It was 3 months after that fateful mission, that explosive day, the day that changed everything. Smurf had recovered from his shooting, but still experienced twinges in his arm. Things, however, weren't as good for Captain James. He had survived, he had found all the strength that he could muster to pull through. Not just for him and his son, but for Molly, the woman he had fallen head over heels in love with. The medics had managed to stop the bleeding long enough to operate on him to remove the bullet, stop any further internal damage and pump enough O+ through his veins to keep him alive. They'd even managed to save his leg, the leg that looked beyond repair, but the psychological damage on him had been unbearable. That was until one Molly Dawes rectified everything, turned the grey skies blue and put colour back into his world.
It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon; Molly couldn't stand being at home any longer. The conflict and emotional trauma in Afghanistan seemed like nothing compared to the troubled relationship of her parents. Her job revolved around sorting out issues, helping and aiding in any way she could, she didn't have the energy to continue at home. So she decided to take a walk, she had to escape, after all, her boyfriend was going through a lot right now and he was all she wanted.
They had returned from Camp Bastion 2 weeks ago, after it was deemed that Captain James was well enough to travel. The rest of her section had already returned, including a reluctant Smurf who had remained adamant that he wanted to stay with her. Molly had refused; she still hadn't forgiven him for bringing personal issues into the battlefield. He caused this; he took away their concentration during a time when they should have been focussed on the job in hand. Captain James had urged Molly to return home, but she refused, she was his medic, she should be with him at all times, that was her job, to look after him, both in battle and out.
Molly walked along the park close to her house; she took in summer air, the families playing in the park, the flowers that swayed in the summer breeze and how bright the world appeared. Her thoughts were always with her captain, the man who had captured her heart completely. She took her phone out of her pocket and dialled his number; the echoing ring of the telephone filled her head until he answered.
'Dawes, to what do I owe this pleasure?' Captain James answered.
'You seem a little brighter today, Boss', Molly responded relieved at hearing positivity in his voice.
'The sun is out, Molls, I'm tired of feeling down, things could have been a lot worse out there. I need to move on, snap out of this headspace, so we can move on with our lives.'
'I'm ecstatic, sir, I really am, but what's changed your mind. You seemed lost yesterday, no matter what flattering insult I sent your way, you couldn't be swayed, you cockwomble.', Molly returned, smiling at the word cockwomble.
'You did, Moll, after the words you said, how could it not have? You assured me that you were there for me, no matter what, that we had a future, any future I wanted. You made me realise that hiding myself away from everyone is not going to help, hiding myself away from you. I thought I was the one that put you in danger, and yes, we shouldn't have acted on our feelings until we'd completed our tour, but life is too short, you taught me that. You made me realise that we have a fantastic section, a love that cannot be broken and a future that we can decide. Who couldn't be happy after that?'
A silent tear rolled down Molly's cheek, she never knew that she could be so wise, after giving herself a mental self high five; she found the energy to speak.
'You got all that from what I said? Gees, I never knew I had it in me. Clearly my magnetism and charm are astounding.' She could almost feel him smiling at the other end of the phone, remembering their previous conversation in Afghan.
'Anyway, Dawes, we've got a meal to go to tonight, seeing the whole section is enough to make me smile, seeing you is enough to make my heart explode.'
'You soppy bugger, sir.'. Molly jibed back.
'Molly, you have to forgive Smurf.' James responded, bringing the conversation back to a darker level. 'He was hurting; he had just seen the woman he loved with another man. I can't imagine how I would have felt if it was the other way around. He had a lapse in judgement, yes it had some severe consequences, but his headspace wasn't fantastic. That was my fault, I should have seen it, and hopefully his counselling will help him deal with his problems and move on. We're going on tour again in a month, we need to be a solid unit, we need to have unity amongst us, we can't let the Taliban know that we're fractured. As soon as they sense it, they'll tear us apart, one by one. I'm fine, you're super fine and we're together. They all know it and you're allowed to remain in my charge, that's a bloody miracle. This is something we can move on from, we have to move on from, because together, we can deal with anything.'
Molly sighed, she knew he was right, he's a lot more forgiving than she is, but this is why their relationship works so well, they balance each other out, they make each other complete.
'I know, sir. It'll happen.'
They finished off their phone call, conveying their excitement at seeing each other later. After ending the call, Molly put her phone back in her pocket and walked home. She had the perfect dress or tonight. She would get to see her man in a tux and she would be reunited with her fellow section, she was happy.
After gathering all her belongings for the evening, a suitcase for 3 weeks worth of training and her army gear, she left home, heading for Devon, where they had decided they were going to reunite for their meal. After the 3 hour train ride, she found her Premier Inn, checked in and dumped all her things in the corner of her room. Captain James had urged her to stay at his, which she had every intention of doing but she wanted to be the last one to arrive at the restaurant. She wanted to see the look on her captain's face as she walked in, dressed to the nines.
