Author's note: Okay, yes I admit it - I am having fun now. Due to a special request I am loading this one early. I hope it does not disrupt those advent calendars.


The contact was unexpected and brief but exhilarating. She stepped back, her face red and her eyes averted. Tommy reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. Despite the public place and throngs of milling people he could wait no longer. He was finally going to kiss her properly. His head was moving slowly towards her when he felt a thump on his back.

"There you are!"

If Tommy had wanted to throw William off the bridge he now wanted to throw Matthias off the mountain! It was not helped by Barbara who started to laugh uproariously.

Matthias frowned at them. "Sorry, something happen ja?"

"No, something did not happen! That's the problem!"

Barbara felt sorry for poor Matthias who was not used to Tommy's moods. She was thrilled though that Tommy had planned to kiss her and the joy reverberated through her. "It's fine Matthias. We enjoyed the horn playing. I was amazed by the sounds."

Tommy composed himself and joined in the conversation. Matthias' friends came over and they all ended up with steins of beer in hand, singing. To be more accurate Barbara and the Swiss were singing. Tommy was drinking; watching Barbara with a heady mix of lust, love, jealousy and awe. He was jealous of the way she was open and friendly with the men and in awe of her singing. He eyed her body lustfully and when she caught his eye, as she did every minute or so, he was overwhelmed by how much he loved her. He thought about just going over and kissing her passionately in front of everyone but every time he stood his sense of decorum took over and he sat again.

Barbara frowned at him repeatedly standing then sitting. She leant over and asked playfully, "fleas?"

"No, I do not have fleas!" Tommy swore and walked off in the vague direction of the bathroom. When he returned he suggested leaving and to his annoyance the men decided to tag along. They all caught the same train down the mountain and even walked with them to the base of the street near the chalet. They bid farewell and Tommy stormed up the hill hoping he never saw another horn played again.

Barbara tried to mollify him but was in no mood to kiss him until he learned some manners. By the time they reached the chalet they were not talking to each other. Tommy greeted his mother and went for a shower. Barbara went to her room and lay on the bed wondering why she loved such an impossibly unreasonable man. She had seen his jealous side when Helen had been with Rhys and had yearned to have someone feel that way about her. Now she was the object of his jealousy she was less impressed and understood why Helen had been so furious.

Dinner was filled with talk of the wedding and Tommy's mood was civil. He tried to get her alone a few times but she avoided him. Her kiss should have hinted that she wanted to be closer to him but she was not going to put up with bad manners and his feudal sense of ownership of people. She felt unsuited and unequal to him as it was without him behaving as if she was his chattel to pick up and play with when he fancied. She excused herself as soon as she could and went to bed. Tonight she was not dreaming of him, she was trying to forget him. Sleep came surprisingly quickly.

Lynley paced around his room. He was angry with her for having flirted with Matthias and he was even angrier with himself for having reacted like a tortured adolescent. At the time Helen's insult had offended him but he knew it summed him up perfectly. He tried to rest but all he could think about was the feel of her lips against his own. He crept from his room and knocked softly on her door. He had not thought it through beyond his intention to apologise and sweep her into his arms and kiss her like he had never kissed anyone before but after the third unanswered knock he dejectedly returned to his room, dived onto his bed and screamed into his pillow.

They were both up earlier than the others and Barbara found him on the balcony. The effects of missing each other had overcome any residual grievances and they smiled warmly at each other. "I'm sorry," he said, "I was jealous of Matthias and angry with you for indulging him when I wanted to be alone either you."

Barbara was pleased she had brushed her teeth. She walked across the balcony towards him. The sky was filled with golden clouds reflecting the rising sun. It was a beautiful backdrop for their long-awaiting kiss. Tommy reached out and hugged her and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Hungry?" he asked, "I'll cook us some breakfast." He had already decided where he wanted to kiss her and it was not on this balcony. If he kissed her now they would never make his sister's wedding that afternoon. Barbara just groaned and followed him inside.

Tommy insisted on visiting Klein Matterhorn before the ceremony. On the cable car Barbara was a little warm in her coat but Tommy had insisted she wear it and a jumper. She had a pair of gloves and a lightweight beanie in her pockets. Tommy had bought them on the way through town assuring her that it was cooler on the mountain and that she would definitely need them. They were the only occupants in the four man bubble and this allowed Barbara to spin around to watch the mountains looming and the view of the lush green valley. Barbara was amused to hear the bells of the cattle below them clatter tunefully as they grazed. They changed cars at a staging point and the second trip became much steeper as the valley and Zermatt disappeared below them.

