When they entered the pub the party was in full swing and everybody cheered as they approached the bar. Fry was sat surrounded by the other officers who were encouraging him do drink a whole pint of beer in one go. Makepeace was surprised to see Spikings stood nearby watching the proceedings.

"Hiya boss, no fishing tonight?" Dempsey asked.

"No Dempsey, someone's got to keep an eye on this lot!"

"Hey, you want a beer?" he offered Spikings.

Spikings shook his head. "Was thinking of something more along the lines of a whiskey but they don't have my usual brand."

Dempsey didn't seem bothered and ordered him a whiskey anyway. He also ordered a drink for Harry, himself, and of course for the birthday boy.

"Here, this is for you," Dempsey said, handing Fry the beer, "but you're gonna want to look at what we got you first."

Makepeace handed him the bag and he pulled out the beer contraption to the delight of the surrounding officers and himself.

"Happy birthday Fry," Makepeace laughed. Fry grinned and turned his cheek to her for a kiss. She tutted but kissed him on the cheek and everyone cheered and applauded. Fry looked around the group with a grin like a Cheshire cat and jumped off his stool, putting his arms out towards Dempsey. Dempsey looked horrified.

"You come any nearer and you aint gonna make it to your next birthday!" he warned. Everyone laughed.

Fry tried the hat on to the sound of more hilarity and a beer bottle was placed on top of his head.

Dempsey and Makepeace stayed immersed in the group, enjoying their drinks whilst the officers recounted earlier events and described how Fry had tried in vain to charm the bar woman. Chas appeared a little later and pulled Harry slightly back from the group to speak to her.

"There were some people in here earlier looking for you Harry. Some friends of yours."

Harry looked puzzled.

Angela? But what would she be doing here?

"Have they left?" she asked.

Chas shrugged. "Haven't seen them for a while," he said moving away to the bar.

By this time Dempsey had noticed the conversation and he bent to speak to Harry.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. I think Angela is here somewhere. Chas said some friends of mine were looking for me."

"Oh." He looked a little surprised but seemed satisfied with the situation and finished his drink, returning to the bar to order more for him and Harry.

Harry scanned the crowded room for Angela but her heart missed a beat when she caught a quick glimpse of someone disappearing behind a group of people at the other side of the bar.

"You want wine again Harry?" he asked, turning back to look at her. He frowned in puzzlement when he saw the look on her face. Her mouth fell open in shock and she immediately coloured up, quickly averting her eyes, turning away and running a hand through her hair.

"What is it?" he asked, leaning over to talk to her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Oh nothing," she said with a smile that didn't really seem genuine. "You and your ghosts!"

He went back to ordering the drinks but kept his eye on her as she tentatively glanced back to the other side of the bar. She saw nothing and shook her head abruptly, thinking that she had been imagining things.

Dempsey eventually handed her a new glass of wine but before she could take it she swung around when someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

"Pippa!" she exclaimed in shocked surprise. One glance at Pippa there confirmed that she hadn't been imagining what she saw. If she was there then it had to have been him.

"Hi darling," Phillipa said, kissing her on both cheeks, "I heard some dreadful news that you'd been shot and I phoned your office straight away when I couldn't get hold of you. You can't imagine how relieved I was when the chap explained that you were out of hospital and were well enough to return to work. He said that you were out of the office today but he told me about the birthday bash and that you'd be here tonight so here I am."

"It's great to see you," she said, looking over her shoulder to see if there was anybody apparently with her.

"So I want to hear it from you darling, are you okay?" Phillipa asked.

"Yes, really I'm fine now," Harry assured her. "Who are you here with Pippa?"

"Well, that's another story. You're never going to guess," she said with excitement.

Harry thought she could guess. "Who?" she asked.

"Simon of course and…Dan." So it was him. Harry's heart began to race nervously. "He got in touch a few weeks ago and when he heard about the shooting he was desperate to come along tonight to see you," she explained.

"Ah," Harry looked lost for words and there followed a short tense silence.

"I didn't do the wrong thing did I? I thought you'd like to see him again."

