Thanks for all of your great reviews. Sorry for the emotional rollercoaster this story seems to be travelling on but its nearly there now! Hope you like this twist and it's not too much of let down! R&R and let me know…

It had not been a good day. After all these years she had come to know the signs- the absence of her smile, the lack of conversation. Now, as she watched her daughter silently plate up food for them, she knew better than to ask.

"Rosie missed you today, love."

Erin smiled weakly at her Mother in response, as she placed a hot pan back down to cool. Her Mother pushed on, "She was asking if you're free to come to her school concert next week?"

Erin shot a wary look across the room. "You know it's not that simple. I'd be there if I could!" Both women stood staring at one another, the possibility of continuing this conversation further hanging heavily between them. Suddenly the doorbell rang, causing Erin to jumped so violently that the peas she had been busy plating up abruptly spilt all over the floor. "Shit!"

"I'll get it" sighed her Mother, leaving the kitchen. She had never known her this distant. She could not help but worry just what the hell had happened to make this day worse than the rest.

"Hello. Can I help you?" There, stood on the doorstep stood two people dressed in black. The man wore a grave face while the woman's seemed to age her considerably beyond her years.

Before either could speak a fourth person joined them in the doorway.

"Who are you?"

"Now Rosie. That's not very polite!" scorned her Grandmother.

"Sorry Nan. Who are you, please?"

Ruth smiled warmly and crouched down so that she was now on level with the little girl. Offering her hand in a handshake she spoke gently. "My name is Ruth and this here is Harry. And you must be Rosie."

Suddenly shy, the little girl slid her arm around her Grandmother's leg and smiled meekly at Ruth. "Yes" she whispered.

"Rosie?"

All parties froze as Erin stopped dead in the doorframe. They all stood rigid for a charged moment, waiting for somebody to light the match. It was Ruth who finally broke the silence. "Rosie, Harry here needs to a have little talk with your Mummy, so how about you, Nan and I go and put the kettle on?"

Erin's Mother stared from the woman now knelt on the doorstep to her daughter. Erin's face was grey and tears had begun to fall steadily down her cheeks. "Erin..?" queried her Mother as she felt her stomach knot uncontrollably.

"Mum. Please!" she whispered. Ruth could sense the older lady's fear and offered her the most reassuring smile she could before clambering to her feet. "Shall we?" she offered as she led Rosie and her Grandmother off to the small kitchen and quickly shut the door behind them.

Erin and Harry continued to stare at each other long after the door had closed. Despite the fact the others had left the hallway, the small space seemed to be more crowded than ever. Finally Erin spoke, her voice a mere cracked whisper. "Harry…I…I'm so sorry. I…"

"You drove her to her death." His voice was cold and sharp and each word stabbed painfully at the pit of her stomach.

"I…I had no choice, Harry!" With that he stepped quickly over the threshold and advanced towards her. Roughly grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her back against the wall, he shook her vigorously.

"There's always a choice Erin! Don't bullshit me!" he spat.

"No! No Harry!" she stammered through trembling sobs. "They were going to take her. They said it was either you two or Rosie! That was my choice! You see, I had no choice!"

She let out an almighty gasp for air before allowing all of her emotions to crash though her at once. As her felt her tremble in his grasp, Harry felt her words register heavily on his heart. "I'm so sorry Harry" she shook as waves of despair spilled from her.

He looked at her and he saw his own pain etched on her face. He saw the ability to love another more than anything else in the world and he understood. He understood only too well.

Tenderly, Harry drew her into him and rocked her gently as she cried relentlessly against him. "I couldn't lose my baby. I could let them take her!"

"What the hell is going on?" hissed Erin's Mother as she passed Ruth a steaming mug of tea. Rosie was sat between the two women, munching happily on her recently rescued dinner.

Ruth took a fleeting sip of hot tea and smiled as kindly as she could at her. "Mrs. Watts…" she began.

"Please. Call me Maggie."

"Maggie. My name is Ruth and myself and the gentleman out there," she nodded towards the door, "work with your daughter." Maggie gave her a knowing glance. "I take it you know what your daughter does for a living."

"Yes I bloody know!" she snapped, unreasonably. Ruth did not flinch, but merely took another sip of her tea, allowing Maggie to vent against the silence. She understood the fear and uncertainty that came with their job. She also knew that fear and love for others often clouded rational thought and conduction.

"Do you work with my Mummy at the cinema?" Ruth raised her eyebrow sutably in Maggie's direction.

"Mummy sometimes sees scary films at work and they make her a bit frightened when she gets home, isn't that right Rosie?" Maggie justified as a way of explanation. Ruth felt her stomach tighten and her heart swell as she, once more, found herself short changed by the mere cost of their job. She smiled warmly at Rosie and spoke softly.

"Yes I work with your Mummy."

"Is Mummy naughty at work? Is that why she has to stay late all the time?"

Ruth placed her mug slowly on the table and turned to fully face the small child. "No." she whispered, emotion thick on her voice and her eyes. "No. Your Mummy is very good at her job. So good, in fact, that she likes to stay late to make sure everybody at the cinema is happy and watching what they should be, not looking at all of the messy things that we have to… sort out."

