Spikings met his old mukka Bunny Schofield in a pub by the river, Bunny had a pint ready for him with a whisky chaser.

He waited for Spikings to sit down and then immediately engaged. 'I'll come straight to the point Gordon, I didn't know about D.I. Makepeace's complaint about Parker, and it was Parker's suggestion we went to the Ambercote Arms. I thought it would be fine as your girl had been working on the case with the lad, thought he might be sweet on her because she's a very attractive young lady.'

'Yes, it's not easy being a copper and being as you say an attractive young lady. D.I. Makepeace is a highly efficient officer and she'll go far in the force. Your lad, Parker has got a bit of form with the ladies the way I hear it and the way he went for young Fry last night was a bit over and above wouldn't you say?' Spikings drank some of the beer and left the ball in Bunny's court.'

'I've had words with Parker on the issue and I don't mind telling you Gordon, I wasn't happy at the way he laid into the detective constable. I heard from D.I. Jarvis that Fry sustained some grievous injuries and I'm sorry for it. I'd like to draw a line under the unfortunate incident in the pub last night, Parker's got some bruising from your Yank's choke hold so he didn't get off scot free and besides that I've got a couple of officer's not looking too pretty this morning.'

'D.C. Fry is looking at a month's absence from work Bunny, I can't afford the loss of any officer at the moment; we've got a caseload that's ready to sink us and more responsibilities coming our way from the Home Office.' Spikings wasn't willing to give up too easily on the damages issue as he wasn't trading Harry's assault for an easy life over the pub incident. 'The lad only pushed your boy; bit of booze in him, stupid thing to do but he's a junior officer no need to go at him like that.'

Bunny ignored that as he appreciated Mad Gordon's tactics. 'The girl won't want her name bandied about. Parker's bound to say she led him on and mud always sticks…

'It won't stick on D.I. Makepeace; she's always meticulously polite when the lad's try and get a date with her, let's them down nicely and won't put up with any nonsense. Now your boy Rory, he won't take no for an answer; follows her home and then tries it on. I'm telling you Bunny, nip it in the bud now or he'll seriously assault some poor woman and you'll have worse to deal with.'

Schofield accepted defeat and nodded. Both senior officers would prefer not to have to deal with the case but on current behaviour D.I. Parker had some serious issues to deal with.

'I'll see what D.C. Fry wants to do about the injuries but my recommendation will be to let it go as the lad shouldn't have started it; no guarantees but I'll do my best. George, the publican, is sending the bill for damage to me and I'll split it with you fifty, fifty and no more said.'

'Agreed,' they shook hands and the discussion moved to gossip about 'upstairs, who was in and who was out of favour and Spikings, Gatwick coup. This type of conversation was enjoyed by both parties and the two men left at the end of the evening in perfect harmony.

-oOo-

Harry wasn't surprised when Dempsey didn't turn up that evening and neither did he call to cancel. She mulled over calling him and then decided that would be weak. It did occur to her that she might have been guilty of misjudging him and that made her feel awkward. She didn't sleep well that night and eventually gave in and dragged Dempsey's shirt out of the drawer and put it on.

She was just about to go to sleep when she heard someone trying to break into the property. It wouldn't be James he had a key; she quickly got out of bed and pulled on her jeans and went downstairs and just as she reached the hall she heard the sound of breaking glass at the back of the house. Makepeace quickly called the office and asked for assistance and then took out a baseball bat Dempsey had given her for protection as she usually left her gun in the office. She tried to switch on the lights but there'd either been a power cut or someone had tripped her fuses. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour she hastily opened the front door and waited outside for backup in the shirt, jeans and bare feet.

When the squad car arrived, the uniformed police went both to the back of the house and in the front; it looked like the perpetrator had legged it and they called for forensics to see if they could get any prints. Harry was given a coat and she waited patiently outside for them to finish.

Spikings turned up with D.I. Jarvis who took in Harry's attire without saying a word other than she might like to retrieve some shoes and a change of clothes and go to a friend's for the night.

The Yank arrived and remained stoic as he took in what his ex-partner was wearing and was glad for her sake that the shirt wasn't specifically identifiable as his although he was pretty sure Chas would put two and two together.

'You didn't see who did it?' Dempsey pushed her for detail. He wanted to get the skinny on who exactly would try and break into Harry's property other than him.

'No, I decided to get out of the house as I'm not armed and I wasn't feeling particularly like challenging an unknown assailant or assailants; call it an off day,' she added as if to say 'so there.'

'You did the right thing,' Spikings supported Makepeace's actions. 'We get enough action in the day job without fighting off villains in our own homes. 'It may be just a common burglary, let's see if we get any prints that can help us. Right Harry, once the boys have finished here we'll get the window sorted out and you can move back in tomorrow. 'Dempsey take Harry to wherever she wants to go for the night and then pick her up tomorrow and come back here and check if anything's missing.'

'Okay boss.' He turned to the blonde officer, 'you got your stuff princess? Let me take you away from all this; you can stay at mine if you like, promise no funny business.'

'Perhaps I'd be safer here,' Harry demurred as she got into his car using the reassuring banter of the days of yore. She stared out the windscreen as he started the car and hoped he wouldn't say anything about the shirt.

Dempsey didn't say anything about the shirt as he was in a bad mood with Harry and then he'd been anxious about her and hadn't left it to Spikings and Jarvis to check she was okay. 'Any ideas about who it might be?'

'No, not really,' she smoothed her hair back. 'I just heard the sound of someone trying my lock; attempting to force the door and then the breaking glass. The perpetrator obviously didn't have your skills.'

'Maybe you should've confronted them,' he shrugged when she glanced across at him, 'just saying; we'd know who it was then.'

