Barbara fled towards the station. She tried to hail a passing cab but its light was off. She stumbled on through the crowd, pushing her way through people walking too slowly. She had to get away; get to the platform before Tommy came after her. She knew he would. Tommy would and so would Andrew. Tommy Jekyll and Andrew Hyde. Two duplicitous sides of the one man. Andrew had been her hope, her one shot at fulfilment. He had been so...

"Bastard!"

Two elderly women standing by the station entrance looked at her and tutted.

"Sorry," she grunted before she hurried on towards the turnstiles.

Tommy sat stunned. Louise was Barbara! He smiled. He had grown very fond of Louise, even felt a tinge of love for her. He had felt guilty at first, but when Barbara had made it clear he had no hope, he had begun to think that maybe Louise could bring him some happiness. And it was Barbara all along. In so many ways, that was obvious. Why else would he have started to fall in love with her?

He jerked back to reality. "Barbara! Wait!"

Outside he scanned left and right looking for her. There was no sign of which way she had gone. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he was Barbara, he would have headed for the Tube. He turned right and began to run.

A hand grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to a halt. "Barbara, wait, please. Let me explain." Tommy was panting heavily.

She shook him free and tried to get away. His arm closed around her waist and lifted her just off the ground. "Put me down."

"Only if you'll talk to me."

"We have nothing to say." Barbara tried to kick him, but he dodged her.

His grip tightened. "Yes, we do."

"Found it funny did you? Tormenting me."

"No, I had no idea Louise was you. I swear. How could I know? I didn't even know you were on that site."

That made sense unless he had hacked into her PC some way, but even then, the website had to match them. She stopped struggling and Tommy lowered her back onto the floor. "Why were you even on the site?"

"I was in Manchester and missing you. I was lonely. I was honest about that. Without you to talk to, I had no one. An ad popped up while I was reading the news on my laptop. It was that or find some meaningless hookup with a woman in a bar. I could ask why you were on there?"

Barbara felt ashamed of asking. She knew how genuine Andrew's loneliness had been. "The same I guess. There was a flyer under my door. I thought it was a sign to move on with my life. But I told you so many things. Intimate things."

"So did I." He let her go.

"You had me fooled. You lied about so much, your mother being dead, about your marriage ending in divorce, about your job."

"My mother was dead to me at the time, and I never said I was divorced. You just assumed that, and I didn't want to tell anyone about how Helen was killed. I planned to tell Louise tonight, if it seemed right. And anyway, how's your role with the UK Prison Service going?"

She glared at him. "How many people want to befriend a cop?"

"That's why I was an insurance investigator. What I didn't lie about was being in love with S." He looked sincere. His eyes were soft and full of emotion. Barbara felt her armour plating begin to crack.

"That's all well and good, mate, but get a room somewhere and stop blocking the entrance." A gruff looking man in a blue suit elbowed Barbara as he pushed past. She stepped closer to Tommy. His arms came around her in a bear hug. She fought to free herself then stopped and looked up.

"Me? Am I S?"

"Who else, Sergeant?"

"But... we fight... and..."

Tommy cut her off. "You are only hurt by the ones you love."

"Yeah, that's very true." She glared at him accusingly. "But I was horrible to you. Absolutely horrible."

"Yes, you were, but I understand why." Instead of retreating, he smiled. "Is it egotistical of me to hope I was Mr Unobtainable?"

"Was?"

"I am keen to prove you wrong. I am very obtainable by you because I love you, Barbara."

"But you started to fall for Louise. How could you love me?"

"The same way you began to love Andrew."

Barbara stared at him. "How did you know?"

"Your face when your date didn't show up. At the time it felt like a spear through my heart thinking you loved him and not me."

"Andrew was so patient and kind, and I guess I felt a little loved even without meeting him... you... whatever."

"Andrew and Louise were just the parts of us we have been too scared to share. They've always been there. They've always loved the other, they just never said it. Recently, you and I got hung up on who we thought each other was instead of looking past all that to truly see each other. Louise could see my soul. I always thought you could too."

Barbara nodded. "I... was totally lost in you. I felt like I was drowning and I never thought you could love me back."

Tommy stroked her face. "Why not? And none of that class warfare crap."

"Crap? Not an elegant word, m'lord." She smiled at him and was rewarded with one of his special, cheeky grins.

"How could you not notice that I loved you, Barbara?"

"I thought it was... you never said anything, never asked me out, never... tried to kiss me."

"Because we were constantly together, and... I was afraid if I did, you might say no."

Barbara looked down and nodded. "Yeah, I probably would have."

"But I'm asking now. It only takes one word, Barbara, and I am yours. Forever."

