This chapter is set in 5.3 and uses some dialogue from that episode at the beginning. Harry's attempts to contact Catherine are mentioned in his diary. Thank you all for your continued support. S.C.

15 July 2006 – Adam

"What do you mean we have to let him go?!" he demands, beyond livid at the injustice. That man almost killed Jo and Harry bloody well knows it.

"Six want him back in Africa working for them."

"Six?! Six are partly responsible for this mess! Why didn't they know what was happening in Zahir?"

"I don't know." Harry sounds just as disillusioned as he feels and it serves to calm him a little. "But Africa is a key battleground and Kallis can help us now."

"You can't let this happen."

"It's out of my hands," Harry replies, looking resigned and it makes Adam turn away in disappointment and disgust. He doesn't understand how Harry copes with this part of his job, the compromises that bend their moral code to near breaking point, all the bloody politics involved. They have to deal with and turn some very unsavoury characters in their job, but he believes that there should be a line that's never crossed and some people should be thrown to the wolves regardless of how useful they might be as assets in the field. It's just not right for them to get away with murder like this, and if an example isn't made of them, others will just take their place, over and over again.

"I don't like it any more than you do," Harry murmurs, "but what I don't like even more right now is that we've lost the bomb."

He sighs, taking a seat across from Harry. "We still know where it's going to though. It all comes down to Zaf now."

Harry just nods, rising from his seat and talking over to his drinks cabinet. "Whisky?" he offers.

"Alright," Adam agrees – he could use a drink to take the edge off a little. There's nothing to do but wait for Zaf to get what they need and it's late – he should be getting home to Wes.

"How's Wes?" Harry asks, as if reading his mind.

"He's great," Adam replies, taking the glass Harry hands him. "Thanks," he adds and takes a sip. "Jenny's very good with him and he's doing much better. It's amazing really how resilient children are. He's sleeping well again and he's started to take an interest in rugby at school."

"That's good," Harry agrees, looking genuinely pleased to hear that. "You should bring him to the dog track again one day."

"Yeah, he'd like that."

He watches Harry take a sip of his drink, wondering again why he would take Ruth out when he's married. It hasn't sat well with him since Jo told him about their dinner date. He feels a kind of brotherly duty to protect Ruth, even if she's a grown woman – older than him, in fact – and very capable of making her own choices in life. Maybe it's because she sometimes comes across as being incredibly naive for someone in their profession.

Jo had said that maybe Harry's separated from his wife or is divorced or something, saying that she's sure Ruth wouldn't have an affair with him, and he has to agree with her on that point. Ruth struggles so much with the morality and ethical implications of their work, that he thinks an affair would be something she wouldn't be able to cope with or forgive herself for.

Well, this it the perfect opportunity to find out for certain and he determines suddenly to get to the bottom of it. "What about your children?" he asks, easing into the subject. "What are they up to these days?"

Adam thinks Harry seems pleased to have been asked though it's hard to be certain with Harry. "Graham's working for a publishing house now, and Catherine's still making documentaries. I talked to her just the other day, in fact, tried to convince her to leave Gaza, but I've no idea if she'll listen."

"Christ! That must be a worry," Adam replies, knowing that's not the safest place in the world to be, especially with Israel invading Lebanon just three days ago. Harry nods, taking another swig of his whisky and Adam sees the opening he's been looking for. "What does you wife say?"

"She's as worried as I am. She rung me last night to talk about it. She's been trying to convince Catherine to come home too apparently."

"Oh. So you and she are not..?" he tails off, not quite sure how to finish the sentence.

"We've divorced," Harry replies, turning his eyes on his, and Adam can't help thinking that perhaps Harry knows exactly what he's up to with this line of questioning.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't know. Since when?"

"A month or so," Harry replies. "I moved out at the end of last year."

"I don't know what to say. That's..." he tails off and tries again. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Harry dismisses his concern. "It's been a long time coming." They're silent for some moments, sipping their drinks, and Adam can't help thinking how lucky he is that he and Fiona were so close and had such a wonderful marriage and life together, even if it was cut too short in the end. Then as if reading his mind again, Harry adds, "You were very lucky, Adam – you and Fiona. I'm sorry for what happened, more sorry than I can ever possibly say... but I do envy what you had. It's every man's dream to have a true partner in life."

"Yes," Adam agrees, smiling softly, remembering. "It was amazing... I try to focus on that, but it's hard." He drops his gaze to his drink, his eyes filling with tears as he thinks of all he's lost. "I'm not even thirty-five yet. I've got my whole life ahead of me and I've got to spend it without her. How am I meant to do that, Harry?"

He feels Harry's hand grip his shoulder in support, and as he lifts his gaze to his, he sees a softness in Harry's eyes that he's never glimpsed before, and a deep, deep sadness too. "One second, one minute, one hour at a time," he murmurs gruffly. "It's the only way. You'll manage for her and for young Wesley. You'll always have a piece of her in him, Adam... And we're here for you... if you need us."

"I know," he nods and wipes at his eyes with the back of his hand, draining his glass and rising to his feet. Harry rises also and they shake hands as Adam murmurs, "Thanks, Harry."

"Don't mention it," he replies and turns back to his desk as Adam leaves the room, feeling a little lighter after their conversation and silently wishing Harry luck with Ruth. There's something between them – a connection, a bond that's different to every other interaction either of them has at work. It surprises him that no one's thought anything of it before now. They've always been able to anticipate each other's thoughts and needs, finish each other's sentences, rather like he and Fiona had always been able to do.

He smiles at Ruth as he walks past her station, feeling certain that it's a good thing for the team if Harry and Ruth are together. He and Fiona had been able to take their game to a whole knew level after they'd married and that can only be good for the Section. There's a downside, however, that he can't help but acknowledge – that someone could hurt Ruth to get to Harry. They're going to have to watch for that. Perhaps he should have Malcolm review her security as a precaution. He'll have to be careful though. It's probably best to hide it in a security review of all higher level operatives in the Section. He wouldn't want to out Ruth and Harry before they're ready for it, though now he thinks about it, it's probably too late to worry about that. Undoubtedly Zaf's already running a book on when they'll announce their engagement.