"Oh for crying out loud, Ray, come here."

Bodie reached across the narrow aisle, tweaked his partner's tie straight. Doyle made a half-hearted effort to bat Bodie's hand away, then sank back on the hard plastic chair.

"What's eating you?" Bodie asked in his best urbane manner. He wore a suit of pale grey. It reminded Doyle of how he had looked thirty years ago, at their first meeting. He'd been in the stiff blue wool of his dress uniform, whereas Bodie...well, Bodie had been Bodie. The lapels had been wider, the trousers almost obscene, but even then he'd had that indefinable air of careless elegance. It was still there today, leaving the pair of them as distinct as they had ever been. Doyle knew that no matter how carefully he dressed he'd never, ever achieve that look. He'd taken an hour getting ready this morning, which was fifty minutes longer than he usually needed. But then again, his hands had been shaking...

"What's eating me?" He leaned forward, lowering his voice. These big civic buildings always echoed. "For God's sake, Bodie, how can you be so calm? This is so damn big -- if we screw this up --"

"Oh lighten up, Ray." Bodie quirked that eyebrow of his. "You've been up before worse. What about that Mather woman? You weren't like a cat on hot bricks with her."

"I was angry then. It kept me going."

"Ah, the impetuous rage of youth."

"Yeah, well, now I'm older and wiser, and I don't mind telling you, Bodie, I'm terrified."

"Why? What's to be scared of?"

"Everything!" Doyle stood up so fast that the legs of his chair scraped back on the marble floor.

"Hey! Don't tell me you're getting cold feet after all this time!"

Doyle had started to pace up and down, slapping his fist into his palm. "You know I hate this sort of thing. Always have." A door opened further down the corridor and he twisted with his old grace. "Is that us?"

"They'll call us! For Christ's sake, Ray, calm down!"

"All right, all right!" Doyle flung himself into the chair again. Absently, he twisted the knot of his tie loose. "I just wish they'd get a move on. I hate this hanging around -"

"I can't do this without you, Ray." That brought Doyle's head snapping up. Bodie leaned forward. "Look. We've been through this a hundred times. The witnesses are here. The whole of CI5 is behind us. It's just you and me and God knows we're the best team there is. We've waited years for this, Ray, I'm damned if I'm letting you drop out now!"

Doyle looked up and with a shock as sharp as a slap Bodie saw tears shimmering in those sea-blue eyes.

"Oh God, Ray! I'm sorry! I didn't mean --oh, sh -"

"Shut up." Doyle dashed his hand across his eyes. "Shut up, you dumb crud." Despite himself, Bodie managed a smile at the old insult.

"Jeez, Ray, don't do that to me -- not on day like this --"

"Then don't talk daft. You don't seriously think I'd run out on you? Leave you to face that lot on your own?"

"'Course not. I --"

"Shoulder to shoulder, mate. Like it always has been."

"I know. Oh, God, this is us --"

They broke off as the heavy oak door beside them swung open. A solemn-faced woman, clad in severe black, looked up and down the corridor. "Mr Bodie? Mr Doyle? We are ready for you now."

And after that, it was all a blur. Talking about it later, one of them said he could remember the smell of beeswax polish from the panelling. Both recalled the muted red and gold of the coat of arms that hung high on the wall. Bodie had seen Murphy, Doyle Jax; their friends, there to support them at this final trial.

The solemn woman led them to a couple of plain wooden chairs at the front of the room. Bodie caught Ray's gaze, nodded to the scruffy tie, so Doyle rolled his eyes and tweaked the knot.

The woman cleared her throat. Shuffled some papers. The atmosphere in the room stilled, grew tense and expectant. Bodie and Doyle exchanged a glance. The woman spoke.

"We welcome you here today on this very special occasion of deep significance for William and Raymond. Today they will affirm their love and publicly declare their commitment to each other. This place in which you are now met has been duly sanctioned according to law for the registration of civil partnerships."

Doyle looked at Bodie, Bodie looked at Doyle. These were vows, made as they stood together, their friends and colleagues at their backs. Shoulder to shoulder. As it always had been.

And from today, as it always would be.

-- THE END --

May 2007