This is set during Nowhere Fast when Harry and Leo first meet Nikki. Only here, Harry and Nikki have been dating for about 9 months before they officially "meet".
DISCLAIMER: None of what you recognise belongs to me - I wish it did but sadly it doesn't. Silent Witness, and all characters and storylines that you recognise from the show, all belong to the BBC. I can only take credit for story lines and characters which you do not recognise from the show.
"Harry!" Nikki giggles as Harry lazily presses kisses to her neck while she, with her back to him, looks over the many bones in front of her once more. "Not here. We said we wouldn't tell Leo while I'm here and that means no kissing," Harry ignores this and starts to run his hand down her side and up the front of her shirt "Or inappropriate touching".
"Come on Nikki, humour me. It's not every day that my incredibly beautiful girlfriend comes to work with me. You're usually the other side of the campus and I'm lucky to see you at all during the day." Harry argued, knowing he wasn't going to win this round.
Planting a quick kiss on his lips, Nikki shooed him out of the mortuary just seconds before his boss Professor Leo Dalton entered from the opposite end. "I thought I heard voices in here. Who are you?"
"I'm Nikki." She smiled at the older man "I'm from the archaeology department. We haven't got the software you have for facial reconstruction and professor Hegarty said you wouldn't mind."
"Ok…" The professor faltered. He knew it would do his department good to cooperate with the other department and let Nikki continue her work here. "Well, yes you can use our software. However, I cannot allow you to keep your bones in here, we need this space free for any cases we may get."
"I understand. Is there anywhere else I can keep them?"
"Yes, upstairs in the lab. I'm sure Harry won't mind you using his desk. It's not as if he uses it much anyway."
"Thank you professor. Who's Harry?" Nikki asked, knowing full well who the man in question was, probably more than the man in front of her knew him.
"My colleague. Come upstairs and I'll introduce you, then I'll get him to help you bring these bones up."
"Harry?" Leo asked as he led Nikki into the lab to find Harry throwing screwed up bits of paper into a bin and missing. Just like every other time he has attempted to do the same, Nikki thought as she surveyed the floor around him.
"What can I do for you, almighty leader? Who's this?" Harry asked, feigning ignorance.
"This is Nikki. She's from the archaeology department and wants to use our facial reconstruction software. I said she could keep her bones on your desk and that you'd help her carry the bones up here from the mortuary." Leo told him, "Oh and er... clean all this up when you're done." He added before turning to leave.
Nikki let out a giggle as Harry gave Leo a salute behind his back before going over to kiss Harry. "Looks like we're sharing a desk." Nikki said as she drew away from him.
"There's only one chair."
"You can sit on the floor." Harry shook his head before following Nikki out of the lab and into the mortuary so he could help her move the bones.
"So what are you doing in this department again?" Harry asked as he stood over her shoulder looking at what she was doing "and how do you know how to use that? I've been trying for years to do it but it's impossible!"
"I told you last night why I'm here." Nikki told him.
"Last night I was a little pre-occupied to listen to what you were saying."
"Well it's not my fault you can't resist me."
"Well it's not my fault you're beautifully sexy." He said as he dropped a kiss to her shoulder, neither of them seeing Leo walk in at that very moment.
"What the hell is going on here!?" Leo says at what seems to be the top of his voice, as he sees Nikki wrapped in Harry's arms while the younger man drops a tender kiss to the young woman's shoulder.
"Erm…" Harry stutters trying to find an answer to his bosses question without telling him the truth, slowly coming to the realisation that it was useless lying as it was obvious that he heard everything that had just been said. "Look, Leo, me and Nikki... we... met when you sent me on that conference to York last year. She was there representing her department and when we found out that we both lived in the same area of London, we exchanged numbers and arrange to meet up for coffee a few weeks later. We've been dating for about 9 months now."
"And you didn't think to tell me when you realised that Nikki was to be working along side upon here!?" The professor couldn't believe what his younger colleague was telling him.
"I know we should have told you earlier when you 'introduced us' but we figured that I wouldn't be here long and that as long as we were careful not to get caught, then there would be no need to tell you as it was unlikely that our paths would cross again." Nikki cut in, reminding both her lover and her lover's boss that she was still in the room with them.
"It's ok. I'm happy that Harry has finally found someone that makes him happy." Leo said to Nikki, before turning to Harry "I just wish you'd told me sooner."
The next morning made it obvious to Leo that Harry and Nikki were in fact serious about each other and living together as he sat in his office and watched the two walk into the lab hand in hand.
"Arriving together now are we?" Leo called out, chuckling slightly as the young couple jumped at the sound of the older mans voice.
"We live together and work in the same building, it makes sense. If you can think of something better then I'm all ears, but if not, we have work to do... unless you're willing to give us the day off?" Harry asked, knowing the answer before the words had even left his mouth.
"Not a chance chance. We have the jockey case to work on, which we are still no closer to solving, and Nikki has her bones to work on."
"If you need a hand with your case, I'm home office certified. I trained in Johannesburg as a pathologist." Nikki offered, knowing herself how difficult her lovers job could be at times, having experienced probably more stressful cases during her brief time in pathology while in Johannesburg.
"Only if you're done with you're bones. I don't want you falling behind with your own work." Nikki smiled at this. It seemed, despite only knowing the man for 24 hours, Leo was already turning into a father figure for her, which, knowing how useless her own father was, she welcomed.