She held the paper in her shaking hands, read it and looked up to him open-mouthed, checking again and again and finally reading it aloud to make sure she understood well.

"UK Residence Permit- James Dempsey"

"Does that mean you're staying here?", she asked with a shaking voice, "You're not going back to New York?", she raised her eyes to him needing an answer, a confirmation that she didn't misunderstand him.

He stroked her hand, rubbing his thumb on her knuckles and gazing at her beautiful blue eyes, "Yes, you got that right. I'm staying here… with you. If you can stand having this annoying, brash, loud American as a partner for a few more years that is.", the question hanging in the air.

"Yes, of course, you idiot. Oh my god, I can't believe it. You're not going back?", she felt very emotional and tearful. The relief of knowing that he wasn't leaving her was tremendous. She kept looking at him for reassurance.

Still holding her hand across the table, he explained, "I didn't think you believed me before when I said it so I have been talking to Spikings and he agreed to help me and we've been going through the paperwork together. It was all finalised yesterday afternoon."

"Oh, that's why you were confined in his office for hours! I understand better now. Spikings didn't say anything!"

"I asked him not to, in case it didn't work out and the powers to be didn't approve of a yank in the ranks of the MET. But they actually thought it was very good publicity, you know international cooperation and all that, and now I'm officially a Detective Inspector actually."

"Well, that is certainly a VERY, VERY GOOD reason to celebrate.", she was beaming. Raising her glass of Champagne and gazing into her partner's eyes "To you, James. To you staying here…with me. The London criminals better be worried", she smiled.

"Hey yeah, you're right. The two of us we'll bring them to their knees! We're quite a pair, ain't we?", he stated with smiling eyes. "An unlikely pair at first but you know what they say opposites attract", he winked.

"You're right. God, I hated your guts at first. You grew on me James, what can I say", she beamed.

"Glad to hear you don't hate my guts anymore. Today would have been awkward otherwise, imagine." and they both burst into waves of laughter.

"So let's have a look at the menu, shall we partner? I'm sure you'll choose the chicken salad. Am I right or am I wrong?" advanced Dempsey with a raised eyebrow.

"You know me so well, Sir", answered Harry, mocking him. "Now, let's have a look at what you might choose for that delicate stomach of yours. Oh yes, I see it. A T-bone with a huge portion of fries. No side salad. So did I pick right?"

"Seems like you know me inside out, Sergeant. I won't be able to hide anything from you soon. I'll have to be careful."

They swiftly gave their order to the waitress and carried on their conversation.

"Hum, whatever would you need to hide from me, Lieutenant. You usually don't hide your girlfriends, nor your very annoying cigar smoking habit. Any other vices that could blow up to my face?"

"Hum, let's see I don't do drugs and alcohol consumption is fairly moderate. And, contrary to what you're thinking, I'm no Don Juan either. I lead a fairly tame life by all accounts."

She chortled "A tame life? You? James Dempsey? You're everything but tame, my dear!"

"Well, my dear, you once told me I was boring if I remember correctly"

"Yeah well, I was mad at you then. So it doesn't count."

Their meals arrived at that moment and they tackled their dishes with gusto.

"Life with you is everything but boring James, that's for sure."

"Is that a bad thing Harry?", asked James, suddenly worried.

"No, quite the contrary. I hate being bored. That's when I grow restless and that's never good. So in a strange way, our partnership works well for me. I think we're good together, no?"

"Hell, we're not just good together, Princess, we're great! I perhaps should have said it a long time ago, but you're the best partner I have ever had. If It hadn't worked, I would have been long gone."

"Oh, was there a compliment there? Today's the day that keeps on giving, James Dempsey! I'm not used to that. Be careful, You'll have to tone it down otherwise I will expect regular compliments from you now." she mocked him gently.

"As many compliments as you want, Harry. Got to keep you sweet now. Don't want to get deported for insulting a British Lady, now do I?"

"Nah don't worry. We don't deport enemies to the crown. We just behead them in front of a cheering public", said Harry, resisting the urge to laugh at his horrified face.

"Jeez Harry, remind me to check you for any sharp object! You can be feisty when you get mad at me", he chuckled.

"Any excuse to get handsy Detective Inspector", she blushed "I've just realised…you're going to be my superior now! Oh my god, you're going to be insufferable! I still won't write your reports!"

"You'll have to call me sir now, Sergeant."

"Over my dead body, Dempsey. You can keep on dreaming. No way!" she laughed, waving her finger at him.

"Already disobeying my direct order, you little rebel. What am I going to do with you, hey?", he chuckled.

"Don't forget that I'm head cheerleader of the "Dempsey resistance movement", I have experience in that field, she added with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh don't I know it! You're a challenge, Harry. I can safely say that life's not boring with you either, Sergeant."

"See, we were meant for each other. I mean…meant to work with each other obviously", she added while looking at him with dark eyes.

"Obviously…" gazing into her eyes.

" So, James, you told me there was a second surprise? You've obviously not become a vegetarian overnight, the way you scrapped every last morsel of meat on your plate."

"Hell no, no chance there. Don't get your hopes up. I might agree to the odd salad leave or cherries that you force feed me but I have to set limits there. My life's at stake!"

"Yeah, exactly your life's at stake. I can see you having a heart attack while on an operation one day. Thanks for that", she shook her head exasperated.

"Are you worried for me Harry? You almost sound like you care for me? I'm not against you giving me mouth to mouth should the need arise you know." The intensity in his eyes was unmissable.

"Hum, I bet... So this second surprise then?"

"You're in a hurry Sergeant. So curious, so impatient. Tsss, tsss"

"Dempseyyyyyyy….!"

"Okay, okay. You're bossy. You know that!"

"Let me go pay and I'll show you the second surprise."

"Show me? What do you mean?" but he was walking away just laughing at her puzzled face. He loved it when she had that slightly annoyed face. He's seen it so many times. The meal went well though. With surprise one a success, he's really hoping surprise two will wow her somehow. He was a bit nervous though.

Once he paid the bill, he walked back to her, pulled her up and kept hold of her hand.

"Come on Sergeant. This way. We can leave the car here. We can walk there."

"Walk there?" this was getting very weird.

The waitress waved them goodbye

"Thanks Mr Dempsey. We hope you and your wife enjoyed your meal with us. Have a nice day."

"I'm not….." started Harry, before Dempsey interrupted her by waving off the wife comment as if it was nothing. "We certainly did. Thanks! We'll be back",

"Whot…..? Dempsey! Because we're supposed to come back?"

"Come on, wife of mine!" chuckled Dempsey putting his arms around her waist and giving her a brief kiss on her cheek.

The proximity of his body got her all flustered and she couldn't help blushing.

"Where are we going… husband of mine?" two can play that game, Dempsey, she thought. If only he wasn't so close to her, that would help her breathing settle a bit. But no the minute she said "husband of mine", he tightened his embrace even more. She was falling for him every minute a little bit more and she was starting to worry how far she could take that game.