"You go on in. We just want to look at something." Jack grabbed Nikki by the hand and pulled her away from them.

Thomas shook his head and Max stared after them. "Don't worry - he does that all the time!" Clarissa chuckled.

"Yeah, I've noticed! Max answered, "and Nikki just goes along with it?"

"Yep! She says that someone needs to watch him!" Clarissa chuckled again. The three of them headed into the pub.

*Outside...*

"Urm... Jack, Where are we going?" Jack was purposefully walking along the path pulling Nikki behind him, by the hand. "Jack?" she repeated, slightly louder this time and when he still didn't respond, "honey?" A term of endearment from her always seemed to successfully attract his attention when his own name didn't.

He looked back at her. "Huh?"

"Where are we going?" she repeated, quietly. When they had left the others outside the pub, they had crossed the road and were now walking along beside the river Thames.

"Er..." Jack started in a distracted tone, searching around him as they walked. "ah, here it is." He had finally spotted what he'd been looking for.

They arrived at the open drain. It had clearly been opened up for works. "Are you serious?! Oh Jack, not again!" Nikki protested, loudly. Jack chuckled at her and nodded with a mischievous grin. "No Jack, you are not..." He raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, I'm certainly not..." Jack turned so they were facing each other and wrapped his arms around her waist. She automatically returned the gesture and put her arms around him. "No, Jack, we are not..." she repeated, but her resolve was weakening. She sighed, "What's in it for me?"

"You'll be with me." He stated simply and smirked at her. Nikki looked unconvinced. "Come on, Nikki. It will give you lovely memories of the first case we worked on together." He chuckled, pulling her closer and tightening his grip on her waist.

Nikki sighed. "Jack...!." She protested feebly. She leaned her forehead on his chest and he knew he was winning.

"Come on darling, please?" He whispered softly. "for me?"

She sighed again and looked up at him. "Jack, if I drown down there, I will come back and haunt you!" She told him crossly.

"Ok, understood!" he chuckled.

*Back in the pub...*

Clarissa checked the time. "How much longer are they going to be?! I'm getting hungry!"

Thomas sighed. "Get some more drinks in, Max. I'll go and see if I can find them!" He'd seen them cross the road and knew they general direction they'd gone in, so he headed that way.

They were standing next to an open drain when Thomas first saw them. They had their arms around each other and presently, he saw Jack place a kiss on the top of Nikki's head, before turning and sitting down on the edge of the drain, with his long legs dangling in it. Oh, surely he wasn't going to...?

Thomas sped up and reached the drain just as Nikki began following Jack down it. "What the hell are you doing?!" he retorted.

"We'regoingswimminginthesewer!" Jack informed him from somewhere in the depths. His strong Irish accent and the echoing of the sewer made his reply unintelligible.

Thomas looked confused. "You're what?"

Nikki giggled. "He said 'we're going swimming in the sewer' Thomas looked appalled.

Nikki giggled again. "The victim's mobile is emitting a signal. Jack thinks it's in here." She explained.

"Why does it have to be you two?!" Thomas retorted again.

"BECAUSE...THE...POL-ICE...ARE...USELESS!" came Jack's booming reply, with a pause in between each word to make sure Thomas could hear him.

"Did you get that?" Nikki asked Thomas, innocently.

Thomas sighed. "Yes, Nikki, it was a very 'Jack' kind of statement!"

"I couldn't stop him" Nikki informed Thomas, indicating Jack. "and someone has to keep an eye on him!" She started climbing down again.

"Well, what about dinner?" Thomas asked.

"Start without us and we'll join you later." Nikki continued climbing down the ladder to join Jack.

Thomas sighed in exasperation. "If you two get injured down there, you can bank on your sick leave being unpaid!"

"Yeah, yeah!" came their distant replies. Thomas sighed again and headed back to the pub.

Nikki stepped off the ladder and turned to find Jack grinning broadly at her. She chuckled.

"What?" Jack exclaimed.

"You seem very excited to be down a sewer with me!" she answered.

"Well, I am!" he responded.

"Weirdo!" Nikki teased him, ruffling his hair fondly.

"Jack took Nikki's hand. "Come on" He said softly, taking a pocket torch out of his coat.

"You had this planned all along , didn't you!" Nikki chuckled in amusement. " That's why you suggested that pub, isn't it?"

"Ay, you caught me out" Jack murmured, gently guiding her through the sewer.

*Back in the pub...*

"You're back!" Clarissa stated as Thomas sat back down. "Well?"

Thomas sighed. "They said 'start without them and they'll join us later!"

"You found them then!" she commented, "So where exactly are they?"

Thomas cleared his throat. "Nikki and Jack have gone down the sewers, exploring."

Max choked on his drink."What?!" He looked totally disgusted.

"And you let them?!" Clarissa asked indignantly, patting Max on the back to try and soothe his coughing.

"How the hell was I supposed to stop them? " Thomas retorted. "Jack was already down there when I arrived - Nikki said she couldn't stop him."

"Well, you could have stopped her." Max had more or less recovered from his coughing fit.

"Nikki said she had to keep an eye on Jack. She refused to come back without him!" Thomas responded.

*Down in the sewers...*

Jack and Nikki waded through the murky water."I can't believe I let you talk me into this again!" Nikki muttered behind him.

Jack squeezed her hand. "I like being with you down here, though. It's nice being just the two of us together."

Nikki stared at his back. "You like being with me down here?!" She sighed. "Jack, if you like being alone with me, can we just do a film and pizza at yours or mine next time?" He looked back at her, "Please?"

"Ok I promise Nikki - film and pizza next time!" Jack agreed "You've got the victim's number in your phone, right?"

Nikki nodded. "Yeah, turn your torch off." She pulled her phone out and dialled the number, as Jack's torch went out. They waited and presently, the ringtone echoed through the sewer.

"There!" Jack said, turning his torch back on and pointing at the lit-up screen. He waded over and retrieved it from where it had become wedged. Using the gloves he had in his coat, he picked it up and deposited it in an evidence bag that he also 'just happened' to have in his coat pocket.

"Oh, look!" Nikki appeared at his side and pointed at a black object under the disgusting water. Jack leaned down. reaching into the water, he pulled out a battered-looking rucksack. "Please can we go for dinner now, darling?!" Nikki implored him. "Exploring makes me hungry!"

"Yeah, alright!" He agreed.

*In the pub...*

Thomas looked up from his fish and chips and sighed in relief. Nikki and Jack were walking up to the table, hand in hand. Jack had two evidence bags in his other hand. "Found what you were looking for then?"

"Yeah" Jack answered. They sat down on the pub sofa and Nikki snuggled into him. They both had wet feet and she was cold.

"The next time you decide to spontaneously disappear down a sewer..." Thomas began but stopped with a sigh when he saw Nikki catch Jack's eye and smirk. "It wasn't spontaneous, was it?"

Jack snorted as Nikki giggled "Why do you think he suggested this pub?"

"What is wrong with you?!" Max spluttered, unable to hide his disgust at their antics. Clarissa just chuckled with amusement, as Nikki snickered at him and Jack smirked.

Thomas merely let out another sigh "what are you eating and drinking?"

They both opted for pie with gravy and chips. As they sipped their drinks, waiting for the food to arrive, Jack put his arm around Nikki. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows and he patted her leg. "Pizza and film next time, I promise!"