"So are you all set?" Leo asked as the three pathologists stood outside the lab the next afternoon, Harry and Nikki waiting to leave.

"Pretty much" Harry nodded as he closed the boot of his car after heaving Nikki's case into it "How many clothes did you bring Nikki?" he joked and she poked her tongue out at him as Leo chuckled "You are enjoying this aren't you Leo?"

"Immensely" Leo replied and handed Nikki a manila folder "Case details, details of where you are staying, and some of their customs as well"

"Thanks" Nikki mumbled as she opened it and flicked through the papers, it would entertain her on the long journey "See you in a few weeks" she then hugged Leo and kissed him on the cheek before turning and getting in the car.

"Hold on haven't you forgotten something?" Leo asked as she did so and Nikki turned to him and frowned. He held up his left hand where his own wedding ring still was "Rings?"

Nikki and Harry groaned when they heard this, they had been busy getting everything else ready they had completely forgotten they were meant to be married.

"Good thing I am here isn't it?" Leo smiled as he pulled three boxes out of his coat pocket and handed them to, not missing Nikki's slight blush and Harry's hesitant look towards Nikki's box and then her hand.

"Wow, it's beautiful" Nikki breathed as she opened the box to find a gold ring with four rubies encrusted across the top "Why two?"

"Engagement as well" Leo pointed out and Nikki rolled her eyes at her own stupidity as she took both the 'engagement' ring and the 'wedding' ring out of their boxes and slipped them on her finger, Harry doing the same. This made Leo force back a chuckle, they had hours yet until they even passed the Scottish border but they had already put them on. "Right you're going to be late"

"Thank you" Nikki said again and hugged Leo one more time before she climbed into the passenger side door. Leo turned to Harry who grinned.

"Do I get a hug as well?" he asked cheekily and Leo just rolled his eyes and held out his hand, which Harry shook.

"Look after her Harry" Leo mumbled so Nikki couldn't hear even through the car door "Don't do anything stupid"

"Why would I do..."

"You'll be late" Leo interrupted him and Harry frowned and nodded before slapping Leo on the shoulder and walking round the car to the driver's side and climbing in.

"So where are we going?" Harry asked Nikki who was reading the folder on her lap, she gave him the address and he put it into his sat nav. Harry groaned loudly when he saw how long it would take them.

"Nine hours" he moaned as they drove off down the road.

-----------

Two hours later and Nikki had thoroughly read through the customs of the town they were visiting and she wasn't impressed by any of them.

"Go on then" Harry said as he motioned to the folder on Nikki's legs "Tell me some customs so I don't make a prat of myself"

"You will anyway" Nikki mumbled and Harry shot her a playful glare making her giggle "Apparently men are dominant in this town"

Harry snorted and Nikki shot him a look which shut him up.

"The women have to stay at home and do 'traditional' woman's things, sew, clean, bring up the children. All the tedious things"

"You don't want to bring up children?" Harry asked suddenly and Nikki frowned at his question, it's not that she didn't want children, it was the fact that she hadn't found the proper man to have them with. She glanced over at Harry and felt her heart flutter when she looked at him so turned away quickly, this attraction to him was getting out of hand, he obviously didn't like her back so there was no point holding on to it. She found she couldn't help it though, she was dreading having to share a bed with him for who knows how long.

"Apparently they are also very open about sex as well" Nikki added as she looked at Harry for his reaction, he just raised his eyebrows slightly and kept on driving "Which is weird for such a conservative place"

"Maybe they just don't see it as being something to keep to oneself like most of us do" Harry shrugged "Like people on the continent they have no trouble with it, it's just us prudish English people who seem to hide it"

"Yeah" Nikki murmured and shrugged "Maybe"

"So I get to be dominant over you?" Harry asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence. Nikki gave him an exasperated look as he laughed "Won't that make a change?"

"Oh grow up" Nikki laughed "Just wait until we get back home, I'll make it up to you then"

"I do hope so" Harry replied with a large grin on his face "It'll seem weird me being in charge"

"You won't be in charge" Nikki snapped "All this male domineering thing is bull"

"I expected that from someone as dominant as you" Harry shrugged and glanced quickly at Nikki "You hate it when men get the upper hand on you"

Nikki only made an angry noise in response and turned to look out of the car window at the passing countryside. What Harry said was true, she hated it when men thought they were better at her just because she was female. It had all started when she was in primary school and she decided she wanted to be a doctor, one of the boys in her class had laughed at her and said she couldn't be a doctor because she was a girl, and that she had to go and do something girly. She had spent two weeks in detention for beating him up. Nikki smirked at the memory, no one had told her that she couldn't become a doctor after that.

"Are you alright sharing a bed with me?" Harry asked her, breaking her thoughts and Nikki didn't know what answer to give him.

No, because she didn't want to make a fool of herself, and yes just because she wanted to be in the same bed as him.

"It's fine" Nikki replied "If it doesn't work then you can sleep on the sofa"

"Male dominance" Harry said in a sing song voice.

"Not in the bedroom" Nikki shot back and paused "I can't believe I just said that"

Harry howled with laughter at the look on Nikki's face.

Yeah I dunno how long it takes to get from London to Scotland but hey...it's now nine hours by car. XD

xxx