Hello all! Firstly, thanks so much for your lovely reviews of Involved, and for the encouragement to write more!

Secondly, this is a new story that I've been thinking about for a while, but only just got the chance to get something down on paper. This is a prologue rather than a first chapter, and sets up the basic premise for the story - the next chapter will have a bit of a time jump. Not sure how often I will be able to update, but would love to hear what you think, and whether you would be interested to read more.

Characters, and any dialogue from Our Girl, are the property of Tony Grounds and the BBC.

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Despite the English sun beating down on the military parade, Molly Dawes didn't feel the warmth. In comparison to the pounding heat of the desert from which she had just returned, this was nothing.

Her platoon surrounded her as they stood to attention, receiving medals for their recent tour of Afghanistan. It was Molly's first tour; and had been the toughest, most draining, but ultimately, the most rewarding six months of her entire life. Sure, she had been shit scared for most of it, but her training as a combat medic hasn't deserted her, and she really felt as if she had made a difference. She had come close to the edge of huge danger on a couple of occasions, including a covert mission to capture a Taliban target. That would go down as the most terrifying day ever, administering first aid to her Captain, who had been shot, whilst still under intense fire from insurgents. But, she had lived to tell the tale, as had the Captain.

Captain Geddings was one of life's good guys; his men, and Molly, adored him. Molly didn't think she could have lived with herself if he had bled out in front of her. She shook the dark thoughts from her head. Her section were complete, she had lived to tell the tale, and Captain Geddings, although injured, would make it. The mission had been a success.

She beamed as her medal was pinned to the lapel of her uniform, before receiving the shock of her life as Cpl Brown read out the medal citation in his hands.

"Our CO, Captain Geddings, injured on tour, wrote up a member of our section for an honour after an extraordinary act of courage."

Molly's ears pricked up, wondering what on earth this was about.

"Private Dawes has been recognised on the operational honours and awards list for her bravery and valour on Op Herrick."

Oh Jesus Christ. Molly felt her cheeks starting to burn. Although she had a reputation for being a bit gobby, she hated being made the centre of attention in this way. She could feel hundreds of eyes in the assembled friends and family audience boring into her as Corporal Brown continued.

"Captain Geddings was injured, and with no regard to her personal safety, she put his life before her own."

Breathe, Molly. Deep breaths. She willed the moment to be over already.

"To save a life while being willing to sacrifice your own, is above and beyond the call of duty. Her majesty, the Queen, has found it fitting to award Private Dawes the Military Cross."

Molly held her breath in shock; goosebumps prickled the back of her neck as she took in what had just happened. Spontaneous applause suddenly broke out around her as her colleagues and the audience voiced their congratulations. She was mortified. She had only been doing her job, not looking for a medal. Geddings was alive, that was all the thanks she needed.

Her eyes made their way to the proud, astonished faces of her family. Her mum had tears rolling down her face, pride radiating from her, whilst her dad was looking at the ground as he shook his head in amazement and applauded wildly, obviously trying to keep his emotions under control. Even Nan was crying! It was the first time she had seen such pride in her from her parents. They had been shocked and appalled when Molly volunteered for active duty, determined to talk her out of it. Now, she could see that they appreciated the change she had made to her life; to all of their lives. This was a moment to be proud of.

As they attended the drinks reception that followed the medal ceremony, Molly was taken aback by the individual pats on the back, handshakes and catcalls of congratulations from the members of her platoon. Although embarrassed, she was nonetheless proud of herself.

"Well look who it is, our very own hero!" Jackie Harris, one of her fellow combat medics, pulled her aside for a congratulatory hug. They had both been out in Afghan together. Sharing female quarters out in the desert had led to a firm friendship between the two women. Jackie was on her third tour, and had taken Molly under her wing at first while she acclimatised to Camp Bastion life. Her help had been invaluable; Molly doubted she would have made it without Jackie's support.

Molly's cheeks were crimson; she was overwhelmed and overawed by it all.

"Thanks Jac. This is all a bit much though, I was just doing my job after all."

"How did I know you would say that! Take praise where it's due Molls - we don't get much cause to celebrate in this line of work! Which is why, we're drinking tonight!"

"You what? You must have had a drink already, talking like that!"

"Now that's where you're wrong Molls. We've been given leave from barracks for a few hours tonight, a little welcome home present for our conquering hero. Just heard it from the Major himself. We, Molly Dawes, are having a night on the town" she beamed, a wide smile set firmly over her face.

