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I've now figured out you need to post your message in the word document…

Thanks everybody. I'm overwhelmed and very grateful for the feedback and reviews! Thanks to tigpop, Littlefoot19 and mari27990 for their kind reviews As I said, I've never written before (and probably won't again) but this story decided to write itself a overwhelmed and very grateful for the feedback and reviews! This story decided to write tiself t about midnight yesterday and was done a couple of hours later.

I forgot the disclaimer that none of the characters belong to me obviously. They all belong to the BBC. The lyrics in this chapter and the others are from 'Beneath Your Beautiful' by Labrinth. Everytime I hear it, it makes me think of H/N.

Hope you enjoy the rest! It gets a lot slower and reflective from hereon in.

You tell all the boys "No"
Makes you feel good, yeah
I know you're out of my league
But that won't scare me away, oh, no

You're not sure where this is going. You had a plan this evening and had chosen the restaurant accordingly. Leo's being on call and the icy, wintery conditions meant he would either get a call-out or, at the very least, would leave early to get some sleep before the inevitable 2 a.m. phonecall. You also suspect he knows.

Everything had gone to plan and you and Nikki had been as close as ever. No. Closer. You'd even managed to get her dancing with virtually no protest.

Everything was going swimmingly until you opened your big mouth and mentioned them. You'd realised over time these comments upset her. And so they should because far from being the 'tart' you once laughingly called her, she is way out of your league. God knows why you'd brought it up tonight. Maybe, because in the back of your mind, you feared being consigned to the same category.

Or maybe because you wanted to be sure that you WEREN'T and that maybe you'd caused it? That she'd stopped seeing them for a reason.

Everything has changed recently and you two are teetering on the brink of 'something'. In your heart of hearts, you know something has to change. Either you 'get it together' as Leo rebuked you so sharply over coffee one morning not so long ago or you…leave?

You'd had a frank conversation with him sparked by your departure from work with Nikki the previous evening. You'd stood there that night as you both said goodnight to him. You'd put her scarf and her coat on her. It was a habit you'd developed when staying with her in the mornings. (Well, it was quicker than waiting for Nikki to fuss and get ready.) And then, well then, you couldn't help yourself (again) and you'd turned it into a joke, tapping her gently on the face and running. You'd felt something as you'd put her coat on her that evening. It had been a tough week. Well, much like this week, really. Yes, you'd felt something and you'd pulled back. Again.

It was the next day things changed. Leo challenged you, asking you what you really wanted? You knew it. He knew it. You started to hope that maybe even Nikki knew it after what Leo had said. Nothing direct. Not even hinting. But this time there was a clear message to act one way or the other.

Everything was driving you forward.

Next thing you knew, you had a letter from NYU offering a job. A full professorship.