(A/N): Okay, so for anyone that doesn't know, in the past year or so I binged the entirety of Silent Witness on iplayer and now am watching the current series. So much happened and I'm still sort of spinning from it all. Anyway, this fic is set after Thomas' death but before the scene of Nikki, Clarissa and Jack with Rosie flying the kite right at the end of the episode. Definitely before series 24. I'd say AU, but so far it could possibly, even if a very slim possibility, fit in with the events of the show without disrupting too much. And I'm procrastinating working on what I actually need to right now but ssh.

Okay, so the synopsis is that Thomas is dead, Clarissa's still leaving, Jack's in hospital and Nikki flies out to America to be with Matt. Only, instead, she accidentally runs into an old friend who's more than willing to help her.

I still own nothing to do with Silent Witness and I highly doubt I ever will. Read on and let me know what you think.

Surviving the Storm

Chapter 1

Harry Cunningham sighed slightly as he wandered round the public area of the government building. Even after eight years, there was still a lot he hadn't seen, hadn't done in America, even just on the same coast as he was based at NYU. But he'd had a few days annual leave and had promised his mother some photographs of Washington DC, so he was playing tourist for the day despite the long drive and snapping all the obligatory postcard moments for his mum. He'd nipped into the government building because some of the architecture looked pretty and it was free entry. That didn't stop him from sighing at an overly loud tour guide proclaiming some battle won to a group of wide eyed tourists, or groups of people that appeared destined to stand directly in his way just to wind him up. Sure, his temper had mellowed somewhat through the years, but Harry had found his tolerance for idiocy was as low as ever.

A flash of something caught his attention from the corner of his eye, instinctively turning to look towards a section that was roped off from the public, two dark haired women walking down towards the public area. Both were slender, with one wearing a smart skirt suit and blouse, the other in jeans and a more summery blouse. Harry honestly didn't know what had caught his attention but couldn't help watching as the woman in jeans nodded almost sadly at the suited woman, turning to step back into the public area.

Harry bit back a gasp as the woman's face turned properly to him for the first time. The dark hair was a little disconcerting, but there was no way he couldn't recognise that face. But what on earth was she doing in Washington, let alone restricted areas of a government building? Surely it couldn't be? He must just be imagining things. "Nikki?" The name slipped from his lips before he'd even thought about it, just loud enough for both women to hear, both spinning to him in near unison.

"Harry?" Harry blinked in surprise. It was Nikki. She looked a little older, yes, but it was definitely her, all doe eyed and soft features. Harry managed a shaky smile in her direction, barely clamping down on the myriad of questions he had for her. His whole demeanour changed in an instant as he registered the look on her face, the barely concealed grief and pain, too new to be any reopened wound. Even after so long, he could read her like a book. And that book told him that Nikki was hurting, desperately hurting. "Harry." Nikki repeated his name, the grief seeping into her tone.

On autopilot, Harry opened his arms, stumbling back as Nikki ran straight to him and flung her arms round his neck, burying her face into the space between his neck and shoulder. His arms immediately moved up to wrap round her waist, tightening as her legs gave way underneath her and he ended up holding all her weight, feeling hot tears seep into the collar of his shirt. Harry glanced over Nikki's shoulder to see the suited woman watching them with sympathy in her expression, nodding when she found the dark haired man looking back at her. She motioned gently over to a bench near the roped section, though it was still in the public area.

"Nikki, come on, let's sit down." Harry cajoled gently, biting back a sigh as Nikki shook her head into his neck. Praying she still weighed about the same as she had the last time he'd had cause to pick her up, he ran one hand from her waist to her thighs, lifting her up to rest against his chest as he strode over to the bench. Settling down onto the stone seat, he managed to position Nikki on his lap quite comfortably, though she still hadn't moved her face from his shoulder. If he was being completely truthful with himself, Harry had always expected his first reunion with Nikki to involve at least a little violence on her end and a lot of yelling, not running into his arms and sobbing. Something had definitely happened, and nothing good at that. Otherwise he wouldn't be trying to comfort an upset London pathologist in the middle of Washington DC, ignoring all the stares and funny looks they were getting. "Nikki, what's happened? What's wrong?" He spoke softly, not wanting to upset her any further as he ran a hand through her messy brunette curls. "Also when did you decide brunettes had more fun?" His comment gained a choked laugh into his neck, her grip not loosening even slightly on him.

