Okay, I think this is, in all probability, the end. Gazelle1 I am blaming you entirely for making me write 10 chapters when I'd intended one or two!
"Please go through, Sir Harry. He won't be a moment."
Harry rose from his chair, smiled at her and opened the door.
He entered the office and stood waiting, his hands resting on the smooth back of an antique walnut chair.
He was still in exactly the same position some two and a quarter minutes later when the door opened and he heard the familiar voice.
"Harry, how are you?"
He turned slowly to face the Home Secretary.
Towers was smiling, like the politician he was.
He stopped smiling and looked fleetingly surprised as a right hook smashed into the bridge of his nose.
"I resign."
Harry turned and walked away.
Through a blur of pain and tears, Towers saw only a faint impression of the disappearing figure.
"See you later," the Home Secretary's P.A. said cheerily as Harry strode past.
"I doubt that," he muttered.
And then he smiled.
"How did it go?" asked Ruth as he climbed into the car.
"Very well."
"He accepted your resignation, just like that?'
"I didn't give him a great deal of choice."
He fastened his seat belt.
"Harry, are you sure about this? You're not being too rash?"
He looked at her.
"Rash?" he repeated.
She nodded.
He bit back the tirade of how anything but rash his life concerning her had ever been.
"No, Ruth, I'm not."
He started the car.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said and smiled.
The car pulled away from the kerb and drove off into the traffic.
"Have you heard from him?" Dimitri dropped down into his seat.
"No," said Erin, "His driver said he left him in Cornwall last night but since then his phone has been off."
"Maybe he's found something."
"Indeed I have," announced a voice from behind them.
They turned. Standing by the pod doors was Harry.
And beside him, Ruth.
If she had ever doubted that they had not cared then she knew now how much they did.
They almost ran to her, Erin kissing her and Dimitri engulfing her in a hug, their smiles never faltering.
"We're not staying," said Ruth when they had quietened a little. Harry turned to Erin, "In fact you may want to start moving your things into the office, I imagine it may be yours soon enough."
"You're finishing?" she said simply.
"No, Erin," he smiled, "I'm just starting."
And gently he took Ruth's hand and turned back towards the pods.
"We'll let you know where we are," she said looking back.
As the pod doors closed, Callum walked onto the grid from the forgery suite.
"Was that….?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Yes," said Erin, "she's back."
Harry opened the car door. She stepped forward but paused before climbing in.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Where would you like to go?"
Her brow knotted in concentration but no answer was forthcoming.
He waited and he watched and he concluded that he loved that look more than any other.
She glanced up, "I …" and then she saw his smiling face.
"What?' she said.
His hand reached out and delicately cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. He leant slowly forward, hovering, hesitating for just a moment before his soft warm lips found hers and kissed her with such tenderness that she could have cried had she not waited and wanted for it for so long.
As he finally pulled away they were both smiling.
"I don't care," she said.
His smile faltered.
"I mean, I don't care where we go. It doesn't matter."
The smile was back.
"Then let's just go home, Ruth…together."