"Err, well…" she thought of how to reply. "…does he know I'm here yet?" she asked in a quick whisper.

"No, I don't think so," Phillipa answered, looking perplexed.

"So…you could say that you couldn't find me and…" She was grasping at straws. "You can't really do that can you?" Harry realised.

"Not really, why what's wrong?" Phillipa asked.

Harry sighed. "It's just that I haven't seen him for years and years and god Pippa what would I say to him? I can't possibly face him."

Phillipa laughed. "Calm down Harry, he's not going to bite your head off!"

Harry groaned. "Okay, it's fine. I'm just not myself tonight."

"I'll go and bring them over," Phillipa said, turning to move away.

Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Wait!" she thought for a moment. "Would you like a drink? I know I could do with another drink."

Phillipa looked at her as if she'd gone momentarily mad. "I've got one over there."

"Yes, and you've got one here," Dempsey said handing her the glass she hadn't yet taken off him.

She jumped at the sound of his voice. "Oh yes, I'd forgotten."

By the time she had turned back, Phillipa had gone.

Dempsey watched Harry's flustered face and wondered why she was so reluctant to see this Dan person that Phillipa had talked about. He had a vague recollection of a conversation with Harry's father about her school friends and the whole thing made him nervous.

Harry drank the whole glass of wine in two goes and looked out anxiously into the crowds, waiting for Phillipa to return. When she spotted Dan for the first time in twelve years she was surprised at how much she felt like an eighteen year old girl again. She had imagined scenarios of seeing him after all that time and wondered what it would be like but she hadn't imagined feeling exactly the same, nervous and tongue tied. She smiled at him as he approached.

"Hello stranger," she said.

He grinned at her. "Harriet," he said, kissing her on the cheek, "look at you!" He held her hands out to her sides and looked her up and down. "You look a bit different to the last time I saw you!"

She laughed nervously. "Well, it has been a few years Dan."

"Hello Simon," she said with more affection, kissing him when he emerged from behind Dan.

"Harriet," he smiled, holding her face with one hand and kissing her cheek. "How are you sweetheart? We heard that you'd been shot!"

"I know, but as I said to Phillipa I'm fine now," she replied. Simon didn't look entirely happy but smiled again and said that he was glad. Then Harry heard Dempsey clear his throat loudly behind her and she turned suddenly.

"Oh, everyone, this is my partner James. You know Phillipa and Simon don't you?" she said to Dempsey.

"Sure," he smiled at them.

"And I'm Dan," Dan said, reaching across to shake Dempsey's hand. Dempsey smiled but the smile didn't touch his eyes as they shook hands.

"So, are you still travelling around Dan?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, still doing the photography and I never seem to have time to stay in one place for long but I still get such a kick out of it. I can't complain," he replied.

"James is from New York Dan, have you been there?" It was a pointless question, she knew that he would have but she was struggling to keep her cool and it was all she could think of to say at the time.

"Yes," Dan looked at Dempsey, "I have been there many times." Dempsey didn't feel like adding to that conversation. Dan turned his attention back to Harry.

"Well you certainly have changed a lot Harriet," he turned back to Dempsey. "She used to be so quiet at school. Would never say a word. Still she was definitely the sweetest girl in the class eh Simon," he noticed Phillipa's face and amended that. "Apart from you of course Pip." Phillipa didn't look impressed and Dempsey was pleased. Let him try and dig himself out of that hole. Dempsey would enjoy watching him struggle. Dan tried to change the subject. "Yeah so she was quiet, apart from if you gave her a dare eh Pip."

This did actually bring a smile back to Phillipa's face. "Yes," she laughed. "You were terrible for that. She was hopeless to resist a dare," she said to Dempsey.

Dempsey raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Oh yes, remember the swimming dare," Dan said, receiving a look of horror from Harry.

"Yes, well that was a long time ago now," she frowned. "Are you still in touch with Peter Dan?"

Dempsey retreated to the bar to join Spikings. He'd had enough of their old school reminiscences and he'd leave them to carry on in the hope that the friends would leave soon. He finished his drink with Spikings, feeling suddenly less in the mood for the energy and banter of Fry's group.

