Well this is it, the final chapter. It ties up a few loose ends, but there's also a number left hanging in true Spooks fashion and I do hope it isn't too sentimental. Thanks once again to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. Your support means an awful lot.

xxxx

Harry watched from his office door, a small smile playing around his lips as Adam strode over to Ruth and embraced her warmly. He didn't want to interrupt her reunion with her former colleagues and he also thought that Ruth wouldn't want the team witnessing their own personal reunion. Her unexpected arrival certainly answered the question of why she hadn't answered his call earlier, but in its wake brought a number of other questions to the forefront of his mind, mainly centring around why she was so suddenly here and was she planning on staying in London. He continued watching as Adam finally released her from a bear hug and whispered something in her ear, at his words she glanced over at Harry and for a moment, as their eyes met, the activity on the Grid seemed to stand still as they shared a warm and searching look. Harry indicated towards his office with his head and she nodded quickly in response, letting him know with a soft smile that she'd be in to see him as soon as she'd finishing greeting the others properly. As he withdrew to the sanctity of his office he noticed Jo grab hold of her hand and chat excitedly to her, it was the most animated he'd seen the young Spook in weeks and he hoped Ruth's return would be the catalyst Jo needed to start healing herself.

"So that's her then." Connie stated, a comment more than a question given that she and Ruth had been briefly introduced minutes before.

Ros nodded with a enigmatic smile on her face as the two of them watched the animated conversation taking place between Ruth, Adam and Jo. Malcolm had retreated back to his desk after initially welcoming her back with a warm hug and a kiss on her cheek. He was now watching from afar, not wanting to get in the way and preferring to wait to speak properly with Ruth when they could both sit down and have a proper chat. "That's her," she looked sideways at Connie, noticing the way she was sizing up the younger woman, "is she what you expected?"

"She's certainly different to his usual type," Connie answered noncommittally, glancing towards Harry's office where the man in question seemed to be pouring over some paperwork on his desk and ignoring the hubbub on the Grid.

"I wouldn't know," Ros replied equally noncommittedly. "He's only had eyes for her as long as I've known him... Not that that's been for that long. Plus aside from his personal feelings, he's probably happy to have someone, who by all accounts is one of the better Analyst's MI5 has had over the years, back on the team. Alongside yourself..." she added hastily, when she realised how her words could be taken by Connie, who was as much, if not more of a legend in the annals of MI5 Analysts as Ruth was.

"She's definitely coming back then is she?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Ros shrugged her shoulders, "but that fact that she's here, now, would imply to me that a return is on the cards."

Connie nodded in response, her lips pursed slightly as if mulling something over in her mind. "And she's that good is she?" she asked at length.

Ros looked over at her, an amused expression on her face as Connie seemingly weighed up her competition. "From the little I saw of her before she went into exile, then yes, she is that good." She pushed away from the desk she'd been leaning on while talking to Connie, "I may not have particularly warmed to her as a person during the brief time we worked together, but as an Intelligence Analyst she's excellent." She cast one last smile at Connie who now appeared deep in thought. "She'd find the most obscure connections you could imagine and she was also pretty good at uncovering things that had been buried so deep people had actually forgotten about their own skeleton. I'm sure the two of you will get on like a house on fire!"

Harry looked up as he heard the soft knock on his office door and saw Ruth leaning against the door frame, a gentle smile on her face. "May I come in?"

He pushed his chair back in response, "Of course," he answered making his way over to her. He paused a couple of feet away from, "I didn't want to intrude earlier," he said quietly, "when you were saying hello to the others," he clarified as he spotted her puzzled look.

She nodded and then smiled at him, "I thought I'd surprise you."

"You did that," Harry answered gently taking another half step towards her, "I tried calling you earlier but there was no answer, now I know why."

Ruth looked at him, a half smile on her face as they continued to look at each other, "and are you happy with the surprise," she asked, a slight hint of trepidation coming through in her voice. "I just thought..."

Harry closed the couple of steps between them quickly and took her into his arms holding her in a tight embrace, "I'm delighted you're here," he whispered over the top of her head, "as surprises go, this is probably the best one I've ever had."

Ruth pulled back slightly so she could look at his face, "Good," she said, "I'm glad."

Harry looked down at her and despite being in his office he leaned down and kissed her softly, "I missed you," he admitted quietly before kissing her again lingeringly, "even though it's only been a couple of days I missed you."

"Me too," Ruth replied with a grin.

