Disclaimer I do not own anything related to Spooks. No copyright infringement intended. Deacon Blue (amazing band that I absolutely love) have a song of the same name. A/N for those of you that wanted to see what happened to Beth and Dimitri at his parent's. This story follows straight on from A Christmas Tale. As ever all characters from series 2 onwards are fair game. In my stories, Zaf, Zoe, Adam, Ros and Lucas all lived and Malcolm only reduced his hours rather than retired.

Queen of the New Year

"Ruth!" Harry stood in the door way of his office as he yelled for the Intel Analyst to join him in his office. She looked up as Tariq visibly flinched. Sighing she got up and walked towards her husband. Zaf rolled his eyes.

"Someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning" He laughed as Tariq pulled a face. Ruth neither saw nor heard any of it as she walked in to the office.

"Harry" She stood in front of his desk. It had been a quiet few days on the Grid. The combination of snow covered London and a practically non existent transport network along with Christmas had made the terrorists think again. But now things were beginning to get back to normal, the terrorist alert still Orange. Ruth waited for Harry to answer her.

"The Intel you had on the threat to the American Embassy."

"What about it? I thought that was the CIA's problem" Ruth smiled slightly as Harry huffed. The CIA was the bain of his life as far as he was concerned. The new CIA liaison officer was just the next Christine Dale or Sarah Caulfield as far as he was concerned. The exception being that this time the liaison officer was a rather attractive Californian by the name of Steve Morrissey who had taken quite a shine to Ruth. That was the one reason he could see to hate the man. The only consolation was that Ruth had referred to him as smarmy.

"It seems that puts us in the cousin's good graces" He explained.

"That has got to be a good thing surely?" Ruth smiled "I mean we are never their favourite people are we? Perhaps this means we'll get some cooperation for once"

Harry smiled; he knew Ruth would have seen the good in the situation. She usually did. Taking his change in mood as a good thing Ruth sat down. Harry sighed as he realised she was not going to wait until the morning meeting to find out what was bothering him. She waited a second before deciding enough was enough.

"That's not all though is it Harry?"

"No. The cousins seem to think we will have a problem tonight. They arrested three people in Times Square as a direct result of the Intel you found. Seems there was to be a coordinated attack on UK and French mainland. Our French equivalent in Paris has already reacted to the news. It seems we are the last to the party" Harry was clearly angry.

"There was nothing to suggest we were a target. You know I'd have found it if there was" Ruth could feel herself getting angry. She had found the link between the Frenchman that had tried to kill her a few months earlier and the rouge agent at the American Embassy. She knew she hadn't missed anything.

"I know" Harry tried to placate her. He could see she was beginning to get angry with him as much as with the entire situation.

"No, this is new Intel they gained when they interviewed the Frenchman. It means we are all going to have to work tonight. The amount of people heading to London for the celebrations will make it a major target and it's going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack" Harry watched as she nodded.

"What about Cardiff and Edinburgh? They have pretty big celebrations too" Ruth wasn't prepared to miss anything.

"Yes but the Intel from your friend at the Embassy seems to suggest that London is the target." Harry watched as she visibly glared.

"He is not my friend Harry" She watched as he smiled.

"Good" Harry stood and followed her to the door "Smarmy little creep" Ruth smiled as she heard her words from earlier in the week repeated back to her.

The entire team bar Ros were in the Briefing Room as Harry outlined what little information his counterparts in Paris and Washington had divulged. Beth stared at the computer monitor as Zaf and Adam frowned. No one had said a word as Harry had told them of the arrests already made in America and France. Dimitri tried to hide the crushing disappointment that he wouldn't be able to take Beth to meet his parents. He had really enjoyed spending Christmas Day with her and had begun to hope things would change between them.

"That man" Beth pointed at the screen.

"Peter Dennis, 36 married to a stick insect called Anna." Zoe started as all eyes fell on her "I can't work this case if they are involved"

"Care to enlighten us as to why?" Harry stared at her.

"Anna is my ex husband's sister."

"Fine, you are to remain on the Grid" Harry knew the divorce Zoe had gone through and the subsequent custody battle for Emma had made his separation from Jane seem almost friendly. Zoe blushed profusely.

"Dennis isn't your usual terrorist suspect though" Zoe leant forward. "I mean city stockbroker? Doesn't sound like someone you'd consider unstable"

"Which is why I missed it" Ruth was angrier with herself than anyone. "He has links to Pierre Jacques and Lucy Groves. Both of which are currently under arrest and spouting nonsense to the French and American authorities about the world being over populated and how 2011 will see the earth purged of vile humanity"

"No Ruth" Adam joined in "I don't see how you could have missed this. I went through your notes. We had nothing on Dennis. Nothing at all. You didn't miss this, until this morning Ruth there was nothing to miss"

"Exactly" Harry held his wife's gaze.

"So?" Zaf started. "What's the plan?"

"Those of you that have plans for the next 24 hours cancel them" Harry stood as a collective groan filled the room. "The Intel suggests that that any attack that is going to happen will be in the next 24 hours" The assorted spooks stood and left the room as Beth drew closer to Dimitri.

"What are you going to do?" She asked quietly as Dimitri sighed.

"Ring Mum and cancel" He knew there was no way he was going to make it across London for the day when he would be up till all hours working.

"No, just tell her we'll be late" She winked as she saw Tariq raise his eyes in shock. It seemed New Years Eve was going to be more interesting than it had for a long time. Dimitri couldn't help but smile.

A/N again thankyou for all the reviews of A Christmas Tale. I can't believe so many people read it. Please let me know if you think it is worth continuing with Queen of the New Year. Please review.