A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews for the last chapter...

25th May 2011

RING...ring...RING... With a muttered curse, Harry picks up his phone. "Harry Pearce speaking. Ah, Tom, hello. What can I do for you?" There was a pause and then Harry sank down into his office chair, face suddenly pale. "She's done what?" he lays the phone against his chest, trying and failing to absorb the horrifying, life-altering information he's just heard.

Harry remains distracted throughout the morning briefing, and everyone rises from the conference table with the firm feeling that another argument is about to erupt between Harry and Ruth. Sure enough, as Ruth is about to follow Beth out of the room, Harry lays a hand on her arm and holds her back. "Ruth, can I speak to you for a moment?" he asks hesitantly.

"Of course, Harry," she replies, avoiding his eyes. His voice hardens at her patent unwillingness to talk to him, and he wonders how they ever came to this.

"On the roof," he adds.

London's skyline has been part of their relationship from the very beginning, and Harry muses on the bitter irony that it will, in some small way, also be a part of its end. He turns to face Ruth, hands in his pockets, and asks harshly, "You're filing for divorce?" She bites her lip and nods, unsure of what to say. It was always going to be difficult, Ruth... Harry inhales sharply, and breathes, "When did you decide this? And why the hell did I have to hear it from my bloody solicitor?"

Ruth is still staring at her shoes, unable to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I spoke to Eleanor a few days ago. My solicitor, Eleanor Carnegie. You met her at the – " She stops speaking abruptly and Harry suddenly realises why. "The wedding," he finishes, sickened. He'd met Eleanor, who had known Ruth since the pair had been at nursery, and liked her. Christ, they'd even joked about this sort of situation...

"I never wanted it to be like this," Ruth offers. "But then it seemed so cruel to tell you here, and –" His snort of evident incredulity hits her like a lash. "Excuses, Ruth," he spits. She shrugs, looking up at him for the first time. Her eyes are devoid of emotion, and this is perhaps worse than the anger and sadness that has filled them for the past few weeks. "Maybe," she agrees coolly, folding her arms across her for warmth. "You're letting us fall at the first hurdle," Harry cries, gesticulating wildly with his arm. How can she be so calm?

Ruth's eyes flicker with ire for just a second, and she snaps cuttingly, "Well, it's a pretty big hurdle to clear when you find out your husband's still living in the ninety-fifties!" He passes a hand over his eyes and groans, "Ruth..."

"I'm not going to discuss this anymore, Harry," she tells him firmly.

"Please..." he beseeches her.

"No," she repeats. "I'm being professional, Harry, like you." Ruth moves to stand next to him and looks out over the view. "Fine," Harry agrees. "Let's talk professionally. What are you going to do about our child?"

"Raise it on my own," she responds immediately. Harry's eyes widen in surprise and he grips her by the shoulders and pulls her around to face him, ignoring her squeak of indignation. "On your - ? Ruth, at least let me help you." Her eyes narrow and she shrugs out of his hold and straightens her coat briskly. "No. I don't need your help, and I don't need your money, either." Harry raises his eyebrows. If the situation wasn't so serious, he would find Ruth's persistent independence highly attractive. Brutally, he reminds her, "You could barely keep you and Fidget on your salary. How are you going to manage with a growing child as well?"

She ignores the question, and informs him brusquely, "You can have unrestricted access, of course. Weekends, days out, whatever you want." His heart sinks as he recalls all those trips he used to take Catherine and Graham on when they were children – to zoos and museums and the cinema, trying to make up for being a bad husband and an even worse father. God forbid he should have to do that again... "Ruth, talk sensibly. We can't get divorced..." She shakes her head and fiddles with her wedding ring, sliding it on and off her finger.

"We can, Harry. We are." The wedding ring comes off her finger and stays off. Softly she lays it on the balcony between them. He feels as though she's punched him in the stomach, and all he can think of is that it was his mother's ring, the ring she wore for thirty years of marriage to his father, the ring that he never even considered giving to Jane when they got married... He swallows. "This isn't professionalism – it's damn heartlessness," he snaps, voice raw with suppressed emotion. She doesn't reply, but merely turns and walks away.

