Episode 6:

"Don't you dare even think about opening those curtains!" Meredith cuttingly demanded even through the pillow that was muffling her words. "Need a shrink…Ungodly hour.." She mumbled as she continued to doze enjoying the relative luxury of her Saturday morning lie in.

Smiling indulgently Gavin moved as silently as he could around their bedroom, slipping on a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt before carrying his trainers out the door. Normally he would have agreed with his fiancé's assessment, as it usual took Meredith kicking him out of bed before he would willingly leave her alone in it. However today was not a normal day!

Sitting down on the stairs he pulled on his trainers and jogged down the polished wooden steps, nodding for a moment as his carefully vetted cleaner appeared briefly from the kitchen nodding her greeting as she disappeared home for the day her work already done as the apartment positively shined. Grabbing his chilling bottle of Evian from the fridge Gavin began his routine security sweeps before leaving the house. Windows closed and locked check…All dangerous appliances off…Then tapping in his security code he quickly set the sophisticated alarm system which would trigger if anyone opened a door or window without first typing in the code in each room's security pad.

Jogging down the steps he lent down to surreptitiously check his laces when in fact he scanned the street quickly, before subtly nodding to the flat across the road where he knew the company he had hired would be watching. Stretching out he slowly began his jog, cursing each step the new stalker that had forced him to take such drastic action and carry out such an odious charade. He hated jogging with a passion, loathed the sweaty hair banded health freaks who extolled its many virtues and seemed to think that by mere merit of their eco-consciousness that entitled them to take up valuable road and path space.

Yet he had needed an excuse to be up before Meredith every morning, ever since the morning after the Opera when by chance he had risen first and found a new note lying on his doormat. What had infuriated him more than the threats was the nerve these people seemed to have, first putting one in his own pocket, then using his own Sunday newspaper against him, the front page hideously massacred by their red-penned circles. It had taken some clever covering to keep that one from Meredith, and a convincing rant about the bloody newsagents forgetting his paper seemed to have done the trick. The very same day he had been on the phone, ringing around all the contacts he had until he found just the firm he was looking for. Small and with an exemplary record he had hired them not only to watch the apartment, but provide a discrete body guarding service for Meredith, which if she knew about would undoubtedly send her into one of her tantrums. So it was definitely in all their best interests that everything be kept quiet, not only for his health and well being but also the baby's as their Obstetrician had already warned Meredith about her precarious blood pressure levels.

Doing his mandatory run round the park, Gavin stopped for a moment by a payphone to swig from his Evian bottle, glancing at his watch. A moment later it began to ring and Gavin stepped over to answer it.

"I almost thought you were running late!"

"Very funny Mr Cochran, now to business we were able to obtain the list of people who purchased tickets to the opera and compared to the list of possible suspects you supplied, I am afraid we didn't come up with a match. Of course this only covers those who paid and not their guests but I am afraid we are going to struggle to tie all of those names down…As for the paperboy who delivered you newspaper, questioning didn't reveal any tampering, he simply selected the next paper from the pile. So it seems that your paper was tampered with either after leaving the printing plant or whilst it was at the newsagents. However whoever did has obvious planned it meticulously, taking time to learn the paperboy's exact route and the order of delivery. We haven't as yet been able to question the vender as he tends to work around the clock and lives above the store but it is next on our line of enquiry."

"What about the guests for Meredith's upcoming dinner party have you had the chance to check them out like I requested?"

"We are almost finished, a report will be delivered to you with Miss Meredith's favourite Pepperoni slice this evening."

Snorting in amusement Gavin quipped. "Is there anything you guys don't think of?"

"I hope for your sake Mr Cochran that there isn't!" Then the line went dead and Gavin went back to stretching before making the five minute jog home.

- - -

"Are those crumpets…Oh and scrambled eggs and bacon…Gavin are you trying to make me fat or just torture me?" Meredith moaned softly when a showered and changed Gavin finally dared to wake her with breakfast in bed.

