Once again Thank you for your reviews. Happy birthday to Michael Brandon (Dempsey) who turned 67 on friday not that you would know it to look at him...still looking mighty fine after his performance in singing in the rain last night :) here we go ch25 plz keep the reviews coming.

Chapter 25

"I really think the best place for Simon Hughes to stay is in his hospital bed." Alex stood in defiance, hands on hips challenging Gene.

"It's our bloody case woman not those toffy nosed Thames Valley ponce's. The best place," Gene gesticulated with a downwards pointing finger to emphasise his point "Is here in London where we can keep an eye on him."

The pair of them had been stood in SI10's offices debating Simon Hughes' protection for the best part of an hour. The SI10 officers having recognised in Gene and Alex an all too familiar pattern, decided to keep their heads down and ignore the argument which was unfolding. They had gotten used to the peace and quiet of having Dempsey and Makepeace away in Spain and now it had been shattered by Hunt and Drake. Spikings watched on bemused, his head flipflopping from one to the other like he was watching tennis.

"It would be a darn site easier to keep an eye on him if he is tucked up in bed in one room with two guards on the door...and it really doesn't matter whether they are Thames Valley officers, CID or bloody traffic! As long as Chapman can't get to him." She snapped

"Enough!" barked Spikings , his patience finally giving in. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"

Gene and Alex's attention fixed on the chief super.

"This is my operation!" Spikings jabbed a finger to his chest. "I will decide who goes where, thank you."

"Yessir" Gene and Alex muttered.

"May I suggest something?" Harry after listening intently stuck her hand up.

"What?" gruffed Spikings.

"Would it be an idea if Gene's department looked after Hughes and we look after Cavendish? Or even the other way around."

"No!" said Gene and Spikings together, they then gave each other a hard glare each believing they were in charge.

"Just a suggestion." Harry shrugged.

" I think that's an excellent idea." added Alex.

"Thank you." replied Harry.

"Means each team can concentrate on the protection of one person." explained Alex.

"I said no!" said Spikings forcefully. "This case needs a joined up approach...can't have you lot running around doing your own thing...it will be a cock up. Hunt your lot have already lost one witness..."

"Now hang on Sir..." Gene was about to protest when Spikings raised a hand to silence him.

"It is me who gets it in neck when anything to do with this case goes tit skyward, me. A safe house has been arranged for Cavendish and Hughes' family, Hughes himself will stay put in hospital. I suggest that we share the guarding duties until we can put this Chapman away in a couple of day's time. Harry you and Drake here can take the first shift on Cavendish, Hunt you can choose who you put on Hughes."

"Thank you Sir!" muttered Gene sarcastically. He was not enjoying being talked down to, especially since Spikings had just deployed Alex. "Well in that case Jarvis here and my DI Carling can do the first shift on Hughes, Shaz and Leroy can baby sit the family...how's that?"

"Me?" asked Chas surprised.

"Yes you!" smirked Gene. How did Spikings like that? Gene deploying his right hand man. Gene always imagined Chas as Spikings's batman. Spikings dressed up as a general and Chas in breeches and cap holding the door of an old fashioned motor car for his leader, then at night Chas polishing Spikings's boots.

"Alright, if that's the way you want to play it." Spikings huffed.

"Errrr...who's Leroy?" asked a confused Harry.

"I'll explain later, It's rather a long story." Alex smiled

"Ah! I suppose we will have plenty of time to catch up on watch. I will have to check on Dempsey first...make sure he's behaving himself."

"How is Clint Eastwood by the way?" asked Spikings.

"Much better Sir, he's eating for America and Britain."

"Haaaa, just make sure he is behaving himself."

Dempsey was sprawled on his sofa flicking through all four channels on the TV. The channel rested on a hairy man with a huge beard, glasses, wearing brown cords stood in front of a diagram "When the atom splits x =y squared and this is what we get," Hairy man swapped one diagram for another "Nuclear fusion...this is what some scientists believe to be the holy grail of physics. It can be better explained with the formula of x=cy 2".

