Steadfast

Chapter1

"Smurf mate, she's way out of your league. You're wasting your time." She laughed at how obvious he was, shoving his pint towards him as a distraction.

"What do you mean Mols?" He turned to her. "She's into me I can tell."

Molly snorted at him, she knew he didn't have a chance, never really had most of the time, but he still always tried, and she loved him for that.

Smurf's was her best mate. They had been through almost everything together. First meeting during basic training, where they had been rivals, but soon became best buds. They had even been on several tours together too. For the past eight years they had been mates. Only once in that time, for a very brief and thankfully very forgettable month, they had foolishly been something more to each other. However both realising very quickly that them together in that way was wrong, and so they remained the best of mates, that's the way they worked, the only way they worked….just as mates.

He was a hopeless high achiever however when it came to women. Molly had seen him fail many a time, and the very slim, tall, blonde in the corner of the bar was his latest project, and Molly was certain she was going to be his next failure too. Molly admitted that she was beautiful, very much so, and hence so out of her mate's league. Standing there in the bar looking perfect and very made up Molly knew her type. The type of immaculate beauty who came to bars such as these to get the best on offer. Molly guessed that she was probably after an officer type of guy, and not an experienced, salt of the earth NCO, like her mate Smurf was. Although Molly was the first to admit that he was probably worth a thousand of the type of soldier the blonde was after, he still wouldn't be her type.

"I'm tellin ya Mols. As soon as I get talking to her she'll not be able to resist." Smurf told her confidently, then winked and strode off to take on his challenge.

She shook her head as she watched him walk away over to the cool blonde. The blonde, who she was fairly certain, hadn't even noticed Smurf until he pushed his way towards her space. She saw her mate however try to work his magic, and was happily amazed that it seemed, for a now at least, to be working. The girl responded to Smurf well. She played with her hair, accepted the drink he bought her and battered her eyelashes, all in all she was downright flirting back at her Smurf. For once Smurf seemed to be in with a chance.

Molly hoped so. She stood there alone though now at the bar mulling over her life.

It had been a good life so far she thought. The Army, her everything, had taught her well. Made her proud to become the soldier that she was. She thrived in its environment, the order, the routine, the definite expectations, and the belief in her. All these were things she had very little of when she was growing up. She'd worked hard during her time in, and in those eight years as a medic she had been risen up through the ranks and had received promoted to a Corporal. Something she was very proud about but, like Smurf, she had her sights though set higher.

It amused her that somehow, somewhere along the way she had turned into a bit of a career girl. Certainly a million miles away from the Molly Dawes who had first joined up. Then she'd joined up out of desperation, an escape from her dead end life. Yet found it really suited her this life, Army life. She was the first however to admit that she had been unlucky in love, a few really bad love affairs if she was honest, and so basically she had just given up on men in general. She instead had a her sights set on becoming a Sergeant in the next few years... before Smurf if she could. She therefore didn't need any distractions.

Smurf didn't seem to have those worries. From where she stood he could see he was more focused on another task, and she was pretty impressed at his progress. She watched the two of them, recognising a definite chemistry. Fascinated but happy for him as she'd obviously measured up the blonde all wrong. Just as she was feeling more confident with Smurf's chances, the bar door opened and she saw it was all about to turn to shit for him.

She saw him as soon as he walked into the bar. Tall. Very tall. Seriously good looking, and she guessed in his late twenties just like her. Very confident she thought. The male version of the blonde Smurf was chatting up, except he had beautiful brown hair almost curly hair and eyes that swept the room. He was too was perfectly dressed and carried himself as he was so sure of himself. Every woman in the bar turned to notice him, but he didn't notice any of them, he was determined in his gaze. Fixed on finding someone. His perfect match she guessed.

Briefly his eyes stopped on Molly, a faint smile came to his lips as they did, but then his gaze moved on. She saw him raise his hand and his greeting was acknowledge by the woman Smurf was with.

Feeling bad for her mate, that inevitably he was going to lose out to this good looking fella, she also felt a bit sad for herself too. Molly knew she wasn't bad looking, and was briefly flattered that he'd even noticed her at all in a bar full of hungry for love women, but then he'd turned away and she felt….disappointed. She knew she was certainly no match for the stunning model he'd started to walk over to, and so instead she just watch on.

From what she saw they appeared to know one another very well and hugged and kissed as soon as they were close enough. Poor Smurf was quite forgotten by her, for a while at least, as she talked to the beautiful new comer. His face was like thunder and was resigned, just about to make his way back over to Molly when the beauty touched him on the arm and introduced him to Mr Handsome. This surprised Molly, and Smurf too, but quickly the smile reappeared on his face as he was included once more.

