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Legends

Ruth stared at herself in the mirror as she tried to calm the nerves building in her stomach. It had been a sleepless night and she knew the next few days were just as likely to be as sleepless. Brushing her hair away from her face she had no idea what the rest of the Grid would think about her disappearing to the Gulf for goodness knows how long. Shaking her head slightly she decided it was best not to think about it. Not when there was a very good chance neither of them would be back. She was brought back to reality with the knock on her front door.

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"So no Harry and no Ruth." Zaf smirked as he sat at his desk. Malcolm nodded.

"And no Adam. Has anyone called the hospital?" Colin leant against Ruth's abandoned desk as Jo nodded.

"Yes, his mum picked Wes up this morning. Apparently they moved Adam from ITU in the early hours of this morning. He's still in a bad way but he is breathing on his own now, which has to be a good thing."

"Thank God." Malcolm smiled slightly. He genuinely liked all the field officers, each one seemed to appreciate the work the desk officers did. Not like in Tom Quinn's day. He thought to himself as Colin raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, so where are Harry and Ruth?"

"You reckon I should just get rid of the book now?" Zaf smirked as Jo shot him a filthy look. "What?"

"Ruth has taken some time off. After yesterday she wanted to take some leave. I am assuming Harry has approved that." Malcolm lied fluently. He knew Harry didn't want the rest of the team to know he was on a black op in the Gulf. "Harry had to go to a conference with Six and the cousins."

"He never mentioned it." Zaf spoke calmly. "Who's in charge while he's not here?"

"Me." Malcolm stated calmly as he glanced at the clock. "Now, I suggest you all get on with the work we never really managed to complete during yesterday's fiasco." He walked towards his desk as Colin and Jo exchanged glances. Both had a feeling the mild mannered techi was covering for Harry but both knew he would never ever admit to it.

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Harry smiled slightly as Ruth got in the car next to him. She swallowed hard as she fought to put her seatbelt on. Harry reached across and tugged the belt into place as Ruth blushed furiously.

"Are you sure I'm the right person for this? Wouldn't you be better taking Malcolm with you? Or Jo? I know Adam would be the obvious choice, if he hadn't been injured. He has more experience in the Middle East." Ruth looked out of the car window as Harry drove off. She knew she was rambling but couldn't help it.

"None of them are analysts. Did you read the legend? Malcolm is the only other person who is aware of what we are doing." Harry drove as Ruth nodded.

"Yes, but if the DG ordered you to go I don't see why."

"Ruth, the DG ordered me to go as a Black Op. That's why I was so reluctant to ask you. If something goes wrong, then we are on our own."

"Right." Ruth felt sick at the thought she could die in a foreign country. "These Legends?"

"Ah, yes." Harry kept his eyes on the road as Ruth smirked slightly. "Not what you were expecting?"

"No Harry, not at all what I was expecting." Ruth tried to keep the smile out of her voice as Harry pulled the car onto the motorway.

"Well, it seemed easier if I was a businessman working for an Oil company with interests in Iraq while you were."

"Your PA? Harry, people are going to assume." She sighed.

"That we're having an affair." Harry finished for her.

"Yes." Ruth sighed. "I mean, not me and you but..."

"Rebecca and James." Harry finished her sentance. "I should have spoken to you but it seemed safer if people assumed we were a couple. I mean it's your first and last Black Op. In a foreign country and it may be safer if people assumed we were together." Harry tried not to blush as he spoke. Ruth smiled slightly as she watched her normally stoic boss actually embarrassed.

"Ok." Ruth bit her bottom lip as she fought not to smile. Harry pulled the car into the parking lot of the Army Airbase that would be responsible for flying them out to Baghdad. He killed the engine as he watched his army counterpart, Aiden Dempsey walk towards him. For a moment he regretted asking Ruth to accompany him. It was too dangerous, she wasn't a field agent but then he remembered how she had kept her head in front of Angela Wells and before that when Adam had been facing a madman with a crossbow. Sighing heavily he turned to Ruth as she rested a hand on his arm.

"Harry?"

"I'm fine." He held her gaze for a moment as she nodded.

"Really?"

"Yes." He smiled as his skin seemed to burn under her touch.

"Good, because if we are going to do this. Find the uranium and hide it out of harm's way for the next million years then we have to be completely honest with each other. These legends Malcolm put together are pretty convincing on paper."

"He's very precise."

"He is." Ruth smiled as Harry tried not to think of her as anything other than his junior officer.

"It's a long flight to Baghdad."

"Yes." Ruth held his gaze. "I may just have time to go through the legends again. Someone out there is bound to ask questions that a real couple would be able to answer without thinking."

"We need that sort of clarity." Harry nodded.

"Yes." Ruth hated that she was reduced to one word answers by the look in Harry's eye. He knew more about her than any of her friends and colleagues on the Grid. None of them knew about Chloe and they had all swallowed the lie she had told Angela.I must be a better field officer than I thought. Maybe Harry was right to think I can do this. She smiled to herself as Harry got out the car. Seconds later she followed him wondering what the trip would bring and just hoping they would get back to London in one piece.

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A/N ok, not the best chapter but it sets up the next one. Harry and Ruth in the Gulf and Adam finds out! Please review.