Author note:

Hi all, straight to the matter in hand: this is a Dimitri/Erin fic :)

Let's face it, Harry and Ruth were THE couple in Spooks, but by the end of the final ever episode in this incredible series I just couldn't shrug the feeling that, had the writers been able to do an entire season instead of the mere six episodes, they would have developed Dimitri & Erin into a plausible couple too.

But for those of us who stepped onto the Dimitri/Erin ship over the past few weeks, all we had was a handful of scenes that gave us the impression there could've been so much more. One episode in particular being the fourth episode of the tenth and final season.
Which is where this fic leads from, filling in the blanks between scenes that happened towards the end of the fourth episode, culminating in a scene that would've been flaming wonderful had the writers addressed the sexual tension that they may or may not have been aware they'd written.

Dimitri/Erin shippers, enjoy!

Dimitri pulled up to the address he'd been given. He had to give it to Erin, she'd found herself a nice looking neighbourhood to live in. Not that she was there half as much as he knew she wished she was. He turned in his seat slightly as he turned off the ignition of his car and looked at the little girl who sat innocently in the back seat. She had no idea what sort of danger she'd been in, that the man who had picked her up from school hadn't actually been a friend of Mummy's but a terrorist. Even as Dimitri thought about it, he realised just how absurd it sounded. But she was safe now, he'd got there just in time, and he smiled at Rosie as the five year old swung her legs slightly on top of the booster seat which he always had in the boot of his car on the rare occasion his sister popped by with his little nephew.

As Dimitri unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car he wondered what sort of state Erin was going to be in. He'd spoken to her on the phone while he and Rosie had sat in the living room of the terrorist's house, waiting for the police to quietly arrive and remove the dead body that was out in the hall. He didn't want to taint the little girl's innocence by exposing her to a dead body at such a young age, and he knew Erin wouldn't have wanted that for her daughter either. He remembered how frantic the woman had sounded on the phone:

ERIN: Dimitri? Is she alright? Is Rosie alright?

Dimitri couldn't help a small smile as he looked over at the five year old who was currently sat staring in a trance at the TV while she held a pen precariously over a picture she'd been colouring in, in her favourite colour Pink, so she had told him animatedly.

DIMITRI: Erin she's fine. Unharmed and currently transfixed on…Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse?

He said it in a questioning tone, not entirely sure that that was the correct title of the programme they were watching, but he could tell by the small breath of air that Erin had exhaled that he was probably right.

ERIN: Yeah, it's her favourite. She's watched so many she can quote most of the episodes…

And true enough, Dimitri looked over at the little girl who spoke words every now and again at the same time as the TV. He couldn't help but smile at how well his colleague knew her own daughter.

ERIN: I'm on my way home. When can you get here?

Dimitri hesitated. He'd been so intent on getting to Rosie before anything happened to her that he hadn't even considered he would have to take her home. He was just so relieved she was safe.

DIMITRI: Oh…well, the police are just clearing the body and then we should be able to leave. I don't want her to see it you know…

ERIN: Yeah…thanks…okay well I'll send you my address and will be here ready and waiting.

Dimitri slammed the door of his car particularly hard, knowing full well Erin would be listening out for any sign that her daughter might be home. As he opened the passenger door, he watched protectively as the little girl held a hand out for him to help her slide out of the car. Her hand felt so tiny in his and as she landed beside him he shut the door behind her before placing a hand protectively on her shoulder. He'd almost got her home, but not quite yet. As they walked over to the pavement, Dimitri heard a front door opening and he looked up to see the familiar figure of his colleague running down the steps of her house towards her little girl who had held her arms out expectantly. His smile softened to one of sympathy as he watched Erin wrap her arms tightly around Rosie, the look on her face that of a woman who had thought she'd lost everything. For a fleeting moment Dimitri hesitated, feeling nervous that he was seeing this side to his senior colleague for the first time. Seeing a sense of venerability that Erin simply never showed. As her eyes glanced up towards him, she strengthened again, her emotions becoming boxed up as she scooped her daughter up and walked back into the house. She'd locked her emotions away again in a heartbeat. Dimitri followed, after all he was left holding Rosie's school bags and he presumed she would need them. He made to follow them into the house but hesitated at the front door, not entirely sure if Erin wanted him to come into the house. After all it was her place away from work. Her secret place. There had always been a reason why no one knew where she lived and that was because she'd never given out her address. He always supposed it was a way of her keeping her private life separate to her work. If she saw him in her house it would eradicate the boundaries. Her home would no longer feel like home, but more like work. So he stood and waited to find out if he was or wasn't invited in.

