Disclaimer. Not mine

Harry

The gunshot reverberated around the stone-walled garage. Dempsey felt his stomach lurch as he saw the body of his partner fall forward, covered by the man who had been holding her. Spikings yelled instructions as another woman screamed. He didn't care, his feet apparently working under their own volition as he ran to her side.

"Julie." Spikings glared at the woman he had once harboured feelings for. "Why?"

"You." She smiled as Chas clamped the handcuffs around her wrists. "You were the reason for it all. Then and now."

"You're sick." Spikings stated calmly. "I told you then and I'll tell you now. I was not interested in you in that way then. I felt sorry for you. I believed your lies. I stopped believing them a long time ago. You orchestrated your husband's murder. When it went wrong, and he survived you felt guilty and pinned the blame on Jones. It bothered me then that he changed his MO but I had no evidence. I do now." He looked at Chas. "Get her out of my sight." Chas nodded as he and Dave took the woman away. "Dempsey?" He crossed to where Dempsey was pulling the dead body of Jones away from Harry. The single bullet wound in Jones' head making it clear that paramedics would not be an option.

"Dempsey?"

"Sir." Dempsey mumbled as he froze. Harry lay face down. Her blonde hair matted with blood. He had no idea if the blood was hers or Jones'. He couldn't make his fingers reach out to check. Dempsey swallowed hard as Spikings reached down.

"Harriet Makepeace. Be alive. That is an order." Spikings snapped as he reached to touch her neck, hoping and praying a carotid pulse would beat beneath his fingers.

"Sir." She slurred as she felt warm fingers touch her neck. "Yes, Sir."

"Good girl." Spikings smiled as Harry spoke. Dempsey quickly rolled her over, brushing the blood soaked hair away from her face. Spikings squeezed the younger man's shoulder. "I'll be outside. The paramedics are there, waiting. Don't be too long, the girl is probably in need of some medical help." Dempsey nodded but his eyes stayed on Harry.

"Hey." He whispered as Spikings left. "You had me worried there for a minute."

"You? Worried." Harry shook as he helped her sit up slightly. "He's dead."

"Julie shot him." Dempsey explained. "I thought. Oh God, Harry I thought."

"I'm ok. I think." Harry looked at her blood soaked shirt. It's not my blood." She pulled the shirt away from her skin as she spoke. Seconds later Dempsey pulled her into his arms, holding her to him as her arms wrapped around her. He knew Dave or any of the others could walk in at any moment. He didn't care. "This would never have happened if you were partnered with someone else. You were right, James. This is no job for a woman."

"No." He pulled back, holding her face in his hands. "You don't say that. You don't ever say that. You are the best cop I've worked with. You don't get to leave. Understand? You don't get to throw us away because I was a sexist pig."

Harry smiled slightly before nodding. "I want to go home." She whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"Now, that is the best thing you've said in a long time." He helped her to her feet as she leant against him. The nightmare was over.

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Dempsey washed his face in the small ornate hand basin in Harry's bathroom. He had known she was exhausted but there was no way he was leaving her. Not now. Not tonight. She had been annoyed that her father had been informed of her abduction and had spent hours talking to him, convincing the old man that she was fine and the culprit would not be bothering them again. Now she was finally asleep in her room. Smiling slightly as he thought of her he threw the towel in the general direction of the linen basket, ignoring his reflection as he did so. Moments later he stood in the doorway of the bedroom that was now as familiar to him as his own.

"James?" He started as he saw her sit up in bed. "You don't have to keep staring at me. I'm not going anywhere." She held out her hand as she spoke. Dempsey smiled before crossing the room to her.

"Neither am I, Princess. Neither am I." He slipped beneath the sheets before wrapping one arm around her.

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A/N And that's all folks x Please review