Nikki didn't get a chance to speak to Leo until after lunch that day, a lunch that she and Harry had had in a very nice restaurant, catching up on things and just enjoying their time together.

"Nikki come in" Leo smiled as she knocked on his office door and poked her head inside to see a very tired looking Leo sitting at his desk staring blankly out of the window "How are you?"

"Better than I was" Nikki replied and Leo didn't know whether she meant better than before her trip or better now she was away from her father. He didn't ask "When can I come back to work?"

"As soon as possible" was Leo's quick response, he looked her over and saw some sort of happiness in her eyes that hadn't been there before her holiday "I take it you are up to date on the case"

"Yes" Nikki nodded "and you don't need to worry about me and Harry, we've sorted things out between us"

"Good" Leo smiled "You can come back tomorrow"

"You have no idea how much I have missed this place" Nikki laughed as she sat back in her chair and Leo chuckled when he heard this "I didn't realise how much I would until I left"

"There's a name for someone like that" Leo told her and smiled at her "Workaholic"

"Pot, kettle, black?" was all Nikki said as she tried to stop herself grinning but failed dramatically and laughed along with her friend "Do you have any leads at all?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"None at all" Leo responded with a shake of the head "Although the art shop owner is of course a suspect, considering the paintings turn up at his shop but we have seen no-one deliver them"

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It was raining and I was displeased with that fact. Sitting on a bench in the middle of a park in the rain does nothing for anyone and for that simple fact there was no-one around apart from me. I turned my head to look down the path but the rain got heavier and I sighed loudly and drew my coat tighter around me. However this did no good as I was already soaked through and could feel my clothes sticking to me, my hair plastered against my head and face. Letting out a deep breath I stood up and was about to walk back down the path when a voice behind me caught me by surprise slightly.

"Excuse me do you have any spare change?" the obviously homeless man asked me and I gave him a wide smile as I reached into my pocket.

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"That was divine Harry" Nikki told him as she put her knife and fork back on the plate after finishing the last bite of the pasta salad "I never knew you could cook that well"

"Well thank you very much" Harry smiled over his wine glass and Nikki rolled her eyes

"You know what I mean" she sighed exasperatedly and Harry put his wine glass down and reached over to entwine their hands on the table, both of them fitting perfectly within the other "Thank you for cooking"

"Anything for you" Harry told her quietly making Nikki blush and she started to fiddle with her wine glass "How are you? Really"

"I don't know" Nikki shook her head knowing what he was on about and Harry stood up and tugged at her hand to get her to stand as well before leading them into the living room and sitting them on the sofa. Nikki leant into him and Harry wrapped one arm around her shoulders and then entwined their hands again on his lap, absentmindedly playing with a strand of her hair "I thought he had changed, I really did"

"Well you have me and Leo and that's all that matters really" Harry shrugged "Victor has shown that you can't trust him, you tried Nikki you did but he's not going to change"

"I know" Nikki whispered and reached up to wipe her eyes free of tears and took a deep breath "Tell me about your father Harry"

"What do you want to know?" Harry asked as he looked down at her, he wasn't normally comfortably talking about him but this was Nikki, and he'd do anything for her. Nikki just shrugged.

"Everything. You never talk about him"

"It's hard.." Harry started and Nikki looked up at him and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, if you don't want to that's fine"

Harry just smiled and leant down to press a soft kiss onto her lips to reassure her.

"Nikki it's fine" Harry told her "I haven't talked about him in a long time, since I was about ten really"

"Wow, years and years ago then" Nikki giggled and Harry poked her in the ribs making her laugh loudly and jerk away from him.

"Cheeky" he pouted and pulled Nikki closer again and ran one hand over her hair as he observed her "He was the best dad I could have had. Up to the time when he...changed. I only started to notice when I was about eight when he stopped doing the things a dad does, you know helping with homework, taking me to see the planes" Nikki chuckled at this and let Harry continue "taking me to school, he just stopped all of that" he paused and Nikki looked up in time to see him frown "Looking back now I see that it was always dad who did things for me, I have no idea what my mother was doing"

"Oh Harry" Nikki sighed and reached up to place one hand on his cheek and stroked it slightly with her thumb, smiling when Harry leant into her touch and then turned his head to press a kiss onto her palm "I'm sorry"

Harry just shrugged and gave her a sad smile.

"Then one day I came home from school and was told he was dead" Harry continued simply and Nikki saw his eyes glaze over with tears but he turned away and blinked them away.

"It's okay to cry Harry" Nikki told him and moved his head so he was looking at her "I'm not going to think you are any less a man if you do. I know how you men think" she chuckled and Harry gave her a watery laugh before he let out a sob and started to cry. Nikki had to hold herself together as the one man who was always so strong, for her and himself, sobbed like a child in her arms. Nikki wrapped her arms around his shoulders and Harry turned and buried his face in her shoulder, his body shaking as he cried. Nikki reached up, ran one hand repeatedly through his hair and pressed a kiss on the top of his head.

"I'm sorry" Harry whispered after a few minutes but didn't move his head from where it was resting on Nikki's shoulder.

"Don't apologise Harry" Nikki replied "After all the times I've cried in front of you and you've comforted me I think it's about time it was reciprocated" she paused and ran her hand through his hair again "You didn't cry for him back then did you?"

"No" was all Harry said before he let out a loud sigh "What would I do without you Nikki?"

"Wallow in self pity and you'd have no-one to pick on" Nikki replied with a dramatic sigh making Harry chuckle

"It's you who pick on me" Harry told his best friend as he looked up and moved away from her before reaching up and tucking some hair behind her ear. He then leant over and pressed his lips to hers and pulled her onto his lap before deepening the kiss eagerly.

It's the weekend! Should be able to write a lot this weekend because mum is going out and I won't have to battle for the laptop. XP

xxx