Flames - aka 'Magic' - an alternative ending

I've been meaning to write this for a couple of years now, as had written the bare bones of it but have been busy with other stories. I have always loved this episode, especially the ending, when the chemistry and always scorching sexual tension between Lee and Lucy is completely off the scale. I swear the sofa setting on fire was a metaphor for this, even if it was an unintentional one. Just the way they look at each other when he gives her the rose, awww, that makes my heart melt.

I've been only writing post series 7 stories recently so it's been really enjoyable to write another one before they got together. I'm definitely going to write some more pre series 8 fics soon.

This is T rated but I'd say only just, as it's quite suggestive. Just a warning ?

P.S. the parts between the asterisks (*) contain the original dialogue from the episode for which I can claim no credit. I really wanted to include the rose scene though as felt it necessary for the story.

...

The evening after the disastrous birthday party...

Lee had been avoiding Lucy for the last 24 hours, not wanting to get into any more arguments with her. He felt hard done by too, as he had actually instructed Daisy to pay the man in the magic shop. She'd just chosen to interpret his very clear instructions in a completely different and entirely incorrect way. In a way that only Daisy could. If the Magic shop man hadn't taken all the props away his magic act would have been very good, a sure fire success with the children, even though they were a bunch of brattish tearaways. Still, that was all in the past now, though he still couldn't bring himself to forgive Daisy.

He hoped that once Lucy found out the truth she would forgive him, but she'd not been approachable enough to even try and speak to since Daisy had let them out of that box. Talking of the box, he swore his cheek was still smarting after Lucy had slapped there in her fit of rage. He should have been cross about his too, but there was something about Lucy when she got all feisty. It almost made her more attractive somehow.

Lee had been out for most of the day, ending up at the pub as usual, this time boring the barman with the details of yesterday's events. When he arrived home, Lucy was sitting on the sofa, looking almost as if she had been waiting for him. She immediately said hello and smiled at him, to his surprise. He nodded his head, not sure if he should speak.

"Lee, come and sit down. I want to talk to you".

He felt nervous suddenly, as he really didn't know how this might play out. Despite her smile when he first walked in, she now looked and sounded quite serious, and he was worried she might be about to tell him to pack his things and get out of the flat.

"Come on, I won't bite".

Lee walked gingerly towards the sofa and sat down, leaving a bigger gap between them than usual.

"Are we expecting company?", she asked.

Lee shuffled up a bit.

"Sooo...", he said, trying to fill the silence.

"Daisy explained to me, that it was her fault the magic shop man didn't get his money. Sorry I assumed you were to blame, and I'm sorry I slapped you, that was totally out of order".

Lee felt himself relax then, the tension visibly disappearing from his shoulders.

"You're not throwing me out then?"

"Of course not. Of all the things you've done over the years, of all the scrapes you've got us into, why would I throw you out now?"

She was right, he supposed, it wouldn't really have made sense for her to throw him out. Perhaps it was just because he'd made even more of a conscious effort to impress her this time, that in his mind he'd also messed up even more than usual. Or, perhaps it was because he could scarcely remember another occasion when Lucy had been that angry with him.

Of course, had Lee been more emotionally mature, and thought about Lucy's point of view of the events, he might have understood that her extreme reaction was less about him and stemmed more from her frustration over the children's wild behaviour and not being unable to control them. She was also genuinely scared at one point that she'd lost the children she was responsible for after they escaped from the flat. She was worried that she'd let down Nancy's mum, who clearly already had more then enough on her plate in coping with the aftermath of the fire. There was also the fear over what this looked like to Lee. With her apparent inability to deal with a few children, she must have looked like a potentially bad mother in front of him, and that bothered her more than she expected. But none of these things had crossed his mind.

"Thank God. Still, I'm sorry I made such a rubbish clown and spoilt the party. Just about sums me up really. Even being a clown I'm a failure".

"You're not a failure. You tried your best with the resources you had to hand".

"Exactly, and my best isn't good enough is it? that's the problem. That's always the problem".

"What is this Lee? Why are you talking like this?"

Lucy thought she may be getting somewhere at last. He had showed his vulnerability just then. Perhaps he was finally going to open up to her.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter".