Barbara looked up into his eyes. "But..."

He smiled at her. "That's not the word."

He still had her in his arms and he was smiling in that soft way she loved. She could see Tommy, and she could see Andrew. Most of all, she could see his love. "Yes."

His face broke into a broad grin. "That's the word." Tommy bent down and kissed her. Barbara was shocked that he would do that in such a public place. The whistles and jeers of commuters faded into the background as his lips caressed hers. Tommy was kissing her! And she kissed him back until they were jostled by impatient people trying to get past.

"We should move," she said as they were shoved apart.

"Shall we walk back to my place and talk?"

"Too far. I might change my mind."

Tommy grinned at her. "The Conrad is just over the road."

Looking back on it, Tommy thought that their impatience was borne by a mutual fear that the other person would indeed change their mind. He had asked Reception for a suite, unafraid to use his title to ensure the best room. They had held each other's hands so tightly as they had followed the porter, that Tommy had lost circulation. The man had painstakingly shown them the features of the suite they were not interested in using and despite a sly glance at Tommy, had discreetly mentioned that the bathroom was hidden by a mirrored wall at the end of the bed. Their lack of luggage was a giveaway as to why they had made an unscheduled booking, but Tommy did not care what anyone thought. He had Barbara and that was all that mattered.

He had closed the door behind the porter and walked to the bar. "Do you want a drink while we sit and talk?"

"Maybe we have said enough, Tommy."

He had needed only three strides to reach her and sweep her into his arms. They had begun to tear off each other's clothes in a frenzy of kisses. There was still a trail of shirts, trousers and underwear leading across the lounge and into the bedroom. Tommy had dimmed the lights to a soft glow that ran around the ceiling under the false cornice. He had wanted to see her eyes as they made love. He had been kissing her slowly towards the bed, but when the last of their clothing was ripped away, he had lifted her, accidentally pushing her against the mirror, and that's where they had stayed.

Barbara stirred in his arms. "Is it morning?"

"Not yet."

She opened her eyes and blinked at the light. "Why are you awake? Are you sorry we did that?"

Tommy pulled her closer then kissed her gently. "Never. That was sublime."

"It was quick!"

Tommy chuckled. "Hmm, only the first time. I wanted you so badly."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"You didn't seem to object."

"No. I... we both needed that."

"Hmm, we did. After so long."

As urgent and wild as their first passionate encounter had been, their second had been slow and loving. Afterwards, they had talked - about Lousie and Andrew, their fears and anxieties, possessiveness and jealousy, their hurt and solace, her antipathy to his social status, and his willingness to give it all up for her.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Do you want to see if the third is an average?"

"No."

"No?"

She grinned shyly at him. "I'd like to repeat Number 2, please."

Tommy rolled onto his side. "Mmm, yes, I like that sound of that. But only if you answer my question."

"Are you sure, Tommy?"

"Positive. I love you, Barbara."

"You think that one night in the hay is enough to convince me?"

"In the hay? There's hay at Howenstowe if that's your fantasy." He nuzzled into her neck eliciting a long moan.

"It wasn't, but it might be now."

"Good. I want to make love to you everywhere - on the beach, on the cliffs, on a kitchen bench, on..."

"A kitchen bench?"

Tommy laughed. "Does that shock you?"

She ran her fingertip down his chest and over his stomach. "No. It excites me."

Tommy groaned as her hand disappeared beneath the sheet. He kissed her just under her ear. "In my bed, under that huge shower in there... anywhere... everywhere... oh, mmm." His lips found hers. Her tongue found him and they became lost in their passion.

Barbara lay on the bed. She was still wet from the shower. Tommy stood over her grinning. He held up a big towel. "May I dry you?"

Her eyes went wide. "That's kinky."

"Is it? Then I want to be kinky." Tommy threw the towel over her then knelt on the bed and rubbed her down. She wriggled like a happy Labrador having its tummy scratched. He bent down and whispered in her ear.

"Tommy!"

"I'm serious. I meant it last night and I mean it now. I am happy. For the first time in years, I feel... loved. I will willingly hand my title and money to Peter and live in your flat if that is the only thing standing between us."

"No, I don't want that, it would be taking away part of who you are. I couldn't ask that."

"You didn't. I offered."

"I don't need that."

"You are my life, Barbara. I want nothing more than to be with you. Even the website matched us. We are soulmates, online and off. We should be together. It's the only thing that makes us both happy."

"That's true, and I do love you, Tommy."

"I know." He smiled at her. "So?"

"Are you really sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Then yes, Tommy, I will marry you."

His smiling eyes never left hers as he lowered himself down to kiss her.

You didn't really think I would have Barbara fall in love with anyone but Tommy did you?