Harry walked into her office on Monday morning without any knowledge of the powder keg she was sitting on.

Bradshaw was in Spikings office and a very tense conversation was happening. Bradshaw worked for her and for Dempsey, so she was surprised that their senior officer was with one of the team as Spikings was a stickler for command lines.

Bradshaw came out looking rather annoyed and Harry called him in. 'Why were you in the Superintendent's office, is there something I should know?' The blonde officer's cool blue eyes met those of the Sergeant who looked like the cat who'd got the cream.

'I have been told to keep my mouth shut in no uncertain terms so I'm afraid I can't shed light on my conversation with Spikings.'

Harry frowned, this was very irregular, and she could see she'd have to take the issue up with Spikings. She rang the senior officer's secretary and asked for an appointment only to be told that she was expected in the Superintendent's officer at 3pm that afternoon. The information surprised her and then she saw that Spikings had called Dempsey into his office and some kind of hullabaloo was going on in there. This was extraordinary.

Joyce Hargreaves came in with a pot of tea and duly poured her a cup. 'Spikings is on form this morning he's already bawled out Bradshaw and now our American friend is being hauled over the coals. The Superintendent looked like a bulldog chewing a wasp when he arrived this morning.'

'It's very odd,' Harry looked puzzled and picked up her tea and sipped it. 'I'm going to see the Superintendent this afternoon and I have no idea what it's all about.'

Joyce had a very good idea what it was all about but was hamstrung as she'd been guilty of poking her nose in her friend's business and she felt rather ashamed of herself. 'I'm sure Dempsey will give you the head's up when he escapes from Spikings' clutches. I'd love to be a fly on that wall,' she observed the aggressive body language of the two men and trusted they wouldn't come to blows.

-oOo—

'What's up chief you don't look too happy,' Dempsey had been hauled into Spikings office and wasn't aware of any transgression as his success in the role of Chief Inspector had been nothing short of phenomenal and he was well aware of it. The Home Office were falling over themselves after a slew of positive headlines in the press, so his stock was currently high.

'Oh, you got that did you, well you're right I'm not happy,' Spikings voice expressed extreme sarcasm, 'sit down.' He lit a cigarette and leaned forward on his desk and glared at his second in command. 'I suppose I should congratulate you for leaving no stone unturned in your quest to charm every woman in the bloody country, but finding out that you are the secret husband of Detective Inspector Winfield did not improve my day!'

'Oh that,' the American ran a hand around his jaw and took a deep breath to bank down his natural response to aggression. 'We didn't want to make a big announcement about it cos everybody would talk, who else knows?'

'You're working with a bunch of detectives how long did you think it would be before someone was curious enough to investigate?' Spikings voice tone was hardly conciliatory, he was red faced and outraged that his female protégé had been impregnated by the Yank.

'Everything Harry, told you was true we're still working out where we are with things,' Dempsey ran a hand through his hair.

'Well you'd better hurry up because Dempsey Junior will be here before too long, and I expect your offspring would like Mummy and Daddy to have a plan! I'm not surprised you've managed to knock someone up, but it came as a bit of a shock that a sensible woman like D.I. Winfield would be involved.'

Dempsey could see that the chief was frustrated that teachers pet had got it on with the class clown, but I mean in the end it was between him and Harry, so he couldn't see what the boss was so agitated about. 'I married her didn't I, even asked her pop for permission and he was a damn sight more pleasant about it than you're being.'

'Well that was probably because he wants an heir for the ancestral pile, my concern is for an excellent policewoman and her future career. Everyone will think you two have been at it for years! And D.I. Winfield has had enough to put up with over the years of working with you, it's my fault I should never have partnered the two of you.'

'Well we ain't been at it for years,' Dempsey growled his own temper ramping up. 'I was upset about something and Harry was being a friend and we are where we are. It's nobody's business but ours and we're still working out what we're going to do about junior and that as they say is that.'

'Oh, so you went to Harry with a sob story and she comforted you and now this,' Spikings look apoplectic. 'You're both old enough to practice birth control, you're not bloody teenagers!'

A dull colour ran under the American's skin as he had to admit the boss had him on that one.

'What was it, you were so damned pleased to get a slice that you left your brain in your pants!'

'That's enough,' the Chief Inspector yelled back as he rose to his feet, his hands knuckle down on Spikings table as he leaned forward to confront the older man. 'It's none of your business. You don't like who Harry married, well tough. We're married we're having a baby so screw you!' He glared at the Superintendent.

'Damage control,' Spikings said through gritted teeth. 'Bradshaw, who is the soul of discretion, knows about your situation and I've shut him up by putting the fear of God into him, or the fear of me which is pretty much the same thing around here.'

The American pulled back and moved away from the Chief Superintendent's desk and ran a hand round the back of his neck. 'What are you suggesting? I want to protect Harry's career she's a good cop and she should have her chance to get on.'

'Well then, we both want the same thing,' Spikings growled. 'Lord Winfield knows the Commissioner, so I suggest we start the charm offensive at the top and let the trickledown effect happen. I'll talk to your father-in-law and see what we can do. Then I suggest you get photographed together at one of Harry's charity bashes looking suited and booted and well-groomed. We'll need to get all that in before Dempsey junior arrives, God help us.'

'Harry says she envisions a little shouty aristocrat,' Dempsey looked amused at that thought.

'Yes, well that's probably the best that can be expected, let's hope that your progeny won't veer to the wrong side of the law because the body count would affect the national crime figures. I'll talk to Harry this afternoon and I would be pleased if you would leave the office before then so that I can regain my temper and calm down.'

