A/N: I'm happy that finally a few guests join us here. Welcome and thank you for your reviews. Let's have a pint! No bubbly this time...

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Emerald Bond

Beer Reception

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Before he joined his staff behind the bar, the shift manager had welcomed them and kept standing near the entrance for a few minutes until every wedding guest was inside.

The tap room almost looked like it always did. Only a few silver helium balloons, with the words "Just married...", were placed here and there, with white and blue curly paper streamers hanging down from them. On one side of the room there was a table decorated as a small buffet but it only offered different types of small simple sandwiches, mixed pickles and tiny fruit skewers.

Tommy turned towards his guests and raised his hands until all were quiet. "Just a few words, my friends. As you may remember from the invitation, we're having proper dinner and a proper reception party this evening at six. For now, let's just enjoy a pint of beer. Oh, and they offer real good ones here..." He nodded towards the bar where the manager indicated a bow. "And for those who may have had no time for a proper breakfast today... or lunch..." Tommy squeezed Barbara's shoulders and she grinned, knowing that they both had been too nervous and too busy this morning to eat more than one slice of toast, and her lunch probably had been something like he had had - a bowl of soup, eaten hastily. "you now have the chance to pick a little something from the buffet over there. Enjoy!"

Stuart Lafferty was the first one at the bar.

The Saxon offered fine ales, even alcohol-free beers, but the guests could also choose from soft drinks and juices. It had been Barbara's idea to not offer champagne, because "there will be loads of it later that day". It had been a good idea. Although people were in festive clothes, the atmosphere here at the pub was rather casual. Their guests just gathered and were jolly and simply enjoyed themselves. Among them were a few colleagues and distant friends who were not officially invited but were welcomed here nonetheless and of course had to stay now for a pint or two.

Barbara and Tommy wandered around to chat with everybody.

When they came past Assistant Commissioner Hillier he seemed to be genuinely happy for them. He had not received an invitation card but was not mad about it at all. DI Lynley had told him about the date of his marriage with Barbara and had orally invited him to the beer reception. "There will be soft drinks too, of course, just in case you'll have to go back to work." Lynley had said and Hillier had understood. He also understood that the wedding itself and the party in the evening would be no social event for the world to join, the press to cover or for people to be seen. On the other hand, that beer reception at the Saxon was quite a nice and short event. He managed to squeeze it into his daily schedule.

Now that his newly-wed Detectives came past him, he raised his pint glass.

"Lynley!" he said to Tommy, turned his eyes on Barbara, groaned in mock annoyance and added another "Lynley!" with a grin. "Congratulations, you two. May your life be filled with entire fortune and happiness."

"Thank you, Sir Hillier."

"Thank you, Sir." Barbara smiled and squeezed Tommy's hand.

All the time from the arch of swords outside Westminster City Hall unto here they had seen him carrying an old mailing tube made of waxed cardboard. It was wrapped with only a white ribbon and a small card dangled at it. It was his present for Tommy and Barbara and he gave it to them now. Best wishes were written on the card in Hillier's writing.

The lid of the tube was opened easily. With Tommy's help Barbara unrolled what had been inside. It was an ancient map of London, from around 1887, the old Scotland Yard marked on it with a former insignia of London Police. The map was visibly old, very detailed and had a beautifully drawn frame. In the right bottom corner, with letters more shining than the slightly faded rest of the map, the Detective's names and today's date were mentioned.

In Recognition of their Services - Thomas Lynley & Barbara Havers - a Great Team for a Lifetime

"Back in those days, and it's really an original map, this was a Christmas gift for successful Inspectors." Hillier explained. Barbara blushed and just could smile at the AC. "May your future be as successful as your past has been." He raised his glass again and added a slightly cheeky "In private as well as at work." with a grin.

"Thank you, Sir."

They received a few more small gifts like chocolates or wine but their guests all mentioned that they had donated something to one of the offered charities. And because Letty and Judith were responsible for the gifts to be brought to the party venue later, the married couple had the chance to not bother about that detail. Tommy and Barbara simply kept walking around, together or on their own, chatting with their guests and drinking beer.

