[spoilers] Harry and Ruth. The Wonder Years.

[DogSoSmall]

Anybody mind if I post my little H/R theory? It might be a bit of an essay, so feel free to skip past it!! Harping back to my name again, and my belief that there is a Spooks writer out there with a great fondness for the book A Dog So Small:-

I can see so many parallels with that story and the story of Harry and Ruth. For those who don't know the story, or have only heard the bit that Malcolm told Nico, I see Ruth in the role of the little boy and Harry in the role of both the imaginary dog and the real dog. The book is about a little boy who longs for a dog more than anything else in life, but he can't have one because his family live in London and they don't think it's a good idea. On his birthday he is given a picture of a chihuahua and is bitterly disappointed (bear with me, this is exactly like H/R, honestly!). Anyway, in the absence of a real dog he starts fantasising that his picture dog is real - very very small but very very brave. The dog helps him to overcome his shyness at school and have more confidence to stand up to the bullies. In the same way Ruth totally hero-worshipped Harry when she first met him, no doubt fantasised about him, and grew in confidence the more she felt his protection and interest. In the book, the boy becomes so obsessed with his imaginary dog that he imagines it everywhere with him. He closes his eyes to see it and one day, standing at the roadside he follows it straight into the road and ends up under a bus. After the accident, he can't see the imaginary dog anymore. (This is where I somehow fit in Ruth's demolition of Harry as a hero when she is hit with the death of George). When his parents realise what has led to the accident they decide they have to get him a real dog to stop him living in a fantasy world and he is allowed a puppy that has been born to his grandparents' dog. He is so excited as he goes to collect his puppy, just like Ruth is so happy to finally be going on a date with Harry in series 5 (yes, I know it's a bit out of sync!). Then reality hits home. The puppy is not the brave fierce friend that his imaginary dog was. He has faults and fears. On the way back to London on the bus (yes, there's even a bus scene!) he imagines everyone laughing at his shaking nervous puppy and totally rejects him, just like Ruth couldn't bear the thought of people in the office laughing about her and Harry. The boy hates the puppy for not being as perfect as his tiny imaginary dog. He takes him to Hampstead Heath and tries to drive him away. He yells at the dog to go away and starts to walk away from him. The puppy keeps trying to follow, but gradually falls further and further behind until at last he loses hope and stops following. As night starts to fall and the boy realises he can't see the puppy any more he suddenly remembers how lovely it was to feel his warm body pressed against him on his lap in the bus, and how the puppy desperately looked to him for reassurance and comfort. He realises how good it feels to be needed, and how much he wants the puppy after all. He runs back, calling the dog but can't see him anywhere. Suddenly he hears a bark and the puppy comes running back to him and throws himself into his arms, licking his face and squirming with joy. And the last line of the book - "it's late, Brown, let's go home". Well, you get the picture, don't you?