A/N: I don't own the characters - they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. This is my first Inspector Lynley Mystery Fanfiction.

Detective inspector Thomas Lynley, was standing in a corner, near the bar, at the Christmas party the MET held every year He hadn't planning on going this year, it was his first Christmas after Helens death. Thomas was going to celebrate Christmas in Cornwall, with his mother, brother and sister. The decision to join the party at the MET, was actually a last minute idea that it would be nice to wish all his colleagues a merry Christmas, before he left for the fresh Cornish air.

He was staring at his drink, deep in thought, when suddenly he was dragged back to reality when he heard two familiar voices floating towards his corner of the bar. It was Winston Nkata and Stewart Lafferty.

"I didn't think you would show up, Sir?" Nkata enquired

"I wasn't going to, but how could I miss Hillers annual speech, they are priceless!" Lynley chuckled.

"They sure are" Nkata said with a wide grin on his face.

"So have you seen the Sergeant?" Lafferty asked with a mischievous look on his face.

"No I haven't, but I've only been here ten minutes. I didn't know she was coming" Lynley hastily replied.

Before Lafferty could get a chance to say anything, he sensed something happening behind him? Both Lynley and Nkata were starring dropped jawed at something over his shoulders. When he turned it was his jaw's turn to drop, because there before his very eyes was Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers! Wearing a slim knee length black dress, a pair of red pumps and her gorgeous strawberry gold hair framed her delicate features, making her beautiful sea green eyes sparkle even more!

She hastily walked towards the three men, trying not to notice that the entire room stared at her.

"You look lovely Barbara! Merry Christmas!" Lynley said before placing a kiss on her cheek, making them both blush slightly.

"Thank you Sir, Merry Christmas to you too, well all three of you! I thought you we're suppose to be in Cornwall?" Havers said as her eyes meet his gaze.

"I am, but I'm not going there until tomorrow afternoon, besides I wouldn't have missed this!" he said gesturing towards her with his hands.

"Dance with me Barb?" Winston asked as he took her hand trying to drag her to towards the dance floor.

"No Winnie I'm not going to dance" she said apologetic.

"Then dance with me! Barbara" Stewart broke in, taking her other hand trying to drag her in the same direction as Winston.

"A little help here Sir, please!" pleadingly Havers looked at Lynley.

"Please let go of my sergeant, both of you" Lynley demanded with a grin on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Nkata and Lafferty both let go of Barbara's hands simultaneously looking slightly abashed but said "Sorry Barbara"

Havers looked at them both, offering them a smile that lets them know she was fine, but before she could say anything to either of them, she felt a gentle hand holding hers, pulling on it slightly, making her twirl, then glance down at the hand gently clasping hers, leading her onto the dance floor.

Thomas hold her in his embrace, Their bodies moved in a gentle sway, slower and slower until finally unbeknown to either of them they stopped in the middle of the dance floor, she felt his arms wrap around her waist, urging her closer, she looked up into his sparkling brown eyes, before placing her hands on his lower back, gathering him close too as she rested her head against his chest.

They stood there in the middle of the dance floor, unaware of their surroundings, slowly swaying to the music, both oblivious of the attention they are getting from all their colleagues. Suddenly they were both dragged out of their blissful serenity by raucous cheers and whistles. They both startled and simultaneously looked around to see what on earth was going on? They couldn't see anything out of the ordinary? They followed the direction of their colleagues' eyes upward and realizes that they have unintentionally, swayed their way directly under the mistletoe!

Time stood still, just the two of them looking into each other's eyes, before Thomas lowered his head to hers and their lips meet in a tender kiss. Both vaguely aware that their kiss was a bit to long for a traditional mistletoe kiss. Thomas pulled her in close; Barbara buried her hands in his dark hair, desperately trying to pull him closer still...

Could he ever let go of this kiss?

From where had all these emotions come?

Where would this lead?

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review - xxx