"Only the best for my girl!" Gavin quipped trying to ignore the quizzing look in Meredith's eye. She wasn't a fool she knew he was up to something, he was spoiling her far too much, but he couldn't help it.

"What did you break?"

"Nothing my love." Gavin insisted setting the tray down beside her and handing her a fork before stealing a crumpet for himself.

"Hey!" Meredith exclaimed trying to reclaim her stolen breakfast. "What happened to your health kick?"

"It's..just..a…crumpet…" Gavin spluttered in between bites until there was nothing but a trace of butter on his fingertips. "Besides now you can indulge guilt free." He added leaning down and kissing her firmly before rummaging around in the wardrobe for his shoes.

"Where are you going?" Meredith demanded suspiciously her scrumptious breakfast now forgotten as she watched Gavin prepare to go out. "I thought we were going to spend the day at the V&A…My friends invited us to come and see the restoration work, they are expecting us."

"No beloved they are expecting you, they invited me to be polite, they tolerate me for your sake alone."

"Gavin please this important to me, I want you all to get along!"

"And we will." Gavin insisted placatingly, standing in front of the mirror as he knotted his Armani tie and tugged on his jacket. "I will meet them all at this dinner party of yours and I promise to dazzle them all with my wit and charm just as I have you." Then with a kiss on her cheek he quickly disappeared before she could remember he still hadn't answered her question.

- - -

Growling once Gavin was out the door Meredith toyed with the remainder of her breakfast, before reaching over and picking up the phone. Gavin just didn't understand, she couldn't go on her own, not to this. Margie Hotherington had invited them, not someone Meredith would have called a friend more like a useful acquaintance. It was obvious to Meredith that they had only been invited to add a bit of drama to an otherwise dull fundraiser, yet it had seemed like a perfect chance for Gavin to prove his critics wrong, or at least cause a few select people to question the conclusions they had drawn about the former London gangster. However despite all these careful efforts she was making on his behalf, Gavin at best seemed oblivious to her efforts and at worst dismissed them as worthless. He seemed quite content to remain on the outside, able to operate his business and life better when he did so, he had his own acquaintances to socialise with he didn't need her influential friends, he had influence of his own kind.

Grabbing her Rolodex Meredith quickly scanned for Margie's number, dialling it before she could change her mind she waited for the woman to pick up.

"Margie…It's Meredith Gates."

"Meredith darling so lovely to hear from you now you aren't ringing to cancel on me are you…I don't need to remind you of all people how like gold dust these tickets are and the museum would be so disappointed not to raise as much attention and money for the restoration…"

Gritting her teeth as Meredith heard the unspoken threat that this would probably be the last invite she received if she dared to turn this one down at such short notice. "No of course not Margie…It's just that Gavin has been detained on business so I just thought I'd better tell you as the hostess I will bringing a different guest…"

"Oh well I was looking forward to meeting your new man but well such things cannot be helped I suppose…So who are you bringing instead my dear?"

"That would be telling." Meredith replied cagily. "Let's just say he is a very talented young artist…Great potential."

Chuckling knowingly Margie added eagerly. "Well then I cannot wait to meet this new talent of yours…Remember Two O'Clock start so don't be late."

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Meredith retorted, trying valiantly to keep the sarcasm out of her voice as she hung up the phone.

Then lying back against her pillows she mentally chewed through the new talent she was showcasing in her upcoming exhibit, trying to find a face that would fit, of course there was one obvious candidate. Tall, ruggedly handsome, bright and very talented and the right side of thirty, yet with a boyish enthusiasm for art that made him instantly endearing. He was a PR wet dream, and he was hers lock stock and barrel. All he needed was a little helping hand, to meet the right people, get the right exposure and he would be on the start of a stellar career and Meredith a positive gold mine.