The clock struck 6, she had two hours before they were due to meet, two hours for her to get herself looking fantastic. After finding her shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and razor, she headed for the bathroom, to shower. She washed her hair in peach scented shampoo, she knew he was a sucker for peaches and shaved for a night she knew she'd never forget. Wrapping a towel around her body and a towel in her hair, she poured herself a glass of wine and proceeded to dry and curl her hair. She applied the perfect amount of makeup, making her eyes pop with a seamless stroke of eyeliner. After applying a clear lip gloss, getting dressed, putting her heels on and gathering her clutch bag, she left for the taxi she knew was waiting.
Captain James was getting restless. They were all there; they were located in the corner of the room of the 5 star restaurant around a round table, enough to fit the 12 of them. But Molly hadn't arrived. He had texted her three times asking where she was, just to be told that she was on her way. He was desperate to see her. He had ordered her a bottle of rosé wine, he remembered that she said that White Zinfandel was her absolute favourite, so he poured her a glass, leaving the rest of the bottle in the ice cooler on the table. It was then when he looked up and saw a sight that took his breath away.
She walked in the restaurant, instantly knowing where they were all sitting. She figured it was something to do with being in a section, knowing where everyone is in an instant. It was then when her eyes locked with his. He gulped, taking every bit of her in. She looked stunning, she was wearing a gold sequin dress that hung around her neck and fell to the floor. It hugged her body in all the right places, revealing her perfect figure. Light curls surrounded her beautiful face falling down to her breasts. She accessorised with a simple necklace that shone in the sombre lighting of the restaurant. As she walked towards the table, swaying her hips in a seductive motion, she smiled at her captain. He was captivated, he couldn't look away, which the rest of the section had noticed. They were all making jokes amongst each other at how smitten he was. To them, she was a mate, one of the lads, yes she looked beautiful, but they didn't think about her like that all. Smurf had started to move on, although he admitted to himself that her looking as good as she did made it somewhat difficult for him to do so. He had found a girl back in Newport, just like Molly told him to do so, that had captured his heart.
She found her spot, right next to her captain, she took her seat, and greeted everyone.
'Evening, you massive cockwombles!', she cheered, causing her to receive some funny looks from the other diners. She couldn't believe how well they all scrubbed up.
'So, this is what happens when you lot take a shower, you actually become men?!'
Mansfield had just finished taking a gulp of his beer, and promptly burped afterwards, causing the rest of them to cheer. 'Never mind, I take it back!', she joked.
Her eyes turned towards her captain, she took him in, he looked handsome beyond belief, he was gorgeous, her man. He put his head toward her ear and whispered 'you look stunning, I don't quite think you know what you are doing to me', after pulling his head back slightly, he kissed her on her cheek and resumed his position. Molly took a sip of her wine, thanking her boyfriend in the process and placed her hands under the table. James saw his opportunity and took it, took her hand under the table and stroked it. Her heart skipped a beat with the sudden contact and she whimpered slightly. She could feel his pulse as his thumb stroked her palm. It was racing, per plan had worked, he was totally in love with her
The evening turned into night, they had all eaten their meals which tasted heavenly, they'd regaled stories of their tour, they'd laughed and joked till their stomach's ached and they were humbled by each other's company. They were comfortable again, they were a unit, a whole unit, not divided by anything. Captain James and Molly took themselves away from the conversation from time to time and found themselves lost in each other's company, their eyes met and their conversation flowed. They were together again, in heart, mind and body.
It was midnight and everyone had left, leaving Captain James and Molly at the table. The bill had been paid and a taxi had been called. They walked out of the restaurant where the clear summer night waited for them. Moonlight lit Molly's face as Captain James watched her. She was shivering, so Captain James, removed his jacket, placed it around her shoulders and brought her into him, sharing body contact and heat. The 10 minute taxi drive seemed endless, they spent the whole time looking into each other's eyes, but it wasn't enough. They wanted contact. They arrived at Molly's hotel, paid the taxi fare and walked hand in hand to her room.
As soon as they door had closed, his lips were on hers, he had missed her touch and needed her in every way. Her right hand fell around his waist, pulling him closer, her left hand found its way to his neck. Their tongues met in a fight for dominance. They had all the time in the world to have sweet kisses, right now they lusted after each other and needed intimacy. After they had undressed each other, they landed on the bed, allowing their hands to discover each and every part of each other. The parts that can be seen by everyone and the parts designed for only them. Lust turned to passion and they made love, their orgasms ringing through their bodies and the room. They had made each other their own in every way. James pulled Molly into him as they curled up in the covers.
'I love you, Molly', he whispered.
'I love you too, my captain', she replied allowing her smile to fall into his chest as sleep overcame them.