Dempsey walked out of the Home Office with Spikings and Makepeace as they'd been asked to go through all the cases where an airport had been involved.

'I mean planes have a fatal attraction for the criminal fraternity,' Dempsey grumbled. 'And why do they always have to say something about my being an American as if that explains anything.'

'It usually does,' Makepeace piped up. 'We are an elite squad and that's why we're allowed to bear arms because we deal with the worse kind of villains. Traffic cops carry guns in the U.S.A., and that's why they always make a point about your being an American.'

'Well they could say thank you for keeping their country safe,' he took out a cigar and smiled inside when Harry lit it for him with the little lighter she kept just for that purpose.

The Superintendent noticed the lighter work too. Had his mainly sensible officer decided to be a handmaiden to his effective but annoying American next in command? The act had a certain element of intimacy even to a person of a non-romantic nature and the Yank looked pretty smug when Harry obliged. The senior officer was in a bad mood as he hated the sessions at the Home Office where they had to explain their operational decisions. None of those idiots would last five minutes on the front line. 'And as for thanks you got the promotion didn't you,' Spikings grated irascibly.

'Yes, considering you're a Yank that was amazing,' Harry chimed in tongue in cheek. 'Well,' she defended her statement, 'how many American Chief Inspectors are there on the force?'

Dempsey's jaw squared and he was just about to say something uncomplimentary about the British when one of the suits ran out and accosted them. The man was panting and asked them to go back into the office they'd just left.

The trio followed reluctantly as the general mood was that they'd had enough red tape for one day and wondered what additional misdemeanour they had unintentionally committed.

Parker, the Home Secretary, was looking agitated which never boded well and he shooed his minions out of the office. 'A delicate situation has arisen,' he paused looking very reluctant to continue. 'The Prime Minister's son has been accused, by certain quarters, of behaving inappropriately in a business context. The information is a total fabrication according to the P.M. and we need your division to prove that.'

'Isn't this more in line with Fraud's remit,' Spikings didn't like the sound of this case, it had a no-win feeling about it.

'There is a foreign connection to the business transactions,' Parker pointed out. 'And the accusers are people who are bordering on the illegal, legal.'

'Sounds like MI6 then,' the Superintendent responded it wasn't the first time he'd had to act as a gateway service to other divisions. One negative thing about being an effective unit meant that more work came your way especially when other divisions had failed to deliver.

'I think this calls for your specialist skills as the accusers involved are nasty pieces of work.' Parker went onto brief them as to the nature of the individuals whom were all known to SI10 as persons of interest. In fact, they had cases open on the names mentioned.

'Flying high naming the Prime Minister's son,' Dempsey interrupted. 'Why would they do that? I mean most of these guys like to keep a low profile and use their legal teams to keep them out of the slammer. Don't make any sense,' he dwelt on the information he had collected on Mason and Steers over the years.

Spikings whole heartedly agreed with that and asked for all the information the Home Secretary had and suggested that he reviewed the case before accepting it as an SI10 operation.

'I'm counting on you Spikings,' Parker blustered as he trusted the senior officer where some of his colleagues were in his opinion a dull lot who seemed to have got to senior positions by virtue of sticking to the job rather than any talent for it.

'I'm flattered by your confidence sir,' Spikings responded as he made to leave with the files carried out by D.I. Makepeace as after all she was his bag carrier.

Harry was struggling under the weight of them and Dempsey took them off her before she dropped them and received a grateful look as a reward.

'Lot of reading to catch up on,' the American drawled. 'I wonder which division put these together, when we find that out we'll know who screwed up.'

'My thoughts exactly,' Spikings muttered. 'We'll take the files back to the office and then go to the pub for a well-earned drink before we start on that lot. Better make sure they're under lock and key first.'

'Wouldn't do to leave them in the bar Gordon,' Dempsey smirked at Spikings dart of a warning glance. 'Wouldn't want the P.M. to turn the spotlight on SI10.'

'Exactly why I'd like to back heel this case back to the incompetents that collated said information,' Spikings bristled. 'This has got a hazard warning all over it and I don't have to read any of it to know that.'

Harry followed the two men over to the pub but only when she'd had a quick look at the files as she was curious. She sat down and picked up the drink Dempsey had provided for her and felt a warm glow that he'd remembered her latest tipple which was a white wine spritzer. 'Thanks,' she said politely. 'You were right sir, Fraud and spooks,' she addressed the Superintendent.

'Aw now you've gone and spoiled it,' Dempsey responded with mock disappointment, typical Harry always had to play the girl scout. 'We were working through the runners and riders.'

'Couldn't resist it,' Harry responded brightly. 'Fraud must have picked it up, realised it was a hot potato and tossed it over to MI6 sharpish.'

