Broken | Lucas North - Spooks/MI5 Story [Featured]

Chapter 39 (Updated)

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Kudos and BBC. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story covers the timeline of Season 7, with events occuring between episodes 2 and 3. I apologize ahead of time for all the angst and the hiding behind the sofas...

Broken continues with the final chaper (is an "epilogue" counted as a chapter?) which takes us to the end of Season 8, episode 8. Coming soon :)

Once again, thank you for reading this far and for commenting and voting. I appreciate all your comments and am grateful to all of you for joining me in my world - and most of all, to the Alternate Universe of Lucas North :)

*Tring is the location of the psychological ward and is also a rehabiliation center for MI5 personnel.

>>> <<<

Jools was reading the newspaper when his wife came to visit him.  A respected barrister, Hillary Watt QC had risen to the position of Queen’s Counsel because of her intelligence, tenacity and ambition.  She had been the primary counsel against Zoe Reynolds when the MI5 operative went on trial for conspiracy to murder and involuntary manslaughter, successfully convincing the jury to sentence her to ten years in prison.  

Born to working class parents, Hillary had always thought that she had truly risen above her station despite her own hard-won successes by marrying into the ready-made aristocracy that was Jools Siviter.  But that was before his sentencing to a life in prison that morning.

She had worked out a plan to appeal the case, convinced that Jools had been framed from the very beginning by the very people who had always been jealous of his power and position as head of MI6.  Jools could be pompous, arrogant, rude and condescending, but he was still a outstanding man who worked hard for what he wanted and, she believed, did things by the book - mostly.

That was until she saw the video evidence presented to her the day before, when she had convinced the prosecution to show it to her in her private quarters ahead of time.  

“I need to make sure it’s authentic,” she had told the prosecutor, whom Hillary had worked with for almost fifteen years.  “Besides, even if it is real, I’d rather not have my mouth hanging open at the tribunal.”

She watched the videos in silence, replaying key moments to make sure that she was indeed looking at Jools.  She recognized the firm set of his mouth when he was thinking of something to say and the way he sized up his opponent with the way his eyes looked up and down before he’d smile and say something entertaining to detract from what he was about to really say or do.

She knew then that Jools had lied to her all this time.  All those trips to Europe had included not just actual work that went into his operations, but also in the assisting and brokering of sales of nuclear weapons between hostile countries.  He knew his voice, the way his words seemed to slip out of his mouth so smoothly and with such wit that anyone listening would seem he was paying them a compliment before realizing, or never even realizing, that he’d just followed it up with an insult.

That was the Jools she knew.  

 It was then that Hillary knew that she had no choice on what to do next.  

How could she continue working in court when her reputation would be tainted by a husband who had fallen so far from grace and was about to spend the rest of his life in prison?  Would she be able to look back at the people who would gaze upon her with pity or hatred, and in the process, be effective at what she did?