Fic: the only way to go on (Spooks)
7 Dec 2012 05:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thisbluespiritFor persiflage_1, who gave me the prompt Spooks: Harry/Ruth - As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods.
They kill us for their sport. (King Lear, Act IV, Scene 1) I apologise for lack of actual Ruth, but this was immediately where my mind went.
Title: the only way to go on (is to go on)
Author:thisbluespirit
Rating: PG
Word Count: 394
Characters/Pairings: Harry Pearce (Ruth/Harry)
Notes/Warnings: Spoilers for 10.06
Summary: Where there’s life there’s… duty.
***
There’s a house with a green door, not far from the sea; a house that Harry Pearce will never live in, never fade away and die in. He visits it once, though, and plays with pictures of might have been in his mind, but that’s as far as he goes down that path.
What he does is to return to work and carry on. He’s always thought whatever god or gods there may be have more of a sense of irony than a sense of justice, or even a sense of humour. And as he sorts through the papers on his desk, the obvious quotation runs through his head: As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, They kill us for their sport. The benefits of grammar school, he muses wryly: an apposite quote for every occasion.
Or maybe it’s not the gods, maybe it’s her. She’s always eluded his grasp, and this is her choice not his. She decided his life was worth hers, just as once before she exchanged her name and career for his. He didn’t ask for it either time, didn’t want it. If she was here, he’d fiercely debate the matter – he’d talk about bloody-minded wrong-headedness and other damn fool traits he has no patience with. But there’s only a name on the memorial left to argue with and so she wins this time. Same as ever, Ruth, always finding ways to render him unguarded and unprepared.
So he’s left with life and the debt that goes with it, and he’ll pay it back until a bullet finally finds its mark – or he hangs around this place till he’s an embarrassment of seventy-odd and they present him with a ready-written resignation letter that only wants his signature.
He’ll do that, do his duty; he always has. And if he’s also made damn sure that he’s brought the murdering bastards to justice by unorthodox methods, that’s his business. He gives a grim smile. He has no idea whether she’d approve or not – eternally impossible to predict, his Ruth – and he doesn’t care. It’s him she saved, Harry Pearce, not the bloody Archbishop of Canterbury and he’s not about to be dictated to all the time, even by a ghost.
But, God, how he hates that gaping hole in the grid where she ought to be.
***
persiflage_1, who gave me the prompt Spooks: Harry/Ruth - As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods. They kill us for their sport. (King Lear, Act IV, Scene 1) I apologise for lack of actual Ruth, but this was immediately where my mind went.
Title: the only way to go on (is to go on)
Author:
thisbluespiritRating: PG
Word Count: 394
Characters/Pairings: Harry Pearce (Ruth/Harry)
Notes/Warnings: Spoilers for 10.06
Summary: Where there’s life there’s… duty.
***
There’s a house with a green door, not far from the sea; a house that Harry Pearce will never live in, never fade away and die in. He visits it once, though, and plays with pictures of might have been in his mind, but that’s as far as he goes down that path.
What he does is to return to work and carry on. He’s always thought whatever god or gods there may be have more of a sense of irony than a sense of justice, or even a sense of humour. And as he sorts through the papers on his desk, the obvious quotation runs through his head: As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, They kill us for their sport. The benefits of grammar school, he muses wryly: an apposite quote for every occasion.
Or maybe it’s not the gods, maybe it’s her. She’s always eluded his grasp, and this is her choice not his. She decided his life was worth hers, just as once before she exchanged her name and career for his. He didn’t ask for it either time, didn’t want it. If she was here, he’d fiercely debate the matter – he’d talk about bloody-minded wrong-headedness and other damn fool traits he has no patience with. But there’s only a name on the memorial left to argue with and so she wins this time. Same as ever, Ruth, always finding ways to render him unguarded and unprepared.
So he’s left with life and the debt that goes with it, and he’ll pay it back until a bullet finally finds its mark – or he hangs around this place till he’s an embarrassment of seventy-odd and they present him with a ready-written resignation letter that only wants his signature.
