Der Liebestolle Mann
Chapter 1
Author's note: A new Harry/Nikki fanfic for all those Silent Witness fans out there, after an either satisfactory or not so satisfactory series 16, depending on your point of view. This is my first fic on these two so please review and tell me (honesty is good) what you thought! Btw, the title is in German, which translates as "the love crazed man". In the mean time, happy reading!
She had been staring out of the window, a little drunk but not out of control. She almost had to carry Harry into the taxi after leaving the restaurant. Thankfully, the taxi driver was nice enough and didn't tease her, simply asking how many stops and where to go. She replied two, to which the driver smiled, probably thinking that soon it would become one. But of course it wouldn't. It never did. As the beautifully lit up London glazed over Nikki's eyes, she heard Harry groan in his sleep. She smiled, knowing that he wouldn't be happy when she would inevitably have to wake him up. Tonight it had been a woman that turned out to be in debt and was only after Harry's money because of his job.
"Nikki..." he started murmuring, to which she turned to him to reply, but realized he was still asleep. Her smile slightly slackened.
"Nikki... Come... come ba-ck..." he said with a delicate tone and sadness, a frown appearing on his face. Suddenly she felt an urge to smooth it over, wishing him to be content as he usually was.
"Nikki!" said Harry, staring at her from across the two connected desks.
"Huh? Oh sorry," she said, blinking a couple of times. Damn it, she needed more sleep.
"You've been staring at me like that for 5 minutes. What's wrong?" asked Harry, but he was smirking, happy at finding a rare moment to catch her off guard.
"Nothing, nothing, just tired," she replied briskly, while mentally cursing herself for daydreaming about the previous weekend. What had that meant?
"Just tired," he repeated, giving her a knowing look, but she was composed and already back to typing, so he let it go. He knew her too well though, to notice something was on her mind.
"What would you think Harry, if I were to suddenly leave?" asked Nikki in all seriousness. It was out before she could even stop herself.
"Devastated, horrified, I would be crying and begging on my knees," said Harry over-dramatically, trying to make her laugh. But she didn't, and that troubled him.
"No, I really mean it. How would you feel?" she prodded again, and this time Harry stared at her with that slight blank look that he gave when he wanted to avoid a situation.
"You'd wish me well, with whatever it was I was doing," answered Nikki for him, just as he was about to answer, getting up and putting on her coat. "Is that right?"
But Harry did not immediately answer.
After observing her getting ready to go out finally he replied.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, staring at Nikki quizzically as she got her bag and phone.
"Wrong? Who said anything being wrong?" she asked ignorantly, but Harry noticed the slight tint of bitterness in her tone.
"I'm going out now. Probably won't be back till 3. See you soon. I guess that thing you murmured didn't mean anything," she said, but it seemed more to herself than to Harry. She had to get away from him before she completely lost it. She was just tired, that's all, tired. Take a break and everything will be fine, she kept telling herself. Giving Harry's blatant face a quick smile, she left before he could even let a word in. What was all that, thought Harry.