A/N: So...it's been a while. I know that's an understatement but I can only apologise. What can I say, I've been distracted by my degree! But I haven't forgotten about this fic, rest assured. Here is the next instalment, with the fallout from the previous dramatic chapter. I just hope it is worth the year long wait!

Chapter Twelve

"She's safe," Harry informed the team, as he set down his headset on the table. "No fatalities at all in fact. A few minor injuries, that's all. Luckily the explosion was contained, and the damage is mainly superficial, so it can be passed off as a gas leak to the press."

"That would suggest that the bomb was never intended to cause mass harm then," Erin suggested.

"And that there only ever was one target," Harry concluded.

Sasha remained silent. He didn't care for dishing out any 'I told you so's'. All he could focus on was the relief that his girlfriend and unborn child were safe.

"Where's Khan now?" Erin asked.

"In custody," Harry revealed. "It shouldn't be too hard getting a confession out of him now, especially seeing as his alternative future doesn't look quite as cosy as life in a British prison. Once he's locked up, we can burn his file and finally be done with all this sorry business."

"At long last," Ruth closed with a sigh.

"Emma, Dimitri and Tariq are on their way back here. Don't make a scene, just...you know the drill," he told them, referring to the revelation that had taken place earlier in the office. As he headed back into the office, he called out, "Sasha, a word please."

His son followed him into the room, and Harry shut the door behind him.

"Scotch?" he asked.

"Please," Sasha replied.

"It's the least you deserve," Harry said as he poured them both some of the tipple.

Sasha let out a half-hearted laugh.

"I owe you an apology," Harry began.

Sasha didn't respond, he just waited for his father to continue.

"All this time, I've been convinced that it was you who was the problem, and that I never should have taken you on here. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I thought you were too naive, too inexperienced, and too young for this post. I thought it was you who was causing this rut in our relationship. When in actual fact it's me who's been too cynical, too arrogant, and much too old. It would seem that I'm no longer able to keep up with the pace so to speak, whereas you have been a godsend, today in particular," Harry stated soberly.

"I wouldn't go that far," Sasha defended his father, though Harry still continued his monologue.

"Perhaps its just evolution taking it's course. Maybe it is time for me to admit defeat and step aside."

"I don't think so," Sasha cut in. "You may have been in the wrong today. But you made it right in the end."

"Only because..." Harry started before Sasha promptly cut him off.

"The reason doesn't matter. All that matters is that you got it right in the end."

"I must say, you are awfully forgiving for a Russian," Harry told his son with a slight smirk.

"What can I say, MI5 has changed me!" Sasha joked.

"It does tend to do that to people," Harry added.

"Anyway, it's not like you'd ever really retire."

"Wouldn't I?" Harry challenged.

"Oh come on, you'd last three weeks, at most, by which point you'd come striding through those pods again as though you'd never been gone."

"I'm not sure; I think my time might me up."

"The only way you'll ever leave the service is in a coffin, you and me both know that," Sasha said confidently.

"Do we now?"

"Men like you aren't meant to walk out; they are dragged out kicking and screaming. Until they weasel their way back in that is."

"What kind of man does that make me then?" Harry questioned.

"A good one," Sasha replied immediately.

He said it with such sincerity, and pride, that Harry couldn't help but feel himself soften, in a way he hand't experienced since he'd first met Ruth. He felt a love for his son that he'd never felt for anyone else, not even his other children. Perhaps that was because he saw so much of himself in Sasha in that moment. He realised that he had finally bonded with his son in a way that was not forced, and there was now a sense of camaraderie set in stone between them. It was this feeling of contentment, and the ability to be completely comfortable with the man who sat in front of him that made Harry forget about his concerns regarding his suitability for his job. He let go of his own insecurities, and devoted himself entirely to his son. He remembered what Emma had said to him last night at the party about Sasha needing him. He may have let his son down earlier on but he wasn't about to do it again. He had already wasted too many opportunities at being a good father; now he was not going to make that mistake again. And so he silently vowed to himself to put his child, and future grandchild, first forever more. He had already given so much-too much even-to his country; now it was time to even the scales. He was going to make his family the priority in his life.

"How far gone is she?" Harry swerved the topic of conversation back to Emma.

"Not far. I'm not sure exactly though, we haven't had time to discuss it yet; I only found out last night."

"Oh, so that was what you were discussing in here?" Harry began filling in the blanks.

Sasha nodded. "I've never been so shocked in my life," he admitted.

"Oh I know the feeling," Harry commented, reminiscent of when Elena had told him that she was expecting. "So, do you want her to keep it?"

"I'm not sure how Emma feels about it yet," Sasha revealed.

"Yes, but do YOU want her to keep it?" Harry repeated it, pressing for his son's opinion on the matter.

"Yes," he said honestly. "Does that make me crazy?"

"It makes you human," his father told him.

"Can spies really make good parents?" Sasha worried.

"Can anyone really make good parents?" Harry echoed.

Sasha laughed.

"Don't let your job prevent you from becoming parent. And if you do go on to become one, don't make the mistake I did and let it prevent you from becoming a father," Harry spoke wisely.

