Sit for a Minute

Disclaimer: I don't own Death in Paradise or any of the characters, if I did, the third series would have been very different!

Rating: k, nothing naughty here.

Just a hurried little fixit which may tie in with a future story I have planned. This picks up at the end of the beach scene in the tenth anniversary episode.

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"…Then maybe she'll be alright."

"It's as simple as that?"

Camille felt a lone tear run down her face. She closed her eyes and took a breath, when she looked back, Richard was gone, she panicked for a moment, but then spotted him and let out a sigh of relief, he had stood and wandered to the shoreline.

"I don't know if it will be simple, especially if we are involved, we don't do anything the straightforward way, do we." He continued, looking out to the ocean. He turned and offered his had down to her to help her stand. "But this is your mother we are talking about, she has to be one of the strongest people I have ever met. Besides, there is no way she will leave you until you have presented her with her 'petits-enfants'." He smiled at her, she couldn't help but smile back. She reached down and brushed the sand from his backside, making him blush.

"Why on earth are you wearing your suit? And you have your briefcase! If anyone saw you right now they would think you a ghost."

"No they wouldn't. The old Richard would never have sat in the sand would he. And I'm dressed like this because right now I should be in Aruba in a meeting with the dienst landelijke informatieorganisatie to organise the next phase of our operation, but when I got your call, I managed to pull a few strings. Jim is covering for me for a couple of hours."

"So you can't stay for a bit." She asked sadly. He shook his head.

"No, sorry. Jeremy is waiting in a boat for me, I've got to get back to Guadeloupe where a private jet is waiting to whisk me back to the meeting." He took her hands. "It's still too early. We've spoken about this, we need to make sure everything is finished before I can come back. Until then, I'm just Harry Sanders, paper pushing crime fighter extraordinaire. When we are done, then I can come home….. to you." He stepped forward and pressed a light kiss to her lips before pulling her into the safe circle of his arms. She breathed in his scent for a moment, her hands fisting in the fabric of his jacket. She felt safe, listening to his breathing, the steady thudding of his heart beneath her cheek. She was the only one besides his doctors who had seen the scarring on his chest from his attack eight years ago and the surgeries which had followed over the subsequent months, and she knew that until certain criminals were safely locked away, it wasn't safe for 'Richard Poole' anywhere. She had almost lost him once, she wasn't going to risk losing him again. She nodded against his chest before pulling away.

"You are right. As always." She huffed. "You had better not keep Jem waiting." She smoothed down his lapels. "And I will let you know when Maman wakes up." She smiled softly. He kissed her forehead.

"That's better, and if you need me, just call and I'll be here as soon as I can." He assured her. "And if all goes well, I'll see you back in paris in ten days?"

"Absolutely. But I think I may visit maman more often from now on. Coming back has been good for me I think, and I want to start thinking of this as home again." She glanced up at him and was relieved to see a smile on his face.

"Soon, then we can both call here home." He gave her another kiss before gathering up his briefcase and turning away, breaking into a small jog towards the small jetty with a blue boat waiting for him. She gave Jeremy a quick wave which was returned before turning and heading back to the hospital.

It was time to tell her mother just how much she loved her.

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Authors note: Just a quick one 😉