Title: Nothing At All
A/N: Short, angst-y and of course, much RH shippiness.
Disclaimer: I don't own, don't sue!
Chapter 2: Rumor Has It
(picks up between 307 and 308)
A/N: This is what I'd like to have happened post 307, and the incident with Andrew.
"There's so much work to be done, amazing how the stacks increase after just a few days of absence, really..." She was about to leave when Ruth came in, nobody else was on the grid. At first, Fiona thought that Ruth was being gruff, but after listening to her hoarse voice, she knew that Ruth wasn't being gruff at all- she was hoarse from crying.
Ruth's hollow blue eyes glowed at the genuinely huge mass of files on her desk. Shadows danced across her face, even when she smiled, the hard lines of strain didn't disappear. Ruth really ought to have stayed in hospital, but she supposed that would be a stark reminder ofthe prevoius night when she had been held hostage by one of her close friends.
Fiona wasn't surprised, she knew from experience that after such a shaky incident, all she wanted to do was lose herself in work. She could tell how Ruth felt even though she didn't know her that well personally.
"Ruth, how are you feeling?" Fiona stared intently at Ruth, who fiddled absentmindedly with the silver ring on her right hand."I'm fine, really. Please, as more and more people ask me that same question, I only find myself wanting to start doing something- anything- to get what happened out of my mind."Fiona frowned with concern in her dark eyes, "Ruth,what did happen?" Ruth closed her eyes as if to steel herself and leaned back in her chair. "Andrew talked to me. He didn't hurt me, except for when he tackled me to the floor before tying me to the stair case,"She inhaled shakily, "He took a handful of the diamonds, and he just fell...He ju--just dropped to the ground right in front of me. I-I almost could reach him."Ruth was quickly losing her composure, and as Fiona listened, her immense pity for her colleague grew by the second and her maternal instincts began to kick in. She stood and walked over to Ruth, to envelope her in a comforting hug. She held the woman as she sobbed, her tears flowing rapidly onto the sleeve of her shirt. "You'll be fine, Ruth, I promise. Give yourself time to heal, you'll be okay. Believe me, I know."
Ruth's quiet reply was a poke in the eye to Fiona, "You would've had Adam. I have no one."
Fiona ignored the jab that was intended to stop her in her tracks and separated herself from Ruth, who had momentarily regained her face. She stood before Ruth and pressed on.
"Harry visited you in the hospital. He even told Adam that he wasn't planning on coming in for at least a few days."
Ruth allowed herself to smile just a tad, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Yes, he never left. He held my hand all through the night." There was a sort of gentle fondness shining in Ruth's eyes, and Fiona found her heart aching for the other woman.
"That was very sweet of him. You two are perfect for each other."
Ruth's head came round so fast she almost jarred her neck.
A moment's silence.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. You're a lovely pair," Ruth looked down at this point, "And Harry can make you far happier than Andrew –"
If she said that Ruth sounded sad and hurt, it would have been an understatement. The look on her face was absolutely devastated and furious.
"Fiona Carter, nothing is going on between me and that man. Nothing at all." Angry blotches of red rushed to Ruth's cheeks, the last thing she needed was the new girl's speculation on inter-office gossip.
Fiona's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, Ruth I'm sorry, it's just that–you know, he refused to leave your hospital room until he was sure you were fine, and I assumed that—,"
"Forget it," Ruth turned her back on Fiona, and started to read through some of the overnight intel. Fiona stood there, gobsmacked for a moment, before gathering her purse and coat. With a quiet 'goodnight' to Ruth, she was out through the pods and homeward bound to her husband and son.
TBC...
A/N: Short, I know...Please review!