Harry radioed in and told Chas about Daish and waited patiently with Dempsey as the patrol cars, fire brigade and ambulance turned up. 'Stop looking so pleased with yourself,' she mocked him. 'I'm only doing this to save you from unemployment; I can't imagine you as anything other than a cop. Or anything I could imagine is probably illegal.'

Dempsey smiled and held her gaze, 'it's good to have you back Harry, ain't the same with Hargreaves or Watson they ain't as decorative,' he regarded her reaction to that his arms still crossed over his chest.

Harry gave him an exasperated look and sighed. 'That's it; is it? That's the limits of your emotional vocabulary? I don't want to work here without you,' she could see he looked awkward like a small boy who liked a girl but wasn't going to say it.

The Lieutenant watched as she came towards him and gave a characteristic shrug, 'ain't like you then storming off and handing in your notice, finding a bunch of old bones to catalogue,' he ran his arm around her shoulder and held her gaze and took in her beautiful face as she looked up at him. 'Guess we both ain't so good with the words, angel.'

The Sergeant moved out of his embrace as she saw a squad car come racing towards them, Chas and Spikings got out of the vehicle. Spikings glanced from one to the other gauging their demeanour and he couldn't work out much from that. 'The brewery's put in a complaint about the pub shooting and the fire brigade and the port authority are giving me ear ache about getting the car out of the river but apart from that it's been a good day.'

'Daish just reversed off the jetty,' Dempsey shrugged, 'guess he didn't fancy prison food,' he watched the fire engine turn up and then frogmen arrived to locate the car.'

'Mob stealing off the mob, well I don't suppose that's much of a surprise,' he turned to Makepeace, 'a word Sergeant,' Spikings drew her to one side. 'What's happening Harry are you returning to SI10? You're a good copper and I don't want to lose you and if you want to partner with someone else then that can be arranged.'

'I need to talk to Lieutenant Dempsey about that sir; we haven't had time to discuss the matter.' Harry looked decisive and she knew the conversation was long overdue.

'Understood, it hit Dempsey pretty hard when you left, he even asked me if I thought he was boring.' Spikings ran his hand over his short prickly hair obviously uncomfortable with that particular memory.

The blonde officer looked self-conscious and bit her lip, she'd been so busy protecting herself she'd hurt James feelings and she was sorry for it. 'I see, can I get back to you on this tomorrow sir, I'd like to think about it.' Spikings nodded told them both to come in to the office in the morning to write up their report and also imparted some good news that Sergeant Hargreaves was out of the coma.

Dempsey looked relieved about that even though he knew he'd told her to not intervene with Daish he still felt guilty about a partner of his being hospitalised.

Spikings moved off to deal with the other teams after telling Dempsey he could have the rest of the day off and saying a begrudging, 'good work.' He gave them the time to get their issues sorted and hoped he'd get his crack team back as they were essential to the survival of SI10.

'Buy you a beer,' Dempsey asked her as she looked a little uncertain about what to do next. She nodded and drove them to her house as she had a very pleasant pub nearby with a pretty little garden. They were unlikely to find any coppers there so they could have some privacy.

She parked the car on her drive and walked with him into the small pub courtyard with its pretty hanging baskets with over flowing Impatience, Petunias and Fuscias, they'd been there before on a number of occasions.

'I like the way your city bars have these little hidden gardens we don't have that in New York so much,' he went to the bar after they found a table. He ordered the wine she liked and a beer for him and wondered how much she'd push him on the emotional stuff and realised he'd probably have to give some to get her back in her rightful place which was by his side.

He wished he'd changed now after sleeping rough with Dan; he'd sure had a skin-full; he took the drinks out to the courtyard and found a guy chatting to Harry and obviously putting the moves on her and Dempsey's jaw squared dangerously. He put the drinks on the table and gave the guy the stink eye which resulted in him moving off after telling Makepeace he'd see her around.

Harry had noticed her partner's territorial behaviour and a small smile touched her lips and her gaze wandered over him as he sat down. 'You smell very masculine, Dempsey,' her gaze mocked him. 'Oh and a slight bouquet of stale alcohol, how pleasant,' she picked up her wine and took a mouthful.

