'Can I come in,' Dempsey asked simply as Harry answered the door in a towel as he'd obviously got her out of the bath.

Harry was about to say she wasn't dressed for visitors but something about the set of his features stopped her and she nodded and opened the door wider allowing him to enter.

'I'll just go and put on some clothes, I wasn't expecting company,' she stated the obvious as she had planned a long soak in the bath with a book she was reading. It had been a difficult day at work and she'd been up to her eyes in paperwork to support a high profile arrest her team had made.

Dempsey had been in his office but the door had been shut and he hadn't been communicative which was unusual for him, she'd popped her head round the door with coffee and he'd been monosyllabic in his responses so she'd given up and gone back to her office after deciding he was having a bad day and it was best not to interfere.

In her bedroom she pulled on jeans and a pretty lace top and brushed her hair and then went out to join him.

'You look different without the makeup,' he observed. 'You don't need it,' Harry looked beautiful with or without the slap and it was kind of intimate seeing her without the usual armour so to speak.

'Thank you,' she poured him a Jack Daniels, 'you've been quiet all day what's wrong, James?' She handed him the drink and got a nod of thanks.

He sighed and then shrugged. 'I just wanted some company that's all. Sorry if I messed up your plans for an early night.'

Harry knew there was something else but he obviously didn't want to talk about it. 'I see and I suppose your usual choice of company wasn't available. What's happened to the tall blonde, I saw you with a week ago? Or the redhead, Zara I haven't seen her in a while?'

'Just friends,' he growled as he raised the glass to his mouth, 'you know friends when you want a good time, not friends when you just need company.'

'Ah, so I'm in a different category of friend,' Harry responded in a light tone. 'I'm the friend you can have an off day with,' she poured herself a glass of wine.

'No, you're the friend that can make an off day feel better,' he responded in a heavy tone. 'That's why I'm here.'

Harry, swallowed hard at that, it was unusual for Dempsey to remark on the strength of their bond he just accepted it as a given. 'Have you eaten,' she asked in an even tone and she got up when he shook his head. 'Well come and sit at the breakfast bar while I do the honours. She slid on a pair of rabbit, shaped fluffy slippers which were very cute.

'I had a rather tedious day as Bradshaw had mislaid the paperwork for the kidnap and extortion case I've been working on, so I had to piece it all back together. Steve is certainly a mixed blessing,' she added in a dry tone.' And Joyce and Watson had a falling out that resembled a lovers' tiff so I was tiptoeing around that.'

'Sounds like I should have rescued you,' he smiled in a self-deprecating fashion as he took another slug of the whisky.

Well that was very revealing, was she in fact rescuing her ex-partner and if so what was she rescuing him from, he was definitely in a very strange mood. 'We all have days like that,' she murmured as she chopped up celery and tomatoes.

'Joey, my partner,' he looked down into the whisky, 'he died today, four years today and I can remember it like it was yesterday.'

Harry lay down her knife and dried her hands with kitchen paper. 'I see,' she said softly and came over to stand beside him. 'I'm sorry James,' she gave him a hug her arms around the back of him as he faced into the kitchen, the side of her face pressed against his.

Dempsey closed his eyes and breathed in her soft scent, 'I need you Harry,' his voice was low and shaking.

'I'm here,' she said simply as she held him her blue eyes dark with concern. She knew that Joey's betrayal had been a very deep hurt and she just wanted to soothe away the pain.

-oOo-