At the cable station they quickly hopped from the moving car and wound around through the metal guide rails to the departure point of the large cable car. The big red box rocked gently on its cable. Twenty or more people could sit and another twenty stand. Tommy guided Barbara to the rear window. He stood behind her almost pressing her to the glass.

Barbara looked down the valley. "Go on then," she said.

"Sorry?" he said as he lent closer to her.

"You're dying to enhance my experience. I'm interested." It was a deliberately ambiguous invitation. He was standing so close that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"No, not really. I think today it is best for you to tell me what you think." The innuendo had not escaped Tommy but he believed it was unintended. Barbara would never invite him to kiss her the way they needed to kiss in public. He wanted to, desperately, but he believed she would be horrified if he tried.

The cable car started it lumbering ascent. Barbara watched silently as the mountains that had seemed so dominant from town became insignificant amongst their neighbours. The white tipped peaks contrasted with the blue of the sky and the verdant valley. As they skimmed over a glacial lake Barbara said, "it's breathtaking Tommy!"

He moved closer and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. She pressed back into him slightly. Not enough to seem out of place but enough to signal that she wanted to continue where yesterday had been thwarted. "I would never get tired of this," he said not thinking about the scenery.

"Me either."

They stood watching the mountains rise and the valley fall until the cable car came to a stop. "Bloody hell," she said as the door opened.

"I warned you," he said without sympathy.

The temperature was several degrees cooler and Barbara shivered. She retrieved her beanie and pulled it on to her head not caring if it flattered her. Tommy admired that lack of pretention but with a legitimate excuse he reached over and straightened it as he tucked some hair under it. He enjoyed the feel of her velvety skin beneath his fingers and noticed she had closed her eyes. Her stroked her cheek gently and then lent down and kissed the other cheek.

Barbara blushed, expecting him to now kiss her but the announcement that the cable car was about to depart back down the mountain spurred them into action. "Come on," he said as they squeezed past the closing door. "That was close!"

"Hmm!" Not close enough!

He led her along the long tunnel through the mountain still laughing about almost having to pay for the cable car twice. Barbara smiled grimly thinking it would have been worth it and well within his budget. As they emerged and stood at the viewing platform he said, "you know from here you can ski into Italy."

"Well you might but I can't," she said forgetting their near miss, "I've never seen this much snow before." This gave Tommy an idea.

Barbara walked over to admire the large wooden crucifix which in four languages bore the message to be more human. Jesus was clearly suffering and seemed disproportionately small and incongruous to her. She gazed out on the grey peaks marbled with veins of white and adorned with puffy halos of cloud against the azure backdrop. The mountain peaks seemed be become more triangular in places where they enslaved brilliant fields of shiny snow and tiny specks of red and blue moved across them. Skiers! The cross stood out against this scene as a poignant reminder of how insignificant man is in relation to nature.

Tommy was watching her carefully. The view was too large and awe-inspiring for it to be a suitable place for Tommy to declare his feelings. He needed somewhere quieter and more intimate. It would have to wait foe the spot he had planed; now was the time to just learn to relax together as Tommy and Barbara not as Lynley and Havers. He led her down to a gently sloping basin where men and women where sliding down a curvy, snow-covered track on red and yellow bags of air.

"Voila!"

Barbara looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses. "Oh no. I'm not sitting on an overgrown tyre and heading off to Italy!"

"The track doesn't go to Italy. You'll have fun. Trust me."

His wicked grin was hard to refuse but Barbara was not sure. She was not worried about hurting herself but about embarrassing herself. He had extended his hand and was looking at her reproachfully. Feeling she had little choice she acquiesced. "Don't blame me if I kill us both!"

"Then I'll die a happy man. Come on."

Tommy plonked down onto his tyre like a schoolboy would while Barbara tried to sit delicately. The man released the bar and they started to slide. Tommy raced ahead riding the turns like he often drove - far too fast. He called out to egg her on and her competitive streak snapped in. She sped up but could not catch him. He was waiting at the bottom, hand on hip. "Really Havers I thought you'd be faster."

The next three times it was a real race and she almost caught him. On the fourth go she tried to overtake on a corner and collided with his airbag. That pushed them both off track in a flurry of arms and legs and they came up laughing. Tommy helped her to her feet, gave her a quick kiss then jumped on his airbag and was off leaving her standing staring after him. For their final run Tommy swapped the two bags for a bigger one. Side by side they hurtled down the track. At the first corner she ended up in his arms where she stayed contentedly for the rest of the run.

