Disclaimer Still not mine

Night

Ruth sat on the edge of the bed. It had been a really long day and Ruth couldn't believe what she was about to do. She just hoped Harry stayed asleep as long as possible. God knew he needed the rest. She sighed heavily as she gently ran a hand along his bare arm. The tears that kept springing to her eyes were angrily brushed away as she watched her husband sleep.

"I love you" She whispered before standing and placing the white envelope in her hand on the pillow next to him. It explained everything, including why she was doing this. She hated herself for it, but it was the only way she knew of keeping Harry and everyone she loved safe. She would be back. It was her mess and she would deal with it. Quietly she slipped out of the bedroom in to the bathroom to check the bruises on her face and collect herself before she left.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Zaf was at a loss. He knew Zoe was right, the man in the photo should be dead but he wasn't. Zaf had been with Adam and Ros when the man had died. It was insane but then he realised if Section D could fake their own deaths then there was no reason why the criminals they chased shouldn't at least be able to try the same. Staring at the ceiling he sighed. The link to Ruth was clear he just wished she had told them that she thought she was being followed before she went away with Harry

. He turned on his side as Zoe sighed. She was sleeping next to him and he couldn't help but smile at the turn of events. He wanted to talk to Zoe about what they had found but knew that if he woke her now she'd just be annoyed. Quietly he slipped out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. He just couldn't understand how Ruth could get involved with the brother of a hit man. Had Ruth known George's family were not as respectable as they would like the world to see? Zaf couldn't help but blame himself, if he had just managed to talk her out of faking her own death all those years ago none of this would be happening.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry had been awake when Ruth left the bedroom. He had heard every word she had said before she slipped out of the room. Opening his eyes he saw the white envelope on her pillow. He listened intently hoping that he wasn't too late, that the front door hadn't slammed shut. Quietly slipping out of the bedroom he made his way towards the bathroom.

"Ruth" She closed her eyes as she heard him almost whisper her name. Why did he have to wake up? Why did this have to be any harder than it already was? Harry was suddenly behind her as she looked in the mirror.

"Harry, I" Ruth started but the tears came again, effectively silencing her.

"You're leaving me" He sounded heart broken

"No!" Ruth was suddenly able to find her voice as she turned to face him "No not like that. I'll be back. I'm going to come back. I have to sort this out." She was angry that he would think she would just leave with no intention of coming home, not after last time.

"When Ruth? In three years?" He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. Ruth looked as if he'd slapped her.

"It's my mess Harry. I have to fix it. I have to go to Cyprus. I have to talk to George's mother, see if she can call Frankie off. You don't know what Frankie is like, you don't know what George was like" Ruth brushed a tear away from her face as Harry stepped nearer.

"George always told me his brother was an idiot. That he was involved with a bad lot as he put it. George had been involved with them too when he was younger, before Nico was born. He didn't tell that the bad lot actually involved him being a hit man for some drugs smugglers." She sighed as Harry looked away. He knew she wanted to leave to protect him.

"Only you Ruth could run from trouble to find worse trouble where you ended up" Harry sighed as Ruth nodded. "You don't need to protect me. This is not Mace. This is no where in the same league as Mace" He reached up and brushed her hair from her face.

"You really don't know Harry. If I can talk her round. Maybe I can get her to call Frankie and get him to leave us alone. When George died I knew the family would blame me. I blame me. I should have expected this" She sighed as Harry pulled her to him. He was fighting the tears as he held her.

"We do this together Ruth. Please don't leave me, please don't try to do this on your own" He held her a little tighter as she sobbed. Her arms came to wrap themselves around his shoulders. She nodded in to his shoulder; she knew she'd never be able to leave him now. Pulling away slightly she reached up and kissed him as he ran his hands along her arms and took her hand. Silently he led her back to the bedroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Zaf sat at the kitchen table in Zoƫ's flat as he thought about what had happened all those years ago. It had been after Ruth had left and before he had been caught out by the Red backs. Francesco had been in the UK to kill a prominent business man with links to the Government. There had been a shoot out and Ros had shot him. Zaf had seen the body fall. He ran a hand over his eyes, suddenly more tired than ever as Zoe walked in to the kitchen.

"Zaf" She yawned as he looked up.

"Sorry Zoe. Didn't mean to wake you" He sighed as she smiled at him.

"You still worrying about Ruth and this Frankie bloke?" Zoe crossed the room to him.

"Yeah, I just can't see how she didn't know this George bloke she was with was related to him. Never mind that he is a hit man" Zaf yawned as he stood up.

"Only Ruth could unwittingly get involved with the Cypriot version of the Mafia" she shook her head as she yawned. "Do your family know what you do? Did they know before you went away?" Zoe folded her arms. "Mine don't. They think I work for the Department of Education. They think I'm a secretary." She smiled as Zaf nodded.

"Yeah, I'm still going to talk to Ruth." He sighed. He dreaded to think what his friend had been involved with before she came home.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning the Grid was a hive of activity as Ruth and Harry walked back through the Pods. They had travelled overnight to get back to London and Ruth was exhausted. Adam was tapping away at his computer as Zaf and Malcolm went through records. Tariq was working on a piece of technology that was so small Ruth couldn't really see what he was working on. She was too tired to speculate. Ros stood in the doorway of Harry's office as he walked towards her.

"Ros, what have we missed?" The blonde in front of him narrowed her eyes.

"Could ask you the same thing. Can't you pair even manage to have two days without any drama?" Harry smirked. "Zaf, Zoe and Adam have done some digging. It seems Ruth is right. She was followed. Malcolm pulled the CCTV footage from Oxford Street for last Thursday. She was definitely followed by this Frankie bloke. Only problem is I shot him dead six months after Ruth left" Harry frowned as Ruth walked up to the pair.

"And, it seems that break ins are his style just before he carries out a hit Harry" Ruth joined in. "I told you I should disappear for a while. Frankie wants me dead. He wont care who's caught in the cross fire to achieve that" She folded her arms across her chest as Ros narrowed her eyes.

"Have you thought that if he is back in the country then chasing you is just a bonus? I know it's a little close to home Ruth, but this man is a paid hit man. If he's here he's here to work. Settling what he sees as old scores is probably just a bonus for him" Ros watched as Ruth seemed to consider her words. Harry closed his eyes briefly.

"Ros, who do you think his employers are?" Harry sighed as he could see this nightmare getting worse.

"Well, we have some intelligence that suggests he is targeting one of the shadow cabinet" She held Harry's gaze as Ruth looked away. She desperately wanted to be on a plane to Cyprus. She knew if she spoke to Frankie's family they may be able to help. Unless of course they wanted her dead too.

"And do we have a name for this target?" Harry knew he wasn't going to like it.

"Yes" Ros glared. She hated the idea of yet another babysitting job too. Lucas crossed the Grid to stand next to Ruth. He looked as annoyed as Ros. He glanced to Ros before speaking. He could see the Ice Queen was back in full force.

"Harry, it's Andrew Lawrence. We believe the target is the Shadow Home Secretary Andrew Lawrence".

author's note. Who is out to kill Andrew Lawrence? Why? Is Ruth really a target and should I continue with this? Please let me know what you think x