I was completely clueless as to how to go about doing the Secrets in the Lab Challenge. I had an idea, but I didn't really know how to flesh it out or how include Leo in it. It's ended up as a three parter, each chapter revealing a secret of each member of the team. Hope you enjoy. Thanks to deadfairies for coming up with the challenge and to dinabar, pinkswallowsun and lizziginne for already writing really good fics. I love them all!

1

Harry Cunningham did not watch films with people unless he had pre-screened them. There were various things he needed to assess, especially for first date material. He'd taken his first ever girlfriend to see 'Beaches' for her 14th birthday – needless to say it was a complete disaster. Sometimes, he had to admit, it did get boring watching the same film twice – but it was worth it, to avoid anything coming close to the disaster of '88. If the film was deemed inappropriate, he wouldn't have to watch it twice anyway. It tended to be a slight problem on movie nights with Nikki, when she produced a new DVD she really wanted to watch, but luckily he'd managed to wriggle out of it every time, successfully convincing her that there were better films to watch. He'd then return home and watch whatever it was she had suggested, making sure he was ok with it, allowing them to watch it next time Friday came around.

He had never told Nikki about this strange habit. He didn't feel he needed to. And, after all, revealing the habit would have undoubtedly led to her asking why he started it, which would have undoubtedly led to him having to explain what went so badly wrong with Bette Midler in '88. This would have revealed something far more embarrassing than his insistence on pre-screening films; something he had a much larger desire to keep hidden. So, his habit stayed his little secret. A little secret used to cover up a far larger one.

So, it was with trepidation that he made his way to Leo and Janet's house, home of a movie collection he hadn't seen before.

They'd asked if they could possibly hijack his and Nikki's movie night, inviting both of them over to watch a film at theirs. Only Leo could make hijack sound so nice and polite, he thought. Apparently they had something important to tell the younger pair; this didn't surprise him, Leo had been acting shifty were quite a few weeks, and he'd had his suspicions, along with Nikki, that something was going on. At first they thought that maybe things were bad with Janet; Leo seemed to spend all day shut up in his office, barely speaking unless absolutely imperative to the case. But now, it seemed odd to be summoned to their house for a dinner, if it was bad news they wanted to tell. And Leo had sounded quite happy when he'd asked them to come over – although, it was hard for Harry to assess whether his tone was happier than normal, as he hadn't heard him speak about anything but death and murder for weeks.

It left him utterly confused.

The front door was opened to him before he'd even had a chance to knock. He followed her into the kitchen, where Leo and Nikki stood, glasses full of wine, hovering over a bowl of fancy looking crisps. He greeted them with a quick hello, and hung his sodden coat over a radiator.

"White or red?" Janet asked.

"Beer?"

"Of course," They stood awkwardly in silence, as Janet searched for a bottle opener.

"Alright," Harry huffed, fed up of the quiet. "What's up?"

"Wazzup!" Nikki mimicked. "Didn't know you were a teenager from the 90s?"

"What's this big news?" He continued, looking to Leo, not rising to her teasing.

"We'll tell you after dinner," Janet said, handing him his beer. Leo seemed a little disappointed with this decision, but didn't say anything. "Come on, sit down,"

"Do you already know?" He whispered in her ear as they sat down and Janet began dishing out a delicious looking risotto. Not even Janet's food could make up for a re-run of '88, and Harry found himself hoping for the hundredth time that evening that the film would be of the Hot Fuzz variety.

"Nope," Nikki replied. "I tried getting it out of them but they wouldn't budge," She paused. "Well, Leo was close, but Janet stopped him. She's the tough nut,"

"I hope this is ok," Janet motioned for them to begin eating. "What do you normally have on your movie night?"

"Takeaway,"

"This is far better," Nikki added with a smile. "Thank you,"

"Yeah, thanks," He said enthusiastically between mouthfuls – it was heaven on a plate.

"What have you been doing at work recently?" He thought this was an odd question for her to be asking – surely Leo would keep her up to date on work? Maybe they really weren't talking – but they'd seemed completely normal so far. He was wholly bewildered.

For the rest of the meal, they chatted happily about work, discussing various cases that baffled them and all laughing uproariously as Nikki retold the tale of one of Zak's various girlfriends assuming he was involved with his colleague, and subsequently barging into the office and screaming at her for 10 minutes, before Harry managed to get her to leave. Throughout this, Leo stayed scarily quiet, leaving Harry to worry even more than he already was.

"That was the best thing I've eaten all week," He declared, leaning back in his chair, leaving a sparkling clean plate in front of him. "Now, will you please tell us what's going on?"

"You're really impatient aren't you?" Janet laughed. Why was she so happy, when Leo seemed so depressed?

"I want to know why he's so bloody quiet," Leo laughed at the concern in his voice. "What's wrong with you two?"

"Nothing's wrong, Harry, I promise," It was the first time Leo had said more than 2 words to anyone all night.

"Then why are you so quiet?" Nikki probed.

"We have a little secret," He noticed the quick grin Leo flashed at Janet before continuing. "And the only way I could stop myself telling you both straight away was by not talking,"

"So it's good news?"

"Yes, it's very good," A stagnant quiet hung around, as if they were waiting for someone to begin a drum roll.

"What is it then?" He was beginning to get very tired of waiting.

"We're adopting!" They chimed in sync.

Harry and Nikki followed their announcement with large gasps, and then numerous variations of congratulations and expressions of surprise. They asked about the child, of course – girl, 2 years old, ginger hair, green eyes, gorgeous laugh, she'd move in for a trial period in 2 weeks. They looked through pictures and files and documents and videos. They heard about the visits to the care home, the child they'd pinned their hopes on but had the disappointment of it falling through, and their caution in revealing their new plans, just in case the same thing happened again.

They spent so long discussing her, Ellie, that it was too late to watch a film by the time they were over. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out of the house. Leo's secret was out, and he was happy for his boss. His own secret was safe – disaster had been avoided. All was good with the world.