The next morning at work it was business as usual. After a nice dinner at the pub the evening before Nikki and Harry had parted with a kiss on the cheek and a "Glad we're friends again". Everything went back to how it had been with the small difference that Nikki finally allowed herself to feel for Harry what she had never dared admit before and what she even now was still trying to deny. She was in turmoil while on the surface she tried to appear as normal as possible. Harry didn't seem to be any different and she was determined to not seem different either.

When Leo came in that morning and saw the two of them discussing a case he studied them for a moment.

"Good morning Nikki and Harry! So, all is right again with the world?" he asked, looking eagerly from one to the other.

"Yes," they both replied in unison and smiled at him, before ducking right back into their DNA discussion again.

Leo stood studying them a moment longer, before shaking his head and walking to his office. "You two are hopeless," he muttered under his breath.

"Pardon?" Harry asked, catching the hopeless bit.

"Oh, nothing." Leo answered.

"Apparently something is hopeless but you don't care to share it with your esteemed colleagues?" Harry tried again.

"Alright," Leo turned to Harry and Nikki again. "You are hopeless!"

"Who? Me specifically?" Harry asked.

"Yes…you. Both of you!" Leo answered.

'What? We made up again, didn't we?" Nikki asked confused.

"Oh really, did you now?" Leo asked, looking from one to the other.

Nikki and Harry exchanged confused looks, Leo just shrugged his shoulders and went into his office.

"What's gotten into him?" Harry asked, turning to Nikki. Nikki, still looking after Leo, shrugged as well. "Beats me," she said, "Now, where were we?" and they continued pouring over the DNA samples in front of them.

Yes, they worked well together, Nikki concluded at the end of the day but still she could not shake the feelings off of the day before. When she went to the locker room to pick up a bag she had left there and found Harry there as well, she felt awkward seeing him there, almost in the same spot they had been in the day before. Their eyes locked and they looked at each other for a few moments in silence before Harry smiled. Where usually she'd expect a joke from him, he quietly said "Good night, Nikki" and headed out the door.

She leaned against a locker, put her hands up to her face and muttered to herself,

"Damn, damn, damn! I love him! Damn!" It was quite a shock to admit if for the first time out loud and she quickly clamped her hands over her mouth, blinking away the tears, knowing he would never feel the same for her. She took a few moments to compose herself again and then lost in thought she finally slowly made her way to the door.

Just as she reached for the handle, the locker room door opened in front of her and she bumped into Harry who was just walking in again.

"Oh, er, sorry!" she said, her heart skipping a beat and making her blush, trying to sidestep Harry. She couldn't look at him after the admission she had finally made to herself.

He just looked down at her but didn't make way. Instead, he stepped inside, making her back up into the room again.

"I really need to get home…" she started, trying to sidestep again, but he wouldn't let her continue and blocked her way.

"I think I now understand what Leo meant about me being hopeless, and possibly you too." Harry interrupted, "It's taken me all day to figure that one out."

Nikki, realizing he wouldn't let her leave just yet, took an extra few steps backwards, dropped the heavy bag she was holding, folded her arms defensively across her chest, cocked her head to one side and said with more brazenness than she felt,

"Alright. And I suppose you want to enlighten me on the subject right now?"

"In fact, I do," Harry smiled, albeit uncertainly and then, brushing his hand through his hair and looking at Nikki he said nothing for a few moments.

Nikki returned the steady look but feeling uncomfortable she quickly said a little impatiently, "Harry, if you're just going to stand there… I'm really off now. Good night."

She started to move forward again but it was as if Harry hadn't heard her as he continued looking at her intently and said,

"I have realized something recently, something that has always been there, simmering, but something I have never dared let surface. Until now."

The tone is his voice had changed, it sounded more… intimate. Nikki, not trying to move forward anymore, broke eye contact, looked down at her toes and said, "Oh and what has surfaced then?"

"What has surfaced," Harry said softly, taking two steps closer to Nikki and lifting her chin so she had to look up at him, "is that fact that I appear to be in love with you!"

"Oh?" was all Nikki could utter, her eyes growing large, "And… and when did this revelation come about?" she asked softly, trying to control the fluttering in her stomach that those words and the way Harry was looking at her caused.

"The moment I saw Anton kiss you. It made me realize I could lose you to him and to South Africa forever and the thought was… was… devastating!" he said searching her eyes, still holding her chin up.

