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Emerald Bond

Coach Ride

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After a click of the coachman's tongue the two horses started moving. One of it was white with a few grey dots on its behind and the other one had grey fur all over and had a darker backside and its longer hairs were almost black. Both had beautifully long manes and impressive feathering. Their tails were braided into thick knobs so they would be out of the way in case of you know what.

"Oh, that's so wonderful, Thomas!" Barbara rejoiced and slid deep into the sheepskin rug that filled the main seat. She squeezed Tommy's hand and commented everything they passed with sounds and words of joy.

First their route led them down Victoria Street almost all the way to the Clock Tower. With the sight of Westminster Abbey and a glimpse at the London Eye in the distance the coach took a sharp left-hand bend into Parliament Square, where, at the end of that short street, another sharp bend to the left brought them onto Great George Street which becomes Birdcage Walk after they had passed the junction to Horse Guards Road. When they had come past St James's Park the coach turned right into Spur Road which went towards The Mall but Barbara only briefly glanced into the wide red coloured road.

"I hope her Majesty looks out." she laughed and waved a hello towards the windows of Buckingham Palace to their left while they rounded the Victoria Memorial. "I mean, I have her approval, haven't I?"

"Ah, you're my silly one." Tommy chuckled.

"Well, you never know..."

Barbara sighed and leant into his side. On Constitution Hill, between Green Park and Buckingham Palace Garden, the sun was blocked by trees and it produced a nice play of dancing spots of light, shadows and the different colours of leaves starting to enter autumn. Half way down the road Barbara looked up into Tommy's eyes. He smiled fondly down to her. Love flooded her body and she could not help but pull her husband's face down on hers.

They kissed deeply all the way to Wellington Arch and had no eyes on all the war memorials on that patch of green around it nor did they look at the beautiful Screen at Hyde Park Corner Entrance. The couple only stopped kissing when they already had entered Hyde Park because some youngsters had cheered a bit too rude for their liking.

"Did we need extra permission to use this way here?" Barbara asked whispering.

"I don't know." Tommy answered. "I'm quite sure it's legal but I didn't ask. I just told them to pick us up at the Saxon and take us to the cemetery."

"Hm. It's nice." Barbara waved towards a child in its pram who had squeaked with pleasure by the sight of the horses. Her hand involuntarily went to her belly.

She had felt the baby twice today and right in this moment she felt it again.

For a few seconds Tommy watched his wife's expression pensively. "Can I..." he began but hesitated. He had leant closer to Barbara and his hand hovered above her hand on her belly. "Can I say hi to the baby?" he finally whispered.

"Always, Thomas." Barbara took his hand in hers and placed it where she just had felt a tiny movement.

"Is it moving right now?" She nodded with a dreamy smile. His face fell. "I... I can't feel it."

"It's only just a very light movement." she caressed his cheek. The gentle pressure of Tommy's hand on her belly increased. "You'll probably get your chance next week. Maybe in two- oh!" That had been a harder kick. "Did you feel that?"

Instead of giving her a proper reply Tommy bent down and kissed her fervently.

She took it as a yes.

Near Marble Arch the coach turned left again and took the North Carriage Drive, a two track road that went through Hyde Park on its North side. Unfortunately they had to leave the beautiful greens of the park at Victoria Gate, but from then on they did not see much from London anyway. Tommy and Barbara had sat close and had slid even closer during the way through Hyde Park, and eventually they had resumed kissing. The newly-weds only cuddled and snuggled, kissed and whispered sweet nothings about being married, becoming parents and such until the horse carriage eventually reached St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.

It had taken them about an hour and a half to get there. Depending on how long they would need here they probably were going to be late for their own party. Not that they cared. If they had stayed at their house in Belgravia between the beer reception and the wedding party the delay probably would have been more significant anyway.

The coachman harrumphed loudly before he turned and harrumphed again.

"Excuse me, do you wish to be brought to anywhere specific or would you rather walk from here?" he asked.

Now Barbara blushed a bit, moved away from her husband and politely thanked the coachman for that lovely ride. "And yes, I'd love to walk the rest of the way. Will you wait for us? It probably won't be long."

"Of course, Ma'am. Take your time."

Tommy and the coachman had exchanged a brief look and gesture so their driver stayed on his seat. This time it was Tommy who helped Barbara off the coach.

Hand in hand they walked down a lane and into another one. Where there was a group of bushes and some trees Barbara stopped. A slightly moss-covered gravestone was cowering half under a huge evergreen bush.

When he was about to let her go, the grip on Tommy's hand tightened. Her need for support and comfort was palpable.

Together they read the stone inscription in silence.

Terence Havers
beloved son and brother
missed forever

Date of birth and death were underneath. It was a simple and small stone but the engraving was beautiful. After a few moments of silence Barbara stepped forward. Earlier in the coach she had rummaged around in her small handbag. Now she placed a pound coin on Terry's gravestone.

"You were right, Terry." she whispered and stepped back again. Tommy gave her a quizzical look and she explained it with a sad smile. "A bet. He had said I'd marry a prince." Barbara blushed and added shyly. "He was right."