Molly watched it all for a few moment as the three of them appeared to get on. Conversation flowing between them all. Mr Handsome frequently throwing his head back in laughter at the jokes being told. She felt very much a third wheel, felt left out, wishing she had an excuse to go over to join them, but knowing she had none, and so was starting to consider leaving. Looking round she saw that there was no one else out tonight that she really wanted to be nice with, or suffer, and so she figured on an early Friday night, just like all the other Friday nights recently. Getting early to be would be she justified, good for her.

All ideas of leaving went out of her head however when Smurf interrupted her thoughts as he came over, bringing with him not only the blonde but Mr Handsome too. At this stage Molly thought her night was definitely looking up.

A fresh round of drinks were offered and gallantly to be bought by Smurf, he left them to place the order and the blonde very quickly went to join him. It was obvious the two were much into each other, and neither in any hurry to get back to join her and Mr Handsome.

Molly stood awkwardly next to the young man who was even more beautiful up close. Silence loomed briefly.

"Charles." He offered out his hand. His voice smooth and well spoken. It was perfect, almost like him she thought.

She didn't mean to but she actually laughed at how he'd introduced himself, the way in which he'd said his name. She saw a flash of hurt roll across his face, and instantly regretted it.

"What's so fucking funny about Charles?" He asked.

"Nothing. Oh no. Sorry. Nothing." And then she put her hand out. "Molly. Nice to meet you."

He accepted her outstretched hand and looked her straight in the eyes, which she unashamedly fluttered slightly. A slight grin crossed his face, and she continued to stare at him, believing he was just as good looking up close as from afar. Even more so now she could see his own chocolate intense like eyes that returned her gaze. Mr Handsome, the name she had secretly christened him, was a very fitting name for him she believed.

"Well those two seem to be hitting it off." She dipped her head to Smurf and his young lady. They were very close and the inevitable was plain to see for all very definitely going to happen. She briefly wondered if Mr Handsome, Charles, minded.

"They certainly do. That's Rebecca for you. She'll go with just about anything with a pulse." He replied. There was no bitterness or regret in his voice she noticed.

"Oi. That's me mate". She indignantly replied. Fearing he'd just insulted Smurf.

"Oh shit sorry. No I didn't mean that. It's just well... shit... she's my cousin...Rebecca...and she likes attention. A lot of attention. That's all I'm saying." He pulled at the curls on the back of his head as he spoke, and ashamedly looked to the ground taking his beautiful brown eyes away from her momentarily.

Molly found it cute how he was trying to dig himself out of a hole. She hadn't really been offended, she thought how could she be when someone who had eyes like that stood in front of her?

"Well I guess." She said letting him off the hook. "When you're that good looking you're bound to get lots of attention." She looked up at him questionably, pleased to see a smile return to his face.

"Yeah? You reckon?" As though he didn't have a clue about how he'd turned heads just minutes before. Then after a moments silence he said. "I guess she is good looking. Though what do I know, she's my cousin? Known her all my life. Though..." He stopped there considering the beautiful Rebecca, who was now half wrapped around Smurf.

"What?" She turned to him, enjoying another chance for her gaze to linger over his face, longer than absolutely necessary.

"Well... I don't know….for me she just might be a bit too perfect... too made up...looking exactly how she should look all the time." He considered Rebecca again and finished off with. "And way too thin for me."

She laughed.

"Well thank God you're not my cousin. Who needs bleeding enemies when you've family like you."

He considered her for a moment and then joined in with her happy laughter.

"I mighty make you right there" He said, finding himself very happy in her company.

And so it happened. Smurf and Rebecca moved away from them, into a quiet corner and brief flashes continued to show they were getting to know each other every well. Molly was impressed. Charles seemed to hardly notice them at all. He offered Molly a drink, to replace the ones that hadn't appeared earlier, and she gratefully accepted, all thoughts of going home leaving her head.

They talked and talked. Molly found he was so easy to talk to, as well as funny, charming and an utter gentleman. He was giving her just the right amount of attention to make her feel special. Something she hadn't felt for a long time. As the drinks flowed, the company got even more enjoyable and Molly started to think that she might just fancy Mr Handsome a bit, and that her recent mantra that she was better off without a man was now long forgotten. He was seriously good looking and she found it hard not to keep staring at him. Her eyes almost constantly drawn back to his face whenever they could. Watching him, watching the habit of how he played with his curly locks at the back of his head, nervously running his hand through them when he thought she wasn't looking. The way he caught his teeth in his lower lip when amused. She found it all mesmerising, and very sexy.

