arms he had slept better than he had in years and if he had not prepared breakfast he would have climbed back into bed and cuddled up to her right now. For goodness sake man, she's your friend not a teddy bear! He went back to the kitchen muttering to himself.

He did not know how to classify last night. He had led her gently to his room then climbed back into bed and waited. Barbara had sighed then cautiously snuggled down beside him. He put his arm around her and they had lain in contented silence until the gentle syncopation of her breathing had told him she was asleep. He had then lightly kissed her head. It was the last thing he remembered but when he woke she was still tucked into him, her arm holding him close as if she would never let him go. She made him feel something he had not experienced in years, even with Helen. He felt wanted and needed and if he did not know her intentions better, she made him feel loved. It was a sensation he never wanted to end but he chastised himself bitterly. Just because she made him feel good he could not force her to feel the same way. And what way is that exactly? He had hoped she would have been equally affected but as she stretched she seemed oblivious, almost indifferent, to what had happened. Yet he could not shake the feeling that something was different between them. What sort of relationship is this? Friends don't sleep together like that and lovers make love first. This was an odd hybrid and his feelings for her were equally confused.

Watching him prepare their pancakes made her feel woefully inadequate. If she had cooked they would have had underdone or burnt toast but Tommy served up a feast. "They're delicious!" She enthused as she tasted them, "what are they?"

He could not help but laugh. "Pancakes."

"I know that Tommy, but what sort?"

"A secret family recipe, oatmeal with blueberries." He was happy that she liked them but even happier at the way she was looking at him. There was a sparkle in those deep green pools that he had rarely seen but they made him feel as loved as her arms had last night. His intentions were still pure but his body was starting to betray him with pleasant twinges of desire. Would it be so bad? Just once? To see what this could be? Would we recover from it? He pushed those thoughts from his mind when he realised his pancake was burning.

It was nearly noon when they went for a walk. This time they headed away from the village towards a larger town that was having a market fair. "It's nearly two miles," he reminded her, "and we have to walk back. I could drive."

"I'd like to walk Tommy. It's a sunny day and we are supposed to be unwinding remember?" Calling him Tommy still felt awkward but after last night she could not imagine calling him 'Sir'.

They followed a narrow, uneven path that had been worn into the hills by countless years of shepherds herding their flocks to market. As they came over a rise Barbara gasped. Spread before them was a small market town of grey stone buildings with high, pointed, slate roofs a square-paned windows. Close to the centre were more ornate buildings with carved facades and columns supporting awnings that extended over the market square. At the rear the houses were smaller and mostly workers cottages of a similar design to the one they were staying in. In the centre of the cobblestoned square several tents had been erected. They reminded Barbara of a Punch and Judy show, with red and white striped tents and children running in between them.

Barbara began to run and sensing it was a race Tommy accelerated past her then stopped a few feet from the base of the hill to let her pass. "Ladies first," he said breathlessly.

"Have you always been this competitive?"

"I thought you had challenged me to a race."

"No, not really. I just thought running down the hill would be fun."

Tommy grinned at her and Barbara wanted to hug him; right there in the street. She tried to force the idea from her mind as they strolled along the line of stalls. Everywhere she looked there seemed to be lovers holding hands. She wondered what that would feel like. She had never held hands or walked arm in arm with anyone. The couples looked happy and after last night she felt happy but it was not the same. Friendship, no matter how close, was not the shared euphoria of being in love. She smiled ruefully wishing that just for this weekend she and Tommy could be lovers.

Tommy stopped at the amusements. There was a puppet show and he insisted they watch the performance. He stood behind her so she could see but all she could focus on was how close he was standing. She could feel his breath on her neck and a shiver ran through her.

Tommy saw her shiver and instinctively put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. Someone must have walked over my grave." His hands were warm and they squeezed her reassuringly. She expected him to remove them but he left them in place and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation, knowing that she was skirting on very dangerous ground.

The show was over too quickly for Tommy. He decided not to over-think anything and just act normally. Time would tell what, if anything, was happening. "Come on, there's a strong bell. Do you want to see how strong I am?"

"Anyone can hit it and ring the bell. It's not strength just technique."

