Disclaimer I still don't own Dempsey and Makepeace. Thanks for the encouragement so far.

Denial?

The late August sunshine had given away to torrential rain as Dempsey jogged out of the police station towards his car. He had no idea where Makepeace had gone but he could not shake the feeling that he had said or done something to wind her up. He tugged the collar of his denim jacket tighter as he realised he did just that most days. But she had never walked out before. He dug in his pocket for his car keys as he realised her little white fiesta was still in the parking lot.

"Where are you Harry?" He muttered as he walked across to the car. He just had to check it was as empty as it looked. He yawned as he reached the car, cursing himself for his lack of sleep. If any of the guys asked he was partying all night. He would never admit his dreams were plauged by images of what he could have found in the blue transit van if things had turned out differently.

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"Chas?" Spikings walked out into the main SI10 office as Chas looked up from the report he was reading.

"Sir, this motorcycle gang. The one responsible for the robbery on Priory Lane last month. They've done this before. I'm certain of it. Six months ago there was a very similar robbery in Hannah Lane in Cardiff."

"Right, well" Spikings looked around the half empty office. "Where are Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee?"

"Harry and Dempsey?"

"Who else?"

"Sir, I have no idea." Chas answered honestly. "I think Dempsey said he had a snout to meet."

"And Harry?"

"Probably with him."

"Chas, next time you lie for them make sure you have your story straight before you open your mouth."

"Yes, Sir." Chas smiled as Spikings rolled his eyes. "Morning."

"Hello Charles, sweetheart." Mrs Spikings crossed the room as Spikings narrowed his eyes. He currently had a pair of errant detectives and a motorcycle gang commiting armed robberies in his patch. The last thing he needed was his soon to be ex wife appearing where he worked.

"My office." He barked as the heavily made up woman smiled sweetly and followed him.

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Harry stared in the mirror as she tried to collect her thoughts. She was the only woman in SI10 and the only woman to have achieved her rank in the whole station. Now she was thinking about running away. She knew her father and cousins would be delighted that she had given up her 'silly little job' as Geraldine had put it but to her it was far from a silly little job. It was her. Being a police officer was who she was not what she did and the fact it had nearly killed her broke her heart. Then there was Dempsey. She had seen the way he had looked at her when he had broken into the transit van. Pity. It was the one thing she couldn't stomach from him.

"Get a grip Harriet." She muttered to herself as she ran a hand through her hair. "Get a bloody grip."

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James walked back into the station, at a complete loss. He knew Harry would never have walked out without a reason but he had no idea what it was. He smiled at Helen from the canteen as he walked past. For a moment he was tempted to walk on but the middle aged woman touched his arm.

"Aw, pet." Her Newcastle accent almost as foreign as his own in the London police station. "You're lass."

"Detective Sargeant Makepeace?"

"Aye." Helen nodded. "Looked right upset she did."

"You saw her? Where was she?"

"In the ladies. About five minutes back."

"Oh Helen, you!" She laughed as he pulled her into a bear hug and kissed her. "You!"

"I suppose that means you were looking for her, eh pet?" Helen batted him off as he nodded before running from the canteen.

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Harry took a deep breath. She felt sick. She knew that she had to face her friends, her team and Spikings. Even if she was going to leave she had to talk to Spikings. There was no way she was going to be able to resign without seeing her boss. She refused to think of Dempsey. That would only lead to madness. The fact he had a death wish was bad enough but the way he treated her since the Thriller Killer was even more confusing. She wondered briefly if he would have treated Dave or Chas the same way if they had been the ones abducted and held at gunpoint. Before she could talk herself out of it she pushed the nausea to the back of her mind and opened the bathroom door.

"Harry!" Dempsey smiled as she almost barrelled straight into him.

"What are you doing here?" Her cut glass accent cut through the air as he stepped back. His hands had found their way to her shoulders as he watched her red rimmed eyes. He felt his stomach tighten in anger at the realisation she had been crying. He had no idea why but he hated it.

"Looking for you, look Harry we gotta go. That snout of mine isn't going to wait around for ever."

"I'm not coming Dempsey."

"What?"

"You heard. I am not coming."

Dempsey stared at her as she looked anywhere but at him. He knew he had to react fast before he lost her forever.

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A/N More soon?