Ruth emerges from the ladies' bathroom some time later, eyes looking vaguely swollen. But she has no opportunity to sneak quietly back to her desk. Beth bounds up, grinning widely and asks, "Ruth, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ruth swallows and forces a smile. It's hard to remain sad when lively, bubbly Beth is around. "Of course," she reassures her. "Is everything alright?" For some reason, Beth looks as though she's about to burst with excitement.

"Yes," she beams. "More than alright. Dimitri and I are going to live together." Ruth's face falls, worried for her friend. Recent experience has given her a healthy fear of fast relationships. "Really? Oh, Beth..." Beth's shoulders slump and the smile fades from her face. "What?" she inquires, somewhat disappointed at the reaction she has provoked. Ruth frowns softly, and twists her hands together, wondering how to express herself. "You don't think it's too soon?" she ventures at last. "You've only been going out for a few months."

Beth flaps an impatient hand, and argues, "So? I know when something's right, and this is right, Ruth!" Her friend and former flatmate is not convinced, however. "Look at me and Harry, Beth!" she whispers heatedly. "I thought that was right. We got married, and six months down the line things aren't working out and I've got to cope with the added responsibility of a child!" Beth is shaking her head, but Ruth pleads with her softly, "Think about this..."

Beth scowls. "No! Don't start projecting your own personal problems on to me. You and Harry have procrastinated for the best part of a decade according to Malcolm. He says you've always argued, and you always will – it's part of the reason you're attracted to each other." Maddened by the fact that Malcolm has been talking about her behind her back, Ruth snaps, "Malcolm knows nothing about it, and he has no right to become the office gossip just because he's the part-timer, either!" Her raised tone of voice makes Tariq, whose desk is nearest, look up in surprise. Beth glares at him until he returns to his work and then pulls Ruth behind the water cooler. "Ruth – open your eyes. Harry loves you! And you love Harry!"

Ruth's eyes blur with tears, but she impatiently brushes them away. "Do I?" she asks harshly. "Well, Beth, if I love him so much, why did I see my solicitor a few days ago and start divorce proceedings?" Beth's eyes widen in shock and she backs away, with the air of having just discovered that Ruth is carrying bubonic plague. "But – y-you can't, Ruth," she stutters. "Harry's upset enough as it is – this'll push him over the edge!" Sighing, Ruth passes a hand over her aching eyes, and confesses, "He already knows."

Beth swallows, and Ruth regrets revealing anything to her. She trusts Beth, but Beth trusts Dimitri, Tariq and Alec as well. Malcolm, of course, already knows. "Don't say anything to anyone else, please, Beth," she begs. Beth gives her an incredulous look and folds her arms.

"You're just going to keep this secret?" she demands. Then she lets out a hollow little laugh and adds sardonically, "That'll be a great notice at briefing one morning – 'Hi everyone! Just so you know, mine and Harry's divorce came through yesterday!'"

Ruth grits her teeth at Beth's admittedly rather good impression of her voice and sighs wearily, "Please, Beth. Everything in it's own time." They stand there for a moment, staring at each other, both refusing to back down. Beth caves first. "I can't believe you and Harry are doing this," she confesses sadly and Ruth is amazed to see that her tough friend's lower lip is quivering. It is a feeling rather akin to having seen Ros Myers smile. Gently, Ruth hugs her. "It's for the best, Beth," she insists. "I can't inflict the relationship Harry and I have at the moment on a child. It just isn't fair."

They part, Beth openly crying now. "But things might get better!" she wails. "Can't you wait a while?" Ruth looks away, struggling to find the words to explain.

"I've waited for ten years, Beth. Perhaps that's enough."

A/N: I feel so awful for doing this to Ruth and Harry, and I'm not currently sure how (or even if) to get them out of it...