"Right! Well you go first then smarty pants."

Barbara hoisted the sledgehammer and found its point of balance. The weight was heavier than she expected but she swung it in and arc and hit the target exactly on its point. The metal flag flew up the pole and the bell rang. "Very impressive madam," the spruiker said, "can your gentleman do as well or do you wear the pants in your relationship?"

They looked at each other and laughed. "She definitely wears the pants," Tommy replied as he hoisted the weight. His technique was even better from years of chopping wood for the fires at Howenstowe and the bell clanged again.

"A champion couple it seems, equally as strong as each other." The grey-haired spruiker in his striped shirt and bow-tie smiled at them as he gave them both a book of tickets to use at other stalls then waved up the next likely lad.

"Good to know we can depend on each other," Barbara said.

"Always Barbara. I thought we had proved that many times." They were staring at each other meaningfully but neither was sure of the other's intent. Tommy broke the stare and walked towards the hoop-la tearing out two tickets from his book. He threw four rings but all failed to fall over the prizes which amused Barbara.

Her cockiness was replaced by contrition when hers missed everything. "Okay, so I can hit things but I can't throw."

"That might be handy to know one day but cheer up I don't think that skill is critical to being a successful DI."

"I haven't sat the test yet."

"You'll pass. Then you'll get your well earned promotion somewhere." Tommy wanted her to succeed but he did not want her to leave him. It was his position that would become vacant once he took his promotion to DCI, a role he had put off as long as he could. That would happen in less than a month and he had not told Barbara yet.

"I don't want to go anywhere else. Maybe I should forget the exam."

"No! You have to pass. I'm counting on it." He had not planned to tell her now but he could see the inevitable and he winced.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously, "you're up to something aren't you? I can tell from the look on your face Sir."

"What happened to Tommy?"

"We're talking about work. Now stop trying to change the subject and tell me."

"My promotion comes through at the beginning of next month. Hillier will promote you into my spot if you pass."

Barbara looked shocked and angry. "And when where you planning on telling me?"

"After you passed. I didn't want you to feel pressured."

"It's not that! It's just that we won't be working together any more." Barbara tried to conceal how devastating that thought was but she felt weak and sat down on the green iron railing between two buildings.

Tommy squashed himself next to her in the space. "I don't want that either but I have to take promotion. I have already refused four times. Next time they will post me to some backwater to spend my days as a country DI."

"Four? You never told me any of this. Why did you turn it down?"

"To stay with you." The way it came out sounded sad and pathetic but it was true. He could not imagine working without Barbara by his side. "We work well together. No one else would put up with me or support me like you do." Tommy did not want to stop working with her. He needed her and he was not afraid to admit that to himself any longer. "I want us to stay together Barbara."

"Yeah, well no one will stampede you to have me as a partner."

"They should."

"Yeah sure." Barbara sounded despondent, as if her world had just crashed down on her.

"We can still be together if you pass. Nothing will change."

"No pressure then," she said bitterly, "and it will change. It has to but it doesn't have to be bad if we don't let it."

Tommy put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. Neither spoke for several minutes until Barbara said' "maybe we should cram some more this weekend."

"I think the break might be better for you."

They decided to walk back by the stream. It was slightly longer but very picturesque. The grass was soft and grew over the bank of the stream. The waters burbled over rocks and pooled in dark eddies at the deeper points. At one spot the stream split into several smaller runnels just at the spot they needed to cross to the other side. It looked slippery and Tommy balanced carefully as he crossed. Barbara's legs were not as long or as steady and she paused. Tommy came back and stretched out his hand which she gratefully took. He slowly led them back to a different spot and helped her hop across the rocks.

Everything went well until the very last step when her foot slipped and she started to fall. Tommy pulled her towards him and they tumbled in a tangle of arms and legs onto the bank. Neither attempted to separate; they were too busy laughing. As the amusement subsided Tommy found he was looking straight into her eyes. They had that same look and this time he could not resist. He kissed her. It was quick and friendly and could have meant any number of things. He would let Barbara decide what it meant for their friendship.

P.S. You didn't really think they would yet, did you? :) The next chapter might be a few days.