'Yes and I might be in hospital or in the morgue, I had your baseball bat and that was it. I don't go to sleep with a magnum under my pillow.'

'Well maybe you should,' he batted back at her. 'Where d'you want to go anyway; hotel or friend I'll pick you up from wherever tomorrow.'

'I thought I would stay with you as you're a friend, aren't you?' She turned to look at him her cool blue eyes taking in his moody expression.

'You can if you want although I don't really know why you'd want to do that cos you certainly don't trust me even if you do have the hots for me.' Harry's assumption that he'd ask her to drop the complaint against Parker still rankled.

'I do trust you,' she bit her lip. 'I'm sorry about this lunch time, I shouldn't have assumed you'd ask me to pull the complaint about Parker. It's just that men often don't take these things seriously. I mean you stole a few kisses in the early days; I could have reported you!'

'We were undercover on both those occasions; you were my wife Shar and the second time was when we were hiding the fact we were snooping on those bad guys and hiding the receiver. And I didn't hurt you.' Dempsey glanced over at her. 'Anyway, it ain't the same cos you like me that way,' he pulled into his parking space.

'It is absolutely the same, you didn't have my consent for the kiss,' the blonde pointed out furiously, 'and that's dangerously like saying I was leading you on and I wanted it anyway.'

'Well you did,' he responded and got lashed by her fiery blue glance. 'Screw it, there's no point in talking to you when you get like this,' he got out of the car and opened the door of the building and waved her in, in a sarcastic mockery of a courteous gesture from an earlier age.

'Men,' the blonde hissed at him as she walked in and dumped her bag on the sofa. 'I'll take this as I'd hate to put you out.

'You know dating you is no fun that shirt probably gets more action than I do,' he muttered under his breath.

Harry gave a sound like an outraged kitten and threw a book at his head which he deftly caught. 'You're unbelievable!'

Dempsey ignored her and threw a pillow and a sheet and a duvet at the couch and walked into his bedroom and shut the door leaving her to it. He hauled his shirt over his head and got rid of the jeans and boxers. 'Women,' he growled as he got ready for bed ignoring any etiquette due to his annoying guest. She knew where everything was in the bathroom, even had her own toothbrush so no need for anything else. He mulled over the situation for a while and then he smiled cos she'd got his shirt on again, he could imagine what the guys were thinking about that especially if they'd put two and two together reference the missing shirt.

Harry lay on the sofa which was reasonably comfortable, she stared at his bedroom door and felt very lonely indeed. She wanted James but as she was mad at him she really couldn't have him, it didn't stop her feeling needy though. He came out of the bedroom to go to the bathroom and she turned her face into the pillow not wanting to give herself away.

Dempsey had seen that look before she turned away and he smiled as he brushed his teeth and washed his face. Maybe he should just pick her up and take her to bed. Knowing her she'd fight him though. He could go and talk to her but that might just make things worse. He'd get a drink of water and ask her if she wanted one that was kind of conciliatory.

He walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen area and got some water. Harry'd curled up in a ball and was facing the back of the sofa. 'You want some water,' he asked her his voice sounded like it had sank to his toes. Damn it, she'd know he was feeling it.

'Yes please,' Harry turned around and sat up. 'Thank you,' she said politely as he handed her a glass.

'Pretty upsetting someone breaking into your place like that, how come you never noticed when I did it,' he sat next to her on the couch.

'Perhaps you were better at it,' Harry offered but she secretly suspected it was because James was always welcome even when she was annoyed at him or it could implicate her in illegal activity like harbouring a suspected felon.

'Probably just a burglary but I'm not happy you being there on your own until we know what we're dealing with and you need better security so we need to do some specialist shopping.'

'We do,' she questioned the we? She liked the sound of that but there hadn't been much of that lately, they'd mainly been in opposition.

'Yeah we do. Mad at you; still like you though,' his gaze held hers and neither of them looked away. 'You can't be too comfortable here why don't you come to bed. I'll behave, won't steal any kisses I promise.'

'Well in that case, I'll take you up on your kind offer,' Harry gave a gasp as he picked her up, swung her round and took her into the bedroom kicking the door open. 'You idiot, I've spilt the water,' she held onto the glass not wanting to drop it.

He put her down on the bed. 'It's only water; won't hurt nothing,' he took the glass off her and put it on the nightstand. 'You're all comfortable now,' he smiled at her as he got under the duvet with her. 'That shirt don't smell too fresh princess, you want one of my tee shirts,' he asked the question tongue in cheek. 'Course Spikings and Chas ain't too smart so I don't think they'll associate your choice of nightie with my stolen shirt.'

'It could be anyone's shirt,' Harry was cool under pressure. 'I never made out I was a nun and they know I've been married; and I do date from time to time.' She punched the pillow to get comfortable.

'You smell like me,' James murmured. 'I prefer you to smell like you which is all perfumed and occasionally needy.'

'You're making me blush,' she responded her blue eyes holding his with growing confidence. He really could get awards for suggestive remarks.

'I want my shirt back,' he growled as his fingers went to the top button, 'I mean it ain't yours.' Harry's eyes had dilated and she looked like she looked when she wanted his attention.

'Ah well then you'd be the receiver of stolen goods and I wouldn't want to implicate you in a crime,' Harry smiled with pleasure at foiling him and then gave a very pretty pout as he started to unbutton it anyway.

'When you pout like that makes me want to kiss you,' Dempsey growled huskily as he undid the buttons of his shirt slowly revealing more and more of the blonde. He started to kiss her warm flesh as it was revealed.

'You said you weren't going to kiss me,' she whispered but her heart wasn't in the weak protest.

'I lied,' he moved over her and kissed her mouth and didn't seem to be very worried about his dishonesty and as she didn't protest too much he felt he had permission to continue.