Thoughts about Anton and South Africa swirled around in her head but she was none the wiser after two days of thinking in circles. She was stuck. Yes, she wanted to be with Anton, she had fallen in love with him. He was gentle, intelligent, committed but she just couldn't get past the feeling of betrayal and she couldn't get past the idea that Anton would mess with nasty politicians just to further his company. Where was the morality in that? If Anton couldn't be honest with her from the start, if she questioned his moral compass, what would their future bring? She thought of Anton coming to England but she just could not picture him and his girls here, that wouldn't work, he didn't fit here. And did she really want to live in South Africa again? If she had been asked a few months ago she would have said yes, but now she wasn't so sure. What was it she was hoping to find in South Africa? The happiness, security and carefree feeling of childhood? She was a grown up now, being completely carefree would never enter into it again. Then again, she did love the warmth of South Africa, the vitality, the colourfulness, the people. London was so different in that sense and yet she had come to feel so at home here as well. What was it that made her want to stay here?

As the kettle boiled for tea she broke off that trail of thought and decided to call Janet. Leo and Harry would be arriving in the afternoon and what Nikki suddenly craved was some Harry-therapy, oh and Leo-therapy as well she quickly added. She had hardly seen them in South Africa and missed them. They made London home to her as well, they were like family, she quickly concluded her earlier trail of thought. She called Janet and asked if she could meet up with her at the airport to pick up Leo and Harry. Besides, it would make it easy for Janet, she could take Leo home straight away and wouldn't have to drop Harry off at home first. Nikki could do that. Janet was very pleased with this construction.

At the airport gate Janet and Nikki were so deep in chat they almost missed Leo and Harry coming out. They looked up as Leo called out to Janet. Nikki smiled at him and looked behind him to find Harry. He followed a few seconds after. Nikki caught Harry's eye just as he was looking around and was pleased to see the surprise and then his joyful smile as he set eyes on her again. Janet received a big Harry-smile as well but she was too busy already flying into her Leo's arms, kissing him so Harry pulled Nikki towards him into a friendly embrace. Nikki rewarded him with a quick welcome home peck on the cheek. She then turned to Leo for a hug who said, "To what do we owe this honour, Nikki? You did know Janet was coming to pick us up?"

"Yes, but I thought…" Nikki smiled

"She's driving Harry home so you and I can have time alone together as soon as possible." Janet winked at Leo.

"Ah!" Leo smiled.

"Oh, such an honour to be driven home by the pathologist who identified the Kensington 5 in South Africa!" Harry quipped.

"Shut up and come on." Nikki said, rolling her eyes.

Once in the car Harry said, "So, how's your focus on dead bodies going as opposed to the focus on live, possibly scorpion, bodies?"

Nikki gave a weak smile, "Alas the dead bodies seem to be losing out."

Harry grabbed her hand. "You will be alright, you know. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Nikki just smiled and shook her head, withdrew her hand and shifted the car into gear to get going.

"How did you enjoy South Africa?" she asked him just so she could change the topic.

Harry grinned, "Very much! Your friend Sara Laurence and her boyfriend Pieter were great to stay with. They have a bit of a volatile relationship going which is a lot of fun to observe. And Sara is amazing; I can see how she must have instilled a passion for what you do in you."

"Yes, she was an excellent teacher and mentor. She really did teach me all she knew and I miss her when I'm here. I didn't nearly see enough of her in Cape Town this time around!" Nikki said wistfully.

"She's not too keen on you and Anton," Harry said, studying Nikki's profile.

"Yes, I know. She didn't say it outright to me but I have heard some critical notes on him from her. But then, I can't let my friends dictate who I fall in love with."

"Fall in love with?" Harry asked, a little surprised, "I didn't realize it was that serious…"

Nikki just stared at the road ahead, tight lipped.

They changed the subject and spoke of other things but in time Harry got back to the topic occupying both of their minds. "So, are you thinking of going back to Anton and to South Africa?"

"Possibly! What's it to you?" Nikki asked defensively.

"Shoot me for being a friend and caring!" Harry retorted. "Does Leo know?" he added.

"Well, I haven't decided yet…" Nikki said.

"Oh…" he said and both remained silent as Nikki drove on.

It took a little while before Harry broke the silence again with, "Well, I suppose if the team is breaking up I could look into that American opportunity again I had a few years back."

"You still think about that?" Nikki asked surprised.

"Well, no, not until just now…"

"Poor Leo…"

"Yes, well you'd be the first one to bail out…"

"I'm not bailing out! You know, maybe Anton will come and live here!" she said defiantly.

"Are you sure he will give up his career and turn his daughters' worlds upside down for you?" Harry asked incredulously.

"No," Nikki said softly, "I wouldn't want him to."

"But you, of course, can easily give up your life here and you can't wait to get back to your roots in South Africa, I bet. You love it there so much, don't you? There's nothing to keep you here, so why not just take the next flight out if you love this man so much?" Harry said agitatedly.

"It's not that easy!" Nikki said heatedly. "I do have my life here and I do love working at the Lyell Centre, it wouldn't be easy to walk away."

"No," Harry said just as heatedly, "but for the love of your life it would be worth it, wouldn't it?"

Nikki pulled up in front of Harry's flat just as he said that and turned in her seat to look at him.

"Would you?" Nikki asked.

"Oh geez, Nikki, I can't answer that for you!" Harry answered, exasperated. "I'm not the one in love with a man in South Africa!"

"No, but hypothetically, what would you give up for the woman you love?" Nikki asked, now seriously curious. "I mean, have you never been so much in love you'd do anything for the lady in question?"

"And that's how you feel about Anton? You would do anything for him?" Harry deflected the question, not ready to talk about what he would do for love. He held her gaze until she turned away and looked down.

"I don't know. I haven't known him long enough."

"Well, how long do you have to know someone before you know whether you love him enough, 5 weeks or 5 years?" Harry asked. He then suddenly shifted in his seat as if feeling uncomfortable and quickly opened his door and got out of the car.

Nikki got out as well.

"Let's stop this discussion now," she said, "because we are going in circles here as much as I have been going around this in circles in my mind."

"Good idea," Harry quickly agreed, "I'm not good at girlfriend chats, you need to talk to Sara or whoever you chat with about your love life."

Nikki smiled. "I have a pretty good idea about what Sara would have to say about all this."

"Good, then listen to her!" Harry said cheerfully, taking his suitcase out of the trunk of the car. "Do you want to come up for a drink?" he asked.

"You must be exhausted and besides I owe you a drink, you don't owe me one!"

"Well, buy a bottle of wine somewhere and I'll recap all of Leo's conversation on the plane and we should be all set." Harry grinned.

"You sure? You are not too tired?" Nikki asked. She wanted nothing more than that. She had come to pick him up at the airport because she'd missed him and the talk in the car had been unsettling when all she wanted was the "Harry-therapy" she'd initially craved. She needed to be cheered up and Harry was always the first one to turn to in such a crisis.

Harry nodded. "I'm not too tired, I'm sure."

"Alright, I'll be back in a jiffy!" Nikki smiled and ran off to buy the wine.

The rest of the afternoon and evening at Harry's was just what she needed, with chat, and laughs and wine and takeaway Chinese and lounging on the couch together watching a DVD and no talk of Anton or South Africa.