Excitement bubbled in Molly's chest "You had better not be winding me up about this Jac. I've been dreaming of getting a vodka and coke in my hand for months! And dressing up! And dancing!". The prospect of getting out of the uniform she had been stuck in for the last 6 months was filling her with glee. She had been one of the lads for 6 months - she needed a chance to be Molly again, not Private Dawes, or Medic.

"Well then, you'd better get those dancing shoes on!"

::::::

Captain Charles James nursed his beer at the tall table beside the bar, trying to appear interested in the conversation taking place around him as he mused on how exactly he had ended up in such an awkward position. His friend, and fellow officer, Chris Adams, had convinced him to join him that night for a 'quiet drink'. The lying bastard. He and Chris had been friends for as long as he could remember, their positions in the Army meaning that their paths crossed on many occasions. He should have known exactly what this night was going to entail. Chris was a ladies man; always had been, always would be. His idea of a meaningful relationship was the cleaner he employed to come to his flat every Friday morning. So Charles really shouldn't have been surprised when they were met by two women, dressed up to the nines, as soon as they entered the club.

The cheeky little fucker had set him up on a double date without telling him. He was 30 years old, a Captain in her majesty's army, a father. Yet he was sat here like a teenager without a clue how to talk to a woman.

The women made their excuses and disappeared to the ladies' together, obviously eager to gossip about how the night was going. He waited until they were out of earshot before he launched into his objections to Chris.

"A 'quiet drink' Chris? Really?!" he was beyond bored by the whole thing. If his mother hadn't brought him up with pristine manners, he would have called it a night long before now.

"Oh calm the fuck down and start enjoying yourself Charles! If I'd told you, there's no way you would have come. You, my friend, are in desperate need of a shag." Charles snorted into his beer in disbelief as Chris continued "You're on leave, at a loose end. I'm performing a charitable service here, setting you up with a hot woman!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, not all of us are like you, you know. The ink is barely dry on my divorce papers. Give me a bloody chance!"

"Oh that old chestnut! Do me a favour, don't bring Rebecca into it. I'd be surprised if you were getting any action from her long before you split up anyway".

Charles shook his head in disbelief as the women made their way back to the table.

Chris was completely correct; he hadn't touched a woman in almost 18 months. But he was damned if he was going to admit it. He lowered his voice so that their companions didn't overhear as they returned. "Do me a favour, Chris? Shut the fuck up. And don't ever set me up again."

His date for the evening giggled as she sat back down in her chair. This was going to be a long night.

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Molly gulped down her first vodka and coke like she was still stuck in Bastion and dying of thirst. They had made their way to one of the nicer nightclubs in the centre of town. Jackie had been here before, and remembered the place for its killer cocktails and gorgeous barmen. Not a bad combination for a girls night out! They were determined to make it a night to remember, and they raised their first drinks together in celebration, giggling as the glasses clinked.

Happily, Molly's mum had brought a bag of goodies from home to allow her to prepare herself for the evening: she had thought of everything; make-up, straighteners, the lot.

It had been weird making an effort with her appearance for the first time in months. For the first time, she really appreciated the effect that the tour had on her body. Geddings was a stickler for harsh PT sessions, and had subjected the whole platoon to a 5k run in the stifling heat every morning. As a result, Molly was in the best shape of her life; toned from the physical exertion, and tanned from the scorching Afghan sun. She had chosen a little black dress that clung to her curves, and showed off the effects of all of her hard work. It had thick halterneck straps at the front, a dangerously low cut back, and showed off a serious amount of leg. Her look was finished off by a sweep of bronzer to even out her tan, thick waves in her long hair, and a pair of killer black heels. Even she had to admit that she looked 'the nuts'.

She had bypassed the other lads from her section on her way out the door. What an embarrassment that was! Their mouths hung open as she made her way past, catcalling all the way.

"Fucking hell Molls, what you trying to do to us here!

"Check it out lads, its a model come to visit us at barracks!"

"Nice dress Molls, where's the rest of it!"

"Shut it you fuckmuppets!" she called as she exited barracks. Although they were like little brothers, their comments had given her a confidence boost, and she had an added swing in her hips as she had made her way towards the door to meet Jackie.

Jackie laughed as Molly downed her first drink for over six months in two quick gulps.

"Bloody hell girl, steady! Remember we've been off it for 6 months! Don't want you passing out before we hit the dance floor!"

"Come on Jacs, we're out to let our hair down! Another?" Molly was getting into the swing of it now. She hadn't had a night out for as long as she could remember and was determined to make the most of it.

They headed for the bar, more than ready for another drink.