They stared into each others eyes for a few moments before Harry came to his senses; despite the fact that they were in a blind spot in his office and wouldn't be visible to anyone on the Grid, he was also aware that there would be more than one set of eyes glued to the windows in the hope of seeing something between him and Ruth and he didn't want that pressure being put on her that early in her return to London. "We should probably sit down," he commented eventually nodding towards the sofas in his office, "if they don't see us soon, gossip is bound to start."

Ruth nodded and squeezed his arm as she stepped out of his embrace and took a seat. "I'm sure it has already," she answered with a raised eyebrow.

"You're probably right." he conceded as he took a seat on the other sofa sitting at a right angle to her. This gave him both a view of her and of the Grid and as he sat, he noticed numerous sets of eyes suddenly diverting from where they had been focused on the windows he was now looking through. "So what..." He tailed off, not quite knowing how to bring up the question he was dying to ask.

"Made me come back so soon?" Ruth finished off for him.

"Yes," he nodded. "Last time we saw each other, I know you had some questions, some concerns. I was planning on flying back out to Cyprus this weekend to see you again," he shrugged his shoulders, "I'd hoped we could have had the conversation that we were going to have Sunday afternoon before everything turned to custard."

"It was George." Ruth smiled, before clarifying, "who persuaded me to come back so soon... though I would have come back to London regardless. I realised that almost as soon as you'd left."

Harry looked stupefied for a moment, "George," he finally managed to get out, "the doctor? What did he say?"

"He saw us saying goodbye." Ruth started.

"When? On Sunday?"

She nodded. "We ended up going for a drink and I told him what had happened." She cleared her throat and clarified her statement quickly as she saw Harry's suddenly aghast face." Well I told him a truncated version anyway, with the spying and exile bits replaced with a slightly more downbeat version."

"And he believed you?"

"Yes," Ruth answered simply, "why wouldn't he? He's a good and honest man." She started to play with a loose thread on the hem of her top. "He already knew that you were someone from my past, he worked that out from seeing us in the hospital grounds on Saturday."

Harry stood up and made his way over to his whisky decanter, suddenly feeling the need for fortification while this conversation was taking place. He'd known the moment he'd set eyes on the Cypriot Doctor that he'd cared for Ruth. "So what did he say?" He asked, pouring them both out a healthy measure.

Ruth grinned to herself recognising Harry's actions for what it was. "He asked me if I still loved you and told me that if I did that I was a fool to hang around in Polis any longer than I had to."

Harry had just taken a mouthful of his drink and was making his way back to her when she answered the question. Her answer made him stop in his tracks and the shock of her words made the whisky go down the wrong way. "And what did you say to that?" He finally croaked after a mild coughing fit had rendered him speechless.

"I'm here aren't I." She shrugged. "I said the other day I just needed a little time to get my head around things. George made me realise that I perhaps didn't need the time to think as much as I thought I did."

Harry nodded dumbly but whatever he was about to say next was lost as the door slid open and Jo popped her head through. "Sorry to interrupt," she glanced between the two of them where they were sat on the two sofas, "but Ruth, I'm heading off home now, so if you want a lift back?"

Ruth glanced over at the younger woman before quickly explaining to Harry. "Jo has very kindly offered me her spare room while I get myself settled back in and I've taken her up on her offer."

Harry nodded, remembering earlier Adam's comments around this subject. "Well... that's good." He said eventually.

Ruth looked over him and smiled before turning to face Jo. "I might leave moving in until tomorrow though Jo if that's okay with you. I'll stay at Harry's tonight if he's amenable to that."

In the silence that followed it was hard to say who looked more shocked, both Jo and Harry were rendered temporarily speechless but it was Jo who came to her senses first."That's fine," she exclaimed with a broad grin. "We'll catch up tomorrow. Have a good night both of you." She waved briefly and then disappeared quickly as she realised how her words could be misconstrued.

Neither Harry or Ruth noticed, "That is alright with you I hope?" Ruth asked gently when he still didn't say anything. "I just presumed..."

He leaned over and took hold of her hand entwining it with his own. "It's more than fine," he answered, his voice rough with emotion. "I just didn't think you'd want the others on the team to be aware of our personal relationship, or even if you'd want one with me if you decide to come back to work here."

