AN1. I apologise for the long wait but my power lead was broken and I had to wait for a new one to be delivered before I could turn my laptop on,also I apologise for any misakes but no matter how many times I read it through I just don't see them, argh!

AN2. Woo hoo my place of work was on tonight's Silent Witness - made me squee a little.

5. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see."

Sitting opposite the elderly couple Nikki couldn't help but feel like she was intruding on someone else's personal grief as she felt her eyes begin to water. She could see Rhys's mouth moving but all she could hear was the heartbreaking cry that came from Louise Chapman.

"No, no, no," was all Nikki could hear as the one word was repeated time and time again as Louise pleaded with whatever higher power would listen to bring her family back.

Nikki knew it was hopeless, she knew that Amanda, Steve and Sophia were lost from this world forever, never to be seen or heard again, but as she listened to the broken prayer of a mother and grandmother she couldn't help but pray along with her; however fruitless it may be.

"What … what happened to them?" George asked, finally finding his voice.

Looking towards his friend and work colleague of the last few days Rhys silently gained Nikki's permission before answering the question. "We don't know, Sophia was found first she was … we found her abandoned in a squat nearly 15 miles from where Steve and Amanda where found."

"No," Louise stuttered, finally finding her voice.

Nikki looked up, her chocolate brown eyes almost black with grief. "No what?"

"You're lying, you have to be," Louise added, turning her attention towards the blonde pathologist.

"I'm sorry but those are the facts, there's no reason for us to lie," Nikki softly informed her.

Shaking her head Louise stood up and walked over to the fireplace where an ornate golden frame sat. "Look at them."

When Nikki didn't move Louise took a step towards her and placed the picture into her hands. "You look at the picture, look my family in the face and then tell me again how they abandoned their child … a child who meant everything to them, a child they would die for."

"I can only tell you what happened. I'm sorry," Nikki apologised, recognising the picture as the some one from the house.

"Mandy and Stevie they would … never would they … Sophie was their world there is no way they would ever leave her, they just wouldn't," Louise sobbed, holding the picture close to her chest.

Taking hold of his wife's hand, George turned towards Rhys. "I need you to find out why this happened to them. To us."

"We will do everything in our power to discover the truth. But in order to know how they died first we need to know how they lived," Rhys explained.

George nodded. "We'll tell you anything you need to know."

"When did you last speak to Steve or Amanda?" Rhys asked.

"Saturday morning," George answered.

Rhys quickly did the calculations in his head. "The 8th?"

"Yes," Louise breathed. "It was early about 7 in the morning, I remember because I was listening to the breakfast news and Stevie teased me about being predictable."

Sitting forward on the sofa Rhys looked between the couple. "What did you talk about?"

"Erm Steve had to go to Hatfield to the headquarters of a security company, he had a job interview there later that day," Louise began. "We were going to have Sophia and they were going to stay over night in a hotel, it would have been the first time they had both been away from Sophia at the same time since she was born."

"But Sophia wasn't with you," Rhys pointed out. "So what changed?"

Louise looked down at her hands. "My niece, Steve's cousin lives not far from them in Wood Green, she agreed to have Sophie for them so they wouldn't have to drive down here and then to Hatfield."

"And that was the last time you spoke to them?" Rhys asked.

"Yes," Louise cried.

Rhys waited for her to compose herself. "And you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, everything was normal, Stevie was playful and teasing, he was hopeful, I could even hear Soph singing in the background she was watching the chef programme that she loves, the one with little person in it," Louise remembered, her heart breaking at the realisation that this had now become her last memory of her family.

"Do you know if they left Sophia with this cousin?" Nikki asked, trying to ignore the way her vision was starting to swim.

George nodded. "Yes. At least I'm 99% certain they did because I was speaking to Howard, Lisa's father, and he was telling me about a conversation he'd had with Lisa Monday morning, she told him that her and Soph were going to make cakes."

"Lisa is Steven's cousin?" Rhys asked.

"Yes," Louise breathed.

"Do you have contact details for her?" Nikki questioned, clenching her hands in her lap to try and stop them from shaking, she was pretty certain from the way her whole body ached that he fever was back with a vengeance.

The details were given and stilted pleasantries were swapped as Rhys and Nikki made to leave, as they were halfway up the garden path Louise stopped them, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Any news, anything at all and you'll let us know. Please?" she pleaded.

"I promise," Nikki whispered, not breaking eye contact with the older woman until she was back inside the house.

