A/N: Sorry everyone for the long, long wait!! RL and me had issues… Here, finally, is the end of this.

Barbara blinked and looked at the clock. Christmas. It was 12:03 and she hadn't even noticed. She took a deep breath and looked up, into his brown eyes.

"Happy Christmas, Tommy."

It felt incredibly strange to say his Christian name, she thought. Strange, but not bad.

He grinned.

"No more 'sir', Barbara? I thought you'd forgotten my name."

She shook her head.

"It didn't feel right, to use it before."

"Because of work?"

"Yeah, I suppose." It was more than that, but she wasn't sure she could really tell him. 'Sir' had become a kind of talisman, a necessary reminder of the barrier between them. Through all the late-night work sessions, when her thoughts sometimes strayed to forbidden territory, that word had always snapped reality back into place. Unwilling to explain such a tangle to Lynley just now, she stretched up a little and kissed him again.

Lynley kissed her back softly, then pulled away. Though he was looking down at her with a tenderness that made her blush, she also felt strangely…disappointed. All this time he'd been very gentle, very careful, almost as if she were a different person entirely. She told herself that they weren't ready to go much farther, but it was still maddening. She'd faced down madmen, knives and the North Sea, all of which Lynley seemed to have conveniently forgotten. But if this was going to work, he would have to accept the Detective as well as the woman. She might be inexperienced, she thought, but she wasn't ignorant, or breakable.

Besides, while she was a quivering mess, Lynley still looked perfectly composed. It was about time that someone ruffled His Lordship's feathers.

"Tommy."

The name got his attention and she gave him no more warning. Still curled in his arms on the sofa, she launched herself at him, one hand curving around his waist and the other burying itself in the fine hair at the nape of his neck. Her chest was crushed to his, and she kissed him with all of the frustration and affection and passion that she had restrained for so long.

For a long moment he was frozen under her assault, and she had the horrible thought that she'd put him off. Then he moved. Suddenly she was under him on the couch, both his hands were on her waist and he was kissing her so hard that she knew her mouth would be swollen in the morning. When his mouth left hers to nip at her neck, just under her chin, she heard an incoherent gasp and realized that it was hers. Above her, Lynley chuckled.

"Like that, do you?" Under other circumstances it would have been patronizing, but his voice held only fondness, with a faint hint of masculine satisfaction.

"Hmm."

She couldn't summon anything more coherent, but Lynley didn't seem to mind. She sighed, then gasped again as she felt his warm hand slip under her sweatshirt and sweep up the length of her back. She arched into him instinctively, pressing the length of her body to his. Her own hands found his shoulders and she held on for dear life. Though Lynley clearly knew what he was about, she hadn't a clue; but things seemed to be progressing without her doing much at all. This was so very different , she thought, from the quick fumbles in the dark that made up the majority of her romantic experience.

Lynley's hand was on her stomach now, drawing slow circles that were driving her mad. She wanted to return the favor but his shirt was inconveniently in the way. She twisted restlessly underneath him and tugged at the shirt until it came un-tucked, then stretched up to kiss his neck and was rewarded with a low moan. Abruptly, with a clear effort, he pulled away.

"We, ah…had better stop now."

It took her a moment to process the words, and to realize just how far things had gotten. One of her legs was twined with his, her hands had crept under his shirt and her mouth was tingling fiercely. She should have been embarrassed, she thought, but mostly she just felt…joyful. She knew that she must be grinning stupidly and didn't really care.

Lynley dis-entangled himself, and for a moment the only sound was the rustle of clothing as they straightened themselves.

They were both quiet for a moment. Finally Lynley said,

"Come to Cornwall with me tomorrow."

She looked incredulously at him, and he gave her a half-smile.

"Of course, we could always spend a lovely Christmas on your sofa." She blushed bright red, and he laughed.

"You do have a dirty mind, don't you? Though I suppose it was rather ambiguous."

"Ah...wouldn't I be intruding?"

Lynley looked taken aback.

"Of course not. My mother already adores you."

Though she appreciated the sentiment, she didn't really believe him. She'd spent Christmas with the Lynleys two years ago, when a snow-storm trapped them in the area after a case. Despite her fears, Lady Asherton had been everything welcoming. But now, returning as the…whatever she was of the beloved first son, things were completely different.

She'd probably make Lynley miserable, she thought. But he clearly wanted to be back with his family for Christmas, and for some incomprehensible reason he wanted her to come.

"Couldn't you all go someplace warmer? Greece is nice, yeah?"

Lynley laughed.

"Impossible. Mother insists that the Howenstow parlor is the only proper venue."

"Ah. Right. Generations of Lynleys and all that."

"Actually, grandfather usually went to Corfu. Mother said that the sun ruined the entire business." He paused. "You will come, won't you?"

Hoping that she wasn't making a horrible mistake, Barabara took a deep breath and nodded. Lynely grinned at her, and she had to resist the sudden urge to launch herself at him again. God, she thought, he really was gorgeous when he smiled.

"Right. I'd better let you get some sleep, hadn't I?"

"Yeah."

Neither of them moved. Finally Lynely stood, then held out a hand and pulled her to her feet.

"I'll be here at seven, shall I?"

She winced.

"You'd better bring coffee."

Lynely only rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't dream of forgetting. I do remember what you're like in the morning."

She gave his arm a playful shove, and they grinned at each other. With some shock, Barbara realized that they were talking like they always had on cases, the natural, almost mindless chatter between partners. In a moment of wild optimism, she thought that maybe this was actually going to work.

Lynely reached out to tug her into his arms, then bent and gave her a lingering kiss.

"Goodnight, Barbara. Sleep well."

"I—goodnight, Tommy."

She walked him to the door and stood watching as he climbed into the Bristol. He waved at her, backed out of the driveway and then was gone.

**

In a daze, she closed the door, wandered slowly back to her bedroom and sank down on the bed. Was that woman in the mirror really her, with the tousled hair, the swollen lips and the wide, soft eyes? It was all so surreal, she thought. If it weren't for the faint marks on her neck and the lingering taste of him on her mouth, she would have thought it all a dream.

She wrapped her arms around a pillow and stared vaguely at the opposite wall. With some surprise, Barabara realized that for the first time in a long while, she was actually happy. She knew that if she thought about it she would come up with a dozen reasons why it wouldn't last. So she pulled on pajamas, climbed into bed and firmly decided that no thinking was allowed tonight. Lynley loved her. Lynely loved her, she loved him and they were going to Cornwall for Christmas. She was still smiling a little as she drifted off to sleep.