Erin brought her daughter into the living room, placing her on the sofa and feeling slightly empty as she watched the five year old wriggle out of her arms and run over to turn the TV on. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Rosie, worried that if she stopped watching her she might disappear again. Disappear. She rolled her eyes as she thought about the word, as though Rosie had ran away. Kidnapped was the word she should be using. She would be having a very serious discussion with the head teacher of her daughter's school about the method of picking up and dropping off children. There must be a more secure way. Erin's thoughts suddenly drifted to her mother, the woman who'd been given the responsibility to pick Rosie up. Why hadn't she heard from her yet? After all, if her mother had been at the school surely she would be inquiring as to the whereabouts of her Granddaughter? For a moment Erin's heart dropped, her mind wondering if the terrorists had captured her...or worse... She reached over to the coffee table as she watched Rosie dancing along to the TV, and quickly collected the house phone, clicking on a speed-dial number and calling it, her heart skipping a beat as she heard her mother speaking down the phone in a relaxed voice:

ERIN: Mum? It's me. Where are you?

She sat back on the sofa, pushing her long flowing dark brown hair back and letting out a sigh as her mother explained that she was out at the Bingo with friends after receiving her text about not needing to pick Rosie up from school:

ERIN: Oh, right. Well I'm home early so you don't need to worry about rushing back. I'll see you later Mum.

Erin shook her head as she placed the phone back down on the table. So the terrorist had somehow managed to send a message to her mother seemingly from her to tell her not to worry about picking Rosie up. So much for trying to keep her personal life separate from work, for attempting to keep her mother and daughter away from danger. What a mess.

ROSIE: Mummy…

Erin looked over at her daughter who looked back with a confused look on her face as Mickey Mouse pranced about on the TV behind her. She made a mental note to try and find a new programme for her daughter to become obsessed with.

ERIN: Yes sweetie?

ROSIE: What about the man?

Erin's heart sank. Dimitri had told her that Rosie hadn't seen the dead man in the house's corridor. So why was she asking about him? Erin began to panic. What could she possibly say? That he'd been sleeping? But she had no idea what state the terrorist had been in after Dimitri had shot him, there might have been blood everywhere..

ERIN: What man?

She watched, perplexed as her daughter turned her focus back on the TV, talking slowly as she paid no attention to what had just been said:

ROSIE: You know, the man…I cant remember his name…

ERIN: Well I don't know who you're talking about, so if you cant remember his name then I can't help… Do you want a juice?

Erin stood up to make her way to the back of the room where the open plan kitchen stood but she paused as she heard her daughter's words:

ROSIE: I mean, the man who brought me home!

Dimitri stood patiently on the step leading up to the front door of the house. From what he could see of the interior it looked very Erin. Plain, with the odd feminine touches here and there. He could hear the now familiar sound of Mickey Mouse coming from what he presumed was the TV indoors. He was surprised about how long he'd been standing there. Had Erin expected him to follow her indoors? To close the door behind him and to follow her and Rosie into the living room? Maybe she'd just wanted him to leave the bags in the hallway and leave the house, closing the door on his way out. Before thinking too much longer he watched as Erin rushed into the hallway, looking at him as though she was surprised followed by relieved to still see him there.

Dimitri saw her take a deep breath before slowly walking towards him with an apologetic look on her face. In that moment he knew that she'd completely forgotten he was there, that she'd been so wrapped up in relief that her daughter was home and safe that it didn't matter about anyone else. And in that moment Dimitri suddenly felt sad. Not a normal emotion that overtook him, after all he was never really close enough to anyone to feel sad about anything. But over the months since Erin had joined MI:5 he'd felt an indescribable connection to her. Initially he'd been slightly overcome by her stunning features, sharp blue eyes, strong cheek bones, a short slender figure, with beautiful long flowing dark hair. His attraction to her had always clouded any dislike that other members of the team had first held for her competitive, often bossy and head strong approach to work. And it was possible this initial attraction had helped them form a strong working relationship. He was always quick to defend her and in time she'd become quick to defend him. Both were the first to tell the other if they were doing something wrong and in time Dimitri had become used to her appearance, to her workaholic nature, to her inability to reveal any feelings or emotion she might have, or her reluctance to reveal any of her past or personal life. He understood that things must have happened to her in the past to make her this way, it wasn't just the training given to trainee MI:5's, there was more to it than that. And for the first time in four months, as he stood on her doorstep, having just spent the afternoon rescuing her daughter from danger, he hoped with his whole heart that she might invite him in. Not only to her house, but also her heart. Even if it was just a little bit. It was the least she could do.

