It was mid afternoon before Dempsey and Makepeace walked back towards the SI10 offices. Both were high as kites, they had flirted their way through lunch, teasing and admonishing each other.

"You think the boss will let us off early?" Dempsey posed

Makepeace looked at her watch "Well we were in before 6" she conceded "but we should write up those surveillance reports"

Dempsey didn't hear, his mind had shifted back to before 6am and was quite contentedly replaying images of Harry as she dried her hair. Makepeace was surprised he hadn't passed comment on the deskwork "Dempsey!" she called for his attention "where are you – you're not concentrating"

He shook himself "Sorry – you were saying about breakfast at yours"

She smiled, she enjoyed breakfast more with company than alone and whilst her mind was in her kitchen she repeated the necessity of report writing

"Hmmmm" was Dempsey's only reply

"What are you thinking about Dempsey?" she looked straight into his eyes; her smile was dazzling, her eyes bright. They were just about outside the SI10 building, and Makepeace turned her attention to skirting around some minor road works that coned off the pathway.

Dempsey picked his route behind her and watched her behind as he pictured the layer currently unseen. "Whether they're Italian or French" he replied with the obvious hope of an answer in his tone

"Who?" she asked, stopping once again and turning back to face Dempsey "Claredon is British, so are those weasels with the diamonds"

Dempsey looked at Makepeace, she was still wearing his hat, she still looked pretty cute, she seemed open enough "Your Bond Street …." He had no chance to finish!

Harry knew exactly what he meant. Yelling random obscenities she picked up the nearest thing to her – an orange traffic cone and was about to launch it straight at him. Dempsey decided that caution was the better part of valour and moved backwards

"I couldn't help but notice" he defended

"Of course YOU bloody well could" Harry started to pursue him, knowing that the damn cone was too heavy to throw any distance "YOU didn't have to break into my home, YOU didn't have to stand outside my bedroom…AND SURE TO GOD YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BLOODY WELL LOOK"

The raised voices drew attention from the office above them; Dave, Fry and Tom were all looking down onto the feuding pair.

"Those two are so hot for each other" Tom commented

"Hot?" Fry questioned

"Yeh hot – you know 'got the hots for each other'" Fry looked bemused "They fancy each other like mad" Tom added as further explanation

"They're having a huge argument" Fry stated "they're always arguing" he added

"Exactly! They're flirting!"

"I've never heard of that one before" Fry turned to Dave for support but Dave just shrugged his shoulders "Well she never fights with me" he said ruefully.

"I made you coffee" Dempsey butted in but Harry ignored him and continued her pursuit. Dempsey changed tack, well he had nothing to lose -"Well you were pretty hot looking babe"

"BABE!!! NEVER EVER…" she launched the cone, but it failed to reach Dempsey who stepped further back anyway. Makepeace turned and marched towards the office doors and with a huge grin Dempsey followed her.

The onlookers upstairs scuttled back to their desks and attempted to look busy

"Can I have my hat back?" Dempsey called out from behind

Makepeace put her hand on her head and smiled to herself "No" she shouted backwards "you gave it to me"

Dempsey ran up the stairs after her and caught her as she pushed the office door open. Makepeace could feel his presence behind her, as he held the door open for her to pass through she turned to him "Italian" she said as matter of factly as she could before she burst into giggles.

"You want me to pick you up tomorrow morning?" Dempsey asked playfully as he sat opposite her

"I rather think it's my turn to pick you up" Makepeace teased rather than threatened

"Any time you want, anytime you want" Dempsey whispered as he stood again and followed Spikings through into his office.

"NO YOU BLOODY WELL CANNOT LIEUTENANT – You might think your job is finished when you shoot the bad guys…

"I didn't shoot them all"

"Amazing - well since you didn't we go to court – you need to finish the job and that involves paperwork Dempsey, now go and nail me some court action."

Outside Harry buried her head in work, Dempsey returned to his desk, picked up a pen then tossed it down. "Guess you'd better pass me some of those files partner" Dempsey sighed.

Spikings rubbed his head "Bloody cheek home early" he opened the door "Pray tell me where you have just been Dempsey"

"Lunch – in case you hadn't noticed we spent a long time pursuing criminals"

"I did notice that you weren't making use of our canteen facilities"

"Have you eaten there recently?"

"I have – that's why I know you haven't Lieutenant" Spikings pronounced it the English way "Oh and by the way I'm expecting you to be at that desk until 5 tonight or those reports are finished!" Spikings turned his attention to Makepeace "Sergeant a word…"

Harry passed some of the files to Dempsey as she made her away across to Spikings and closed the door to the inner office behind her.

"You've been co-opted" he informed Harry

"Sir?"

"Colonel Danby is in need of a good mind, a capable detective to work through his evidence and the cover ups made by Clarendon."

"Sir?" That was a sham – Harry knew exactly where Spikings was going

"I told the Colonel that you were a first class detective, unfortunately we had to drive passed that debacle just now…"

Harry shifted her body weight "Sir" she conceded "And take that bloody stupid hat off - you're not a bloody cowboy or a yank" Spikings found himself wondering though if she was turning into one.

Makepeace was wrong footed, she coughed nervously "When and where do I report?" she asked

"Foreign office, room 106 in twenty minutes"

Makepeace quietly slipped out via the other door, hat in hand. Dempsey typed until 6pm before leaving to meet for his rendezvous.