Date started: 17.04.07 completed: 21.04.07

Persistent

As per usual they barged into his office, before he had a second to bark at them for their persistent insolence, they had flung down on his desk another sheet of paper and started talking.

"Another arrived just now, I can't understand it, I think it's written in a mix of, what looks like Arabic and, err –

"-Greek" Ros commented.

"I've never seen any document coded like his before, excluding the other faxes, Kasha doesn't understand it, well she understands the Greek, but the Arabic is old, someone very smart must have written these.

"Someone smart enough to know the code to our internal faxing system?" Malcolm slammed the door behind him as he scurried in towards the "brotherhood". "They have not hacked into the system, the correct passwords and procedure was there, somebody has worked it out or we have … a, err, mole. Malcolm's voices softened as he came to a conclusion for fear of bringing up bad memories. Ros looked around and gave him a knowing look, she was still quite new to this but she was still very good. Adam stiffed at the words and Harry looked un- nerved as always.

"Ruth. Ruth would know if she was still... with us." He could not bring himself to say the word dead as if he was trying to protect his heart from the outside truths. She was dead, technically. His voice was low and penetrating as usual but if you looked close the edges of his mouth tightened and there was a soft glint in the corner of his eye. But of course none of the other spooks could notice this because they had not looked him in the eye since Ruth's' "departure" as if it was their entire fault, which mainly it was. If they had not wanted evidence to base their rumours on then they wouldn't have placed a tracker in Ruth's coat and maybe, just maybe she would still be here, bring a glimmer of hope to the team in the worst predicaments and maybe Harry's life would still be worth living. Referring to Ruth in the past tense had taken up the 2 years since she left to get used to.

"Yeah, well she's not here, so, err, are you any good at old Arabic? Ros had decided to break the looming silence with a question towards their boss.

"Yes, give it here" Harry growled in the direction of her.

I took the team a total of 3 and half hours to decipher this code, which was one of the cleverest Harry had ever seen "this person must be incredibly intelligent" thought Harry as he sat at his desk which was still angled slightly in the direction of the new intelligent analysis's desk, Kasha. She would sit there and sneak glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking and e would sneak them back, taking in all her exquisiteness under the lamp – light. Oh how he missed those moments. His train of thoughts were interrupted when an ecstatic Malcolm burst proudly into his office clutching a piece of paper to his chest protectively.

"Come in" muttered Harry sarcastically

"I have located the whereabouts of the person that is faxing these emails to us!" Malcolm pompously announced to his one-man audience. Harry reached across to Malcolm and tore the piece of paper from his fatherly protective grip. He read it thoroughly but also quickly.

"Greece, Athens? Well that explains the Greek"

"But what about the Arabic text?"

"Whoever is sending these must just want to show off their intelligence, a personal trait. Why? Why is this person sending this information? Why are they telling us all these secrets and the activities of the bombers in Athens? Why the hell are they putting their head and all their families' heads on the block by telling us when and where a bomb may go off in our own cities? The questions spun of Harry's tongue as, if on cue, Adam strolled into his office.

"Whoever it is, I don't really care who, is sending these to tempt us into flying over and meting them, so what do we do? Adam enquired.

"We fly over. Simple. We give them what they want. It's the unexpected, nock them off and give us the vantage point. But remember here this could be a perfectly innocent person wanting to do right by humanity –

"-Oh look, their goes a pig!" Zaf exclaimed. He had entered the room quietly a few minutes ago un-noticed and made Malcolm jump slightly as he passed his sarcastic comment.

"Thank you Mr Younis .But as I was saying they could be innocent or, most likely they want something from us. So Adam", he spun in his chair to face the blond, young man, "I want you to get the team ready for a briefing in half an hour.

After an age of a briefing (they never had one that long) Harry had ordered Zaf and Adam to pack a bag and be ready at the grid at 5am tomorrow because they were on the first flight, with their boss, to Athens the next morning.

