Held To Ransome

Summer of Love

Filming began a couple of weeks after Tom and Callie decided to act like the grownups they were supposed to be. They didn't live together, well, not at first. But by the time the first couple of weeks of filming had gone by it was a different story.

"Tom? Can you spare me a minute?" she stroked his hair gently as he lay on the sofa, head in her lap. They'd just finished dinner and were relaxing together. She could never quite get over it was HIM in HER house on HER lap.

"Callie?" he looked up from the script sides he was reviewing for the next day ."You ok?" his beautiful ocean eyes briefly clouded over with worry.

"Yes, perfectly, I just have something to ask you. Nothing bad, at least, not for me!" she winked and he sat up, the sides falling onto the living room floor.

Most evenings had their routine. Callie would prepare their meal, Tom would come back, shower, then they'd eat and spend the short evening before he headed back, watching tv, or running his lines, or sometimes just in bed enjoying their love and their life. Weekends they spent together, living and laughing and loving. Life was simple, life was full of love but life, they both knew, couldn't stay like this forever.

"Go on, you sound serious?" he swung his legs off the arm of the sofa and sat up next to her, grasping her hand. She smiled and squeezed it.

"I, well, I just, I wondered, if maybe... God this is so hard!" she huffed, exasperated at her own tongue tied rubbish. "Would you like to stay here full time while you're filming instead of driving up and down it will be easier for you and I could do your washing and look after you properly and it means you can have a longer lie and I'd really like to live with you like - you know - a proper couple - for a little before you go back to London." she rushed it all out in a single breath, her cheeks scarlet.

Tom smiled and let out a small snicker. "How long have you been rehearsing that?" he said stroking her cheek and cupping it in his long fingers, playing with the strands of hair that draped over it.

"Since about 9 o'clock this morning?" she admitted with a smirk. "That's why I was quiet at dinner. I was nervous."

"I KNEW there was something up!" he crowed triumphantly. Then he looked at her steadily. "I suppose you'd like an answer?"

She nodded, silent, shaking inside and out. Tom took both her hands in his and took a deep breath. "This is quite a big step. One that speaks to the depth of feeling you have for me." he paused and for a split second, she was afraid. Only a second though as he continued "Nothing would make me happier my darling. Nothing. I can only say one thing about this."

"Wh-what's that?"

"I like porridge when I'm working and please iron my socks!"

"Oh YOU BUGGER!" she hit him with a cushion and he laughed loudly, clutching her to him. "Iron your own bloody socks then!"

"We could just put them under the mattress to flatten " he winked "I'm sure it will be getting plenty of use."

She smiled coyly at him "I have NO idea what you mean!" then she leaned over and whispered in his ear "but I'm aching to find out."

"In that case, to hell with lines...." he stood and grabbed her, swinging her over his shoulder, securing an arm around her legs, he carried her to bed as she squealed in mock indignation, then proceeded to show her exactly the kind of ironing he was thinking about.

The village didn't bat an eyelid when they walked around. During the week, it was the Reverend they saw with their newest resident, all long coat and dog collar, bible in hand, looking pale and "reverendy". At the weekends, it was Tom, all jeans and shirt and smiles, sometimes with a coffee in one hand, always with a Callie in the other.

They gradually lost their self-consciousness and even stopped for a little kiss now and again. They were photographed and Luke phoned a couple of times to tell them to be careful, but in the main, they were left largely undisturbed.

Summer progressed and the countryside changed. The verdant greens and blues replaced by golds and moss colours of approaching autumn. Callie got to know the rest of the cast and spent her days watching filming where that was practical, or painting the landscapes they had come to know and love. Once or twice, Tom had to spend time away in London doing press and other commitments and it wasn't nice, but she survived.

A little voice in her head however, one she'd managed to suppress until she couldn't any more, said "get ready, this is coming soon." She knew it was true.

Tom came back from one such trip with news. He was so excited. "We've been nominated for Emmy's for that other series I did! It's so exciting. I'm going to the ceremony so that if we win, it'll be good publicity. There's nothing worse than these "Sorry I can't be with you speeches." We've done so well, the technical team are amazing, it's about time they got due recognition." he sat on the kitchen worktop, tapping away at his phone as he spoke. "There, I've text Luke and he's booking my flights as we speak. Be away for about ten days all told - going to do some press for this while I'm there, to be shown on release."

It was like listening to a little boy reeling off what he's got for Christmas. His eyes sparkled and his smile dazzled. She felt a warm rush of pride for this wonderful man, pride tinged with a little regret. This was the start wasn't it. The wind-down. The slow and agonising separation. She wasn't going to let it spoil his moment.

"Oh Tom I'm so pleased for you darling. You deserve every minute of it. Have a wonderful time, take lots of photos and you can show me when you get back ok?" she smiled and hugged him tightly.

"You're not upset are you?" He caught her round the waist and pulled her to stand between his knees. "That it's just me? I would love to have taken you but..." he trailed off, looking more than a little ashamed.

"Oh Tom. Not a bit. It's work, not a holiday. You can't take me to work!" she smiled up at him "ok I know you do at the moment, but this is different. No, you go sweetheart, have an amazing time and just think of the fun we'll have catching up when you come back!" she winked and kissed him. "You can bring me back a little pressie. To make up for it."

"Anything darling - anything at all. " he said, his wonderful girl was every bit as wonderful as he knew her to be. This had been a potentially horrible situation but she'd handled it exactly the way he hoped - and knew - she could. When he said 'anything' he meant it.

"Well, how about... you?" she smiled sweetly. "You, all to myself for a whole weekend. We could go away somewhere. Not abroad, not even far, just away from here, together. For a weekend. Be Tom and Callie, be friends, be lovers, be US."

Tom looked down at her and smiled. "What did I do so right that I deserved you eh? You are so beautiful my love, in every way."

"Love?" she looked at him. Unconsciously, they'd both deliberately tried not to use the term very much . It had too much attached to it to be thrown away lightly.

"Yes darling. My LOVE. I love you Callie. I love you so very much." he kissed her deeply and she slipped her hands around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair. Pulling back, she smiled.

"Welcome to the smallest gang in the world darling. It's called the Tom loves Callie and Callie loves Tom Gang." her eyes glittered and it was his turn to stare.

"You really do love me? Like LOVE Love? Not just he's cute and knows how to do the dishes kind of love?" he was laughing to hide his elation.

"Of COURSE I do you silly man. I really thought you knew that already!" she could tell he was teasing but it came from a still amazing amount of humility. She nodded and put a finger to his lips, "Sssh. For the avoidance of doubt, Tom, I. Love. You. " she punctuated with kisses. She stopped and looked at him, eyes glowing as her hand slipped inside his open shirt and came to rest softly on his heart. She could feel his heart beating almost as hard as hers. The warmth of his skin sending shivers to her soul.

"I love you so very, very much." she whispered as she kissed him again.

But, as someone once said, Love is a Dagger isn't it?