Harry woke up feeling well rested for the first time in months. With his eyes still closed, he relived some of the more exquisite moments of the night before. Ruth's body arched under his as she cried out with pleasure. The taste of her nipples, the softness of her skin as he stroked her to completion, how beautiful she looked when she came.

He honestly hadn't intended for them to have sex, but she had smiled at him confidently, blue eyes sparkling with desire as she unbuttoned her blouse. By the time the garment hit the floor, his resolve was in tatters. And then she'd reached for the clasp of her bra…

He felt happy for the first time in… well, years if he were being honest with himself. He also ached, but in a much more pleasant way than he usually did when he woke up. He sighed happily and reached across the bed to pull Ruth towards him, but he found nothing. He opened his eyes and the room was completely empty except for him. Nothing but an empty bed and rumbled sheets. Touching them again he found them cold as well. No, she couldn't have just left in the middle of the night, leaving him to wake up alone. She wasn't that cruel. She couldn't be.

Heart racing he jumped out of bed, looking around the room for her. The shower wasn't running and there was no trace of her at all. That was when he saw it. A note propped up against the mirror, his name written in her familiar handwriting. How often had he seen his name written i her hand? Post it notes attached to forms. "Harry, sign please." Or "Harry, read over before I send it to the registry." The way she wrote his name would be seared on his brain until the day he died. Hand shaking slightly, he picked it up and unfolded the note.

Harry,
I didn't want to wake you as you looked so peaceful. I will be back in an hour or two, so don't panic. My passports are in my suitcase if you want to make sure. I want to say goodbye to my mother properly and alone. Hope you understand. R x

He found himself breathing once more, and after a quick look, he found three passports in her case. He managed to slow his heart rate, now that he knew she hadn't just left and gone to the airport. He didn't blame her for wanting to visit her mother alone. Yesterday, with him turning up at the cemetery she hadn't said goodbye properly. Today she could, and it wasn't as if there were very many other times she'd get to visit her mothers grave after all. The thought of her imminent departure made him feel hollow. After today and she'd be gone. While looking for her passports, he'd found her boarding pass and her flight was at eight o'clock tonight.

He only had a few short hours with her, and suddenly his good mood that he'd woken up with had evaporated completely.

Ruth came back to her room, surprised to find Harry still in bed. She'd have guessed from all his early mornings on the grid that he wouldn't be the kind of man to have a lie in. His eyes popped open when she shut the door with a click and she knew he hadn't really been asleep. She took her shoes off and lay on the bed, leaning over him to kiss him hello. Breathing him in, she could smell soap on his skin, and his hair was slightly damp. He'd had a shower then.

"Morning," she said.

"I worried when I woke up and you weren't here," he said, unable to either lie, or hide it from her.

"I left a note," she said.

"I know," he said, smiling at her. "I just… worried." She kissed him gently and with love.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry." He squeezed her hand tightly. "I'm surprised to find you still in bed."

"I was thinking," he said, with the air of deep concentration. She smiled at him, at the same time noticing that his worry lines which had been smoothed away last night were back. She ran her fingertips over his forehead softly. "Stop worrying."

"You're leaving tonight," he said quietly. "Of course I'm worried."

"Mm," she agreed. "Probably about twenty four to thirty hours on a plane or in an airport.

"You could stay," he whispered

"No, I can't," she said firmly.

"You could," he reiterated. "I've been thinking about it and…"

"Let me stop you right there, Harry," she said. "You're thinking that you could hide me away in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, with you being my only visitor while Malcolm spends months on end trying to clear my name? That's not a solution I want."

"It would only be for a short while," he said, knowing he was close to begging, but past caring. "Maybe a few months while I work on the new Home Secretary. Towers likes me, he'll be amenable, I think."

"I can't do it Harry. I can't stay in the country just for you. To live my life in hiding, always worrying that I'm going to be caught and then thrown in prison. The fear will cripple me. That is not a life Harry, that's its own prison."

He sighed heavily, because he knew she was right. "Are you happy?" he asked softly "In Japan, with your new life?"

"Mostly," she said in a low whisper.

"Would you come back? If I can get your name cleared and your passport in your own name. Would you want to come back and live your life in Britain?"

She paused for a long time which had him panicking while she considered her answer. "I would," she said. "But not straight away. If I were free…" she paused on the word, as if considering the enormity of that small word which meant so much. "If I were free, I'd be able to stop running. And there'll be people I want to say goodbye to. I'll want to work out my notice at my job. I want to… just say goodbye. The goodbye's that…"

"You never had the chance to when you were running from London," he finished, understanding completely. "I am going to miss you." His voice wobbled a little and she felt a lump in her own throat. "So much."

"Don't," she whispered, pressing light kisses to his face and neck. "I've got a long plane journey to cry. I'm not going to cry now that I'm with you. Okay?" He nodded and turned towards her, wrapping her tightly in his embrace.

More soon.