It did matter. It mattered to Lucy far more than Lee realised. She didn't like to see him beat himself up about things.

"Of course it does. Talk to me Lee, I wish you'd just talk to me".

"I do talk to you, about lots of things. Stop trying to be my counsellor all the time. I don't need one, I promise. Anyway, do you want to know what I did with my winnings?"

Lucy sighed. Clearly Lee wasn't willing to talk about his feelings right now. As usual. No wonder she got frustrated with him.

"What?"

"I thought, seeing as I spoiled Nancy's birthday party, I'd try and make amends. I've bought her and her friends tickets to see JLS in concert. Me and you are going to take them, if you want to come I mean. Please come, I don't think...actually I know I couldn't handle that lot on my own. I need someone responsible there. Someone who has a way with children. They're for tomorrow night if you're free".

So, Lee did see her as responsible, as having a way with children. This made Lucy feel better about herself all of her sudden, gave her an unexpectedly warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

"Wow, Lee, that's so sweet and thoughtful of you, not to mention generous. Nancy will be so happy. Thank you. Of course I'll come with you".

Lucy leaned across and gave Lee a quick peck on the cheek, making him blush.

Lee smiled shyly. Maybe he could still prove to Lucy he could be good with kids after all...

...

The following evening, after the JLS concert.

"I can't believe that Nancy set fire to her own house", Lucy said, still reeling from this evening's revelation.

"Yeah, well...I could tell as soon as I met her that she had an evil streak running through her".

"I think it was an accident Lee, she never intended to burn the house to the ground".

"I know, but she's old enough to know setting fire to something indoors is a bad idea. You have to admit that she has an attitude problem".

"Yeah, I'll give you that, she's turned out to be a right little madam, her mum's really got her work cut out there".

"How did she react when you told her the fire was Nancy's fault?"

"Shocked. Devastated. She's worried the insurance won't pay out now either. I really feel for her. I think Nancy's learned her lesson though, just seeing how upset her mum is".

*"So, seeing as you spent your winnings on the concert, aren't you worried that that magic shop owner's going to come after you?"

"Don't worry, after the concert tickets and your rent money, there was just enough left over from my winnings to pay him off. I even had enough to buy one final trick".

"Let's see it then", Lucy said, intrigued.

She watched, excited and grinning as Lee, holding on to a thin stick, took out a lighter and ignited the end of it. After a few conjuror's hand gestures that he'd obviously added in for show, and a hand movement so fast she hardly had time to register it, the flame was out and there was a red rose in it's place.

Lucy gasped, genuinely impressed by the trick, not to mention charmed. Producing a rose and giving it to her...that was actually quite romantic. At least she thought so, even if Lee hadn't intended it to be.

"What's in your other hand?", she asked, fairly sure he was hiding something in it. She really wanted to know how he'd done the trick.

"Nothing". He clearly wasn't going to give away his secrets. The story of Lucy's life.

"Nancy had a great time, well done", she said.

Lee felt suddenly bashful, and felt his cheeks flush. He wasn't used to Lucy being so praising of him. There was something about her demeanour towards him tonight that was slightly unnerving. Unnerving in a good way though. She didn't seem to be able to stop smiling, and it was a warm and radiant smile that made her eyes light up and her seem more beautiful and lovely than ever.

He wasn't sure why it was such a good thing that Nancy had had a great time though, considering her confession about burning the CD.

"What do you mean well done? You don't punish an arsonist by taking them to see a two hour JLS concert. Everyone knows you take them to see Justin Bieber".

He couldn't resist making a joke. He did that a lot, especially when he felt a conversation was becoming too tense or sentimental. Lucy said he used humour to deflect, especially from talking about his feelings, whether they were good or painful. She always sounded like she was quoting directly from one of her psychology textbooks, yet she was right. Although Lee wouldn't want to admit it, Lucy was almost always right, about everything.

"Well, it wasn't our job to decide what punishment to give Nancy. It was our job to give her a good party. And thanks to you she got one".

Lee felt a warm glow when he heard her words. Lucy didn't think he was completely useless after all. He'd finally managed to actually impress her, as he so often tried but more often failed to do.

