Its been a long time for this fic! Set way back at the beginning of series 2. Good old HR. And if anyone else has any "missing scenes" let me know and I'll try and write them.
Harry sighed as he stood up from behind his desk. Today was not going to be an enjoyable day, he knew that but he also knew it was unavoidable. Tess had been disgraced more than a month ago and still he hadn't found a replacement analyst for her and the work was piling up. He never enjoyed the sting of betrayal, and it was worse when it was from someone he had worked with for a long time. The fact that he had to hire someone new, someone whom he had never met before to work closely with him, looking over all the available information they had access to did not exactly fill him with encouragement or hope. He had been offered the opportunity to avoid going to the interviews today, which while sounding like a good offer, would turn out badly in the long run. He wanted to be the one to pick who was working with him. Not some stupid politician and then he'd have to suffer with whoever the idiots chose for him. No, he had to make the choice himself. Even though that left him with a very tedious forthcoming day. There was a knock on the door and he shrugged his coat on. "Yes?"
Tom came in looking his usual self. "Oh, are you leaving already?"
"Yes, I have to replenish our staff it seems," Harry said. "Are Zoë and Danny…?"
"Out on surveillance, but nothings happening. You won't be missed and everything will be fine."
"Do try to avoid calling me unless its absolutely necessary," Harry said.
"I didn't think you wanted to sit in interviews all day," Tom said.
"I don't," he said. "But I'd rather like to know as much as possible about our next recruit. I'm going to be late. Don't blow the building up in my absence."
"Calm down Harry," Tom said. "I have been known to manage by myself." Harry nodded and then left his office. No matter what he told Tom, this wasn't going to be a good day for him.
Harry approached an anonymous boring government building, pleased he was only slightly late. He made his way to the lift and the doors were just closing when he heard her voice for the first time.
"Oh, damn it. Hold the door please!" And being a gentleman, Harry obliged. "Thank you," she breathed as the lift door closed behind her.
"You're welcome," he said quietly. He was taking in her beautiful blue eyes which had been the thing he'd instantly noticed about her. Bright, honest and intelligent eyes that seemed to know more than they should. Her just above shoulder length brown hair curled slightly at the ends giving him a rather lovely view of the smooth expanse of her neck. She was dressed conservatively in a white blouse and a full length skirt, but even so it couldn't hide the fact that she had an amazing figure and judging by the way she was dressed, she didn't like to flaunt it either. She was at least ten years younger than himself, maybe more but very attractive. He could tell instantly that she wasn't his usual type at all, Not showy or flirtatious but then again, that didn't really bother him. This appraisal of her took maybe three seconds. The lift had barely begun to move when he turned to her.
"I'm Harry," he said. Then he felt like kicking himself. Firstly because he'd given this mystery woman his real name, and secondly because he hadn't come up with a more imaginative opening line than that. She turned and faced him.
"Would that be Harry Pearce?" she asked with a slightly quirked eyebrow. He inclined his head slightly, trying to hide his surprise at the fact she knew his name. "Well it would seem that I'm trying to get a job with you. Head of counter terrorism? Section D? Since 1996? Your section chief at the moment is Tom Quinn. Am I right?"
"Where did you get that information from?" Harry asked quickly, trying to hide that she'd slightly awed him already.
"You think I'd apply for a job without knowing who I'm trying to impress?" she said with a slight smile. Normally in this point in proceedings Harry would ask her for a drink. However, it was in the middle of a professional setting and he didn't think that approach with this woman would be welcomed.
"You could at least tell me your name," he countered.
"Ruth," she said, brushing her hair out of her face as her eyes sparkled at him, almost knowingly. "Ruth Evershed." By this time the lift had come to a stop on the third floor.
"I'll see you in the interview room then," she said with a smile that illuminated her features beautifully. She left the lift, leaving Harry somewhat speechless. It had been a long time since a woman had done that to him. Quickly moving before the doors closed, he thought that maybe today wasn't going to be a total loss after all.