"I think that particular horse has well and truly bolted," Ruth answered calmly, squeezing his hand. "They all read the postcard I sent you, they know why I went into exile in the first place and they know that you flew out to Cyprus to find me." She touched his cheek with her free hand, "I'd be slightly worried with their spying skills if they didn't realise how close we were." She took a deep breath before continuing. "When I left, the thing I regretted most was not giving you a chance, not giving us a chance and now that I'm back, that's something I can fix... if you want the same thing of course?" she added slightly nervously.

Harry raised both his eyebrows at her, "well that's a daft question if ever I've heard one." He replied with a grin, his eyes saying far more to her than his words did. "And with work... what's your thinking there?" He let go of her hand to take another mouthful of his drink. "Are you wanting to be recommissioned as an MI5 Officer?"

Ruth nodded, "Yes... well, I think so." She looked over at him, "do you think we'll be able to do it? Work together and have a personal life together as well?"

Harry looked over the Grid before answering, spotting his blond section chief perched on a desk and talking animatedly to Lucas. "Adam and Fiona did," he answered, "there's no reason why we can't too."

"Adam wasn't Fiona's boss?"

"In every practical sense he was." Harry replied, "if it makes it any easier for you I could set up the line of reporting differently so that you report into Adam rather than directly to me?"

"Maybe we should just play it by ear," Ruth answered noncommittedly before she leaned over and took a small sip of her whisky while weighing something up in her mind. "Oliver Mace." She began hesitantly.

Harry sighed heavily, "I'm sorry Ruth, there's really nothing that can be done about him." He moved slightly closer to her and making sure that they couldn't be seen by people still lingering on the Grid, he placed his hand on her knee in an attempt to comfort her. "If there was anyway at all then..."

"What about..." Ruth started before she tailed off, not quite knowing how to voice something that she'd been playing over and over in her mind ever since Harry had mentioned on that night in Cyprus that Mace was back in the fold.

"What about what?" Harry asked encouragingly, knowing that Ruth rarely made suggestions without having put a great deal of thought behind it.

"It's just something I've been thinking about," she began. "Men like Mace rarely just have one skeleton in the cupboard. What if, rather than me just jumping back into Counter Intelligence work for Section D, I spend some time instead working from a secure connection and do some in-depth digging." She shrugged her shoulders lightly, "see if we can't get him to disappear for good this time."

Harry sat back on the sofa tapping his lips with his forefinger while he thought over her suggestion. It was very close to one he had of his own, but he hadn't intended bringing that up tonight, what with it being Ruth's first night back. He glanced around covertly before moving closer to her and lowering his voice. "I think it's a strong idea, but you won't be able to do it from here."

"Then where?"

"I've already got a secure connection at home. Malcolm checks it everyday for breaches so if you wouldn't mind working from my office there then..."

Ruth looked at him slightly puzzled, "Why couldn't I work from here? Surely the network here is just as secure?"

Harry nodded, "it is." He glanced outside, no one was now taking any notice of the two of them sat there. He moved his mouth closer to Ruth's ear and whispered, "I'd like to expand your remit if you'd be open to that? Get you to look very quietly into another couple of people as well."

"Of course," Ruth replied quietly, "but why all the secrecy and why the whispering?"

"Because it's a very delicate matter, and it involves people you've met here tonight."

Ruth's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she looked at him aghast. "You think..." She whispered loudly back to him.

"It's just a gut feeling," he replied quietly, "we'll talk more when we're alone and I'm certain there's no hidden ears listening in.

She nodded in understanding, suddenly feeling a wave of tiredness overcome her as both the flight back to the UK took its toll and the realities of a life back in the Security Services hit home. "Another time." she said, squeezing his hand in understanding.

He smiled at her, suddenly wanting nothing more than to forget about his worries over Connie and Lucas and instead focus on the future that lay in front of him. Something that he thought had passed him by when the barge had taken her away from him and into exile nearly twenty months earlier. He stood up and held out his hand to her, "can I take you home and show you where you'll be sleeping tonight?" He asked in a teasing tone.

"Sleeping?" She shot back quickly with a wide grin, her tiredness receding as quickly as it had struck her a few moments earlier. "I hope you're not planning on much of that tonight Sir Harry."

His answering grin matched her own as he pulled her up to stand next to him. "we best get moving then."

She looked at him closely for a moment, noticing the unbuttoned collar, the loose tie, the warmth of his eyes as he gazed down at her. "Take me home Harry." she asked softly.

He looked down at her and couldn't resist kissing her softly before he answered. "Ruth, you're already home."

THE END