Neither said anything for a second, though they exchanged a look, both trying to read each other's expression. Moments like this happened more and more after these days, as the intimacy between them increased. Moments like a meaningful silence, a prolonged glance, an accidental brush of hands or fingers. Whenever they touched, even accidentally, a spark would seem run through them both, like the shock of static electricity. In so many of their conversations now, the words they spoke barely concealed the simmering subtext of repressed feelings. They sat ever closer to each other, made more physical contact, subconsciously mirrored each other's body language. They were spending more and more time together, in fact they rarely spent time apart anymore.

"You quite suited wearing my dress actually".

Lucy was using humour to deflect now, a tactic she had clearly picked up from Lee.

Is Lucy flirting with me again?, he thought. He was pretty certain that what she'd just said counted as flirting. She had that playful expression on her face. They flirted a lot, and always had. It was just the way they were together. It never went beyond that though, neither of them had ever crossed that invisible line.

"Would you say it brought out my feminine side?", he said.

"If you had a feminine side you'd probably try and shag it".

Lee smiled. Lucy was funny. He loved her sarcasm. Actually, to be honest, he loved everything about her.

Their eyes met then, and they both felt the temperature seem to rise in the room. Once again, their eye contact lingered longer than was usual between friends, and it felt as though they were on the cusp of something. As always, this remained unacknowledged, or at least unsaid. It seemed that neither was prepared to take that leap, to actually admit there was something between them, or make the first move.

"Lucy?"

Lee sounded uncharacteristically serious now.

"Yeah?", she whispered.

"I've got something to tell you".

Lucy hoped then, hoped he was finally going to tell her how he felt about her. Or how she hoped he felt about her.

The atmosphere between them was charged with electricity now, filled with an unseen energy, like the threat or promise of a storm to come. Lee felt vulnerable again. Whenever Lucy looked at him in a certain way, it made his body react in all manner of disconcerting ways, his skin prickle and his heart beat faster. He felt as though she was staring into the depths of his soul, and that she could read his every thought. Surely she must know, just by looking into his eyes, that he loved her.

"What?"

"You need to take me to see Justin Bieber".

"Why?". Of course, of course he wasn't going to tell her how he felt. He never did that.

"The sofa's on fire".*

It was amazing how quickly that sentence extinguished the sexual tension, and they both started to panic.

"Quick, get some water", Lee said as though Lucy hadn't already thought of that.

Lucy leapt out of her seat and sprinted to the shelf at the other side of the living room. Whilst Lee was trying to smother the fire by hitting with it with cushions, she picked up two large vases, swiftly removed the flowers and poured the contents over the flames, which thankfully went out before they had the chance to properly take hold.

Panic over, and the adrenaline still running through their veins, they sank back down onto the sofa, trying ignore the unpleasant, acrid smell that was now surrounding them.

"It's a good thing sofas are flame resistant these days, and maybe you'll stop moaning about the fact I like to have fresh flowers in here all the time now. What was it you said about Nancy being old enough to know setting fire to things indoors was a bad idea?"

"Fair point, I'm sorry Luce. I thought I'd stubbed the flame out in my hand. It's still sore".

"So, it looks like there's only one thing for it. Beiber it is", Lucy teased.

Lee was surprised and very relieved that she had a sense of humour about this. She really must be in a good mood tonight.

"How about I just buy you a new sofa instead?"

"Fair enough. I mean, if I took you to a Justin Bieber concert that would be a punishment for me too. And I haven't done anything to deserve it. You might even get away with not having to buy one, I actually can't see much damage. I'll look it it properly tomorrow in daylight.

Lucy loved that sofa, and was hoping a cleverly placed throw might hide any damage, which seemed to be minimal. The sofa held a special place in her heart. It was silly, she knew, it was a material thing, an object. But it was the memories she associated with it, her first proper conversation with Lee, the first time he kissed her that Christmas. It was all about Lee, she realised that now.

"You like your rose though?"

His words pulled her out of her daydream.

"It's lovely, thanks", she replied, beaming, her eyes alight.

Lee gulped. There it was, that look again. The one that made his breath catch in his throat.

