I know I'm going to get reviews about the fact that the characters are so unlike the ones we know... about the lack of stiff upper lips so typical of British people. I thought that repressing emotions with everyone around might be the way to go... for them... as a culture, but in a one on one relationship with someone you love, one might not repress as much. I can't imagine someone never showing how they really feel, that would drive me banana. Harry hasn't changed that much, you'll see as we go further in the story, but right now he's only with Ruth and in order to be with her, he's got to be in touch with his emotions and so does she. They've been dancing and repressing for 10 years and it's obviously not working. They're not crazy, they won't keep on repeating what doesn't work. At least that's how I see it.

This chapter the ones that are to follow won't come as far... like one a day. My chest wound took a turn and the infection is back which means treatments and all that. Sorry about that but don't worry, the story is already all outlined, I just need some tweaking.

Reviews… I need reviews… my precious….

Chapter 10

Everything has changed. Ruth is deliriously happy and Harry loves like never before. With the help of the physiotherapist, Harry is now involved in Ruth's exercise regimen. The lotion rubbing and the massage have started again and Harry is adamant that he's to be the only one allowed to do them and to him it makes perfect sense.

"Come on, Beautiful, are you telling me that you wouldn't mind having a pretty nurse touch me all over, her hands on every inch of my skin." His self-righteous expression tells her that he believes he won the argument.

She tries not to let jealousy override the point she's trying to make. Of course she would mind. No one touches what's hers; however Harry doesn't need to know that.

"I'd be ok with it, as long it's part of a therapy and not from some shady parlour."

However the glare in her eyes and the expression of disdain on her face tells him she better not find him with a woman's hand all over him, therapeutic or otherwise. He loves when she turned all proprietary on him.

"I don't know why I never notice before but you are a terrible liar my love." He leans over her to brush his lips against hers. "Terrible, terrible liar." His lips move to her forehead before he speaks again.

"I don't want any other woman touching me but you and from now on I'm the only man who will touch your delectable body… deal with it."

"You are such a caveman." Her laugh and the kisses she lays on his neck tell him, not for the first time, she likes his cavemen ways.

Her condition is progressing nicely and her arms are now strong enough to handle a wheel chair. Coordination is still a bit lacking but they found some exercises that involves Harry's body and the use of fine dexterity skills that are very satisfying to both of them. Her legs, however, are still not cooperating.

He's sitting in a chair, reading by her bed, holding her hand while she's relaxing quietly sitting and looking at him. A frown appears on his face, he lowers the book and looks at her with a quizzical look.

"Do you think Malcom brought this book on purpose?"

Her eyes tells him she had no idea what he is referring to while her gentle smile shows how entertaining she thinks he is. He gets up slowly and moves to her bed like a tiger spotting his prey. Ruth keeps on looking at him, her eyes now perusing his body from head to toe. He didn't get her infatuation with looking at him but who is he to argue. If it made her happy, she could look to her heart's content.

"Enjoying the view, Beautiful." He asks with a sparkle in his eyes.

Her laugh resounded in the room like chimes in a gentle breeze. He loves her laugh.

"So very much Mon Coeur. Have I mentioned how I like your new body, all toned and rippling muscles?

"You might have once or twice." He answers with amusement. "Hey baby doll, wanna see my big guns." He utters pulling his arm up in a strong man pose, fist closed and showing the definition of his biceps.

Ruth roars in laughter. "That is the worse American accent ever, Mon Coeur."

He kisses her hard and looked at her menacingly. "Admit it Beautiful. He chose that book on purpose and you know it. However you healed faster than Malcom predicted."

Ruth tried to look scared by the look he gave her and failed miserably. "I won't admit anything. My name is Ruth Evershed and I don't have a rank or a serial number." Playful Harry was a new occurence and very, very hard thing to resist.

"I will break you lady. You will tell me." He leaned closer moving his hand to her waist he starts tickling her.

