And here we are again: At the end. Or the beginning, depending on the definition. :) I intended for a long time to wrap up the Phryniverse here, but I don't really want to stop and according to the one or other person's protest, neither do you. So I am pondering.
There also is a sneaky idea creeping through my mind for a few days now. Chances are, my resolution won't last. First of all however, I will take a break.
What remains for the moment is to say "Thank you" to my wonderful beta Changedstripes, who had more influence on this story than she is probably aware of. (Although, since life sometimes gets in every beta's way, the most obvious mistakes are my very own.) Also thanks go to Duskbutterfly and Ethelfreda for their input into the storyline. And of course, to you, my beloved readers. Thank you for joining me on this long and sometimes slooow ride, leaving me feedback and encouragement. I enjoyed myself immensely and I hope, so did you. And now, the last chapter:
Chapter 40: Sunflowers
"Did you see Aunt P's face when Mac and Hazel danced together?" Phryne laughed, while Jack tried to fumble the key into the door. Jack grinned to himself. He hardly ever yet had seen Miss Fisher tipsy and he found it quite amusing.
"I have, Miss Fisher. I believe it caused a little bit of a stir in our guests."
"Oh, they need to get over themselves," Phryne giggled. "And you are required to stop calling me Miss Fisher, now that I am a married woman, Inspector."
Jack gently pushed the door to the quiet villa open, before turning to answer her.
"I will never stop calling you Miss Fisher," he grinned, only half joking. She stepped closer, grasping his lapels and looking up at him with big eyes, dark in the moonlight.
"That is very rude of you," she whispered.
"Yes, it is," he smiled, then slipped his arms around her and picked her up, before she could utter a word of protest. He had forgotten how heavy the slim frame of the lady detective was, he realised a second too late. It didn't help that she was writhing in his arms, demanding to be put down while still giggling and he briefly shut her up by closing her mouth with a kiss.
"This, Miss Fisher, we will do my way," he said, his eyebrows raised. She nodded, giving in to be carried over the doorstep and then up the stairs while pointing out further amusing events of the evening, currently circling around her bouquet of sunflowers hitting Christine sqarely in the face. Jack was panting heavily by the time they arrived at their bedroom and he threw his bride onto the crisp sheets with little elegance.
"And now, Inspector Robinson?" she asked, pulling herself up onto her elbow. As Jack looked down at her, poured onto the bed in her gorgeous wedding gown that hugged every single one of her curves, with flushed cheeks and dark eyes, he couldn't help his heart speeding up. She may be drunk and giggly like a schoolgirl, but she was still Phryne. Mrs. Robinson watched her husband hesitate and stretched out a hand for him to join her. He obeyed, crawling onto the covers with her.
"What now, Jack?" she repeated, gently starting to undo his bowtie, which turned out to be a lot harder than it usually was.
"I believe it is tradition for the husband to introduce his wife to the practice of intimacy so they can consummate the marriage," Jack grinned.
Phryne seemed to ponder this for a moment.
"I seem to remember that it is also tradition for the woman to pretend to enjoy this before getting into the family way as fast as possible and avoid any form of intimacy for the rest of their married lives."
"As it turns out, I am not a stickler for traditions," Jack stated dryly, his face now dangerously close to hers. They kissed, gently. When Jack pulled back, opening his lashes, the picture of innocence looked up at him.
"So, no consummation, Jack?"
He shook his head slowly, with a silly grin on his face, trailing a finger along her naked arm.
"I might go to sleep then," Phryne quipped, attempting to turn around.
"Don't you dare," Jack growled, still grinning, while grasping her and pulling her tightly against himself.
"Certain parts of your body seem to insist on the consummation after all, Inspector," she pointed out after a long moment of silent stand off. Jack ignored her cheeky comment and leaned in to trail gentle bites down her neck to her collar bone. Forgetting to be silly, Phryne closed her eyes.
"It seems, certain parts of your body agree, Miss Fisher," he mumbled into her shoulder, sliding his hand over her chest. Phryne writhed under his touch, moaning.
"It appears, we might have to go through with it then, Inspector," she whispered, without opening her eyes.
"It is our duty after all," Jack stated smiling, letting his fingers trail further. Phryne didn't answer but her heavy breathing, as his hand found it's way under her dress caused her husband to believe that she had succumbed into her marital commitments.
He pulled her closer, being side tracked by the warm heartbeat underneath his fingertips and retrieved his wandering hand to gently brush a lock from her cheek. Phryne opened her eyes, sensing a sudden shift of mood.
