Disclaimer: Once again, they aren't mine. Take up your concerns with Kudos and/or the BBC.

A/N: Thank you again for your reviews. This one picks up right where we left off.

Chapter 4

Previously:

"Ruth, your father wasn't murdered by the Iranians or by anyone for that matter. The phone call he received warned him that a plan, which had been discussed in length and of which your father was aware, was being put into play. The plan was to fake your father's death."

Ruth failed to find the words to speak for several seconds, though her mouth made the effort.

"What? I don't understand. My father drowned and his body washed ashore a week later. He died 25 years ago," Ruth said.

Grace shook her head. "That's what you were told, Ruth, you and your mother. It was done to protect you. Your father didn't drown, Ruth and the body that washed ashore was not your father."

"No, this isn't true. This is some sort of psychological testing, it has to be. None of this is real," Ruth told herself as she began to pace in the small room.

Grace remained seated, understanding that what she was telling Ruth was not easy for the woman to hear. "Ruth, this is very real. With help from officers from Six, your father faked his death in order to keep you and your mother safe. He was hoping that after a few years the two of you would have been able to join him, but for whatever reason that didn't work."

Ruth stopped her pacing to glare at Grace. "And just where was he? Is he even still alive?" A thought crossed Ruth's mind. "Did he die? Is that why I'm here?"

"Ruth, your father is alive and has just returned to Britain. That's why you're here; to learn the truth about what really happened to James Evershed in 1981."

"I want to be in there with her; she should hear this from me," James insisted.

Gabriel placed a hand on James's shoulder. "No. Let Grace finish and then we can reunite you with your daughter." When James didn't respond, he continued. "I can see that this is difficult for you and that you are anxious to see your daughter again but she's just learned that a part of her life for all these years isn't true." As James turned to him to protest, Gabriel continued. "I know it's not your fault that this happened and it's not Ruth's fault either. Please, give her the chance to hear the whole story."

James glared at him for a few moments before nodding his assent. He sat back in the chair he'd been occupying and looked through the glass at the daughter he'd not seen for 25 years.

"My father is alive? And here in Britain? Where has he been all this time?" Ruth asked.

"Your father was living in Queensland, Australia, just outside Brisbane. He worked as a GP there and recently retired so he could move back to England," Grace said.

"But why did he wait so long? Surely there's not been a threat to any of us all this time," Ruth surmised.

"I don't have an answer to that question. An agent was assigned to be a point of contact for your father, should anything unusual happen in his new home but after a few years, that agent left Australia and when your father contacted the Embassy, none of staff who worked for Six knew who he was. Your father's file disappeared somehow and we're still looking into what happened. Your father said he considered coming back but he had no idea if it was safe and what his sudden return would do to you or your mother. Ultimately, he decided to stay away to keep you safe."

Ruth started shaking her head. "No, I can't believe this. My father wouldn't have left us behind like that. He always used to tell my mother how much he loved her and that he never wanted to live without her. He was my best friend; why would he do that to me?" Ruth stood still. "No, this isn't real. This is either a ridiculous psychological test or cruel joke but I'm not going to be a part of it any longer," she said before grabbing her bag and jerking open the door.

Grace stood and followed Ruth out the door. "Ruth!" Grace yelled. "Please come back! Ruth! Your father, he's here!"

Another door opened. "Ruth! Please, come back!"

Ruth stopped at the end of the corridor and looked back. Beyond Grace stood an older man with graying hair. He looked somewhat familiar but his voice was what made Ruth pause. No, she decided, this wasn't real. It was too outrageous to be real and she fled through an employee exit.

Twenty minutes later, Ruth found herself just a block from Thames House. Spying an empty bench, she sat down and tried to think about what she wanted to do but her mind kept turning over what she'd been told about her father and the idea that that was actually him in the corridor of Legoland. Deciding she couldn't face going back to work, she left a few voicemails and flagged another taxi.

