Disclaimer not mine

A Mother's Instinct.

"Adam." Ruth hugged her arms across her chest as he drove like a madman towards the nursery school where Catherine had dropped Charlie off less than half an hour earlier. Calum remained silent in the back of the car. "Why her?"

"Why Catherine? Or why Grace?"

"Harry." Calum stated calmly.

"What?" Ruth closed her eyes as Adam swung the car past a cyclist.

"Harry." Calum repeated. "Think about it. Henry was attacked. Juliet has been beaten up. Now, anyone who knows Harry knows the only way to get to him is through you and his kids. There is no way he would even bat an eyelid if he was taken. In fact he'd rather that than have any of you harmed."

"He's right." Adam hissed. Ruth spun round in her seat as the nursery came into sight. A woman was holding a crying baby while a pushchair lay in the road. Ruth had the car door open before Adam had even put his foot on the brakes.

"Ruth!" He yelled in frustration as she unclipped her belt and almost threw herself out of the car. Calum was behind her in seconds as it became clear Grace was letting her displeasure be known to anyone who was within earshot.

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"Harry." Ros walked up to him as he stepped through the Pods.

"I got the message." He barked as Ros fell into step behind him.

"Graham, Terri and Nick are on the way in." Ros stated calmly. She knew what she would be like if either of her kids were in danger. Now it was a twelve week old baby and a young woman in the firing line. "What message? Beth said she couldn't get hold of you." Ros paused as Harry opened his office door.

"The message wasn't from Beth." Harry stated calmly. "Where's Ruth?"

"With Adam and Calum. There was no way they were staying here. Malcolm is tracing CCTV of the area around the nursery. We've found Catherine's car."

"Good." Harry ran a hand over his face. "What is she doing here?" He nodded to where Lucas was trying to deal with an irate looking Juliet. "Is history really repeating itself?"

"Alec brought her in."

"Shag."

"That's a little tamer than what I said. I know all about the code and I know she is involved in all this but I swear to God, Harry. If she gets in my way."

"She won't." Harry got to his feet.

"What message?" Ros repeated just as Zaf walked in the room. Harry sighed heavily before pulling out his mobile phone and placing it on the desk. He pressed a few keys before watching both his junior officers. The distinctly Irish voice of Liam Shaughnessy filled the room.

"Get Tariq to take that apart." Ros stated. Zaf nodded once before meeting Harry's gaze.

"What will you do?"

"Go to Ruth." Harry walked past the pair of them. "It's time this whole mess came to an end."

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"Mrs Pearce." The younger woman walked towards her, still holding Gracie in her arms. The baby cried loudly as Ruth reached them. "I heard the bang, when I came out here Grace was in her pram. Thank God she was strapped in well. Catherine was. I mean. Charlie's mum."

Ruth took the baby from her and looked around. The baby settled almost immediately as Ruth kissed her hair. "Ssh. It's ok. It's ok."

"Catherine screamed. There was a bang, we kept the kids in but I came out when I saw the baby in the road."

"Thank you." Ruth looked at the young nursery worker. "Thank you. "

"Did you see anything else?" Adam asked.

"A car. A car came round the corner really fast. Hit her. I think she pushed the pram away from her, so the car wouldn't hit it."

"Sounds like Cath." Calum shook his head as he saw the blood on the floor. "Where is she?"

"The car stopped and a man dragged her in. The police were called but."

"But once the plates were recognised." Adam looked at Calum who nodded grimly.

"We'd be informed anyway. Ruth. Get Charlie."

"But."

"Come on Ruth. Get Charlie. We'll get the baby checked out at the hospital." Adam took charge as Ruth seemed to go further into shock. "Go. Now." He watched as the young girl from the nursery led Ruth to where Charlie was waiting.

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"It's from an unregistered Pay as You Go." Tariq glared at the phone on his desk. "The message wasn't encrypted."

"No." Malcolm sighed. "That monster wanted Harry to know what it was and who sent it."

"Why now?" Juliet rested against Beth's desk. Her crutches at her side. Alec was keeping a discreet eye on the former spook but knew there was more than a little bad blood between the current spooks and the former officer. The atmosphere was strained to say the least. Shaking his head his eyes followed Harry as the Section Head reached the Pods.

"Who knows?" Lucas answered. "Actually. What do you remember of Operation Fracture?"

"Nothing you'd want to know." Juliet sighed. "It was not a good time. Trust me, when an op went wrong in the 70s they went wrong on a spectacular scale. How Harry wasn't murdered there and then I'll never know."

"Where is Harry?" Dimitri asked as Erin turned to see him leave the Pods.

"He's wearing a tracker." Ros followed Harry, determined that whatever he was going to face he wouldn't be there alone.

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"Cal!" Charlie ran towards Calum with his arms in the air. "Cal!"

"Hello." Calum picked him up and hugged him to him.

"Nanny Roof!"

"Hello you." Ruth touched his hair, relieved that both children seemed relatively unscathed by what was going on around them. She couldn't help the fear that gripped her when she thought who may have taken her step daughter, or whose blood was seeping into the tarmac outside the school. "Let's get you home."

"Where's Mummy?"

"We'll find her." Calum hugged the boy as he spoke. "We'll find her soon."

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Harry closed his eyes as he stared out over the city. He knew his oldest daughter was in trouble. He had no idea what the fate of his other children were. He waited as the footsteps got nearer and nearer, he knew that when he turned around he'd be faced with the man that had waited thirty years to wreak his revenge.

"Harry." The voice made his blood run cold. "Thanks for coming."

"Where is my daughter?" Harry stared out over the city.

"Aye, the wee blonde? She's a pretty thing."

"I swear to God."

"You'll swear to no one." The strong irish accent assaulted his senses. "Now, I thought an intelligent man like yourself would have worked it out by now. First the old bugger Henry gets a taste of what he's owed. Then your fancy woman. Now this."

"Why now?"

"Now? Because I can."

"You."

"Turn around and your grandson grows up an orphan."

"You ba."

"Now, language like that will get you nowhere." Harry narrowed his eyes. "I suggest you listen to the recording I'm leaving you. I know that there's no way you are here on your own but I can deal with that woman when the need arises." Harry closed his eyes once more, aware that Ros would be more than capable of handling herself if the need arose.

"Where is Catherine?"

"The daughter you never even had when we first met? She's a pretty thing. So dainty. Must take after her mother."

"I swear."

"She can't half scream though."

"I am going to kill you." Harry promised. "I swear to God if anything has happened to that girl I will find you and there wont be enough to put in a coffin when I've finished with you."

"Promises, promises."

Ros watched the entire exchange from her vantage point in silence. She knew the man they were chasing was behind Harry. She also knew if she shot him where he stood there was no chance of getting Catherine back or finding out who was leaking information to him. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the man turn and walk away. Harry's shoulders sagged in relief and defeat before he turned and walked away from the edge of the roof. She knew in that moment it was far from over.

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A/N Next time Harry and Ruth. Catherine proves she is her father's daughter and can the rest of the team find the mole and can Gracie's first Christmas be memorable for all the right reasons? Please review xx