Dimitri shuffled his feet nervously as Erin reached out and took the school bags, a small grateful smile on her face. He forced a smile back as he watched her blue eyes stare into his, as though she were desperately attempting to read his mind. She cleared her throat and Dimitri prepared himself for a dismissal. But it never came and the words trickled out of her mouth with a hint of nervousness to them:

ERIN: Would you like a cup of tea?

Dimitri had the feeling she hadn't uttered those words to a man in a long time and he wondered if she'd even invited a man into the house before. Rosie was proof that there had been a man in her life once upon a time, but he wasn't sure what the chances were of him ever finding out about Rosie's Dad. With a sigh of relief he smiled as her smile grew:

DIMITRI: Definitely.

Erin heard the man behind her close the large front door, she passed the living room door, taking a glance inside just to check that Rosie was still there. True to form, the five year old was singing along to a song on the TV and Erin couldn't help the smile on her face. She loved her daughter so much. She was practically the only being on the planet that could bring a smile to her face, and that was one of the reasons why she loved her so. Erin continued through to the kitchen as she heard Dimitri shrug his coat off and hang it up on the coat stand. As she rounded the corner into the kitchen that opened up into the living room where Rosie sang, Erin reached out to the kettle and flicked it on, standing perfectly still while watching it begin to boil. She strained her ears for any sign of her colleague but she couldn't hear him. All of a sudden out of the corner of her eye, she saw him approach her, leaning against the work surface beside her, his finger accidentally resting against hers. Her immediate reaction was to pull her hand away, but she didn't. She wasn't sure why. If this had happened at work she would've walked away by now, but being in her own home calmed her. Relaxed her. Made her comfortable about being herself around a man, something she'd struggled to do for so many years. And this was Dimitri. A man who had noticed every flicker of emotion that she had ever accidentally revealed. He knew she was human, that she had feelings, that she had a past she desperately held onto as a secret. He knew all of these things without ever having to talk to her. And it was because of that that she felt closer to him than any other person she'd ever worked with. He just seemed to always understand.

Erin took a deep breath as the kettle almost boiled, and looked up into his soft brown eyes as he looked over at her. She could feel her heart begin to beat a little faster and, despite her brain telling her to look away, to not fall for the look he was giving her, she couldn't tear her eyes from his gaze. It were looks like that that always got her into trouble. As the kettle clicked, she felt a pat on her hip and almost jumped as a little voice piped up beside her:

ROSIE: Mummy, can I have a drink?

Erin quickly looked down at her daughter as she heard Dimitri walking to a different part of the kitchen. She shrugged off the slight feeling of disappointment that a 'moment' between them had been ruined and raised her eyebrows at the little girl who looked up at her expectantly:

ERIN: You can if you use the magic word…

She began to walk to the fridge as her daughter spoke in a long voice:

ROSIE: Pleeeeeeease?

Erin reached into the fridge, pulling out a fruit shoot that the five year old quickly raced over to collect. She tried her hardest not too look over at her colleague as Rosie handed her the lid to the bottle of juice, but her curiosity couldn't resist knowing what look he had on his face and she glanced over at him as he smiled mock-excitably at Rosie who had shown him the bottle of Fruit Shoot with glee before running back into the living room. Erin couldn't understand why she felt almost excited about how well he interacted with her daughter. It wasn't like Rosie was ever going to see him after today, especially as she wanted to keep work and anyone at work strictly away from her personal life. But…did she? Dimitri had already proved that he could look after Rosie, even if it had only been for about an hour and a half. And Rosie was renowned for being a quiet, shy little girl around new people, but for some reason she felt comfortable enough around Dimitri to be the happy, chatty little girl Erin knew and loved. Could he really have what it took to be a part of their lives, even if it was just as a friend?

DIMITRI: Penny for them…?

Erin jumped as she heard the words leave his lips and she quickly turned to a cupboard to pull out two mugs and two tea bags whilst clearing her throat nervously. Why was she nervous? She never got nervous. As she prepared the cups of tea she tried to think of something to say:

ERIN: Milk or sugar?

DIMITRI: Milk but no sugar-

ERIN/DIMITRI: -Sweet enough.

