Ruth Galloway

"Nelson," Ruth murmurs without thinking and turns to look at Kate. Her face has lit up with joy.

The man who was with them, meanwhile, Harry something, has stepped out of the room, pulling the door to behind him, but failing to close it completely. "Who the hell are you?" Ruth hears him demand in a low, threatening growl. He doesn't seem like the kind of man one wants to mess with, but Nelson's voice comes back self-assured and strong.

"DCI Nelson," he replies. "Who are you? Where's my daughter?"

"Daddy!" Kate exclaims, moving towards the door only to be restrained by her taking her hand. She doesn't want to let her out of her sight after everything that's happened today.

Ruth.. something – Do these people always make it a habit of not introducing themselves? – glances round at her then moves determinedly towards the door opening it a little way. "Harry," she says. Ruth can't see Nelson, he's presumably beyond the door, but she watches with interest as the other Harry, Ruth's Harry – and isn't that in interesting coincidence? – turns to look at her, his eyes softening a little. She watches them communicate silently and sees Harry's demeanour change from intimidating and aggressive, to alert and protective. It is clear he's keeping a very close eye on Nelson and his Ruth. Are they involved, she wonders briefly, or have they just worked together so long that they can communicate wordlessly?

Then Ruth something-or-other says, "DCI Nelson?"

"Yes?" he replies warily.

"Your daughter is in here." And she opens the door wider, an excited Kate letting go of her hand to rush forward and be picked up by her father.

"Daddy!"

"Hello, Katie."

She watches them, feeling a joy settle over her heart at the picture they paint, before turning to look at her namesake. She's smiling, a surprisingly beautiful smile that transforms her face, but there is sorrow in her eyes too, hidden in their depths. What is this woman's story, she finds herself wondering. She's intrigued by her, and not just because they share the same name, but because she's been kind to Kate and shown herself to be compassionate and understanding.

She turns her eyes back on Nelson who is looking at her, his dark eyes unreadable as usual. She never quite knows what Nelson's thinking, except when they're making love, and for a moment, she envies Ruth and Harry – the other Ruth and Harry – their ability to communicate so effortlessly with just a look.

"Hello, Ruth," Nelson says.

"Hello, Nelson," she replies.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine. I'm helping them with their investigation." He frowns and she smiles. "No need to feel jealous, Nelson."

He shoots her an annoyed look. Perhaps she's hit the nail on the head, she can't help thinking. "Did they find some bones?"

"No," she smiles again then her face turns serious, remembering the horror of this morning. "I saw the driver of the van. They think I might be able to help them identify him."

"Jesus!"

"Forgive me," other Ruth says, stepping forward, "but time is of the essence. Would you please come with me, Dr Galloway?"

She smiles. "Please call me Ruth."

Ruth smiles in return.

"Do you want me to stay with Katie?" Nelson offers.

"Don't you have to get back?" She's surprised by this. When she'd called Nelson earlier, she hadn't expected him to jump in the car and come to them. She'd only thought to let him know that Kate's safe, sure as she was that the bombing would be all over the news.

"Yes, but I can spare an hour or two."

She hesitates, loath to part from Kate so soon after everything. She knows she won't be able to relax without her close, even if she is with Nelson, who she knows would protect her with his life if necessary.

"It would be more fun for Kate I'm sure," other Ruth interjects gently. "These things always take longer then one thinks they will."

"Alright," she agrees, knowing that she's right. "I'll ring you when I'm done. If you need to get back to King's Lynn, bring her here." She doesn't want Nelson to get it into his head that he should take her home with him. Not that that's a possibility for him really, given Laura's living at home again and Michelle's pregnancy. She quickly pushes that thought aside and turns to Kate. "Mummy's going to stay here for a little while, Kate. You go with Daddy and have fun. Alright?"

"Okay," Kate agrees. "Daddy did you bring Bruno?"

"No," he replies. "He had to stay home."

"Oh. Can I have ice cream, Daddy?"

"Of course, Katie," he smiles, face melting as he looks at his daughter. "Let's go." Then he looks at her briefly, making her wish once more that she could read his thoughts, nods at Ruth whatsit and almost walks straight past other Harry without even acknowledging him.

"When you return, DCI Nelson," Harry says, causing Nelson to pause and look at him. "Ask for Counter Terrorism. It'll save you a whole lot of trouble in finding us." Ruth watches as they eye each other with barely disguised animosity, engaging in that uniquely male ritual of one-upmanship, until Nelson nods in acknowledgement – that he's heard? Or that he accepts this other man's authority within the confines of this building? She's not sure – and leaves the room with Kate in his arms.

"Would you like to come with me then, Ruth?" the other Ruth asks.

"Thanks," she replies and follows her out of the room.

Harry nods at them as they pass, holding other Ruth's gaze for a few seconds before closing the door behind them. He doesn't follow, going off in an entirely different direction.

"DCI Nelson must be a very resourceful man to have found you here so quickly," Ruth comments beside her.

"He is," she agrees, thinking that he probably flashed his warrant card at every person he met until someone told him where they'd taken her and Kate. She imagines Cathbad would say that it's one of the good things about a Scorpio – that they're very loyal. She's not sure she agrees with that though. If Nelson wasn't so loyal, he wouldn't have stayed with Michelle so long.

"You're not together then?" other Ruth queries softly.

"No," she confesses before she can stop herself. She isn't normally this open with people she's just met, but there's something about Ruth – a kindred spirit, Cathbad would probably call it. "He's married."

"I'm sorry," she replies, and as their gazes meet, there's real understanding in her stormy blue eyes.

"Is Ruth your real name?" she asks suddenly, the idea that this apparently lovely woman might not be who she seems causing her more than a little anxiety all of a sudden.

"As it happens, it is," other Ruth smiles. "It's Ruth Evershed. I do sometimes use an alias," she confesses, "but given your background of work with the police and the current circumstances, I didn't feel it was necessary." She smiles. "Besides, you're the first person I've met who shares my name."

That makes Ruth smile too. "Me too." And suddenly she feels that they might have been good friends had they met under different circumstances.

"Here we are," Ruth says and introduces her to a young man called Tariq who will help her reconstruct the image of the driver from her memory of the man she saw for less than ten seconds. She can certainly remember his eyes. She's going to have trouble forgetting those any time soon.