"Then again, I believe I'd rather make love to my wife tonight, than consummate anything," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes dark and tender. Phryne's red lips pulled into a smile, while she ran her palm over the slight stubble of his cheek, the marks on his neck, lingered on his chest, where his heart was pounding against his ribs. For a long moment they lay in silence, feeling each other's heartbeat and listening to their own in their ears. Her's was a little faster than his, but together it turned into a melody.
'I love you', Phryne thought loudly, while her lips stayed silent. Jack smiled a tiny smile and wrapped his second hand over hers. He had heard it. There were no words necessary as they kissed, none as they started to undress each other with the gentle dedication of two lovers, who had all the time in the world, but too much champagne fogging up their senses to give this motion any resemblance of elegance. None, when he returned to caressing her shoulder, pulling her naked body against his own in an attempt to crawl under her skin. None, when she slowly, deliberately drove him to the brink or snuggled up to him, tenderly kissing his back, while she waited for him to catch his breath. None, when he returned the favour - and then the one from the morning. There was a decided lack of words in their wedding night; their foreplay had lasted years after all. While their lips were quiet, their bodies did plenty of talking. The void was filled with an abundance of moaning, panting and the occasional scream of ecstasy. But most of all, with love. By the time the grey morning light glanced curiously through the window, it found two lovers, exhausted, but sated on the bed and drifting off to sleep, entangled in every way possible.
X
Phryne was woken by a pair of lips gently kissing her neck.
"Good morning, Mrs. Robinson," Jack whispered, when he sensed her stirring. Phryne smiled without opening her eyes, snuggling into the warm chest in her back, while he pulled the covers tighter around them.
"Actually, good afternoon, Mrs. Robinson," Jack corrected himself after a moment, glancing at his watch, currently his only piece of dress.
Grumbling, Phryne turned in his arms, careful not to leave her comfortable spot.
"What time is it?"
"Quarter past one. I fear, we were both thoroughly exhausted," Jack smiled, gently brushing a lock of black hair aside before leaning down to kiss his wife.
"And if we aren't getting out of bed, we will continue down this path," Phryne quipped, after he had retreated, gently freeing herself and sitting up.
"What do you propose instead, Miss Fisher?" Jack asked. He truly did not feel like any company other than Phryne today. In fact, the thought of spending some time with her and her alone seemed heavenly after a week filled with family dramas and murder suspects. Phryne yawned.
"Coffee and some fresh air," she said. Drawing a line along her spine with his fingertips, the Inspector pondered this.
"Fresh air seems to get me into trouble, Miss Fisher. Considering, so does coffee."
But instead of answering to his teasing remark, Phryne slipped out of bed, slinging her black morning gown around herself and tying it up.
"Don't worry, Jack, there is plenty of trouble waiting in your future," she winked, noting the slight disappointment displayed on his features and bent down to press a kiss to his lips, before heading downstairs to brew coffee. When her bare feet stepped out into the soft, cool grass, minutes later, she spotted her Inspector sitting at the lake shore in his shirt sleeves, deep in thought. It was probably about the most casual attire she would ever see him in, in semi-public, she realised and somehow the thought that she was allowed to know the rest of him, warmed her inside. Every piece of Jack hidden under those layers of protecting clothes was hers, be it warm skin or dark memories, like the one that seemed to cloud his forehead right now.
"Penny for your thoughts," she said, startling him, before she slipped down into the grass, handing him a steaming cup. He smiled.
"They weren't worth that much," he explained, trying to drop the subject, but knowing better. Phryne grinned.
"You know you will tell me eventually, Jack, you might as well just give up now."
He sighed, surrendering to her interrogation techniques.
"She picked up on the pistol on my kitchen table, didn't she?"
"Iris?" Phryne asked, sipping her coffee.
Jack nodded.
"I've been racking my brain for days, what has given me away. It's the only occurrence I can think of."
"What happened?" Phryne asked.
Jack sighed, wrapping his arms round his knees.
"It had been a rough day, a young woman shot by her own husband. I realised only when I arrived home, that I never locked up my weapon."
His wife didn't say anything, just drank her coffee in silence, while the waves splashed against the shore. Phryne listened to Jack's breathing and waited. She knew him well.
"Sometimes life is just painful. And it feels like it will never be good again. It's tempting to hold a pistol in your hands on days like that."
Phryne felt her throat tighten when, to her surprise, she realised that he was smiling, while his gaze was glued to the calm waters.
"And then something happens, like a woman blocking up a bathroom she really shouldn't be in and everything changes, Miss Fisher."
He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm.
"Considering this, we really didn't meet in a very romantic way." Phryne quipped.
