Kate continued to show up at the Lyell Centre now and again. Sometimes Nikki was in, sometimes she wasn't. Kate kept a polite but quite cool distance to Nikki which often made Nikki feel very uncomfortable. Often, when Kate showed up, she'd suddenly find a task to do in any room Harry wasn't in at the moment. If she was talking to Harry, she'd abruptly stop and quickly do something else. If she was working on something when Kate showed, she'd try looking even busier and always try to keep out of Harry's and Kate's way.

Daniel, in turn, never made it to the Lyell Centre. He and Nikki could only occasionally have dinner together on a week night; mostly they saw each other on weekends at his flat or hers. Then on Monday mornings she'd mention all the wonderful things she and Daniel had done together. Harry would grumble and Leo would ask questions. When Nikki thought back on the past few weeks with Daniel, she smiled. He was good to her, interested in her; they could talk easily with each other about all sorts of topics like their work, politics, the arts, travel. They went to interesting places on the weekend like museums, plays and restaurants. There was always something interesting to discuss or to do and he really was very pleasant in the bedroom. So, what was lacking, Nikki wondered? She looked over at Harry who just came walking in from Leo's office with a file in his hands. She kept on watching him, lost in thought, as he sat down and she continued staring at him when he'd already made himself comfortable behind his computer.

"What?" he finally said.

Nikki, blinking her eyes as if she was just waking up, said, "What do you mean, what?"

"You are staring at me. Have I spilt coffee on my collar? Is my hair sticking out at an odd angle? What?"

Nikki giggled, "Oh! Nothing…"

"Come on, you're staring at me and I know you want to tell me why…" he insisted.

"I was just thinking…"

"Yes…"

"I was just thinking I miss our film nights together."

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Oh? Now what brought that on? I thought you and Mr. Wonderful were doing all these wonderful things together!"

"Well, yes, we are…"

"And don't you ever watch films together?"

"Yes… we do... Chinese ones…"

"I thought you liked Chinese films. You're always on about me needing to watch them…"

"Well, yes…"

"And now you've got someone to watch them with it's no fun?"

Nikki grinned, "Of course it is and I love it. But once in a while I wouldn't mind watching X-men or Star Trek and that just isn't for Daniel…"

"Ah, so you need me for the uncultured blockbuster!"

Nikki giggled, "If you like… To each his own, eh?"

"Ah, yes…" Harry said thoughtfully and then added almost sanctimoniously," You do know I can be very cultured?"

Nikki giggled again, "Yes, on your good days."

Harry rolled his eyes, "I know, I know, I pale next to your Daniel…"

"Don't say that…" Nikki started, but Harry went on, "So, you are asking whether we could meet up again sometime soon at your flat or mine for a shallow film?"

"Yes, I suppose so…"

"And what would Daniel say to that?" he inquired.

"I don't know. And I've been wondering what Kate would say to that…"

"She wouldn't like it."

"Even if it's just us old friends?"

"Yes, even so."

"Yes," Nikki said thoughtfully, "I suppose Daniel wouldn't like it either… I just find it a pity that now that you and I have partners, it gets in the way of you and me being friends the way we always use to be!"

Harry nodded and they both remained silent for a moment, staring at their respective desks.

"Maybe we could arrange a film night for all 4 of us?" Nikki then asked hopefully, looking back up at Harry who she caught already studying her. She couldn't read the look in his eyes, but the intensity did make her tummy flop.

"Do you really think that would be a good idea?" Harry asked, "Daniel doesn't care much for me, Kate doesn't care much for you…"

"Well, they will just have to learn!" Nikki said heatedly, "I can't just not be your friend anymore because of Kate or Daniel! And I don't want our friendship to be a secret! They will just have to deal with it and we'll all be friends in the end, surely…"

Harry laughed, "Nikki! You are too good for this world, with your idealistic views! Do you really think we'll be witnesses at each other's weddings one day and that we'll babysit each other's children?"

Nikki hesitated for only a second, "Well it could happen!"

"Really?" he said, extremely sceptically, studying her even more intently.

Nikki couldn't hold his gaze any longer and looked down. "I suppose not…"

"And will you really risk a potential love of your life for a friendship?" Harry continued, getting up, "Nikki, be realistic…And now I really need to get to the cutting room."

He walked out the door but after a second or two Nikki was up and ran after him.

"Harry?" she called out, "Why? Why do you think that Kate and Daniel can not stand for us to be close?"

Harry turned to her, smiled and said, "I think you know the answer to that." He then turned to walk off again but Nikki didn't let up.

"No, Harry, tell me. Tell me why you think they can't stand for us to be friends?" she said.

He walked back to her, stood very close as he looked at her.

"Alright, I'll say it out loud. Kate is jealous of you and I suspect Daniel is jealous of me. They have no reason to be but they are... We have to give them time," he said simply as if explaining the first basics of a PM.

"And what if they stay jealous forever?" Nikki asked, ignoring his teacher voice.

"We can't have it both ways, Nikki. We will then have to chose… between them and our friendship," Harry stated matter-of-factly.

They studied each other for a moment in silence. Nikki then looked to the ground as she said softly, "I don't want to lose our friendship, Harry."

"Neither do I," he replied, all matter-of-factness leaving his voice. Did she now detect sadness in it? She felt his eyes on her but by the time she felt brave enough to look up at him again, he had already turned and walked off.