Late Thursday Night/Early Friday Morning

She'd fallen asleep with the light on again was her first thought as she slowly slipped from the grips of sleep. In the weeks that Harry had been gone, it had become her habit to read in bed until sleep overcame her and tonight was no different. Nor was it unaccustomed to find the light on at all hours of the night. Fighting back a cough, she sniffed deeply; trying to clear her sinuses; before nuzzling further into the pillow. Normally she'd wake enough to crawl across the bed and turn the light off before drifting back to sleep but not tonight. Tonight she was too comfortable and too content to be bothered. It'd still be there in the morning. Like the cold.

But then her mind cleared enough for something to click.

Her pillow; or rather Harry's pillow; didn't rise and fall with each breath taken.

It wasn't warm with a reassuring heart beat inside of it.

While it might smell of a mix of Harry's cologne and shampoo, it never combined them into the unique scent she'd come to associate with being near him.

And it certainly didn't hold her against it as if she was a leaf being threatened by a strong gust of wind.

Opening her eyes slowly, she blinked at the glow coming from the nightstand. As her eyes adjusted to the onset of light, she found herself starring at scars and the scattering of hair that decorated Harry's masculine chest. Sitting up faster than was wise, she found herself overcome with a coughing fit; the muscles of her chest and abdomen protesting at the spasms. Looking up as she fought to breathe, she found herself starring into the concerned hazel eyes she'd missed these past weeks.

"Harry." she managed, her voice raspy from the cold.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, his hand moving to rub soothingly over her back.

"Yes." she said before she was overcome with another coughing fit. Curling up, she buried her face in her arms , regretting yet again sitting with Wes for Adam when the normal sitter had called off. It wasn't that she blamed the young boy; far from it; but she should have known better then to spend hours around a sick six year old when Harry would be due home in only a matter of days. Especially as said six year old wanted to spend those hours curled in her lap watching Disney movies on the DVD player.

Now here he was and she must look terrible. She wouldn't blame him one bit if he hopped on a plane back to India and returned later when she'd gotten over this blasted cold. Sniffing at the annoying post nasal drip, she felt rather than saw Harry sit up and wrap his arms around her.

Resting her gently against his chest, he continued to rub her back. Lips against her ear, he spoke softly.

"Just nod your head yes or no - have you taken anything for this yet?" feeling her head move in the negative, he sighed and kissed her hair softly. "Stubborn mule. How do you expect to get better if you've not taken anything?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she closed her eyes and enjoyed being in his arms again. She'd be content to stay in that position for as long as it took the cold to run its course.

They sat like that for some time; her head against his chest, his atop hers; until the coughing had stopped and her breathing had returned to normal. Lifting his head, he pressed his lips against her forehead and frowned at the heat emanating from there. Gently moving her back, he watched her eyes flicker open in confusion and the frown settle upon her lips. Lying her against the pillows, he smoothed his hand against her hair.

"I'm going to get you something from the medicine cabinet. You've got a fever and I don't like that cough."

Slipping from the bed, he made his way into the en suite. Filling a glass with water, he opened the cabinet above the sink and pulled out the bottle of cold pills he'd stashed there last winter. Checking the date on them and finding them still good, he shook two into his hand and returned to the other room. Settling next to her, he handed her the pills before sliding his arm under her and lifting her up again. Cradling her to his chest, he passed her the glass.

Ruth frowned but took the proffered pills and water, swallowing them down quickly before finishing off the water. Handing the empty glass back to him, she said nothing but moved to curl up on her side of the bed. Here he was; all returned from his time away; and he spent the night treating her like his child; not the woman he was in love with and missing.

It shouldn't bother her. God knows few people could claim to be tended too by the great Harry Pearce when they found themselves sick. He'd more likely tell them to find a bottle of pills and suck it up then to go find said pills and then hold the person as they took them. She was being irrational. That she knew. But in her sickened state, she was allowed to be.

It did just go to show how much he must truly love her though if he'd rather spend his first night home tending to her instead of burying himself in catch up work or going out whoring. Which made her pause. Had he ever even gone out whoring? Would someone like Harry; with his self confidence and alpha-male demure even need to go out to pick up a woman? Or did they through themselves at him? Did a man in the twenty-first century even do that? Probably not. Which meant she'd spent entirely too much time reading pointless regency era romance novels in his absence. And imaging the worse.

Besides, the rational part of her brain; the one not overcome with fever and sickness; knew that if he was going to partake in any whoring, it'd be with her and that wasn't what they did. It couldn't be whoring if they were engaged and not seeing anyone else. Nor could the way he touched her be considered anything other than love.