Dempsey could feel himself becoming more and more angry as the time passed and Harry was still stood talking to Phillipa, Simon and Dan. The final straw for him was when Dan reached across the bar next to Dempsey to ask the bar woman for a piece of paper and a pen to write down Harry's phone number on it. He glared at Dan and then turned back to the bar, threw some bank notes down and strode away towards the exit. Spikings shook his head and caught Harry by the arm, gesturing with his eyes to Dempsey who was on his way out of the bar. Harry looked mortified and raced after him. She caught up with him in the porch and blocked his way.

"Where are you going?"

"Oh you had noticed then," he said angrily.

"What? You're annoyed because I'm talking to my old school friends?" she asked.

"No Harry. You go ahead, I'm going home," he said, trying to move past her.

"No you're bloody well not!" she came back. "Firstly because you are the one who dragged me here in the first place and secondly because you can't drive now, you've had too much to drink." The second reason wasn't entirely a good one as he would have to get home at some point but she was using every reason she could think of.

He had already fished the car keys out of his pocket and was holding onto them so she grabbed them out of his hands. Dempsey suddenly had to get away from her, if he didn't he feared that he would say something that he would really regret. He pushed past her and charged down the street. She followed, shouting after him.

"Where are you going now? Dempsey! If you've got a problem with me then don't you think that we should talk it through? Dempsey!"

She stormed after him but had trouble keeping up at the pace he was walking until he reached the SI10 building and strode into the office. He headed straight for Spikings's office, found Spikings's bottle of Whiskey and poured himself a drink. She appeared at the door, panting for breath and watching him with a frown.

"You know if he finds out you're drinking that he'll…" she didn't get to finish.

"To hell with it!" He was leaning against the desk in front of her with fury in his face. "That's just like you aint it Harry. Always follow the rules. Well I don't give a damn!" He pointed at her with the whiskey glass in his hand. "You want some advice? Cut the bullshit and break a few rules now and then. Maybe then you'll make a decent cop!"

Of all the things to say, that angered her most. After all they had been through he was still throwing doubts on her policing skills! She moved forward and shot out a hand then to slap him but it caught the whiskey glass on the way, spilling some of the contents. When she saw this she had a better idea, she snatched the glass out of his hand and threw the rest of the whiskey into his face.

Suddenly he saw red, jumping up, grabbing her by the arms and thrusting her aside in a change of heart as he went for the door again to get away from her. She had other ideas though and blocked him again. There ensued a fierce struggle during which somehow Makepeace ended up backed against the wall and away from the door long enough for Dempsey to leave. By that time however Dempsey's mind was far from leaving her, he wanted her there, against that wall and before she knew what was happening his mouth was crushing hers.

"You're so damn frustrating!" he growled against her lips.

"You're such a bloody arrogant bastard!" she growled back.

"Why don't you just shut up!" he said, cutting off the words that sprung to her lips by replacing his mouth. "You drive me to distraction you know Makepeace, why can't I get you outta my damn head?!"

"Why can't I get you out of mine?" she came back. Feeling his hands roaming she grated out angrily, "You've got to bloody well stop this!"

"You bloody well stop it!" he shouted back.

"I can't!" she said in frustration.

"Well then how the hell do you expect me to!"

Suddenly his hands were clawing at her back, desperate to find a means of access to her through the clingy material of her cat suit. "You drive men insane, do you know that?" he growled into her ear. "You can look but not touch, little miss prim and proper covered up from head to toe and yet still you manage to look as sexy as hell with your lacy transparent tops and your clothes that show off every curve of your damn sizzling hot body! How the bloody hell do you get into this thing?" he grated out. She stilled suddenly. With her head leant back against the wall she stared at him, her eyes boring into his. There was a strange far away expression on her face and when she spoke it was as if the words weren't coming from her.

"We can't do this, this is insanity."

He stared back and for a few moments it was as if time itself had stood still. Then she shattered the silence with her following exclamation.

"Ah to hell with it!"