The night started to pass quickly. The hours they spent together going so much better than Charles had hoped. He found he really was enjoying Molly's company, almost as much as she appeared to be enjoying his. He loved staring at her, finding her very beautiful. Not only that he found her to be lovely company and for once, for the first time in a very long while her felt he was in danger of seriously fancying this petite, beautiful girl that lady lucky had introduced him to tonight.

He hadn't been lucky in love over the years, he'd be the first to admit that. He smiled in realising that this was something others generally found it hard to believe, that he struggled with the ladies. He knew he was quiet, a serious guy on the outside and with the mixed group of friends he had, a group who were all very loud and very outgoing, sometimes in a crowd Charles was just missed. His better looking, chattier, louder friends always the successful ones on nights out with the ladies. It had actually become a bit of a joke lately amongst them that that Charles was married to the Army and so didn't have time for love.

The truth was however although he was dedicated, and he did love his job, it was also the fact that Charles was actually quite shy. Despite the military persona he was thankfully able to project at work, the confident man he at times pretended to be, around the ladies Charles was generally quite shy and reserved, and at times awkward.

There had been a few girls over the years that he'd somehow fallen onto relationships with. Some of them were semi-serious, while some of them were very definitely mistakes. Most of these had been Rebecca's friends, who were generally vacuous, self-obsessed ladies that Charles couldn't understand why he'd gotten involved with them in the first place. One or two had ended badly, and his Mum, his confidant and number one supporter, kept telling him that there was someone out there for everyone, but as yet Charles hadn't found the one for him. Charles though to be honest wasn't too worried. He knew he just hadn't found the one or anyone who he even thought could come close enough. So instead he focused on his career.

"So Molly?" He asked. "What is it you do for a living." For once he was surprisingly interested in what filled this pretty woman's day. He felt bold around her. She was different. She wasn't overly made up, she was dressed simply in tight jeans and a pretty blouse. Nothing about her was artificial, her nails were short, and her hands looked worn. Yet still she was so very beautiful. She intrigued him and he wanted to know more.

She'd been waiting for this question. It always came up, eventually, when she was out with a bloke. Sometimes she'd tell the truth, sometimes she just didn't. It was easier that way. In general, from past experience, once she'd told them about herself men either ran from her, or were ridiculously so fascinated they spent the rest of the night asking her stupid questions based on their biased assumptions about women in the military.

Tonight though with Charles she very much wanted to tell him the truth. Crossing her fingers that he wasn't going to be a runner. She would be disappointed if he was, and did to an extent understand why. She knew some men ridiculously found her job intimidating and whenever she moaned about it to Smurf he always told her that she should try dating squaddies instead of the useless non-military men she had disastrously tried in the past. Molly after a while had to admit he did seem to have a valid point.

"I'm in the Army." She said and waited for him to looked shocked. She was surprised, he didn't even bat an eye lid. Merely continued to sip on his drink as though it was something he heard every day.

"Yeah? Doing what?" Was all his reply as he swallowed his drink down.

"A medic." She answered, pausing briefly then continued. "Been in just over eight years now. I love it." And then she waited, it was usually about right now that some men got scared off or started to say something inappropriate. All the while thinking of ways for the date to end.

"Right. Me to." He answered and he saw the shock in her eyes. He smiled, a heavenly smile, at her to reassure her, settle her confusion. "I'm in the Army too. Been in nine years or so."

"No? What do you do?" She beamed back, happy for once to talk shop. What she wondered was happening to her!

"Yeah. Honest. I'm a Captain. Two section." He answered and smiled as she scoffed.

"Ha. I should have known. You're a bleeding Rupert." She laughed out. Silently cursing herself. She should have seen the signs though. So much for her observational skills. Here he was standing in front of her with all the clues. The perfect haircut, the beautiful manners, and the self assurance he oozed as he walked in the room.

"You?" He asked. She knew what he was asking.

"Corporal." She answered then swigged at her drink to avoid answering anymore questions. Secretly glancing at him from the rim of her glass. Wondering if the difference in their ranks would be an issue.

