Thanks everyone. I'm a little unsure of this second part, so I hope you all enjoy it.


June 3rd 2012. 5:30 a.m.

Ruth groaned. Her alarm had buzzed far to early. Half past five in the morning. Harry moaned quietly next to her, rousing from sleep. Wrapping a sheet around herself she walked to her bedroom window, watching as the first vestiges of dawn were creeping over London. And the rain, and the howling wind.

"How is it looking?" Harry asked from their bed, trying not to become distracted by her naked shoulder in full view as the sheet clung dangerously low on her body.

"Bad," Ruth said. "Rain. Wind. But then again if that's the extent of our problems today we're getting off lightly."

"True." Harry slipped his shirt on and stood just behind her. "God why did I argue the Queen out of this ten years ago?"

"Because I wasn't here to help then," Ruth replied with a smile. "And what would you do without my genius?" she teased.

"I really don't know," he said, more seriously than she'd anticipated. "I don't like to think about it. He tightened his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She allowed herself to enjoy his touches and caresses for a good few minutes before she moved away from him.

"We have to go," she said. "The man powered boats will soon be lining up at the front of the procession, not to mention starting crowd control, making sure Tower Bridge is working and the like. You know we have to go."

"Mm," he said. "Come on then."


9:32 a.m.

Harry emerged from his office and headed straight to Ruth's desk. "I have to go. Send the field agents where I want them and make sure everything's going smoothly. I know I could send Erin, but I have a brief meeting with Towers too. Its just easier if…"

"Go," Ruth said with a smile. "I'll keep everything running smoothly."

"Thank you," Harry said. He leaned over her and gave her a chaste kiss. She made a quiet noise of complaint, so he looked around, making sure everyone was busy and then leaned closer and kissed her again, this time slower and deeper.

"Much better," she said with a smile. "I'll see you later."

"I'll only be an hour at most," he said. She nodded as he left and then returned to tracking the exact whereabouts of several anti royalist worries on their radar.


11:05 a.m.

"Thank you," Ruth said with a smile, putting the phone down. She then called through to Harry straight away, their eyes connecting over the grid and through his glass window.

"Yes?"

"All the man powered boats are arrived and in order, as are the working and historical significant boats behind them. The royal barge is having a final security sweep as we speak, the only thing left to do is organise the barges and the pleasure boats, last in the line."

"That's good," Harry said, hazel eyes burning into hers. "A couple of people have been arrested, but it isn't looking serious. More like bank holiday drunkards, nothing more. It's looking good. Except for the weather."

"Mm," Ruth replied, chewing her lip. "It's going to be touch and go whether the fly pass is going to be able to go ahead. I've had the RAF on the phone and they are not happy."

"Okay," Harry said. "How long are they willing to leave it until a final decision?"

"About two thirty when I pushed for it," Ruth said. "Reminding them its for their monarch and all that."

"Good." He paused as their eyes connected. "We might actually pull this off."

"There's the positive spirit I was after," Ruth said, not even trying to hide her smile. She put the phone down but it was long minutes before she drew her eyes away from her lover.


2:55 p.m.

Ruth bit her lip trying to hide her irritation. "Look, I understand that but can you please…" she tailed off as the RAF man on the other hand continued, clearly annoyed.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Harry Pearce. I wouldn't expect either his secretary or his mistress to understand something like this." Ruth stayed stock still as she processed this and then managed, somehow to refrain from slamming the phone down.

"I'll patch you through," she said with as much venom as she could put into those four words. As soon as Harry got the call she put the phone down with disgust. Was that really what people thought of her? But then she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Today they had to keep the Queen safe. She could worry about her appearances to others in the security services later.


7:09 p.m.

She had been looking at her hands for the last ten minutes constantly and Harry was worried. He switched his computer off and locked his office, before walking over to her. Everyone else was going home and she was the only one who didn't seem to want to move.

"Ruth? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied.

"Ruth," he said calmly, knowing if he stayed silent she'd confide in him. He always knew when she lied.

"The RAF guy. Who called off the fly pass at the end of the pageant, Richard…"

"Cartwright," Harry finished, knowing who she was referring to.

