Author's Note: I had written a blurb at the beginning of the previous chapter but it appears to have been lost when I posted it! This is the penultimate chapter and the final one will be up in time for xmas. Thanks for getting this far and I hope you enjoy the rest.

Gill stepped onto the escalator and giggled gleefully. Julie couldn't fathom what was quite so funny but she delighted in Gill's excitement anyway. After all those months of agonising worry there was such lightness about her now and Julie was pleased to see it. It hadn't done either of them any good and had made them both sick with anxiety. Thankfully that dark period in their lives was over and now they could just enjoy being together. Although, Sandra had brought up a good point, about how everyone was going to react back in Manchester. Dave was going to be Gill's biggest hurdle as well as coming out to her team. Even though most would probably be alright with the news, it was still something that would be talked and gossiped about for a while. Julie worried a little for her. She was more than used to her own fair share of grape vine news and gossip over the years and Gill's experience had been when Dave had buggered off with The Whore and it was less than pleasant. Of course she knew that Gill could more than handle herself but she didn't want her to have to deal with it alone.

"Have you ever noticed that if you stare hard enough, all the grooves turn into fuzzy lines? They're making my eyes go funny!" Julie grinned at Gill's childish delight and ever so slightly regretted the additional glass of wine they'd each had at the theatre. She should have realised that the bottle they had shared over dinner would have been enough. Gill was only merry though, she wasn't completely legless, which was just as well as Julie had plans for when they got back to her flat. Provided that they got there in one piece that was.

"Oh Gill, whatever am I going to do with you?" Julie thought that she'd said it quietly under her breath but her girlfriend was lucid enough to have heard her. She turned and looked up at the older woman, looking impossibly taller from her position on the step above her. Gill reached out and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Ooh, I have some ideas." For a second or two Julie relished in the warmth of their embrace and the feeling of Gill's arms around her. Then she realised that the end of the escalator was rapidly approaching and Gill was facing the wrong way.

"Look out Gill!" Julie managed to turn her around just in time for Gill to ungraciously step off the moving stairway and onto solid ground. She stumbled a bit at the edge and Julie was just grateful they hadn't toppled over each other. They stood off to one side and giggled hysterically for a few moments.

"Oh god! That was close!" Gill gasped and spluttered as she tried to get her breath back.

"You're telling me!" Julie grabbed hold of Gill's hand and decided that she wasn't to be trusted keeping herself upright. She was determined not to let go for the rest of the journey. They made their way to the northbound platform and saw that the train was eight minutes away. Gill turned to Julie and smiled at her gently.

"Thank you for tonight. Everything was perfect, dinner was lovely and Phantom was amazing!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. You can't come to London for the weekend without taking in a musical while you're here. We'll have to do it again, next time you come down." Gill's face fell slightly as she realised that they only had one more day left together before she was due to go home Monday lunchtime.

"I don't want to go home. I mean…I do, but I don't want to leave you here. If that makes any sense?" Julie reached out and brushed Gill's cheek gently with the back of her hand and nodded in understanding. She glanced up at the information board, five minutes until the train was due to arrive.

"Do you think, if we were both back in Manchester, that we could make it work?"

"Yes, of course we would! Why, don't you think this weekend has gone well?" Gill was suddenly unsure and a bit confused as to where this conversation was heading. Julie swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as the nerves threatened to choke her.

"Earlier Sandra alluded to the fact that I had something I needed to tell you." Gill's heart thrummed in her chest and she was inexplicably overcome with fear. It had been going well hadn't it? She hadn't imagined the way they had naturally found each other's rhythm and just gone with the tone and flow of the weekend? The way that Julie had looked at her, kissed her and held her close? Last night and this morning when they had made love; it had been wonderful, intense and fulfilling. Gill couldn't understand where it might have all gone wrong.

"What?" It was barely a whisper and Julie suddenly realised how this piece of news might be coming across to Gill. It was alright for her, she knew what she was leading up to but Gill had absolutely no idea.

"Oh god, no! Nothing like that Gill. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you think…" Julie shook her head and decided there was no point in stalling. She'd just come out with it without the preamble. "I think I've found a DCI willing to take on the team. It's not going to happen straight away and I would still need to be ultimately in charge for a while to come but all things being well… I could be moving back to Manchester in as little as three months' time." Gill's face was an absolute picture and Julie wished that she had some way of capturing the moment. She was suitably shocked before the biggest smile that Julie had ever seen appeared on her face.

"Are you serious?" Julie nodded and grinned back at Gill.

"But... how? What about your job? Where are you going to live?" As if on cue the distant sound of the train clattering down the tunnel reached their ears. The bright headlights of the train dazzled them as it came into view.

"Come on, let's not miss the train." Julie grabbed Gill's hand once again and pulled her in the direction of a carriage. Unfortunately it was standing room only. All the theatre performances in central London tended to finish at more or less the same time so there were thousands of people trying to make their way home all at once. There was no way they could continue their conversation so the journey all the way back to the tube station closest to Julie's flat was filled with awkward silence. Although, it had given Gill a chance to digest Julie's news and think about what the implications of it were.

