This was going to be a long one shot but I've changed my mind. Now looking to be 4 or 5 chapters long. HR taken from the end of series ten.

Ruth's breathing was incredibly laboured and heavy. Harry had his hand on the wound which was making her lung collapse. His hand was covered in her blood, and he was desperately trying not to think about it. His other hand was cradling her face, trying to keep her with him.

"Harry…" she breathed. "We were never meant to have those things."

"Yes we were," he replied. Then he realised he'd used the past tense. "We are," he edited. "We're going to be happy after all of this."

"Oh, this hurts," she whispered. "Can you… kiss me before I go?"

"No," he said firmly. "You're not going anywhere. I forbid it, do you hear me?"

"I'm always right," she whispered. "You know that." She closed her eyes and exhaled once more, very heavily. Then she didn't breathe in again.

"Ruth, look at me!" Harry shouted. She didn't react. He distantly heard running footsteps but didn't pay it any attention until Dimitri moved him aside and injected adrenaline into her chest. It had absolutely no effect. Her eyes stayed closed and Harry let go of his emotions for the first time in his memory. He felt choked up and let the tears fall. He held her face, still warm and gently pressed his lips to hers before crying into her shoulder. In the back of his mind he was aware of a shouted conversation behind him but he couldn't care less. Ruth, his Ruth was gone. Dead. Nothing else mattered.

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and refrained from hitting the intruder to his grief with difficulty. Which was good when he saw it was Dimitri. "I'm sorry Harry, the CIA want you. I can't talk them out of it."

"She's… just…" Harry said in a ragged breath. "Just been taken from me. They can go to hell." For the first time he saw the American agents standing close to Erin who was trying to keep them back.

"Harry, please go quietly," she said. "You can't help Ruth now."

"None of you understand!" Harry hissed. "This isn't just another spy. This is Ruth! And I never…" he tailed off but those who knew him understood. He'd never told her how he felt. Never held her while she was living, instead of dying. Never kissed her without the threat of a long parting hanging over them. So many never's. So many regrets, even now when the pain was raw and the grief was overwhelming.

"Mr Pearce, come with me please," an American said approaching him. How dare this CIA agent come anywhere near Ruth? Harry thought, steam almost pouring from his ears. His good and kind Ruth, too good to be trapped in Thames House for all those years.

"I need a minute," Harry said hoarsely, still with his hands on Ruth. He couldn't let her go.

"Now, Mr Pearce," the stubborn American said. Harry felt strong arms pulling him up off the ground, away from his Ruth. That was what made him snap. He was being taken away from the woman he loved more than his own life and he lashed out. He started punching the men who were trying to take him in and felt the men who were much better (physically) trained, younger and fitter fight back. Each blow that landed on him felt like a dull pain. To almost counter the aching and empty hole in his heart now that she'd gone. He fought until he felt his hands being cuffed behind his back and he fell to the ground in an undignified heap, his heart broken and his body bruised. He was half carried, half dragged to the waiting land rover. He had two guards on either side of him but he had neither the energy or the inclination to fight any more. All he wanted was to turn back the clock and tell the love of his life how much he loved her. Something which he would now never get the chance to do. He closed his eyes and allowed the feeling of total loss to envelope him.

What Harry didn't know was that Ruth Evershed, lying still in the grass had gasped for a single breath. Erin was the only person still with her as the helicopter landed, but she heard the sound. She leaned over Ruth and felt her pulse. It was there. "Oh my God," Erin breathed. "How is that possible?" She didn't get an answer, instead the paramedics pushed her away and began working in earnest, bringing Ruth back. It worked. Her eyes flicked open before an oxygen mask covered most of her face. Erin saw this and smiled. Clearly Ruth Evershed was made of stronger stuff than they'd imagined.

Medically impossible but I don't think anyone will mind! Leave a review if you liked or hated it. Thank you for reading.