As they reached the car Rhys watched as Nikki leaned heavily against the passenger's side, her whole body quivering wit the effort it seemed to be taking to just stay standing.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"No, I don't think I am," Nikki admitted, knowing it would take more strength than she had to lie.

Wordlessly Rhys helped into the passengers seat, handing her a bottle of water he watched as she took a series of small sips before leaning her head against the seat. "Flu," she muttered, feeling the need to explain. "Sorry," she wheezed, closing her eyes.

"You haven't got the swine flu have you?" Rhys asked.

Nikki couldn't help but smile at the panic in his voice. "No. Probably just boring, old influenza."

"You're the doctor," Rhys shrugged. "And no need to apologise for being sick, it happens to the toughest of us."

Nodding her head Nikki felt her head swim as the car started, licking at her dry lips she struggled to remember when she had ever felt as sick as she did now. As she fell into a restless sleep the only person on her mind was Harry and how she wanted to curl up in his arms and let him put all of that medical training to use as he nursed her back to health.

S - I - L - E - N - T - W - I - T - N - E - S - S

Looking up at the clock Harry watched as Rhys had a heated argument with someone on the phone, whilst he tried not to notice that Nikki was nearly 2 hours late.

"I have to go, my officers went to Steve's cousins house and they no one was home, it seems like they left in a rush," Rhys explained as he left Harry and Leo alone.

"The plot thickens," Leo sighed as he looked up at the hand written timeline.

Standing up Harry paced in front of the board. "Have you heard from Nikki?"

"What?" Leo asked, Harry's panicked voice breaking him out of his daydream.

"Nikki, you know blonde, about so high," Harry said, holding his hand just out. "Is quite good at reconstructing faces and really should be here to by now."

Leo shook his head. "No I haven't heard from her."

"Don't you find that a bit strange?" Harry questioned.

"Yes. I guess," Leo nodded, feeling Harry's panic begin to rub off on him.

"I mean Nikki is always punctual, it's not like her," Harry added, feeling his panic increase with each minute that passed.

Leo turned to face his friend and colleague. "I'm sure she has a good reason."

"I'm going to ring her," Harry announced nearly knocking a chair over as he lunged for the phone.

Knowing that this was something Harry needed to do Leo left him to it and headed to make a coffee. He knew that the young, male pathologist was feeling guilty over the recent estrangement between him and Nikki, a guilt that was helping to fuel his concern.

"There's no answer," Harry announced as he bounded towards Leo.

"She's probably on her way," Leo reasoned.

Harry shook his head. "No, that's not it, something's not right."

"You're over reacting," Leo softly told him, trying to make Harry see sense. "You feel guilty over the way you've been treating her lately and now you're overcompensating."

"Thank you Oprah," Harry snapped.

"I-"

Shaking his head Harry cut him off. "Maybe that is the case, But that doesn't change the fact that something isn't right with Nikki. You didn't see her Leo she looked …"

"Why don't you go ad see if she's alright," Leo suggested, knowing that if Harry didn't he would be no use to anyone until he had seen Nikki was alright for himself.

Harry stopped pacing and turned to face him. "What about the meeting?"

"I can cope," Leo insisted.

"Are you sure?" Harry checked, although he already had one foot out of the door.

Leo nodded. "I'm sure," he smiled tightly as he watched Harry leave, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach, despite his protestations of seconds ago.

S - I - L - E - N - T - W - I - T - N - E - S - S

Banging loudly on the door Harry called out her name, he could hear the blood rushing in his ears as another minute passed without an answer. He had seen her car outside she he knew she was here, what he didn't know though was why she wasn't answering him.

"Nikki," Harry yelled as his fist banged heavily against the door.

Stepping backwards Harry waited, watching the door for any signs of movement, when another 2 minutes had passed without any he stepped forward again, only this time instead of knocking he pulled out his mobile phone and dialled her number.

"Nikki, it's Harry. Look I know I'm hardly you're favourite person right now but I'm worried. Please open the door … It's the only way to make me go away."

Inside the flat Nikki's eyes fluttered open as she heard the phone ring off, through her blurred vision she could just about make out that she was in her bedroom, lying on the rug.

Shakily she pulled herself to her feet as her chest ached with the effort of everything. "Harry," she wheezed.

Stumbling over her own feet she headed in the direction of the living room as she heard someone knocking on her front door. It was only then that she realised the banging of earlier hadn't been a product of her fever addled mind, and it had actually been someone at her door.