In all seriousness, once the initial elation had died down, Gill considered that it was a massive step. As though Sandra's earlier conversation about being open about their relationship had been foreshadowing, Gill wondered what exactly people back home would think about the two of them being together. She could roughly divide them up into people who would be supportive and people who wouldn't be. There were the odd one or two, like Dave, who would have an active problem with it and would probably need some extra careful handling but she thought that she and Julie could work through it together. Who would seriously begrudge her some happiness after all that she had gone through? The conversation that she'd had with Janet a few weeks ago seemed relevant now, that it wasn't quite so unusual for women of her age to have found that happiness with a female partner at this stage in their lives. Gill had a moment of internal panic when she thought about the fact that this meant their relationship was serious; which was what she wanted but it meant that she was putting all her trust and faith in someone again and that had been her biggest fear in the beginning. The bottom line was that she did trust Julie and she loved her so much that it hurt to be without her. And that's when Gill finally relaxed about the prospect of Julie coming home. The thought of being without her for any longer than necessary overrode any lingering fear about what that future might hold.

They arrived at their destination and stepped off the train. Gill reached out and grabbed hold of Julie's hand to show that she was okay, that they were okay and they smiled softly at each other.

"I'm sorry it was a shock, I was waiting for the right moment to tell you." Julie began by way of an explanation. She had spoken to Sandra about it a while ago, when she had met DCI Gordon Barnes and sized him up for the task. He seemed keen, had the relevant experience and a good command of authority. She could see that he would work well in charge of the team; it was just a question of when he could be released from his current position. There were also still a few issues within the team for Julie to deal with and she wanted to make sure they were sorted out before someone new took over.

"It's fine, it's great news. Unexpected but wonderful news." Gill stopped before they mounted the escalator going up. "I can't wait to have you home." Julie leaned in and their lips met in a brief kiss.

"And I can't wait to be home but it's a way off yet. There are still a lot of things to do here before I can make firm plans." They continued their journey up the escalator and through the ticket barrier and began the short walk back to Julie's flat.

"So have you any idea what's going to happen when you come back?"

"As I said, I'll have to remain ultimately responsible for the team down here for a while. So I'll likely have to come back every so often and check up on them. I've kept Karen informed of everything that has been going on with the team, she knows what issues are still left to iron out and what my intentions are. Things are still being fine-tuned at her end but the restructure should be finalised before I'm thinking of coming back. Between you and me they seem to have realised that the breadth of my jurisdiction is far too overreaching. I'm likely to get a Sergeant to work under me which will take a load of pressure off."

"That's brilliant and just what you needed to hear. What about your house?"

"Well I'm not intending to kick Sammy and Orla out just yet. Unless you want me to of course?" Gill shook her head. "I was thinking… wondering… if perhaps you might… but don't feel you have to…" Gill cut her off and chuckled.

"Well it makes sense doesn't it? You moving in with me. I presume that's what you meant?" Julie nodded and looked a bit sheepish.

"I didn't want to assume but unless I do kick Sammy and Orla out I can't see any other alternative."

"I would love nothing more than for us to live together. I can't see it being too much of a hardship. Besides, after all this time apart I will be nice to have you on tap, for kisses and cuddles and other things… any time I like." Gill punctuated her suggestions with chaste kisses to Julie's smiling lips and they giggled like school girls.

"It certainly sounds like a plan."

"You'll be pleased to hear that I have another one. Only this one involves getting home and undressed as quickly as possible." Gill waggled her eyebrows suggestively and Julie chuckled out loud. That was a plan she certainly liked the sound of and one she was looking forward to hearing more often.

"Race yer?" Fortunately they were only around the corner and one street away from Julie's flat.

"What, in these heels? You're kidding? It's been a long time since I was a plod chasing after all and sundry." Julie darted off anyway but stopped after she turned the corner. Gill initially held back but then she thought 'to hell with it' and broke into a jog. She whizzed past Julie who then proceeded to chase after her. Gill only clued in that she was in front once she reached Julie's block. They collapsed against each other in a hysterical fit of giggles but desperately tried to 'shh' each other as they grew conscious of the other residents and how late it was.

"I think we've both had far too much to drink." Julie announced loudly as she opened the communal door and ushered Gill through.

"Normally I would agree but I think we were both a little bit crazy to start with!"

"True, very true." They climbed the stairs and finally made it to Julie's front door. Julie pressed Gill up against it, unable to wait the whole thirty seconds it would take her to unlock the door and get them both through. She slipped her hand underneath Gill's sparkly top and cupped her left breast, squeezing firmly to indicate her intention. She bent her head and captured Gill's lips in a passionate, languid kiss. Gill reached for the waistband of Julie's trousers and found it nearly impossible to unbuckle the belt. She moaned, partly in pleasure but mainly in frustration.

"Get that fucking door open now!" She gritted out her order to her lover. Julie placed kissed along Gill's jawline, along her neck and ran her tongue over the shell of her ear before she whispered into it.

"Yes Ma'am!" Suddenly Gill was left bereft of contact as Julie took a huge step backwards, turned them around and proceeded to carry out her orders. They tumbled through the door and into the bedroom in a flurry of clothing and kisses, giggles and moans.