"Fancied a change." Her voice was tiny, hitching from her sobs, but she was responding to him, which he was taking as a win. "Harry, Thomas is dead." Harry kept up the hand running through her hair, knowing it soothed her as her sobs doubled in intensity, though she was still near silent in her distress. He recalled vaguely reading something years ago that told him a Thomas Chamberlain was taking over the post at the Lyell Centre left open by Leo Dalton, but after that, he hadn't read much on the Lyell or its staff, so he was assuming it was the same person. Absently, he wondered if Thomas had filled much the same role for Nikki as Leo had, but he doubted it. Leo was irreplaceable after all. "First Leo, now Thomas." She burst out, confirming to Harry that it was indeed Thomas Chamberlain she was talking about. "That position must be cursed."

"When did he die?" Harry asked quietly, holding her tightly to him in the hope of providing at least a little comfort to her.

Nikki shuddered in his arms but the sobbing had died down slightly. "Three days ago. I made sure Jack was alright and I hopped on a plane last night, arriving an hour ago."

"Jack?"

"Yeah, Jack. Your replacement, of sorts. Thomas died to try and save Jack, to find the antidote in time. So bloody selfless." Harry could still feel her tears seeping through his shirt and onto his skin. He couldn't blame her though. Two bosses that gave themselves up to save other people. The parallels weren't lost on him and he doubted they were lost on Nikki either. "He knew. He knew he was going to die and he did it anyway." She paused for a moment and Harry wondered which man she was referring to. "Both of them." Well, that answered that question.

"Oh Nikki." Harry turned to press a kiss to the top of her head, surprised that such a move came so naturally even after so long apart with no contact. He would've gotten in contact with her soon anyway, as he was returning to London in less than a month. His mother needed him more than ever and there was just something that was pulling him back to his home country, something he couldn't quite put his finger on but knew he shouldn't ignore. "I'm sorry." He didn't bother with the meaningless platitudes that she'd get through it or she'd be okay. Both of them knew it was bullshit and had always tended not to say those words to each other unless they truly meant them. "So how is Jack?"

"Angry, grieving." Nikki shrugged. "Alive. Still in hospital."

Harry stiffened slightly as the suited woman who had displayed sympathy for Nikki approached, her heels clicking on the marbled flooring. She shot Harry another sympathetic look before directing her gaze to the back of Nikki's head. "Dr Alexander, Nikki. He has a few free minutes now if you'd like to see him."

Harry had no clue who the woman was referring to, but felt Nikki tighten her grip on him, like he'd disappear if she let him go. "Hey Niks, come on." He didn't know where the Niks part came from, but she didn't hit him for it so he decided not to draw attention to it. It definitely would've been worse if he'd called her Nicola. Calling her Nicola usually meant pain for whoever had spoken the name. "Do you want to go?"

"I don't think my legs will hold me up." Nikki confessed, not moving from Harry's arms even to look at the woman who'd addressed her.

Harry turned to the woman with a shrug. Nikki was the most important thing there, screw everything else. The woman deliberated for a moment before nodding to him. "Alright, would you mind carrying her, Mr...?"

"Professor Cunningham. Harry." Harry introduced himself quickly. "Call me Harry."

"Harry. Please, there isn't much time."

Harry nodded, adjusting his hold until Nikki was in his arms bridal style, her handbag on her lap and her head still buried in the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Standing up, he followed the woman past the ropes and down the corridor, schooling his expression of shock and bewilderment at being led into areas not open to the public with a distraught pathologist in his arms and no clue what was going to happen next. Not an uncommon thing when dealing with Nikki, he had to admit.

The woman led him to a set of mahogany double doors, knocking briskly before entering straight away, motioning for Harry to follow her. Harry stepped into the room with Nikki still clinging tightly to him, finding himself in a spacious office occupied by a dark haired man he vaguely recognised from ad campaigns for congress, who was authoritatively giving orders into the phone. He hovered awkwardly as the man hung up and turned to them stood near the doorway, his face showing his confusion for a split second. "Evelyn, I thought I made it clear I was busy."

The woman, obviously Evelyn, cleared her throat almost nervously, Harry thought, but there was steel in her spine as she stood her ground. "I know sir, but you said Nikki was always to be allowed through to see you if you had a spare few minutes." She motioned to Harry and Nikki quickly. "She's been waiting over fifteen minutes to see you."