"Jeeez, you need a shave buddy...and a life." Muttered Dempsey, he clicked the channel again. This time the TV screen was filled with two women wearing flowery pinnys in a mock up kitchen. "And how long should the beef roast in the oven Marjorie?" "Ideally Daphne 3-4 hours on a low heat, but if you are short on time 2 hours on a higher heat should do it, but remember, not too high or you end up with burnt offerings." The two women chuckled.

"Life's too short lady...call up for takeout." Dempsey muttered again. He pressed the channel button in the hope there was something less mind numbing.

A cheesy game show host appeared "Derek, your first question. Who became the president of the United States in 1933?

"Oh errr...uuurmm."

"Roosevelt!" Dempsey stated.

"I have to hurry you Derek." smarmed the game show host.

"Errrrm!"

"It's Roosevelt...turkey!" Barked Dempsey.

"Eisenhower!" "No sorry Derek, that is the wrong answer...you're frozen out of the game."

"Roosevelt! Dumbass!" yelled Dempsey.

He clicked the TV off in disgust and slumped back on the sofa. He drummed his fingers on the arm of the sofa wondering what he could be doing to stave off boredom. He heaved himself up and meandered over to the fridge. He inspected the contents...hardly anything in it other than the remainder of the cheesecake. He made a mental note to do some shopping...after the cheesecake. Not bothering with another plate he settled back down on the sofa and proceeded to plough his way through the rest.

"This is a load of bollocks." grumbled Ray to Chas "Why can't your lot look after the stupid twat?"

"Your Guv wanted me here." replied Chas flatly, arms folded. The two officers were sat on plastic chairs either side of the door to Simon Hughes's hospital room.

"It's not right," Ray shook his head "All this fancy inter-team collaborwatsit...it's all bollocks. We should stick to doing what we do best and you lot stick to doing what you do best."

"I agree, that way you wouldn't have let Barton get shot. He'd still be alive, we would have Chapman in custody and we wouldn't be sat here having this rather dull conversation." Chas grumbled.

Ray frowned at Chas sternly "It wasn't our fault!"

"Wasn't it?" Chas raised an eyebrow.

"No, it wasn't."

"If you say so."

"Yeah I do."

Both men mirrored each other folding their arms and staring ahead willing the time to pass.

"Gonna be a long night babe." Yawned Leroy stretching. "So who's this guy then?"

Shaz handed Leroy a polystyrene cup of coffee.

"Simon Hughes. He got in a spot of bother with Daly. Owes him thousands of pounds." replied Shaz

"What happened to him, I mean he's still in the hospital right?" Leroy put his coffee on the dashboard and opened a packet of crisps.

"He fell off this building in Oxford and hit his head." Leroy offered Shaz a crisp and she took one. "He's a star witness in the Daly trial so we have to protect him and his family."

Leroy shovelled another mouthful of crisps into his mouth and crunched thoughtfully. "So this guy Daly, he's a real bad dude?"

"Yeah, he nearly killed the Guv and the Ma'am...it was Chris who caught him the end." Shaz smiled with a hint of pride, Leroy picked up this.

"Hey you kids are really in love aintcha? That's real sweet." He smiled warmly at her.

Shaz blushed, her cheeks reddened "Chris wants to get married."

Leroy detected a little unease in Shaz's last comment "What about you? You don't seem so sure."

"Well," Shaz thought carefully "I do want to get married, but I want to have a career as well."

Leroy frowned "You can do both. A wedding ring aint gonna stop ya."

"I suppose."

"What do you think you're doing?" Harry demanded as she and Alex watched Dempsey shrugging on his jacket. They had just gone to check on him before going to collect Roly Cavendish to take him to his safe house.

"I'm coming too." beamed Dempsey.

"Oh no you're not." Harry snapped.

"Dempsey don't be silly." Alex pleaded. "You are in no fit state."

"Hey, I just want to come along for the ride, I'm climbing the walls in here. It won't hurt to spend some time with my two favourite girls...would it?"