'Got to go to court, in fact I'm late. Go easy on Harry, it ain't her fault and she's in a delicate situation so I don't want her upset.' Dempsey glowered at the Superintendent.

'I will endeavour to handle the situation sensitively,' the Welshman glared at the Yank, 'go on, get out and do something useful like banging up villains rather than banging my most intelligent detective!'

Dempsey glared at him and then slammed the door on the way out of the Chief Superintendent's office.'

Harry got up to intercept as Dempsey exited Spikings office only to see her ex-partner disappear out of the office; she was annoyed as she'd been hoping to have a word. She could hardly call him over the RT in case he was with one of his officers. Damnit, he could have at least told her what the altercation was about.

-oOo—

At 3 p.m. Harry entered the lion's den and was surprised when Spikings secretary brought in a pot of tea, the best china and a plate of biscuits.

'Sit down D.I. Winfield,' Spikings offered kindly and poured her a cup of tea. 'I expect your wondering why I asked you to this meeting.'

'I am somewhat curious as you've had Bradshaw and Dempsey in here and now me,' she said in a slightly unsettled manner. 'The two previous meetings seemed to be somewhat acrimonious,' she added picking up her cup and taking a sip of tea.

'Yes, well let's put that to one side. The long and the short of it is that I understand that the man you are married to and the father of the baby is none other than our American import.'

Harry blushed, and her cup rattled in the saucer as she placed it back on Spikings desk. 'I see, well I suppose we couldn't keep it a secret forever, but I was rather hoping that the news wouldn't break before I went on maternity leave.'

'Well it has broken as Bradshaw saw fit to investigate your marriage at the General Register Office and I managed to intercept the Sergeant before he saw fit to announce the news to the rest of the Met.' The Superintendent didn't think it needed to be said that he'd investigated Harry's marital situation, no need for that.

'Er… thank you sir,' Harry pushed back her fringe in a restless gesture, 'I suppose we should get our announcement in first then, rather than let it appear as gossip,' she frowned annoyed at her hand being forced.

'I've talked to your father about that,' Spikings said in a careful tone. 'He regularly has meetings with the Commissioner, they're friends so he will introduce the subject and gain approval, so the information will come down from above as it were rather than up from below.'

'That was rather presumptuous if you don't mind me saying so sir,' Harry was a bit annoyed at Spikings and her father taking over.

'Possibly, but I'm trying to protect your career, girl. It's bad enough your being partnered with the American Casanova and his well-publicised charm offensive….

'I see. Well I suppose he hasn't exactly lived a monk's life while he's been over here,' she agreed ruefully. 'I'll talk to Freddy and see what can be done.'

'I've suggested to Dempsey that you get out and about to various high-profile events and get your photographs in the necessary publications and then when the news starts circulating perhaps we can all celebrate your good fortune over at the pub.'

'Super,' she picked up her tea. 'I gather you were franker about your views on our situation with the Chief Inspector?'

'Possibly,' Spikings admitted wryly. 'I suppose in some ways it all has a certain inevitability about it as your relationship changed over the years, but I must admit I hadn't expected….

'No, neither had I,' Harry agreed. 'It's all been a bit of a shock and I'm still adjusting to it.' She was very annoyed that Dempsey hadn't told her what she was in for.

'I'd stick to tea and sympathy in the future Detective Inspector or coffee if necessary,' the Superintendent smiled at her surprise at his advice.

What on earth had James shared with their senior officer?

-oOo—

'I expected you to turn up sooner or later and thank you so much for leaving me in the dark about Spikings,' she sniped as she allowed him to enter her home.

'Yeah, well I was late cos of that and I had to get to court. I told him to go easy on you so did he do that?'

'I suppose so,' she sat down on the couch and indicated he should do the same. 'What on earth did you tell him, he advised me to offer tea and sympathy in future or coffee if necessary, it was very embarrassing.'

Dempsey thought back. 'Oh yeah, well he said everyone would think we'd been doing it all along and I said we hadn't and you'd been sympathetic when I was upset.'

'Ta,' she said sarcastically as she was now aware that her boss would think she'd let herself down by having a comfort shag with the libido driven Yank. Hoisted on the petard of her own kindly nature as it were. 'Spikings mentioned your reputation as a womanizer when he told me he'd started damage limitation on my behalf. It's a damned cheek, he's even got Freddie involved with sugar coating it to the Commissioner.'

'Yeah, I put my tux and dinner jacket into the dry cleaners apparently we got to be seen out and about as the happy couple before we break the news of the bump.'

Harry ran her hands over her face obviously embarrassed. 'Did he say anything else?' She peeped through her fingers.

'Yeah, he was disparaging about my eagerness to get laid and forgetting the rubbers,' he bit his cheek to stop the smile cos it was kind of funny. Harry's groan told him she didn't think so.

'It's all right for you,' she seethed. 'They'll all be patting you on the back, Joyce already accused me of joining the Dempsey Club which apparently has a wide membership.'

'I'm a popular guy,' he lifted his shoulders in a shrug. 'Anyway, since we got this situation I've disbanded that and you're my only girl.'

He looked as if he expected a thank you. 'My hero,' she said snippily very evidently not meaning a word of it. She got up and paced the floor and then went over to her mantlepiece where several invitations were displayed. She picked them up and selected three. 'Dates and times for our coming out as it were,' she handed him the invitations. 'Put them in your notebook and dress according to the information on the invite,' she went over to the kitchen and poured them both coffee, 'cheers,' she said sarcastically.

Dempsey quite accurately intuited that this probably wasn't a good time to press her about the subject of conjugal relations as she looked really pissed.

He was right he'd have probably lost his wedding tackle if he had.