Bit more angst for you, promise the fluff will be back soon if you want it. I'm just experimenting with writing different things at the moment. Love reading reviews if you have time and always want to know how I can improve :) Hope you like this chapter.

"How can you just do that?" Harry asked his lover as they remained seated on the lab floor.

"Do what?"

"Carry on like everything is normal after what your father just did."

He was concerned about her. Of course Harry knew that Nikki loved to been seen as a strong woman, despite the child-like side he had seen only a few minutes ago, but he reckoned that this was taking it too far.

"It's not a big deal, Harry."

"He hit you, Niks."

"I'm fine. Please just drop it." She said, tears threatening to fall again from her eyes.

"Look, we both know that's not true."

Nikki turned away from Harry and tried her best to hide the fact that she was wiping away the tears.

"Nikki, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" He asked, calmly. She merely sighed and shook her head. "Please?" Harry pleaded with her.

"I've told you it's not a big deal and I mean it, Harry. He's done it before. I'm used to it now. I can't lock myself in my room and cry for weeks whenever someone hurts me, especially not my dad. Life goes on. I'm certainly not worth the hassle."

Harry's heart broke a little when he heard the dejected tone of her voice. He squeezed her tighter into the hug and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You are worth it, Niks, don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I'm not. Like dad said: you'll realise that soon enough. He's right, why would anyone want to be with me?"

"Because you're beautiful, intelligent, feisty, caring," He listed, Nikki's blush becoming more prominent after each adjective. Adding on as an afterthought, he said: "and an amazing lover." She giggled slightly at this last statement and turned around to kiss him on the lips.

"There is one thing though, Niks. Don't get mad at me I just want to ask you something."

"Okay." She agreed.

"Why did you never tell me about this?" Harry asked and felt his lover tense once more in his arms. Gently stroking her hair, he continued: "All those times you came to see me when he had upset you, you never once mentioned your relationship with him as a child, apart from agreeing that you were happy in South Africa when quite clearly you weren't."

"We were happy, just sometimes I had to act happier than I felt." Nikki responded.

"That's not what I asked."

"Do you really want to know? Really?" She questioned in a raised voice.

"Yes." Harry stated simply. "I love you." He added, as if that explained his question.

"Because I was ashamed! Because I'm to bloody proud to admit that my dad used to hit me as a child! Because I'm weak and pathetic and don't expect anyone to love me or even care about me! There, is that what you wanted to hear?" She was shouting by now and Harry realised that he had pushed too far too soon. He knew he should have let her tell him in her own time and now she was angry and hurting and he felt that he had caused it.

"Sorry Nikki, I had no idea."

"Why would you? You don't know what it's like - living in fear of someone who is supposed to love you. Your mum did but you were just oblivious like my mum. Where was she, Harry? And where were you?" Nikki yelled. Harry visibly flinched away from her words and Nikki could tell she had taken it too far by bringing his parents into it. He didn't deserve that, but she could tell it was too late when she saw the pain her words had brought to his eyes. She moved away from him, cursing herself for letting her hatred for her father make her hurt Harry, who just sat there motionless, shocked by his lover's outburst.

Unable to cope with the pain that she has caused him, Nikki got up to leave, pushing past Leo as she went, who had been stood outside and heard the whole thing. Wiping her tears away, Nikki left the office and swiftly made her way to the car park.

"Well are you going to go after her or am I?" Leo asked.

"You can."

"Do you really think she would rather see me than you? You have to help her Harry, or at least be there for her through this. You know her better than anyone and, besides, I still have an office to run. Now go!" The older man commanded, knowing that Harry had already forgiven her.

With that, Harry sprinted after her, desperately hoping that he wasn't too late. Luckily for him, Nikki was still fishing out her car keys when he arrived. Cautiously, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and gave her soft hair a kiss.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I should never have said that. It was unfair of me to bring your parents into this."

"I forgive you. Just so that you know, you can always talk to me about it, whenever you want."

"Thank you. Really, I mean it." Nikki replied honestly.

"I know you do." He said. "Now are we going to go back to work or do you feel like going home?"

"Leo will be mad if we go home."

"I'll deal with him. It's your choice, today has been hard for you and I think Leo will agree that you could have the rest of the afternoon off, if you want it."

"Only if you do too."

"Okay, it's a deal. You get in the car and I'll quickly let Leo know."

"I love you, Harry."

"I love you too." He said and kissed her bruised cheek lightly.