Author's Notes:
Inspired by Barbara's Song by LewusHobsonFan
Inspired by Oxford Meets London by LewisHobsonFan
This is a crossover story between the Inspector Lynley Mysteries tv series & the Inspector Lewis tv series. None of the characters are mine — they belong to their respective novel authors: Elizabeth George for ILM characters that we all know and love, and Colin Dexter, who wrote the Inspector Morse novels which inspired the tv shows Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis, & the characters of DI Robert (Robbie) Lewis, DS James Hathaway, and Dr. Laura Hobson.
Dear Reader, I base my characters of Tommy and Barbara on the BBC tv series. Therefore, Tommy is tall, dark and handsome (not blonde), and Barbara is the preternaturally pretty, less socially-awkward person we see in ILM series 4 - 6 (nicer clothes, better haircut than earlier seasons). Also, please note that DS James Hathaway, who is also tall and handsome, is decidedly blonde. A nice contrast to Lord Asherton, I think.
This story is inspired by @LewisHobsonFan who wrote a lovely Lewis & ILM crossover fic called "Oxford Meets London" & a stand-alone ILM story called "Barbara's Song" both which you can find on this site.
Chapter 1 Friends Always
Barbara stood across from Hillier's desk listening to her DI rant at his superior. DI Lynley leaned across the desk, "What makes you think my sergeant is available for loan to Oxford?"
Hillier stood up, too, and placed a placating hand on Lynley's shoulder. "Sit down , Inspector. Perhaps practice some of the anger control exercises you learned a few years ago."
"Now, Havers, as I was explaining to you before DI Lynley interrupted, DCI Innocent of the Oxford branch is down a DI currently, due to DI Lewis having a knee surgery. He'll be out for four weeks. She and I think this would be a great opportunity for you to try out your DI wings, so to speak. You passed your inspector's exam months ago and this will give you some practice before you eventually get your own team here at the Met."
Barbara kept her eyes on Hillier's face, but she felt Tommy turn his face towards her and his eyes burning into her profile. "So, it's only temporary, yeah? And I'll be able to return here and continue as DI Lynley's sergeant when all's said and done?" She asked.
Hillier sighed, "Yes. This posting to Oxford is temporary, but — and hear me out — it may help you developed the confidence to lead your own team at the Met. That would be the ideal outcome. For now, we can call you an Acting Detective Inspector, with all the responsibilities and perks that come with the title. I have confidence in you, Havers, this will be a good experience for all. Lynley, we'll have DC Nkata step up as Acting-DS while your right-hand man, erm … partner, is away. Havers, see HR regarding transportation, housing, etc.. Dismissed."
Havers and Lynley went back to their respective desks. Barbara heard the latch close on Tommy's office door and she fought back tears. She grabbed her notepad from her desk and headed down the hall to the Human Resources department for her travel arrangement information, sighing as she went.
Tommy avoided Barbara for the rest of the day. It felt odd leaving without saying goodbye to her DI at the end of her shift, but Barbara was unsure how to approach him. She knew he was hurt and angry because she hadn't told him she passed her inspector's exam months ago. She hadn't told him because she had been hoping that just taking the exam would be enough to quiet Hillier so that he wouldn't insist on separating her from Lynley. Now, faced with not being with him for a month, she wanted nothing more than to head to the pub for a pint and a proper goodbye with her DI.She finally settled for sending him a text: Sorry I missed you at the end of day. Would've fancied a going-away pint See you in 4 weeks Bye, Havers
It was after seven when Barbara heard a familiar knock at her door. Even though she deliberately walked slowly to answer the knock, Barbara felt her pulse hammering in her veins and her breath came quick and shallow. Barbara's eyes teared up as she realized that Tommy had come to her and everything would be alright between them before she left for Oxford. Smiling through her tears, she opened her door to the only man she had ever loved.
Detective Inspector Lynley had stood on Barbara's doorstep for upwards of five minutes before he finally knocked. He was still angry that Hillier had reassigned Haver's without consulting him first, but his hesitation at her door wasn't due to that. He hesitated because he felt so hurt that Barbara had taken her inspector's exam without telling him. He wouldn't have kept her from it; no, he would have championed her! But, if he had known before today, at least he wouldn't have felt blindsided by Hillier's revelation. Indeed, he thought he might not have made a fool of himself squaring-off with Hillier about the Oxford posting at all. Tommy also loitered upon Barbara's porch trying to decide how he could tell her how much she would be missed the next month by the Met, and, perhaps, how much he would miss her while she was away.
When Barbara opened her door, the first thing she saw was a bottle of champagne thrust under her nose. Tommy, on the other hand, first noticed the tears in Barbara's eyes that seemed in competition with the bright smile on her face. The laugh coming from her as she took the champagne from his hand made him smile, too. "Really, Sir?! Champagne on a work night?!"
Tommy walked through her doorway and reached out to give Barbara a one-armed hug. "Of course we have to have champagne! We are celebrating your success on the exam and your — albeit temporary — promotion to DI. We would have done months ago, if only I'd known."
