A/N: Here's another chapter in honour of my birthday! :D

Chapter 10

Still Saturday 3rd March 2007

When Harry pulls his car to a halt outside Ruth's house four hours later, she lets out a small groan. "What's the matter?" he questions.

Ruth points to a blue Volvo parked on the opposite side of the road. "That's my step-father's car."

"They're still here?"

"He wasn't here before. She must have called him."

"What do you want to do?" he asks. "I can turn the car around and-"

"No. I'll have to go in. My mother is an experienced curtain-twitcher; she'll have seen us already." Ruth pauses as she prepares to face her mother again. "Would you…" she begins but trails off, embarrassed.

"You want me to come in with you?"

"Would you? I know it's terribly cowardly but-"

"Nonsense," Harry objects, opening the car door and stepping out. "Come on."

Ruth lets them in and as they are taking their coats off, her mother and step-father appear from the living room.

"Where on earth have you been?" her mother demands, but doesn't wait for an answer. "Running away, hiding. Such a childish thing to do. How can you expect to raise a child of your own if you're going to behave like that?"

Harry sees Ruth's face fall and begins to seethe with anger; all his protective instincts surfacing. "I actually think it was a very sensible thing to do. In her current condition Ruth shouldn't be exposed to stress. She did the best thing for the health and well-being of both herself and her child."

"And who might you be?" Ruth's mother sports a look that Harry is sure has unnerved many over the years, but as someone who has faced the types of people he has, he's not in the least bit intimidated by it. "You can't be the father because he's not involved, apparently. And he's married." Elizabeth practically spits the last word in disgust.

Harry opens his mouth to defend Ruth but she herself gets in first. "This is Harry, he's a…friend." Before her mother can start on another tirade, Ruth continues. "Look Mum, I know you don't agree with my decision to bring this baby up alone but, to be quite frank, it's none of your business. This is my life and my baby. Now you can shout and scream at me all you want but it's not going to change anything and…if you're not happy with that then you know where the door is."

"Right. If that's how you feel. Come along David; we're leaving," she announces, moving past Ruth towards the door.

Ruth's stepfather follows dutifully behind. He reminds Harry of the character of Richard, the hen-pecked husband in Keeping Up Appearances. David, stops when he gets to Ruth and puts his hand on her arm. "Your mother will get used to the idea," he assures. "Congratulations."

"Thanks David," replies Ruth before excusing herself and retreating to the kitchen.

David turns to Harry. "It was nice to meet you Harry. Take care of her."

"I will."

He hands Harry a business card. "If anything happens you'll call, yes?"

"Of course," Harry assures, taking the small card and tucking it into his pocket.

"David!" screeches Elizabeth from outside.

"Sorry but I'd better…" he gestures to the door and Harry nods his understanding. Once he's seen David out, he goes in search of Ruth.

Entering the kitchen, he finds her leaning forwards against the counter. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she tells him, but he sees the tracks of her tears on her face and knows that she isn't.

"She'll come round."

"Will she? I'm not so sure."

"Your step-father certainly seems to think so."

"That doesn't fill me with confidence. He's lovely but he doesn't have a history of accuracy when it comes to assessments of my mother. I thought if I stood my ground she'd back down. I suppose I should have known better."

"Come here," he beckons, reaching out to her. She's reluctant at first, but the need for comfort outweighs her embarrassment and she runs to him, burying her head in his chest. He rubs comforting circles on her back until her tears subside. "Right, you need to relax," he tells her when she's calm again. "I'm going to run you a bath, then order us some food."

Ruth emerges from the bathroom to a delicious smell filling the house. She dresses quickly and finds Harry has ordered Chinese. They talk and laugh while they eat, continuing on from the night before. Ruth enjoys spending a second consecutive evening with Harry, but is quick to remind herself not to get too used to it.

The sun sets and the night draws on, neither really noticing until Harry happens to glance at the clock and see it's past ten.

"I'd better get home. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes. Go on. Poor Scarlett will be wondering where you've got to."

Harry shrugs on his coat and Ruth follows him to the door to see him off. "Goodnight Ruth. I'll see you on Monday."

"Goodnight Harry, and thank you."

He places a kiss on her forehead. "Anytime."

Monday 5th March 2007 2.35pm

Harry emerges from the pods, back from his meeting in Whitehall and heads straight to Ruth's desk. "Have you got the-?"

"Intelligence briefing? Yes, I just finished it," she tells him, handing him the manila folder.

"Have Jo and Ros-"

"Checked in? Twenty minutes ago. No developments. Next check in is due at 1.05." Harry marvels at her ability to finish his sentences. Zaf meanwhile, looks on from his desk, making a mental note to alter the odds slightly on the book.

"Good. Any messages?" Ruth hands him a small stack of notes. "Right. Well, I'll be in my office returning these calls then."

Ruth watches him walk away from her towards his office and sighs. Spending so much time with him over the weekend was wonderful but it wasn't healthy. Yet she knows that if the opportunity ever presents itself again she won't refuse. Maybe she's a masochist, but the pleasure of spending time with him is worth pain of knowing they can't be together the way they both want to be.

Harry sits down at his computer and his expression falls as he looks at his screen. He picks up the phone and stabs a number into the keypad before shouting down the receiver for several minutes. His conversation finished, he slams the phone back into the cradle, picks it up and launches it at the wall, which it hits with an almighty crash. Then he slumps into his chair defeated.

Hearing the commotion, Ruth looks up and is quickly on her feet. She hurries to his office, sliding the door open without knocking. "Harry?" He doesn't look up. "Harry?" she repeats approaching him. It's only when she puts her hand on his shoulder that he realises she's there and lifts his head. "Harry, what's happened?"

"There's been an explosion in Lebanon," he whispers hoarsely. Ruth knew what that meant before Harry uttered his next words; they had only been talking about it at dinner on Friday. "Catherine was in the building."