The Lieutenant ignored that and cut to the chase. 'I heard what Spiking said about reassigning you,' he growled. 'Is that what you want?' He drank the beer from the bottle and watched her intently. Makepeace was a difficult dame to read that was for sure, she'd make a good poker player he should teach her some time.

'Well I don't know, if I said yes to that option what would you do, all supposing Spikings couldn't find someone as decorative as me to partner you,' she asked tongue in cheek and sipped her wine and waited for him to struggle with the challenge of that question.

He held her gaze and gave her a wince of a smile, he could see she was gonna force the issue she had that stubborn look on her that he was very familiar with. 'What do you want Harry? I'm a guy it makes the conversation move along quicker if you just tell me.'

She laughed at that and shook her head slowly. 'No, I don't think that will do, James… I left because I saw you in a pool of blood after Crazy Joe took aim and shot you dead. I told you I didn't want to see you die and I don't,' she traced the pattern on the cast iron table.

'So if you partnered with someone else you wouldn't see that but what if you became friends and liked them then you wouldn't want to see them die either; where does that get you?'

'Nowhere apparently,' she looked up at him her gaze steady. Was he being deliberately obtuse or was he just refusing to see that it was him in particular she cared about. She should have stayed in the bloody museum.

Dempsey could see she wasn't impressed by his answer, he'd have to emotionally engage or this would all go to hell in a handbasket. He leaned forward and caught her hand to stop her tracing patterns and hiding from him. 'Okay, cards on the table. It ain't just a partner thing and apart from their being no other cop that looks like you that really ain't it.'

'It ain't… isn't,' Harry had been sure he'd bluff his way out of admitting that he needed her for anything and she was a tiny bit hopeful he'd make the effort for her.

The colour of her eyes changed and he felt he'd been a jerk making out she was some kind of trophy partner, well she was but that wasn't it. All the guys envied him spending his time so closely with Makepeace cos she was so hot but he had deep feelings for her which were more than that. 'Nope I'd miss your funny face and you're annoying little mannerisms, c'mon Harry we get each other and besides that there's the other thing.'

'The other thing and what would that be, Lieutenant?' Harry was really listening now and willing him to say something to make her stay by his side. At that moment the barmaid came and collected glasses from the nearby tables and Harry's glass was nearly empty.

'Would you like to order drinks,' she asked her gaze moving over the American male with interest.

'Sure that would be nice, thanks. Prosecco for the lady and can I have another beer,' he smiled charmingly and watched the girl blush. Still got it he thought and that helped with the tension cos he was feeling out of his comfort zone.

Makepeace felt very frustrated and guessed that with James it just wasn't going to happen, he'd had her undivided attention for three years; well for part of every day anyway and that's what made him happy because he could then have casual sex elsewhere and he didn't have to commit to a damn thing.

Dempsey could see Harry was looking irritated but he waited for the girl to come back with the drinks. 'What's your name,' he asked her in a friendly tone.

'Tania,' she flashed her pretty green eyes at him.

'Thanks Tania, get a drink for yourself,' he put some notes on her tray and watched her walk back inside. 'Think she likes me,' he grinned at Harry. Whoa that just bought him nothing and Harry had got out of her seat and looked like she was about to leave. 'You're not leaving because we haven't had our little talk,' his dark eyes were determined on hers, 'sit down Harry.'

She glared at him. 'I wouldn't want to cramp your style James, why talk to me when you can flirt with the waitress and maybe get lucky.'

'Well that would be where the other thing comes in,' he drawled as she sat down again. He picked up his beer and took a decent slug of it. 'I have feelings for you Harry that don't come under the role of partner or friend.' That had been difficult and he knew there wasn't the end of it because she'd want more and that's what this whole resignation thing had been about. He'd subconsciously known that though he'd fought against the change. You're not indispensable Harry, neither are you, echoed in his brain.

'More like friends with benefits?' She asked in a sarcastic tone not feeling any emotional context to this and that's what she wanted.

