Ok, I guess I do have an idea how to continue. Chapter 2 is shorter but there will be a chapter 3 in time.

Nikki was doing the best she could, typing up the report of the PM she had just performed that morning but her thoughts kept wandering. It was Friday afternoon after all; it had been a long week. Nikki had spent Sunday in a haze after the walk with Harry through the park the day before. When she had come in to work on Monday morning, Harry had already been there, greeting her cheerfully and asking her whether she wanted to join him in doing the PM's on two victims of a car accident. Of course she would. He had stood up, given her a grin and a smack on her back and said, "Well, come on, Dr. Alexander, stop dawdling, we have work to do!" and the tone had been set for the week. Harry was all efficiency at work and ease and banter, almost as if they'd gone back in time and recent dramatic events had never happened. Nikki joined in and relaxed somewhat but not without feeling some unease at the ease with which Harry seemed to be his old self again. After the Monday they hadn't seen too much of each other as they had both been busy with all sorts of different cases but when they did see each other it was all work and cheer. And now it was Friday afternoon, Harry was expected back from a suspicious death in a nursing home at any moment now and she was trying to write out this damned report on Mrs. Wilkinson's death, a suicide from an overdose of sleeping tablets.

She looked over at Harry's desk and remembered that when she had just come back from Mrs. Wilkinson's PM at the end of the morning Harry had been sitting at his desk, staring at the back of her computer screen, lost in thought as well, just like she was now. He hadn't seen her at first, he seemed miles away and she had studied him for a moment, sitting there all lost in thought like that. He noticed her presence quickly enough, however, ignored her questioning look and had quickly flashed her a smile, asking her how her PM had gone, all seriousness and pensiveness gone. He had left soon after for the nursing home.

"Everything alright, Nikki?"

Nikki jumped at Leo who was standing at her desk, asking her this question. She quickly looked up at him, smiled and answered, "Yes. But this report is just refusing to let itself be written!"

"It never will be written with you staring into space, you know" Leo said, pulling up a chair.

Nikki sighed.

"Come on, tell me what's going on," he said gently.

"What do you mean?" Nikki asked.

"Well, Harry has been overly cheerful and efficient this week, except when you're out and about and he then just sits and stares into space. Your spirits have seemed dampened all week and now I catch you staring into space. What's going on?"

Nikki knew it was pointless to deny any of this, Leo was too perceptive and he wouldn't let go until he had some sort of answer.

Nikki sighed again, "Harry and I… we had… well, sort of an argument I think. Last Saturday, after we left you and Janet. To him it is resolved and to me it isn't." Nikki looked at Leo apologetically, not ready to give any more details.

Leo nodded. "It doesn't look like it seems be resolved for Harry either. Talk to him, Nikki, maybe you can both make things right again?"

Nikki gave a bitter little laugh, "Believe me, Leo, it's not up to me," and she looked down to her keyboard, just so she wouldn't have to see the concern in Leo's face, just so she could give herself a moment to swallow the lump in her throat. Leo covered her hand with his.

"Is this about what you said to me in that hotel room in Budapest?"

Nikki didn't answer.

"He'll come to his senses in time, Nikki."

Nikki looked up and gave him a wry smile. "You said yourself in Budapest that it is always later than you think." Leo shook his head slowly and Nikki quickly continued, "Really, it's alright, Leo. Why complicate things when we already are a good team and good friends? Harry is right, we can go on as were, no need to change anything…"

Leo wanted to respond but at that moment his cell phone rang and Leo had to take it.

"Are you sure? … It would be a good way to unwind… Oh… right… Well, see you on Monday then…"

Leo turned to look at Nikki apologetically, "Harry's not coming back here and is skipping Friday drinks. He says an old friend called him that he hasn't seen in a long time and he's going out with her."

Nikki gave a nod and a little smile, "I hope he has a good time," and forced her attention back to the report. She felt Leo's eyes on her for a few moments but ignored them and tried to be the picture of efficiency.

"You're coming home with me," Leo then stated. "I'm calling Janet to tell her we'll both be there for dinner."

Nikki looked up to protest, "Janet will have been working all day too and she's only just better, she won't want me there when she's trying to unwind!"

"Nonsense. You're like family, welcome any time and you know it. You're having dinner with us," Leo stated and walked off, already dialing Janet's number on his cell phone.