The Conclusion.


It has taken a great many years. But you have found out how to cope when he's like this.

You just haven't had to put it into practice until now.

You remember, when the two of you were little more than good friends (though you had always craved more), when he had wound himself up so tightly that he would simply get up and leave, without a word to anyone.

You would cry and worry and despair over his disappearance. Normal life would only resume when he was found unscathed.

Though now you understand better. It's just what he does, when a situation gets too much. He leaves to look for answers.

He's not like you. He knows what he's doing. He won't get himself in any trouble.

And he'll come back to you in his own time. If he knows what's good for him.

And so you try as best as you can to continue your evening as normal; Kit isn't very interested in his story, choosing instead to sit up on his pillow and watch the wind blowing through the trees, wracking the naked bodies of the trees with shivers in the darkness.

"Are you even listening to this, Mr?"

"Where's Daddy?"

He's only a child, and yet he looks so worried, his face is the image of the one you are trying to repress within yourself; concerned, upset, hurt.

"He's gone for a drive, he'll be back soon."

"When?"

You give an exasperated smile as the questions start and you try to keep yourself calm, for the sake of your son more than anything. You hold your arms out to him and he lowers himself down into bed. You tuck him tightly in and with hands at either side of his shoulders, over his duvet, you lean down and kiss him goodnight, hiding you both for a fraction of a second, in a curtain of golden hair.

"When you've gone to sleep."


Later, you lie in a cold bed, listening to the wind, and you think about everything that the three of you have been through.

The three of you.

You had never imagined it would be any other way. In fact, Kit's premature birth had so traumatised you, babies and the like had never been mentioned since. You had just assumed that would be it now. The three of you.

…Or two…if he never comes back.

He does.

Of course he does.

He loves you.

He knows what's good for him.

When you here the keys gently in the front door lock and the door shut quietly behind him, you breathe a sigh of inexplicable relief that you hadn't known you were holding.

He sneaks into the room and doesn't put the light on. You don't move, staying instead firmly on your side, facing away from him. But you cannot repress a smile as you wonder if he's trying not to wake you as he undresses in the dark.

You expect him to get in and go to sleep, but instead he slides in and right over to you, sliding his arms round your waist and entangling his legs with yours. His hands hold yours gently next to your stomach.

Finally you begin to heat up.

You can feel the stubble of his chin on your shoulder as he moves in closer still, cocooning you against his chest, against the darkness your eyes open, shining.

"I'm scared."

In his voice you here nothing but the truth. Gentle, hushed, timid, but truthful. You turn your head slightly, so you can feel his lips on your cheek.

"So am I."

He doesn't seem to notice that you are crying and, with the exception of one small tear that escapes the corner of your eye and runs unbidden down your temple into the pillow, they dry quickly as he begins to speak. Because what he says, you were not expecting.

He speaks quietly about how everything will be okay this time, and how he'll look after you. How he'll be there every step of the way. How you don't have to be scared or alone. How different things will be this time.

You think he must know you better than you know yourself. You hadn't realised the thoughts of doing this alone again had worried you so. Until he had abolished them and the shackles were cut.

He talks about how you can enjoy this and savour every moment, like you didn't get the chance to last time. He says that just because things were complicated with Kit doesn't mean they will be this time. He tells you – and you think you sense a smile on his face – that this is just what the three of you need. It'll bind you together and cement everything you've worked so hard for.

You ask him if he means it and he turns you round in his arms and tells you he loves you and asks you if you'd like it to be a girl so you could have someone on 'your team' . You can't help but laugh.

He makes love to you then, in a way that he never has before. It is soft and gentle and soothing and that is all it's meant to be, but you find yourself completely fulfilled. You don't tell him this, you would never tell him this, but you fall asleep in his arms and dream of a little girl with blonde hair and brown eyes and an infectious happiness, like a glow that you won't ever allow to dim.


Because who doesn't want more Harry/Nikki babies? ;)

Thanks for reading folks, there's more if you want it! Just let me know! x