"Yeah, him," Ruth agreed. "He got a bit annoyed at me when I said you were busy, and he wouldn't talk to me about cancelling it. He called me your secretary and your mistress, and implied that events like this were above my head." She smiled sadly. "I'm just upset, I'll get over it."

"Ruth, look at me," Harry said in that special tone he reserved just for her. The one that made her melt inside. After a few seconds she raised her head and felt the heat from his eyes go through her instantly. "Richard Cartwright is a tiny pathetic little man who is pissed off that the weather got in the way of his grand moment. He called me a pompous civil servant who wasn't intelligent enough to become a politician. Ignore him."

"You're right," she said with a sigh. "I know you're right. It just hurt, that's all."

"Richard Cartwright is going to get what's coming to him, trust me," Harry said with a growl in his voice.

"Why, what have you done?" Ruth asked eagerly, her eyes alight.

"I happen to know that he's been using several prostitutes over the last few months. Something I'm sure his wife doesn't know. I might have been a little careless with the photos I managed to acquire, which leave little to the imagination."

"Oh, Harry you didn't," she said, half torn between amusement and horror.

"Well, I almost did it five years ago. He seems to have forgotten my warning though. Maybe a divorce will have more of an effect."

"You know, I really shouldn't find that funny, and you really shouldn't have done it, but that really made me feel better."

"Its not my fault the only way the man can get any sex is by paying for it."

Ruth laughed again. "Lets go home." She stood up and leaned her head against his chest as he hugged her tightly. There was almost no one around anyway, so he bent and kissed her passionately. She moaned into his mouth and her fingertips caressed his shirt, wishing she was touching his bare skin. Her palms moved to his back, underneath his jacket, pulling him even closer. Then she froze. He pulled away confused, and then it hit him.

"No," he said quietly. "Please, don't Ruth."

"Harry," she whispered, her eyes wide, her hand freezing, feeling a small box in his jacket pocket. "Tell me that's not what I think it is."

"You weren't meant to find out like this," Harry said, her hand still staying on his pocket. She picked up the box and drew her hand away from him, looking at the dark blue velvet like it was a bomb that was going to explode. "Please, can you just put it back and forget about it."

"Harry, this looks like an engagement ring box," she said, looking up at him.

"That'll be because it is," Harry said. "I picked it up this morning. If you'd kept your hands off of me, you wouldn't have found it."

"Harry…" she whispered again. "Were you going to… propose?"

"Yes," he said. "I thought if I got a ring it might go better this time. But I planned to do it in a more romantic setting than this."

"Oh my God," she breathed, still holding the box closed.

"Look, forget it," Harry said. "I want to marry you, I have for years, but if you're not ready its fine. Forget it, I love you."

"Harry, you've never actually asked me," she said, her eyes sparkling now that some of the shock had worn off. "At Ros's funeral you made a statement. It was never a question, and anyway, it wasn't the right time then. If you want me to marry you, you're going to have to ask me."

"Not here surely…" Harry said looking around the empty grid.

"I don't care where, I care that you ask me," she said honestly.

Harry took the box from her hand, his eyes shifting infinitesimally and she knew what he was thinking. He was going to ask her, he really was. "Ruth, I love you. I love you more than anyone else I ever have in my life before you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, if you'll let me. Will you marry me?" She felt her heart swell with happiness as he bent down on one knee and opened the jewellery box, revealing a white gold band with a rather large diamond in the centre.

"Of course I will," she said, her eyes sparkling, now with tears of happiness. He smiled at her, straightened up and slid the ring on her finger. She tightened her hand into a fist, making the ring sparkle in the light. "I love you Harry."

"Sh," he whispered against her lips, pulling her in for a long, knee weakening kiss.

"You're going to take me home right now," Ruth whispered against him breathlessly in between kisses.

"I thought you were tired?" Harry said, eyes flashing at her.

"Suddenly not so much," she whispered. "Take me home." Another kiss. "Now." Harry smirked at her, more than willing to go along with this fantastic suggestion.


The end!