Finally! She has never in her life blessed the queen, the land, the pilots and whomever in between as much as she did when those wheels connected with the ground. She had finished her first tour in Afghan, after six months away, they were finally home. As her feet touch the asphalt of the landing ground, she feels like a painted picture of patriotism. She can hardly keep her emotions in check. That is until each remaining member of 2-section decides to friendly bump into her shoulder, tugging her along as they make their way inside. "Come on then, Dawesy. We've made it this far, no sense stopping now," they banter.
As she untangles herself from the surprise attack of her family members engulfing her in excited smiles and embraces, she notices that her happiness is somewhat dimmed by an uneasy pull of curiosity. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd hoped he'd be there to greet them. 'Don't be daft,' she thinks to herself, 'you know that's impossible'. But she can't help her eyes from quickly scanning the room for his tall figure.
Making their way out to the parking lot, she tries to calm her nut, to distinguish between the slight disappointment she feels, at him not being there, and the sheer happiness of being back home, in her mother's arms. It is only when she closes the boot of the car, now holding her kit, that she notices the slim figure watching her from behind a tree trunk at the far end of the parking lot.
She stops herself from running to him. Instead, she looks around to see if anyone noticed her or him. "I'll be right back" she shouts at her parents already seated in the car, waiting for her to climb in, as she makes her way through the rows of cars, to him. "What are you doing 'ere?!" she says once he's in earshot.
"Well, hello to you too, it's nice to see you out and about as well".
"Sorry," she says confused, bemused, utterly happy "I'm just… I, … hi." She says at last, smiling, her mind working too quick for her mouth to form coherent sentences.
"Hi" he smirks back at her. And they fall silent for a moment.
"May I?" she asks, gesturing with her arms towards him. He looks hastily around the car park to see if anyone would see them, then he pulls her lightly to be hidden by the tree trunk and wraps his arms around her, pulling her into a hug, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. She responds immediately, her arms around his neck and shoulders, she holds on tightly, never wanting to let go.
"I've missed you," he says into her.
"That's the bloodiest understatement of the year!" she exclaims laughingly, tears already running down her cheeks.
"Hey, hey, I'm right here. I'm alright. I'm right here" he says, squeezing her in reassurance, before pulling back to look at her.
"Sorry," she says again, wiping her cheeks "I'm being a numpty. What are you actually doing 'ere? Shouldn't you be in a 'ospital bed somewhere?"
"My recuperation is apparently going well; I've been permitted to leave the hospital for a few hours. I knew you're arriving today, I couldn't not come, I wanted to see you." He blushes at his sudden burst of words, then continues "I thought maybe we could go grab something to drink, somewhere err, else, before I have to go back to the hospital, and you have to go to the barracks. You do have some time, don't you?"
Shit. Shit! "Yeah, I 'ave time, we've been given a couple of hours. But my family's 'ere." She searches their car with her eyes, shifting her weight from one foot to the other "They've surprised me, they wanted to take me to have a cuppa as well, I didn't know they were coming, I didn't know…" her words trail off, disappointment and anxiety spreading across her face. She doesn't want him to think she doesn't care, that she doesn't want to go with him, she doesn't want to leave him, ever, but her family did come all the way.
"Okay. Okay. I get it. it's okay" He tries to cover his disappointment. He knows it wasn't fair, to put her in this situation "we'll find some other time, Dawes. Now we have time,"
"No," she cuts him midsentence, her hand grabbing at the lapel of his jacket, the thought of letting him go unbearable "no, wait. Let me think. I don't want you to go, just let me think".
She keeps on holding on to him, as if she's afraid he'd run away, her eyes scanning the floor as her mind racks for a solution. It feels like a test, like her life depend on it. At last, an idea formulates in her brain, catches her by surprise. Her eyes shoot up to his, a shy smile spreading on across her lips. "I, uh, have a really bad idea," she says, her smile uncontrollably widening, "you're not going to like it."
"Oh yeah?" he can't help but laugh lightly with her.
"How about you come with us? To have a drink. We won't tell them anything, we'll say you're a mate from Afghan, we'll keep the details vague." She squints anxiously as she waits for his answer, yet unsure just how bad this idea really is.
"What, meet the family? So soon?" he tries to make light of the situation. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Dawes." He adds quietly.
"Please boss. Please don't go. I know it's not ideal, but I don't want you to go"
"Molly," he whispers her name, taking her face in his hands and pressing his forehead to hers, "calm down. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He pauses shortly and then adds "Okay. I'll come with. But then we have to drive a bit further up the road. I don't want us to run into anyone else, this is going to be awkward enough."
"Yes, yes, of course, boss" she breathes out with relief.
"Go tell your family to follow my taxi. And less of the boss for now, Dawesy."
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." They both break out laughing, "Sorry" she grins, stepping back towards the car park to find her family.
As he walks to the taxi his phone beeps to signal he'd received a message. 'I don't know your name, sir…' he laughs turning his head to see her standing at the open door of the car, beaming at him. He beams back for a moment, directing his chin towards her and raising his shoulders mischievously, and gets into his taxi.