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Repercussions

Ruth sat on the floor of the hallway. Face hidden by her hands she felt sick. Scarlet could be heard barking near by as Harry knelt on the floor beside her. She was vaguely aware that the front door was still open. Warm hands began peeling her fingers away from her face.

"Ruth" Harry almost whispered as he pulled her hand down from her face "Are you ok?" He was so angry. All he had wanted was three days away from their old life. Three days where they didn't have to worry about the nightmares of the world. He didn't know why or who had spoiled it but all that mattered at that moment was Ruth seemed to be hurt.

"Ruth" he repeated again as he saw how hard she was breathing.

"I" She took a deep breath "Who was it Harry?" Ruth could feel her own temper rise as she realised what she had hoped would be a perfect weekend had been spoiled.

"I don't know. I didn't have a good look at him. Young man though, looked about Tariq's age. Let me see that" He pulled her hand away from her face as he fought the urge to find the young intruder and pulverise him. Ruth now had the start of a bruise across the right side of her face. Her right cheek was also swollen.

"I'm fine Harry" She tried to smile as he looked more and more concerned

"You hit your head. You have a bruise across your face. How is that fine?" He helped Ruth to stand as it became clear Scarlet agreed with Harry. She wouldn't leave her side as the pair made their way in to the kitchen.

"I've been hurt a lot worse" She smiled as he pushed her hair back from her face. They both knew it was true. Harry nodded, unwanted memories of Ruth lying in Malcolm's arms bleeding and then in hospital beds sprang to mind as he briefly looked away.

"Stay here" He forced himself back in to work mode "I'm going to look in the living room. Scarlet. Stay" The small dog sat at Ruth's feet as if she were Ruth's self appointed protector. Ruth couldn't help but smile at the small dog. The terrier obviously knew things weren't right. Ruth fought the tears. She had been looking forward to the weekend since Harry had mentioned it. She was suddenly very glad they had decided to bring the dog along with them.

X

The living room was a mess. He was suddenly pleased that he had brought nothing work related with him. The last thing Section D needed was a repeat of what happened when he had been burgled by a teenager years before. The chairs were thrown around the room and the place was a mess. Harry began to hope it was just an opportunity break in rather than them being targeted specifically. Ruth was still in the hallway with Scarlet when he returned.

"Harry?" Her mind was already back on the Grid "We should call the police".

"We will, I just want to check that nothing has been taken that matters. Let me look upstairs first." Ruth nodded as she followed him upstairs.

"Ruth stay here"

"No" Ruth rested her arm on his bicep "We do this together, you don't have to worry about me all the time" He closed his eyes as she squeezed his arm "I'm not that fragile, I wont break". He nodded as they walked upstairs together. Somehow he wanted to believe her.

Xxxxx

Ros hated going to Whitehall and the JIC meeting she had to attend just added insult to injury. The main problem was she had to sit opposite Andrew Lawrence for over an hour. Ros sighed as the Pod doors whooshed open. Initially she had liked Andrew Lawrence but since the explosion at the hotel she couldn't bare to be around him for longer than necessary. She had initially felt sorry for him as she had thought Harry had only believed he was part of Nightingale due to the way he ended up in Government. Now she was more than please he had been relegated to the position of Shadow Home Secretary. It meant she only had to deal with him occasionally. The co-alition government had their own particular nightmare in that role.

Ros stood at the edge of the Pods as Adam looked up. He was still on crutches but much more mobile. He called Ros over as she began to think that Saturdays on the Grid were as much a liability as the rest of the week.

"Yes Adam" Ros ran a hand through her short blonde hair.

"Harry called. There's been a bit of trouble." Adam watched as Ros rolled her eyes.

"They've been gone less than 24 hours" Ros began to wonder if Harry really was a magnet for trouble. Malcolm crossed the Grid towards them.

"Ah yes, there was a break in at the cottage. Nothing much taken but Ruth has ended up with a black eye." Malcolm sighed as he sat in Zaf's empty chair.

"Shit" Ros swore quietly. It wasn't fair; Harry and Ruth rarely took time off. When Ruth had been away she knew Harry had never used his full annual leave entitlement. "The cottage belongs to Harry's brother. Was anything taken?" Ros could see both Malcolm and Adam were worried about their friends.

"Nothing that could link Harry to MI 5" Adam paused as he saw Lucas approach them. There was still no sign of Zoe.

"Yeah, but there's a chance that there is a link to Ruth" Lucas growled as he thought of his friend.

"What?" Ros couldn't really believe what she was hearing.

"When she came back from Cyprus, she thinks she was followed. She spoke to Zoe while you were at Whitehall" Lucas sighed. Ros frowned; she really didn't know how Ruth's return from Cyprus could have anything to do with the break in at a cottage in Yorkshire.

"Are they on the way home?" Ros wanted to know exactly how serious this could turn out to be. Ruth had run back to the UK in a hurry with Nico and George. George was dead and Nico was living in Cyprus with his aunt. Ros had no idea who could have traced Ruth now. Mani was dead. Lucas had shot him.

"No, Harry wants to stay in Yorkshire until Sunday as planned. It seems the police are keen to talk to them. It's Ruth that thinks there is a Cypriot connection. The police and Harry can't see it yet" Adam knew that Ruth could be paranoid at times, but sometimes her hunches really did take off.

"Fine" Ros sighed "I'll call Ruth, see if there is any news. Let me know if we hear anything. Where's Zoe?" It suddenly occurred to Ros that Zoe had yet to put in an appearance since she had set off for the Registry earlier that day. Adam shrugged. He had no idea where Zoe or Zaf were. Smirking, he didn't think he wanted to know.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Zoe sat at the small table in the Registry. Although most of the files were now on computer she had decided to stay in the library area of the department rather than return to the Grid. She had spoken to Ruth at Emma's birthday party the weekend before and couldn't help but think her friend had been right. If Ruth believed she was being followed then there was a fair chance she was right.

Zaf placed a coffee in front of her as he sat down. He had been out of the office most of the morning chasing down an asset that he wanted to talk to.

"Look, I think Ruth isn't being paranoid. Seems her George wasn't the quiet man she thought he was" Zoe sighed as she pushed the files away from her.

"Ruth is a natural worrier Zo. If she really was concerned why didn't she tell Harry or Ros?" Zaf really wanted Ruth and Harry to have been burgled by some random teenager rather than a professional target.

"Yeah, I know" Zoe sighed "But she usually is right to worry. I think she just didn't want to worry Harry after everything with Ros and Juliet."

"So what makes you and Ruth think it has anything to do with George and Cyprus?" Zaf leant back in his chair as Zoe shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure but the only thing I could find was this" She pushed a piece of paper across the table towards Zaf. He picked up the photograph as Zoe waited. Zaf shook his head.

"Not possible" Zaf glared "This man died before I went away. I saw him die".

"I know Zaf. That photo was taken three days ago in Oxford Street. He was caught by CCTV. Explain to me how that is possible? How a man who died over five years ago was walking down Oxford Street behind Ruth?" Zaf shook his head. He had no way of explaining it. Sighing he glared at the photograph.

"We have to talk to Harry"

authors note - Just a filler chapter. More fluff/drama soon. Who is in the photo? Will Ruth and Harry have to return to London? Thanks for the reviews, please let me know what you think. x