Reaching a hand out, she grabbed a tissue from the table and lifted her head to blow her nose. Dropping it in the waste basket beside the bed, she moved to settle against her pillow again but was thwarted as Harry reached for her and pulled her back to him. Leaning back against the headboard, he soon had her settled in front of him; her back pressed against his chest, her bum squarely against his groin. Gripping her hands in his, he held her; pleased to hear the wheezing in her chest breaking up some.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." she mumbled, her eyes closing.

"Not by that look you gave me. I thought you'd be as happy to see me as I am to see you."

"I am."

"So why the nasty look?"

Shifting to the side, she rested her head over his heart and sighed as her answer. He was too warm, too comfortable, and entirely too real for her to bother with anything else at this point. Feeling his grip tighten, she allowed herself to drift towards sleep again. Even if he was reacting as a parent instead of a lover, being pressed against him was soothing.

"Ruth?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me what's wrong?"

"Don't wanna be treated like a child." she mumbled, her voice muffled against the skin of his chest.

"I didn't think I was."

"Uh huh. Kissing forehead, not liking cough. Forcing medicine. Felt like a child."

"I only did those things because I love you. Trust me, I do not think of you as a child." Pulling her hip against him semi-erection, he moved his lips to her ear. "I wouldn't have this problem if I did."

"Mmkay." she said quietly, her fingers lifting to drift across his pecks as she pressed her hip against him harder. Opening her eyes, she traced the scar on his left shoulder.

Shaking his head, he could tell by the level of argument that she was feeling awful. Don't wanna and incomplete sentences were usually not in her repertoire when arguing with him. Glancing at the clock on the night stand, he saw it was only 3.30. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

"Not tired."

Laughing, he lifted her head and met her eyes. "Liar."

"I missed you." she said simply.

"As I missed you. But you need to sleep."

"Not yet. I want to be with you." she paused again as she woke up more. "But you shouldn't be in here with me. You'll catch this cold."

"I'm not going anywhere tonight. And tomorrow I'm just going to run to the store to pick up some things you'll need to get better. Otherwise you're stuck with me until Monday morning. Cold be damned." As if to prove his point, he leaned closer and captured her lips in a soft kiss. The first one in three weeks, two days, eighteen hours and four minutes.

Pulling back after a moment, she looked up at him. "Harry..."

"Let's not fight on my first night home. You're going to sleep and I'm going to wrap myself around you and sleep as well. We can fight tomorrow."

"I don't want to fight."

"Good."

"I've missed you too much."

"Not nearly as much as I've missed you. But again, I don't want to fight about it. Let's get you comfortable and back to sleep."

Sitting up, she shook her head no as she blushed deeply. She'd missed him in so many ways and now that she was more awake and feeling a bit better from the medicine, she wanted him. Reaching for the hem of her night shirt, she grasped it and pulled it over her head. Tossing it to the floor, she turned towards him and leaned against his chest. Sighing at the feeling of her bare breasts pressing against his skin, she lifted her mouth towards his.

Fighting back a groan, he kissed her briefly before sliding his hands down her arms and pushing her back slightly. "No. Not tonight Ruth."

"We are not going back to the no again." Pushing against his hands, she tried to lean against him again.

"We are until you're better. You need your rest."

Feeling more bold then she had in the past with him, she met his eyes and shook her head no. "I need you."

"You have me in more ways than you know but tonight, I'm only going to hold you as you sleep."

Whether it was the cold lowering her inhibitions or just the fact that she'd missed him so much and knew she'd never get him to relent unless she pushed, she didn't know. But she did know that wanted him tonight; not when she'd gotten over the virus. Besides, being with Harry brought out a side of her she had never known existed and she knew there was no one else she'd want to experience that side with; explore the possibilities buried deep inside. So fighting her own shyness; and trusting him more than she'd ever trusted anyone else; she set out to seduce him. And hoped it wouldn't turn out too bad.

Acting as though she hadn't heard him, she rested her hands palm down against her stomach and met his eyes. Sliding them up slowly, she let them cup her breasts, fingers brushing against her hardening nipples. "I need to feel you here. To feel your lips wrapped around the peak, suckling as only you do as your fingers play over the other."

Watching his eyes on her hands, she moved her right hand away from her breast and slid it lower, fingers moving slowly across her stomach to rest against her knickered covered center. "And I need to feel you here; your fingers sliding into me, bringing me to climax." Rubbing them back and forth slowly, she felt herself becoming aroused at not only the feeling of her fingers but from his eyes on her as well.

