“Do you think we should do something?” Ruth said, nudging Tom as they stood at the bar and gesturing towards Zoe and Danny.

Tom handed a tenner to the guy behind the bar and picked up the tray of drinks, turning round to see what she was talking about. Danny and Zoe were deep in their own flirtatious conversation by the wall, oblivious to the rest of the table, occupied by half the UK intelligence team in a somewhat dubious state.

“Nah” Tom said, walking back over to join them, “leave them to it. We could all do with blowing off some steam.”

“Is that really the best way to do it?” Ruth said with a coy smile. Tom shot her a warning look but didn’t say anything.

“Hey!” Harry greeted when they both sat down, “good man!” He lifted a pint off the tray.

“Is this really right?” Tom said, “Me buying you a drink after what you son of a bitch put us through today?”

“Oh, don’t be like that, it’s all over now” Harry replied defensively, “And anyway, you all passed with flying colours.”

“Is that all you’ve got to say for yourself?” Sam asked, “we did more than that!”

Tom sighed and rolled his eyes but didn’t reply. He was too exhausted.

Ruth shrugged at him from the other side of the table and gave him a halfhearted smile. She stood up, taking her coat off the back of the chair. “I’m going to love you and leave you guys” she said, addressing the table. “Two days stuck with you lot was more than enough.”

“We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning then?” Harry said with a wink, but everyone could tell he was only half joking.

Ruth rolled her eyes. “Bye.”

Zoe watched the double doors swing shut behind her and yawned. She looked at Danny who was sitting next to her. “Wanna get a cab home?”

“Sure” he said, pulling his car keys out f his pocket, “Or I could drive.”

“Had a bit too much to drink don’t you think?” she asked. She reached to take his keys off him but got distracted by his fingers intertwining in hers.

Danny smiled, but then paused for a moment, suddenly realising what they were doing. He coughed and sat up straighter, quickly pulling his hand away. “We should get going too” he said, “I think we could all use some sleep”

“Uh, yeah” Zoe grunted in agreement, avoiding eye contact. They both put on their jackets and Zoe picked up her bag, reaching inside it for her mobile. “Taxi please.”

* * *

”Well, that was one hell of an exercise.” Danny flicked on the light switched and threw the keys down on the table in the hallway, closing the door behind them with his foot. “Coffee?”

Zoe looked at him. “Are you kidding me? I haven’t drunk nearly enough to make up for what those bastards did to us. Give me alcohol, and lots of it.”

Danny shrugged in defeat and made his way into the kitchen to get two glasses out of the cupboard. “Scotch Ok then?” he asked, with a certain degree of amusement.

Zoe flopped down on the sofa groaning and put her hand on her head. “It’s got alcohol in hasn’t it?”

Danny brought in two glasses and got the bottle out of the cabinet. He sat down on the chair next to Zoe and gave her a quizzical look. “That really got to you, didn’t it?”

“Yes” she replied with annoyance. “We’re told that every official is dead and we might be next and the whole country has descended into chaos. Yes, it got to me.”

“Oh, come on Zoe, they were just trying to test us.”

“I’m glad your taking it all so well.”

Danny handed Zoe her drink and she downed it all in one go. “What gets me even more though is that Harry was in on it all along.”

“He’s our boss, that’s his job.”

“Tom’s our boss too.”

“Yes, but…” Danny began but then paused, sensing that he wasn’t going to get anywhere. He turned to Zoe with compassion and looked at her seriously. “You’re OK now though, right?”

She sighed. “Yeah, just worn out. You?”

“God yes!” Danny agreed. They both smiled.

“I was awful though” Zoe admitted, “I always thought I’d cope well in that situation, stay calm. I never thought I’d crumble so fast.”

“You’re only human” Danny said, trying to comfort her, “anyone would have cracked eventually.”

“You didn’t.”

“Not on the outside maybe.”

Zoe cradled her empty glass in her hands and sat hunched against the arm of the chair. She leant forward and put her glass down on the table. “Another?”

“Please.”

* * *

Zoe laughed and poured herself and Danny another drink. She paused and considered what they were doing. “Look at us, sat here talking like we’re best friends. Half the time we don’t even get on.”

Danny nodded. “We’re both too similar, that’s the problem. Stubborn, determined, confident…”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that last one…”

“Of course you are” Danny said, turning serious again, “You wouldn’t be able to do this job if you weren’t.”

Zoe shook her head. “Sorry, that’s just self pity talking.”

“And alcohol?” Danny asked.

“Definitely” Zoe agreed. “You’re right, clashes are bound to happen when two people are so alike.”

Danny thought about this for a second. “Yeah, I think that’s the reason I understand you better than anyone.”

Zoe looked a bit shocked for a moment and was taken aback. Then their eyes met and it was Zoe’s turn to speak. “Me too.”

Danny smiled slightly and put his hand to Zoe’s face. She flinched a bit at his touch but then relaxed.

“I’m glad you were here to talk about this” Zoe continued, getting lost in his eyes. “It really helped.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

Danny leant in slowly and uncharacteristically timidly, unsure of hi actions. He kissed her quickly on the lips but then pulled away. “I’m sorry…” he started, but trailed off. “I didn’t mean…”

Danny, despite his embarrassment, could not turn away for long. “Yes you did” Zoe said, never taking her eyes off him either, “and I mean this.”

She leant in and kissed him back, longer this time, but she too voiced her doubts. “What about Harry?” she said, but Danny silenced her with a full blown passionate embrace.

They both momentarily stopped. “You said something?” he asked.

Zoe shook her head. “Uh uh.”

* * *

”Are you sure you want to do this?” Zoe asked, stumbling across the living room, trying to avoid discarded items of clothing scattered about the floor. Danny nodded, too overwhelmed to answer properly.

“Yeah, but…” Zoe began, but didn’t put up much of a fight.

Danny moved down to kissing her neck and she was finally able to speak properly, despite the distraction of Danny’s hands slowly creeping up her side.

”It’s just the alcohol talking” she finally managed to get out.

Danny replied in halfhearted agreement. “Yeah, mostly.”

“Won’t we regret it in the morning?”

“Probably.”

Zoe searched for more excuses not to do what they both wanted and knew would happen. “What about work?”

Danny ignored this last question and grabbed her waist, kissing her more passionately and making it hard for her to refuse.

They stopped. Zoe looked Danny straight in the eyes. She shook her head before resuming their lust and alcohol fuelled embrace.

“What the hell!”