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Finally

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Finally he's arrived here. Barbara has been so absentminded the entire day I think her thoughts have been constantly on her boss and then he was standing in the gateway obviously not daring to approach her while she was painting the shed door. Oh, blimey - and what an appearance he is in his grey suit. With waistcoat. Yummy! I wonder how Wins... I am not allowed to call him so! Winston! I lightly chuckle and blush a bit with the memory of his attempt to forbid it. But I don't think Winston has a three-piece suit like his noble boss wears. And I really do wonder if Barbara will stop wearing dungarees once she's Lady A. I grin. Yes, I suppose she won't stop wearing them. I think she'll be running around in the garden of their estate and chase her son. Expecting a second child. I know she would hit me with the first thing that catches her eyes if I'd tell her what I think! Before I laugh out loud I have to bite my knuckles and step back from the window.

In fact I don't expect them to see me so I get back to the window sill. They've been too engrossed in looking at each other. The rest of the world has been far, far away from these love birds and still is but it doesn't count anyway. It almost has looked as if they were having a communication without words. She has looked dreamy and he has looked self-consciously insecure. I've wanted to shout at them that they should go ahead.

Something over there looks a bit odd. I don't think they've had such a wonderful night like I've had with Winston. I don't even think they have kissed yesterday evening. It hasn't really looked as if they've solved the tension between them. How he has looked at her, so longing. How Barbara has looked at him, not less yearning. I've wanted to bang their heads together. I've wanted them to just take those few steps, I've wanted them to just cross the few yards distance between them and finally do what they are longing to do. It's written in their faces. It's obvious in their body language that they've only wanted to be in each other's arms. That they've wanted to kiss the other. That they've wanted each other. It was almost hurting to see them hesitate.

When Tommy finally has taken those steps I've stopped breathing. And then my innocent little boy has run between them, followed by my dear daughter. I've called them inside and - oh, wonder - they've followed promptly.

"Where are the cookies?" Danny comes dashing into the room where I stand watching Barb with Tommy.

"Sh! In the kitchen. Go, go!" I really don't need them here. Their noise might disturb the wonderful spell outside.

It almost have come that way. Barbara has turned away from Tommy telling him he has to see the shed wall. Are you stupid, woman? I cringe. She can't go on without a kiss! Or is she trying to hide there? I grin. Oh, yes, my mind is full of naughty things.

What? Did she just call him by his first name? I believe she's never done it before and according to his face, lighting up in joy, turning soft and loving, smiling brightly, he really has heard it from her lips for the first time ever.

I start to grin even more when Tommy grabs her elbow and holds her back. He's not here to see a shed, he says. Oh no, definitely not! Barbara turns to him and I can see some sort of fear in her face. Her eyes dart around and even meet mine so I quickly take a step deeper into the room again. I stop breathing as if it would make me invisible. It worked, she has not seen me. When Tommy takes another step closer her eyes stay on his face and now she even licks her lips. Barb, you clever fox, you really know how to tease him.

"I'm here to see you, Barbara!" Tommy croaked and I almost chuckle again. Yeah, she's got him. His voice is the proof. Now we're finally getting somewhere. I feel safe to step forward again. In fact I can barely keep myself from leaning out of the window. I just want to hear what they say and actually I want to see exactly what goes on between them.

"There's still an unfinished thing between us, Barbara!" This is so clumsily romantic. "I'm here to change that!"

Oh, yes! I think. Go ahead! There we are. For heaven's sake, please! No mobile now, nor kids or anything else!

Tommy takes hold on her other upper arm and they move another inch closer. While he bends down she obviously couldn't decide what exactly she should do. She raises her face towards him but when her feet lift her onto tiptoes she retreats her head again. He's smiling such a soft and tender smile that even from the distance I can feel my own knees turn weak. I can see his lips whispering her name again and his eyes closing. I know they can feel each other's breath in their faces now that they hesitate and move closer at the same time. Their lips almost brush and Barbara lifts her hands to his waist. They're shaking while she takes hold onto his hip. She's finally closed her eyes too and licks her lips again. It was just in the same moment when Tommy's come a bit closer again so I think she's licked his lips as well as her own. She moves her head back again but now Tommy finally follows her and the knuckles of his fingers on her shoulder turn white. He opens his eyes and so does she.

They don't say a word. They silently communicate. Her lips open and his face becomes determined. When an almost invisible pull at his waist indicates she wants them to go on they simultaneously close their eyes again. And finally... I sigh. Finally their lips fully meet. Soft at first, hesitating still, almost parting immediately after the first contact as if they were shocked that it actually is happening. Barbara moves her head back as if she's making him following her. And so he does, placing his hand- no, only his fingertips so, so gently on her neck as if he wants to make her stop moving back, and it works, and then they continue with a proper kiss.