He loved her laugh and tickling her was the fastest way he could get it. It was an addiction by now. He was obsessed with getting her to laugh. It was also highly erotic, he never thought of tickling as foreplay and knew it was rather juveline to do so but when she laughs like she is laughing he wasn't strong enough to resist.

"No… please Harry… stop… please… don't…" She's trying to move away from him but he takes advantage of her lack of coordination or space on the bed.

"Admit and I'll stop." He's growling and chuckling at the same time.

Ruth's face is distorted in laughter as his fingers keep on torturing her. "I don't know… why… Uncle! Uncle… please stop." She's screaming now. "How… could I know… I was unconscious when he brought the books, I don't know. Harry… I… can't breathe."

Harry ceases retaliation and kisses her again before planting his eyes in hers. "That book is really good and I can't put it down… but and it's a major but, nobody mentioned that there are 7 books to the Cursed Kings and that not all of them are translated in English. It's 11th century French, Ruth. I'll be a grandfather by the time I finish the bloody thing. Some of the words are not even in the dictionary. What the hell does 'ocsir' means."

"It means to kill or to die, depending on the context."

Of course she would know the meaning of a 11th century word… in French no less. She impresses me still.

Harry considered himself a well-read man, one with a pretty good cultural knowledge but compare to her illiterate.

"Why wouldn't it say I'm going to kill you." His indignation shows and he starts tickling her again to appease it.

She's rolling on the bed, laughing so hard a few tears fell from her eyes. Suddenly, Harry's fingers stopped but stay on her waist. She lifts her eyes to look at him and gasps at the emotion she could read on his face.

"God. Ruth. You're so damn beautiful, you make me forget my name and when you laugh I forget to breathe."

Tucking his cheeks in her hand Ruth is about to answer him but he doesn't let her.

"I know, I know, you told be several times before, you're a plain Jane, nothing exceptional. Don't say it please. I wish you could see yourself the way I do. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, the complete package, inside and out. You're nature is admirable and your appearance mind blowing."

A shy smile on her face distracts him and he hardly hears her words. "I love you so much Harry and I'm so happy… makes me feel incredible and it must show in my appearance."

He leans over and takes her lips with his, putting all his love in a scorching kiss. He climbs in the bed and cover her with his body, kissing her to make her forget her name. At this moment, he would give anything to be inside her. Anything to feel her around him… under him, moving her hips to meet his…

Abruptly, the noise of the door opening interrupts them. Before the person comes in the room, Harry is off the bed and facing the door, ready to protect Ruth. A panting Cheryl starts talking, a haunted look in her eyes.

"Harry, someone just asked for you. A man… late 20's early 30's, he wasn't on the list of visitor you gave me. As you asked me, I told him I didn't know who you were and sent him to registry. You are not a patient so they have no idea who you are… it should be safe."

Harry turned his head to look at Ruth and the anxiety he was feeling was obvious to her. The mask was truly gone. Turning back to the nurse Harry asked in a calm and control voice.

"Did he ask for Ruth or Rose."

"That's the strange part." Cheryl replies. "No mention of any other name but yours."

"Did he give you his name." He asks not showing the trepidation he was feeling at the idea of a possible threat to Ruth.

"I asked but he diverted giving me an answer. That's what made me cautious. Something about him wasn't right. I know how people ask for someone they care about. He didn't. "

"Thank you. That was quick thinking on your part. "

Cheryl's face showing concern she couldn't keep herself from asking.

"So I'm not being paranoid. It might be something… unsavoury."

Harry gave her a smile. "How very British of you. I don't think it's anything… unsavoury. It might just be about another Harry Pearce. I can't be the only one with the name."

"I'm so glad you never used your real names." She says letting go of the breath she didn't realise she was holding.

"I never do, as a procedure my agent are always under an assume name. Usually when one of my team is hurt, it's never because people were nice to them."

Lead by a mischievous streak, Cheryl adds. "And yet I know your real names?" She knew very well that the man wasn't happy about slipping too many times to count by using their real names. She couldn't resist teasing him about it. For the last 4 or 5 days, he had greatly changed… since the day Ruth had threatened anyone coming into the room with certain death.

