Call Me: a fic about one character asking for another

The shot echoed through the comms system and everyone on the Grid was silent. Waiting. Wondering. Ruth's hands stilled, hovering over her keyboard

After a few seconds of silence, Malcolm spoke. "Alpha One? Alpha Two? Are you there? Status report please."

There was a bit of static and then Adam's voice rang out. "Alpha One is down. Get an ambulance over here now!"

As Jo dealt with the emergency services, Malcolm cast a glance over at Ruth. He knew that she and Harry had been in a relationship for almost six months and wondered how she was doing. She was as white as a sheet and hadn't uttered a word. He was about to ask if she was okay when Adam's voice came back over the comms.

"Malcolm? Is Ruth there? Harry's asking to speak to her."

He glanced over at her once more and saw her steeling herself for what was to follow; he wanted to give them some privacy. After a few clicks it was done and he sent her a private message. ' I've fiddled with the comms; it's just you and him.' She flashed him a grateful smile and took a deep breath. "Harry?"

"Ruth." Harry's voice was raspy and it frightened her to hear him sounding so weak.

"An ambulance is on the way Harry," she assured him.

"Ruth, I want to say… in case I don't make it… I love you."

"Oh Harry! I love you too," she replied.

"If I get through this, I don't want us to hide anymore."

"Okay." She knew they wouldn't be able to keep it a secret much longer anyway. "Harry, promise me you'll fight. I'm not ready to lose you. I need you, now more than ever."

"What?"

"I didn't want it to be like this when I told you but… I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby, so you have to live do you hear me? Your son or daughter will need their father."

7 months later

"He looks like Dad," Catherine told Ruth as she admired her baby brother.

Ruth nodded in agreement, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes as she remembered the day she had told Harry she was pregnant.

Catherine noticed Ruth's reaction and quickly apologised. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay," she assured the younger woman. "It just made me think about how different things could have been, that's all." Eager not to dwell on what-ifs, Ruth gazed back down at her son. "You're right though, he does look like Harry. I think it's the lips."

"Definitely," agreed Catherine. "When he pouts, he's the spitting image."

"I do not pout," came Harry's voice as he approached. Both women had been so engrossed in the newest addition to the Pearce family that they had failed to notice Harry entering the ward.

Catherine just smiled at Ruth knowingly, before excusing herself to make a phonecall.

"Do I really pout?" Harry asked.

"Only when you're in a particularly bad mood," she told him, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Are you okay ?

"It's nothing; I was just thinking about when you were shot… I don't know what I would have done if you'd died.!"

Harry perched on the bed next to her and put his arm around her. "But I didn't Ruth; I'm here. With you and our son. You've given me a second chance to have a family Ruth, and from the moment you told me you were pregnant, I vowed that I would fight; fight to live and be the best father I could be… which is why I've decided to retire."

"Retire?"

"It's time Ruth," he insisted.

Ruth nodded, and this time her smile did reach her eyes, as she reached up and cupped Harry's cheek, drawing his lips to hers, sealing their future as a family.