Thank you for your kind comments - I'm really glad you've been enjoying this story of Phryne being made an Honorary Inspector! Here is the last chapter.

Phryne woke up far too early for her liking. Slowly realising where she was and with whom, she couldn't begrudge the hour too much. Jack was behind her, stark naked except for the blanket that covered them both, his arm just having gone from embracing her to gently shaking her shoulder. The memories of the night came back and she smiled and stretched her body, sloppily caressing him where she could reach without changing position.

"Jack. Good morning."

"Morning, Phryne," he said, but he still didn't stop that insistent shake.

"Why are you waking me up? If we just slept for another…"

"You need to go to the station," Jack answered, kindly but firmly. "Your shift starts at eight thirty."

Phryne emitted a scandalised groan of utter disbelief.

"That's not possible," she said.

"You have no choice," Jack said, and for all his caressing her and kissing her temple, she still could discern a smug note in his voice.

"And what about you?" she asked, pinching the soft skin of his upper arm in joking retaliation.

"I'll go too. I have a feeling I'd better be at the station today." He gently caressed her side with the back of his hand. "And it's not like there's going to be any beautiful women lying about in my bed anyway."

She smiled and turned around so she could kiss him properly and at length, acquainting herself with Morning Jack, which was someone she hadn't had the chance to meet before.

"Very true."

Reluctantly, she sat up in bed. She had promised to be Inspector for three days, and she was not going to back down on a promise, no matter how tempting it was to stay in bed. Just one day to go, then she would be free again. She looked at the man lying beside her. But when the time was up, she would still have him, wouldn't she?

"This doesn't end when… I'm not an Inspector anymore, does it?"

"You mean when I would need to fraternise with civilians again?" he teased.

She arched her eyebrow at him and he turned serious, holding out his hand to slowly stroke her from her neck down to her buttocks.

"It doesn't end," he said. "Not unless you want it to."

She inhaled sharply at that; there was so much intent in both his voice and his hand.

"Let's do this, then," she said, and left the warmth of the bed despite her body's protest to the contrary.

Phryne managed to squeeze in a stop at her own house, to change her clothes and put on some make-up. She needed to look sharp, collected, and competent today.

Mr Butler didn't seem surprised his mistress came home in the morning accompanied by the Inspector, but on the other hand nothing ever seemed to surprise him. He merely offered Jack some tea while Phryne went up to change her clothes. When she came down again, at a rather impressive speed considering how dashing she looked, she kissed Jack thoroughly before declaring they needed to go. Even with a slight delay due to Jack needing to clean his mouth from her lipstick, she still made it on time.

Eight thirty sharp, Phryne entered the station in a perfectly professional, but slightly more colourful, outfit than she had had the days before. A few minutes later, Jack arrived, pretending they had not come together.

"Any important news, Brown?" she asked the constable at the desk. He had none.

Phryne went into the office; Jack stayed at the desk. She closed the door behind her and looked around the room, rather giddy with how her short stint as inspector had turned out. This was her last day. What did she want to do before it was over? She contemplated rearranging the furniture just to mess with Jack's sense of order, but decided against it. She sat down in the chair by the desk and looked around the minimal room.

She would be happy to relinquish this position and again see the chair on the other side of the desk as hers. She had no wish to become part of the force, and there was nothing in the position and power of being a boss that she would miss. To again be a freelance would be wonderful. The one thing she truly wanted from this police station, she had already had the night before. It had been everything it had promised to be and even more, and she was hopeful she would have it again.

At ten, Commissioner Fuller came to the station.

"Morning, Robinson," he said jovially, clearly rather happy with his little scheme. "How are you today?"

"Thank you, Commissioner, not bad," Jack answered, trying not to look too much like a man lost in thoughts about the woman he loved.

"Has the past days been interesting?" his superior continued.

"Quite interesting," Jack said truthfully.

Fuller gestured for Jack to follow him as he went into Phryne's office.

"Miss Fisher," he boomed, "or rather, I should say, Honorary Inspector Fisher."

Phryne rose to greet Edward Fuller, whom she had come to rather like, and he kissed her hand again.

"I hope everything has worked out well. Your reports, of course, have been sterling."

"Thank you, Commissioner," Phryne said and shot a glance Jack's way; he was standing slightly behind Fuller so the latter couldn't see him. "This is a fine police station and it has been a pleasure to lead and work with its fine men." She saw Jack's mouth turn down into one of his almost imperceptible smiles.

"I am very thankful for your services, Miss Fisher. My wife thinks you should become a permanent inspector."

Phryne could see Jack's face of equal mirth and dread.

"Oh, I have no wish to become an officer of the law, Commissioner Fuller," Phryne answered cheerfully, "though I am happy to avail myself of one whenever I feel the need."

Jack coughed at that and Fuller turned his attention to him.

"I hope you have learnt your lesson, Jack," he said.

Jack looked between Fuller and Miss Fisher and wondered just what lesson he was supposed to have learnt. Probably not the one he did take to heart, he thought as his mind wandered to a day several months before. Phryne had been about to leave the station when she turned around and said to him "Besides, you have me on your team". That image of her - with her smiling red lips and her eyes sparkling at him while she proclaimed him her teammate - it was etched into his memory, and only a little bit blurred by images of her naked form in his bed last night. He answered:

"Miss Fisher has been a thoroughly dedicated teacher." His eyes settled in Phryne's. "I am sure I have."

Soon after, Commissioner Edward Fuller drove back to Russell Street, thinking about how he would tell his wife about the success of the mission. He might have had a contented smile on his face, but that was nothing compared to the smile on Jack Robinson's face when he finally could take back his beloved office and sit down in his own chair, placing a kiss on Phryne Fisher's amused lips in the process.