And in bewilderment he was watching her as she tugged and grappled with the buttons of his shirt, freeing only two before she gave up and lifted the whole thing over his head. She put her hands on his shoulders and began the onslaught with her mouth on his neck; quickly progressing to his chest. She kissed and tasted and moaned.

God damn it! I've died and gone to heaven!

Then his hands were back behind her searching for a fastening. "Help me out here for god sake!"

"You're on your own lieutenant, I've got other things to be getting on with," she mumbled as her hand slid over his behind.

If he hadn't been so aroused and frustrated he would have laughed at her words. She sounded as if they were discussing sharing out the paperwork!

He threw his head back in utter torment at her hands and his inability to reach her bare skin. Then his hands left her back and he grabbed her around the waist instead, ducking to put his mouth on her breast over the material. He could feel her aroused peak even before he began sucking and licking. She gasped and pushed her upper body even closer to him but before long he was torturing her as much as she was torturing him. She pulled him back up to face her and their mouths collided together, their tongues moving in and out of each others mouths in a mockery of what they both wanted most.

She was completely out of control; she wasn't even aware of reality anymore. She'd never experienced anything like this and she wasn't going to die without experiencing it all. He held her tightly from behind and she suddenly jumped up against him, wrapping her legs around his middle. He cursed loudly. He'd never imagined that she'd be so passionate, so eager and he was so unprepared for it. Now, save for the covering of their clothes, they were making love. He could feel her heat against his throbbing arousal; she could feel the hardness of him pressed against her as she slid up and down the wall.

"Harry!" he suddenly shouted out, "I can't take this no more!"

He suddenly let her drop to her feet but seconds later he was turning her around so that she faced the wall.

"I'm gonna get into this thing if it damn well kills me!"

He pressed himself hard up against her briefly, praying that she'd stay there long enough for him to figure out the back fastening of her cat suit. Eventually to his utter relief he found the zip that was hidden under a button at the back of her neck. Teasing her with sensual little kisses there he proceeded to undo the button and pull down the zip, exposing the smooth creamy skin of her back.

"All the times we've been in here Harry. All the times I've watched you, wanted you, dreamed about you," he whispered as his hands began to caress the softness of her back. She shivered with his words, with the feel of his breath in her ear and his hands on her skin. "I don't know what I did different today but I sure as hell aint ever gonna forget this moment for as long as I live."

His hands had now moved down to her waist where the zip stopped and he slid them forward to stroke her stomach, moving gradually upwards, stroking, teasing, caressing. When she felt his touch run over her rib cage she knew what was to come.

His hands ached to hold her breasts in them. They moved restlessly upwards, seeking out the prominent curvature. At last they met with the undersweep of the soft contours they sought and she was tingling with warmth, floating with the rhythmic caresses of his hands. Then he took the full weight of her breasts and a soft sigh escaped her lips. She leaned back against him, lifting her arms up to place them around his neck. Her movement gave him full access to her breasts but it also brought the lower half of her body snug against his. He was torn suddenly and he found his one hand leaving her breast and naked skin to grab her hip and pull her even harder into him. She seemed to mould to him but he needed more.

Harry felt Dempsey's fingers fondling the most sensitive part of her breast and her desire began to build again. His hands were rough and hard and big but capable of such arousing tenderness. Then he caught her skin between his fingers and gently applied pressure, gradually increasing it. Without warning a white hot heat shot from her breast to the most intimate part of her and she gasped with the shock of it, reaching behind her and sinking her fingers into his behind.

Suddenly he'd lost control and he swung her around, picking her up bodily and carrying her over to the desk. With one swift movement he swept his arm across its surface, scattering papers and objects onto the floor. He sat her down and rubbed his hands up her legs, moving to stand in between them. He pulled her forward so that he could feel her heat again against his arousal.

"I'm gonna take you here Harry 'cause I can't bear not havin' you…at least once. Even if you end up with some other guy. At least once I'd know that you were mine!" She went to reply but he stopped her by placing two fingers on her lips.

She propped herself backwards onto her arms but when he thrust hard against her her strength gave way and she lay back on the desk surface. He reached towards her shoulders and began to peel the material from her.

Suddenly they both froze. There was a noise outside.