Was going to give myself and you too a rest from a barrage of fics but this thought popped into my head. See what you think?

Characters are all Kudos's and this would never happen, other than in ficland.

"Who's in with Harry?" asked Dimitri to Beth.

"Don't know, but I'm betting they're not from Whitehall, or the services. "

"Not his usual type of visitor."

"You can say that again."

"Not his…"

"Not funny Dimitri. Now, go away."

Ruth left the pods and strode onto the Grid as Harry's visitors were leaving. She looked back as the man and woman passed her, not the type you usually saw anywhere near Thames House.

"What's going on?" she asked Alec.

He shrugged.

"Harry's had visitors of the unusual variety." Dimitri walked up behind her.

They looked through the window to his office, he was sat in his chair, he was very still, his eyes were fixed somewhere in midair, focused on nothing. He was very serious and if anything a little pale.

Dimitri, Beth and Alec all looked to Ruth.

"What?"

"Better see if he's okay," said Beth.

"Me?" asked Ruth.

"Who else?" said Dimitri.

The door slid open and Ruth waited for him to look up.

"Is everything okay, Harry?"

His eyes were resting on her but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

She gave him time.

His eyes drifted away, back to that hinterland only he could see.

"Harry?" she went to his desk and stood in front of him.

He sighed and rubbed his face as though trying to wipe away whatever was troubling him.

"Can I help?" she asked.

"Only if you hadn't gone to Cyprus." He laughed a hurt, bitter, troubled laugh. A laugh with no mirth. A laugh that didn't suit him. And it troubled her.

"Harry?"

"It's okay," he said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself rather that reassure her, "please, leave me, Ruth."

She lingered, unwilling to see him like this, unable to help and then nodded, even though he wasn't looking and slid the door closed behind her.

Harry did not like the cocktail of emotions he was feeling.

It had to be done.

He had no choice.

Self denial. Self restraint. Selflessness.

Still how the bloody hell was he going to cope with this.

He took a deep breath and made himself release it as slowly as possible, trying to let go of the tension with it. It didn't work.

"Can I help you?" said the woman.

"Yes," he said, "I'm here to see my son, James."