This story is based around Wheelman. Series 2 Episode 2.
Dempsey discovered from the front of the Evening Standard that Makepeace had been undercover alone, on a job where several guys had ended up dead. He stormed into Spikings office waving the paper in his hand
As he faced off to Dempsey Spikings felt a strange mix of emotion. He was the guy who watched out for Harry, made sure she was safe. He, Spikings, had watched her rather like a father figure as she rose within the force, protected her. He had tried to find the balance for her between experience and safety, between using her skills on the street and at the desk she had the fairly rare ability to be good with her mind as well as her gun. It was exceptional for a woman to be in a role like Makepeace's. Anyway he had always looked out for her, worried about her, felt relief at news of her safety and now Dempsey was usurping him and that produced envy.
But coming from a totally different angle he felt relief: It had only been a two weeks back that Dempsey had threatened to walk out on them both. Technically he knew Dempsey was not safe to go back to New York and wouldn't be welcomed but he had wondered what had made him rescind his decision to quit; was it to do with the lack of safety in New York or was it to do with Makepeace? He knew if it was the former he would have to consider gradually working Dempsey with the other guys but the latter meant this teaming that actually produced such good police results could continue. Both Dempsey and Makepeace, he reflected, still had a great deal to learn from the other. Part of the reason he had let Harry go off and do this on her own had been to give the two of them breathing space; Dempsey phrase had been 'that he'd had it up to here with 'Tinkerbelle''. Harry, he had heard on the grapevine, had expressed huge frustration with Dempsey to his face. This was looking as if they had actually sorted their dispute and were back on track. Dempsey did care about Makepeace!
That Dempsey did care about Makepeace was also James' thoughts. Two divergent threads also wove though Dempsey's mind as he shouted into Spikings face. As much as he had said he couldn't work with her, he knew he would and wanted to. He was getting used to London and he really didn't want to handle learning to work with someone else; what was more, he actually liked working with Harry, she was a good cop and that mattered a hell of a lot to him.
When he had found those damn keys in his pocket he had realised that he was caught rather like a fish on a line. He was still trying to work out whether his speedy return to London was related to him falsely accusing Harry or, as he suspected, he really didn't want to go. It came back to doing good police work, and he and Makepeace did that.
But it was his job to safeguard her, they were partners and he held strong views on partner loyalty. It was also his role to protect her, she was a vulnerable woman. Those two facts didn't always sit comfortably together at all. Did his concern for her safety right now rise from the partner or the male protector and was it possible to unravel one from the other?
Harry felt better when the shot of vodka went down her throat; the situation had blown up far greater than anticipated but she had handled it well and she was pleased with herself but she doubted that Spikings would be; he had demanded her to leave her gun behind and play everything very low key and just see how the ground lie. She also doubted that Dempsey would be happy by being left out of the picture but that didn't bother her, she was fed up with him, no she thought, she was confused by him.
She hadn't had to give Tom any info for his article - after all he had been there. Now she was waiting for him in the pub. She brightened up immensely as Tom came in and kissed her cheek; happy memories flooded back; they had spent a content couple of months together before deciding that it wasn't a relationship with long term potential. There had been nothing in particular and no falling out, the clash of working hours had meant it had been hard to spend enough time together but that hadn't been the real problem; there just hadn't been a spark.
She enjoyed his attentions and laughed at his suggestion about using his flat but realistically she wanted to keep her cover up and so needed somewhere to stay. She persuaded him that their cover was not one of them being in a relationship and that may be it would be better if could be else where. Tom had even suggested he stayed with a neighbour, that way he could keep an eye on her. With great reluctance he had agreed deciding to stay with a work colleague for a few days to give Harry the space to build up her cover.
How could Spikings put her in a position of danger? As he calmed down Dempsey guessed Makepeace would have underplayed any danger. She was a tough chick and that was what made her a good partner. He suddenly realised that Spikings had given them both work and watches to do with other SI10 staff, that he and Harry hadn't had much of a chance to say anything about the resolution to their dispute. He wasn't given to allowing himself the vulnerability of being wrong and secretly he felt a little ashamed that he hadn't formally admitted culpability, however he felt reassured that Harry knew. Likewise he knew that one day the silver dollar, now in her possession, would resurface and an opportunity to apologise would arise. There were more pressing dilemmas to be concerned about, for one why the heck was he feeling jealous, wondering about this guy whose flat she was staying in?
As she sat waiting for Dempsey to arrive Harry had time to reflect on her relationship status. She had been so busy at work, especially since Dempsey had arrived, she had barely had time to realise she didn't have one but spending the day with Tom had reminded her and right now she missed being charmed and wooed, flirting and winning the attention of someone, the butterflies of getting ready to go on a date, the interest of a good looking guy, a soft caress and a kiss, somewhere else for her mind to go other than work. Gosh it had been too long she realised as she was brought back to the present by the door bell.