'And the Foreign Office decided it was career limiting and pushed it back to the Home Office,' Spikings added grimly.

'You don't suppose that Junior…. Dempsey raised the issue they'd all been worried about; what if they were left with the bad news for the P.M. Without viewing the evidence that had to be seen to be as a possibility. And an even greater probability when the files had hot footed it their way.

'D.I. Makepeace can review the information on my behalf and then I'll make a decision on her analysis you don't need to get involved until I make the request,' Spiking held Dempsey's gaze. 'We'll play this one carefully and by the book, you understand me.'

'Sure boss, I got a workload that'd kill an elephant,' he smiled at Harry who looked somewhat dropped on, 'you're it, princess.'

'I appear to be,' she agreed coolly as she guessed this operation wasn't going to hit SI10 and was possibly destined to shoot through so to speak.

-oOo—

'So, what you got,' Dempsey sat on Makepeace's desk as he devoured an egg and bacon roll. 'What?' He asked as she gave him a disdainful look. 'Well I'd eat healthy if the little woman was around at breakfast but since you ain't this is what the canteen has to offer.'

'Find another little woman then,' Harry quipped as she picked up her Earl Grey tea and sipped it in a genteel fashion highlighting the difference between the two of them.

'Nah, I'm stuck on you princess, come to dinner with me tonight in fact I'll cook, you can just sit there and look pretty,' his eyes danced and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth knowing she'd see that for what it was.

'How tempting,' she gave him a mock smile. 'You must have forgotten that I've sampled your cuisine and you seem to think that a chef does his best work in the bedroom.'

'Man cannot live on bread alone not this guy anyway,' his warm gaze flirted with her outrageously. 'Where's the boss, I ain't heard his dulcet tones this morning so I'm guessing he's out.'

'Dentist,' Harry responded. 'Wisdom tooth extraction so we may not hear said tones for a couple of days. He's lobbed the file on Junior back to the Foreign Office but I'm intrigued as to why Mason and Steers would involve the P.M.s son, it's not like them they usually stay well under the radar.'

'It would be sweet to stick something on those guys; what's your theory? I know you, you've got that look… He got off the desk and stretched revealing the warm, tanned skin of his stomach for the Detective Inspector's enjoyment.

'Put it away Dempsey, I've just had my breakfast,' Harry's colour had heightened and she opened a file blindly to avoid the rush of awareness that threatened to upset her usual equilibrium.

Her ex-partner came around behind her and bent down so his mouth was close to her ear, 'I remember you kissing me there, driving me crazy… C'mon Harry, have dinner with me.' His voice was warm and golden and he knew that when he spoke to her in that tone she tended to melt like a snow cone in the hot sun.

'If I agreed to that it would have to be a restaurant of my choice,' Makepeace turned her head slightly towards him and inhaled his cologne and that James scent she craved, 'and you would have to promise not to pollute my office for the rest of the day.'

'You got it. But when you're ready, pay me a visit and tell me your theory on Mason and Steers and I'll check it out, cos you ain't got the manpower and I have.' Dempsey had to admit he enjoyed pulling rank over Makepeace every now and then.

He was about to leave when Spikings appeared in the doorway with a swollen jaw and hell written all over his face. 'Mornin boss,' Dempsey gave Harry a look that said, 'wouldn't like to be you,' and shoved off downstairs.

-oOo—

'Nightmare,' Harry sat down in the French Bistro she'd suggested. 'I mean it's ridiculous; Spikings should be at home resting; he can hardly speak so he's just pointing at things and I'm expected to be a clairvoyant.'

'Yeah but if you can't read the boss who can?' Dempsey placated her as he really didn't want to talk about Mad Gordon for the rest of the evening.

'I made a decent stab at most of it,' she conceded. 'Anyway, Mason and Steers….

'This is a date Harry it ain't work,' Dempsey pointed out as the waiter poured her some wine. 'I want to talk about you and me and where we're at.'

'We're at a restaurant sharing a meal,' Harry responded her blue eyes challenging him as she wasn't about to resume the relationship they'd had before he went to America without a lot more thought. She'd agreed to resuming their friendship and that was all. 'And no, I'm not about to fall into bed with you.'

'Bit inappropriate in a restaurant,' Dempsey remarked a smile tugging at his mouth. 'And when do you think you might resume normal relations. I mean you've made your point and I've agreed not to gift yours truly to any undercover operation and be true unto you only, what's next?'

'I don't know; I haven't got that far.' Makepeace picked up a piece of bread and dipped it in oil and balsamic vinegar, 'it's a trust issue and you broke my trust….

'Now wait a minute, I never lied to you,' Dempsey pointed out feeling a sense of injustice. He knew Harry was pissed at him about the way he'd conducted business in the States but he'd never deceived her.