:::::

Charles couldn't keep his eyes off the woman who had suddenly appeared in front of them at the bar. He hadn't noticed her when they had arrived, but as soon as his eyes reached her, he hadn't been able to divert his gaze. His eyes ran over her incredible physique. She ticked every single box as far as he was concerned; long silky brunette hair in loose waves, beautiful skin, and a petite, athletic body with curves in all of the right places. She wore a skin tight black dress that clung to her body, showing a tantalising amount of leg. He gasped as she briefly turned her back to him and he caught sight of her bare back, the dress cut down in a cowl to the very base of her spine.

Jesus Christ. She was beautiful.

He watched as her friend said something that made her giggle, and his heart nearly stopped beating in his chest at the sight of her gorgeous face breaking out into a smile. She spoke to the barman, who handed her two drinks, and then headed off to the dance floor with her friend.

He wasn't the only one who had noticed her; she had been approached by another man on the dance floor. He watched her make conversation with him, smiling and giggling as he spoke. Irrational flames of jealousy burned his insides at the interaction. It got worse though. He was trying to dance with her, making his way behind her to place his hands on her hips as they moved. Fuck. He almost growled as he took a considerable gulp of his drink. The part of him which had drunk three beers wanted to punch this guy in the face.

What the hell was wrong with him? He didn't even know this woman yet he was acting like an irrational caveman. His fists were clenched tightly as he watched them continue to dance, when suddenly, they stopped. She turned round, whispered something in the man's ear and rejoined her friend, laughing as she walked away. Relief flooded his body.

"Hello. Earth to Charles?" Chris interjected, waving his hand in front of him.

Suddenly it became apparent that he had been staring at this mystery woman for quite some time. Whilst on a date with somebody else, albeit reluctantly. Shit - what was that about having manners? Their companions for the night had left them, clearly realising that they were not wanted at the table.

"Well, thanks Charles, you managed to fuck that up spectacularly! If you're going to stare at another woman can't you at least do it discreetly like the rest of us?!" Chris fumed at his old friends' epic dating fail. "Who the fuck were you looking at anyway. Oh-" he trailed off, as Molly and Jackie made their way back to the bar and Charles resumed his hungry stare.

"She is beautiful. You won't mind if I approach, since, you know, 'the ink isn't dry on your divorce papers', and 'you're not ready'..." Chris teased, knowing he was about to hit the jackpot.

"Don't" Charles snapped. He shook his head, rethinking the tone of his response. "I'm sure she's here to have a good time, not to get chatted up by a creep like you."

"Charming. Ok. Well I think I might just introduce myself to her mate then. She's not too bad either, I must say." Chris smirked, a predatory look lighting his handsome features as he picked up his drink and made his way to the two women at the bar.

A deep knot of uneasiness formed in Charles stomach as he watched. He couldn't stand by and let this happen, he would have to stop Chris before this woman became one of his many one night stands. There was no way he could stand to watch his friend with his hands all over her. Chris had to be stopped.

He downed the remainder of his drink for courage, before slamming the glass back down. He had no idea what he was going to say, or do, but made his way over regardless.

:::::::

Molly closed her eyes and swayed along to the music in the bar, enjoying the warm buzz from the cocktail she had just drunk. It had been so very long since she had felt so relaxed. She looked good, and she definitely felt good. Some idiot had come along and tried to chat her up, giving her the usual cheesy lines about how she was the most beautiful girl in the room. She had indulged him by dancing for a few minutes, but in all honesty he wasn't doing it for her.

It wasn't only alcohol that she had been forced to abstain from out on tour; she hadn't had any male attention in what felt like forever. Not since a couple of encounters while she was on basic with one of the guys she was training with. It had gotten messy; he was more interested than she was, and she swore to herself that she would never get involved with an army colleague again. Work and her love life were definitely best kept separate. She could do with some male attention. She was a woman; she had needs! But nobody in this place was doing it for her.

As she swayed along to the beat of the music, her eyes met with those of the man making his way over to her and Jackie.

He was tall, nicely built, with a crown of blond hair and blue eyes. He was pretty fit, and he obviously knew it. She laughed as one of Nan's tried and tested phrases came to mind.

'If he was chocolate, he'd eat himself!'

Never was the phrase more apt. The man threaded his way toward them, his destination obvious. As she tried to think of a cutting response to warn him off, her attention was suddenly diverted to another man, steaming up behind to speak to him.

Oh. My. God.

He was gorgeous. Tall and slim, just on the right side of muscular, with dark, wavy hair and perfect lips that Molly instantly felt the urge to kiss. He was smartly dressed, in a blue shirt and dark jeans. She was staring without even realising.

