Harry caught Joyce's arm, 'I won't be staying at my place tonight a friend of mine has had a bit of an upset and I'm staying over, apologies if that's a problem.'

'No of course it's not a problem,' Joyce responded pleasantly as she always liked her own bed best, 'and give your friend my best regards,' her eyes twinkled with amusement.

Harry ignored that as Sergeant Hargreaves couldn't know for sure where she was going and if she wanted to speculate then that was her own affair. Of course, she'd have to go and get some of her things first because she couldn't remember if she'd left any clothes at Dempsey's or perhaps she should just go and buy some new clothes as Fingers and Casper were proving hard nuts to crack on the issue of the break in and whilst that was the case it probably was a better idea not to be at her place on her own. In the end, she found a rather nice suit in M&S and a tee shirt to go with it and a set of pretty underwear. She didn't bother with nightwear because she liked wearing Dempsey's shirts or tee shirts and knew that he was quite happy for her to borrow them.

Harry let herself into Dempsey's apartment and found him asleep in the bedroom, he woke as she entered and rubbed his eyes. 'What time is it?'

'Seven p.m.,' she answered simply. 'I've brought dinner are you hungry,' her blue eyes were sympathetic as she took in his weary expression. 'I'll get it ready while you take a shower,' he nodded and got out of bed stark naked and made his way to the bathroom where he'd left his bathrobe.

'Don't stand on ceremony for me,' she said under her breath as she took the food out of the carrier bags.

'I won't,' James murmured in her ear as he leant down and kissed her neck pulling her back against him. 'Nice of you to come over, when you said that it made me feel better.' It was nice just the feel of her body against his; it was comforting as he was still feeling down cos of Dan. She was like that Makepeace, always had been. If he was troubled she'd always been there for him even in the early days, when you come down to it she was a nice girl, thoughtful and loyal.

'Well what are friends for,' she leaned back against him and then broke his grasp to turn around and look at him, 'are you okay?' Her gaze took in his bruised expression; he looked sad and she couldn't bear that.

'Yeah, I'm fine all the better for seeing you,' he'd pulled on his robe so as not to offend her sensibilities as she hadn't got used to him walking around naked and he knew that. 'Just a bit down about it all. When you resigned and you wouldn't talk to me, I told Dan about it. He told me to talk to you; made me practice and I couldn't say a word and he was mad at me for it.' He needed a moment and he buried his face in her hair inhaling the sweet fragrance; swallowing hard he pulled himself together.

James lifted his head and his gaze met hers. 'I took notice though and told you I needed you and then you came back,' he smiled at her. 'So, in a way that brought us closer and that was down to Dan.'

Harry's eyes softened, 'well then he meant something to both of us; he changed our lives,' she ran her arms around James and hugged him and sighed as he returned the embrace.

'Yeah, could've lost you,' he nuzzled her hair. 'I'd hate for that to happen Harry, you got to know that,' when she looked up there were tears in her eyes and he kissed her eyelids.

'Me too,' she whispered, when James opened up it made her go weak at the knees and gooey inside it was probably just as well he didn't do it very often.

They held each other for a long time and then eventually James kissed her forehead and broke away and went off to get a shower and Harry sat down for a minute just to get herself back together before she got up and started to cook the meal.

-oOo—

The next morning, they went to the office as usual only to be greeted by Hargreaves with unwelcome news. 'You've been summoned,' Joyce remarked sarcastically. 'Schofield is in Spikings office with Parker, the Chief Superintendent and…

Harry went pale, 'the Chief Superintendent, what's he doing here?'

Dempsey rode up on Makepeace's shoulder, 'what's up? He sensed Harry's distress and anything that bugged Harry bugged him.

Joyce repeated the information and looked expectantly at the younger woman. 'I er… think you'd better go in, Spikings was most insistent that you should the minute you arrived.'

Makepeace took a deep breath ran her hands down the skirt of her suit to smooth any wrinkles and stiffened her spine and walked into the Chief Inspectors office. Dempsey followed on her heels.

Spikings looked up as they both entered the room. 'Good morning D.I. Dempsey and D.I. Makepeace, I hadn't realised I'd requested your presence Dempsey but no matter.'

Parker was looking pleased with himself and he almost gloated as he looked at the couple. He laid out photographs on the table like a card dealer. The photographs were of D.I. Makepeace entering Dempsey's building a little before seven p.m. they were all time stamped and showed the date and then her leaving the next morning at seven a.m. for work.

'I took the liberty of following D.I. Makepeace as she slandered my good name and raised a complaint against me for sexual harassment. As we can see Makepeace is quite happy to date coppers and is having an affair with her ex-partner.'

Dempsey's jaw squared and his gaze was dark with menace as he looked at the other officer but he bided his time waiting on Harry's response.

'I wasn't aware my private life was on trial,' the blonde detective was cool under fire as she'd worked through this scenario more than once since she'd started dating James.

'She's a flirt, she accepted a lunch date with me and it wasn't just the one date and then she's been seeing Dempsey here on the sly; my guess is she cried assault because the boyfriend might get nasty about a fling with me. We all know the Yank's a nut job, her bit of rough's my guess.'

Harry's blue eyes met Dempsey's and he could see how mortified she was with the way this was being played out and he dug deep. He could rescue the princess and get absolutely no thanks for it but as long as she went along with the game plan it could work. His dark eyes sent her an insistent message and he saw her swallow hard.

'As far as I'm aware it's not a crime for D.I. Makepeace to have a relationship that is consensual; the issue here is that Parker forced himself on the lady.' He looked at the Chief Superintendent and could see the guy was shifting uncomfortably in his chair. 'I know it's not how you wanted to announce this Harry but under the circumstances, I think we should go public.'