Tommy gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead before Barbara dragged him onwards. A few moments longer at Terry's grave and she would have started crying seriously.

A minute down the path they reached a row of columns next to a meadow without gravestones. These columns were made of white stone and had different heights. A lot of brass plaques with names and dates were attached. Several flowers, some withered, some fresh, lay in a narrow field of gravel in front of the row or on top of these stones.

Barbara stopped at one of the higher columns. At eye level on one of the plaques was her mother's name with two dates. Barbara sighed deeply and caressed the plaque. Tommy placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Oh, mum..." Barbara murmured. "Just imagine... I've just married that rich-looking, dark-haired bloke, mum. The one with the fine pronunciation." Carefully, she plucked one of the roses out of her wedding bouquet and placed it in front of the column. "I wish you'd..." She swallowed. "Ah, never mind. You have your peace now." With that she turned away almost abruptly and made a step towards another column. It was only waist-high. Her father's name was on the top plaque. She stared at it in silence for a few seconds. "Dad." That was all she said before she patted the top of the stone and faced away from the commemorative plaque.

Tommy though stayed there, so Barbara turned back to see what he was doing. He fumbled with his little flower corsage and placed it on top of that column next to a dry bunch of orange roses someone had put there for someone else a long time ago.

"Thank you, Sir." he muttered.

This moved her so much, Barbara had some tears running down her cheeks. She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him deeply. "Thank you!" she whispered.

A little later, with a lopsided smile, she took his offered handkerchief and dried her face.

"Damn it." she cursed. "I've probably ruined my bloody make-up."

Hand in hand they walked slowly back to the waiting coach.

"How come they're all buried here?" Tommy asked. He never had thought about her parents being in any and least of all the catholic church.

"Well..." Barbara shrugged. "They were Catholic."

"But you're not... At least I thought so."

She nodded. "Yah... I'm not... I've put that behind me when I was 20." The looks she gave him spoke volumes. There also was a certain sadness in her eyes. "Unfortunately that means I won't be buried here with them."

"Well, one day, let that be in the furthermost future, you will be buried with your other loved one." It was a very boyish grin he gave her.

Barbara snorted a laugh, half sarcastic, half amused. "Well, at least there I'll have a roof over my head for the rest of eternity, right?"

"So you agree on a grave in our crypt in Nanrunnel, the most outskirtish hamlet of Cornwall?"

"Outskirtish is not a real word and Nanrunnel isn't a hamlet, it's a village." Playfully, Barbara put him right. "And actually I don't care where I'll be buried, but yes, wherever you'll be, I'd want to be too."

They exchanged a kiss because although this was an awkward topic, her words were a cute declaration of love nonetheless.

"So you think I'll die before you?"

"According to statistics-" she started lecturing but his loud laugh made her stop mid-sentence.

"Barbara, stop it!" he chuckled. "This is our wedding day!"

"Just sayi-eeek!" Barbara squealed. Tommy had lifted her from the ground and whirled her around before they exchanged another kiss.

The coach had waited for them and after the visit to her family's graves they were brought to The Oxford Blues where the reception party would take place and where they were going to spend their wedding night. They were several minutes late for the official start of the party, and they arrived there long after their initially scheduled arrival. Probably a lot of guests already were waiting for them.

Yazza would fill them in on it. She already walked up and down on the pavement impatiently, rocking the baby in her arms. Trevor obviously liked some vigorous movements because he was sleeping peacefully.

"Where have you been?" Yazza hissed after Tommy had helped Barbara off the coach and thanked the coachman. She recognised that something in the appearance of the couple was not quite right. "Ooooh, nooo... What's happened to your bouquet and... Oh, blimey, I think we have to dab your nose again, come quickl- Aaah... where's your corsage, Tommy?! Oh, no, wait!" She raised a hand. "Do I really want to know?"

The couple had only grinned, held hands and exchanged amorous glances. They went inside together but Yazza stopped in the foyer. "Wait. Here, take this one, Tommy. And... Oh, Barbara, stay still!" Out of a hidden container she had conjured a spare flower corsage, and while Tommy pinned it onto his frock-coat she dabbed Barbara's face with make-up. Yazza was very bustling. Barbara could barely hold back her laughter. "And you should get the spare-"

"No, Yazza!" Finally Barbara cut her friend short. She would not want to take the spare bouquet although she knew there was one. "This one is perfect the way it is now. Even with the missing rose. Full stop!"

The newly-wed couple shared an affectionate smile.

Yazza groaned in annoyance. "Oh you two are some of a kind..." She let them get away with that almost ruined bridal bouquet but her imagination about it had wandered in a completely wrong direction.

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A/N: Oh, blimey, I've just recognised that my second ILM fan fiction, which somehow started the Emerald Series, was released almost ten years ago. Ten years. How time flies! So many things have happened. Seriously, I can't believe it. Good for you that I still enjoy writing...

You like it? Well, the words "Type your review for this chapter here..." mean that you can type your review for this chapter there... ;-)