Disclaimer I do not own Dempsey and Makepeace.

Lost?

Dempsey closed his eyes. He couldn't quite believe she was gone. He couldn't believe that she had left him alone in her bed. He hadn't slept so well in weeks but he knew that was nothing to do with the comfortable bed. It was the presence of the blonde that had asked him to stay. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling as he tried to work out what was going on. Harry didn't run away from anything but since that night when he had found her in the van it seemed as though all the fight had gone out of her. He just couldn't believe she had given up. It felt like she had let the Thriller Killer and her ex husband win. His fiesty and firey partner had retreated into her shell and he had no idea what to do to help her.

He stared at the small white envelope, half angry that she had left him a 'Dear John' letter but half relieved that she had thought of him at all. He sat up in bed as he opened the envelope. It was time to see what Harry had to say.

James.

Please stop worrying about me. I've gone away for a few days. That's all. I have already cleared my leave with Spikings, remember? I am sorry about last night. I really didn't want to wake you up. I had no intention of disturbing you then or this morning and I am sorry that I did. Dempsey you are an outstanding police officer and I know that whatever I end up doing with my life I am always going to believe that.

Just please do something for me? Well, two things. 1. Don't get killed. I couldn't bare it if you were hurt and secondly, let me go. Even if I come back to the police I wont be back in SI10. You were right, a broad like me isn't up to the job. I can't risk other people on the team getting hurt on my account.

Thanks for last night, thanks for understanding.

Love Harry x

He swung his denim clad legs off the bed as he swore. He had always teased her that SI10 was no place for a woman but he had never really meant it. He had no idea that she had really taken it to heart. There was no way she would have passed the selection Chas had told him about. He swore again as he reread the letter.

He hadn't heard her get up and he certainly hadn't heard her leave. But she was gone. There was still so much to say, so much to talk about but Harry had run away. He got to his feet and went to retrieve his belongings as he began to think up a plan to get Harriet Makepeace to believe that her future really was with SI10. Really was with him.

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Chas yawned. He had a hangover from Hell and needed at least another three hours sleep and a very strong gallon of coffee. He was just glad he was on desk duty for the rest of the day.

"Bloody Dempsey!" Spikings called as he walked out of the office. Chas raised an eyebrow as Dave shrugged.

"Sir?"

"First Harry goes on leave."

"She hasn't taken a holiday in three years. She was due one, before she burned out." Chas spoke quietly reminding his boss that the only woman on the team still put in more hours than the rest of the men put together. They all went home on time but Harry always had 'something to finish' or 'just a few loose ends to tie up' before she left. Dempsey had become the same. It seemed that apart from a Monday morning the partners were the first to arrive and the last to leave.

"Now Dempsey has called in and says he wont be in until Monday. It's a family emergency apparently."

"I thought all his family were in New York." Dave added as Chas shot him a filthy look.

"No." Chas corrected. He was becoming a surprisingly good liar when it came to covering for his friends. "He has a cousin in the West Midlands. Birmingham I think."

"Does he?" Spikings snapped. "Does he really?"

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Dempsey stared at the photograph that Harry had framed and placed on display in her living room. It had been taken the Christmas before. He was stood next to Chas while she was in the middle of him and Spikings. They all looked happy. He closed his eyes. The four of them were the core of SI10, they worked well together and he knew he just couldn't face going back to the Squad Room without her. Hell, he couldn't face going anywhere without her. He picked up the photo and stared at it more closely.

"Makepeace." He frowned. "Where are you? Would you really just run off? Huh?"

He placed the photo back on the mantlepiece as he located his jacket. Harry had left of her own accord but he couldn't help but worry about her. She wasn't the tough guy she liked everyone to think she was. He picked up the spare key she left on the coffee table before leaving. He only knew of one place where she was likely to go. He hoped he was right.

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Harry felt sick. Everything was wrong. It seemed that she had dreamt of waking up next to Dempsey for years but the way it had happened was all wrong. Now as she stood in the middle of her childhood bedroom she debated whether she was ever going to be able to face her father and the rest of the house. She walked over to the window as a gentle tap on the door shook her from her thoughts.

"Harriet?" Her father walked in as she sighed. "It isn't that I am not delighted that you have come to visit."

"But?" She turned to face him.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Something has happened in London? I can tell. I know you young lady."

"Freddie, please." She sighed.

"I am an old man. I know but I know you." He walked towards her as she closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I am fine. I just had some leave owing to me and I thought I would come to see you." She smiled as her father rolled his eyes. "I can go home if it's a problem."

"Harriet." He placed both hands on her shoulders. "You are home. You know? When you were a little girl you were just as secretive. I just hope that you know that I am here should you need me. And as far as your James is concerned, I hope nothing has happened to him."

"Dempsey is fine." She smiled. "I promise you Dempsey is managing just fine without me."

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Dempsey cursed under his breath as he drove behind the ford fiesta that was ambling along in front of him. He was desperate to get to Lord Winfield's estate. It was the only place he could think of looking for Harry. He knew she wasn't as close to her family as she had been but the elderly man was still important to her. He just prayed that if she was there her cousins weren't poisoning her mind against her job, against him.

"Come on." He resisted the urge to shout at the man in the fiesta. "Harry, please be there. Please be with Freddie." He mumbled as his car finally reached the motorway.

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A/N Thanks for the reviews. Please review.