The man's brow furrowed in a mixture of confusion and concern as he rounded the desk. "Nikki?" He asked, his voice much softer as he addressed the pathologist.

Harry could still feel the tears seeping through his clothing and instinctively tightened his hold on her. Crying Nikki had always been his kryptonite. "Nikki, hey come on, you'll wrinkle my shirt." He teased gently, worried she'd take it the wrong way. It had been eight years after all.

"Implies you ironed it in the first place." Nikki's mutinous voice threw the words out without any heat behind them as she finally pulled her face from his neck, eyes red and swollen, tears still running down her face as she turned her head to face the dark haired American man. She still made no attempt to move from Harry though. "Matt."

"Oh god, what's happened?" Matt's tone was pure worry as he crossed to stand in front of Harry, his hand reaching out to caress Nikki's cheek gently. "Nikki?"

"Thomas is dead, Matt. Gone." Nikki managed to blurt out for a second time, the tears rolling down her face quicker than a waterfall.

"Oh, Nikki, I swear, if I would've known..." Matt trailed off as his phone rang shrilly in his hand, glancing down at it and grimacing before answering it anyway with an apologetic look in Nikki's direction. "Matt Garcia."

Evelyn looked even more apologetic than Matt did, Harry noted, as she motioned for Harry to move over to a settee in the room, where he sat down with Nikki still on his lap. He was grateful to her, particularly because standing still and holding Nikki meant his arms were getting tired. At least sat down he wouldn't drop her. In the background, he could hear Matt discussing some business or other but all he could think was why did the man not throw all that to one side in the face of Nikki's obvious distress? "Another unsuitable?" He murmured, noticing that Nikki had torn her eyes away from the man to watch him again, her dark eyes pain filled and hurting.

She nodded slowly. "Well, sort of. We've been dating for two years now."

"Two years? A Nikki Alexander record." Harry teased again, though inside he was more than a little shocked. The longest relationship he'd ever seen her have was with Anton, and that had lasted only a meagre six weeks in comparison. "Did you save the goodies like I advised?"

Nikki snorted unwillingly in amusement, the tears slowing ever so slightly. Neither noticed Matt finish up the phone call and move back over towards them. "Maybe, maybe not."

"I'm going with not. It might have been eight years but I still know you, Dr Nicola Alexander. What percentage of the Metropolitan Police force is still at your beck and call?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." There had definitely been at least one copper in her bed since he'd been gone if her smug smile was anything to go by.

"Tart." His grin took any sting out of the word.

"Drunk." Her tears had nearly ceased, Harry was pleased to note, though their light exchange was interrupted by Matt's horrified voice.

"How dare you call her a tart!"

Harry adjusted his hold absentmindedly as Nikki twisted to a more upright position on his lap, her face frowning. "It's fine Matt. He's just trying to cheer me up."

Matt's face clearly displayed that he didn't believe her for even a moment. "Right. So, Thomas? What happened?"

Harry had to bite his tongue to stop himself swearing at the man, his words having caused Nikki to burst into a renewed round of tears. He'd only just got her to stop the waterworks. Matt's startled expression showed he hadn't had too much experience of a distraught Nikki before, a surprise considering Nikki's confession of them being together for two years. "He sacrificed himself to save Jack." She choked out, her arms tightening on Harry. A perverse part of the pathologist was glad that Nikki was turning to him for comfort instead of her boyfriend, though the rest of him felt guilty for getting anything other than sadness from her pain. "Why do they keep being so bloody selfless?"

"Nikki." Matt paused, crouching down so his face was on level with the brunette's. "Darling, it will be okay. You're strong, you can get through this."

"No I can't Matt." Nikki shook her head wildly. "Thomas was the constant, holding Jack and I together after Mexico. Everything will fall apart now he's gone."

"Mexico is the past, Nikki, and you're much stronger for it." Matt tried to reassure her, but even Evelyn could see it was doing nothing to comfort the grieving woman. "Thomas obviously knew what he was doing if he died to save Jack. You and Jack and Clarissa will all be okay, I promise."

