"Harry. How is she?"

He raised his head to find Zoe hovering over him. He dropped his pen and fired her a wry smile, "Better now. She's going to stay with me a while longer, just to make sure. But she's fine. Thank you."

"You've made up?"

"Yes."

"That's good," she smiled, remembering back to the days of an entirely eccentric young GCHQ analyst with swinging pigtails and a certain hatred for breaking lamps… "Harry, I was meaning to talk to you."

"Go ahead."

She sank down into the chair opposite, "About coming back – to MI5. Will and I are going to move back to England – Chile is lovely, but we've really missed all the rain and sheep of this beloved country."

"Naturally."

"So…so I wanted to know what you thought about me reapplying. I might be a bit rusty, but you never really lose it, do you? Will's happy as long as I am, and…and this is what I am – this is what I need. I owe it to you, and to Ruth, and to everyone else. I owe it…I owe it to Danny."

Harry smiled again, "Of course you should come back; we'll welcome you home with open arms."

"The paperwork?"

"Been there; done that. Not a problem."

She reflected his smile, "Thank you."

There was a timid knock on the door. Even Harry couldn't begrudge the cavalry's offer of refreshments today, though. He had Ruth, he had Zoe… "Come in."

The wood slid open, "Harry."

He stood up, "Ruth. Hi. We were just discussing Zoe's reapplication – she wants to join us again."

"That's brilliant," Ruth looked genuinely pleased. Now, having had a good few nights of peaceful sleep, delicious food and, most importantly, time to think things through slowly and thoroughly, she felt so much better. She looked it too – almost glowing.

Harry smiled as she came to stand beside him. He felt proud; that was his Ruth. Bonkers but brilliant.

"Just…just one more thing? I'm going to the graveyard tonight, with Will and the kids. I need to say goodbye to Danny properly. And…and, if you want to, I'd like you to come with us. Both of you, and Dimitri. People are stronger united."

Harry, exchanging a glance with Ruth, reached out and touched Zoe's shoulder gently, "Of course. Just let us finish up here; we'll go to Tesco's and get some flowers on the way, perhaps?"

She managed a weak smile, "I think he'd like that."

XxXxX

"Can I have a piggy back, Dimitri?" Libby, the elder of Zoe's two children, leapt about him hopefully, shaking his coat.

"What's the magic word?" Will reprimanded softly, winking at Dimitri.

"Please? Pretty, pretty please?"

Dimitri gave a mock sigh and crouched down for the child to clamber on. She was agile, actually, and light as a feather. Evidently, from what he could gather, following in her mother's footsteps.

"Dimmy?" Jess piped up now, her words lisping; she was the picture of innocence, yet with a cheeky glint in her sea green gaze, "Carry? Pwease?"

He scooped her up too, cuddling her close. Both children fiddled with his hair, blew kisses to his cheeks, chucked merrily… He was, as with women, a natural with the young. A natural at everything, perhaps.

Zoe, holding Will's hand, tensed as they approached the lines of graves, but didn't slow. If she'd paused, she couldn't have continued. She drew strength from her husband, though, and her colleagues (maybe…). The children quietened as they approached Danny's stone, understanding this was a difficult time.

Ruth and Harry lay their flowers and retreated a little, and Dimitri followed suit with Libby and Jess, giving Zoe room with her husband and the memories of her best friend. She knelt, the soft grass cushioning her skin. The sun glinted all around, the air fresh. It was a beautiful evening. Danny was with her.

"Hi, mate. I'm sorry I didn't come before. And I'm sorry…" she glanced to Will, who smiled supportively, "I'm sorry for everything really – everything I did wrong. But you always did forgive me, didn't you? That was just who you were. Well, not much has happened, really. Will's here…and the kids. Harry, and Ruth, and a new recruit called Dimitri. You'd like him. I'm staying in England now, and going back to section D, once I've taken the appropriate computer lessons and caught up on ten years of technology. God, has it really been ten years?"

She had no tears left to cry. Harry had been right; he wouldn't have wanted her to mourn him now. He'd have understood – he always did.

"I'll come along, sometimes. When it's hard. When I need to know someone cares. But I just wanted to say goodbye. And that…that I'll never forget you, ever. How could I, really?" she touched the gravestone with the tips of her fingers, taking a deep breath, "I love you, mate. I love you."

She took Will's hand back, and they wandered away slowly, both lost in their thoughts. The children were chattering again, asking Dimitri for ice creams in the park on the way back. She managed a smile – she'd lost things, but she'd gained them too. And Danny would always be with her, in a way. Love like that wasn't forgotten.

Behind, Harry and Ruth walked along companiably, brushing arms. Harry glanced to Ruth, and she met his gaze calmly, although her heart leapt, and she saw a smile creep across his face too. They couldn't deny it any longer. Sure, they needed to take it slowly, but they needed each other, and they weren't going to pretend any longer. Their hands joined.

People were stronger united.

XxXxX

Please review xx