Harry's blue eyes flashed to his, oh my God what was he going to say next. He was looking at her asking her to back him up. 'I'm reluctant to discuss my personal life in a public forum,' she demurred as she wasn't sure what angle Dempsey had come up with.

Spikings was holding his breath well aware the Yank was quick on his feet but pretty sure it was another R.P.G. incoming.

Dempsey looked around at his audience pausing for dramatic effect and then went for it. 'D.I. Makepeace has done me the honour of accepting my hand in marriage and the only thing that's kept me from rearranging Parker's face is her insistence that she deals with the assault in a formal way. And she's doing that to stop some other female from getting his unwanted advances cos the third time ain't no charm.'

Harry felt her heart had stopped but she manned up with every aristocratic muscle, her skin flushed delicately and she tried to zone out in an effort not to react to her ex-partner's bluff.

Spikings ran his hand over his bristly hair and gave Harry a helping hand. He looked at the Superintendent, 'this isn't a surprise to me sir as D.I. Makepeace informed me she was dating Dempsey a number of months ago, and as the officers are professional in their approach to their work I declined to take any action. I have a highly successful team and don't want the delicate balance upset.'

Dempsey had to give it to the boss he was very convincing when he lied and the fact that Spikings had lied to give Harry cover made him feel generously disposed towards Mad Gordon. Might even have to call him sir.

A knock at the door heralded the cavalry and D.I. Jarvis requested a word with Chief Inspector Spikings.

The Superintendent looked at his watch and then back at Schofield, he knew he had to be careful with his words as he didn't' want to be accused of sexism so care was needed. 'I'm not sure why you brought me here Schofield, the fact that D.I. Makepeace has a fiancé does not seem to affect the veracity of the complaint levelled at D.I. Parker.'

Spikings came in looking like the cat that got the cream and smiled at everyone benignly. This made Schofield feel very uncertain.

'New evidence has come to light on D.I. Makepeace's break in and I need to conclude this meeting,' he gave Parker a cold glare. 'The nature of the complaint being discussed will be changed somewhat and I suggest that we adjourn.'

The Chief Super was out of his seat as he had a heavy agenda that day and felt his time had been wasted. He turned to Makepeace as she was known to him through various police charities and he knew her father. 'Congratulations D.I. Makepeace and I'm sorry that you had to go public with your engagement before time,' with that he left.

Schofield beat a hasty retreat and Parker trailed after him looking unhappy and not quite sure how things had slipped away from him.

Chas came up to Dempsey, 'got a confession from Fingers and Casper, Parker's up shit creek without a paddle as they say. What's going on?' He indicated Spikings office with a nod of his head.

'I'll tell you over a beer later, good work,' he patted Chas on the back. This was great; Parker would be under arrest for paying the snouts to break into Harry's place so a sexual harassment charge would be low on his list of problems. Still it didn't sit well with him not to teach Rogering Rory a lesson for putting his paws on the princess and Parker was gonna pay for that before he got banged up at Her Majesty's pleasure.

Harry came over to Dempsey and her blue eyes swept over him coolly, 'can I have a word Detective Inspector.' She couldn't believe he could look so relaxed when he'd just announced they were getting married to the Chief Superintendent and two Chief Inspectors and one of them their boss.

'Certainly D.I. Makepeace,' he maintained the formalities and followed her out to the canteen and bought them a couple of beverages. 'Shoot,' he said as he paid for them.

'Engaged,' she hissed at him beside herself with exasperation. How could he? She'd had no intention of explaining why she was at Dempsey's address as in her opinion why should she. Undoubtedly it was embarrassing to be asked about it but really it was nobody else's business but their own

'Made you all respectable; people can be very judgemental, didn't want them thinking about you that way so…' he shrugged. 'I'm fine with it no worries.' He could see Harry was made up about it she looked like she was about to internally combust.

'Engaged,' she hissed again as if traumatised with the single word she could get out.

'Yeah, Spikings was good I was thinking Chas for the best man and now I'm not so sure,' his eyes were full of laughter as he carried the drinks to the table of choice. 'Got your back Harry.'

She sat down her body language tense. 'Dempsey, I feel like shooting you,' she said through gritted teeth and the worse thing about it was he seemed to think it was amusing.

'Best part was when the Chief Super…. He could see any further discussion was going to lead to violence and wisely stopped.

'Shut up,' she snapped at him. 'Don't say another word or I swear you'll be in a body bag in the morgue,' she took a sip of the hot beverage. It would be all over the Met in no time, detectives in her experience loved to gossip.

'Ah Burton and Taylor just who I wanted to see,' Spikings sat down next to them both and observed the Yank's amusement and Harry's barely suppressed fury. 'Well done D.I. Dempsey, you turned Parker's accusation from an alleged bit of hanky panky to a fine romance and Makepeace looked sufficiently reluctant to share the happy news, very convincing.'

'I don't see why I have to be owned by a man to have credibility,' Harry responded in an infuriated tone. 'It's ridiculous.'

'Yeah, it's wrong but that's how the world turns,' Dempsey agreed with a complete lack of concern and looked over at the boss. 'So, Chas said he got a confession,' he saw the boss's wide smile of satisfaction.

'A good start to the day wouldn't you say,' the older man beamed at them both and Harry gave a sound like an infuriated kitten and got up and stalked off. 'You might have some fences to mend with Makepeace,' he pointed out with a smirk.

'Nothing I can't handle, might wait a few days before we choose the ring though,' Dempsey gave a low laugh. 'Got to hand it to Harry, she kept her cool under difficult circumstances.'

'Y-e-s,' Spikings drawled out the word. 'Well good luck with the romance, you'll need it.'