Harry felt the burning questions he had increase with the repeated mentions of Mexico, Nikki's tenseness only adding to his sense of unease. But there was something he could do, something that had become part of his job description when working in London, or so he was convinced. For Leo had always made it clear that cheering Nikki up was Harry's job, unless Harry had been the one to upset her in the first place. But during seven years working together, he'd be a complete idiot if he hadn't picked up a few surefire ways of helping her when she was down or hurting. "Nikki." His voice was low, almost gravelly, but he paid it no mind as Nikki's eyes locked with his. This was all about her. "Remember playing hockey together?" This gained a confused nod from her. "What about running in the rain?" Another nod, though a slight pink hue graced her cheeks, clearly thinking on what had happened when they'd later reached the pub. "Stealing my desk?" He was graced with a tiny smirk. "Teaming up to get out of the more boring meetings?" She nodded again. "My point, Nikki, is that for all the bad things, there are also all the good things. Remember the good things."

They were interrupted by Matt glancing at his watch and shooting Nikki another apologetic look. "Sorry, I'm stuck in meetings all day. You could go back to my place and wait if you want?"

Harry felt his ire rising again, though managed to clamp it down for Nikki's sake. She was clearly in greater need of her boyfriend's time than whatever boring meetings he had planned. He needed to get his priorities straight, but for the time being, they had clearly been dismissed. Adjusting her to his arms again, Harry stood with Nikki still in a bridal hold and strode from the room without so much as a glance in the American man's direction, Evelyn following them out and shutting the door, leaving the three of them in the corridor together. Evelyn sighed, looking tired for a second before her professional mask was back. "I'm sorry about that." She told them both seriously. "I thought he'd cancel at least a couple of meetings."

Nikki shook her head gently. "I understand Evelyn. Things haven't been the same since Johnathan."

Evelyn nodded and Harry decided he really needed to quiz Nikki at some point. "True. For what it's worth Nikki, I'm sorry."

"Thank you. If you get a spare minute, tell him I won't be at his place." Nikki shuddered lightly. "I don't think I could take hours on my own in an empty house, not today."

"Got it. I'll tell him to call you if he wants to know where to find you." Evelyn directed them both back towards the public area. "Well it was good to meet you Harry, and to see you again Nikki."

"And you." Harry returned politely as he stepped round the ropes back into the publicly open area, waiting until Evelyn had disappeared before looking down to Nikki, whose gaze was locked on his shirt buttons. "Nikki, Niks. I know you don't want to be on your own. My place is about a four hour drive from here, I admit, but there's time if you don't mind the trip to New York."

Nikki stared at him for a few minutes, searching his gaze carefully, for what, Harry wasn't sure. Eventually, she nodded, reaching up with one hand to cup his cheek gently. "Okay, let's do it. I trust you, Harry."

...

Nikki blinked in surprise as she opened her eyes, finding herself comfortably curled up in the passenger seat of a dark SUV she vaguely remembered getting into after Harry carried her out of the building and to the car park, both of them ignoring the stares they were receiving. Harry. She had no clue why he'd even been there, but she'd heard him call out her name and everything had hit her like a tonne of bricks. She knew he'd read her when he'd opened his arms and couldn't help but fling herself into them, needing the comfort of her former best friend. The last time she'd seen him had been at the airport when she'd seen him off to America, with the last time they'd been in contact being when he'd emailed her to tell her the university wouldn't let him have the time off for Leo's funeral. Yet he'd held her and talked her through everything so patiently, it was like no time had passed at all. She probably shouldn't have turned up to Matt's office in another man's arms, but she had been honest in that her legs wouldn't hold her up. Plus, not that she'd ever admit it, she needed the support. Matt had flown back to Washington not long after the case on his friend had closed, all tight lipped and distant. It had taken Nikki almost two months to wheedle out of Jack that Matt was supposed to have been on that flight himself. Since then, their conversations had been brief and stilted, but she'd thought, hoped really, that he'd be there now because she needed him. Thomas was dead, Clarissa was grieving and still hell bent on leaving, and Jack was ignoring her just as he did post Mexico. She just hoped his silence wouldn't last quite as long as it did after Mexico. And she'd gotten more comfort from her former best friend she hadn't seen in eight years than she had her boyfriend of two years. Deep down, she knew her relationship had probably run its course, but she couldn't quite bring herself to add any more loss to the pile just yet.