The two paused, laughing nervously at their similar attitude towards tea. Erin handed a mug of tea over to her colleague before taking her own and leaning against the work surface to face him. She watched, inspecting his lips as they blew the steam from his mug of tea. She was aware that she was staring, but she didn't care, she was too tired to care. It had been a long, stressful day. One which had a happy ending thanks to the man stood before her.

ERIN: So, do you have anyone to go home to? I mean, I have Rosie and usually my Mum…

She knew the question was a very personal one. One that, had the boot been on the other foot, she would've immediately closed up and dodged having to answer. She hesitated and the kitchen fell silent as Dimitri unintentionally burnt his tongue on the hot tea. But after letting out a little cough he smiled, and she relaxed once again, relieved that he wasn't going to run away:

DIMITRI: Nope, just me. And a fish.

Dimitri watched with a laugh as the woman across from him raised her eyebrows in intrigue and surprise. He loved the way she reacted to things, almost emotionlessly with the exception of her eyebrows.

DIMITRI: My sister insisted on getting me something to keep me company, but as I'm not home enough to look after a dog or a cat she was kind enough to get me a fish.

He watched as Erin shuffled her feet, clearly pleased to have been fed some pieces of information about his personal life. He had to admit it was weird to have spent almost everyday of the past four months with her, but barely knowing her at all. He'd only found out she was a mother the week before last, when one of their work colleagues, Callum, indiscreetly blurted it out whilst venting his frustration with her method of leadership.

ERIN: And what's your fish's name?

DIMITRI: James…

ERIN: As in..?

DIMITRI: James Bond. Yes.

His heart skipped a beat as he heard her let out a small giggle. A rare giggle. It was nice to see her looking so relaxed. She looked so beautiful when she was relaxed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rosie walk into the kitchen again with an unhappy look on her face:

ROSIE: Mummy, I'm hungry…

Dimitri watched as Erin looked up at the large clock above the kitchen door, the once relaxed look on the woman's face turning stressed again, and he desperately wanted to make it disappear.

ERIN: Gosh its way past dinner time!

Dimitri had to catch his breath for a moment as Erin paced up to him quickly, reaching past his right arm for something on the work surface beside him. He froze, unable to remember a time when she'd been this close to him, so close that the space they shared made everything seem intimate. The smell of her perfume, something that always made him feel so comfortable, wafted over him as he inhaled slightly. He felt her body grazing against his as she pulled away from the work surface and held out a takeaway menu. From the look on her face he could tell she hadn't really taken any notice of that moment. Whether it was because she couldn't regard him as anything more than a work colleague, or whether she'd noticed the tension but refused to act on it, or maybe because he was being a complete fool still overcome by her beauty from the first time he'd met her all those months ago he wasn't sure. He watched her pick up the house phone as Rosie followed her about the room excitably yelling 'Pizzaaaa!'

With a sigh, he placed his mug of tea down, not wanting to disturb their evening any more. He wasn't even sure why he was still there. Why had he agreed to tea? He was tired, usually he'd jump at the chance of going home early, of settling down in front of the TV with a couple of beers before going to bed. But instead he'd jumped at the chance of taking Rosie home, wanting to be the one to take her, not some police officer in the back of their car, wanting to be the one to return her to her mother, the possibility of Erin inviting him into her house being too good an opportunity to miss.

ERIN: Dee, do you like pineapple?

Dimitri spun out of his thoughts and looked over at the woman who had called over to him from the living room, the house phone held against her chest as she paused relaying her order to the delivery company while she waited for his response. He hesitated, sensing the confusion that had involuntarily wiped over his face, but she raised her eyebrows at him matter-of-factly:

ERIN: Don't you dare think about leaving here without letting me buy you dinner, it's the least I can do after all you've done today.

Dimitri couldn't help the smile that grew on his face as Erin unknowingly told him off, having realised that he'd been close to leaving. As if having dinner with Erin wasn't enough of an excuse to stay, Rosie had done her bit at persuading him to have dinner. The look of excitement on the little girl's face as she raced up to Dimitri and bounced enthusiastically in front of him was enough to make his heart melt:

ROSIE: Are you going to have Pizza with us too Dimitri?

DIMITRI: Yeah, looks like I am…

Comments & Reviews would be wonderful :)
I've already written the whole story so just proof-reading before I upload so expect the next chapter very very soon!
Aggghhh I love Erin/Dimitri!