Disclaimer: Spooks belongs to Kudos and the BBC but I thought they deserved a bit of a break from saving the world...

Thanks to Em for doing battle with the internet and beta'ing this. :)

This is for Em, Kate and Hel ;)


Under the Influence Too

"You're going for a drink with Zaf and Adam?" Ruth looked at Harry as if he'd completely lost the plot.

"Yes. It's not a problem is it?" He started to feel uneasy. He loved Ruth passionately but she could be very unnerving sometimes. "I thought you were going shopping with Jo?"

"Well, yes. I'm going to help her find something for her Aunt's 60th birthday but that's not the point."

"Sorry, I'm not sure what the problem is…"

"It's Zaf and Adam." She spoke slowly, carefully articulating each word. At Harry's blank look she continued in a very irritated tone. "For God's sake! They're a devious pair of sods. They are trying to find out about us."

"Even if they are, I'm not going to tell them anything, am I?"

"You'd better not."

"Anyway, has it crossed your mind that perhaps Jo is trying to get information out of you?"

She ignored the question. "Why are you going out with those two? It's not a special occasion is it?"

"Er, no. It's just a friendly drink."

"Next you'll be telling me you're doing a bit of team building or," she raised an eyebrow, "even worse, male bonding."

Harry smirked at her. "The only member of my team I want to do any bonding with is you."

"Well don't turn up on my doorstep drunk then."

"Ruth-"

"And no flirting with other women."

Harry was indignant. "Since when did I flirt with other women?"

"Ever since you could walk and talk."

-----

They had started in The George but then Zaf had suggested a change of scene. Some debate had ensued as to whether it was better to head towards Pimlico or the West End. The West End won and they were currently ensconced in a trendy bar. Harry's initial complaints that it was about twenty-five years too young for him seemed to have been forgotten now he was being chatted up by a very attractive group of women, none of whom appeared to be over the age of thirty. His colleagues watched in admiration.

"How does he do it, mate?" Zaf's voice was a mixture of jealousy and wonderment.

"He's had a lot of practice." Adam was feeling rather dejected as a glamorous brunette he'd had his eye on draped herself over Harry.

The younger man shook his head disbelievingly. "Another pint?" He held up his empty glass.

"Yes please, mate."

As Zaf waited to be served, he spotted a tall, blonde woman who was trying to catch the barmaid's attention. She turned and smiled at him when she sensed his presence.

"I'm not entirely sure what you have to do to get a drink in this place."

He smiled sympathetically at her and moved closer. "Yes, it can be a bit of a problem."

As if to emphasise the point, the barmaid promptly asked Zaf what he wanted.

"Excuse me, I-"

"It's OK; let me get this." He shot the blonde his most dazzling smile, which seemed to calm her down.

-----

Harry was enjoying himself. He'd been stung by Ruth's accusation that he was an inveterate flirt but he wasn't going to let it stop him talking to the assorted females who now surrounded him. After all, he reasoned, it wasn't his fault that Zaf and Adam were staying on the sidelines. His attention was momentarily drawn to the bar and Zaf's absence from the immediate vicinity was now explained; he was laughing and chatting with a Jo look-alike.

"So, what do you do then, John?" The brunette, who had introduced herself as Amanda, was leaning into Harry as she spoke.

"I work in banking; it's very boring."

"Really? I thought all your financial types were supposed to be dynamic and thrusting."

The emphasis she put on the word 'thrusting' and the ample cleavage on display inches from his face started alarm bells ringing. Harry knew he was about to get into trouble; serious trouble. Her right hand had apparently developed a life of its own and her fingers were walking up his leg. He flinched slightly as her nails scraped over his inner thigh, getting dangerously close to his crotch. She clearly wanted to massage more than his ego.

"Can I get you another drink?" He stood up abruptly and was forced to grab Amanda's arms to stop her falling from the arm of the sofa where she'd been perched.

"Ooo, don't you have lovely strong hands," she cooed. "Lovely big, strong hands." She winked at him. "You know what they say about men with big hands."

"They have a terrible job finding gloves that fit." Adam smiled sweetly at her as he worked his way into the group of women with Harry.

Amanda giggled and turned her attention to the newcomer. "Well, there is that too." She openly appraised the blonde and obviously liked what she saw. "What about you? Have you got big ones?"

"What do you think?" Adam held out his left hand for inspection.

"Hmm, very nice." She stroked his fingers suggestively and licked her lips.

Harry took advantage of the arrival of his colleague, extracted himself from the group and moved towards the bar. He smiled at the woman Zaf was talking to and was rewarded with an interested look.

"Shall we sit down, Susie?" Zaf took the arm of the blonde and guided her towards a newly vacated table, shooting his boss a triumphant look over his shoulder.

Harry laughed to himself and shook his head. He should probably feel flattered that the two younger men seemed to view him as something of a threat but he found it quite amusing. He briefly thought about telling Ruth what had happened but then decided that would mean revealing more about the evening's events then would be good for his health.

Just as he took his change from the barmaid, raised voices behind him made him turn round. A tall man wearing an expensive looking suit and an angry expression was arguing with Adam. As far as he could tell, the subject of the disagreement seemed to be Amanda. Harry cursed under his breath. He'd have to intervene in case things escalated.

"What the hell do you think you are doing with my wife?" Mr Angry prodded Adam in the chest.

"I think it's more a question of what your wife thinks she's doing with me."

"Is everything alright?" Harry cut into the conversation.

"What has it got to do with you?"

"Why don't you calm down and we can discuss this like reasonable-"

"Why don't you piss off and mind your own business?!" Amanda's husband had his face millimetres from Harry's.

The sound of shouting finally drew Zaf's attention away from his companion. Apologising to her, he started to make his way towards his colleagues. His progress came to an abrupt halt when he collided with a rather thuggish looking man carrying two pints of lager. The drinks hit the floor, splashing both men.

"You stupid git!"

"It wasn't my fault, mate." Zaf was shaking his foot, trying to stop the beer running into his shoe. Without warning, he was grabbed by the shoulders and slammed against the wall.

"It was your fault, you moron."

Winded, but angry, Zaf retorted, "You really don't want to start anything."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do then?"

The reply was a sharp, upward jerk of a knee. His assailant gasped and doubled over. Unfortunately, he still had enough of his wits about him to stop Zaf making his escape by grabbing at his arm and pulling hard. They ended up in a heap on the floor, limbs flailing.

Meanwhile, Harry and Adam were squaring up to Amanda's husband who, in fit of bravado, had decided that he could take on both of them. The insults were getting more colourful and the pushing and shoving more aggressive, all of the participants no doubt spurred on by the consumption of an unhealthy amount of alcohol. Amanda had also joined in but made things worse by initially backing Adam and then deciding her allegiance was indeed to her husband.

Punches were thrown, shirts grabbed and ripped, and drinks spilt. Into the melee arrived several police officers. As the various factions were prised apart, the accusations began. A female PC had to shout to make herself heard.

"I need you all to calm down and be quiet."

There was a brief moment of respite before the noise started again.

"I said, be quiet!" This time they obeyed.

Harry, somewhat sobered by the arrival of the police, decided that this no-nonsense officer was clearly a woman after his own heart.

"Excuse me, PC?"

"You'll get a chance to tell your side of the story at the station."

"At the station? Surely you're not going to arrest us?" Harry gestured between him and Adam. "We didn't start it."

"I don't care who started it, you're all under arrest.


Please send me a review and I'll finish part 2 :)