'Nope not like that cos it's not just sex, you're beautiful of course I want sex but it's more than that. Jesus, I wanted that three years ago, it's more than that you know it is.' He looked moody and glanced at her; she was regarding him like he was some kind of strange specimen under a glass. 'How hard are you gonna make this Harry, I need you in my life is that what you wanted to hear?'

Harry picked up her wine and considered that, well that hadn't been too bad she supposed; should she push him further or not he was obviously finding this hard. 'Well it's a step up from 'nobody wants to see anybody die,' she agreed.

Dempsey was annoyed at that and it showed. 'When I thought Coltrane had you shot I didn't care about anything other than killing him cos there was nothing for me after that,' he glared at her. 'You're not just anybody to me; I just didn't know what was going on with you and the Crazy Joe thing.'

Harry's heart thumped painfully at his admission and her blue eyes softened on his. 'Thank you,' she said softly, 'that means a great deal to me James.'

'Good, I'm not great with this stuff and I've never been able to figure out what you want from me. I mean we go out, we have fun but you never… You ain't exactly touchy feely, you shoot down any attempt I make to get closer.'

Harry laughed. 'Yes well about that, it just comes across as an automatic reflex, you're a flirt Dempsey. I was never sure you wanted me specifically or just an attractive female.'

'I want you,' he admitted awkwardly finding the label on his beer bottle intensely absorbing. 'I have done for a long time.'

'Good,' she sipped her wine viewing him with something that approached affection.

'What does that even mean?' Dempsey was royally frustrated with the chess game she was playing. So far he'd spilt his guts and she really hadn't

'It means that I'll come back to work and I won't ask Spikings to be re-assigned and we'll take it from there.' She could see he wasn't satisfied with that.

Dempsey gave her a glance that held a flash of anger. 'Harry, you're gonna have to give me more than that. I asked you before; what do you want from me and you ain't answered that.'

'Well if you want me in your life James, then you're going to have to show me what that means; if you want a relationship with me then you could start by asking me out?'

'We are out, okay….. Dempsey glowered at her. 'Okay princess, I want this to be a date. So I asked you for a beer but it's a date not a drink with a work colleague.'

Harry frowned as he came and sat beside her and she pouted at him. 'That's not really fair; I'm already here you didn't give me a chance to accept or decline.'

Dempsey tipped up her chin and his gaze moved from eyes to her mouth and then back to her eyes again. 'You're a tough woman to date Makepeace, give it up…. He leant closer he'd wanted to kiss Harry from that first day, well he'd wanted to do more than that. He could see she looked nervous and he guessed it was like breaking an invisible boundary they'd both observed; his heart was beating its way out of his body and he could see the pulse beating in her neck; it was something of a tell.

Well he'd emotionally bled out in front on her so it was time to get something back and God knows he wanted her taste, his mouth brushed over her soft lips getting her used to the idea. The gentle touch sent a sharp acknowledgement of hunger throughout his body and then Harry gave a soft little moan of a sound that was such a turn on. His fingers slid into the silk of her hair winnowing through the fine strands as his lips parted hers and her jaw relaxed and he didn't need more that as he deepened the kiss. Now Harry liked to challenge him on just about everything but in this area that weren't happening and he noted her letting him take the lead.

Harry had longed for his kiss but she'd only wanted it if he had feelings for her other than lust, she felt the grip of his fingers deep in her hair as he dominated her senses; James was a very good kisser. His tongue touched hers and then slid against it coaxing hers into bad behaviour and a delicious languor took over her senses as he seduced with the kind of confidence she'd always suspected he would have when it came to this. When he broke the kiss her blue disturbed gaze searched his.

'Don't ever leave me again,' he growled softly his dark eyes held strong emotion as they looked at her. That had come from nowhere but it was heartfelt, he needed her. She was his London, his England and he'd felt lonely without her.

'I won't,' she whispered her touch moving to his jaw and running over the dark stubble there and her blue gaze warm with feeling. 'I promise.' Her eyes closed as he kissed her again and she subliminally registered the chatter of the other people in the bar and a bee buzzing around the flowers but that all faded into the background as James pulled her deeper into his embrace and her body responded by pressing closer to his.