Twenty hours, 56 minutes later Harry was again sitting in his office alone. The potential terror threat had been averted and momentarily Adam was due so the two could go over the operation in greater detail. In the moment's silence Harry's mind was drawn back to Ruth. He walked over to the window of his office and pulled the string so the blinds opened. He looked at her desk, the light on, the papers sitting high, and Ruth… his eyes rested for a moment on her face which was buried in a file. She hadn't seemed distracted at all during the operation, and when she walked into the meeting room ten minutes after he had begun she looked perfectly natural and at ease. She was indeed a spook he thought, able to hide her true self.
"Harry", Adam had tapped the door frame and entered with a file in his hand. "Is now a good time? It's just I haven't seen Wes the last two days and I want to get home tonight before he goes to bed." Harry nodded and returned to his desk, motioning for Adam to take a seat, which as usual he had practically done even before Harry had signalled. The two talked for about half an hour, but often Harry's glance shifted to Ruth and Adam sensed his distraction. Ruth too having noticed his blinds finally open, kept firing furtive glances in Harry's direction but continued with her work, one more file to go then she would be able to go home to try and get a nights sleep, if she in fact could.
Adam finished discussing the operation and peered over his shoulder at Ruth. "Is there something I'm missing here Harry? It doesn't take a secret agent to realise something is wrong. Earlier Ruth was upset and quite clearly you know why."
"Yes I know why Adam, it's as much my fault as anyone else's." At this Adam sat up and listened intently, after all it was common knowledge they had been on a date, and any information from Harry himself regarding his personal life was a big step up from the usual gossip around the water cooler. "Well Jennifer Marx, of GCHQ has requested, no requested is the wrong word, well basically she wants Ruth back for the formation of a special taskforce. Of course Ruth doesn't want to go and I don't want to lose her she's very valuable… to the team. I have been trying for the last week to prevent it but unfortunately it's looking likely that Ruth will be leaving us soon. I made a promise I doubt I will be able to keep, and I just don't have the heart to tell her… nor do I want to face the truth" he added under his breath.
"Oh…" Adam really didn't know what to say. The news was without doubt unexpected, usually Harry kept him informed of personnel issues and apparently he had been kept in the dark for a week, yet he could understand why.
"Yes, so you can understand Ruth is feeling her time here is coming to an end and is rather upset. She loves her work and her colleagues and it will be a huge shift for her to go back to GCHQ. The only person I have left to call and plead my case is Juliet, which I will do first thing tomorrow. I can see no other option."
Adam nodded and again was left somewhat speechless. "Well Harry if there's any way I or any of the team can help you know we all will. I doubt any of us could imagine the Grid without her. Malcolm and you alone remember that time."
Harry sighed and thought of everyone who had come and gone in Ruth's time, Tom, Zoë, Danny, Sam, Fiona… his heart hardened. Each one of those losses had affected Harry in some way, and he could only imagine his distress if she too was lost. He refused to let it happen. Juliet would help him he was almost sure of it. As if coming out of a daze he turned to Adam, "Sorry Adam, we're finished here, you can get home to Wes now." Immediately his gaze returned to her, and there it settled as Adam left.
As she switched her light off some time later, she noted she was again the last one on the grid except Harry. She walked over to the door, knocking the frame and calling goodnight to him. He immediately got up to the door and as usual offered the lift she rarely took. Again she said no. "Goodnight Harry", "Goodnight Ruth", and before he knew it she had kissed him quickly and hurried towards the pods out the door before Harry had a chance to stop her.