Chapter 2

Stumbling through the door after another night on whiskey, Harry tripped over Ruth's cats and cut his knuckles on the mantle piece. Ruth was always his fault and now her cats were taking her place. "She was a beautiful fault though" He thought peacefully to himself as he fed her cats and let his dog out. He hauled himself upstairs and into his bed without changing into his nightwear.

"Ill pack tomorrow morning" He mumbled as if someone had asked him. Oh he wished. As soon as his head had hit the pillow, he was flooded with the similar beautiful angel that stalked his dreams of a night time and his day dreams during the little time he had to think if positive. They were as much nightmares as they were dreams as he knew that he could never see his angel again, however he was anguished into seeing her every night knowing full well that he couldn't have her.

Now that can't be fair. But when has anything been fair. Especially in his line of work, the inevitable happed. His angel gave up everything for him but with it he took the only thing he wanted to keep, her.

Packing. He hated packing. However it had to be done, in 48 minutes he had to be at the grid, so he flung in a couple of shirts and a few pairs of socks. Oh at that other suit. Simple. However he felt as if he was missing something. Passing that thought, he straightened his tie and walked out of his house. The car was ready and waiting, as usual everything in his life was dull and in order. She made things different, she was alive. Everyone else was dead in their souls, quite obligatory if you are a spook but still, she was special.

6 hours later they stepped off their confined plane into Athens. Their flight had taken just over 3 and a half hours (not that Harry was counting) and Harry gathered the team for a briefing.

They spent three whole days uncovering nothing. 3 days of tired, agonisingly hot research and surveillance on suspects that lead to nothing. Their only link was the informant that remained a secret, a whisper among the suspects. They had realised hat they had a leak and they were about to find out, and deal with, that person. This was the lead that Harry, Adam and Zaf had wanted, they were going to get together and discuss things that they needed to know, and there was only one person who had the knowledge to listen into those forbidden conversations….

"Malcolm, get yourself, Jo and Ros over here now, you're needed!" Harry bellowed down a secure line to Themes House. Adam and met them at the airport only 9 hours later.

"What have you got for me Malcolm?" asked Adam expectantly

"Well I've managed to track down a close range of where the last2 faxes were sent from, quite interesting really, its only few miles from here, in a little town called Pangrati – it's a cute little town, very friendly people, I've been –

"- Thank you Malcolm" Ros interrupted. A flicker of rejection played across Malcolm face at this interruption. However much Ros would love to hear about Malcolm's life and listen to those soft, polite tones that he spoke in she had to keep up her "ice-queen" reputation at work. Besides, getting into a relationship with a colleague in this line of work was foolish; look at the examples that she had in front of her – Adam and Fiona, Ruth and Harry, love in this job couldn't exist and should be terminated at the moment it starts.

The team, Ros, Malcolm, Harry, Zaf, Jo, Adam and of course Harry, all book themselves into the same hotel as the suspects they were tailing and set off into their rooms. Ros unpacked everything as soon as she entered her room. Zaf and Adam went and memorized the hotel floor plan, Jo went shopping because she "needed to get a rough idea of the area" and Malcolm took a nap, dreaming that his angel would cross the corridor and knock on the door. Harry, as usual, sat in the bar and drank whiskey. There was nothing for him not to get drunk for now, she had left him. If she had been here he would not have drunk, he knew it would imbecilic of him to drink on an operation but it didn't matter anymore, he was only here because it was her

last request, what she gave up everything for. Eventually they all slid off to bed, wanting to get a few hours kip before the morning's briefing.

There was a knocking on the door at about 5 am and, as soon as Harry had finished his shower, he went to check it out. It was Adam who obviously hadn't been to sleep at all.

"I see that my officers are keeping to instructions and having plenty of rest!" Harry sarcastically remarked.

"How's the whiskey Harry?" Adam replied with hidden meaning and both the men stopped trying to gain points of each other. Harry knew that Adam wasn't sleeping well since Fiona's death and Adam knew that Harry's whiskey intake had increased since Ruth's… departure.