As Sasha sat taking in his own father's words, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Sorry to interrupt," Ruth apologised as she entered she entered the room, "but just to let you know, they are back now."

The pair immediately got up from their seats and Sasha practically sprinted from the office to greet Emma. He took hold of her shoulders to examine her. She looked concerningly pale. He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Oh god, I'm so glad to have you back."

"I told you I'd be safe didn't I?" she said, smiling, though the corners of her mouth didn't quite curl.

"Right, time for a debriefing," Harry boomed from the back of the room, beckoning his staff into the boardroom.

"Are you alright, Emma?" Ruth asked.

"Um, yes," she lied. "Could you just stall the meeting a moment while I nip to the loo?"

Ruth nodded.

Emma made her way to the toilets where her suspicions were confirmed. She was bleeding. She hand't been feeling right all day, and she'd felt close to collapsing the whole time she was on the operation, but she'd put it down to the stress of the situation; she had felt in real danger, much greater than usual. For, once coms had been lost, she had no idea what was going on back at base. All that she did know was that Khan was giving her nothing, and she was running out of time. She knew they needed to evacuate but there was no way of her telling Harry that. She considered instigating the action herself, but she knew she couldn't take down Khan alone. She had to trust her boss, but admittedly it got to a point where she'd almost given up hope on him. He didn't let her down though, despite leaving it to the last possible moment. She was a nervous wreck by the time she left the restaurant; she had to admit that perhaps Sasha had been right in having his concerns.

Once she had sorted herself out, Emma left the restrooms, and headed back to the meeting. She knew she needed to see a doctor, but the debriefing would only be short, and she didn't want to cause anymore panic amongst the team by dashing off unexpectedly.

"Ah there you are," Harry greeted Emma as she returned. "I know you must be tired, but don't worry this won't take long," he told her, noting her unusually drained appearance. "Now I'll start this meeting off by apologising to you all; Emma in particular. I left you in the field for far too long. I made a wrong judgement, and I behaved unprofessionally. I was convinced that Khan had real intelligence to offer, when in fact it turns out it was all a revenge plot to kill one of our own. Thanks to Sasha though, that was avoided."

Sasha nodded. At last he had received praise from his father, but he was in no state of mind to soak it up; he was too concerned about his girlfriend, who he could hear breathing unevenly next to him.

"Luckily the only damage caused was constructional. Admittedly Home Office aren't thrilled that the treasury will have to pay for repairs on the restaurant, but I'm sure they'll get over it. Eventually. Now, we burn Khan's file. No value can be placed on any information he has ever provided us. Any direct connections between him and al Qaeda were obviously false."

Nobody else round the table was really saying anything; they were all dealing with extreme tiredness, or extreme shock, or in Emma's case, extreme illness. Her vision was going blurry, and she could hardly focus on Harry's face anymore. She felt gushing between her thighs, and as she went to look down her head rushed uncontrollably. She tried to grab hold of the table to steady herself but her fingers slipped off the surface.

"So that's all for now. Everyone go home, and get a well deserved rest, especially you Emma," Harry said looking at his agent, and noticing her swaying in her seat. "Emma?"

She didn't respond, she heard Harry's voice as an echo. When she tried to reply no words came out; she couldn't get her brain to function enough to speak.

"Emma what's wrong?" Sasha grabbed hold of her arm.

Still no response.

Ruth who was sat the other side of her, lifted up Emma's head, "Emma can you hear me?"

By this point she couldn't; she could barely even see Ruth's mouth move. The head rush intensified to the point where everything went black. Her limbs relaxed like a rag doll, and Sasha had to catch her before she fell from her chair to the floor.

"Erin, get an ambulance here immediately," Harry ordered.

"Lay her on the floor, Sasha," Ruth instructed.

He went to do so, but as he put his arms under her legs, he felt the dampness. He lay her on the ground, then looked at his hand. It was scarlet red. "No," he said, wincing.

"What is it?" Ruth asked.

"She's bleeding," Sasha stated sadly.

"That doesn't mean," Ruth began, but stopped herself before she made any promises that were beyond her control to keep. Instead she went about putting Emma in the recovery position.

"Emma, please say something," Sasha tried to get his girlfriend to gain consciousness.

Her mouth started twitching slightly, and he was hoping he'd made a breakthrough. She started mumbling something incoherently.

"Seven minutes," Erin announced, in regard to how long the paramedics would be, but she was hushed down as soon as she came over; everyone was desperately trying to hear Emma.

"What it is, darling?" Ruth encouraged, desperate to keep her talking.

"I...I...don't...wan...wanna," Emma stuttered, every word a struggle, "I...can't...lo...lose her...don't let me lose her," she forced out in a whisper, before her head lolled to the side and she dropped out of consciousness again.

"No, Emma, come back to us," Ruth tried, as she shook her slightly.

Sasha, still sat on the floor, supporting his girlfriend's head on his lap, tried to make sense of Emma's words. Had she been referring to their baby? If so, how did she know it was a girl? Or, had he not heard her correctly, and perhaps he had made something out of what was just in fact nonsense? He looked at his father, who looked at him back. "She'll get through this," he reassured him. "And so will you."

A/N: As always I would love to know what you think, so feel free to review!