"Good, seeing as between the cost of the trick and possibly a new sofa it may end up being the most expensive rose anyone's ever bought. I've just remembered, I've got something else for you here actually".

He knew he might regret doing this right now, but things were getting intense now, and he was nervous.

"What is it? Another magic trick? If it is please tell me it doesn't involve fire".

"No, it's something that belongs to you, I was going to give it to you earlier but I never got the chance".

To Lucy's horror, Lee produced her vibrator from behind his back.

"Oh my god! What the hell are you doing with that?"

Oh dear, maybe he'd misjudged the situation.

She snatched it off him.

"I found it in my room, one of the kids must have put it there at the party. I saw one of them with it at one point. Thought you might...need it back".

Oh yes, during the party she'd found one of boys wielding it. They must have got hold of it again after she thought she'd hidden it.

"Oh god, I'm so embarrassed".

Lucy didn't know where to look. She stared into her lap, fearing what might happen if she made eye contact with Lee.

"Well, I could hardly just try and sneak it into your room could I? Firstly, I don't know where you keep it, and secondly, if you'd have caught me snooping around in there with it you'd have accused me of being some kind of pervert. Anyway, there's no need to be embarrassed. We're both adults. Everybody does it, we both know that".

"Lee...".

He was doing this on purpose, he must be, she thought.

"Lucy, you're a single woman in her prime, a sexual being, you have needs, that's nothing to be embarrassed about".

"Please stop talking. Lee, have you? You haven't used...?"

"No, I haven't tried holding it against a particular part of my body and switching on to see how it feels...if that's what you were going to say".

"Jesus..."

"Lucy, I havent touched it...I promise, well obviously I've touched it because I've just carried it in here but only with my hand. Why have you gone so red? I think you're whole body is blushing".

"Why do you think? Take a wild guess".

"You were thinking about me holding it against my...?"

"No. I was thinking about you thinking about me...you know".

"Using it?"

"Okay, I think we need to change the subject...quickly".

Lucy wanted to the ground to swallow her up, right now.

"Fair enough".

Just at that moment Lucy went to hide the offending item behind her and in the process accidentally pressed the switch and it started to pulse, hum and move around.

"Shit!", she said, taking Lee aback. He rarely heard Lucy swear.

In her panic she couldn't find the switch again to turn it off. For some reason, she found herself throwing it away from her as though it was a hot potato. Unfortunately, it landed straight into Lee's hands.

"Wow, looks like it's been left on the full setting. It's quite an impressive one. That's quite some movement it's got here...I imagine this...gets the job done".

"Lee...Im not discussing this with you. You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"Enjoying what?"

"Making me squirm".

"No".

"So why are you smirking? And would you please turn that off".

"I would if I could work out how. Clearly I'm not as experienced as you with these things. I mean of course I've used them with ex girlfriends but...".

"Please, I don't want to know".

Lee found the switch and turned it off, handing it back to Lucy, whose colouring could now only be described as beetroot.

"Sorry. Seriously though, you were the one who the other week said I should be more honest and open. You were happy to ask me questions about sex for your therapy course".

"Yeah, and you didn't want to answer them".

"I'll answer one now then, just to prove I listened to you the other week, and I've taken what you said in board".

"Okay fine...when you found my...vibrator, did you think about me using it?"

"I..I..yes".

"And how did that make you feel?"

"Lucy that's not a fair question".

Who's the one squirming now, she thought.

"You know when I said you should be more honest and open, I was talking more about your feelings, about you expressing your emotions".

"You want me to be honest?"

"Yes. I always want you to be honest".

"Okay the. When I found your vibrator, it turned me on. I thought about you letting me watch while you used it to pleasure yourself, and that...aroused me. Happy how?"

Oh, he'd fantasised about it...about her, whilst he was...hadn't he? Lucy felt goosebumps forming on her skin then, a stirring within her core.

"Right, well..I". She couldn't find a suitable comeback.

"You don't know how to react to that now do you?"

Her body did, but her brain, her voice didn't.

The air around them felt heavy and stifling now, the sexual tension reaching new and unbearable heights. Throughout their conversation they had been gradually and unconsciously moving ever nearer to each other on the sofa, so much so that they were now almost touching.