"Malcolm's got some important information for you Harry" As if on cue, Malcolm entered the room, "He has discovered that the person sending us the warnings and information on the terror suspects is in this hotel at the moment!

"How did you find this out Malcolm?" inquired Harry.

"Another email and I traced the source." Malcolm hadn't him a piece of paper:

Whoever this my concern,

Terror plot on British Citizens abroad, all involved:

Hasmik Akar

Nos Balkik

Handria Balik

Kiska Soron

Mirk Kishme

Dylashka Bolectostrok

Terror plot to blow up hotels with bombs in Athens. Commencing. 12.05.2009

From fairest creatures we desire increase,.

That thereby beauty's rose might never die,.

But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory:
But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel:
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,

And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding:.

Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.

"Oh God! That's today!" Harry shoved the paper into Malcolm's hand and barked orders to his staff that had only just been woken. Zaf quite enjoyed the site of Ros and

Jo wondering dreamily out of their shared room, Jo in a pink nightie and Ros in electric blue pyjamas – that woke Malcolm up completely.

"If the informant must be in this hotel, they could be in mortal danger at the moment" Harry thought. "We have got to find them; if they die we have nothing". Moments after he had thought this he let it spill out his mouth to Jo and Malcolm and told her to find out what room, and what, their suspects were doing at this precise moment. He told Malcolm to do the same and to find out who this informer was and where they were now.

They both rushed back within half an hour.

"Well?" Harry requested the information that he had asked for.

"We were unable to find out what this informer looks like, but we do know where they are." At the end of this sentence a grave look played across Malcolm's face." They are in the same room as our terrorists and they are talking about the attack, the informer is one of them, obvious playing us, they are going to blow up this hotel, today, and that's why they lured us here."

Chapter 3

Adam was lined up against the wall inside the hotel lobby. Two men wearing balaclavas and carrying hand guns were patrolling them. This had all started a few hours ago, when the information they had received had been too late. There were bombs laid out on the floor ready for detonation. Harry, Zaf and Jo had run and hid, trying to work out what to do and Malcolm had been taken prisoner with Ros. If MI5 didn't back off, they would be killed first on live TV.

Malcolm's face was an ocean of calm, this was only for Ros who was starting to panic; she had been alright up till now but they had just bought in a machete and it had fresh blood stains on it. They had been forced to sit on the floor on the middle of the room facing each other. They were tied up with their hands in front of them and their ankle tied together, there was no where to escape to and no way how. A Greek man started to talk:

"We have tow MI5 agents at our mercy; they will die if you don't not give us £3,000,000 English money, new identities and press no charges. If you let them die, we will kill everybody in this hotel and then the next hotel and then the next until you meet our demands." At this he walked over to Ros with his machete and swiped down, Ros winced and Malcolm cried no! But it was only a part of her hair that was taken from him. Thankfully not her head." You have 12 hours" the man concluded showing them her hair. Ros started to cry softly. This was the first emotion he had ever seen show, he reached over and, with his thumb, gently stroked her hand. He did not know what possessed him to do it, make a move he had so long wanted to, but she lifted her head up and met his eyes. There was something there this time instead of a brick wall.

Harry, Zaf and Jo had located the room in which the detonators were and the main operators for this act of evil. They, ever so carefully, made their way towards the

room, Zaf and Jo climbed into the air vents and silently crawled toward the opening of their room. Harry, taking the direct approach, knocked on the door.

She had no idea why she was in on this, the natural instinct in her told her to take the opportunity and to find out what was going to happen, and the good person in her told her to give the information to those who needed it. Hasmik had been the weak one, so she got though pillow talk with him. She did feel guilty about ratting on her lover, but he was a terrorist and deserved to be punished. There was a knock on the door, and them being to sexist males they were, ordered her to open it, bring the person to them and they would kill them. As she approached the door she had a bad feeling about it, as if something was wrong, something hidden had risen. She opened the door cautiously, gun tight in her had, and froze.

