John Rider and Helen Beckett were two of the most infuriating people, Ian decided. They were clearly in love with each other, but were both too oblivious to see that the other felt the same way as them, and neither wanted to take the first step and do anything that might ruin their friendship. So, Ian would just have to take matters into his own hands and arrange things for them.

Ian and Helen had become good friends during the various times that both he and John had been hospitalised following the end of missions, enough that they occasionally met up outside of her work at St Dominic's for coffee, or to go for a walk or to play a match of tennis. So when he suggested a walk in the park one afternoon, she was most agreeable.

John was still convalescing from his most recent injury - a bullet wound and a couple of broken ribs - and a walk in the park would do him good. It had been quite a while since the brothers had had a proper catch up, so he was looking forward to seeing what Ian had been up to in the weeks that had passed.

So when Helen arrived at the bench that she and Ian had arranged to meet at on a gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon, and saw John waiting instead of Ian, she was most surprised. So was he.

"Oh hello, John," Helen greeted cheerfully. "It's good to see that your recovery is going well. How are you?"

"Hello, Helen. Yes, getting there slowly but surely, thank you. How are you?"

"Yes I'm well thank you." They both looked at each other a little awkwardly, in the way that two people who have met unexpectedly do, and neither broke the silence for a few moments.

"I'm actually meeting my brother for a walk. You'd be most welcome to join us, if you would like?" John said eventually.

"Oh?" Helen asked, clearly a little puzzled. "Ian and I also arranged to meet here for a walk."

"Oh," John said, equally puzzled. "He doesn't usually double book himself."

Ian sighed from his position, hidden behind a newspaper on a bench a little way off from his brother and (hopefully, if they ever got their act together) future sister-in-law, seeing that they needed another push in the right direction.

"Oh for goodness sake, just kiss already," he called.

John and Helen both jumped and looked a little sheepish as they realised what was happening.

"Ah. It appears that Ian won't be joining us," John said with an unusually bashful smile, his typical confidence deserting him for once.

"Yes it looks that way, doesn't it?" Helen said, a much more confident smile on her face.

"You aren't upset?" John asked cautiously.

Helen took his hand and looked into his eyes. "No, John. In fact, I'm quite pleased. Ian's great, but he isn't you."

"My sentiments exactly," John murmured, taking her chin in his free hand, and leaning forward.

Seeing that his work was done, Ian made a hasty retreat, folding away his newspaper and giving John and Helen privacy to enjoy their first date. He took one final look around before he left the park, and saw that they were walking, quite slowly on account of John's injuries, hand in hand. Both were beaming from ear to ear as they revelled in the fact that the love they felt for the other was not one-sided.