Re the last scene below - this is called Awkward Moments ;)

Her faith in her fellow officers was misplaced. An hour later Winston had blunted three hacksaw blades without even scratching the cuffs. Tommy sent for a locksmith. The wiry man with bad breath and round glasses tried for an hour but had not found a keyhole or release point. After trying to prise them open and only succeeding in cutting Barbara's hand, Tommy banished him. They both vigorously fended off suggestions from Winston about using an angle grinder.

"We should visit Lafferty. He can x-ray them and see if that gives us any clues as to how to unlock it," Tommy said decisively.

As he drove the hapless pair to the morgue, Winston kept looking at Barbara in the rear view mirror. She wondered why until she followed his gaze down and noticed she and Tommy were still holding hands. They had done it automatically to walk to the car but had forgotten to let go. She felt a blush creeping up her neck. She tried to break free, but Tommy held his grip. Barbara watched Winston grinning at her. Surely Tommy must have noticed his reaction. Once she was out of these cuffs, she was going to strangle her boss.

Lynley knew he probably should release her hand. If she tried harder, she could get free, but he sensed her resistance was more of a show for Winston than a genuine desire to let go. The longer he held her hand the closer he felt to her. It answered many unasked questions and overcame objections neither of them had dared voice. Their existing bond was strengthening and morphing in a way that both terrified him and filled him with hope. He turned to her. She looked bewildered and uncertain, but her emerald eyes expressed the same desire for connection that he was feeling. If Winston had not been there, he would have kissed her. Instead, he squeezed her hand then wriggled his fingers around to press gently between hers. She relaxed her hand, spreading it slightly, allowing him to slide his fingers between hers and curl over her knuckles. Barbara looked down. For a moment he thought she was going to object until her fingers closed to mimic his grip. She looked up and gave him a shy smile. Tommy ran his thumb softly over hers. To hell with what Winston might think; he had to kiss her. He leant over towards her.

"Here we are," Winston announced unaware he had interrupted something important. "Let's see if we can get you two separated."

Inside the morgue, they had to wait until Stuart Lafferty, pathologist extraordinaire, finished a post-mortem. They stood silently in his office, fingers still entwined. "Why don't you go and get some coffee, Winston?" Tommy suggested.

"I'm okay thanks, Sir. What about you?" he asked Barbara.

She shook her head. She did not want to be alone with Tommy. In the car, the Earth had tilted on its axis. She knew Tommy had been about to say or do something that would change everything. Maybe holding hands the way they were now already had altered their comfortable world but she needed time to think. He had never shown the slightest interest in her before. Being locked together was the only thing that had changed. "Do you think he drugged us?"

"In that mist?"

"Yeah."

"Well it knocked us out, so it must have had something in it."

"Yes, like an anaesthetic." Her attempt at humour fell flat so she added a pathetic little laugh. "Well, no signing of contracts or making life changing decisions for forty-eight hours then!"

They stared at each other then Tommy nodded. He understood her concerns. What he felt, what perhaps they both felt, might not be real. It certainly felt real but his ever-cautious partner was right, they should not ruin everything without being sure.

"So, you are bound together by the sympathy of your antipathies!"

"Stuart." Tommy held up their hands. "Stop paraphrasing Joyce and get us out of these."

"Who's a grumpy DI then?"

"Stuart," Barbara warned.

Lafferty shrugged then turned on some music. "Thought some heavy metal might be appropriate."

After enduring more quotes about being bound together forever, Lafferty finally x-rayed the cuffs. "Impressive," he called from beyond his protective screen.

"Why?" Tommy asked as Lafferty brought over the images. He hated being beholden to the smug Irishman.

Lafferty's tone became serious. "There's a release mechanism inside that must be triggered by a remote of some kind. Wi-fi, maybe Bluetooth or radio waves like a garage door remote."

"You can crack it, though?" Barbara asked anxiously.

"Probably quicker to cut them off," Stuart replied.

"I tried that," Winston told him, "three blades made no impression."

"I have a diamond saw. It shouldn't take long."

Stuart's saw was like a baby angle grinder. He put on goggles, covered their hands with towels and made them look away. "Should only take a few minutes."

Tommy missed holding Barbara's hand. He could feel the warmth of hers on the back of his, but it was not the same. He could not articulate his feelings, but they were there, elusive and irrational. It made no sense to him that after so long together as partners and friends that in the space of one afternoon his feelings for her could have changed so abruptly but they were real, of that he was positive. As Stuart grunted and cut into the metal, Tommy tried hard to convince himself that kissing Barbara was a dangerous idea. She had clearly warned him off, but regardless of logic, the desire remained. In fact, it only intensified the more he thought about it. "How much longer?" he asked impatiently.

