DISCLAIMER: None of what you recognise belongs to me - I wish it did but sadly it doesn't. Silent Witness, and all characters and storylines that you recognise from the show, all belong to the BBC. I can only take credit for story lines and characters which you do not recognise from the show.
When Nikki arrives at work at 8am, she crosses the lab and lays her laptop case on top of her desk, putting her handbag down on top of it. She unbuttons her coat and lays it across the back of her desk chair.
"Morning Nikki," Leo smiles at her from where he is leant against the doorway into his office. He holds a mug of steaming coffee in one hand, and has the other shoved into the pocket of his trousers. He holds his mug up and out in Nikki's direction. "Machine has only just finished brewing if you want one."
"Ok. Thanks," She smiles at Leo and heads to the small kitchenette in the corner of the office. "Any cases for me?"
"Not yet. Harry snagged the first one." Leo takes a sip from his mug.
"He's already here? What happened? Did he wet the bed or something?" Nikki giggles, stopping abruptly when she is whacked over the back of the head with a thin manila file.
She turns her head to see Harry stood behind her, barely an inch between their bodies. "I was on call last night, thank you very much. I got a rather rude awakening at 6am."
"Aww... Poor baby." Nikki reaches up and pinches Harry's cheek. He swats her hand away.
Leo turns back into his office when his phone rings. Nikki finishes making her coffee in a to-go cup and wanders into Leo's office. Leo hangs up the phone and shakes his head when he sees the hopeful look on her face. He grabs a pen and a pile of sticky notes from his desk and scribbles down an address.
"Go. Have fun."
Two hours later, Harry is back at his desk typing up his PM notes when a young girl wanders through the doors. This was unusual as the only way you could get through the doors to the offices was with a swipe card or if you knew the code. He watches her as she wanders over to his desk, trying to think of where he has seen her before or at least who she reminds him of.
"Hi. Erm, is my mum around?" She asked.
"Sorry but I'm erm..."Harry trailed off, not wanting to sound rude.
"Sorry, you'll probably know her as Nikki. Nikki Alexander?"
"Yes, she went to a crime scene about 2 hours ago now. She should be back soon." Harry replied not having registered what the girl had called Nikki in the first place. "Wait. Did you just call Nikki, mum? You're her daughter?"
"Yeah. I'm Katherine by the way."
"Harry Cunningham." He reaches out a hand for her to shake as he takes in her appearance. She has Nikki's eyes to match a smile he doesn't recognise. Her hair, despite being dark brown, almost black, is Nikki's too. She has on a black t-shirt which reads 'she died of love' in simple capital letters, almost as if no real thought had gone into the design. She's paired the top with a pair of burgundy skinny jeans that are velvet to the touch. Her feet show off a pair of black, suede, peep-toe wedges. Protecting her shoulder from the red mark her small leather handbag would leave was a black blazer with bold, white edges. Both heads turn as they hear a familiar feminine voice in the door way. "Shit."
"Mum!" Katherine screams as she drops her bag to the floor and runs over to Nikki, flinging her arms around her neck as she reaches her. Harry watches mother and daughter as Nikki wraps her arms around Katherine's back and hugs her in return.
"What are you doing here?" Nikki asks as she sets Katherine down at her desk before wandering round to Harry's and sitting on his knee before he can protest.
"You never told me you had a daughter." Harry whispers in her ear as he wraps his arms around her waist to keep her still. Nikki shushes him as she listens to her daughter's reply.
"I start at the university next week. I'm studying medicine," Katherine beamed, knowing that her mother will be proud of her. "Are you two going out or something?"
"What!" "No." Harry and Nikki reply in unison.
"Really?" The look on Katherine's face tells the pair she doesn't believe them.
"Yes, really Katie. Now, where I are you staying?" Nikki says bluntly.
"At the moment, in the uni digs. Not so keen on roommate though." Katherine tells them, hoping that her mum will take the hint. She has seen the student accommodation that was available and to say it was disgusting was giving it a compliment. Katie takes the break in the conversation to observe the way her mother has leant into Harry's arms more than is perhaps acceptable for 'best friends' as her mum has claimed they are in her many emails.
"Where's Leo gone?" Nikki turns in Harry's arm to face him, both parties missing the look they receive from the young woman sat across from them.
"He got a phone call just after you'd gone to your scene, then he left... without his brief case."
"Get your mind out of the gutter Harry." Nikki scolds him. "Just because Leo left the office without his brief case, doesn't mean he's doing what you're thinking he is."
"And where have you been? If Nikki or I were to leave in the middle of the day without saying anything, we'd get told off." Harry teased Leo as soon as he returns. "Not doing community service for DUI again are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous Harry." Leo scoffs as he looks out into the office to see a young girl with Nikki. "Who's that with Nikki? I didn't think the deceased on her case had any family to speak of?"