"I believe your first words to me were 'this lavatory is fully occupied'," Jack laughed. "Not quite the sweet whispers I expected from my future wife.
"Fancy you remembering this, Inspector," Phryne grinned.
He finally turned, his grey eyes dark and his hair still dishevelled.
"I remember many things, Miss Fisher. Mostly you driving me to the brink of insanity."
"I do try," she quipped, sipping her beverage, while folding a foot over the other.
"But I also seem to remember coming home at night, realising that I had forgotten all about my darkness, because I was too busy thinking of you," he admitted, after a long moment of nothing but the sound of autumn.
"I can be rather distracting or so I'm told," Phryne grinned, weaving her fingers through his. The Inspector pondered if to share what was on his mind, while they sat in comfortable silence.
"I do realise that it is rather inappropriate to bring this up. Today of all times, nevertheless," Jack said. "But it occurred to me last night that I might have missed the best year of my life, had I pulled the trigger back then."
Miss Fisher tried to take this in. She didn't like thinking about this in the slightest, but she was his wife and him sharing this so openly was precious, she realised. They really were changing.
"Life is short enough as it is, Jack," Phryne said, glancing at him. "Don't you dare ever thinking about anything so silly again."
The Inspector smiled and pulled his wife closer, wrapping his arms around her.
"I don't think that will be necessary, Miss Fisher," he said. "I am quite content with being alive. They are not long, the days of wine and roses," he quoted, while he watched a grey cloud being chased over the sky by the wind. Soon it would be too cool to be outside in their half-dressed state any longer. Autumn was coming. But he wasn't willing to let go just yet.
"You know, there is no need to convince me of your education anymore, Jack. I have already married you," Phryne grinned against his chest.
"So you have. Do you regret it yet?" he asked jokingly.
"Not in the slightest. Despite you being a terrible show-off," his wife mumbled. The Inspector pulled a piece of her dressing gown over her leg, that had dropped away in her shuffling, giving her thigh free to the cool wind. His hand met paper. Curiously, he pulled the envelope from her pocket.
"I found it slipped through under the door," Phryne yawned. "Probably more wedding cards."
It was addressed to only Jack though and he ripped the serious looking letter open with little ceremony, his eyes flying over the text. With curious eyes, Mrs. Robinson watched creases appear on her husband's forehead.
"Are you going to share the wisdom with me, Jack?" she finally asked, when he stayed quiet.
"It looks like our days of wine and roses are over for the time being," he said grimly, his hand dropping with the letter. "Fredrik has gotten wind of the Barton-case and concluded that I am healthy enough to report for duty as of the day after tomorrow."
"He might not know the whole picture," Phryne said, trailing her fingertips along the dark bruises still decorating her Inspector's neck. "But then again, you do miss the chase."
"It's only been a day and a half, Miss Fisher," Jack pointed out, peeling her hands from his aching skin.
"Far too long for us," she grinned, looking up at him with a broad smile. "And something tells me, our days of wine and sunflowers will never end."
"I hope you are right, Miss Fisher."
"I usually am, Jack."
Jack Robinson threw the letter into the grass and wrapped himself tighter around the precious woman in his arms. She was right. They might have to close a chapter. But their story had only just begun.
X
A bit of trivia on writing:
Jack's family was modelled after his description in "Little Discoveries", despite the "Little Accident's"-series being meant to fit snugly in between canon-episodes rather than be part of the Phryniverse. And their surname wasn't made up with my mind in the gutter!
The Phryniverse was started rather accidentally, being written completely off the sleeve. It was never meant to be a series, but I found after "Time" that I just couldn't be bothered matching them up all over again and just carried on.
As a direct result, when Jack woke up shot and tied to a chair in "Time", I had as little idea as our Inspector on who did it and why. It gave me a rather nasty headache to tie all the loose ends and I have ever since tried to think my murders through a little bit earlier.
"Sunflowers" was meant as a homage to the good old Agatha Christie-Style Murder Mystery and no cliche was to stay untouched, including the nasty storm, the hidden passageway and the mysterious family connections.
Since "Time", every story has steadily grown in length (and reviews). With about 120.000 words, "Sunflowers" is now reaching saga territory. If I should continue, I might be well advised to start reversing that process, before I end up writing Stephen King sized novels.
I found myself rather surprised on how many people seriously feared that I might kill off the Inspector. But then again, I might have been briefly tempted.
Sophie Robinson's background story was actually meant as a quick wink at Phryne's now-namesake in "The Graduate". It turned into a full-blown side storyline.
Since writing the wedding chapters I have John Legend's "All of me" stuck in my mind. I hope it will stop now I'm done.