The next morning when Nikki woke up she was somewhat relieved to find that she wasn't draped over Harry, however her relief was short lived when she felt Harry close behind her and felt his arm around her waist draped over her stomach. Her eyes flew open and she turned her head slightly to glance at Harry, she didn't know how many more mornings she could take waking up like this without grabbing Harry and kissing him senseless. Harry groaned slightly and opened his eyes when he felt Nikki watching him and gave her a smile before he noticed their position.

"This is getting to be a bit of a habit" he said seriously but Nikki could see the corners of his mouth twitching slightly but he didn't move to correct their position, Nikki thought he was just doing it to make her feel uncomfortable, Harry knew he was doing it just so he could be this close to Nikki.

"It's like we do it on purpose" Nikki muttered as she moved slightly so she was laying on her back, Harry still hadn't moved his arm as he looked down at her. "Do you want to move?"

"Do you want me to move?" Harry asked cheekily and Nikki gaped at him before pushing his arm off her so it flopped down onto the bed, Harry pouted.

"You are such a child" Nikki laughed, trying to move away from where the other conversation was headed. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and then stood up and opened the curtains wide causing Harry to wince and moan.

"You know you are very lucky" Harry told Nikki as he too climbed out of bed with some difficulty and moaning.

"Why?" Nikki asked suspiciously as Harry walked to the bedroom door, this gave Nikki a chance to run her eyes over his naked back but turned away quickly when he turned around to look at her.

"Because I normally sleep naked" he said simply and then walked out of the room. Nikki's mind betrayed her as images popped to the front of her mind that she didn't want, not that she minded, but it was improper to think of her friend like that, she felt her cheeks heating up and wondered how she would be able to get back into bed with him without those images coming back. It then struck her that she didn't know whether he was lying or not.

A few hours later and the two pathologists were walking along the cobbled streets towards the small hospital that they were based in. They walked by a house that had its door open and a woman poked her head out and called to them. She had short brown hair, was quite plump and had dark brown eyes.

"Are you the two doctors who we asked for?" she asked them, her Scottish accent not as strong as the others Harry and Nikki had heard.

"Now what have I told you about bothering Dr Cunningham?" came Alec's voice from behind her and the woman flushed slightly, in anger Nikki recognised, and turned back to the man behind her.

"I apologise" she nodded and glanced back at Nikki "I was taken to believe that..."

"Nikki Ale...Cunningham" Nikki told her and let the woman continue

"I was taken to believe that Mrs Cunningham is also a doctor" the woman told her husband who shot a loathing look at Nikki making Harry reach out and drape his arm over her shoulder, Nikki automatically moved close to him and Harry found himself playing gently with a strand of her hair, he stopped at once and hoped Nikki hadn't notice. Nikki however had but didn't say anything, quite disappointed when she felt Harry stop.

"A woman? A doctor?" Alec sneered "It's unheard of"

"She was a doctor before I met her" Harry cut in, hoping to spare Nikki some embarrassment and anger "I told her to stop but she refused, said she would when she had children"

Alec only nodded and turned to what Harry and Nikki assumed was his wife.

"I'll see you later"

"Right" was all the woman said and let him pass her, she then turned to Nikki "Would you like a drink? Your husband must be busy with all the work he is doing"

Nikki knew this woman knew that she was also helping with the autopsies and sensed something else about the woman, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Nikki also helps..." Harry started but Nikki cut him off and gave him a smile causing him to gulp slightly.

"No darling you always say that I hinder your work" Nikki told him deviously and Harry knew what she was doing "You should finish the last two on your own while I have a chat with..."

"Arabella" the woman informed her

"Arabella, I'm sure you will be fine"

"But..." Harry suddenly looked quite lost and Nikki almost felt sorry for him "Fine, just make sure you write up my reports, properly this time I have to say. The last batch was unacceptable and my boss was fuming" with that he turned and walked off down the road leaving Nikki with a satisfied smirk on her face as she turned to Arabella.

"Please come in" Arabella stepped away from the cottage door and Nikki followed her into the spacious home "Tea?"

"Yes please" Nikki nodded as she took her coat off and hung it on the peg instructed by the friendly woman who was just walking into the kitchen "just milk please"

"So how long have you been married?" Arabella asked Nikki as they sat in her living room drinking their tea

"Five years" Nikki replied automatically "What about you and Alec?"

"Three years" Arabella replied then sighed "Worst mistake of my life" Nikki heard her mumble to herself "But I can tell that you aren't the meek humble woman that you are pretending to be"

Nikki blushed slightly and shrugged as she sipped the scalding drink in her hand.

"I don't like being told what to do" Nikki informed the woman who was sitting across from her who grinned "Especially by men"

"Well that makes two of us" Arabella laughed "Well more than us two actually"

"Sorry?" Nikki asked, confused but the brown haired woman shook her head and waved Nikki's question off.

--------------

"Where have you been all day?" Harry asked as he walked into their temporary home to find Nikki sitting in the kitchen reading a book. She looked up from her page and looked Harry over before turning back to it.

"With Arabella" she replied noncommittally "We spent the whole time chatting"

"You were meant to come and help me" Harry whined "I just performed two autopsies on decomposing men"

Nikki smirked, not looking away from her book all the time Harry was talking.

"Yes I can smell" she giggled and heard Harry groan in frustration and walk out of the room, she looked up and watched him walk away from her and grinned, glad that she had wound him up.

Sneaky!Nikki is sneaky. XD. I've worked out that Silent Witness may start in the UK on the 1st November, lets hope so.

xxx