There was only one reason she hadn't already been dragging him round town like her newest show pony and that was that she was worried about how Gavin would react. He had already revealed jealous and possessive tendencies, and she caught up in the flush a heady love affair had done nothing to discourage this, it made her feel special to provoke such a reaction. However now they had settled down into a daily rhythm she longed to get back to her normal routine, true she wasn't up to the nightly parties and late nights but she missed the social interaction of her peers.

She had tried to encourage Gavin to share her world but it now seemed quite clear that he intended to keep business separate from personal, and their relationship separate from anything else even their social circles. After all he had shown no intention of introducing her to his friends and seemed more than resistant to spending more time that absolutely necessary with hers. They hadn't even discussed their life after the baby came; it wasn't as though they had room for a nanny, although they could move if they had to. She wasn't even sure if he somehow in his deluded brain thought that she would be staying home and looking after it full time, it was almost as though he had something else constantly on his mind. Or someone?

Shaking her head to try and push that thought away, the memory of a certain leggy business partner of his. Was it her he was going to meet today instead of spending time with her like he had promised?

Well if he didn't deign it necessary to tell her where he was going or who with, then in all honesty he could hardly expect her to do the same, and it would only be business….

Picking up the phone she dialled Jake's number, inwardly smiling when she heard his cheerful greeting. "Jake…Whatever plans you've got for this afternoon cancel them, I've got some people I want you to meet…"

- - -

Where the bloody hell was she? Prowling round the kitchen Gavin glared accusingly at the expensive pizza that sat growing cold and untouched on the counter. Glancing at the clock Gavin picked the bottle of champagne that was chilling innocently in the ice bucket and poured himself a large glass as he ruminated on his situation.

Fine so he had told her to go without him, he could hardly blame her if she actually took his advice for once. She wasn't to know that the important business meeting was with his solicitor about forcing through his divorce or that he had felt guilty at letting her face those people alone and so rushed the meeting in order to be home just in time to catch her lift into town. It was only when he found the house suspiciously empty that panicking he remembered to check his mobile. As expected there was a rather brief message from Meredith telling him she gone to the fundraiser and would be back around seven.

All in all he had been rather pleased, Meredith hadn't seemed off with him on her message and he hadn't come home to a grumpy pregnant fiancé annoyed because he had made her cancel her plans for nothing. Although he was more than confident in his own ability to improve her mood and an afternoon spent lovemaking would definitely have given them both a natural high and set the tone for his romantic intentions.

As it was it left him free to indulge a few of his rather plebeian hobbies as Meredith condescended to call them, settling down in front of the telly to enjoy a good game of football and rebelliously drink his beer out of a can. Then when seven drew closer, he had ordered the pizza Meredith had seemingly become addicted to during her pregnancy, placed a bottle of ridiculously expensive champagne in the fridge to chill and slipped upstairs to sort through the luxurious bath bubbles Meredith seemed to have in endless supply; setting the scene for a certain question he had to ask.

Now at gone eight, the pizza was cold, the champagne almost gone and the bubbles decidedly pathetic. Bored, annoyed and more than a bit pissed Gavin decided now would be the perfect time to explore the contents of Meredith's film collection. So he sank down in front of the cabinet giggling when the contents of his champagne glass sloshed over Meredith's prize cream rug. Casting his eye over neatly labelled classics, he searched desperately for something with a bit of bite bemoaning the current choice of stilted classics which would have him snoring before they had introduced all the characters.

Then a bunch of cryptically labelled cassettes caught his eye, MG Paris 87…New York…St Tropez 94 and some didn't have any labels at all. Intrigued he removed the entire section and placed the first in the player, bursting out with laughter when a recognisable yet decidedly gawky t-shirted and pimpled faced Giles appeared on screen before the view panned out to reveal one of Paris's most famous landmarks.

