Ruth was reading one of the many files which lay open on her cluttered desk, well she was pretending to. Really she was looking over at Harry's office; he had disappeared in there about an hour ago with some nameless woman who had appeared at the same time as him… without introductions to everyone else on the grid. Ruth was suspicious, even jealous of this woman, this potential threat (could she even consider her a threat? she was after all not in a relationship with Harry). The woman was tall, slim, and younger than her, and Ruth couldn't help but feel her gut lurch every time she looked over the top of her computer to his office, wondering what exactly they were doing. The blinds were drawn, but perhaps not purposefully for this occasion she tried to reason with herself.
She was just contemplating what reasonable excuse she could give for barging into the office, perhaps claiming Harry had an important phone call or appointment, anything viable, when the nameless beauty came out of her office smiling. Ruth's heart sank… who was she, what did she want, what had she and Harry been doing that made her smile like that? She disappeared through the pods, watched intently by Ruth. Her afterthoughts were interrupted by Harry himself, who was now coming out of his office towards her and her desk with what could only be described as a look of disgust. She quickly put her head down and pretended yet again to be more interested in the file before her than Harry as he approached at an alarming pace. He stopped short of her desk and barked "Miss Evershed my office now please", before turning, back in his office within an instant. Zaf sitting at the desk beside Ruth sniggered slightly, muttering "lover's tiff?" Ruth glared at him, "oh Zaf grow up", closing the files she was reading before standing up and heading towards his office. What had she done? He seemed so angry, full of contempt towards her.
She closed the door shut behind her and looked at Harry expectantly, "yes Harry?" He made a weary jerk with his right arm, which Ruth took to mean sit. She looked at him as she walked to the chair opposite him. His face was hard to read even for her, someone who felt they could judge whatever emotion he was feeling and respond accordingly. When he had been upset by a colleague's death about a year ago she was the one who had offered him someone to talk to, and although he turned her down she felt he appreciated the sentiment. She sat down, and put her hands in her lap, fidgeting with her bracelet, unable to look him directly in the eye.
"Ruth" Harry sighed, "There has been a request to send you back to GCHQ".
"What… when… why now Harry? I've been here for three years now. I assumed I was here to stay unless you…" she paused; maybe after their personal issues he simply didn't want her in the department. She had assumed, perhaps wrongly, that she would only be leaving if her work was incompetent, which it wasn't. He had after all let her stay even when she had acted as a mole at the start of her job in the department, even after she had tried to set herself up with someone they were watching, and after informing Adam of an operation when Harry had strictly forbidden it. Surely therefore he couldn't be sending her back because of their own personal problems?
Harry seemed to read her mind, gave her a brief smile and shook his head. "No, Ruth, I myself have not asked you to be sent back to GCHQ. The only reason I would do such a thing was if your work was simply not up to scratch, yet last night it occurred to me how valuable you actually are to me… I mean how valuable you are in your role as an analyst within the section, not to me, well you are, but that is not the point. Professionally I find you an invaluable member of the team. I respect your decision to conclude our personal relationship, and although I have been somewhat brash and distant the last few weeks, I would never make any attempt to remove you from this team: you should know how much you mean to me… in a professional sense of course."
Ruth blushed looking down at her bracelet, smiling at first because of his truthfulness, then frowning slightly, realizing if she were to go back she would soon be leaving him. She looked up at him again, "well then please explain why I am being seconded back there Harry I just don't understand."
"As I have already said Ruth you are an invaluable member of this team, and that quite simply is the reason. Jennifer Marx", Harry paused seeing the questioning look on Ruth's face, "the woman you just saw leave". Ruth nodded slowly, "well she has been given the opportunity to develop a new team within GCHQ and she quite clearly wants you, which is why I have just spent the last hour arguing your case to remain here, unfortunately I am currently losing, and she seems adamant that you will be placed in her team when it is formed next month."
Harry looked up to Ruth's face, her amazingly blue almost grey eyes were welling up with tears. "Well now Ruth there's no need for tears yet, I called you in here for a reason, to ask you whether you wanted to remain within C Section? If so I'm sure I can pull some strings or at least attempt to ensure you remain in the department. I realized I had been selfishly fighting for you to remain, simply to fulfil my needs to see you, rather than to see what you yourself wanted. There is in fact a greater possibility of promotion and career development at GCHQ than here, and I didn't want to deprive you of that. After all we are Spooks, we are married to our work."
Ruth laughed slightly, secretly she was glad he had acted selfishly, she too could not imagine being away from him, not with him every day: being barked at, barging into his office and so on. Yet she could not tell him that, she could not risk him thinking she was open to being pursued again. At least not yet, she knew people had become more aware of their relationship, her brief conversation with Zaf before she entered the room was evidence enough, she simply could not deal with their gossip. "Harry I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here" she paused, looking at Harry whose face had dropped as if expecting her to say she wished to leave. "I have friends and people I care about, work I love doing even though it is stacked high on my desk, yes I wish to remain here." She smiled, hoping he caught the people I care about part that was after all aimed at him.
He rose from his side of the desk, smiling, feeling their relationship could be salvaged in time, and sat down on the edge of the desk right beside her. "Are you quite sure Ruth?"
"Yes I believe I am", she got up from her chair, assuming the meeting was over, and feeling the need to go back to her toppling pile of paperwork, no doubt Adam having placed a few more files on her desk whilst she was in Harry's office. As she stood beside him she caught his smell and smiled genuinely at him, "Thank-you Harry". She wanted to kiss him but stopped herself. When she got to the door, she paused and turned around to him, "You are alright Harry aren't you? I mean you haven't been looking so well or acting yourself since well you know."
He smiled and said "I'll be fine now or at least I will be when we have this issue resolved, I think I have a few calls to make."
She nodded "good, it will be wonderful to have the old Harry back on the grid again, I have missed him." Before Harry could make any response she had quickly left the room.
Harry was left in the office, deep in thought, considering how he would ensure Ruth remained within the department, where he needed her.