A/N: In response to Molly's "Trapped Challenge," it doesn't quite meet all the criteria, but I wanted to trap those two sooo bad... D Sorry this took so long you guys, my life's been crazy, but I've finally gotten 'round to posting this! 505 still doesn't exist and please read, enjoy, and review!
Disclaimer: Yo quiero comprar la programa, pero...Yeah ok, that basically meant I wanna buy the rights to the TV show but as of now, I don't own nothing.
Unfortunately, there had been an impromptu visit from the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, a visit that MI-5 had to provide security for. All their manpower had been necessary as well as some help from 6, and by the time the whole affair was over the inter-agency rivalry had just about gotten on everyone's last nerves.
Also, the visit had produced a massive workload for Ruth and her desk officers. The whole week was one continous flow of days that morphed into ceaseless, caffeine-filled nights. The trip had left a slime trail of paperwork and reports to be filled out. Ruth worked endlessly, until the ungodly hours in the morning and her right hand would cramp from constantly pressing her pen to paper. She hadn't gotten to speak a personal word to Harry. He'd been just as busy, if not more, arguing with other security heads and negotiating protection methods with the Abe's people. The language barrier was a problem too. Most of the officers spoke English quite well, but there was still a constant need for an interpreter.
Ruth was worried about the loss of contact. She wanted to move forward, a week of nothing felt like several steps back in their budding romance. Actually, it couldn't even be called a romance, she thought with some sadness, as she watched the PM's security team leaving the grid through the pods.
It was more like a half-relationship, filled with gaps and confusion, yet it came fully equipped with mutual adoration and respect for the other.
She let out a deep breath, then unconciously turned in her squeaky swivel chair to steal a casual glance at him. She wasn't surprised when he met her gaze full-on, and they shared a knowing look. He was relatively relaxed, it showed in the looseness of his broad shoulders. The expression on his face was one he always wore after an operation well-done, she recognized it because it was mirrored on her own.
Ruth shook her head slightly, earning a questioning look from Jo, who had been sitting quietly at her desk. Jo looked from the man behind the glass to the woman sitting in front of her with a slow turn of her shaggy blonde head. A wry grin tilted the corners of her mouth up.
The timing was more than right. If only they had an opportunity where they could catch each other in the right mood...She concentrated on scanning the weekly briefing on her laptop for a while, different ideas and thoughts running through her mind.
It was all she could do to keep from bouncing up and down in her chair with childish excitement.
Finally, there was something she could do.
"Ruth, would you mind taking a trip to the registry? I need all information pertaining to this man," Jo said convincingly enough. Ruth was always more than ready to make a run for files, and she took the sheet of paper from her with eagerness.
"Sure. Give me a few minutes. I'll be right back."
Jo watched until Ruth disappeared through the pods, and then picked up her phone. She dialed in the number of the control desk and leaned back in her chair when someone answered.
"Hello? Yes. This is Jo Portman from Counter-Terrorism. I have authorization from Harry Pearce to order a lockdown in the Registry. Why? Er...It's my orders. I've no idea why Mr. Pearce requested a lockdown. If you really wanted, I could go in and ask Mr. Pearce for his authorization code, but he's in a very important meeting regarding the employment of certain members of the administration and desk staff."
The woman at the switchboard mysteriously did not press any further and Jo got her wish.
"In fifteen minutes? That's fine. Thank you."
After she hung up, she rose from her seat and walked casually over to Harry's office. She knocked, then heard a "Come in!" and pulled the heavy door open. Jo found Harry seated behind his desk, fiddling with a pen.
"Damn thing, it won't work-"
She didn't waste a second.
"Ruth called from the fourth floor. She said something about a breaking lead on the Hatcher operation. She needs you to help her retrieve some files, she can't take them out because her clearance codes aren't high enough. She sounded pretty frazzled."
Harry nodded absent-mindedly and got up. Jo backed up and let him walk out of his office and onto the grid. It was about five seconds and he was long gone.
Jo crossed her arms with satisfaction, not caring that Ros had come up and was staring at her with her trademark snooty expression.
"What was all that about?" The older woman enquired bemusedly.
"That was an excellent piece of field work right there," Jo replied with a proud smirk, brushing past Ros, and then walked back to her station.
-
Ruth had successfully found the files Jo requested. She got into the cabinet and extracted the papers with ease, locked the file drawer and then proceeded to leave.
No, that hadn't been any trouble at all. The actual problem itself was now getting out of the Registry.
She was just about to let herself out when the huge metal locks on the door had snapped into place. A few seconds later, all the lights went black, and the file room was pitch dark. It felt like a velvet blanket had been pulled over her eyes, almost like a sightless, soundless dream in which you're still awake but incapable of doing anything about your predicament.
She was completely blind, so naturally she was very startled when she walked into a very solid, very real being.
Ruth gave a breathy, albeit muffled scream when she felt a pair of hands grope at her shoulders and back. She tried to hit the person with the files in her hands, and then after a few futile attempts, she chucked the papers into the air and began to swing her fists. She felt for the person's face and delivered a right hook into what felt like the person's jaw.
"Ruth! Stop--Stop...It's Harry!-"
She stilled instantly, suddenly mortified at her actions.
"Oh my god, Harry. I'm so sorry. I--I didn't know you were in here? Wha-What...Were you looking for me?" Her voice shook with the immense pressure to not completely fall apart (after all, she'd just punched her boss and superior) and she damn-well quaked when he answered.
"Don't apologize Ruth. Had it been a real intruder, I'm sure they would have backed off in fear. After all, that was a damn good punch," She was thankful for the cover of the darkness, she'd flushed beet-red, "Actually, Jo told me that you needed my authorization to check out some files."
"No, I was just about to leave. I had the files, there was no trouble at all in getting them out."
There was a few second's silence as they both realized that they had been tricked.
"That girl! Oh she would..." Ruth started angrily, "But I don't see how she could have orchestrated this herself, she must have had help from downstairs..."
His silence prompted her to stop. She fancied that she could feel his breath, too close for comfort, she could picture his lips in the darkness, slightly parted and very inviting.
His arms still around her, she couldn't help her body moving closer to him of its own accord.
Their mouths met very gently, too gentle for the fire that was kindled as a result. She leaned into him with no further protests, a small moan was elicited from her vocal chords. The only reason they parted was to breathe. His words were soft and hushed as ever.
"Can I assume that was a 'yes?' Or was it just a 'perhaps' ?"
She smiled, tickling his neck with her lips, and playfully slapped his chest.
"It was a yes."
They remained in that position, completely silent, for several moments. Harry brought her out of her sleepily content reverie with a contemplative enquiry.
"Now, how long do you think they'll keep us in here?"
TBC...