Disclaimer I do not own Spooks.

Forgiven?

Tariq tapped a few keys on the computer as the screen in front of them changed. Harry rested a hand on the small of Ruth's back as they watched the images appear in front of them. Ruth frowned as she realised what Tariq was trying to show them.

"How?" She stared.

"I rerouted the feed from the interview Alec and Harry conducted with Tessa earlier on today and played about with it." He tapped another few keys as the screen altered again to show some more wavy lines that represented sound waves. "I pulled Tessa's voice out of the tape before getting hold of the memory stick Ruth got from her asset."

"You ran it through the voice analyser? Why?" Ruth knew Tariq was borderline genuis but she had no idea why he thought the voices were significant.

"A hunch."

"Good enough for me." Harry smiled.

"These days." Ruth muttered as Harry glanced at the floor. Tariq ignored what was essentially a jibe he didn't understand. Ruth cursed herself the moment the words left her mouth.

"Anyway." Tariq continued. "We know GCHQ intercepted a phone call to Harrington's mobile about ten minutes before she was shot. We also know Rhys had a call too. Seems that the same person called each of them. Only they changed their voices and the number they used. The memory stick Ruth came back with made me think, it contains an audio copy of the conversation Tessa had with both of them. It also contains the conversation she had with Jools asking for his help."

"Tessa called Jools?" Harry was incredulous.

"Yeah." Tariq nodded. "But he told her to leave him alone, that he had never wanted anything to do with her and she could go back under whatever stone she had crawled out of."

"Jools has just gone up in my estimation." Ruth sighed. Harry shook his head as she spoke. The former MI6 man had never been popular with his team. He smiled as he remembered Danny and Zoe laughing about the vampires from Legoland turning up on the Grid.

"I think I may just have to have a word with him." Harry dropped his hand before walking back into his office.

"Good work Tariq." Ruth smiled. "Go home."

"What about you?"

"Oh I think I have a little bit of work to do here before I can go home." She smiled sadly as she watched Harry pick up the phone.

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Ros was cold. She had been unable to get warm since she had heard about the death of Andrew Lawrence. Shaking her head she watched as Amy played in the middle of the living room floor. James sat next to his big sister smiling as she handed him various toys and hugged her ever present pink elephant to her.

"Amy, share." She watched as Amy rolled her eyes before handing James a cuddly blue doll that Ruth had bought her the Christmas before. "Good girl." Ros tried to smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes but if Amy had noticed she had done nothing about it, just carried on playing with James oblivious to the thoughts running through her mother's head.

"Hello you two." Lucas smiled as he sat on the sofa next to Ros. Amy beamed at him as James turned his head at the sound of his father's voice. It was clear the eight month old was exhausted but determined to keep up with the two year old. "Ros?"

"I'm fine Lucas." Ros pushed herself from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. Lucas could see she was anything but fine. He could see she had lost weight and was even more stoic and withdrawn from the team than she normally was. If she had been known as the Ice Queen once she was certainly living up to her nickname these days. He cursed under his breath as he bent to pick up a now sleepinng James and left him in his car seat. Amy crawled up on the sofa as Lucas placed a throw over her. He left the door to the living room open as he followed Ros into the kitchen.

"Don't lie to me Ros." He spoke quietly as he watched every muscle in her body tense. "You are far from fine and the one thing we promised each other was no more lies."

"Lucas."

"Before you ask, the kids are fine. Both sleeping."

"Great, now Amy wont sleep tonight." Ros turned, intent on heading back into the living room as Lucas caught her wrist.

"She will." He frowned as Ros stared at their hands. "Talk to me."

"I said I am fine."

"You knew Andrew Lawrence and now he's dead."

"Yeah." Ros couldn't deny that.

"Colin Wells, I heard you talking about him. Jo. Neither was your fault. Colin died when I was away but I read the file. It was not your fault."

"Feels like it." She sighed. Sometimes she hated how well Lucas knew her. "Malcolm."

"Is fine. He's going to be fine."

"I'm Section Chief. He's my responsibility."

"No Ros. He's your friend and he's a grown man. He didn't get shot on an op, he got shot on his wedding day. Andrew Lawrence knew he was facing life in prison for treason and attempted murder as well as abduction and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He took the easy way out. Not your fault. And if you asked me, as much as we all loved Jo, she did too." He watched as Ros's eyes burned with anger.

"I killed Joanna Portman. I may as well have pulled the trigger on Colin and Andrew too." She hissed as Lucas took her by the shoulders. It was only then he realised she was shaking.

"Ros, Colin was killed by your father's goons. Not you." He held her gaze. "Not you."

"Lucas."

"Jo knew what she was doing when she walked into that basement unarmed. Andrew took his own life." He watched as Ros shook her head.

"My responsibility to keep them alive."

"No." Lucas cursed himself as he raised his voice. The children continued their afternoon nap oblivious to what was going on in the next room. "It is not your fault."

"How long till someone else?" She raised her eyes to his. "How long until."

"I am not going to get myself killed." He watched as a single tear escaped her. "And the rest of the team have too much to life for. There is no way any of them are going to be restless. I wasn't here but Jo had been looking of a way to kill herself since Boscard. Andrew was just a coward, he couldn't face what he had done." He watched as Ros closed her eyes. It was then she finally let the tears fall as he pulled her into her arms and kissed the top of her head. "It's ok." He whispered as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him to her. For a moment she really wanted to believe him.

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"Harry." Ruth closed the door to his office as she heard Tariq exit the pods. She knew they were alone on the Grid. Her husband remained silent as she crossed the room to him.

"Harry."

"Yes, Ruth." He looked up as she reached his desk.

"I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm so sorry." She frowned as he nodded once.

"Was there anything else?"

"Harry, please." She reached out and touched his hand, she felt her chest tighten as he pulled his hand away from her.

"Ruth, I."

"No Harry. Don't do this. I should not have said what I did and I am sorry. It was a long time ago." Ruth watched as he nodded.

"I know." He held her gaze. "And there is not a day that goes by that I don't wish I hadn't acted as I did. Offering you sweet tea when I should have taken what you said with much more seriousness than I did. But I though you had forgiven me or at least partially for my stupidity all those years ago. I know you will never really forgive me for George." Ruth stood and crossed the room to his side of the desk.

"Nothing to forgive." She watched as she saw his eyes darken. "I mean it. George died a horrible death but not at your hand. I made my own decisions when I had to leave. Please, Harry." She held out her hand as he took it.

"What?"

"Take me home. Leave Jools until tomorrow. I didn't mean to snap, I'm just stressed and upset and I need to talk to you. Just take me home."

"What is it?" Harry was suddenly very nervous. He had no idea what Ruth needed to talk to him about.

"Just take me home, please Harry."

He nodded before standing and pulling her to him. Ruth couldn't help but sigh in relief as he pulled her into his arms. Despite Tessa she had a feeling eveything was going to be alright.

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A/N. More soon?