Title: An Enlightening Encounter
Fandom: Spooks
Rating: T
Genre: Friendship/Romance
Warnings: None
Characters: Jo Portman, Ruth Evershed, Harry Pearce
Summary: Set post 5x05. Jo takes a holiday to Cyprus to visit her cousin. Whilst she is there she makes some enlightening discoveries. Eventual H/R
Disclaimer: I don't own Spooks or any of the characters you may recognise. They all belong to Kudos/BBC. Sophia is my creation though. :)
A/N 1: I'm probably taking a couple of liberties here; mainly that Ruth left Britain in March 2006 (based on the fact that it looked quite cold in that dockside scene!). Any others will become clear as the story progresses. Basically this is AU from 5x05 so I may, theoretically, disregard anything from after that episode.
A/N 2: This is an unbeta'd first draft, so apologies if it is lacking in something. I really wanted to get it up today in honour of Harri83's birthday. She's my usual beta and a fantastic author in her own right (if you like Ashes to Ashes, you should definitely check out her stuff!). Anyway - Happy Birthday Harri! Enjoy.
Chapter 1
Thursday 27th Aug 2009
Jo rapped lightly on Harry's office door before opening it; no-one could get away without knocking, not anymore. There had only been one person who ever could but Jo banished that thought to the back of her mind, entered and sat down in front of his desk.
"Yes?" he asked, irritated at being disturbed.
"I was wondering if I could take some leave? Starting next Wednesday." Jo was hesitant in asking; Harry's moods could be unpredictable and the tone of his voice suggested he was not at his best today. Personally, Jo didn't think he'd once been at his best since Ruth's death three and half years ago, but she was sensible enough not to voice her opinion.
"A bit short notice isn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose so. My cousin Ben lives abroad you see. Cyprus. And he's invited me to spend my birthday over there."
"I see. How long do you envisage being away?"
"Two weeks."
"Have you filled in the appropriate forms?" Jo handed him the paperwork she'd completed. Harry cast his eye over them. "And your cousin has been vetted?"
"Yes, before I took up my position here."
"Well you're entitled to your leave and there are no major state visits in the offing during the next few weeks so I suppose I can grant your request." He signed the form and handed it back to her.
"Thank you Harry," she said, rising to leave.
"All sorted?" Zaf asked as she returned to her desk.
"Yep. Can't wait. Two whole weeks of sun, sea and…" she trailed off as she saw Zaf raise an eyebrow. "I was going to say sangria!" she insisted.
"Yeh, of course you were. And sangria's Spanish, not Cypriot."
"Whatever," she shot back; grabbing her phone to let her cousin know that would definitely be visiting him so he could book her flights.
Wednesday 2nd Sept 2009
Jo stepped out of Pathos International Airport and was instantly greeted by a wall of heat, despite it only being 10 o'clock in the morning. Digging her sunglasses out of her holdall, she spotted Ben leaning against a lamppost. He waved at her and she rushed over to him, dragging her case behind her and enveloping him in a massive hug before pulling back and planting a playful smack on his arm!
"Nice to see you too, Cuz!" Ben quipped.
"Oh shut it. That's for not meeting me at the gate; I looked like right lemon just stood there waiting! Thought you'd forgotten about me!"
"As if anyone could ever forget about you!"
"Oi! Watch it!" she warned before stepping back to take a good long look at her baby cousin; appraising him. "You look good. Life out here obviously suits you."
"Can't complain. I've got a great job, fantastic weather, beautiful scenery, the girls are gorgeous…and scantily clad," he commented his eyes caught by a group of girls walking by in hot pants.
"Well you've not changed that much in the last year then," laughed Jo. "Come on, show me your bachelor pad, then you can take me for food – I'm starved!"
They spent the drive to Ben's villa talking about her flight and catching up on each other's lives. Once they had dropped off Jo's luggage, Ben drove them to the next village to eat. He had insisted on going there, as it was home to the best local café in the area and served the tastiest Tavas on the whole island. Having sampled the simple fare Jo found she had to agree; it was delicious. Over a long lunch the two chatted about the village and what was on offer for Jo to do while she was here. Ben told her about the scenic mountain walks, the beaches, the numerous markets, and the legendary museum.
"Sounds like I'll have a busy couple of weeks," Jo commented. "Although I intend to spend the next couple of days lay by your pool. I feel like a bloody snowman next to you with your lovely bronze tan!"
"Whatever floats your boat, Jo-Jo," Ben replied, using the nickname that he'd had for her since their childhood. "I'm probably going to have to nip into the office for a couple of days anyway. Didn't manage to get as much work done before you arrived as I'd originally hoped."
During a natural lull in the conversation, Jo took her time to appreciate the establishment they were frequenting. It was classic, elegant but with a homey feel to it; like something out of a film. It was also a great spot for people watching; an activity that Jo partook of when Ben excused himself to use the bathroom and pay the bill. She watched as people greeted each other in the square, as shoppers bought fruit and vegetables from the shop on the corner and as a little girl ran past the café window laughing; her brunette curls bouncing lightly around her face as she did so. Jo smiled at the sight and her eyes followed the young girl down the street until another flash of colour caught her eye. A woman was chasing after the girl; a woman who looked extremely familiar to Jo. She looked on, open mouthed as the woman finally caught up with the girl and picked her up and twirled her round, laughing. As she spun round, Jo got a proper look at her face and her eyes widened. Jo had never imagined she would see that face again. She rose from the table and rushed out of the café ignoring Ben's shouts as he returned to the table and noticed her leaving. She looked up and down the street but couldn't see either the woman or the girl. She continued on in the direction she thought she'd seen them go, Ben following and calling after her. After a couple of minutes, she caught a glimpse of a woman and child turn into a side street a little further up the road, but by the time she reached it she was nowhere to be found. She stood in the middle of the street, hands on her thighs, panting.
"Jo?" queried Ben, finally catching up with her. "What the hell is going on?"
"Sorry Ben. I just…I thought I saw someone I knew. Someone I used to work with."
"Really? The chance of that happening must be miniscule."
"Especially in this case. She died. Over three years ago."
"Well in that case it can't have been her, can it? Must just have been someone who looked like her." Ben regarded his cousin with concern. "Come on Jo-Jo. Let's get you home; you've had an early morning and a long flight, you must be shattered." Jo allowed herself to be led away by her cousin. He was right in one respect, she was tired. But not tired enough that she should be seeing things. She knew she hadn't been imagining things. She had just seen Ruth Evershed, living and breathing, she was sure of it. The question now was what was she going to do about it?
A/N 3: Tavas is (according to Google) a traditional Cypriot dish of lamb (sometimes pork) cooked slowly in the oven, with potatoes, tomatoes and sometimes carrots and other in season bits.