He tuned around when he heard foot steps approaching the door and when it opened he froze. What was she doing in this room? He wanted to hold her and the he spotted the gun in her right hand, ready to shoot.

No .No .No. The colour left her face and the gun fell to the floor with a ringing sound. A voice called out for her but se did not reply.

It all happened in slow motion. Zaf and Jo, took the opportunity that had unfolded in front of them and took the terrorists by surprise and had them up against the wall until back up arrived. Jo unplugged the detonators and threw them to the other side of the room. Back up, on Zaf's signal, pushed past the figures standing in the doorway and arrested them.

Harry stood starring at her. "Why was he angel in a room full of terrorists with a gun?" he thought.

"I didn't, I'm not involved, don't believe them Harry!" She screamed as she was taken out of the room by local police. He was still staring into those eyes, now with fear and anger clouding the beautiful shades of blue and grey swirls.

"Ruth" He breathed solemnly.

Chapter 4

After MI5 had gained control of the situation, within 2 hours all the hostages had been freed, and the terrorists restrained. Ros had hurriedly rushed toward the ladies to wipe away any evidence she might have feelings after all. Malcolm had watched her go, only half an hour ago they had been holding hands thinking they were about to die. When she emerged they all gathered round to discuss what had happened in the room that Zaf, Jo and Harry had overcome. Their faces fell when they saw a ghost.

"Get your hands of her" Harry baked towards the man who was restraining his (supposed) fallen angel. Harry marched towards her and dragged her into the next unoccupied room without a word of protest from her.

"Thank you Harry, I knew you would believe me" whispered Ruth with teary eyes. She ran to him and embraced him. He did not hold her back so she backed off, blushing.

You stupid woman, he's probably met someone else and you just fling your arms around him like he is yours. You stupid woman, acting without thinking again, its him, he makes you do things without thinking, you see what he does to you Ruth, he gets under your skin.

How long had he wanted to feel her arms around him? How long had he wished to hold her? Too long. But this wasn't how it was meant to be, how he had always pictured it. In his hopes and dreams she was not under arrest and had come to the door with a gun.

"You, you, do believe me don't you, Harry? Ruth's voice was trembling.

"You were in a room full of terror suspects and came to the door with a gun, and I presume you were meant to shoot whoever it was" Ruth, now crying, looked into his eyes. "But yes, I do believe you." Ruth took an uneasy step towards him; he was close to her, more than friendship distance, but still to far away for anything else.

"Why did you drag me in here instead of saying it outside?" She asked

"You don't exist anymore; the place will be swarming with MI5 and MI6 agents who could identify you at any moment. You could get us into serious trouble" From his tone of voice Ruth could tell that he wasn't worried about getting into trouble and she liked it.

"Please forgive me for asking such a stupid question, but, why were you in a room full of terrorists acting like a terrorist?" He forced a slight hint of sarcasm into his voice that only someone as clever as her could pick up on.

"What do you man to say that you haven't figured it out yet Harry?" she said mirroring his tone of sarcasm with her own and some forced disappointment. He smiled." Where do you think you got all your information from? From fairest creatures we desire increase,.

That thereby beauty's rose might never die,.

But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory:
But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes-"She started quoting and he, after figuring out which Shakespeare sonnet it was began to join in.

" – Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel:
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,

And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding:.

Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.

As they said their lines their bodies had acted against them and drew closer together, they were almost touching now. He could feel the electricity between them as always. His hand raised towards her

face and fell upon her cheek. It stayed there fitting so well as his mouth opened to speak.

"Ruth –"He was cut off before he could say anything by the door opening and a suddenly –very- pleased- for- himself Zaf entering the scene set before him. He said something about flights and London but neither of them were listening. Sighing, Harry dropped his hand from Ruth's crimson cheek and walked out of the room.

