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Back to Reality
Harry opened her eyes as the early morning sunshine filtered through the blinds. She blinked a couple of times, remembering the events of the night before. She had expected to spend the evening alone with the television for company. Then her nightmares had become even more violent and disturbing, so she had made her way to Dempsey's apartment only to find him in the midst of a nightmare.
"You think too much." She turned to see Dempsey wake slowly beside her. "You ok?"
"Yes." Harry stared at the ceiling. "You?"
"Best night sleep I've had in a long time." He smiled at her. "You?"
"I shouldn't have disturbed you." She turned on her side to see him watching her. Dempsey smiled softly and she had to look away. "I didn't intend to come here last night. It just sort of happened."
"Harry." He could sense her pulling away from him again. They'd been together since he had followed her to her father's house but things had yet to go any further than a few kisses and trying to keep their feelings under wraps where Spikings and the others could see. Dempsey wasn't totally convinced that Spikings hadn't known about them all along. "Nothing happened. We just shared a bed."
"I know." Harry sighed. "And I didn't mean for you to see me like that."
"How?" Dempsey sat up and looked at her as she hugged her knees beneath the bedclothes.
"Like some weak and feeble woman." Harry looked away as she spoke.
"Hey, you weren't the only one having a hard time staying asleep." He rested a hand on her back as she closed her eyes. "Harry, it's ok not to be the tough guy all the time."
"Who said I was the tough guy?" She turned her head to face him, angry but unsure why. "You said it yourself, Dempsey. Life is hard, then you die."
"Not for you." He looked at her. "Harry. Come on." He watched as she swung her legs out of bed before trying to find her trainers that had been abandoned the night before. He ran a hand over his face, aware Harry had kept her running clothes on the night before while he was in little more than his boxers. "Can you throw my jeans this way?" He immediately regretted asking as the denim hit him in the face. "Harry!"
"What?" She turned back to him. "We spent the night together."
"I know."
"We slept in your bed."
"I know. I was there." He frowned. "Oh."
"What?"
"That's what this is about." He pulled his jeans on before standing up. "You came over here and you assumed I'd take advantage of you."
"Like to see you try." Harry huffed.
"I wouldn't do that." Dempsey stated. "I was going to call you when I opened my eyes. I had to. I know it's stupid but I had to see you were alive."
"Dempsey." She sighed as the anger left her. "Of course I am."
"Don't tell me that wasn't the reason you came over? You had to see that I aint dead for yourself." The phone in the living room began to ring as they stared at her. She had no idea why they were arguing. It wasn't as if he had dragged her to bed and as he had pointed out, they had barely touched. Both exhausted and apparently content to spend the night asleep with the reassurance the other was still ok seemingly enough to satisfy them. It did make her wonder why he hadn't tried anything when she knew he had more than enough experience when it came to women. Dempsey marched into the living room and answered the phone as she watched him go.
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"What?" Spikings snapped as the three detectives sat in the SI10 office. Chas stared at the desk while Dempsey propped his feet on the desk next to his. "Is the meaning of this?"
"He was released from prison, Sir." Harry stated calmly, aware that the men in the room were bordering on homicidal.
"Eight years. That scum had eight years! I was there at the sentancing." Spikings snapped. Chas and Dempsey glanced at each other. Harry nodded.
"I know, Sir." She agreed. "I was a WPC then."
"So what is he doing on the streets? This has his mucky little paws all over it." He threw the crime scene photographs on the desk in front of Chas.
"William Jones, aged 50." Chas read the notes. "Convicted of perverting the course of justice, money laundering and attempted murder."
"Nice guy." Dempsey frowned. "You think the assault on Fairbank Street is him?"
"I think it is his little calling card. Letting us know he is back." Harry picked up the photo and threw it on the desk in disgust. "He is a nasty piece of work. I saw the victim's wife back then. She was terrified."
"So we find him. See what his little message is to us this time. It seems to me he enjoyed prison too much to be unable to go back there. Find him." Spikings yelled as the three detectives began to go through statements that the uniformed officers had collected the night before. None of them were aware of Spikings watching them from his office doorway hoping that Jones' return wouldn't mean the end of his team.
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a/n more soon. Please review