For the next few minutes Gavin fast-forwarded through recordings of endless art galleries then suddenly he hit play as a very recognisable lady came into frame. Even with the long permed hair she looked gorgeous, and the rather short shorts she were wearing captured his attention just as they did most passing Frenchmen. At Mile's request she performed a little twirl before saucily blowing the camera a kiss, raising her eyebrow in a decidedly provocative fashion. However then another gentleman he recognised came into frame, Andre's ruggedly handsome face sporting a smattering of designer stubble as he found some reason to monopolise Meredith's attention before leading her off into another corner of the gallery. Clenching his fist round the remote Gavin had to resist the urge to put his fist through the set as Giles's camera followed them long enough to spot the oblivious couple kissing passionately. Punching the eject button he ripped the tape from the player before throwing it down and picking up the New York one, this was later after she had dumped the odious frog, so at least he wouldn't have to watch them making googoo eyes at each other.

This one started in central park with Meredith and another obvious gay fellow trying to coax a reluctant Giles into a rowboat. Gone was the perm, and in was a new edginess he associated with the current Meredith. Already she had a sense of classic style albeit on a more limited budget, and her natural good looks meant that even in a sweater and jeans she attracted more than her fair share of attention. Then suddenly it cut to what was obviously a gay club in down town Manhattan, how on earth they had gotten the camera in Gavin couldn't work out but just for the sight of Meredith in a skintight leather cat suit he was more than glad they had.

The noise drowned out whatever conversation was going on but he was certain some bets were being made, as first there were tequila shots and then Miles lent forward to whisper in Meredith's ear before laying a cool 100 Dollars on the table. Cool and collected Meredith simply smirked and nodded her agreement to whatever nonsense he had suggested before sauntering off into the club. For a moment her friends and the camera tried to locate her before suddenly she reappeared on one of the podiums whispering in one of the dancing girls ear, and then to the proceeding catcalls began to kiss the scantily clad dancer senseless.

It had certainly the same effect on Gavin, who watched open mouthed as on screen Meredith returned to scoop up her prize money. That was certainly something to think about, not that he ever intended to share her with anyone but the prospect was certainly tempting. Taking another swig of champagne Gavin fumbled for one of the unmarked tapes deciding to leave the prospect of Meredith in a bikini for a day when he was feeling particularly low. Pushing the tape he had to shrug off the familiar feeling of de-j-vu then hitting play he suddenly realised what he had found. She had kept it; the little minx hadn't destroyed it. Fast forwarding until he watched their screen selves appear Gavin growled slightly as his counterpart pushed her back against the wall, making short work of her dress before wrenching her foot from the floor as he began to ravage her.

Then suddenly the rattle of the key in the lock gave him just enough warning, smiling evilly he reclined on the couch filling another glass with the remaining champagne as he waited for her; she wasn't going to know what hit her, he was going to make her regret every second she had been late and come begging back for more.

"About Bloody time woman, take your clothes off and get over here now…I'm going to…" Gavin suddenly trailed off when a scarlet Meredith stepped inside followed by a rather handsome young man. "Oh shit…"

"Oh shit indeed." Meredith retorted angrily. "Jake this is Gavin…Gavin Jake...As you can see he is quite the charmer."

Laughing the young artist nodded politely at Gavin before backing out the door. "Well I said I just wanted to make sure you got home safe…"

"Oh just ignore him, I am sure that's his standard greeting regardless of who it is." Meredith added bitterly. "Drink?"

Blushing at being caught so firmly in the middle of a domestic Jake politely refused. "Thank you for the afternoon Miss Gates, I can't remember having such a good time."

"You're more than welcome!" Meredith gushed laying it on a bit thick for Gavin's benefit. "Everyone loved you…I swear half of London will be falling at your feet before the year is out, and that will be just the start I promise!"

"Well thank you again…I'd better be going…Good night Mr Cochran." He added nodding in Gavin's direction before beating a hasty retreat.

"That was cozy." Gavin remarked tersely when the lad had left. "Are you going to be bringing all your waif's and strays home?"

