Author's usual notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of my stories and the developments I've let them go through.
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Author's note and summary: Our famous couple spends some time in a part of her world, accompanied by Barbara's oldest friend Yasemine and her husband. Alcohol is involved. Too much of it in fact. This episode is a part of the Emerald Series.
It's some sort of collage of a few old ideas and texts I had found fitting into the Emerald Series just after I had finished Emerald Fireworks. Lately I've discovered this text, changed a few things, added some parts, deleted some and kept some even though they seem to be out of context. Please excuse this story's weirdness. Anyway enjoy...
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A Part Of Her World
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After they had told their closest colleague Winston about their private relationship and two days later also had solved the first complete and really difficult case after they had come together as a couple DI Thomas Lynley and DS Barbara Havers needed a distraction. The weekend had come just in time for a time off and it happened to be the weekend when a friend of Barbara would be back from a belated honeymoon trip. A day out was agreed on. It would be Tommy's dive into a part of Barbara's life he did not know much of until now and it was about time, he thought, that he did it. Everything else between them had gone so easy in the past weeks and they had adjusted their lives so nicely. For him this could be the chance to show Barbara that he was not only interested in her coping with his upper class society. He also wanted to learn about her world, and actually be a part of it. Of course they had talked about all that. The undeniable difference between them was something they still had to work at if their relationship should function.
Barbara had just received a call from Yazemine, or Yazza like she called her, and still was talking with her when she heard his keys in the door. The shocking second she had felt at the beginning and the brief moment of horror that somebody would break in had been gone for a while now. She was used to having Thomas come around even when they had no appointment like tonight.
"Hiya!" she whispered and watched how he balanced two huge shopping bags and a big package through her door. She loved it when he took over the grocery shopping for her. He moaned.
"Barbara, could you please help me?" Without interrupting her conversation at the phone Barbara closed the door behind him. Thomas rolled his eyes. "Oh, haha, well, thank you."
"Is that your Mr Perfect coming home?" Yazemine's voice was slightly suggestive. Barbara could hear her grinning. "Kind regards to him, Babba."
"Mhm..." Barbara spoke into the phone blushing and avoiding his quizzical eyes. "Yes..."
"I haven't heard the doorbell ringing. Either you've eagerly waited behind the curtain and've seen him comin' or you already have exchanged keys. I bet it's the latter."
"Yep, the latter..."
"Why don't you move in with him? I s'pose his Lordship has a much bigger flat 'n' probably a bed 's big 's your bedroom."
"You bet. Hahaha." She turned away from Tommy who still carried all that stuff. She had to hide her blushing face. "But no, we-"
"And since you sleep with him every night-"
"NO! Yes! Yes, well, not that... Aaah - none of your business, Yazza!" Barbara hissed the last words still turning her back on Thomas and suppressing a silly giggle.
"And raising your children-"
"Yazemine!"
"Sorry, just foreseein'. I'll leave you to him now. Tomorrow at seven?"
"Yep. See ya t'morrow..."
"Dinner somewhere and then a pint at the Jolly Goat?"
"Yah, of course."
"I want to have an excessive night with you both so don't work out too hard tonight!"
"Oh, shut up, you!" She disconnected the call, finally decided to free Thomas from one of his burdens and took the package. "What's in it?"
Placing the shopping bags on her kitchen worktop Thomas explained that he really only had wanted to buy some food and cook for her but then he had the idea of having a romantic dinner at home so he had bought a raclette grill.
"Oh, how convenient that you have such a full bank account." Thomas ignored the slightly acid tone in her voice and they finally exchanged a kiss that made her forget that she disapproved of this buy. "I've just got a call from Yazemine. She's back from her honeymoon trip and we've got a dinner date for tomorrow." Barbara already was texting her friend of the change of plans. She just had decided they could have that raclette tomorrow. "I've told her of you... of us... and she's eager to get to know you. And as you said it's about time you dive a bit into my small and simple world, isn't it? So now I've just decided we'd be having raclette here tomorrow evening and then go for a pint. Let's have some delivery food today."
"Whatever you wish, Sweetie. I told you it'd be your weekend."
Thomas eyed her closely while she talked about her one and only and best friend since their childhood and unpacked the food. While she stored his purchases she talked without interruption about what she had told Yazemine on the phone. Usually when she babbled that way she tried to hide her nervousness about something. He placed a calming hand on hers.
"Barb?"
"What about Indian tonight? It's months ago that I last had Indian."
"Barbara!"
"Hm?"
"Stop it!" He closed her lips with a soft kiss. "Barbara, you don't have to be nervous."
"Is it that obvious? I-" Another kiss silenced her.
"I understand it's important for you, hm?" She nodded allowing him to place his hands on her hips. "I'm also a bit in a fluster, Barbara. I mean, it's the first time I'm introduced to your lot."
The way he emphasised the last two words that usually were her choice made Barbara chuckle. "Don't mock me, Tom!"
His hands went around her waist and he pressed her into the worktop. "I don't mock you. I wouldn't dare." he rasped and everything else was drowned in a deep, passionate kiss. "My, I've wanted to do that earlier when you perched like that in the kitchen of that stupid witness that bored the hell out of my brain." he moaned onto her neck while his hip pressed against hers. "Indian. Definitely Indian. I want something hot tonight."
