A/N: Merry Christmas, Miss Fisher Fandom! This one came out four times as long as the rest so I thought, meh. Save it for the end! It goes nicely with 'Necessary Lies' Parts I and II if you want to re-read those before tackling this one, but it's certainly not... necessary. (*winces* Sorry.) Thanks for all of your lovely comments and for such a warm welcome to this fandom. I hope you enjoyed this game as much as I did. Happy reading!

PS: Many thanks to Dispatch22705 and Sunsetdreamer for their support during this endeavor. Check out their stuff!

OOOOO

It all started at the Queenscliff beach, when Jack had emerged from the sea in his bathers. They had left little to Phryne's already overactive imagination. He had been grinning widely from ear to ear and his hair was a tousled mess. She had never seen it that way and it took everything she had not to toss her ice cream in the sand, run her fingers through his wet curls, and have him right there on the beach.

She caught a glimpse of what he must have looked like when he was younger, a hopeful and boisterous young man, before years of war, police work, and a bad marriage had made him more reserved. She had been striving to bring out that playful side of him ever since. And what was more playful than celebrating frivolous holidays that a normal person couldn't find on a calendar?

Jack had been in Sydney for a police conference for the last week and she had taken the opportunity to surprise him when he arrived home.

She heard his key in the front door and unconsciously smiled. Jack only managed to get the door halfway open before he realized someone else was in his house.

"Hello, Jack." She greeted him and watched as his eyes took in the giant Christmas tree in the corner and the stockings hung on the fireplace. The entire room looked like a Christmas display. "Christmas in July." She grinned with a flourish towards the room. "Since our actual Christmas was disrupted by your ridiculous attempts at being a hero, I thought we'd try again. Are you surprised?"

"By you? Constantly." He told her as he hesitantly stepped into his living room. "Do I even want to know how you got…?" He asked as he pointed to the tree.

She shook her head.

"Right." He nodded once in understanding.

"Here, have a cookie." She offered him a plate of his favorites and a glass of milk. The way to his acceptance had always been through his stomach and she came prepared in case his travels had made him tired and irritable. He took a cookie and made his way over to the tree. It was covered in little toy bicycles that Dot had helped make into ornaments. He shook his head at her dedication.

"You don't do anything halfway, do you Miss Fisher?"

"Never." She confirmed. "Do you like it?" She asked.

"I do. It's a great surprise. Thank you." He grinned. "Oh," he exclaimed as he noticed the two presents under the tree. "Santa was here as well, I see."

"Yes." She smiled as she went over to pick them up and he sat down on the couch. "This one first." She said as she handed him a box and joined him, tucking her feet under her gracefully as she sat down next to him.

"To Jack, from Santa." He gave her a small smile before ripping the paper off like a child. "Oh. New pajamas." He said as he pulled the silk pajamas out of the box. They were gunmetal grey with emerald green stripes and they were monogrammed in green with his initials. "Very nice. Thank you."

"Don't look at me. Santa wanted to get you something practical. He knew that you had been good this year." She smirked. "Now this one, however, is from me." She said as she handed him the next box. He set it down immediately. "Oh for goodness sake. It's nothing dangerous, I promise."

Jack picked it up gingerly and lifted the lid off the box. He pushed the tissue paper aside to reveal his gift. He closed his eyes briefly and turned a lovely shade of Christmas red.

"Because you've also been secretly very naughty this year." She teased as he pulled her matching green lace lingerie out of the box. He ran the material between his rough fingertips. "Although there wasn't enough material to monogram this one, I'm afraid." She commented.

"I should think not." He swallowed roughly. "I thought you said that my present wasn't dangerous. I seem to recall a conversation that we had once about lingerie that would disagree."

"It's not dangerous. It's downright lethal." She grinned mischievously and the two of them stared into each other's eyes for just a bit too long.

"Santa didn't happen to drop off any mistletoe while he was here, did he?" He asked, without breaking eye contact with her.

"It's already hanging in the bedroom." She informed him. Jack didn't hesitate, handing her both boxes and picking her up in a fireman's carry.

"Ooh!" She cried in surprise as she clutched the boxes tight. Jack laughed as he carried her into the bedroom. Sure enough, he kissed her properly under the mistletoe before letting her go so she could go get prepared for their evening. When she reappeared, he was already waiting in bed. But one sight of Phryne in her emerald green lace chemise teddy and Jack was suddenly at an impasse.

"I don't know what I want more: to keep looking at you or to touch you." He said as he ran a hand up her outer thigh.