The flight home was uncomfortable one. They had (just) managed to sneak Ruth back into the country and she returned on the same flight as them, sitting next to Harry and Zaf. Zaf was in a hushed conversation with Jo and Adam behind him, and when he turned around he smiled and counted the £60 he had just gained from the scene he witnessed earlier. Ros and Malcolm were sitting together, their knees touching ever so slightly and in deep conversation. Jo observed that Ros was wearing more make up than usual and was wearing, for what Jo thought was the first time since coming to this job, eye shadow. Jo only saw this when Ros battered her eye lashes at the please Malcolm next to her. It was ever so subtle, but it was defiantly flirting.

She sneaked a small look at the figure next to her. He had not changed at all. There were still soft honey tones in his eyes and his receding hairline had stayed put, for now. When he turned to look at her, her eyes involuntary returned to her book.

She was still so beautiful. Still his Ruth. He knew when someone was looking at him;it was part of his training. And he could resist looking at her whilst he knew her eyes were on him. Her eyes were so interesting and her pale skin so soft to his eyes. He smiled as he recognised her sent –gentle vanilla.

When in London, that evening, he let them all go home for some rest. He turned towards where Ruth was standing to find her gone. His heart sank. He had been stupid to think that she could still love him. He had to find her. He went home, showered and changed, fed the cats and his dog and then set on his venture to find her.

At first he went to the Gird. She was not there. He wondered along to embankment and rejoiced at the memories of him and her. He caught the bus to Malcolm's and knocked on the door. When Malcolm came to the door, his suit was no perfect any more, he had, of course not literally, let his hair down. His shirt was un-tucked and his tie loose. Harry had always thought Malcolm as one whose appearance never differed from perfection.

"Is Ruth there?" Harry asked

"Erm, no" Malcolm bashfully replied hoping the ground would open up and swallow him when Harry noticed a pair of size 6 red shoes in the hall and raised and eyebrow. Ros stumbled out from behind the kitchen door with a glass of wine in her hand. Seeing Harry she gave him an icy look as if to dare him to make a remark.

"We are just, err, having dinner." Malcolm commented.

"I'm sorry to disturb you; I know you will enjoy the rest of your evening, goodnight." Harry walked back down the steps of Malcolm's front garden and it suddenly dawned on him where Ruth would be. He made his way there in an instant and found her, as he guessed, out side her house, just staring at it.

"You'll catch your death out her dressed like that" he whispered into her ear after watching her for a few moments. She spun around suddenly and her face was so close to his she stepped back shivering.

"I am dead though so no need to worry" She shivered again and he took off his coat and placed it around her shoulders, his hands brushing ever so lightly down her arms and making her heart flutter. "Ever the gentleman you are Harry." Her thought slipped out of her mouth and she looked at the floor blushing. He looked at her and his right hand brought her lips to his for a lingering kiss.

"I try my best" He said pulling away slightly, only for her to close the gap and kiss him. He kissed back harder letting all his emotions out. A few minutes later they he pulled away.

"I never did quite catch your name I am afraid." Harry playfully asked

"Do you normally go around kissing girls without knowing their names?

"Only the most amazingly beautiful, intelligent ones."

She smiled at the implied compliment "Raquel Emore" She did not like her new name, it sounded French and posh, something's she was not. She was bought up right though.

"Well then, Raquel, will you marry me?" Ruth smiled slightly, she had always wanted to be settled.

"Could you ask me again with my real name please sir?" The way he said her name made her heart and soul melt. He smiled and did what she asked but different this time. He got down on one knee, quite regrettably at his age.

"Ruth Evershed" She closed her eyes when h said her name, "Will you do make me the happiest man on earth and do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?" Tears were falling thick and fast from her eyes, tears of love, happiness, regret and hope. She responded by pulling him to his feet and kissing him passionately.

"I Love you Harry – "Ruth began

"- I love you Ruth" Harry interrupted fearing the worst.

"If you would let me finish my sentence please" Ruth smiled "I love you Harry Pierce and yes, yes I will marry you!" The love-up couple kissed and kissed for ages on the street, tearing rolling softly off their cheeks, not caring who saw or how cold it was. They had found warmth, companionship and love.