Harriet Makepeace felt as if she'd been in a barrel that had plunged over the huge drop of the Victoria Falls. The barrel had smashed to pieces and she'd feared she was drowning. As a realisation dawned that she was in fact still alive and had survived the traumatic fall DS Makepeace decided there must be some hope for life and some hope for 'everything else'. As she gazed up to where she had plummeted from she knew she wanted to be back up at the top.

Back at SI10 everyone expected Harry to miss Dempsey so they thought nothing much of her withdrawn state.

Dempsey rang the office after a couple of days saying he expected to be on call for the rest of the trial which could be 6 weeks or more. He asked if Harry was there but she waved a 'no' and Spikings shrugged his shoulders and passed that she was out of the office. 'Six weeks! Six months' thought Harry 'It made no difference ~ she would have to get on with her life and see if they could work together if he came back' ~ on that score she seemed to be the only one who doubted it.

Dempsey had left his contact number on Harry's answering machine and after a 5 days when he hadn't from her heard he rang again.

This time he chose a time when he knew she would be in. "Hi ya honey."

"Dempsey do you know what time it is"

"Oh I'd say about 4 in the morning"

"Then why are you ringing me?"

"May be because I'm missing you and" he paused "you've not phoned me"

"Should I want to?"

"We kinda didn't get to say good bye"

"I'm not very good at those I thought you may have realised that. Look Dempsey it's four in the morning and I was asleep"

"Ok I get the message, bye - oh Harry you listened to that song I told you?"

"Not yet"

"You should" he put the phone down 'but I have no idea which record you mean' she thought.

Over the next two weeks Dempsey rang SI10 twice more but missed Harry. She was glad. Whenever she was driving in her car she put the radio on - they never seemed to play this song he had mentioned 'time to think things over' was all she could remember: The most classic dumping line of all time – and as Dempsey had so deftly pointed out 'it ain't a date unless you've been asked' so technically she hadn't even been dumped!

Harry sat on a stool in Stringfellows nightclub nursing a flute of champagne. She had taken just one sip – the bitter taste it invoked was out of her control. She watched everyone else dance, laugh and fawn over each other; yet another tear rose and threatened to overflow her brimming eyes. All she could picture was Dempsey, jacket sleeves pushed up, turning to her at the bar and despite all her will power and wishing she couldn't make him appear there tonight. For well over an hour she didn't move, just pushed herself backwards into the wall in an attempt to fade into non existance. Michael spotted her and came and sat next to her.

"What's the matter Harry?"

"Nothing"

"That's not true"

"Nothing that anyone wants to bother with"

"I do" he insisted

"Michael go and enjoy yourself; I'm sorry I came, I'll get a taxi home" Harry made to stand in order to leave

Michael pulled her back down and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his chest. Feeling the protective wrap of a strong arm set Harry off into floods of tears. "So that's the response of nothing is it?" Michael whispered.

Harry tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes but they still fell.

"This has to be about Jim" he ventured

"It doesn't have to"

"Well tell me it isn't then" Harry remained silent "You two've not split have you?" Michael asked

"We weren't together to split" such facts tore Harry apart

"You were very much together at that concert at the Kenwood Bowl"

"We weren't officially together" was all she could say

"Well you were the two most in love lovers that I saw that day"

"Michael you don't think it was just..." she paused "one sided?"

"Harry I was so jealous of Jim"

"Michael you're gay" a tiny smile flickered at the corner of Harry's mouth at Michaels comment

"Shush! watching you two together – gosh if I could have been in there with you – you never know it might have turned me"

"No it wouldn't" that smile emerged for a fleeting moment across Harrys face

"Ok may be not" Michael admitted "but I was so jealous of the closeness between the two of you; god you both touched and stroked each other and Oooo Harry I wanted you to feed me like that for god's sake"

The music played and they both watched the crowds for a few minutes

"Michael?"

"Ask away Harry"

"Why would he want time to think things over?"

"I don't know honey" Michael squeezed her shoulders "– may be he got scared of the big step"

"What big step? Dating isn't a big step"

"Yeh but Harry when you get to our age guys don't tend to go in for dating without thinking where it might go. You want to tell me what happened?"

She shook her head

"Well anytime Harry, I'm always here and..." he looked at her eyes still shining with the excess tears and dared to wipe one away that had made it's way onto her cheek "don't give up yet – if he has a bit of space it might help him make the right decision."

Harry nodded and prayed for it to come true

"I'll call you a taxi" Michael offered. As they stood on the street waiting for the taxi Harry was silent, Michael decided to see her to her door. Harry turned her key in the lock then turned to him "Thank you" she murmured
"Remember, love never gives up" Michael kissed her cheek and returned to the party.