"Oh," she said, not quite knowing where to go from here.

They gazed at each other for a moment longer before Harry slowly smiled, realizing she wasn't shocked or trying to get away anymore.

"Yes, so, I came back here wanting to take back my apology for kissing you yesterday as I have every intention of kissing you again," Harry said with a twinkle in the eye.

"Oh," Nikki said again still gazing at Harry, mesmerized, feeling stupid for not being able to think of anything else to say. Her whole body was tingling with anticipation when he finally slowly closed the small gap between them and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. She responded instantly, tasting his lips and melting against him, savouring the kiss. His arms slowly encircled her waist pressing her against him as she let her arms slide up around his neck, holding on to Harry and his lips for dear life, taking in his closeness, warmth, taste, smell.

When they finally broke apart for air, Harry huskily whispered, "What's taken us so long, mmm?"

"Silly sense of professionalism? Blindness?" Nikki muttered against his lips.

"Maybe," he smiled, planting another little kiss on her lips. "But also cowardice. I have been keeping you at arm's length for a long time, afraid to hurt you or disappoint you but I can't do it anymore. This is what Leo meant about us being hopeless. We should have done this ages ago!" he replied and then kissed her again with such great passion she was breathless.

Finally they drew apart, smiled at each other in wonder for a moment before Harry grabbed her hand and said, "Come on, let's get out of here!"

She giggled, "Where to?"

"My place, I think that's closest?" he suggested. She nodded happily as he dragged her with him to his car and to his flat where they continued what they had started in the locker room. They made love with a passion that had been pent up for 5 years.

When finally the first hunger for each other had been stilled and they were snuggling together, he whispered, "It took almost losing you to Anton for me to realize that I have loved you pretty much from the start!"

"It took you kissing me in the locker room yesterday to finally admit the same fact to myself!" she whispered back, trying to snuggle even closer.

"Ah yes, that locker room kiss. Now how did that go again?" Harry asked teasingly, pinning Nikki down and kissing her with the same passion. This time they didn't have to stop kissing and they didn't.

When a little while later they were lying beside each other again, breathless and laughing,

Nikki said, suddenly serious, "I always thought South Africa was home but I have come to realize that home to me is where you are, Harry." The words had slipped out unintentionally and she quickly added, "Oh, I'm sorry! I don't mean to sound like a stalker or anything!"

She was starting to sit up. Embarrassed, but Harry pulled her down and into his arms again. "You may stalk me any time, Nicola Alexander. In fact, I'll make it easy on you: move in with me!"

"Harry! So soon!" she exclaimed, lifting herself up to lean on his chest and look at him in wonder.

"It's taken 5 years, why waste more time?" he asked gently.

She looked at him, still a little uncertain.

"Do we really want to be carrying overnight bags to and fro every day, now that we know

how… compatible… we are?" he asked teasingly.

A smile slowly started to spread across her lips as she said, "And here you were telling me not too long ago that you had no idea how to get what you wanted out of life half the time!"

"So, what do you say?" he asked earnestly, ignoring her remark. "Or I could move in with you?"

By now Nikki was smiling broadly and threw herself back into Harry's arms, "I say I want to spend every moment I can with you! So, yes, I will move in with you anywhere."

He heaved a sigh of relief. "Excellent!" he said joyously. "Move in here, it's bigger."

They grinned at each other like idiots.

When Leo came in to work the next morning, he immediately sensed the different atmosphere between his colleagues but at first couldn't pinpoint exactly what was going on. And then, halfway through the morning, he saw the secret bottom pinch that Harry gave Nikki and Nikki's loudly whispered response of "will you stop it and stay professional, Dr. Cunningham!" while grinning at Harry, her whole face lighting up. This little interaction finally gave it away for sure.

He walked in to them and said joyously, "Well, it's about bloody time!"

"What is?" Harry asked innocently.

"The two of you getting together!" Leo grinned, slapping Harry on the back and giving Nikki a quick kiss on the cheek. Nikki and Harry exchanged surprised but happy glances. "Congratulations! Not so hopeless after all…" he added and they both laughed and thanked him.

"You're welcome," he said and then added, "And now can one of you go down to this address, there's been a shooting."

Harry smiled and took the slip of paper, planted a quick kiss on Nikki's lips and was off. Business as usual, but not quite the same as it had been.

Nikki was happy, in love and at home where she belonged.