Lee wondered whether it was possible to spontaneously combust from unrequited love and lust. It felt possible now, like he could explode at any moment.

Lucy felt a little panicked for a second. Lee's reply was what she had wanted to hear, but she still didn't really know what to do with the information.

"Not really...anyway...changing the subject...yesterday, when you said about your best not being good enough. What did you mean?"

Lee sighed. This was the bit where it in his dreams, his fantasies, Lucy would have thrown herself at him, kissing him as though her life depended on it.

"Why are you bringing that up again? I said at the time, it doesn't matter".

"It does, I don't like it when you talk like that. You're usually so postitive. Your feelings matter to me".

Lee felt compelled to tell the truth then. Lucy was good, he had to give her that. She seemed to be finally suceeding in breaking down the walls he'd built up around himself. Your feelings matter to me. That was still such a novel thing to hear from her, from anyone.

"When I offered to help with the children's party, I just wanted you to see me in a different light. I wanted to prove I could be, you know..."

Lee wasn't quite sure how to form the words. He had to choose them carefully.

"How do you mean, see you in a different light? What light?"

"Different to how you see me now. I wanted to prove I could be good with kids, that I'd make... a good husband and dad to...someone...you know...one day".

"I don't think you know how I see you now".

"Yes I do. You see me as the lodger, a friend at a push". Lee hoped this wasn't the case, but he feared it was.

Lucy knew then, she couldn't do this anymore, she couldn't keep up this pretence. She couldn't even describe her feelings as simmering below the surface anymore. They were boiling like the white heat of a volcano about to erupt, ready to overwhelm every other feeling she'd ever had. There was no longer a choice, she had to let them out. She had to tell Lee how she felt, even though she didn't know how he would react.

"Well that's where you're wrong".

Lee swallowed hard. He was sure Lucy must have been able to hear his heart beating now, it was thumping so hard and fast.

"How do you see me then?". His voiced sounded different now, quieter, deeper.

"Lee...I already think you would make a good husband and father. Because I see the real you, behind all the bravado and sarcasm and jokes. I see the caring and protective and sweet man who always makes an effort to do the right thing even if it sometimes goes wrong. Haven't you ever wondered why I take all the suggestive remarks and teasing in my stride? Have you never wondered why I forgive you everytime you mess up? Why I'm happier having a cosy night in with you on he sofa than going out with my friends? Why our worlds seem to revolve around each other these days? Why I got jealous when you were seeing Rachel? Okay, so I didn't admit I was jealous as such but I'd have thought it was obvious. Haven't you wondered why when you kissed me during the play a few weeks ago that I kissed you back?"

"I don't know...I figured maybe you were acting", Lee croaked. It hadn't felt like acting to him, it had felt real, more real and meaningful than anything that had ever happened to him. Yet, he never dreamt that Lucy had felt the same.

All of his senses were heightened now. Everything seemed brighter, louder, more tangible. He was sure he'd just felt Lucy's knee brush against his, and it made him gasp so loud that he was certain Lucy heard it.

"And you accuse Daisy of being clueless. Lee... all of those things are because I don't just see you as my lodger, or even as a friend. Well, I do see you as a friend, but... I want to be more than that. I care about you Lee, more than I ever thought possible. When I thought about you, thinking about me using the vibrator, do you want to know how that made me feel?"

"Disgusted?".

"No, it turned me on. Were you not listening to anything I just said?"

"Oh. I was..I'm just trying to process...so many things running through my head. You fancy me? Is that what you are saying?"

"I'm saying...I'm saying that I...I love you Lee".

He stared open mouthed for a moment, while Lucy was desperate for him to respond. Should she have said that? Was he ready to hear it? Did he feel it too? Would he say it back?

"Lee?"

Every second felt like hours as she waited.

"Lucy, I never expected you to say that...I never dared dream that you...wow...as you know I'm not very good at expressing my feelings but..."

"But what?"

"I love you too"

Lee was surprised just how easy that had been to say in the end. Considering how long he'd felt that way and kept it bottled up. Considering how scary the thought of saying it had been.

