I actually had a dream about this story, and when I woke up I could still remember it very clearly so I decided to write it down. It's set a few months after 3.5, but is completely AU. The first chapter is only a short introduction.

The phone rings. Five, six, seven times. She's about to hang up when suddenly: "hello?"

"Uh, hello, is this John?"

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"You uh, probably don't remember me. It's Susan, we met a few months ago at that choir event. We sang Mozart's Requiem."

"Of course I remember you Susan. How have you been?" John asks, sounding very cheerful.

"I've been very well thanks," she answers, suddenly feeling a lot calmer and relieved.

"Is there any particular reason why you called me?" John asks. He sounds somewhat hopeful.

"Uh, I uh, hope I'm not being too forward, but would you like to have a drink sometime?" she asks. She hates the fact that she trips over her own words so much. She must sound like a complete idiot to him. She feels like kicking herself.

"Yes, I would like that very much," John answers.

She sighs in relief, before realising that she is actually on the phone to someone. She really hopes that he didn't hear her do that. "Great. How about Friday night? There's this really nice pub called The George near where I work, we could go there."

"That sounds lovely. I will see you there then."

"Looking forward to it."

She gives him directions to the pub, and they decide to meet there at 8.30. After saying goodbye very awkwardly she hangs up, and let's out a big sigh. As far as disastrous phone calls go, this was one of epic proportions. Her heart is beating so fast that it feels as if it is going to burst out of her chest at any moment. But at least she had finally made that first crucial step, something she had been putting off for nearly two weeks now.

Ruth got up, walked into the kitchen and poured herself a generous measure of red wine. She felt that she deserved it.

When she had met John Fortescue for the first and only time a few months back, she thought that he was almost too good to be true. She had adored the time she spent with him that night when they had been walking along Trafalgar Square and just talked, and she had sensed that the feelings were mutual. But unfortunately for them both had been too shy to do anything about it. Not too long after that Zoe had been forced to go into exile, and she had seen first hand how devastating it had been for Danny. He was inconsolable, not just because Zoe had left and that he would never see her again, but because she had left before he had dared to tell her how he really felt.

That fear of ending up the same way as poor Danny gave Ruth the sudden urge to try and prevent that from happening to her. So after weeks of fussing, nervously biting her nails, and dialling the number several times without actually pressing the call button, she had finally plucked up the courage to give him a call. She had been mortified of the prospect of him not remembering who she was, or of him downright turning down her offer of a drink. Luckily for her neither had happened, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, Ruth Evershed would be going on an actual date. She would have to start thinking about what to wear!

Let me know if you think this is worth continuing with. I've got more written down already, so I could post another chapter really soon!