Eventually Tommy recognised that he had not seen Barbara for quite a few minutes, so he wondered where she was. He walked around searching the pub until he found her on the first floor, where she stood at one of the windows and stared out of it. She was alone and looked as if she had a moment of pensiveness in all the excitement of the day. Tommy stepped up from behind and placed a kiss in her beautifully pinned up hair.

"Hello, my love."

"Hiya."

"A penny for your thoughts?"

"Mh." was all she answered.

Tommy caressed Barbara's upper arms and joined her stare onto Victoria Street. For a few moments they watched the hustle and bustle on the iconic cross-walk outside. In the reflection of the window pane he suddenly saw that she looked kind of sad.

"Are you okay, Barbara?" he asked and gently turned his wife so she had to face him. Suddenly her eyes welled up with tears and one even escaped and rolled down her cheeks. Tentatively Tommy wiped it away with his thumb. "Care to share what it is?"

Barbara inhaled deeply and turned towards the window again. Tommy let her do it, sensing that she had to find the proper words first.

"You know..." she began slowly. Her voice was quiet. "It may not be the best of relations I've had with my parents, but... Nonetheless I wish my mum and dad could have attended this... and Terry... I just was thinking of them. Somehow I wish they were here with us. I wish I could've told them that they're becoming grandparents, that Terry would become an uncle, and... ah, well..." In an almost angry move she wiped another tear from her cheek. "Futile." she grumbled. Abruptly she turned away from the street view. "Aah, let's-"

Tommy silenced her with a kiss.

"Do you want to tell them later?" he quietly asked.

Barbara nodded. "Yah, maybe I'll give them a short visit tomorrow."

"We can stretch our schedule today." Tommy suggested. "It's Acton Cemetery I suppose?"

"St Mary's..."

"Hm? Oh. Okay that's a bit closer. Hm... Well, we could skip the stop in Belgravia. My bags are already sent to the hotel anyway. I'll come with you."

"Would you do that?"

"Of course, my love. Just let me make a call and then we'll leave here a bit earlier. I think we've both talked to everyone anyway, haven't we? We can sneak out through the back door, if you want to."

Tommy finally managed to make Barbara laugh again.

He made the aforementioned phone call keeping his wife in his arms.

"Hello." he said. "Tommy Lynley here. We've made an appointment for today but I'd like to ask if you could come a bit earlier... Yes... yes, that's correct... And is it possible to change the destination? ... St Mary's Catholic Cemetery... Yes... Oh, that's marvellous. Well, umm... now? ... Oh, great. Thank you. We'll get outside."

They did not make it outside immediately. It had been an option but actually they did not sneak out but said goodbye properly to a few guests before they stepped into the sun.

Just one step out of the door and Barbara looked around. She had expected a taxi cab to pick them up, maybe decorated with flowers and ribbons. At least it had been the original plan that it should bring them to Belgravia to have a few moments of peace and quietness on their own before they would drive to the party venue. The tour was altered, that was clear, but Barbara had not expected to see this.

"No way!" she exclaimed and laughed loudly when Tommy dragged her sidewards.

In front of the Saxon in a loading zone on Victoria Street a horse-drawn carriage waited. It was dark green and its roof was folded down. On the carriage's back there was a big sign saying "JUST MARRIED" surrounded by multiple hearts. The coach man, dressed in livery, already waited at the open door. He smiled broadly when he saw the surprise in the bride's face and indicated a bow. Then he held out his hand to Barbara and helped her inside.

When Tommy sat next to Barbara she could not help but pull his face to hers to kiss him deeply.

"What a marvellous surprise, Thomas!"

"I'm happy that you like it."

"A lot! Well, it's kind of strange... and lordly... but I love it already."

Meanwhile the coach man had climbed his seat where he waited for their signal to leave. Tommy loudly patted the small seat in front of them and told him to move off.

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