Tommy's comment hit the mark and Barbara found herself swiping at more tears. She stepped through her flat's lounge to the kitchen to find glasses and a tea towel to use opening the champagne. She stood at the counter and worked the bottle cork until it popped. Tommy followed her into the kitchen and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Barbara. That was uncalled for. I'm sure you have your reasons. I just thought we — at this point in our rela-, erm, partnership, that we shared both the little and big things with each other."
Barbara dried her eyes again and answered without turning towards Tommy, "Sure, that's true, Sir. I wasn't keeping it from you. It just didn't seem like news when I wasn't going to accept a transfer to leading my own team. I'm still not. I want to work with you indefinitely, Sir." Her voice became quieter on the last statement, but she still managed to emphasize the final word.
"Tommy, Barbara, not Sir." He reached out a hand to squeeze her shoulder. "You can't call me Sir when we are of the same rank." He smiled, hoping she would hear the teasing in his voice.
Barbara turned around and handed him a glass of champagne in flutes Tommy had never seen before. They were definitely Waterford crystal and had a finely-etched pattern of hearts around the top. Barbara looked up into Tommy's eyes, clinked glasses, and smirked. "Well then, cheers." She sipped, "Tommy."
Tommy nearly swooned when he heard her say his name. No one else had ever said it just as she did. He sipped his champagne after gently tapping their glasses together. He wished she would say his name again. "Are we still friends then, Barbara?" He asked her, gazing into her beautiful green eyes that he noticed still glistened.
Barbara's smile tightened a bit, but she answered enthusiastically, "Of course we're still friends, Tommy. Always."
The two detectives drank the bottle of champagne, followed by the only two beers Barbara had in her fridge. They ordered a pizza while they talked about recent and old cases, how Tommy's family was and why they should plan on at least one opera outing when Barbara returned. Despite their chatter, they somehow managed to pack Barbara's clothing and all her necessities to last, with laundering at some point, for a month. Tommy teased Barbara, when they were done by rushing into her kitchen and opening all the drawers in the built-in cabinet. She called after him asking just what did he think he was playing at. Tommy came back to the lounge and sat beside her on the couch, "I'm looking for your knickers! I don't remember you packing them yet!" He chortled.
Barbara hit Tommy with a sofa pillow as she erupted in giggles. He grabbed her around the waist and pushed her back on the couch, tickling her. Barbara felt deliriously happy in that moment. Stopping shy of her target, Barbara brought her knee up dangerously close to Tommy's crotch, so he backed away, hands palm up. Still smiling he offered her a hand and helped her sit up. "You played rough, Sargeant! I declare a penalty!"
"Um, excuse me, Tommy! I believe that is Detective Inspector to you now!" She winked at him. Tommy bopped her on the head with the sofa pillow. "Ow! It's late and I am already beginning to have a morning after headache. I think it's time to call it a night, Tommy. I have to travel tomorrow."
"I don't know if I should drive, Barbara. I must be over the limit." Tommy smiled and looked imploringly up at Barbara who found herself immediately lost in his puppy dog eyes. He placed a hand on Barbara's arm and traced circles on her wrist.
Barbara took a deep breath. Alarms went off in her head, but her heart immediately shut them off. If only for one night, she thought to herself. She answered him, trying to sound casual. "Well, we don't want you out on the road then, do we? Stay, Tommy." Barbara carried their glasses to the kitchen, switch off the light, and retraced her steps to the lounge. She looked Tommy in the eye as she switched off the lamp by the couch and turned towards her bedroom.
Tommy swallowed, "Just a moment, Barbara." He swallowed again. "I wanted to tell you about my flat in Oxford. I had Human Resources change your accommodations to it rather than the awful BnB they had set up for you. I'll put the keys in your coat pocket and text you the address tomorrow."
Barbara turned in the hallway and looked him in the eyes again. "Ta," was all she could manage to say. She went into her bedroom and willed him to follow her. After a few minutes, when it was clear he was not going to join her, she went into her bathroom and made ready for bed. She settled down in her bed a few minutes later letting silent tears fall. She couldn't have been more clear about wanting him to come to her bed. "Well," she thought to herself, "forever in the friend zone. It's time to accept that he may love me, but he doesn't want me." Barbara allowed herself to imagine leading her own team at the Met for the first time as she fell asleep.
Tommy lay wide awake on her sofa with a knitted rug pulled across his torso. His head was on the pillow Barbara had throttled him with earlier. God, he was an idiot, he thought to himself. That's when he should have kissed her, or he could have pulled her into a hug when he helped her sit up and declare he was going to miss her, that he loved her. Now here he was, trying to sleep on her ill-fitting couch and he realized he may have missed an unspoken invitation to her bed. Every time he had stayed over before, Barbara had unmistakably invited him to kip on her couch. This time she asked him to stay with no qualifier as to where. Had he missed his chance?
Notes:
Tommy is such an idiot in love. For a guy who has a reputation for being a lady killer, he is clueless about the love of his life.
He may be too late. Stay tuned for a new chapter tomorrow!
