Since their awkward meeting a week before, Harry had almost returned to normal, almost. He could almost have been described as cheerful for the first day or two, but as the week wore on he became increasingly irritable and distant. Often members of the team walking past heard him hurtling abuse down the phone to some poor recipient, and the blinds remained closed. Ruth was suspicious it was possibly because of her some poor sod had to endure Harry's temper and wrath. They had spoken no more of their meeting nor had she shared her possible departure from the Grid with anyone else on the team. She felt Harry would sort it out, as he often did, making a few phone calls and finally reassuring her that her place was here. Yet as the week wore on she became more anxious and Harry offered no reassurance that he was on track in his efforts to keep her.
Meanwhile the section was experiencing one of those hated dry spells when there simply was no immediate terrorist threat to attend to. All well and good for the country of course, but for the team the week was passing slowly, with even Adam and Zaf growing restless in the close confinements of the Grid. It was particularly hard for Ruth as it gave her more time to think on what a potential departure could mean. She shuddered at the thought of it, and when, like usual, she looked to Harry's figure through his office window in reassurance, she could only see shuttered blinds. The thought of leaving the Grid was bad enough, she enjoyed her work, and threw herself head first into it. Yet her mind always strayed back to Harry and how she would miss even his gruff comments when an operation wasn't exactly going to plan. It made her fidget and in that day alone she had managed to break yet another lamp, and a stapler which quite simply didn't want to staple. Banging it on the desk didn't really help the situation either, though at the time it did seem rather sensible. Her colleagues had noted her erratic behaviour, but with it being Ruth, they simply pushed it to the back of their minds: she was of course brilliant but bonkers, and that's why they all loved her, they weren't going to try and change her.
Harry was indeed having difficulty in what he thought would be quite a simple task, ring in a few favours and the job would be done. But no, Ruth was apparently top priority for Jennifer Marx and any attempt so far by Harry to keep her had been quashed. He sat in his office with his head in his hands, pondering what to do next… who could he call… who could he offer as a replacement… anything. Ruth's parting comments last week had offered him a glimpse of them having a second date, and truly beginning their relationship. To any outsider such considerable action by Harry to simply guarantee a second date would probably seem preposterous and farfetched, but to him it was necessary. He couldn't quite put his finger on when he fell for her, and inside he knew he loved her, but he was Harry Pearce man of mystery so to speak, guarding his personal life as well as the country from any potential threat. He couldn't tell her directly how he felt, he had thought about it constantly, after all he had sat back for so long and ignored all his feelings, instead content with being close to her. But now there was the ever increasing possibility he would not have that chance to be close to her, and what scared him most was she would simply forget him if she left. Secretly he knew she wouldn't but all the same it was a daunting prospect, the woman he had longed for for so very long simply moving out of his reach. Juliet had warned him not to miss this opportunity, and for all her faults she was right about this. Suddenly, Harry raised his head as if struck by a bolt of lightning, Juliet of course, how could he not have thought of her before?! She had the potential power to make this all go away, he knew she had changed since the wheelchair, but this was still Juliet, potentially she could still refuse… As Harry pondered momentarily the possibility of his ex-lover helping him there was an almost silent knock at the door. "Come" barked Harry, angered to be interrupted amidst a chain of thought. The door slid slowly open and Ruth poked her head in.
"I'm sorry… I'm… not interrupting anything am I?" Harry looked at her face she looked dishevelled and tired, like him she gave the appearance of having had recent sleepless nights.
His voice softened "No Ruth, of course not, come in, was there something in particular you wanted to talk about? No potential terrorist plot unfolding I hope?" She stepped inside the office and closed the door gingerly before turning to face him again.
"No not exactly… it's just I'm… well to tell you the truth I'm just worried about this GCHQ thing. You haven't got back to me about it this week, and I was just wondering whether you were um having some difficulties and I was actually going to have to well you know." Her voice faltered and she looked down at the floor.
Harry got up and put his arm around her and walked her over to his sofa letting her go so she could sit down. He turned and sat beside her, perhaps closer than would be judged natural for a boss sitting beside his analyst. But the blinds were drawn, and Harry couldn't care more or less about protocol. Again his personal life was being drawn into the workplace and his professional life. He looked at her again, her hands were fidgeting with her bracelet, yet again, and her eyes looked down.
"Well Ruth, I made a few phone calls as I told you I would, but yes I am finding it difficult to try and convince anyone that you will be remaining on the Grid. It seems the qualities I find so admirable in you are also admired by others considerably." Whilst he spoke he watched her steadily and her eyes filled with tears, with one falling silently down her cheek. Her nerves were now truly rattled; if Harry couldn't fix this mess soon she would be taking her last walk through the pods and out of Thames House away from him.
He edged closer towards her and put his arm around her again, she looked up at him again. "Harry, I don't think I could cope with… I mean… I don't know… my work is my life… and everything that is important to me is right here." She paused looking up, noting the concern etched on his face, and continued. "There was a reason I left GCHQ, it's was my life ambition to become a spook and I don't want anyone taking that away from me. That… and I really can't imagine… well you know… I love working here, I would miss the people too much. I just can't leave." On her final word she broke into a sob and put her arms around Harry's neck. He held her tightly and whispered quiet reassurances in her ear, promising to do everything in his power to prevent her from being moved.
Ruth looked up at him after a few minutes, her eyes puffy and her cheeks red. She stared into his eyes, if it had have been any other man she would have sworn they had a glazed and glassy look, but no this was Harry Pearce, and men like Harry Pearce well they didn't show their emotion to anyone let alone cry. He tenderly wiped away a tear away from her face and her face seemed to edge closer to his. She drew herself into kiss him, when the door flew open. Both quickly pulled back and looked at Adam, who was standing there looking anxious. Inside Harry cursed him for interrupting, whilst Ruth quickly looked down at her hands again in an effort to hide her tear-stained cheeks. Adam, seemed to ignore the compromising position he found the two in simply stating "Harry, potential bombings in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool all within the next 24 hours, we have some limited intel."
"Meeting room now, bring Zafar, Jo, Ros and Malcolm." Adam quickly left the room, and the two heard him shouting for his colleagues across the grid. "Ruth…"
"I know Harry, the country first and all that" and with that she quickly left the room, heading away from the Grid to the ladies, to ready herself, and ensure no one was aware of her current inner turmoil. Harry sighed deeply, watching her make her way along the corridor from his door, before turning the other direction towards the meeting room and his waiting staff.