He’ll do that, do his duty; he always has. And if he’s also made damn sure that he’s brought the murdering bastards to justice by unorthodox methods, that’s his business. He gives a grim smile. He has no idea whether she’d approve or not – eternally impossible to predict, his Ruth – and he doesn’t care. It’s him she saved, Harry Pearce, not the bloody Archbishop of Canterbury and he’s not about to be dictated to all the time, even by a ghost.
But, God, how he hates that gaping hole in the grid where she ought to be.
***
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no subject
Date: 7 Dec 2012 05:43 pm (UTC)Gah! That is gorgeous - and absolutely perfect. Thank you!
(And please, no apologies - I *know* about having to write what the plot bunny gives you.)
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Date: 8 Dec 2012 12:25 pm (UTC)Aw, glad you liked it. When it came into my head, I didn't try to fight it, because I thought you'd be okay with it. (Although I do think lack of Ruth is always a thing that needs apologising for!)
I'm sorry about all the making you cry... must stop doing that. ;-)
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Date: 8 Dec 2012 02:51 pm (UTC)*accepts tissues and mops up*
And I'm okay with you making me cry - in nice ways. (Obviously not if you're gonna be mean to me! :D)
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 12:51 pm (UTC)Aw. I shall try not to be mean. ;-)
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 12:54 pm (UTC)*giggles* I appreciate it...
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Date: 7 Dec 2012 08:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 8 Dec 2012 12:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 8 Dec 2012 10:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 8 Dec 2012 12:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 9 Dec 2012 10:05 am (UTC)Lovely and heartbreaking and just lovely.
He’s always thought whatever god or gods there may be have more of a sense of irony than a sense of justice, or even a sense of humour. - For some reason this is my favourite line in a fic of excellent lines; it unexpectedly explains so much about Harry. Love the last line too.
Beautifully done. More please!
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 12:53 pm (UTC)Aw, thank you. :-) Actually, Harry is quite a fun POV to do, because he's always so wry and principled-yet-cynical. But Spooks fic still scares me!
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 12:57 pm (UTC)This is why I think you'd enjoy Foyle's War - DCS Christopher Foyle and Harry Pearce are very alike in that regard. (Although Foyle tries not to be too cynical...)
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 01:04 pm (UTC)In the meantime, if you want to use your influence and tweet Anthony Horowitz about finding a part for David Collings in the new series, that'd make me watch it sooner.
;-D
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 01:21 pm (UTC)ITV3 repeats it on a Saturday night - no idea if that's a Freeview channel or not (but you can watch ITV3 online via their version of iPlayer).
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 04:49 pm (UTC)Oh, yes, ITV3 is one of the freeview channels. So definitely when I can. Good!
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 05:27 pm (UTC)Cool. My mum was telling me earlier that she's begun watching them. *fannish glee*
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 07:53 pm (UTC)Aw, that's nice.
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Date: 9 Dec 2012 08:21 pm (UTC)Yes, I do love sharing my fannish glee.
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 12:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 Mar 2013 12:52 pm (UTC)Are you excited for the new series of FW starting tonight? I am barely containing my fannish glee.
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 01:03 pm (UTC)I have only just stuck my head over the parapet of fandom again and is this a really true fact?? New Foyle??? How fabulous!
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 01:06 pm (UTC)You didn't know?!
EIGHT PM!
ITV 1!!
Foyle and Sam in Cold War Shenanigans!
Not to be missed!
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 01:09 pm (UTC)Haha unfortunately I am located in the penal colonies and will have to find an alternative source... but thank you for the info!
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 01:15 pm (UTC)Ah - well I hope you can find it because if the trailer's anything to go by, it is going be EPIC and EXCITING!
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 01:11 pm (UTC);-p
*hugs you because, yay, fannish glee*
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 01:19 pm (UTC)*hugs back*
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Date: 24 Mar 2013 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 Mar 2013 06:35 pm (UTC)