Stormy Weather, Part of Deadfairies Secrets of the Lab Challenge

So in my defence, I have been having a costume drama (Jane Austen) marathon of all the things I recorded at Christmas to watch while I'm still home alone, which I'm sure has skewed my judgement somewhat. My four year old has discovered an ABBA cd in the car but will only listen to 'Mamma Mia' and 'Does your mother know', the school run is 20 minutes each way, enough said and I also watched Darcey Bussell dances Hollywood. Darcey dances beautifully of course, technically correct but she just didn't have the magic of Fred Astaire who always makes it look so effortless and as if anyone could just join in and lo a fanfic was born.

A Homage to Jane Austen, Mamma Mia, Fred Astaire and Irving Berlin. For everyone not quite as sad as me, it might be handy to have YouTube around just so you can see what I'm on about later.

I hesitate to put the disclaimer on, not sure the BBC would totally recognise them, but all Silent Witness characters belong to the BBC. If you're in the mood for some silliness enter in, I listened to a sermon on 'Joy' the other week at church, and thought maybe I've been a bit mean to you all, so I offer you this to hopefully bring you joy and to give you a laugh. As always your thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

Stormy Weather

"Come on!" urged Leo there must be something here we're not seeing.

"Well according to my PM evidence the time of death had to have been between 1am and 5am," Harry insisted.

"But the crime scene does not support that theory at all," Nikki interjected.

"My post mortem is not a THEORY," Harry declared.

"All right, settle down you two; is there a possibility that what we have investigated is not actually the crime scene for this body?" Leo asked.

"Her DNA was all over the sheets," Nikki added.

"But that doesn't necessarily make it the crime scene. What about blood evidence? Is all the blood at the scene hers?"

"We've sent so many samples off to be analysed, the first one's back all match the victim, but we haven't had them all back yet," Harry said and then shook his head; he leant his head to his left and looked closely at the photo's displayed on the white light board. "Do you think there is enough blood here?"

There was a low rumble from somewhere far in the distance.

"Just on the off chance that some of the samples that come back aren't hers?" He looked across to Nikki for confirmation.

"How did the body look?" Nikki asked. "Did it show any signs of extreme exsanguination?"

"Not at first glance," Harry picked up his report and flicked through the pages. "All the organs weighed within normal limits, but… they were all on the low end of the normal distribution, especially if you consider her size. You might be on to something there. It could be… "

"So we could be looking for another crime scene?" Leo suggested.

"Or another body?" Nikki asked flicking the pen she was holding against her knuckles.

There was another rumble.

"Who wants to tell DI Williams?" Harry asked.

"It's your case, Harry," Nikki said quickly, and turned to leave; "besides it's nearly eight and I'm going out tonight."

"Somewhere nice?" Harry asked.

"Dancing," she replied.

"Dancing? Or clubbing?" Harry asked stifling a laugh.

Nikki didn't answer him but walked off in the direction of the office.

"I spoke to DI Williams earlier, I'll ring him Harry, you go home for the night," Leo said kindly, "it is Friday after all." They followed Nikki towards the office letting the doors whoosh shut behind them. "You've not got a date then?" Leo asked.

"The chance would be a fine thing," Harry muttered staring at Nikki's retreating form.

"You never know," Leo said cryptically.

Harry shot him a murderous look, but the third rumble of thunder was so loud it masked anything he might have had to say.

"About time too," Leo said as he heard the sound of the rain lashing the windows in the strong wind. London had been sweltering for weeks, the hot humid airless heat of the summer that made riding the tube hotter than a Swedish sauna. "It's about time the weather broke," he said with a sigh, my lawn was looking dreadful.

"I like the heat," Nikki replied. "It reminds me of Africa,"

"Humph," mumbled Harry, in many ways he didn't much care to be reminded of Africa. Not that he couldn't see its attraction of course; it was incredibly beautiful. But he never had that longing to be back there, that enchantment that some people got after having visited. Not like Nikki did.

They all blinked as the lightening suddenly flashed, lighting up the darkened offices and Harry's words were again drowned out again by the sudden clap of thunder.

"I hear thunder, I hear thunder," sang Leo when the thunder finished.

Nikki took over and sang the second line:

"Hark don't you? hark don't you?"

They both stared at Harry, "your turn!"

Harry stared back, but there was no getting round it.

"Pitter patter raindrops," he said sullenly.

"Oh Harry really!" Nikki said exasperated. "You are such a spoil sport sometimes."

"Pitter, patter raindrops, pitter patter raindrops.

I'm wet through, so are you." Nikki and Leo sang together.

The lightning flashed brightly across the offices a second time but this time, when the noise of the thunder diminished there was a strange electrical buzzing noise and then all the lights went out.

"Don't worry; the University has a back-up generator," Leo assured them, as they found themselves plunged into darkness.

And a few moments later the security lights outside flashed back on again, but the offices were still utterly black.

"Oh," said Leo.

I hear thunder: traditional nursery rhyme