She stretched slightly, glancing over as Harry navigated the freeway. She knew he had a million questions for her; she could still read him as easily as he could read her. However, once they were in the car, he'd just smiled at her and told her it was a long journey so she could try and sleep if she wanted to. She'd tried not to, but the smooth motion of the vehicle and Harry's nostalgic scent had lured her into the land of the dreaming. "What time is it?" She mumbled out, making Harry unintentionally jump.

He glanced at the dashboard before chancing a quick glance in her direction. "Nearly four. About half an hour from my place. You must've needed that nap."

"Tired. Haven't been sleeping well." Nikki shrugged as she twisted until she was sat in her seat properly rather than all curled up.

"Nightmares?" Harry's tone was knowing. Sometimes she forgot just how well he knew her. He'd seen her through many nightmares in the past, the ones during the Silverlake case in particular. And she'd done the same for him, after Anna and Hungary, plus a few times with memories of his father.

"Something like that. What time will it be in England?"

"About nine."

"I better call Jack. His voicemail will be getting lonely." She ignored his obvious confusion as she pulled her phone from her bag, flicking through her contacts until she pulled up the one for the forensic scientist and dialled the number, pressing the phone to her ear. She wasn't surprised when it rang through to voicemail and beeped for her to leave a message. "Jack, you can't ignore me forever. And you better not be thinking of fighting either. You know the doctors want you to rest for at least another two weeks, half of that time in the hospital." Nikki sighed. "Jack... don't do this. Please." She hung up before her emotions could get the better of her, checking her texts and emails to make sure she hadn't missed any from Matt. She hadn't, but she did have a text from Rosie. Rosie had been given all the Lyell personal numbers once she'd been staying with her dad regularly and had taken to checking on Nikki, Jack and Clarissa the last three days, wanting contact with those that knew her dad best. Sighing, Nikki pressed the button to call the girl, putting the phone back to her ear. "Hi Rosie."

"Hey Nikki. Did you get there alright? How's Matt?"

"I'm all safe and sound Rosie, I promise." That was another thing the girl had insisted on, knowing that they were safe when she was scared they weren't, and no one had the heartlessness to tell her no. It had only been three days after all, and if knowing they were alright made her feel better, Nikki knew they'd all assure her as much as possible. "Matt's busy but I ran into an old friend, so I'm not on my own."

"Literally." She heard Harry mutter under his breath, but she ignored him.

"Oh, that's good. Nikki... do you think you could come see me when you get back? I just... mum tries, she does, but I know dad was closer to you and Jack and Clarissa. I just want to talk with people he... well, you know."

Nikki blinked the tears from her eyes as she nodded, despite the fact the girl couldn't see her. "Of course, Rosie, of course. You know we will. I'll text you when I get home and we will organise something I promise. Maybe we could go kite flying."

"Thank you Nikki, I'd like that. Oh, I better go. Mum's moaning at me to get my homework finished."

"You best do as she says then. Bye Rosie."

"Bye Nikki."

Nikki waited until Rosie hung up before taking the phone away from her ear and locking it, only then noticing Harry's concerned curiosity. She'd told him about Jack but she most likely hadn't even mentioned Rosie to him. "Rosie is Thomas' daughter." She told him quietly. "She's thirteen."

"Ah, poor kid." Harry glanced at the road signs ahead. "We're about fifteen minutes away, by the way. And I feel a little like a kidnapper."

"You look like one too." Nikki sighed, running a hand through her messy hair. "I know you have questions Harry, and I will talk to you, I swear, just... it's a long story, so can we do it when we get to yours?"

"Sure." Harry nodded as he indicated to turn off the road they were currently on with the ease of someone used to the busy roads. Nikki knew she wouldn't have the first clue on how to navigate these streets, let alone a four hour trip from Washington to New York. "I tell you what, my story is a lot shorter, and no doubt much more mundane."

"Mundane? I haven't heard that in years."

"Does that tell us more about the word or you?" Harry grinned. "I'm a professor at NYU until the end of term in two weeks' time, have been for eight years. No adoring twenty five year olds waiting for me at home, not for a good while anyway, no kids either. It's mainly just been work whilst I've been out here." He shrugged. "In just under a month, I'm moving back to London." Nikki's head shot round to stare at him with that piece of information. "Now just felt like the right time, and mum's health isn't what it was, so..." he shrugged again. "I was going to call you as soon as I settled back in at mum's, but obviously I don't have to now."