'In all those phone calls, you never said anything about Dorothea,' Makepeace pointed out. 'In fact, you hardly discussed the operation at all.'

'I was dealing with the past and it was tough and you were the future and I wanted to keep the two things separate,' Dempsey pointed out feeling slightly exasperated. 'You were apart from that; it was like having an oasis after being roasted in the desert sun.'

'How poetic,' Harry sipped her wine. She knew he'd been up to his neck in it over there and that even phoning her had been a risk but she still found it hard to deal with the other woman issue. 'My ex-husband cheated on me and I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let it become a habit.'

'Harry, I didn't cheat on you. Not in my mind, not even a little bit. I was doing my job that's all it was and if I'd thought you'd think that I would've maybe reconsidered. I just got into role, you know me…' It honestly hadn't occurred to him that he was effectively cheating on her because he hadn't seen Dorothea as anything but a means to an end.

'Yes, I do know you and I think I'd made it very clear how I felt when you were charming Mara Giardino… Harry remembered her words very clearly, 'you didn't have to have a bloody love affair!'

'You suggested that, you suggested that I got close enough to find out what she knew. What the hell do you think that means in guy speak? And anyway, I didn't,' he responded aggrieved. 'Look Harry, you've got to accept that I had unfinished business in the States. I had to get past that to move on.' He tugged his hair in a characteristic fashion when he was troubled and didn't know what to say. 'I love you, Harry. Nothing compares to that.' He looked away after delivering the words he'd anguished over.

'You love me,' she repeated the words. 'You've never said that before,' her blue eyes took in his beleaguered expression and she knew how hard that had been for him. James didn't talk about emotion, he kept things inside and was closed off to some extent; the job could do that to you. It disarmed her and her expression softened.

'Yeah well, I find it difficult discussing that stuff,' his eyes met hers and then looked away. 'I guessed you'd know that anyway, damn nearly quit the job over you.' He waved the hovering waiter away as they were having a moment.

'How could I know? I mean I knew you liked me and well… I knew you were attracted to me but I thought you were dating me to find out if things ran deeper than that.' Harry's blue eyes searched his expression he looked very uncomfortable and she didn't doubt for one moment that he was feeling awkward and emotionally exposed.

Dempsey couldn't believe Harry hadn't picked up on how he felt about her, I mean most of the guys thought he was nuts about her so how come she didn't see it. 'We were dating because I was crazy about you; I just didn't know if two people who are so different could make it work.' He picked up the menu feeling like he'd said enough for one evening. 'We'd better order the waiter's looking anxious.'

Harry looked at her menu and a small smile played around her mouth, inside she felt a warm surge of emotion. He loved her, Dempsey loved her. After sampling a good part of the British female population, he actually loved her. He was in his late thirties so he would have had his fair share of relationships as the ladies seemed to be charmed by his attention. She had to admit they were the odd couple but in some ways, they were similar, both high achievers in their own way, both attractive and both very private about their feelings. She ordered automatically and then turned back to James.

'It's going to take time,' she said softly her blue eyes troubled as they met his and she tried to explain the way she felt. 'I feel as if I've retreated back to my safe place which means it's hard for me to respond in kind. I feel shut in and I'm struggling to come back out.'

He nodded acknowledging that. 'I'm sorry I did that to you, Harry. I guess I'll have to coax you back out of there,' his dark eyes were concerned as he looked at her. 'All I ever wanted was to keep you safe princess, if you need to stay in the safe place for a while I'm cool with that. I won't pressure you… He saw her look of disbelief and laughed in a self-deprecating fashion. 'Yeah well, I'll try not to.'

'Hmm we'll see,' she rested her chin on her linked fingers. 'You can come back to mine for a nightcap if you like,' she saw the light switch on and shook her head. 'A drink James and that's all.'

'Can't blame a guy for trying,' he growled as their starters arrived. His dark gaze ran over her as she thanked the waiter. She was worth waiting for and he was mad at himself for hurting her. He should have thought about how she'd feel. It just hadn't occurred to him he'd been so focussed on putting things right for Joey.

'I'm sorry,' he said after the waiter left. 'I'm sorry for putting you through this,' the gruff words were heart felt.

'Oh, you know me I'll bounce back,' Harry responded but there was a certain vulnerability in the way she said it and his hand covered hers to comfort her.

'Yeah, I know you.' Their eyes met and held for a long moment in time until Harry looked away and freed her hand to eat her starter.

'Food's great,' he offered to get them back to dry land.

'Very good, this place has an excellent reputation,' Harry was relieved to move off the emotional stuff and continued with idle chatter for the rest of the meal but couldn't help but feel a warm glow of satisfaction. James had said he loved her and that would need some thinking about.

-oOo—