Disclaimer - as always

Silent Night?

Tariq pressed a few keys on the computer screen in front of him as he tried to stifle a yawn. Calum looked up as Tariq rubbed his eyes.

"Take a break." Calum stated. Tariq raised an eyebrow as Malcolm nodded.

"No. I'm fine."

"Tar, you need to sleep, or at least eat something. I'm going to call Cath, see if there is any news."

"Good idea." Malcolm watched the younger techis. Calum had mellowed considerably since falling for Catherine Pearce. A calmer, responsible side had emerged which Malcolm could only have imagined a year earlier.

"Both of you, eat something. Tariq, check your blood sugar. Neither of you are any use to Ruth or this investigation if you miss something because you are tired or hypoglycaemic." Tariq glared for a moment before pushing his chair away from his desk and storming towards the kitchenette.

"He loves Ruth. We all do." Calum shrugged. Malcolm nodded.

"Yes. In this line of work it is difficult to separate yourself but you need to."

"Boxes." Zoe placed a coffee on Malcolm's desk. "Tom used to say spooks put their lives in little boxes. Shut things off to get the job done."

"Bit difficult when the bad guys keep trying to kill us." Calum sighed before following his friend into the kitchen.

Xxxxxxa

"Thanks." Lucas smiled as he nodded to the pretty blonde woman from the CSI team. Beth raised an eyebrow.

"Does Ros know you flirt with everyone?"

"I do not flirt." Lucas smirked. "Charm can get you along way, Beth. You should try it." Beth narrowed her eyes for a moment before following him back to the car.

Xxxx

"Good evening Mrs Myers." The Home Secretary watched as Ros and Adam walked into her office. "Mr Carter."

"This is not Nightingale." Ros stared.

"I was informed you like to dispense with pleasantries."

"With respect I currently have the best analyst that my section had ever had in a coma. The Section Head is also on compassionate leave and I am not calling him back."

"Yes, this must be difficult for you ." The middle aged woman sighed. "I know my predecessors have given you trouble in the past. I don't intend to do the same. You are the anti terrorism experts and it is you that risk your lives, not I." Adam and Ros exchanged glances, neither quite believing the woman in front of them. Janet Crowther was the third Home Secretary Ros had worked under since her return and she had no doubt the dumpy woman would be the last. "Do we know any more?"

"The van was stolen two days ago. From a small town in South Wales."

"Where?" Crowther narrowed her eyes.

"Pontypridd, about twenty minutes from Cardiff. South Wales police had reports of a white Mercedes van with the same registration plate as the van on the CCTV."

"And?"

"And that is the only concrete evidence we have. 30 people injured, most of which saw nothing. One dead man and my best analyst in a coma." Ros narrowed her eyes. Crowther sighed heavily.

"What can I do?"

Adam raised an eyebrow, willing Ros to hold her temper. He had a feeling he was going to be disappointed.

"Get the DG to sanction every single minute of overtime. Throw money and manpower at this." Ros stared. "Raise the terror threat above Amber. Keep it in the public eye. Talk in parliament about the bombing - let people know a mum is in a coma because of this. Let the news cover only what we tell you. Let them focus on the incident and not the aftermath so we can do our job."

"You have my word." The older woman smiled. "I think I'm going to enjoy working with section D." Adam raised an eyebrow.

"That was what they all said."

"Ah, but Mr Carter. Section D is still here and they are not." Adam and Ros smiled slightly before leaving the room.

Xxxx

"Ruth." Harry squeezed her hand. "Wake up."

"She will." Harry startled as he heard a female voice behind him.

"Joanna."

"Sir." Jo smiled cheekily. "Typically just when I thought I could step back and enjoy a little afterlife this happens." Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm still dead." Joanna sighed. "She isn't going anywhere. Just give her time."

"Jo." Harry watched as the blonde woman moved towards Ruth. "Why is this happening? How are you here?"

"You aren't insane." Jo smiled. "Honestly, Ros, Zaf and Ruth have all seen me since I crossed over. I told her before it isn't Ruth's time. She dies and everything falls apart. You, the kid and the Grid."

"Ruth." Harry glanced away as Jo nodded.

"She holds you together, I remember what you were like when she was away. The Grid suffered."

"I."

"Tell her. Tell her everything, she has no idea what went wrong when she had to leave. She needs to know you, Nick and Gracie need her." Jo smiled as Harry held Ruth's hand. She stepped back as Harry felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Dad." He blinked rapidly, Jo vanished as he felt Catherine move next to him. "Wake up." She nodded towards where Harry was holding Ruth's hand tightly. Her once loose fingers curled around his, holding on for dear life. Harry smiled slightly as he followed Catherine's line of vision. Ruth's left eye was swollen almost closed but a single tear slipped down her face.

"Ruth." Harry gasped. "Come back to us. To me."

"I'll get the doctor." Catherine disappeared as Harry stayed rigid to the spot.

Xxxxxx

"Zaf." Erin headed back to the car as he checked his phone. "Someone will let us know as soon as they can ."

"You head back to Thames house. Tell Ros what little pathology have come up with." He stepped away from her.

"Zaf!"

"I'm going to the hospital." He hailed a taxi leaving Erin staring after him.

Xxxxxx

Alec rubbed his hand across his face as he watched Malcolm work on the computer. He didn't like the way Ruth being in hospital had affected his team. It really seemed like the heart had been ripped from the team. Sighing he began trawling databases Ruth usually used to help her analysis.

"The body in the van is that of an adult male, aged between 18 and 35." Erin sighed as she entered the Grid. "Zaf's gone to the hospital."

"Ok." Alec looked up. "Anything else?"

"Joy at the morgue thinks the body was a white male." She slumped in the chair abandoned by Dimitri as her friend walked towards her.

"No one has claimed responsibility" Dimitri snapped. "None of the usual ones anyway." A phone ringing in the background startled him as Malcolm crossed the room.

Xxxxxxx

Zaf walked through the hospital corridors, heading towards the ITU. He knew Ruth was still on the critical list. Every minute counted. Smiling slightly he realised his previously stone cold boss hadn't left Ruth's side. His smile slipped away as he turned the corner to see Catherine staring into space with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Catherine." Zaf walked up to her as she rubbed a tear away from her eye. She swallowed hard as Zaf reached her, his stomach clenching, fearing the worst.

"Cath?"

"She's."

"Oh God." Zaf felt his eyes fill with tears. "No."

"She's." Catherine sniffed as he stepped back. Realising what he had thought. "No Zaf, no. She's opened her eyes. They've taken her off life support."

"What?"

"Dad is with her now." Catherine smiled. "She's awake."

Xxxx

A/N more soon x