"I talk to her sometimes."

"Talk to who?"

"Your mum." Nikki confessed, watching her fingers as they fiddled nervously with the hem of her blouse. "She called me a few weeks after you left and said that just because you were an idiot didn't mean I got out of her life so easily. We talk every few months on the phone and I apparently am legally obligated to at least two roast dinners a year with her." She hoped he wasn't too put out that she was still in contact with his mother when they hadn't spoken in so long, but a glance at his face showed he was more touched than anything else.

"Sounds like mum." He cleared his throat. "I'm glad she still had you there though, Nikki. That you still had each other."

"She never told you?"

"Nope. But then I'm sure there's a lot of things mum has never told me." Harry pulled up into an underground car park, parking up quickly. "My place is on the third floor, American third floor that is, so second floor really. Two bedrooms, nice-ish view." He glanced at her bag, which she knew he probably recognised as the one she'd taken to Budapest when she thought he was dead. She'd left it with Evelyn when she'd first arrived to find Matt, and the woman had kindly carried it to the car for them. She hadn't planned on staying long or going many places, so the overnight bag had seemed more appropriate than a suitcase. "Come on, I'll give you the guided tour and then you can cry all over my shirt again."

"Prat."

...

Harry sat down on his sofa, two steaming mugs of coffee sat untouched on his coffee table. Nikki was sat beside him, legs curled up beneath her and playing with the skin round her nails, her most obvious nervous habit. Reaching out slowly, he placed his hand over hers to still her. "Nikki, it's okay. It's just me. Start at the beginning. I left for New York." He prompted gently, an icy feeling in his spine telling him he might not like this story, even if he already knew the ending. She was still there, with him and breathing. That had to be enough for him, at that moment at least.

Nikki took in a shuddering breath but nodded, twisting her hand under his until she'd entwined their fingers together. "You left for New York. There... there were more budget cuts. We had to adapt to survive, or so Leo said. There was a case, chocolate factory owner found dead in a hotel room and a mouthy, irritating forensic bloke that saw connections where no one else did."

"Forensic bloke?" Harry checked, prompting an unexpected giggle from Nikki.

"That's exactly what Leo said." She explained, causing him to smile as well. "Anyway, we worked together fairly well, and Leo invited him to join the team, along with his forensic examiner."

"Ah, Jack." Harry nodded, finally understanding what she meant when she said Jack was only sort of his replacement. They hadn't gotten another pathologist in but instead diversified to incorporate other forensic sciences. Smart plan by Leo. "Examiner?"

"Clarissa." Nikki smiled. "Jack hates it when we gang up on him, but she's wonderful, really." Her smile dropped. "Less than a year later, Leo decided in all his wisdom to go out to Afghanistan. Of course, Jack and I couldn't let him go alone, even if we thought it was a stupid idea, so we all went."

"Did Jack not get warned about the trouble you get into when you leave the country?" Harry asked, frowning as his words only drained the little colour she'd still had in her face. There was more to that than just Afghanistan, that was for sure. "But then you manage to get into enough trouble in London." He quickly added, hoping it would make her a little more comfortable.

"Before Afghanistan, I'd been hit in the head and left for dead in a burning building and had to hit a serial killer with a crowbar to save Jack." Nikki shrugged, as though such actions were so commonplace as to be blasé. "Jack saved me out there, by the way."

"How?"

"Leo knew he was going to die, and was leading Karim away from us, to minimise the casualties." Nikki's tears had made an appearance at this point, her grip tight on Harry's fingers. He manoeuvred his free hand to wrap round her shoulders comfortingly, pulling her into his side. "I saw him and tried to run to him. Jack held me back, even though I was clawing at his arms to let me go. Jack saved my life by holding me back."

"Oh Nikki." He pressed a kiss to her forehead gently, knowing even seven years later, the pain of losing the closest thing she had to a father would still hold a great deal of anguish for her. It did for him as well, but he hadn't been there, hadn't watched it happen. "I'm sorry I didn't make it to the funeral."

"Anne explained further than your email when I saw her a few months later. I forgave you years ago, Harry." Nikki sniffled. "I was made temporary boss until they found someone to take over from him." She sniffled again. "I'm temporary boss now as well."