Their lips linger. Their lips only slowly start to move, only slowly begin to nudge the other. Both aren't rushing at all. They have all the time of the world. Probably out of need for oxygen they part just a millimetre and I see how Barbara's cheeks have turned slightly rosy. Their eyes stayed close while they exchange a few small budgie kisses and I begin to wonder when they will start to really kiss, begin to wonder when their desire will take over.

Her arms snake around his waist and up to his shoulders while his hands land in the small of her back. The small kisses start to last longer and while I lean against the window frame in full daylight I can see his lips finally coaxing hers apart. Barbara's fists crumple the jacket in his back and I can tell now that their tongues are fighting for dominance or at least try to hook around the other. Things are getting slightly wilder now. His hands have moved to her buttocks and Barbara is pressing herself against him. Is she really grinding her hips against his? Now it's my turn to blush. Barb, you naughty girl, you!

"Finally!" Winston's lips are so close to my ear that I actually jerk. "Don't stalk them." he whispers into my ear.

I don't stalk them. I just watch a couple, with my best friend being a part of it, kissing. I just watch them enjoying their first kiss and revelling in the first so very special moments of amazed realisation that the other one feels the same. The first moments of delighted discovery how the other one feels so close. The gentle first exploration of each other's lips, the exciting first exploration of each other's mouth and tongue and the first pure physical proximity. Something Barbara has secretly longed for although she never has said it aloud. Not even to me. But the looks and the secret touches and accidental brushes of their hands and their constant gentle blush during the previous evening, during the previous days even, have spoken volumes of their years long desire for each other. And now they've finally recognised it's mutual. It has been for so long that they haven't dared to approach each other and now they're finally getting somewhere.

"Finally!" I mumble. Two strong arms loop around my waist and pull me backwards against a male chest. Winston's soft lips murmur onto the skin behind my ear.

"Good to see that. Now stop stalking and return your attention to me as long as your little devils are busy in the kitchen."

A loud ringtone disturbs the peace and Winnie's as well as my head look up towards the kissing couple.

"He can't be serious!" he moaned. "Coming here - ok, in fact while he's on a case - but then he's giving her that mindblowing first kiss with his mobile not turned off?!"

"So you've watched it too?"

"Of course I have!"

"Look! For once they don't care."

Tommy's mobile rings a third time and, sad as it is, this time it reaches through their lovesick cloud. Still kissing they hesitate to part but when they do after the fourth ring Tommy keeps one arm around her so Barbara could cuddle into his chest. They share a huge grinning but nervous smile and he waits until his phone has rung a fifth time before he rips his eyes from hers and finally ends that annoying sound. Although the caller has disturbed something very special Tommy sounds relaxed.

"Maynard..." he patiently says as if he was speaking to a nerving child. "How can I help you now?" Barbara rests her forehead against his chest but I can see that she's still smiling. Her hands crawl under his jacket and I think that she's even trying to get under his waistcoat. Tommy's free hand moves down her spine and to her bottom cheeks and as far as I can tell he's softly squeezing it. "I've told you to only call when you have something really, really important. I don't think this is really, really important, do you? ... See. I'll be there soon. And don't you call me again unless the corpse rises and tells you who's murdered him."

"Look!" I whisper to Winston. "Aren't they sweet?"

Barbara lifts her chin so Tommy could give her another small kiss. "I'm sorry, Barbara." He speaks so quiet that I have to put his words together by the motion of his lips. They share another lingering kiss and another loving smile.

Barbara strokes his cheek and her thumb caresses his lips. She still looks a bit unbelieving what has happened. Her chest heaves in a deep sigh. She nods and whispers something I don't understand before they share another kiss. Barbara has blushing red ears and I chuckle.

"I could be back in the evening." Tommy suggests.

"We'll be having a BBQ tonight." Barbara shrugs her shoulders. "Last party for the inner circle."

"Well, I'll try to drop by early and get some left overs." DI Lynley still makes no attempt to leave. "Shall I give you a ride then?"

Barbara blushes even deeper. Naughty girl! I think. Naughty, naughty girl! I have to grin. But then I suddenly spot PC Marian Castrew deviously grinning in the background. I madly glare at her until she meets my eyes, then I narrow mine and make a clear gesture with my thumb at my throat. She just rolls her eyeballs and leaves to the apple trees she has to cut but the wonderful moment in front of the shed door has ended anyway.

"You have to go." Barbara croaks.

I don't see much of their last good bye kiss because finally Winston has turned me around and convinced me that getting more practise in kissing him is more important than witnessing someone other's first kisses.

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A/N: Happy weekend everyone!