Just a quick one-shot before the madness of the new semester kicks off. And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about You Belong To Me. In fact, I'm currently working on the next chapter!

On My Way Home

Ruth sighed as she watched the removal men carrying boxes out of her little flat and into the lorry parked outside. This is it, she thought to herself. There's no going back now.

Although she hadn't had a bad time living there, she was glad to be leaving the flat behind. Beth had sounded a bit disappointed when Ruth told her she'd be moving out shortly, but she had understood why. It was just the way things worked in life.

Ruth thought back to when she had first moved in. She had despised the flat at first. It had been a former safe house, now used to rent out to MI5 officers in urgent need of living space, and for a reasonable price too. It was shortly after Ruth had returned from Cyprus, so it had been an ideal solution at the time. But how she had hated it. It had been dark, depressing, seriously lacking in proper furniture, but at the time she didn't have the energy to do anything about it. Quickly she had fallen back into the routine of late nights on the Grid. Not because of work or to be closer to Harry, but because she couldn't face going home and spending all evening in a place she loathed so much.

After Ros' death she had taken a few days leave. It had been the final blow after losing George, Nico, Jo, and now Ros in such a short time span. She needed time to think, to sort herself out and get her life back on track, if only a little bit. She had started by tearing away those dull, grey curtains which had been hanging there since before she moved in, and let some daylight into the house properly, for the first time. She had opened the windows, letting fresh air in, hoping it would blow away the negativity she had surrounded herself with for such a long time.

In her few days off Ruth painted the walls, bought a new sofa and coffee table, and got some of her old things out of the Service's depot, such as paintings and pictures which she hung on the walls. Harry had managed to save a couple of her personal belongings after her "death", for which she was grateful. These few things, no matter how small or insignificant, now made her flat feel like a home for the very first time.

Of course there were times when she had longed for her old house, her beautiful house with the stain glass front door where she had lived quite happily for many years. But she knew she could never go back. It had been sold when she had gone into exile.

She had gone back to her old house once, just to walk past it and see if it still looked the same. She had been glad to see that the front door was still there, and that the roses she had planted so carefully were still being cared for and were in full bloom. It had made her smile. A young couple in their early 30s lived in the house now and they had a little boy of no more than two years old. For some reason, this knowledge put Ruth's mind at ease and diminished her yearning for her old house. She felt it deserved to be the home to such a lovely young family. She had walked away, smiling, and hadn't looked back.

Not long afterwards Beth had moved in. At first Ruth hadn't liked the idea of sharing her home with someone else, someone she barely knew. But soon she started noticing the advantages of having a flatmate, especially one who understood her job and the pressure they worked under on a daily basis. And Beth was great fun to be with. She always had a funny or interesting story to tell, and Ruth thought back fondly of the many evenings spent on the sofa, just chatting away and sharing a bottle of wine. At the time it had been exactly the kind of stability and a sense of normalcy she needed.

But now everything would change. She was leaving her old life behind, and she would start afresh somewhere else.

She felt his presence without having seen or hear him approach. He wrapped a strong arm around her waist from behind, and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"How long before the men are finished?" He whispered into her ear.

"Not long now," she answered. "They're nearly done."

"Then perhaps we should get going," he said. "To make sure we get there before they do. They have a route description, so I'm sure they'll know how to find it."

"I can't wait to get there," she said, smiling. "So the sooner we leave, the better."

He grinned. "Let's go then. My car is just around the corner."

She turned around and kissed him, quick but passionately, then hooked her arm through his. Together they walked away in the direction of his car, holding each other close, never wanting to let go.

Both had waited a long time for this day to come, and now that neither of them had to worry about the Service any longer, they could finally leave. Go to a place that didn't hold any painful memories for either of them, to start afresh, to build a home. To start their life together, at last.

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