Disclaimer I do not own Spooks

Drama and Drinks

Ruth sat on the edge of the sofa as Ros handed her a glass of wine. Zoe had begun to quiet down and Ruth couldn't help but think either Sarah or Catherine had said something quietly to her. Zoe did not appreciate being told off and was quietly sulking over her wine glass as Beth shook her head.

"You ok?" Beth asked as Sarah nodded.

"Shouldn't it be me asking you that?" Sarah smiled as Beth stared into her diet coke.

"If you do I may have to k-kill y-you." Beth closed her eyes, she hated the fact she had developed a slight stammer since her second neurosurgery. "Ssorry, I just get fed up of being asked. I am still me."

"So I see." Sarah smiled at her as Beth sighed. "You have been through alot Beth, don't push yourself."

"If I don't no one else will." Beth smiled. "It's okay."

"Right then." Catherine plonked herself down on the sofa. "This is a Hen Night isn't it? I've been to happier wakes than this."

"What do you suggest then?" Carrie watched as Ros and Ruth exchanged glances.

"Drinking game?"

"Cath, Zoe is half gone already. I'm 4 months pregnant and Beth is on meds." Carrie smiled as her friend rolled her eyes.

"So?" Beth looked momentarily affected.

"So Dimitri would kill us. As would Adam." Ros smiled slyly.

"Not talking about Carrie drinking." Beth's stammer seemed to be improving as she got slowly more indignant. "Just that we'll have more fun getting you lot drunk and being able to remember what was said tomorrow when you lot are nursing hangovers."

"Fair enough." Ros stood up. "I'll get the wine."

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"Harry?" Lucas picked up the phone as he sat in the parked car opposite the cinema.

"Mossad tell me they know nothing of an assasin of theirs over here." Harry paced his office as he spoke on the phone.

"And you believe them?" Lucas stared out the window as the rain lashed the small car. He really wanted Ros to be there with him. She knew why he hated rain like this so much. Instead he had Dimitri stood across the road in a doorway of a seedy looking nightclub talking to an impossibly tall brunette with a sequinned dress on. He smiled slightly as he realised the new recruit had some rather unusual contacts from his SBS days.

"Of course I don't believe them." Harry snapped.

"Ok." Lucas began wondering why his boss was so on edge. "What now?"

"Tariq is running a background check on everyone attending the summit in Wales. I'll ask Ruth to cross match the results in the morning. Adam and Zaf are going to follow her, Malcolm found an address. I want you to talk to Alec and get back here for 8 am."

"Harry."

"No Lucas, that man is part of Section D now. That was the condition of the Inquiry, however much we dislike it we now have IA watching our every move. It is just luck we have Alec rather than some idiot like Frances Lloyd."

"True, at least you know him of old." Lucas started the engine. "Dimitri is on the way back." He watched as Dimitri waved to Sienna Sapphire and ran across the road as the rain pelted him.

"Good, make sure you are on the Grid for 8." Harry looked at his watch, aware that although the team had essentially finished for the day most of them were still working the case. "It's all hands on deck tomorrow."

"Did you talk to Malcolm?" Lucas asked as Dimitri threw himself into the passenger seat of the car. He looked at his friend before realising he was on the phone.

"I did. Don't worry about Malcolm. Talk to Alec White. Before his time in IA he spent time in a kibbutz in Israel. He knows the area, may have an insight."

"So did Eleanor Carter." Lucas pointed out as Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "Shall I interview her too?"

"Already have." Harry put the phone down and grabbed his jacket. It was closer to midnight than he liked. It was time to go home and see what carnage Scarlett and the two cats had managed to create with no humans around.

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Catherine sat cross legged on the floor as Ros poured shots into the wine glasses while Carrie did the same with the diet coke for the non drinkers. She knew the game well, having played it during her time in university and remembered it well.

"Right." She announced as Ruth picked up the glass in front of her. "I'll make a statement, something like I have never eaten chocolate. And all those who have take a drink."

"Tis stupid, everyone eats chocolate!" Zoe announced as Ros raised an eyebrow.

"Then everyone takes a drink. Only those who really haven't don't. And actually I am allergic to chocolate so I can't eat it Zoe." Catherine pointed out as Zoe shot a look at Ruth, as if wanting confirmation.

"She is, gets terrible hives." Ruth answered as she watched Catherine smile. It was clear to her why her step mother was a spook. She really did lie very convincingly. They'd shared a bar of Galaxy before leaving the house.

"Get on with it then." Ros was beginning to get inpatient.

"Ok. Ah, Sarah you go first." Catherine announced. For a moment Sarah stared at her feet. Then she blushed.

"I have never." She paused. "I don't know what to ask!"

"Sarah!" Beth laughed.

"You start." The older woman giggled.

"I have never kissed anyone I didn't want to." Beth watched as almost all the women took a drink. Carrie was the only one who didn't. All eyes fell on the brunette. Carrie just shook her head, aware it was her turn.

"I have never dated an older man." She watched as Ruth and Ros shrugged before downing the wine.

"I have never fallen in love with someone I shouldn't have fallen in love with." Ros watched as everyone in the room took a drink. She couldn't help but smile as Ruth and Beth tried to hide the fact they were blushing. For a moment she wished she had been as mercinary as Zaf and started a book on Dimitri and Beth. If they had been trying to keep their relationship quiet it had certainly been blown into the open once she had been injured. Anyone could see what they felt for each other, even Alec had given up trying to flirt with Beth once he had seen her with Dimitri.

"I have never, ever heard about there being a book on Harry and Ruth." Zoe slurred as all the women took a drink. Only Ruth left her glass on the table.