"You, Steven and Dr. Singh know. I trust you with Ruth life, I trust you with our identities." Harry said in a serious tone.

The corner of Cheryl's mouth lifts in a smile. "That and the fact that you were so distraught with Ruth's condition that you couldn't keep up with the deception."

Harry heard a giggle coming from the bed. He didn't need to turn around to see hilarity on Ruth's face.

"That too." The lift in his voice showed he was amused. Holding Cheryl's hand in his, he hid his unease from her trying to be reassuring. "Don't worry about it. Keep an eye out just in case but I don't see any reason for alarm. Thank you for the warning, you're a good woman."

"I will keep an eye… discreetly." With these last words Cheryl left to go back to her work.

Harry braced himself before turning around, knowing Ruth wouldn't be as easily distracted.

"If I didn't know better I'd say she's having fun… at playing spies."

Ruth looked at him daring him to keep the charade going. "Harry?"

He walked up to her, sat on the side of the bed before taking her hand in his in reassurance.

"I'm not going to lie to you, we promise each other that much. I don't like it but I'm not worried yet. It might be nothing at all. I'll ask Erin to look around without attracting attention and see if there's interest in me or you in the background noise."

She squeezed his hand in a gesture of trust. "I'm not worried. Harry I trust you'll do everything to keep me safe. I just want you to try as hard to keep yourself safe. I need you, I'm so afraid of losing you now that I have you. More than anything I need you to not keep me in the dark."

"I won't, I promise. My first reaction would be to protect you from danger, in every way possible but it wouldn't be prudent. Not knowing the situation you might do something that would put yourself in danger." His eyes full of humour he couldn't resist mocking her. "There are no branches available around these woods."

Ruth knew his remark was all in good humour and trying to lighten the mood.

"Harry, it was a long time ago, don't you think it's about time that story dies. Branches were all that was available to me. Guns don't grow on trees you know."

"I love you my branch wielding wench. You saved Adam that day and added to your legend." He kissed her cheek his eyes sparkling at her.

"Be serious… I'm not a legend." She slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Oh but you are. You're the best analyst MI-5 ever had and you were put in situation that only field agent would be expected to handle… too many times for my comfort. I've always been so proud of the way you carry yourself… proud and terrified at the same time. The thought of you in danger would kill me every time."

She gave him a teary smile. His fear for her was part of the way he loved her. He had to admit he was indeed a bit of a caveman when it came to her.

"Harry. I love how you love me. As long as you were by my side I was never really afraid. I knew you would and will save me every time. I intend that you and I die of old age, Mon Coeur."

The trust she had in him was the ultimate turn on. He had to kiss her, his need for her felt overwhelming. Taking her in his arms, he kissed her slowly and thoroughly, his tongue invading her mouth, tasting her, rediscovering the softness and the wetness that was her. It was still so new to have the freedom to kiss or touch her. Every kiss felt new yet different as they were a journey in the physicality of their relationship. In his heart, he had loved her for almost a decade, but to be able to express that love was a voyage of discovery in sensuality.

In the middle of all the screaming and pleading, Ruth and Harry didn't hear the knock on the door or the gasp coming from the man standing in the doorway.

"Harry, Ruth…" William Towers didn't dare come any further into the room. He couldn't believe his eyes. His head of counter terrorism tickling his security advisor. Nobody would believe him if he told.

Upon hearing his name Harry turned around. "Home Secretary, what a surprise. We didn't expect you." Harry stood up and walked to him to shake his hand as if he and Ruth were just having tea. Ruth, on the other hand, was straightening her clothes, her cheeks a deep crimson, as much from embarrassment as from the exertion of being tickled by Harry.

"It's fairly obvious; you didn't expect visits this afternoon." Unknown to most Towers was a man who couldn't resist a good teasing and this situation was too good to pass.