"Now there's an idea." Phryne took a step back from his touch and he pouted adorably in disappointment. She would have kissed him if she wasn't searching for his discarded tie. "Hands please." She requested as she found it and he foolishly trusted her enough to give them over. She wrapped his wrists in the tie and left him naked and bound to the bed post behind him.

"Look, and then touch. Nice and then naughty." She said, proud of herself for reaching a compromise. "But first, I'm going to kiss every last centimeter on your body."

Jack closed his eyes as Phryne began to explore her way from the top of his head all the way down to his toes. Ever her restrained Inspector, he didn't say a word as she tortured him, but from the way that he kept biting and licking his lips, he was enjoying every second of it.

Still, enough was enough.

"I think you're ready." She surmised. "Now tell me what you want, Jack Robinson." She whispered, prepared to make his filthiest dreams come true.

"Touch yourself." He said roughly, his voice hoarse with desire. Phryne paused. That was not at all what she was expecting. She sat up on her knees, spread her legs, and ran two fingers up and down her wet core. He watched captivated. "Put them in my mouth." He commanded.

She fed him her fingers as he sucked her clean and she moaned at the sensation.

"Go on. I want you to get as close as you can to the edge without going over and then I want you to stop." He requested.

She did as she was told, but almost forgot to stop until she heard her name.

"Phryne." His voice cut through her bliss. "Stop it, Phryne." He scolded her and it reminded her of their first kiss.

Eyes front, Phryne.

"Untie me." He said quietly and she was so clouded with desire, she did it without thought. As soon as he was free, he was pulling the lingerie off of her and laying her down on the mattress gently. He kissed her forehead.

"Oh, I missed this." He whispered.

A kiss to her jaw.

"I love you." There was something about the sincere way he shared the sentiment tonight that sent a shiver down her spine.

A kiss to the base of her neck.

Phryne realized that he was going to go through the entire process all over again without any satisfaction in between and she didn't think she could take it.

"Jack please."

"I do. I love you." His voice was low, but steady. He sucked a rosy nipple into his mouth and she cried out in frustration as he blew a cold stream of air over the exposed flesh. She clutched at his back, nails digging helplessly into his skin, as she tried to hold herself together. He repeated the action on her other breast and she felt herself begin to shake.

"I need…I need…" She tried to convey what she wanted but she couldn't process it. "Please, I need you, Jack." She begged for mercy.

Jack took a long look at her, as if he could see what was happening inside her.

"Now you're ready." He repeated back to her.

He wrapped her legs around him and slid into her easily and she suddenly felt like she could breathe again. He thrust into her and she was hit with the overwhelming epiphany that, as good as it felt, she needed more.

"Jack, look at me." She begged. They had only spent a week apart and she was craving him like opium. It was him: his scent, his steady presence, his dry wit, his comforting smile that she needed to get through the day.

She needed him.

If she had thought that she could love him without giving everything that she had to him, including her independence, she had been mistaken.

"Oh God." She cried out as she realized what had changed.

Jack had always been hers, whether he liked it or not. But now, she was his as well. This new, intense feeling inside her was Jack's kind of love: serious, all-consuming, and most importantly, staggeringly permanent.

No wonder he had tried to run away from it.

Jack adjusted her hips and she cried out in pleasure. His name desperately falling from her lips over and over sent them both spiraling through a joint climax.

Jack sighed in exhausted relief and buried his face in the crook of her neck as he came down from his high. She ran her fingers lovingly through his hair and held him there, hoping he wouldn't see the tears that had just sprung to her eyes.

When he finally rolled to his side of the bed, he noticed her post-coital tears and was immediately concerned.

"Phryne, what is it? What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm fine, Jack. I'm fine." She smiled through her tears as she placed a hand on his worried face to ease his fears. "I just…I didn't realize how much I missed you." She said as he wiped a stray tear off her cheek.

"I missed you too." He replied, but his concerned frown didn't leave.

"It's strange. I never thought that I could be tied to any man and now here I am, lying next to you, completely overwhelmed by how happy you make me."

"I believe I was the one who was tied up." He pointed out, lightening the mood a little and she smiled despite herself. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked one more time.

Phryne nodded and kissed his furrowed brow, smoothing away his worry lines.

She shivered and reached over for his pajama top and put it on, buttoning only the middle button. She straddled his stomach and he sat up against his headboard to meet her.

"I'm yours, Jack Robinson. Now and forever. There's no doubt about it." She whispered the vow. Jack glanced down at his monogrammed initials resting over her heart before looking up at her again anew.

"You really are a constant surprise." He murmured in amazement before kissing her.