Okay, I will try to keep suspense the minimum. Again, thank you for the reviews and for reading! This is a bit of a short chapter to make up for the last few that were quite long. x

Henrik rested his head against his pillow, still trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing. They were, after all, two senior members at Holby and any relationship they shared would be scrutinized by the members of the board. There would no doubt be a meeting if it became public knowledge that they had shared a bed and there would be some trepidation as to whether either or both of them would be able to continue working together. He was a very private person and the thought of his love life being dissected by the staff and the members of the board was not appealing. On the other hand, he had not indulged himself in many years as he was always too busy and this would be a perfect opportunity; he was attracted to this woman and was curious as to what it would be like to allow himself to become intimate with her. He did not trust her, nor did she trust him, but there was certainly an attraction between them. Perhaps it could be explained by their seemingly equal ability to manipulate those around them; they had finally both met their match in each other.

Henrik rolled over on to his side, unable to get comfortable; the thought of Serena in the next room, willing to welcome him into her bed was appealing and was clearly not going to disappear from his mind easily. They had both been through a traumatic event and it was only natural to seek out comfort. Comfort could manifest itself in many ways; some people required intimacy to feel safe or to distract themselves from what kept running through their minds.

Henrik couldn't take it anymore and threw his duvet aside, taking a deep breath. Was this something he would regret later? Probably, but he would not be able to sleep until he satisfied his curiosity, not to mention the deep attraction burning inside him.

He pushed his door open and was somewhat disheartened when he noticed Serena had closed her door. He wondered if it was a sign that she had changed her mind. Perhaps she had thought about it as well and reached the same conclusion that he had; that it would cause far too much trouble. And perhaps she was strong enough to resist the urge to push that conclusion to the back of her mind.

He turned away. It was the right thing to do. No amount of trauma would excuse them disregarding their responsibilities to act appropriately.

Serena tried her best to wriggle out of Billy's tight hold on her. She couldn't breathe through his hand which was clamped down over her mouth and nose. He felt cold against her skin as he pressed up against her, whispering into her ear.

"If I let go of you and you scream, I will snap your neck like a twig and then I will kill your colleague. Do you understand?"

Serena nodded, tears forming in her eyes.

Billy moved his hand from her face down to her waist. "Good girl," he whispered, breathing in her scent. "I thought you and your colleague were married. You should have told me earlier - I would have made my intentions clear," he proceeded to lick the side of her face.

Serena let out a little whimper, trying to think of some way to escape. She couldn't call for Henrik. Billy would no doubt kill them both. She couldn't think of a way out of the situation she found herself in.

"I don't blame you for going to the police," Billy whispered into her ear, hovering over her. "I know it wasn't your idea. I'll deal with your friend shortly. But in the meantime, you're going to show me how sorry you are, aren't you?" He smiled as he moved his hand up to her chest, kissing her on the lips. He turned her onto her back and scrambled on top of her, raising his finger to her mouth to keep her from screaming. "This might hurt a little. But you owe me."

Serena squeezed her eyes shut, her mind desperately trying to think of how to react before it was too late. She felt a heavy pressure suddenly on her and then it was lifted as Billy was thrown against the wall.

"Get off of her!" Henrik growled through the darkness as he slammed Billy up against the wall, striking him in the face as hard as he could. He knew the only way to survive was to ensure Billy was unable to fight back and he had already found that he had the upper hand by taking him by surprise. He punched the man in the face once again before taking to his ribs and punching him repeatedly until the man curled into a ball on the carpet. Henrik was usually very self contained and disciplined, but the thought of the creature having his hands on Serena had somehow sent him over the edge.

Serena raced over to Henrik as he repeatedly kicked Billy. She stretched her arms around his waist and drew him closer to her and away from Billy, feeling him relax somewhat in her arms. "Come away," she said, gently pulling him out of the room.

"We need to call the police immediately," Henrik said. He was clearly in shock as he moved to the phone in his room, taking Serena's hand as he picked up the phone, keeping an eye on Billy who was unconscious.

Serena pressed her head against his chest, her eyes also fixated on Billy's body. She felt calmer as she felt Henrik drape his free arm around her, pulling her closer to him as he spoke on the phone, asking for immediate assistance.

They stood clinging to each other in silence as they waited for the police to arrive. Serena felt almost childlike in his arms; as if he would be able to protect her from the world.

"Are you okay?" Henrik finally broke the silence.

"Yes," she breathed. "Are you?"

"Yes," he answered, squeezing her tightly.

"God, Henrik," Serena tried to keep her composed nature. "I'm so glad you came in when you did."

"So am I."

They both fell silent, realizing the full extent of what would have happened had Henrik not walked in when he did.

"Why did you come back?" She suddenly asked.

"I decided to take a risk."

"We both know our luck with risks," she smiled into his chest.

"Sometimes it pays off," he whispered as the sound of police sirens cut through the night air.