At that moment, he looked up from the heated discussion he was obviously having with his friend. Their eyes met. Her jaw dropped as their gazes crossed paths. His eyes were amazing. They were the deepest colour of chocolate brown. And they were staring at her with the same look of hunger that she currently felt.

He made his way over to her, their eye contact never faltering as he moved. Jesus, even the way he moved was gorgeous. He looked nervous on his final approach, biting his bottom lip as he made the last few steps to where she stood. She held her breath with anticipation.

"Hi" he breathed, his tone low and husky.

Suddenly, she was tongue tied, her face burning as she hoped to god that he couldn't read her mind. What could she say to him?'

"Hi"

This was awkward, they couldn't stop staring at each other, both unsure of what to say. In a split second, Molly had made her decision. She grabbed his hand, and led him toward the dance floor. At least they could dance rather than awkwardly watch each other.

As soon as they touched, all bets were off. She let go of his hand, turning round to face him. He looked down as she weaved her arms round his neck, both swaying in time to the music. He placed his hands on her hips, pulling her even closer to him and taking care to close any tiny gap of space between them as their moulded bodies moved in perfect time to the rhythm of the song.

His hands moved round to her back, one hand weaving its way through her long hair, and the other resting on the bare skin exposed at the base her spine by her dress. He rubbed the soft skin gently with his fingers as they moved together.

Neither had any concept of how much time passed as they moved together; a couple of songs had played, but neither cared, both lost in their own world.

Molly was entirely captivated by this gorgeous man who held her in his arms. The looks he was giving her were a curious mix of tenderness and deep hunger; he seemed to flicker between the two intermittently. She knew she had only one expression; and that was serious lust. She was desperate for him to make a move and kiss her. The combination of the long months of loneliness on tour, and the way this man was looking at her was a lethal cocktail. She wanted him, badly.

She didn't have to wait long for him to make a move. He had been silently trying to talk himself out of this as they moved. It wasn't his style, he was an adult, a recently divorced one at that. What was he doing picking up some girl who looked at least ten years younger than him in a nightclub? But none of his sensible arguments could stack up against the way he felt with this girl in his arms. He couldn't force his body to listen to reason.

He could eventually hold out no longer. His hand moved from her hair to her face, caressing the smooth skin on her face as he studied those green eyes, heavy with what he recognised as lust. He lowered his mouth to hers as they continued to move.

It had been intended as a tender kiss, but her response to the feel of her mouth on his floored him. She hungrily accepted him as she deepened the kiss, drawing his tongue firmly into her mouth as she continued to hold her arms at the back of his neck, playing with the fine hairs on the nape of his neck.

He wasn't in control of his hands any more. They wandered over every part of her body that he could reasonably get away with in the middle of a crowded nightclub, and eventually came to rest on her bare back again. One of Molly's hands had wandered from his neck to explore under his shirt. As she felt the taut muscles which his under there she moaned even further into the kiss. It felt like his hands were on fire, burning into her bare skin.

They were lost in a world of their own, exploring each other when it all came crashing down. Literally.

The sound of smashing glass broke the moment as the music stopped and the overhead lights came glaring to full beam. The moment had passed and they pulled apart, chests heaving with breathlessness, still staring at each other.

Another bang came from the commotion in the corner. This time, Charles swung round to figure out what was going on.

Oh shit. Chris.

His friend had been pulled into a headlock by another customer at the bar, and they tumbled head first towards the bar, punches being thrown as they moved. He was torn, not wanting to step away from her for a second, before common sense prevailed. He reluctantly ran away from Molly, towards the scene of chaos to try and extract Chris before he got himself killed.

As he ran, he turned to her, stumbling an apology as he moved. He passed Jackie, who was making her way urgently towards Molly, panic obvious in her tone as she looked at her watch.

"Molls! I've been looking for you everywhere! We were due back at Barracks half an hour ago. We need to go!"

"But-" she stuttered as she searched him out in the crowd. He was nowhere to be seen. She was shaking, full of the nervous energy that had suddenly been snuffed out, no chance to be expressed in his arms. Her legs wobbled unsteadily beneath her. Where was he?!

Jackie dragged her from the club as her eyes continued to seek him out.

He was gone.

:::::

After eventually retrieving Chris from the fistfight he had managed to get involved in, he returned, eyes desperately seeking the woman who was ingrained in his consciousness. He scanned the crowd in the nightclub, desperate to find her once again.

His heart thumped wildly in his chest at the prospect of finding her, until he realised it was a futile search.

She was gone.