"Harry," she repeated as if it was the only word she could manage.

Her legs felt like jelly and each step made the pounding in her head and the aching of her neck intensify.

Reaching the sofa she leaned against it for a few minutes as she tried to catch her breath, it took a few minutes before she finally felt like she had the strength to continue. It was only a further 9 steps to the door but by the time Nikki reached it she felt like she had run the London marathon.

Opening the door, her vision was swimming so much that she could barely make out Harry's worried face.

"Harry?"

"Yes," Harry whispered as she stumbled forward, catching her in his arms he tried to hide his panic as he helped her back into the house.

Sitting her down on the sofa he knelt in front of her as he examined her from top to bottom. Her face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and her eyes glassy with fever, her breaths were slow and laboured, her skin was ashen and he could feel that heat radiating off of her.

"I've got you," Harry reassured her as he held her in his arms he could hear her struggle for each breath.

Closing her eyes Nikki relaxed into him. "Harry … I … hot …"

"Right. I think we need to get you to a hospital," Harry told her, his voice sounding calmer than he felt.

"No, sleep, here," Nikki insisted, despite her weakened state.

Harry was just about to give in and take her to her bed when his eyes caught sight of her half-exposed stomach, pulling up her shirt he felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the angry purple rash that marred her usually perfect skin.

"Oh my God," he breathed.

"Harry," Nikki wheezed.

Standing up Harry lifted her up with ease as he carried her out of the door and towards his car, it was only as she was being lowered into the passenger seat that Nikki seemed to realise she wasn't in her flat anymore.

"Where are we?" Nikki asked, sounding more coherent with those 3 words than she had in the last 30 minutes.

"My car," Harry replied as he climbed into the drivers seat.

Wincing against the daylight Nikki closed her eyes. "Turn the light off."

Feeling his panic rise Harry quickly started the car and headed in the direction of the nearest hospital. "I'll turn it off soon," he said, needing to feel like he was doing something.

As they stopped at a set of traffic lights Harry glanced over at Nikki, watching as she struggled to stay awake he couldn't help but realise that she looked even worse in the harsh light of day that she had in the softly lit flat. Her skin was ashen, her lips void of colour and the purple marks that littered her skin seemed to be taunting him with there presence.

"I don't feel so good," Nikki stuttered, as she tried to sit up, suddenly more awake that she had been.

Reaching out Harry rested his hand on hers. "I know Nik. But it's alright, we'll be at the hospital soon."

Nodding Nikki leaned her head back against the seat, she felt like she was stuck in a vortex, with each part of her body spinning at a different rate.

"Talk to me Nikki," Harry pleaded, not wanting her to go completely unconscious on him.

Worried by the lack of panic Harry felt himself begin to panic even more, as they pulled up at yet another traffic light he reached over and felt her pulse. It was weak and rapid beneath his fingertips like the fluttering wings of a butterfly, and her breathing was fact and shallow, the doctor in Harry knew this was a very bag sign.

"Don't do this to me Nikki," Harry begged.

The rest of the journey passed in a blur as Harry concentrated on getting Nikki to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible. One they reached the doors of UCLH he was out of the car in seconds, gently lifting her into his arms as he headed for the emergency department.

"I'm sorry," Nikki breathed as she closed her eyes against the harsh halogen lights.

"Sh," Harry soothed. "You've got nothing to be sorry for."

Nikki tried to open her eyes but she couldn't, so instead she turned her head and rested it against Harry's shoulder, feeling comforted by his presence. "Sorry … Emma … didn't mean too … friend … worry …"

"It's alright, it's all forgotten we just need to concentrate on getting you better and then we'll worry about everything else," Harry whispered as he approached the front desk, the receptionist took one look at the woman in his arms and led him through to an assessment area.

As she was laid down on the cold, hard, hospital trolley Nikki reached out blindly for him. "Harry."

"I'm here," he reassured her, taking her hand in his.

As doctors and nurses started to crowd around her Nikki tightened her grip on Harry's hand as she felt an oxygen mask placed over her face and cold leads on her chest, barely wincing as IV lines were placed into her arms she opened her eyes and looked towards Harry. "Stay," she breathed.

"I'm not going anywhere," Harry vowed as he watched her eyes flutter shut once again. "And you'd better not be going anywhere either," he demanded as he tried to shut out what was happening all around him and concentrate only on Nikki. Because in that moment ensuring that she was alright was the only thing that mattered.