Hey people!x

Yes you're not dreaming - its a new chapter within a week of the last one!

After three fruitless days of trying to come up with a solution to the Propanol problem, Hen was bordering on desperate to find a breakthrough. She was determined to prove herself not only to Humphrey, but Jim too. She wanted to show them that she was the best person to have in a Minister's team of close Civil Servants.

On the fourth evening, Hen found herself once again in the company Jim and about twenty or so large, heavy folders. She took a deep breath coughed nervously.

"Erm Minister," she began cautiously. "I believe I may have a solution to our problem."

Jim looked delighted.

"Really?" he asked, sounding pleased. "Oh my dear girl, I'm so glad – I'm sure my wife is forgetting what I look like as we've been working so late for so long."

Hen smiled.

"What's the great plan then?" asked Jim, looking at Hen intently.

"Well it may involve one or two um… economies with the truth," she said looking nervous.

"You mean lies?" asked Jim.

A pained look crossed Hen's face.

"Oh no Minister," she said earnestly. "'Lies' is such a crude generalisation."

"Hmm," said Jim. "You sound exactly like Sir Humphrey."

Hen smiled again.

"Funny that," she said then laughed.

Jim smile too.

"So what's the great plan then?" he asked again.

"Well I didn't strictly come up with it," said Hen as she took a rather large file out of a sleek black briefcase. It was similar to one Humphrey used.

"Nice briefcase," Jim commentated as Hen passed him the file.

"Oh thank-you Minister," replied Hen. "It was Daddy's actually. Uncle Humphrey has one like it."

Jim opened the file.

"So if you didn't come up with it who did?" he asked.

Hen looked rather in embarrassed.

"Well it's not something I'd usually do," she began. "But… well the thing is Minister, neither of us are Chemistry students and it would have taken us months to figure this problem out, so I called on an old friend from university."

"Oh?" asked Jim. "Who is this 'old friend'?"

"His name is Daniel Hawthorne, we were at Oxford together – he's a chemistry PhD, awfully clever at this sort of thing," said Hen. "He was more than happy to help – we were good friends."

"Oh splendid," said Jim. "So what do you, or rather Dr Hawthorne suggest to get us out of this mess."

"Well," said Hen, taking another file out of her briefcase. She opened it and took out the first page. "What we do is call the chemical a completely different name – Dan's got a few suggestions – and then get some chemists in to see whether or not it's vital to have such a large quantity of dioxin or even meta-dioxin in it."

"Hm," said Jim. "Won't that be expensive?"

"Oh not really," said Hen. "Dan said to let him know what you, the Home Office and BCC think and he will call some friends from Edinburgh University and get them to do it for much less than usual."

"And he'll do that for you?" asked Jim.

"Oh yes," said Hen. "He owes me one actually."

"Yes?" asked Jim. "How's that then?"

Hen smiled.

"I got him a place on the cricket team in our second year," she explained.

"How did you manage that?" asked Jim.

"Oh I broke the captain's fingers by shutting them in the door of the pavilion the night before a match," said Hen.

Jim looked at her with a mixture of horror and awe.

"So you and er… this Daniel," he began. "Were you… and him… at university?"

"Were we what at university?" asked Hen.

"Oh you know… did you… were you… when you were…" Jim stuttered on.

Hen decided to put him out of his misery.

"You mean lovers?" she asked.

Jim nodded.

"Oh Lord no," she said with a laugh. "Never – we were just friends."

"Want about now?" asked Jim.

"No," said Hen, shaking her head. "I've known him too long. Besides nowadays I'm far more interested in Bernard."

Hen stopped quickly and clapped her hand to her mouth.

"Oh damn," she whispered.

"Bernard," asked Jim. "Surely you don't mean…"

How stopped and pointed to the door which connected his office to the Private Office.

"Bernard?"

Hen's face flushed scarlet. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes Minister," she whispered.

Jim laughed loudly.

"Oh please Minister," said Hen. "You won't say anything will you?"

"It'll be very hard," said Jim, still laughing.

"Minister you can't," said Jim. "We all have to work together."

"Yes," said Jim as he stopped laughing. "I suppose there is that."

"You won't say anything then?" asked Hen.

"Oh I suppose not," said Jim. "Anyway, we should really be getting home."

"Yes," said Hen. "It'll be nice to finish early for a change."

For my reviewers and for Laura - yes you've read this bit too... :)