Lucy hardly had time to register those four wonderous, life changing words before Lee's lips were on hers, all soft and sweet, tentative and tasting of peppermint. It wasn't quite chaste though, he was just testing the waters. She felt the passion, so much so it made her knees tremble in the most delicious way, ignited something inside her that had been dormant for far too long.

Then it was over, before she even had the chance to respond.

Lee hadn't wanted to stop, he wanted to freeze time and do this for the rest of his life, but he felt he had to check, check it was okay to do this. He was suddenly aware that he hadn't asked Lucy's permission to kiss her, that he shouldn't have just assumed this was what she wanted too.

The room echoed with the sounds of their breathing now, shallow panting breaths which betrayed their almost desperate need for each other.

"Lucy...sorry...I...".

He tenderly swept a strand of hair away from Lucy's cheek as he spoke. They were still just centimetres apart.

"Don't say sorry...just kiss me again", Lucy whispered.

He did, only this time there was nothing shy or tentative about it, he was more confident, his lips more insistent, and Lucy quickly responded, sighing softly against his lips as she heard a low groan escape from his throat.

They deepened the kiss, keeping it slow at first, as they got used to this new level of closeness, savouring this magical, perfect moment.

Lee felt alive at last. Lucy's lips, soft and perfect moving with his, her amazing hands, sliding across his back, holding him close, this was everything he had ever imagined it would be, and so much more. He couldn't help but groan again as he felt her tongue run experimentally over his lip then slip inside his mouth. He reciprocated, letting his tongue entwine and dance with hers.

Something changed then, as though someone had hit the accelerator button. The kiss became more and more heated, more urgent by the second. Now the floodgates had opened, now the long pent up feelings had been released, they could longer be contained. Lee took control once more, guiding Lucy down until she was lying beneath him.

She responded, pulling him even closer to her and moaning into his mouth, her arousal growing with every heartbeat. Their legs entangled, their hands were now exploring every part of each other they could reach. Lucy kept grabbing the material of Lee's t-shirt as if she was trying to rip it off him, as though it was offending her. Gaining confidence, he dared to slide his hand under her night shirt, stroking and tickling the soft skin at her sides and waist.

For a brief moment Lucy thought about what they were doing. Her and Lee had only kissed properly for the first time just a few minutes ago, yet things were already escalating to a point of no return. A sensible voice somewhere in the back if her mind was telling her that they ought to slow things down, that they shouldn't rush into this. Yet, seemingly every other power and force in existence was telling her to continue, and all sensible thoughts quickly fell away, as the feeling took over once more. This felt so, so good. More than good, and she wanted nothing more than to get lost with Lee in their little universe of pleasure and never be found.

Lucy's pulse raced, and she moaned as she felt something incredibly hard and big suddenly pressing against her stomach Surely he couldn't be that big, or that hard already? Yet, she could feel it though the thin material of her pyjamas, big and hard and throbbing and...buzzing?

She giggled, realising the vibrator had managed to get wedged between them, and it had switched itself on.

"Oh...for a second I thought..."

"You thought that was my? Well, I mean I've got to be honest I am getting hard, and I can do a few impressive things with my penis even if I do say so myself, but I can't make it vibrate I'm afraid. Good news is mine's bigger, when it's...you know...at full mast".

Lucy sincerely hoped that wasn't a joke. 'At full mast', that was such a silly, Carry On film, oo-er missus phrase. So typical of Lee. Yet why did it, right now, sound so erotic to her, so full of promise?

"Maybe I'll just put this safely over here", Lucy said, about to throw it to one side.

"Maybe we could leave it where it is, it might be enjoyable for us both", Lee whispered.

"I don't think so. Maybe that's something for the second or third time, not for the first time", she replied.

"First time? You mean...you and me...sex...tonight?"

Lee couldn't string an actual sentence together right now.

"If you want to. But if you don't maybe we should should stop now because...".

Lee interrupted before Lucy could say anything else,

"Oh...I want to...I want you...so much",

"Good"...she breathed before pulling him back down on top of her again, reaching to take his face in her hands and recapture his lips in an hungry, fiery, kiss...