Title: Nothing Short of Everything
Rating: Same as the show...T I guess.
Summary: Valentines Day 2012. If neither Harry nor Nikki have plans, why are they telling each other that they do?
Pairing: Harry/Nikki
Disclaimer: I own it all. I am the BBC, I have Emilia and Tom chained up in my cellar...jk. I don't even own a dvd boxset.

Monday 13th February 2012

"So, which unsuitable man have you got lined up for tomorrow night then?" Nikki glanced across her desk at Harry who was pretending to be concentrating on his monitor, probably looking at nothing more than his desktop or a game of solitaire.

"That is for me to know and you to torment yourself with." She didn't have any plans but teasing Harry rarely involved telling the actual truth and it felt comfortingly familiar, like old times. Maybe she should have mentioned the fire-fighter they'd met on an arson case before Hungary, a time Nikki had since thought of as BH whenever she was forced to think of those events at all. Most of the time she tried to pretend Hungary was Harry's crisis…that she'd been on the periphery of events, barely involved…completely unaffected. Of course that was utter bollocks but it was easier to concentrate on Harry and his loss than to contemplate the magnitude of hers, however temporary it had proved to be.

BH, Jack had made it pretty clear that he wouldn't be averse to getting to know her better…then during the PMs Harry had made a comment about her sliding down Jack's pole. Turning her attention back to the present and her essentially finished report wasn't enough to keep the smile off Nikki's face as she remembered the almost jealous undertone to Harry's jokes. It was rather endearing when he got threatened by men who meant, if not nothing, then very little to her.

Harry's gazed flicked over to her face and recognised the secretive smile. His plans for the two of them died a quick and silent death. There was an unsuitable man in her life at the moment. Damn. Well he wasn't going to offer beer, fast food and the least romantic DVDs Blockbuster had to offer as an alternative. He wasn't selfish enough to want her cancelling on his account just so he wasn't one of the millions of people alone on Valentine's Day. Nikki deserved to be happy, more to the point she deserved to have a social life that didn't revolve around making him feel better…god knows she'd done enough of that to earn a night off.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" He didn't look up from the computer screen; sure she'd see something he'd rather she didn't.

"Oh nothing special, during the day I thought I'd push back the boundaries of forensic science then in the evening charm an adoring twenty-five year old lingerie model into my bed." Nikki's childish laugh filled the quiet office.

God he loved her giggle. If Nikki was giggling then all was right with the world…which was actually more or less true at the moment.

He still felt guilty for his part in Anna's murder, still mourned her death and the loss of a child…but it didn't consume him anymore. He'd always regret that argument, always think that if he hadn't had the emotional maturity of a frat boy, she wouldn't have died…but it wasn't him who inflicted her injuries. He didn't kill her, didn't arrange her death, or know about it and fail to stop it. It wasn't his fault. A statement it had taken him months to make and far longer to believe.

Things were better now, thanks to Nikki…Leo too but mostly Nikki. Tomorrow would be the first time he'd wanted her company and not got it since the three of them came home. He hadn't expected to feel as jilted as he did…and jealous. It would have been quite pleasant to be the one wining and dining Nikki, taking her out, taking her home…

Harry stopped his train of thought in its tracks. Was he actually considering dating Nikki? It seemed so. She might well be the only woman with who the thought of a serious relationship didn't scare the hell out of him. The relationship they had was already pretty damn serious anyway. Falling in love with her would happen fairly instantaneously, he was sure he'd been halfway there for years…only now he wanted to do something about it.

Jesus. Leo was going to be absolutely insufferable. Although on reflection it seemed like a small price to pay for what he could potentially gain.

A ball of paper hit him square in the face, it was quickly followed by another giggle. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Harry retrieved the projectile his colleague had so thoughtfully aimed at his head and threw it back at her. Unfortunately she caught it and put it in the bin.

"Spoilsport. That could have been an amusing distraction for at least another five minutes."

"Sorry, I want to finish this before I go. I'd rather not have homework over the weekend."

"Oh." It must have been pretty serious with this new bloke if she was spending all weekend with him. Shit. Was he an awful person for hoping Nikki's latest boy-toy would quickly be exposed as defective, the same way all the others had been?

"She must be some twenty-five year old." Harry frowned in Nikki's direction, now knowing he couldn't think about her and carry on a conversation at the same time…an understandable development but it had developed rather fast.

"What?"

"I was talking to you for ten minutes before and you didn't even blink…then you space out again. Your model must be quite a woman." If only she knew.

"Oh…she is."

Harry just hoped Nikki's date realised how fortunate he was.

Lucky bastard.