It was half four before Harry made it back to the Grid after a day-long meeting of the JIC. It was one of his least favourite job duties but a necessary one. A quick sweep of the Grid told him that everyone he expected to be there was there except for Ruth. He caught Adam's eye and tilted his head toward his office. As Harry settled at his desk Adam did the same with one of the chairs opposite him and, without asking, Adam provided a briefing of the events of the day, which were rather mundane.

Adam noticed Harry's glance in the direction of Ruth's desk. "She's not here."

Harry tried to look nonchalant with his reply. "Where is she?"

Adam shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure, exactly. She had that meeting at Six earlier this afternoon but she left me a message around two saying she was taking the rest of the afternoon off." Adam paused before continuing. "The strange part was that shortly after Ruth's message was one from some woman at Six looking for Ruth. I called the woman back but she wouldn't tell me anything, just that she wanted to speak with Ruth."

Harry nodded. "Thank you for the update. I'm going to check on a few things here and then head home for the evening. Too many hours at the JIC, I'm afraid," he added with a smile as Adam stood and exited his office.

Harry thought it was rather unlike Ruth to not come back to work after a meeting, especially when the meeting ended early in the day. He listened to his messages, but there wasn't one from Ruth. He tried calling her mobile and home phone but both went straight to voice mail. He was debating having Malcolm track her mobile before he left for the day when he remembered his own mobile, which had been shut off during the meeting.

Thankfully there was a message from Ruth, though it was oddly short and un-like Ruth. 'Can't do dinner, sorry,' was all she said. Deciding that those few items could all wait until tomorrow, he set off for home, planning to take care of Scarlett before heading over to Ruth's place.

Traffic was terrible, even testing the patience of his security officer, Mike. Two separate crashes sent them on unplanned detours complicated by road construction and an hour after leaving Thames House, the car pulled over in front of Harry's home.

"Sorry for the delay, sir," Mike noted as Harry opened the door.

"Nonsense, Mike, wasn't your fault. You did much better than I would have," he said with a smile. "Have a good evening," he added as he shut the door and climbed the stairs to his front door.

He completed his homecoming routine – open front door, deactivate alarm, shut front door, greet Scarlett – before walking through to the kitchen. He opened the door to the garden and let her out before running upstairs to change clothes. Upon his return to the kitchen he filled Scarlett's food bowl and looked out the window to see what she was doing. He thought it odd that she was nowhere to be seen so he stepped outside and called her name.

It was then that he noticed Scarlett was standing next to Ruth, who was sitting on the ground curled into a ball. Her back was against the house with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees.

Harry rushed over and crouched next to Ruth, trying to discern what was wrong with her.

"Ruth, what's happened? Are you hurt?" he asked.

She turned her head towards him and sniffled. It was then that Harry could see the tear tracks down her face and the sight saddened him.

"Ruth, come inside the house and you can tell me why you've been sitting out here," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder and helping her up. She'd obviously been there for some time as the grass was flattened where she'd been seated. Harry guided her into the house and into the lounge, assuming that a soft sofa was preferable to a hard kitchen chair. He sat next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Please tell me what's wrong," is all he said but it caused an outpouring of tears. He decided to let her cry, knowing she would tell him soon enough. It wasn't five minutes later that the crying was reduced to a manageable level that it seemed she was ready to clue him in to what had happened.

"I'm sorry, I needed to be somewhere they wouldn't find me but all I could think was that I wanted to see you so I snuck into your back garden," she said.

Her words put Harry on edge. "Where who couldn't find you? Ruth, I need you tell me what happened this afternoon," he explained calmly.

"That woman from Six, Grace, and my dad. I didn't want them to find me," she said as the tears streamed down her face.

"I don't understand, Ruth. Your dad died when you were a girl."

Ruth shook her head. "That's not what they told me, Harry, they told me he's alive," which started another round of sobbing.

Harry sat in shock as he tried to comprehend how his girlfriend's dead father had come back to life.