"What?" Ruth looked around.

"Oh come on!" Zoe stared at her. "You knew? Right?"

"No, I didn't." Ruth could feel her cheeks begin to burn. She hated the fact everyone seemed to know, including Catherine. She looked at her step daughter. "Does Harry know?"

"No." Catherine stared at her. "At least I don't think Dad does."

"Oh." Ruth closed her eyes. She knew it didn't really matter, not after all this time but it still hurt. Before she registered what she was doing she picked up her glass and wandered into the kitchen. In the background she could hear Ros berating Zoe as she closed the door and tried to steady herself. A few seconds later pop music could be heard as someone turned the stereo up.

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Harry looked at the clock. It was getting late but he hoped Catherine and Ruth were enjoying themselves. He knew he was lucky that his wife and daughter got along as well as they did. He hadn't really expected Catherine to take to Ruth as easily as she did but they had been friends from the moment they had met and were now just as close as any step mother and daughter could be. He debated whether to wait up for them with a single malt or make some sweet tea and get some rest. Knowing he would never sleep while they were both out he wandered into the kitchen and filled the kettle as Scarlet followed on behind him.

"It's alright old girl." He addressed the dog who sat at his feet. "I'm just a worrier when it comes to those girls." Scarlet barked once as she rested her head against her master's leg. "Yes I worry about you too."

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Alec groaned as he heard his mobile phone begin to ring. He had no intention of answering it at this time of night. Instead he flung an arm over his face and screwed his eyes shut. It was only when Juliet handed him the phone and swore that he reluctantly answered the phone.

"What?"

"Alec"

"Sod off Lucas."

Lucas couldn't help but laugh. He looked around the deserted stairwell of the council estate as he heard Alec curse him.

"No sorry, can't do that. Open the door." Lucas smiled as Dimitri smirked.

"What?" Alec snapped.

"Seems you are back on the payroll." Lucas smirked.

"Get out of bed." Juliet snapped as she realised whoever was talking to Alec was not going to just leave them alone.

"Don't you agree with him." Alec swung his legs out of bed.

"Bugger off White." Juliet sighed before turning her face back into the pillow. Alec shook his head, her physio and speech therapy had been going remarkably well. It seemed like it went too well at times.

"Right, what the hell do you want Lucas North?"

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Ruth gulped down the wine as the door to the kitchen opened. Ros stood in the doorway as Ruth closed her eyes.

"Can I kill her?"

"No." Ruth smiled slightly.

"Really? I will if you want." Ros smiled.

"You knew about the book."

"Yeah. Only found out after you left. I found Zaf staring at it after he cleared out your desk."

Ruth stared at the floor. She had no idea Zaf had been the one to clear out her belongings. For some reason she assumed it would be Jo that had done it. Ros stood next to her at the breakfast bar. For a moment the two friends were silent. Ros still felt guilty for her part in Ruth's exile. She watched as Ruth pushed herself away.

"Did you have a bet?"

"No."

"Who did?"

"Most of Thames House. I think Zaf lost alot of money."

"Good." Ruth smiled slightly. "Ros."

"Come on, lets save poor Sarah from the others." Ros walked back toward the living room as Ruth shook her head and followed.

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"Lucas, it is 1 am in the morning." Alec yawned as he stood in the doorway of his flat.

"Yeah. What can I say? I'm on nights."

"Bugger off."

"Be on the Grid at 8." Lucas stared at him. "Harry wants you back on the team, and we know you need the work."

"Tell Harry,"

"Yes?" Dimitri smirked.

"I'll be there." Alec yawned before slamming the door shut.

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The night was beginning to drag on and Sarah was getting tired. She placed her glass on the coffee table as Ros and Ruth returned to the living room. She smiled slightly as she nodded towards a sleeping Zoe. Beth was sat next to her looking just as tired. Catherine and Carrie were talking about baby names and scans as Sarah made room for her friends on the sofa.

"Are you looking forward to Saturday?" Ruth asked as Sarah sighed.

"I think so."

"What about Rhys? I bet he's looking forward to giving you away." Ruth asked. Ros knew exactly what she was doing.

"Oh." Sarah shrugged. "He won't be there. I er, he isn't going to come."

"Oh, why?" Ruth looked at her friend.

Sarah looked at her emerald engagement ring and sighed. "He doesn't want to come. He says Malcolm is the reason I went away. He says if it wasn't for him and the service I would have been a grandmother by now." Sarah spoke quietly as Ruth rested a hand on her arm.

"And what do you say?"

"Malcolm, makes me happy. Given the chance I'd do it all again. If it meant I could be with him I'd do it all again." Sarah smiled slightly as she thought of the quiet, mild mannered man she had fallen for. Ruth and Ros exchanged glances.

"In that case bugger everyone else. I spent too long worrying about what other people think." Ruth smiled as Sarah nodded. "It doesn't really matter."

"I wish." Sarah sighed. "I wish I had done this twenty years ago."

"No point in that now." Ros answered. "Look after him. He's one of the good guys and there aren't that many out there." She took a last sip of the wine in her hand as she realised she was slightly drunk. It hadn't been the night she had planned for Sarah but she couldn't shake the idea that if she had to go to Cardiff there was no real harm in talking to Rhys Hughes. After all it wasn't everyday one of her oldest friends got married. If having her brother there made Sarah happy then she was sure that would make life easier for Malcolm. It was about time she repaid him for everything he had done for her over the years. She rested her head back on the sofa cushion as a plan began to form in her mind. It was going to work, she just knew it.

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A/N Should Ros really start meddling? Did Harry know about the book and what will happen at the summit in Cardiff? Please review.