Why Didn't We Do This Sooner?

by elsiecarson

When the Grid starts gossiping about Harry and Ruth's relationship, after their first dinner out, Ruth is ready to pull away, but between Harry and Malcolm they manage to get her to reconsider. How the storyline would have changed.

35. You're So Good with Them

"You're so good with them." Harry whispers in Ruth's ear. "Here's some more information from MI-6."

"You're equally good with all of them. I just have a different approach to the one you do. You have to have a different way of dealing with them. You have to deal with them as a boss whereas I can just be a colleague. It's a different level of respect between you and the team and me and the team. I'm a chum, but they deeply respect you and they trust you implicitly. They know they can tell me anything and they know they can ask me for help, but you, they'd lay down their lives for you if they had to." Ruth spins in her chair to face Harry. She takes the file from Harry and flicks the end of his tie as it's fallen out of his jacket. "I'll have to get you a tie pin because that looks silly."

Harry tucks his tie back into his jacket and kisses Ruth's forehead. "Just read the file and quit teasing me."