Barbara expected him to kiss her at the bottom but again he made no attempt. "Come on I'll show you the ice cave," he said and she sighed wondering what was going on in his head.

Tommy was deliberately holding back. When he finally kissed he wanted her to respond favourably and not be scared. He worried that Miss Enigma was still not completely decipherable. Resolving the fear he still saw in her eye was the third key and what better way than build up anticipation to the point where she wanted him far more than any thought of what it meant might act to stop her.

Barbara wondered what was so special about the cave. The entrance sign informed her that it was cut into a glacier. Whoopee! They entered sloping tunnel and she shivered at the cold. "It's freezing!"

"Right Detective. I bring you to an ice cave and you are only just realising that it is freezing in here?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said sheepishly. Tommy was seized by the same urge he had had yesterday to pick her up and spin her around. Instead he laughed until she whacked him on the arm.

Despite the ribbed blue matting she lost her footing in the dirty, watery slush that lay over the floor. Tommy caught her and pulled back to her feet. They were alone under the ice, he had her in his arms and she was looking at him intensely. It was hardly the romantic place he had imagined so often lately and her eyes still had doubt, although much, much less. He let her go and they continued down the tunnel, dimly illuminated by blue lights that ran on a single cable along the side of the shaft. She slid around struggling to get her footing so Tommy took her hand. Their gloves ordinarily may have rendered the connection impersonal but Tommy could feel the electricity between them. He glanced at her quickly and noticed her face had reddened. His heart started to race. This was not merely a gesture of safety to either of them.

Tommy knew then that he could have pulled her to him and kissed her passionately but he preferred to just hold her hand and feel joined to her soul. There was time for passion later. He smiled at Barbara and they continued down the tunnel.

For the third time this morning Barbara had thought Tommy had an ideal opportunity to express any deeper feelings he might harbour. She began to doubt William. Yesterday may have just been an aberration of the moment. Tommy it seemed had either changed his mind or had only ever wanted to be a good friend. There was no romantic intent or he would have kissed her on the balcony or the cable car or the viewing platform or if nowhere else when they were alone in here. She sighed, sorry that she had been mistaken and even sorrier that after her chat with William she had surrendered to her feelings completely. She had lain awake daydreaming of what it would feel like to be in his arms, to feel his lips running over her body, to feel...She had even kissed him! She kicked the floor in disgust.

Tommy felt her jerk when she kicked the floor. It was an odd thing to do and it had pulled him from his reverie of planning exactly how he would finally kiss her. Probably for the best considering where his mind was heading. He squeezed her hand and smiled but was surprised by her expression. Was it anger? No, possibly frustration? She wants me to kiss her! He smiled to himself knowing that she would not resist.

The first of the displays came into view and the cave exploded in a kaleidoscope of colour. The dull blue gave way to alcoves of reds and greens. Tommy started to explain how it was carved.

Barbara fidgeted beside him but as they walked through she soon became captivated by the intricate carvings and coloured lights that highlighted the mystery of the ice. There were natural caverns in the glacier which were supported by veils and columns that were formed by the same dripping action that created wondrous limestone caves. To Barbara the natural beauty, enhanced by the lights, was more magical that the carvings. The floor was level and less slippery. She spotted a carving and tried to rush on but Tommy had her hand firmly clamped in his palm. He was not letting go. She looked at his face and realised that was exactly his message.

They stood watching each other until he pulled her gently into a small alcove where they squeezed past an ice column into a cathedral-like space. As they looked up towards the sky shining from outside the glacier she gasped in awe at the majesty of the scene.

Tommy moved behind her and letting go of her hand wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He lay his chin gently on her head before he began to kiss the back of her neck giving her the option to say no. He felt her body tense then yield to him. Slowly he kissed his way around her neck and up her throat as he slowly turned her to face him. He stopped and looked at her. Her eyes held no fear or doubt.

"Yowza!" said an American voice from the entrance behind them. Tommy and Barbara were still locked in their embrace but turned to look at a tall, bespectacled woman who reminded Tommy of his school librarian. She was joined by two others who squeezed into the now crowded alcove.

"Strewth!" said her shorter, blonde companion in an unmistakable Australian accent before she began to photograph the icy cathedral. Noticing the couple she grinned and nodded at Tommy, "sorry mate."

The third woman, far more exotic in looks and less conservative in dress, eyed Tommy up and down. She licked her lips then smiled at him. "Eine gluckliche frau!"

"What is this?" Barbara said in frustration, "a bloody United Nations conspiracy?"