"Would you rather I come back another time so that you can resume your… activities."

Harry gave him a stare that probably made bureaucrats everywhere shiver. Turning back to Ruth, he looked at her face worry all over his. Still he turned back to his boss glaring a little more at the oblivious man.

Bloody Man…. She'll pull away and never let me touch her again.

Harry felt his body jerk in surprise when, from behind him, he heard Ruth's giggling.

"Please, Sir, stay. I'm dying to hear about work. Harry refuses to tell me about anything outside of this room."

Towers was not going to be deter from the tickling situation with shop talks.

"Is tickling part of a new sort of therapy, Harry?"

The answer from Harry came through right away as he chuckled a little. "Of course Sir. Everything I do is to help Ruth heal so she can be back in your service as soon as possible." Harry had a smug expression… a grandiosely pompous expression. "You know, laughter produces endorphin which promotes healing. I'm only thinking of you in everything I do… of course." The tone of his voice was all sugar and honey.

Ruth chuckled and Harry thought he heard the other man mumble something that sounded like 'snooty prick'. Harry kept on going adding insult to injury.

"Aren't personnel evaluation do soon Sir? I'm hoping for a 'more than satisfactory' rating this year. It would do for a nice change."

Towers had a painful expression on his face but Harry had to turn around at the sound of Ruth laughing. She was sitting in bed holding her ribs in merriment.

That is the best laugh ever. That is THE laugh. I want to hear it while I'm inside her. My God! Harry Pearce, shut your brain. You are turning into an old libidinous man.

Ruth's voice burst between laughs. "You may as well give up William. Harry is more condescending than ever these days. I haven't been able to win a single argument against him and the display of arrogance is quite irritating at times."

Said man turned back to the Home Secretary glaring at the man.

"What?" Towers asked.

"Since when are you on a first name basis with your security advisor? Sir."

The 'Sir' was given on a tone that sounded like a polite insult. Such poisonous sweetness of tone required a singular talent in subtlety.

"Come on Harry. You don't expect Ruth to call me Mr. Towers or Home Secretary; do you now?"

"Why not?" Harrry was back to the glaring part of their conversation.

Towers was quite surprised with Harry's behaviour. He had always been protective of Ruth but this was a claiming of sort if he ever saw one. "Because we work together and…"

"I don't care." The glaring turned into glowering. Towers was almost sure he heard a growl with the look he was given.

"Harry… play nicely." That last remark came from Ruth. Harry turned back to her, indignation all over his face which resulted in watching the love of his life giggle some more.

Towers' voice rose behind him. "See Harry, I told you before; you have to learn to play nicely with other children."

"Oh… don't doubt it William." Ruth smiled at both man. "Harry can play very… very nicely when he wants to."

Towers planted his eyes in Harry's. "I believe that judging from the screaming I heard before from your… girlfriend?"

The smug was back on Harry's face… exponentially.

"Really William." Ruth intervened. "I'm much too old to be anyone's girlfriend."

"You're not too old, Ruth, not you. You are the picture of youth and vibrancy…" Towers answered her with a flirting smile.

To Harry, it was evident that Towers was toying with him, but it still made him feel like doing bodily harm to the man. Nobody… nobody flirted with his woman. She was his…

Mine…mine… she is mine. Hmm… She might be right; I may be a bit of a Neanderthal when it comes to her.

The Home Secretary was enjoying himself too much to care about Harry's musing. He was still jousting with Ruth. "And may I suggest you find a boyfriend who's not acting like a 10 year old boy gathering his pretty marbles. I feel I should expect him to pull on your pigtails next… Really aren't you both too old for tickling matches. "

Harry decided that this was the perfect moment to test Ruth's resolve. Towers was a known factor and if asked to not breathe a word of what he was witnessing, Harry was pretty sure he wouldn't. It was a calculated risk but a risk just the same. Should he? Was it too soon to address the elephant? Turning around, his eyes directed at Ruth, Harry spoke up.

