This is the last chapter in this fic. Hope you enjoy. I am thinking that I will follow this up with a fic covering the second u/cover mission. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed; knowing that people are reading and enjoying encourages writers to keep writing!

Disclaimer: I do not own City Homicide or its characters.

12.

They sat in the back of the taxi, heading back towards the SIS base. This was it. It was over.

Trish and Wesley had been "charged" and "imprisoned" for trafficking weapons for Hartono. A lot of Hartono's contacts, both in Australia and overseas, had also been imprisoned, as had Hartono himself. All in all, a successful operation, according to SIS head honcho's. Never mind the loss of Jamie – collateral damage, apparently.

Jen was glad to be out of it. The last few weeks had been particularly difficult for her. She had been frightened for her life. She had seen things that she didn't want to ever see again. If it hadn't of been for Nick...She felt a tinge of sadness knowing that her time with him was at an end.

They had grown close, in more ways than one. Her feelings for him were all consuming. It had got to a stage where she just needed to feel close to him, and now, knowing that it was over, that their assignment was finished, she felt sick in her stomach thinking that today could be the last day that she would ever see him.

She felt a sudden pang of regret that she had not allowed things to develop further between them, that she had not let him make love to her. Now, all she could do, was imagine what it would have been like. She felt the tears begin at the corners of her eyes, and she discreetly wiped them away. She didn't want him to see that she was upset.

Nick sat looking out of the window of the taxi. His hand held hers tightly, his fingers stroking hers. He was relieved that the assignment was over, and that they had got out of it alive. They had been very lucky, all things considered; but Nick also felt an overwhelming sense of dread, creeping up from the pit of his stomach, eating away at the joyous relief he felt at being out of that house, out of that life.

Would he ever see her again? He doubted it. They were both well aware of SIS protocol and the rules. He knew that he and Jen would be whisked away in separate vehicles, taken back to their lives, given new positions in new squads. He didn't know her surname. It was against SIS rules – they were only ever introduced on a first name basis. Full identifying details were prohibited. There would be no way to track her down, once they had been sent their separate ways.

How had this happened? How had he managed to fall in love with the operative he had been paired with? Nick had always been professional, had always maintained distance with colleagues. He'd never even entertained the thought of being in a relationship with a colleague, before. Admittedly, he had never been attracted to any of his previous female colleagues.

No, Jen was different. He knew that they had been placed in a situation where it was inevitable that they would become close, but it was more than that.

Jen was unlike anyone he'd ever met. There was a best friend quality to her, that playful, good humoured nature, that openness to talking about everything and anything. That honesty. Someone who would tell you like it is. And she was gorgeous, which didn't hurt matters, either. Those beautiful big eyes, that rosebud mouth, the terrific figure.

Nick sighed deeply. He didn't want to say goodbye.

When they arrived at the SIS base, they were debriefed by Hollingsworth, who had run the assignment. He reiterated to them the protocols that they now had to follow. "New positions have been organised for you both. You'll be given details of your new squads later on today. You are not permitted to discuss this assignment, or your work with the SIS, with any of your new colleagues. You are not permitted to have contact with one another, for your own safety. Failure to comply with any of the SIS protocols could result in charges being brought against you. We're not inhuman, however; we recognise that you've spent a considerable amount of time together, so you'll be given fifteen minutes to say your goodbyes, and then you'll be taken to separate hotels to clean up, change, and be given details of your new positions. Best of luck."

And then they found themselves alone in the room. Jen looked over at Nick. Fifteen minutes. That's all they had. She didn't know what to say to him. 'Thanks for everything', just didn't seem to cut it, she thought. Thirteen months of feelings, and fifteen minutes. It didn't seem fair.

Nick moved towards her, and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't know what to say, he didn't think that words would do how he felt, justice. She sunk into his embrace, his hands stroking her hair. "Jen" he whispered against her head. He took her face in his hands, and kissed her slowly. Her arms around his back, resting on his shoulders, pulling him to her. Neither wanted this to end. For fifteen minutes, they kissed, they touched, they stroked each other's faces, they held hands. There were no words. Words could not express the gratitude that Jen had for Nick; he had looked after her, comforted her,loved her, kept her safe. She would never forget that.

Nick had no words to offer her – he knew how he felt about her, but what was the use in verbalising it? They were never going to see one another again, and he didn't want to see any sign of rejection in her eyes, so things were best left unsaid. He would rather keep the memories that he had of her, and let his mind imagine what may have been.

When it was time to go, they looked across at each other, and in that moment, Jen knew that she would never find someone else like Nick. No-one could possibly make her feel that way, again.

They sat at a quiet table in the corner of the bar. Jen had asked Nick out for a drink after work, wanting to keep it in neutral territory, with other people around them. As much as her heart and her body felt otherwise, she knew that she had to maintain some kind of distance, emotionally.

Nick wasn't sure what to expect. He thought that they had been getting on well, despite a little awkwardness between them, and he thought there was a glimmer of hope of things developing further; but when she had asked him for a drink, chosen a relatively busy pub, his hopes had been slightly dashed. She was keeping this formal, she hadn't chosen somewhere intimate.

"Nick" she began slowly. "We have a history. The thing is, we both know that no-one can ever know about our work with SIS. No-one can know that we knew each other before. We could be in all sorts of trouble if that were to come out."

He nodded in agreement. "Sure."

"What happened between us – we were in a surreal situation, we were thrown together into something that was incredibly dangerous and stressful. It was only natural that we were going to become close, that we would turn to each other for comfort. Right?" Jen sounded as though she were trying to convince herself, and it was true; she was trying to convince herself that this was the way that things were.

Nick felt his hopes deflate. He could see where this was heading. What he wanted more than anything, was Jen. What he didn't want, was to lose her altogether. If she disappeared out of his life again, now, he didn't think he would cope. He looked at her, staring into her eyes, which betrayed the emotion that she felt. "You're right. We didn't really have a choice. We had to pretend that we were married, it was inevitable that we would become close. "

"We have to work together Nick. I think it's best if we try our best to forget the things that happened four years ago. We can't slip up, no-one can know that we worked together. The only way that we can make sure that it doesn't come out, is if we keep a bit of distance. Agreed?" She felt absolutely awful saying it, what she wanted more than anything was to feel his arms around her, his skin on her skin, his mouth on hers, his hands all over her; but it couldn't happen, and she needed to rid herself of these thoughts completely. The only way she do that, was to keep Nick at arm's length, treat him as she would any other colleague.

Nick felt as if his heart were being wrenched out of his body. He knew that she was right. He knew that what she was saying, made sense; but he didn't want it to be this way. He loved her, he was sure of that, and he wanted nothing more than to be with her.

He didn't quite believe that she didn't feel the same way, too. He remembered all those nights undercover, the way that she responded when he touched her. And now, working together – the looks that she gave him, the wistful longing that he had seen in her eyes.

No, he suspected that Jen didn't really want things to be this way. He would keep his distance, not push her, just be her colleague, be her friend; but he would wait. He would wait until she couldn't take it anymore, couldn't stay away, and then he would be there. Because he knew that she was aware of how he felt about her. She had to be. He had felt the electricity between them, the way that she responded whenever he was close to her.

As he looked deeply into her eyes, searching her soul, he knew that he would never love anyone else the way that he loved her. He would be waiting.

The End (for now)