"That young man is a brilliant talent in the making, he is hardly a waif or stray…And you could have been just a bit more welcoming it was hardly his fault he walked in on Gavin Cochran mid pass now was it? And to answer your question yes I will bring home whomever I see fit, unlike you I enjoy my friends and my life and intend to integrate them as much as possible!"

"I see." Was Gavin's simple reply as he sulked on the sofa, glaring at the now black television screen until Meredith deigned to sit beside him munching on a slice of cold pizza.

"What have you been watching?" Meredith asked now content to put the argument behind since her fickle temper had been assuaged by food.

"Oh nothing much…" Gavin mumbled. "Just some home movies I found!"

Chocking on her pizza Meredith soon spotted the assorted tapes that lay scattered about. "You didn't?"

"I most certainly have…The Paris one I suggest you bin but I think we'll keep the New York one it has one or two scenes I rather like."

"You saw?"

"I most certainly did!" Gavin retorted nudging her thigh with his foot. "Most enlightening."

"Bastard!" Meredith retorted, but half-heartedly as her outrage was undermined by her wry smile.

"Perhaps but you'll have to ask my mother about that."

"You have a mother?" Meredith quipped.

"Play nice beloved." Gavin retorted sliding over to sit beside her his arm draping around her shoulder as his other hand rubbed her stomach gently. "Junior done anything interesting?"

"Not yet."

"He's as stubborn as his mother I see!"

"Coming from you I consider that a compliment…Besides she's a girl." Meredith retorted before snuggling into his shoulder and picking up the discarded remote and pressing rewind. "Alright then let's see how bad my hair looked."

"Meredith…Ahh, I was going to mention that…" Gavin quickly explained when the screen sprang to life and revealed them mid-coital.

"This is what you were watching?" Meredith gasped before she titled her head to try and get a better view. "Oh my…Well at least my hair looks good in this one…"

"All of you looks good in this one!" Gavin murmured in her ear running his fingers down her bare arm.

"Oh no you are not getting round me that easily. You ruined my plans."

"You ruined mine!" Gavin countered waving at the champagne and candlelit table. "And you can empty your bath because frankly I cannot be bothered."

"You ran me a bath?" Meredith asked coyly, smiling up at him through her lashes. "With bubbles and everything?"

Grunting Gavin tried to keep the faint blush from his cheeks.

"Candles and rose petals and so forth?" Meredith added her smile growing as Gavin's faint blush deepened. "You soppy old romantic, who would have thought it under that tough exterior of yours lay such a pussycat."

"Be careful Meredith this cat has claws…" Gavin muttered trying to ignore the caress of her hand on his thigh and the way she was nuzzling into his shoulder. "You didn't even ring to say you would be late…Tonight was important."

"Then you'd better let me make it up to you!" Meredith insisted pushing him back on the couch as she quickly straddled him her fingers ripping at his shirt buttons till she could rake her fingers across his toned chest, which she then lent down and nipped gently.

Running his hands up under her skirt Gavin allowed her to manipulate him as she willed his gaze drifting across to the television where his double was doing the exact some thing. Following his line of vision Meredith chuckled arching her back as she copied her screen self. "I've a camera lying about this place somewhere, care to film a sequel?"

"Are you serious?" Gavin gasped, his tenuous control now truly stretched to breaking point.

"In the cupboard I think." Meredith moaned nodding back over her shoulder before sliding sensuously off of him.

"Go upstairs I'll bring the equipment."

Laughing at his pun Meredith slinked up the stairs purring throatily. "Darling you already have all the equipment you need just get the god damn camera!" Before disappearing from view.

Fumbling around the cupboard Gavin quickly found it, checking the battery he gave the camera a few test shots before switching it off. Then rummaging around in his jacket pocket he quickly found the small velvet box he was looking for. This was perfect not only did he get to film a sequel he would also get to record for posterity her reaction to the most important question he would ever ask her.

- - -