Swallowing deeply, he drug his eyes from her hands and met her gaze. It was testing his self control greatly to say no; especially as all he'd wanted when he had first seen her was to bury himself in her warmth till morning; but he knew he must. What kind of lout would he be if he used her to overcome the need he'd been feeling for weeks?

As if sensing his need to control himself, she pinched the nipple of her left breast between her fingers and moaned. Watching his eyes move down, she twisted and pulled it, feeling it harden.

"I missed you while you were gone." she said softly, the fingers of her right hand sliding towards the edge of her knickers, "In so many different ways. Work I managed to get through. Same with the early evenings. But getting through the late nights were near impossible. I missed the feeling of your hands on me. I tried to imagine you were here with me, tried to image it was your fingers sliding in me..." She paused then as she let her fingers slide under her pants, her eyelids lowering as her fingers lightly brushed against her sex, "but it wasn't the same. It wasn't you."

At her last words, he was lost. Hands sliding up her shoulders, he lowered them, letting his finger tips stroke the sides of her breasts. Feeling her shudder, he covered her hand with his, their fingers intertwining as they kneaded and pulled together. Lowering his head, he ran his tongue along the lonesome breast, twirling it slowly before wrapping his lips firmly around the nipple, pulling hard.

She groaned at the feeling and tilted her head back, eyes closing as he lavished attention on her aching breasts. Sensation upon sensation fell upon her as her breath came faster and she turned herself over to feeling.

Moving his free hand between them, he slid his fingers under the fabric of her knickers and grasped her fingers in the moist heat of her sex. Palm pressed against her hand, he cupped their hands over her sex and pressed hard. Slipping a finger between hers, he slid it inside as their entwined thumbs brushed against her clit. Feeling her clench her legs closed at the sensation, he pressed one final kiss on her breast before pushing her back against the pillows and sliding downwards.

Pulling his hands free, he grasped her knickers and pulled them off. Running his hands up her legs, he caressed the skin of her thighs, his lips pressing light kissed against their insides. Lifting his eyes to hers, he smiled as he thrust into her with a finger. Watching as her back arch, he continued thrusting his finger into her, curling it upwards to brush against her inner wall. Feeling her muscles beginning to contract around him, he lowered his mouth to her and sucked hard on her clitoris. She came with a cry, her body tensing as he continued to move his finger, his tongue moving slowly over her as she came down from her high.

Removing his hand, he slid up her body and lay next to her; front pressed to her side as his mouth claimed hers. Tongue running against her lips, he sought entrance and was rewarded almost immediately as she sighed and opened her mouth.

Feeling him pressed against her, she slid her hand downwards until it rested against his erection. She stroked his hard length, remembering what he had told her he liked months before and felt him growing harder.

Groaning at the feeling, Harry pulled away and rolled onto his back, his eyes closing. Breathing hard, he fought to get his body under control before this ended prematurely. Feeling Ruth's mouth close over his tip, he grasped her shoulders and pulled her up and over him, her thighs straddling his hips. "I'm not going to last long if you do that." he said upon seeing her look of hurt.

Grasping her waist in his hands, he pulled her forward until she brushed against his hardened penis. Both groaned at the contact and she rolled her hips forward, teasing him with her moist heat. Impatient, he pulled her down hard, his erection filling her completely. Moan escaping her lips as she lowered her hands to his chest for balance and began rocking against him in slow movements, building herself up to a second climax slowly.

Unable to take her leisurely pace any longer, Harry grasped her hips and lifted her upwards until only his tip was still inside. Seeing her eyes snap open at the loss of him, he smirked and then pulled her down hard, his own hips thrusting upward to push into her further. Both groaned at the new depth and Ruth's nails dug into his chest for grip as he set a faster pace.

Feeling the tell tale signs that he was close, he reached a hand between them and pressed hard against her, pushing her over the edge. As her internal muscles clenched around him, he gave a final thrust and came calling her name.

Collapsing against him, Ruth fought to catch her breath. Wrapping his arms around her, Harry held her close, his own breath coming in deep gasps. As they both settled, Harry moved from inside her and turned on his side. Feeling her curl against him, he pulled the duvet over them and held her close. If coming home meant there'd be that kind of welcome, he'd have to go away more often. But only for a day.

As both drifted into a content sleep, neither remembered that they weren't alone in the house. Across the hall in the guest room, Danny pulled the pillow over his face and tried to forget what he had just heard.

I'm glad that so many thought that last chapter was okay. =0) Many expressed in interest in their reunion...so I've stayed up late to write it. Hopefully you enjoy this update as much as the past chapters. I'll be moving onto April next where there'll be some big changes...

And if you have a moment, please leave a review. =0)