"Actually Sir, if I may. We are acting like two people very much in love with one another."

Deciphering every emotion on Ruth's face, he saw surprise and fear, then acceptance and finally love. The look she gave him as her lips spread into a tender smile made his heart speed up. He heard Towers gasp from behind him before he heard the words from the man.

"About time. You two have been dancing long enough. May I congratulate you on finally seeing the light?"

Harry though that it would be indicated to kill two birds with one stone and alleviate any further… inconvenience.

"Being that you now know of my relationship with your security advisor, may I expect you to… restrain your eagerness in appreciating her. I'd hate to get an unmistakable drop in my personnel evaluation because of my actions if you kept on flirting with her."

Ruth's eyebrow went up and her expression reminded him that bullying the other children didn't equate to playing nicely.

The look Harry gave her was pure innocence. "What…you can't really expect me to let him flirt with you without threatening him with some type of admonishment."

She loudly sighs in aggravation. "You are such a brute, Mon Coeur. It's a wonder I fell in love with you."

He walked over and leaning he took her lips in a quick but heated kiss. "But you did and you do, sweetheart… deal with it."

A throat clearing sound grabbed their attention. His mouth still inches from hers, Harry looked deeply into her eyes, expressing his love for her.

"Yes Home Secretary. Are you trying to explain the reason for your visit, other than flirting with my… my… partner?" His voice showed he liked the word and just like that smugness was back on his face.

Towers became serious at once. "Actually I did want to see how Ruth was doing but there is another reason for my being here… It seems Sasha Gavrik is back in England even though the last time he was here, it was strongly suggested to him that he shouldn't return to this country ever again."

Both Ruth and Harry look at him a puzzled expression on her face, a worried one on his. The Home Secretary didn't give them time to react as he added.

"Actually, we only found out he was here when he came here… looking for you, Harry. He used a false identity and cover his track pretty. We don't know why but may I suggest you don't dawdle around. It's not Ruth he wanted to stab."

"Harry…" Ruth's voice was no more than a whisper filled with concern. "Can you put a protective detail on him, William." It was Harry who answered her question.

"Absolutely not. I don't need protection and to block his access to me would only make him take further step that might only endanger people around me. He risked a lot coming back so there has to be a good reason for his return. We need to know why."

"But Harry…"

"No buts Ruth. Last time he tried to get to me, you died. Do you think I would do anything to keep him from me now and risk someone else getting hurt?"

It was obvious to Towers and Ruth that the memory of what happen was still of very painful one to Harry.

"I worry about you, Mon Coeur."

"And I about you, Sweetheart. Don't worry about me. I can defend myself."

Towers interrupted him. "Harry… he's FSB and well trained. We can't let him roam around as if nothing happened. He stabbed a British subject on British soil. He needs to be made accountable for that. We are still tailing him, let us deal with him."

The determination in Harry body language was obvious. He had no intention of not involving himself in the matter but his words surprised both Towers and Ruth.

"Very well Sir, I will let you deal with it. I'll be here if you need anything from me."

Eyes squinting, looking at his head of counter terrorism, Towers studied the man carefully.

"Don't be patronizing Harry. You have no intention of not getting involved."

"I wasn't being patronizing Sir. I'm sorry I made you feel this way. I was agreeing with you in order to settle the situation… to your satisfaction."

"Oh thank you so much for not trying to be patronizing. Harry I'm serious I don't want you involved."

"And I'm just as serious…" Harry hissing voice answered. "I'm already involved, he's looking for me and I want to know why. Sir, you know me. You know I can't let anyone deal with this."

Towers took a deep breath willing himself to do battle with the man he's come to care about but he was interrupted.

"One would believe that one of you would think of asking the opinion of their security advisor on a security matter or the person one is in love with and directly concerned." Ruth's tone was even more patronizing then the one used by Harry earlier. She wasn't happy about being left out, that much was obviously clear.

Both men answered at the same time, in a tone stating their unwillingness to even consider her having a word in the situation.

"Ruth…"