In the end they did not eat at all until breakfast.
On Saturday morning they woke up late and after a good and healthy breakfast they spent a huge amount of time at the superstore, buying the last things for the evening and having a fun time. In the end they not only had bought more food for their raclette dinner but also a new pink duvet cover, an olive-green camouflage shirt with a matching black tie for him, too much sweets and cakes and a mini cactus in a tiny Union Jack coloured tea pot. They had an entirely ridiculous fun time.
They still were laughing when they entered his car which was shining out between all those modern small compact and useful estate cars and so they were all but inconspicuous.
Thomas was right, it was his coming-out to her world but Barbara would not want Yazemine to disapprove of him and she was known for her harsh criticism. This afternoon though had been such a nice one so Barbara totally forgot about her nervousness. Only after they had arrived back home at her flat Barbara started to fuss and fidget and be nervously excited.
When she accidentally had broken a mug in the sink Tommy pulled her into an embrace. "Hey, Barbara, you don't need to be nervous. Calm down." His warm lips lingered for a while on her temple before he went on speaking. "In fact I should be nervous. I mean, it's me who will be brought out tonight." He chuckled. "And I presume it's me who will be closely inspected by Yazemine."
Barbara gave him a pensive smile. Knowing her friend Thomas probably will be scrutinised en detail. She started to grin.
"Yah, presumably."
As it turned out her dinner table might have hosted four persons but for four persons and a raclette grill and all those bowls and platters with the sliced food it definitely was too small. Thomas sensed a rising panic in Barbara and put an arm around her shoulder. He knew she would not want to have dinner in his house where there would be enough space. This dinner was supposed to take place here in Barbara's flat. Even if it was a tiny place. But then the idea popped up in his mind so he grabbed his keys and coat and kissed her on her cheek.
"I have a brilliant idea, Barbara. Just wait here, try not to panic, I'll be back in half an hour with the solution to this problem."
Sinking onto her sofa Barbara muttered that he should not dare buying a new dinner table.
"I won't!" he answered already being halfway through her door. "You'll be surprised, Barbara."
The promised half hour later he knocked at her door sending a flash of panic through Barbara's stomach. What if this already were her guests? What if this were Yazemine and her husband dropping by too early without Thomas having returned with his solution? Fortunately they were not. It only had been Tommy waiting there with two saw-horses and a door leaf without handles, radiating happiness like a schoolboy who had had the best idea for a show and tell and now was waiting for his teacher to give him a good mark, being entirely confident she would be pleased.
Carrying the saw-horses into her living room Thomas explained. "Those saw-horses are borrowed from a friend of mine who, you wouldn't believe it, actually is a fine furniture maker. And that-" He heaved the door leaf onto the horses. "is an old door I've had not yet disposed of after the renovation and stored it in my basement. See - I did not buy you a table. Just brought something old, something borrowed and- "He pulled out a big light blue cloth and spread it over the wood. "something blue. Even this is very, very old. I've got it from my very, very old aunt Augusta. Best linen. You don't get it nowad-"
Barbara had pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. "You're perfect, Tom. And I think you may get a reward later."
Of course he got a little reward right in that moment since she did not back away when he pulled her close and kissed her properly against the not so new table. But it was only for a moment. They had to arrange a dinner now.
Ten minutes after the appointed time Yazemine and Curt arrived. Totally ignoring Curt Yazemine and Barbara hugged and cheered their meeting as if they had not met for years, which indeed almost was the fact. The big hello the two women gave each other offered Tommy, who still had been cutting meat, cheese and vegetables in the kitchen, time to wash and dry his hands before he also came to the door.
Barbara let go of her friend and introducing them she linked arms with him. Thomas recognised it with joy. "Thomas, this is Yazemine, my best friend since childhood days, and her husband Curt." She looked up at him while he shook hands with the guests. "And this is my... umm..."
Suddenly blushing for lack of a proper word to describe him Yazemine interjected and helped out. "Lord Lover?" Then she giggled at Barbara's big eyes.
"Actually yes, one can say so." Tommy said. "Thomas Lynley. Please call me Tommy."
"Hiya." Yazemine grinned and after nodding towards the Lord she pulled the still blushing Barbara deeper into the flat. "C'mon, Babba, stop blushing. It's exactly what he is."
The men were left to act on their own. Thomas closed the door behind Curt who gave a humorous comment about 'the girls'. They grinned at each other and the ice was broken already.
"Well, so you're an Earl, aren't you?" Curt asked.
"Yes, I am, I couldn't help it, I was born that way. But please, that should be enough aristocracy for tonight."
Curt nodded.
Without dropping a word about it Yazemine helped Barbara and Tommy bringing the dishes, bowls and plates to the table, then all settled down.
During the next two hours they had a very nice dinner and a close interview by Yazemine about their relationship but they also talked about Curt's new job and the estate in Cornwall and after the dessert the girls longed for a proper drink.
"Ok. Shall we hit the pub?" Barbara eventually asked with a grin towards Tommy and all agreed to leave.
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