"Oh, that's Katherine. Nikki's secret-but-not-so-secret-anymore daughter." Harry says casually as Leo spits up his coffee over Harry.
"Nikki has a daughter?"
"Yup. She seems alright though. I'm going to quiz her about it tonight."
"Oh, are you two... you know? Together?"
"You're the second person to ask that today. Katie asked us earlier; and for the record, no we're not."
"Well, you better do something about it soon. She's not going to wait forever for you."
"I have no idea what you are on about Leo. I really don't." Harry knows he is wasting his breath by denying his feelings. These days he wears his feelings for everyone to see and he is surprised that Nikki hasn't figured things out by now.
"Oh, come on Harry. You must be blind, incredibly stupid, or both not to know how you feel about her. Just do something about it or I will." Leo tells his younger colleague.
"You know Leo asked if we were together earlier." Harry says as Nikki leans back into his chest. Harry has spent the evening with Nikki and Katie - he cooked for them, while they washed up. The three of them are now retired to the living room.
Katie shakes her head at her mother and Harry as she stands opposite them. "Right, I'm off to my room to watch TV and if you haven't told each other how you feel and sorted yourselves out by the time I come back in an hour, I'll do it for you." Katie bursts out, before turning and walking into Nikki's spare room.
"I think Leo and Katie have some sort of psychic connection." Harry jokes, running a soothing hand over Nikki's hair
"What do you mean?" Nikki is confused. Leo had never met Katie before. Had he?
"Well, today they've both asked me if we're together and now they've both said that if we don't do anything about it, then they will."
"I guess we better talk then." Nikki sighed.
"Well, most of the talking has already been done for us so, how about we start with Katie's story and we can say what is left to say later?"
"Ok. You comfortable?" Nikki felt Harry nod against the side of her head so she began her tale. "I was 17. It was August, just after my birthday when I found out. I'd just finished my first year in college. I was in the park with my friends, Maddie and Emma when their boyfriends and another guy came along. My friends and their guys were just sat there kissing while me and this other guy just..." Nikki shrugs. "...talked I guess. He seemed nice enough and none of the others were paying any interest in us so we left them to it.
"We met again at Maddie's birthday party a few weeks later and got talking again. We got a little drunk and one thing led to another. We started kissing but we were sober enough not fall into bed; just yet anyway. His name was Bradley. He had the most amazing smile. His eyes were as green as the grass and his hair was the darkest brown; like Katie's. Anyway, Emma's birthday was the week after and again she had a party. Bradley and I got a little drunker than we did at Maddie's party and we kind of well... fell into bed.
"I found out 2 months later when I'd missed one month and was late the next. Dad had chucked me out just after I turned 17 - something about fending for myself - so I was living with Bradley and his parents anyway. I never told my dad, he still doesn't know that he's a grandfather. I figured that he didn't deserve to know. They helped me a lot - Emma, Maddie, Bradley and his parents, I couldn't have done it without them. Her birthday is June 17th."
Harry frowned "So it was just a drunken fling then?"
"No." Nikki shook her head. "I loved him. I really did. But I knew that she would be better off staying with Bradley and his parents, instead of coming to Oxford when I went to uni. We kept in touch, Bradley and I. We emailed, called, and when Katie was old enough to understand we told her everything. She stayed with her dad but called me every weekend."
"And where is he now? This Bradley guy?" Harry brings his hand up and runs it through her hair.
"I don't know," Nikki shrugs." Katie used to live in Manchester before coming here so I guess he's still there."
"Right. Well, I erm... I don't really know what to say." He brings his hand up and scratches the back of his ear.
Nikki turns her head to look at him. "It's ok. I guess we should talk about the other thing."
"Yeah," Harry nods slowly. "Would it help if I told you I love you?"
Nikki pulls out of his arms and turns to face him, a smile lighting up her face. "It would yeah."
"Would it also help if I did this?" Harry leans forward and captures Nikki's lips under his. It isn't awkward; it isn't messy, like they both expect it to be. It isn't their first either. That happened a few years ago in a little pub, just outside of London.
After the hour is up, Katie wanders back into the room to find her mother and Harry locked in a tender embrace. "Well, I see you've talked things through then." She says, announcing her presence in the room and that their hour is up.
Nikki turns to Katie, and shy smile on her face. "Sort of."
"What do you mean sort of? Either you have or you haven't and from what I just saw, you have." Katie laughs.
Harry laughs, "She means that most of the talking has already been done for us so she told me about you and your dad. When we were done, I told her that I love her and we kissed."
"Yes, but you never gave me the chance to say it back." Nikki turns and looks up at Harry.
"Go on then." He smiles down at her.
"I love you too."