Hello again. This is a story I have been thinking of putting up for a while but wasn't really sure where to go with it. I have a little more idea now so decided to post and see what the response is.
It's is set about four years after Ruth went into exile and is written with the idea that Harry and Ruth slept together at Havensworth (a possible M rated prequil at some point if anyone is interested?)
Chapter One
"Mummy! Mummy, look! Look what I did!"
Ruth beamed with pride as Fiona flew out of the door and bounded across the nursery playground towards her. Enveloping her close Ruth scooped her up and rested her small body on her hip while reaching for the certificate she was waving wildly in her little fist.
"Wow! Fi, this is brilliant!"
Fiona smiled a triumphant smile that still occasionally brought a lump to her Mother's throat. "I know Mummy. I've read all the books at nursery now. That's because I'm so clever isn't it Mummy? And…"
Ruth stopped her daughter suddenly, as she found an angry red mark beginning to ebb on her delicate forehead. "Fiona, what happened? Have you hurt yourself?"
Fiona's large brown eyes found her Mother's and she blinked, seemingly unaware of the injury. Then a realisation washed over her and she grinned triumphantly, again causing Ruth's aching heart to murmur. "Timmy said that his Daddy was the best Daddy in the world because he drives a big, yellow truck, and I told him that my Daddy was the best Daddy in the universe because he is a real life super hero who saves the world, his Daddy and his big yellow truck from the bad people. Then he said I was telling fibs and I wasn't and he threw his shoe at me so I hit him in the nose and it bleeded." She grinned broader as she recalled her small victory, her eyes sparkling with a twinkle that Ruth recognised only too well.
Placing her gently back onto the ground, Ruth crouched down close to her little girl. "Fiona Harriet Pearce, what have I told you about hitting people?"
"Not to do it."
"Right. So why did you hit Timmy?"
"Because he threw a shoe at me."
"If he threw a shoe at you, you should have told the teacher not hit him back."
Fiona seemed to be processing this piece of advice silently for a moment. Then she asked "If somebody threw a shoe at Daddy is that what he would do? Would he tell the teacher?"
Ruth almost laughed as she recalled many rash and inappropriate decisions she had once watched Harry make. Her aching heart was unsure if it should be balmed or broken by yet another trait their daughter seemed to have inherited from her absent father.
Gently stroking the mark on her forehead, Ruth spoke quietly. "Fi, your Daddy is a very brave man. He sometimes does get shoes thrown at him and sometimes he gets hurt by them. But he would never hurt anybody he doesn't have to. He would always think of a different way to solve his problems and I'm sure that's what he would want his clever little girl to do too."
She smiled as Fiona cocked her head to one side and finally seemed to soften at her mother's words. Reaching forward she clasped her small hands around her Mother's neck and hugged her tight. "Okay Mummy. I'll try and be just like Daddy is. I'll find different ways too."
Hugging her back, Ruth picked her up once more and made her way out of the playground.
Half way up the road to their house Fiona asked her Mother, "Mummy? Daddy really is a super hero isn't he? I mean, he really does save the world?"
Stopping, so she could look into her daughter's eyes, Ruth spoke with a reassuring honesty, "Your Daddy is the best super hero the world has ever had. Everyday he works in a special underground cave where he watches all the bad guys and stops them all doing really bad things and…"
"…and he saved Mummy and me from all the bad guys too!" Fiona smiled recalling the familiar story.
"Yes," Ruth smiled too. "Yes, he saved us from them too."
Continuing up the hill, Fiona spoke again, asking the ever-frequent question that Ruth had come to dread. "Mummy, if Daddy's so clever and the bestest super hero ever, why can't he come and see me?"
Harry opened his eyes slowly and painfully looked about his dank surroundings. A sharp intake of breath told him he had numerous broken ribs and painful jolts and nips cruelly reminded him of his previous beatings.
"Sweet dreams, Harry?"
Wearily Harry raised his head to face the smug and mocking jibes. "I feel it's about time we made some progress, don't you agree?"
"The day I agree with you Mani will be the same day hell freezes over" snarled Harry.
"Oh really?" Mani grinned, causing a wash of discomfort and worry to flood through Harry. Leaning forward, Mani continued in a menacingly low voice. "You see, I think I know something we will agree on." With a hollow laugh Mani thrust a crumpled photograph onto the table in front of Harry.
As Harry's eyes came to rest on the photograph, he blood ran cold. He swallowed his dread as best he could and turned a determined glare on his capturer.
"She's dead" he spat. "I identified her body myself."
Harry felt a frosty dread spread through his whole body as Mani lent uncomfortably close to him and whispered "Now Harry. We both know that's not true! And I think we'd both agree that it would be a real shame to have to drag her back into your deceitful little world."
With that he turned on his heel and left he room, leaving Harry alone with the picture of Ruth. Staring into her smiling face, a sob escaped him. "Oh God, Ruth. What have I done?"
Hope you enjoyed Also, sorry if it seems I am stealing H/R child's name but I thought it would bode well that Ruth would want to name their child something personal to Harry, especially as he isn't around- so chose his Mother's name. Please leave a review and let me know if worth continuing…