He was silent for a while, and she guessed this was probably the end of a very nice evening. Now he knew what she was, what she did and him being a Captain and all, it just wasn't his thing. Yet he surprised her. He didn't make his excuses, he continued talking. In fact he just kept on going, asking her loads of questions and being very interested in her answers. Questions for once she didn't mind answering, they were thoughtful, considered and made her really feel happy to answer. He really wanted to know about her and her life, and all that was in it. He wanted to know about her and it thrilled Molly.

As they talked they soon discovered that although not stationed very close to one another, they were close enough. Close enough, Molly hoped, that maybe, one day they could meet up again, though she never said the words out loud. She was definitely not that forward, but she did have a warm fuzzy feeling inside of her at the thought of the possibility of seeing him again.

As the night and conversation went on Charles began to be convinced she was more and more beautiful, and thankfully it wasn't the beer googles making him think that. He was driving, so a strict no alcohol while driving policy was etched into his brain. Sensible as always. Therefore he was in complete control of his thoughts and feelings. No he thought it was the way her face lit up when they talked, how her precious gem green eyes twinkled with mischief and promise as she looked at him... these were all the things that made her beautiful. And then there was that smile. God that smile he thought... it would melt any heart. In fact the more time he spent with Molly the more he felt seriously attracted to her, and his shyness abated.

Soon though the time to say goodnight came upon them. Embarrassingly they were the last to leave the bar, asked to leave by the staff. Both not having noticed how empty the place had become. Nor had they noticed Smurf and Rebecca's departure. He offered her a lift back to her barracks, and she accepted.

His hands brushed softly, almost unnoticeably against her back as he held open the door of the passenger side of the car. They both felt the sensation, the smile between them said it all. Then as he drove her home, every now and then his hand accidentally brushed her knees as he changed gears. It thrilled them both, and still they smiled.

Conversation continued so easily between the two of them, soft and gently as the night. It surprised Charles just how easy it all was, it had never been like this before.

As the miles went by she knew, Molly knew very much so that she wanted to kiss this charming man goodnight, she wanted to be kissed by him. That tonight had been one of her best nights ever. She so wanted to see him again. She felt certain he felt the same way by the way she caught him looking at her as he drove.

For Charles it had been the longest, yet shortest drive of his life. He knew he'd soon have to say goodbye to this amazing woman. He brought the car to a stop outside her barracks and killed the engine. Both turning to face each other. He so badly wanted to kiss her, and judging by the way she slightly leant forward, he knew that's what she wanted too.

To kiss her was all he wanted to do.

Yet he didn't…..because if he did he knew he wouldn't be able to stop.

He knew that it wouldn't be fair. It was torture, but the right thing to do.

Rubbish timing was not the word. He was off...re-stationed for a year. Leaving in a week or so, tonight had intended to be a farewell drink with Rebecca. The last thing he wanted, or needed to do was to get emotionally involved before he left. He knew from past experiences it was a bad idea. It had happened to him before, and it always ended in disaster. Generally it was their hearts that were broken, not his.

He couldn't risk it therefore. He didn't want to do that to her. Molly was too special a girl to mess it all up because of his departure. His inability to commit because of something out of his control. Yet he did hold out one small hope though, a pipe dream really. Hoping that on his return, with the Army being a small place, they might even meet up again, but he really doubted it. A year was a long time to expect such a beautiful woman to remain unattached, or even to wait for him. Though he knew, that just after this one night with her, that if the shoe was on the other foot he would most definitely wait out for her, he thought she was worth it.

And so all he did was lean across and quickly, pecked her on the cheek. Very friendly, almost brotherly. He saw her disappointment and how she swallowed it down, and acted as though everything was fine. This surprisingly hurt him. He easily could of given her what she wanted, what he wanted, to kiss her, but he didn't. The officer in him, the gentleman in him being strong, knowing starting something with this beautiful medic, when he very well knew he'd not be able to finish, was wrong.

And so he let her go.

"Night. It was lovely to meet you Molly." He said. Offering his hand again.

"Yeah. You too." Molly replied as she shook it. Miffed at his politeness. She'd wanted passion.

Then she turned away.

She'd got it all wrong. A total Fuck Muppet she thought.

She really felt that there had been something there.

Amazed he hadn't tried to kiss her.

Molly not confident enough to make the first move, so she just accepted the peck and walked away.

Walking back to her room she sighed.

It really had been a perfect night.

Charles, she didn't even know his last name, had been everything she'd been fooling herself she didn't need.

Yet here she was force into his company, and she found he was everything she did need in her life.

Yet he'd just let her walk away. It was a shame he didn't feel the same, she thought, and so she went to bed alone.

Just her and her dreams of Mr Handsome.