An involuntary sob from Ruth left told her that Maggie's fear had now intensified ten fold. Rosie on the other hand seemed oblivious to the growing tension, and instead shovelled another forkful of mashed potato into her mouth before asking "Like a broken popcorn machine? That would be really messy!"

Ruth smiled through her sorrow. She had forgotten how refreshing the innocence and naivety of youth really could be. "Yes. Exactly like that."

A sudden banging from the hallway and raised voices made them all sit to attention. Maggie made to stand at the sound of her daughter's hysterical wailing, but found herself halted by Ruth's soft hand on her shoulder. Rosie looked between the two and Ruth was ashamed to see a growing look of alarm in the young girl's face.

"Don't worry sweetie." She said kindly. "I bet Harry and Mummy are just playing a game."

"Yes" seethed Maggie facing Ruth with an incredulous look in her eyes. "Yes I bet it's a game your lot are only too good at playing!"

"Can I play?"

Both women's gaze dropped to the small child and neither seemed to find any words to fill the impending silence.

As her sobs subsided, Erin stilled in his arms and he felt her tense against him. Drawing back from him she lifted her pained face to meet his. "I really am so s…"

"Don't be. Believe me, I've been there. I know, you are right. There is no choice."

Harry dropped heavily down onto the bottom step, exhausted. Erin followed suit and they found themselves sitting and blankly staring into the suddenly crowded hall way.

"Albany?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Research. Hearsay. Seeing you two together."

He conceded her point by intensifying the deafening silence.

"How did you get out? I mean… how did you…the bomb?"

Harry turned to face the woman sat beside him. He leant close to her and whispered chillingly in her ear. "You tell me Ms. Watts. How do you think we got out?"

She swallowed hard and refused to meet his gaze. "I think… I think that there was a certain circuit component missing from the bomb." Nothing. "I think that you knew you could not defuse the bomb without it." Silence. "I believe you also knew that a circuit component can be replicated by a pure metal substance." It was only now that she allowed herself to look at him. Their eyes held in mutual understanding.

"Like gold maybe?" he suggested.

"Yes."

"A gold engagement ring, perhaps?"

It was her turn to remain silent.

"What I don't understand Erin is why. You knew Ruth had the ring. You knew the component was missing. I would like to think that you would at least consider the possibility that between us we might work it out!"

"What they didn't know couldn't hurt them, Harry" she retorted.

"Yes. But, what they didn't know could have considerably hurt your daughter."

Long moments passed, in which both allowed their eyes to lull into separate worlds of pain, anguish and bitter realisation.

Twenty minutes and many tense moments later, the kitchen door finally swung open.

"Mummy! Look! I eated up all my peas! Am I a good girl?"

Erin walked slowly across the room and knelt in front of her daughter. Gently she stroked the little girl's face before drawing her into a firm and over reaching hug.

"Yes" she breathed. "Yes, sweetie. You are such a good girl." Rosie found herself suffocated by her Mother's sudden embrace and wriggled free from her slightly. "Mummy. Stop it! You're hurting me."

"No." Erin drew back from her, but kept a firm hold of her daughter's arms. Shaking her gently she spoke with a piercing determination. "You listen to me. No one is ever going to hurt you, do you hear me? No one! Never! I won't let them ever hurt you!" Once more she drew her close and Rosie sensed that this time it was best t let her do so.

"Well, Ms. Watts. I believe I've taken up enough of you weekend, and God knows you've taken up more than enough of mine." Maggie shot him a disbelieving and unequivocal look. Harry merely nodded to Ruth who stood and walked silently to his side. He motioned for her to leave them alone. As they made their way along the hall, Harry stopped and called back over his shoulder. "Oh, and Erin. I'll see you on Monday, yes?"

As the door shut behind them, Ruth finally allowed herself to look at him. He, however, stared blankly into the depth of the night. Tenderly, she squeezed his arm. "Harry? Harry, shall I call us a cab?"

Catching her hand firmly under his she noticed with a heavy heart as his finger traced the bare skin where her engagement ring had rested. He let out a deep breath, but did not face her. "Walk with me Ruth."

She did. They walked silently along the scarcely lit streets, Harry seemingly still lost in his own thoughts and memories of the previous day. Ruth knew well enough not to push him. He would talk in his own time.

As they turned the corner she suddenly found herself pinned roughly to the brick wall. He kissed her hungrily and drew every inch of her close to him. He pressed hard against her and allowed his fingers to trail every part of her aching body. He could not get enough of her. His senses screamed painfully to be filled with her. His heart exploded violently with his love for her.

When he finally drew his lips from hers, he seemed to be panting slightly. She reached up a warm hand and was not surprised to find his cheeks damp from tears.

"Talk to me."

"They were going to hurt her. They threatened Rosie."

Ruth gasped, horrified. "Who?"

Gently he brushed his cheek against her hand and lent slowly forward until their foreheads rested against each other.

"Harry. Who?"

"The Home Secretary."

Okay! So like I said- please forgive the poetic license taken with the defusing of bombs- but, hey, as long as it sounded a little bit convincing! Two more chapters I think Hope this one made sense- not sure if I tried to cram too much into one chapter but I had fun writing it anyway so hope you enjoy reading