Stuart shut down his saw. "I don't know what material these things are, but the saw barely scratched them."

"What?" Barbara had had just about all she could take.

"They must be some sort of chromium or magnesium steel alloy. These are crafted from the hardest metal I've ever seen."

Tommy grimaced. "Small comfort to us. What will cut it?"

"A laser possibly."

Barbara felt her anger rising to the point where she was about to explode. "Possibly? Only possibly? We can't stay like this Stuart! It's...torturous."

Stuart looked from one to the other. "I understand. I could arrange something with the university. They have one."

"Do it," Tommy snapped. He saw the stress on Barbara's face. "Barbara, it'll be okay." He took her hand then covered it with his other hand. "Look on the bright side. There are worse people to be handcuffed to." She did not reply.

Stuart came back a few minutes later. The first thing he noticed was that they were holding hands and both looked uncomfortable. So, you two have finally realised! He could not hide his smile. "I have some good news and some bad news."

"Bad news first," Tommy said firmly.

"The laser is broken and won't be fixed for three days."

"Three days!" Barbara exclaimed, adding a word that earned a frown from Tommy.

"What's the good news?"

"There's a laser in Oxford that we can use tomorrow."

"Not tonight?"

"No, afraid not. My suggestion is that you go home and get some rest. I'll pick you up at seven o'clock and drive you up. Where will you stay?"

Barbara shrugged. Tommy's house was far more comfortable than hers. "Belgravia," she replied.

"Okay. Winston, can you take them there while I finish up here?"

"Sure."

As they began to leave Tommy fidgeted anxiously, "What's the matter?" Barbara asked.

"This is awkward...but I need the bathroom."

"Can't you wait?"

"Not much longer."

Barbara groaned. "Alright."

Winston stood guard as they entered the Men's. Barbara had seen urinals before, but the sickly smell of the yellow deodorant blocks sitting in the drain made her gag. "Hurry up," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am. Close your eyes."

Tommy let go of her hand and began to move his right hand towards his fly. Barbara pulled on the cuffs and jerked his hand away. "Use the other hand," she barked, much to his amusement.

"Ah, yes. Of course." Tommy struggled with his left hand to lower his zipper and position himself. It was incredibly awkward but eventually he managed, and he tried to pee as silently as possible. He kept checking Barbara to make sure she was not peeking, but she had her eyes clamped shut, and her face turned away. It was hard to know who was more embarrassed.

"All done," he announced as he re-checked his zip.

"We have a problem," she said as he washed his hand.

"What?"

"Thinking about it has made me need to go."

"How?"

"Exactly! But I really need to."

"A woman in the Men's is one thing, but I can't go into the Ladies. You'll have to go here, in one of the cubicles."

They exchanged embarrassed looks. "Okay but I have to use both hands."

Tommy was aghast. "Why?"

"To undo my jeans and lower my..."

"Arrgh. Mmm. Just do it, Havers."

Barbara selected a cubicle and checked it had paper. "Close your eyes."

Tommy closed them and put his left hand over them as insurance. "Be as quick as you can."

She smiled at his behaviour. He was clearly more disconcerted than her. She held her jeans with her left hand and used her free right hand to undo them. She then hooked both thumbs in her pants and pulled them down with her jeans. Tommy's hand was a tense fist beside her. He was making every effort to ensure nothing brushed her accidentally. "I have to sit now."

Tommy faced the wall and leant over sideways as she sat. He could tell she had her arm extended in front of her. He tried not to listen but in doing so, every sound became clearer. He wondered if he should whistle but thought that would be rather ludicrous. Finally, he heard her tear off toilet paper. His ordeal was nearly over.

Barbara stood then realised getting dressed was harder than getting undressed. She slowly pulled her underwear and jeans back into position using her left hand. "Um...I have to use both hands."

Tommy swallowed hard. This was very unnerving. "Okay," he said as nonchalantly as he could muster.

Barbara hurried and in doing so forced his hand against her leg. She quickly moved it away. This was just too much.

Winston had been trying hard to hear what was happening in there. They had been there far too long. He entered just as they came out of the cubicle. "Oh...argh...sorry...I... Is everything okay?"

Tommy grunted. "Yes. Barbara needed to use the bathroom too. Is the car ready?"

Winston tried to look serious as they pushed past him. He could only imagine how mortified both of them must have been and yet they still had to navigate the night. He secretly hoped that this would help them understand they were meant to be together.