"How was your flight?" The baby-faced Detective Ross asked Nikki, who was clearly having trouble with his accent.

"Sorry?"

"How was your flight?" He repeated, slightly slower.

"Oh, fine, thanks." She answered, understanding him this time.

Jack

Ha ha, Nikki can't understand him - just as well. He's probably not even a real policeman. I mean what is this? A nursery school?! Anyway, she has no trouble understanding my accent.

Ross continued walking towards the crime scene. "I really appreciate you coming all this way, Dr Alexander." He glanced back in Jack's direction. "You too, Mr Hodges."

"Hodgson. Jack." He corrected the detective abruptly.

Nikki

Ross got Jack's name wrong - I bet that went down well! I can tell from Jack's face that he's already made his mind up not to like this guy. He thinks Ross is being far to 'friendly' towards me. Beware the green-eyed monster, Jack!

"So what else did he say on the phone?" Jack asked Nikki, catching up with her and indicating the Detective, who was now ahead of them.

"Attended a seminar I did in Edinburgh and stayed behind for a chat." She explained, lightly.

"You did a seminar in Edinburgh?" Jack sounded a little put-out. He prided himself on knowing about all her seminars. He was, after all, her self-confessed bodyguard - not that Nikki would ever admit she needed one. "Thanks for the invite(!)" He muttered sarcastically. Nikki Chuckled as he added: "About what?"

She sighed. "Forensic Anthropology, I presume."

Nikki

What does he think I'd be doing a seminar on? - Butterflies?! Honestly, Jack!

Jack

She doesn't even remember him! Serves him right. Bloody idiot can't even get my name right!

"But you don't remember?" Jack pressed her, unable to mask his delight.

"Jack!" Nikki warned, the exasperation evident in her voice.

"You sure he's an actual policeman, aren't you? He looks about 12."

She glanced behind her at Jack's 'innocent' expression. "Is there any point in me answering that?! Most of the time, you don't believe that actual policemen are really policemen!"

They arrived next to Ross and they body. "I made sure nothing was touched. I wanted you to see it fresh."

Nikki saw Jack's mouth twist in disgust.

Jack

Oh, come on! He's sucking up to her!

"Good." Nikki eventually answered. She saw Jack's mouth twitch again.

Nikki

Honestly, Jack! What else was I meant to say, huh? The man is just making an effort. I imagine you would have made a slightly impolite remark, given the chance, but there's really no call for such rudeness at this point!

"So was she killed here or is this just a despoliation site?" Detective Ross is definitely eager, if nothing else.. Nikki glanced at Jack. He was looking more irritated by the second. Jack Hodgson liked to get on with things - uninterrupted!

"No blanching. Lividity on the underside of her legs is fixed." Nikki answered, examining the body.

"Ok." Ross nodded in agreement. Nikki glanced at Jack again, and caught him rolling his eyes.

She smirked before adding: "...suggests that she was left in this position at the time of death or shortly after." Nikki could almost feel Jack's annoyance radiating off him by now - eventually he would snap and a further look in his direction told her that it wouldn't be long.

"Any idea of cause of death?"

"No good ones." she answered Ross's next question, catching Jack's eye and silently using eye contact and facial expressions to tell him to calm down. Jack tried, he really did.

"Well, there's no evidence to suggest strangulation..." Ross continued and Jack snapped. It wasn't as spectacular as normal - there were no swearwords or punching trees and he was still relatively polite - but he snapped nonetheless.

Jack

Great! A bloody wannabe pathologist!

"Probably best if we process first and talk second." Jack told the detective sharply, trying his very best to remain polite. Even though his tone was spiky, Nikki was proud of him for not swearing at the man or being rude.

Nikki

He snapped. He quietly snapped - quietly for Jack anyway. It would have been so easy for him to lose his temper completely at that point. Well done, Jack.

The sharpness of his tone surprised the detective, but it had the desired result.

"Sure thing. Just be over there." Ross muttered, moving away to a safe distance

"You ok?" Nikki asked Jack softly.

He nodded. "Yeah, he's just..."

"I know love, just try and calm down, ok?" He nodded again and they resumed their preliminary examinations. "Matchbook" she commented, extracting an item from the body.

Jack handed her an evidence bag. "Clarissa might be able to clean up the lettering on that. I'll get it secure couriered back to the Lyell."

"Mud and grazes on both knees suggest she fell hard." She examined the girl's wrists. "Deep thin abrasions. Looks like wire."

"Wire he then removed. Vicious and methodical." Jack added, looking slightly sick. He noticed a maggot crawling on the body. "Get the pot." He picked it up and deposited it in the open pot. "Gotcha. Thank you." He added politely to Nikki.

He turned to put the sealed pot in his case, whilst Nikki lifted the girl's jacket to reveal a chilling sight.

"Jack"

He turned back to look at what she'd found and got a shock from the sight that met his eyes. "Jesus!"

"Looks like an exit wound. Let's check her back..." Nikki commented, raising her voice slightly, so that Ross could hear her - she was after all answering his earlier question about cause of death. "No bullet wound." she confirmed as Jack helped her turn the body.

"Get the feeling we won't be making that plane?" He muttered.

Nikki lowered her voice again. "Just a bit."

"She was shot?" Detective Ross had decided it was safe to approach them again.

"Shot and re-dressed." Nikki corrected him.

"Jesus!" Ross looked visibly ill. "Any ID?"

Nikki had noticed Jack's muscles tensing up again. She shook her head at the detective. "Not yet. We need to get the body back for post-mortem" She had done all she could here and it was a good excuse to get him away from Jack again. A good opportunity to diffuse the tension that was building again between the two men.

"Someone must be looking for her." Jack added as Ross nodded and moved away to make the relevant phone calls. "Someone must miss her."

"What's wrong with you?" Nikki asked Jack, once Ross was safely out of earshot.

"He's copying me!" Jack hissed at her. "Prat!"

"He said 'Jesus'." She answered.

Nikki

Seriously, Jack, your face is almost the same colour as this forest! It's not a great look.

"Exactly what I said a minute a go!" he retorted crossly.

"You're not the only person ever to say that, Jack." She pointed out, trying to lighten his mood. "You can't complain because another man uses the same exclamations as you!" Nikki shook her head at him. "Gee, you're acting like a jealous husband! What's wrong with you?!"

"Who's jealous husband?" Jack exclaimed, cheering up.

She gave him an amused look. "Who do you think, Jack?"

Jack

Did she actually just refer to me as her 'jealous husband'? Where did that come from?

"You two are married?" DI Ross asked, coming back over. He had clearly heard the words 'jealous husband' but not much else. Jack for some reason, seemed unable or unwilling to answer the detectives' question, but from the look on his face, his mood had improved drastically.

Nikki

What's so hard about that question, Jack? Huh? Is it because you wish we were? - Or because you don't want him to know I'm available?

Nikki gave a dramatic sigh...

Jack

Uh oh! She only does that when she's about to greatly embarrass me!

"He hasn't remembered to ask me yet!" She smirked helpfully - enjoying every ounce of astonishment on Jack's face. Whatever he'd been expecting her to come out with, it wasn't that!