"Well, you are bossy."

"That's what Jack kept telling me. I still don't want to be the boss though." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, right in the middle of a case, in walked Thomas Chamberlain. We didn't make it easy for him, I can admit that."

"You? Never." Harry pretended to be shocked. He could understand it though; he didn't know how he'd react if a new boss was parachuted in with little to no warning after watching the previous boss lose his life, just that it wouldn't be pretty. "I get it though. Couldn't have been easy."

"Apparently, he raised Jack's hackles, completely offended Clarissa, and I called him a perv, all in the space of about half an hour." Harry couldn't help the chuckle at that, one that thankfully Nikki joined in with. "Jack grabbed hold of one of the police assigned to the case we were working, and Thomas asked me about it. I told him I didn't see a thing."

"Ah yes, fence sitting. Not quite lying but not telling the truth either." Harry nodded. They'd both done it to cover for people more than a few times when they'd worked together, including for each other.

"Til I'm sore." Nikki confirmed. "Jack's relationship with the police is even worse than yours, believe it or not. But Thomas... he pulled through for us, had the police dancing to our tune eventually. He even saved Leo's chair just for me."

"So a good guy then, despite first impressions."

Nikki nodded, the tears still flowing but lightly rather than pouring. "He wasn't Leo, but I didn't want him to be. We all went through a lot together. Jack in a hit and run, a sniper running about, I was framed for murder, Jack was shot by the firearms unit, both Jack and I were shot at and hunted through the forest, I was nearly strangled to death again, Thomas helped me hide and protect an illegal immigrant from the police and authorities until we could get her asylum, Mexico, oh Sally Vaughan died by the way, my hospital records got stolen and they threatened Rosie, I met Matt and then he was kidnapped, Clarissa nearly got murdered in a care home, we got shot at again, one of the interns sabotaged me and the lab, Matt's friend died in a plane crash, Clarissa's mother died, Jack ended up exposed to nerve agent and now Thomas has died. And that's just the highlights." Nikki shuddered under his arm as Harry desperately tried to wrap his head around the slew of information Nikki had thrown his way. He was saddened to hear about Sally Vaughan and amazed to hear that Nikki's boss helped her break numerous laws to help someone. He was desperately trying to ignore the number of times she'd mentioned getting hurt, particularly as he hadn't been there to save her, like he had for hospital basements and animal rights activists. There was something he needed to know though, even if every fibre of him was screaming that he didn't want to know if she was being so cagey about it.

"Nikki, what happened in Mexico?" He felt her stiffen under his touch and nearly moved away, but her tight grip on his hand told him her reaction wasn't due to his presence at her side, but a reaction to the question.

"I... I was buried alive." Nikki murmured, staring unseeingly at the wall beside the television. Harry's jaw dropped and he pulled her impossibly closer to him, needing the comfort just as much as he needed to give her the comfort. How much shit did life want to put that woman through? "Buried in a wooden box with a modified phone and a bottle of water."

"Modified?"

"I could receive calls but not make them." Nikki confirmed, still staring blankly at the wall. "Leo helped."

"Leo? Nikki, I know you know Leo is dead."

"No, I remembered, a case we were working on. The one where I told you you shave sometimes and you needed to stay in more."

"Oh, the one with your old science teacher, I'm with you."

"Well, I remembered Leo telling me all about the tetracynadine, which was the missing piece of the puzzle. I told Jack about it when he called." She shuddered again, her gaze still far away. "I still don't know if he's forgiven me for that."

"Forgiven you for what?"

"Tricking him. I made him think it would save me when I knew it would save the others instead. I made him go save the others and leave me to die."

"Oh Nikki." Harry pressed his lips to her forehead again, unable to imagine the terror she must've felt, knowing she could either save herself or other people. Selflessness in the face of death wasn't limited to the boss of the Lyell Centre apparently. "You're still here." He commented carefully, wondering just how that had happened if she'd sent Jack off in the opposite direction to her location.

"I got myself out, managed to stumble down to the beach." Nikki shrugged, coming out of herself a little as she turned wide, pleading eyes to Harry. "You understand right? I couldn't leave twenty odd people to die when I knew Jack could save them."