Harry and Alex faced him wearing unimpressed expressions. Dempsey just wouldn't take no for answer. They had spent half an hour trying to stop Dempsey getting involved in the case.

Harry still fixing Dempsey with her eyes said "Alex could I have a word please...in here?" Harry pointed to Dempsey's bedroom. Dempsey suddenly looked perplexed.

"Certainly." Alex chirped and followed Harry into Dempsey's lair.

"What's going on?" he called out suspiciously as he could hear them talking in hushed tones.

"Dempsey could you come in here please." Harry commanded neutrally, she was stifling a giggle.

Dempsey smirked and obeyed, he couldn't resist seeing the pair of them in his bedroom. He walked into his room to find Harry and Alex standing there with their hands behind their backs.

"A little closer if you please leftenant."

"Eh?" he questioned, but did as he was told.

"Ready?" asked Alex, also trying hard not to laugh. With lightning reactions Harry and Alex pounced on Dempsey, he lost his balance and fell onto the bed. Quick as a flash Harry and Alex grabbed his wrists and clicked on a pair of handcuffs.

"Hey" Waddya think ya doing?" Dempsey loudly protested.

Alex held his wrist near to the head board, while Harry clicked the other half of the cuffs to the metal work. "I warned you Dempsey, if you tried to do anything I would cuff you to your bed." Harry couldn't help, but laugh.

"You crazy? Both of you are nuts! Release me now!" yelled Dempsey pulling against the cuffs.

"It is for your own good." sang Harry "Bed rest and lots of it."

"This ain't funny! Let me go." Dempsey was now furious, his eyes burned with anger as he rattled the metal frame.

"We will let you go after our night's surveillance. Now be a good boy." Said Alex

The girls started to edge towards the door.

"You can't leave me like this! You won't be back till morning!" barked Dempsey with desperation.

"Exactly!" beamed Harry "You'll get plenty of rest.

"Wha, what if I need the bathroom?"

"Ha!" said Harry, she left the room and came back seconds later carrying a bucket "There you go." She grinned at her less than impressed partner placing the bucket by the bed.

"You can't be serious? Harry? Alex? I'll be good...I promise...Harry! Harry! HARRY!" Dempsey yelled after them as the girls left the room. Dempsey stopped shouting when heard the front door slam. Harry and Alex ran down the steps giggling like school girls.

"You're not really going to leave him like that all night?" laughed Alex as she yanked open the car door.

"Naaah!" Harry shook her head "I'll come back in a couple of hours time and rescue him. Just wanted him to learn his lesson"

Alex gave a small smirk to Harry as she Harry started up the engine. "You're a hard women Sergeant Makepeace."

"I know, believe me it's the only way to handle Dempsey."

"Treat them mean, keep them keen?" Alex raised an eyebrow a cheeky smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Harry retorted haughtily.

"Oh yes you do, it's plain for everyone to see." Alex kept on playing.

Harry ignored Alex's comment and busied herself concentrating of the traffic. After a short period of silence Harry glanced over to Alex and noticed the sparkly gem on Alex's finger.

"That's not what I think it is ...is it?

Alex immediately started playing with her ring and said quietly pleased "Yes it is."

"Ahhhh! Congratulations! That's fantastic news." Harry was genuinely happy for her. "Did he propose in New York?"

"Not exactly, he proposed on the plane."

Harry grinned broadly at Alex "I shall expect an invite to the wedding then."

Alex suddenly became serious "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that..."

Harry gave Alex her full attention as they stopped at a set of traffic lights.

"I've asked Shaz to be my bridesmaid; I was wondering whether you'd be my maid of honour?" Alex held her breath, she hadn't known Harry very long, but she didn't have many female friends and Harry seemed like the obvious choice.

Harry looked at Alex sincerely "I would be honoured to." The two women sat there smiling at each other until white van man sounded his horn behind them. Harry put her foot down on the accelerator and continued their journey.

A short chapter, but we are getting there! plz R&R