"I understand." Harry agreed easily. He did understand; such acts were an ingrained aspect of Nikki, and to try and control it or get mad about it was like trying to catch wind in a sieve. Impossible and tiring. Much easier to accept it and try to limit the fallout. "I remember just how far you were willing to go for Shannon Kelly, remember? I'm sure Leo thought us insane that week."

"He always thought us insane, Harry." Nikki sighed, leaning her head back on his arm tiredly. "PTSD. My diagnosis. It's better than it was, but..."

"It'll never completely leave you." Harry completed for her. "I got those fancy four letters after Hungary."

"You did? Oh Harry, why didn't you say anything?" Nikki's face tightened in sympathy and a sort of shared understanding.

"I didn't want you to know." Harry shrugged. "You were already looking after me nearly all the time, managing me and my symptoms without even knowing that's what they were. I couldn't burden you with that after everything I'd already done."

"You're an idiot, Harry Cunningham." Nikki pronounced decidedly.

"Ditto."

"Doesn't count."

"Okay, you're an even bigger idiot, Nikki Alexander." Harry stuck his tongue out at her childishly.

Nikki glanced back at her phone, which was resting on the coffee table. She sighed. "I need to call Jack again. Not that he'll answer."

"Why?"

"After Mexico, all I wanted was to talk to him. He'd spent so long talking to me in that box..." she trailed off with a shrug, though he could see the effort it was taking to keep her voice steady. "I got the fancy four letters; he didn't. Anyway, he was dealing in his own way, which involved ignoring me for months until I showed up at work. Since Thomas, he's been angry at the world and has gone back to ignoring my calls." She shook her head softly. "It's not helping me, reminding me of Mexico, but if he needs it..."

"At some point Nikki, you need to put yourself first."

"I know, but he'll worry if I don't leave at least one more message on his voicemail tonight. I haven't even told him I'm in America. I told Clarissa, but she said she was only telling Jack when he pulled his head out of his arse." She reached out to snag her phone, dialling Jack's number and sighing when it rang through to voicemail again. "Jack, it's me, obviously. Please, I'm getting déjà vu. I-"

"Nikki." Harry interrupted gently, rubbing his hand on her shoulder. He hated seeing her upset, for any reason. Eight years apart hadn't changed that. "Nikki, come on. You need rest."

Nikki glared at him, but he ignored it. "Jack, just... we have to talk this through and you know it. Remember you promised not to fight." She hung up, staring sadly at the blank screen for a few moments. "I know it doesn't make much sense Harry, but Jack and Clarissa, they're all I've got left. And even then, Clarissa's leaving."

"You've got me." Harry told her, not entirely sure where his conviction in the statement came from. "I'm not leaving you, not again. I think you're going to end up stuck with me forever, Nikki. How many old people's homes do you think we can get ourselves kicked out of?"

"Many, all down to you." Nikki let out a watery laugh. "You'll have to let Clarissa join us though, we already promised to look after each other in our old age. She'll probably get us all kicked out of even more." She snuggled into his side and looked up, her hair catching on his stubble. "Harry, thank you."

"What for, my rugged good looks?"

Nikki snorted. "No. You didn't have to do this, any of this. You could have left me in Washington and you didn't. You're promising me you won't leave me again and you're coming back to London. It just... it's a lot, and I wanted to say thank you."

"I will take your thanks in the form of a cuppa soup when I'm back in the dreary capital." Harry decided, adjusting his position so they could both sit comfortably on his sofa.

"Deal."

"So, how long are you here for?" Harry asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Nikki shrugged. "A week. Any longer and they'd have to draft in temp pathologists. They're doing a deep clean of the Centre right now, so none of us are allowed in." She added for his benefit.

Harry nodded, humming thoughtfully. "Well, I've to work next week but Monday's class is all about facial reconstruction. Your name crops up a lot, and I do mean a lot, so how would you like to come with me? You could show my students a thing or two."

"Harry." She sat up slightly to look him in the eye. "Are you sure?"

Harry nodded solemnly. "I'm sure, Nikki. You can stay here as long as you like, mi casa es su casa and all that. And I'm sure about you tagging along on Monday. They might pay you more attention than they do me."

Nikki's brow furrowed for a few moments before she nodded slowly. "Okay. Thanks Harry."

"I told you, thanks comes in the form of cuppa soups."

"Chicken?"

"Like there are any other decent flavours."

To Be Continued