Ever since Dusseldorf, Avro had been phoning Martin every couple of days, he'd told her about the state of his finances and she had taken it upon herself to phone him, check he'd eaten, and in the course of their chats a relationship of sorts developed. Apart from their one night together however they hadn't actually met again for several months.
Martin was beginning to despair of ever seeing her again, that was until Carolyn announced one afternoon they'd been booked to fly an up and coming girl group to Sao Paulo the following Saturday.
"Oh Carolyn!" Martin whined
"Oh Martin?" she countered
"I have a job on Saturday"
"Yes, I know you do Captain Crieff, it's flying the lovely young women of Fanny Pack to Brazil."
"Fanny Pack?" Douglas snorted
"Apparently" Carolyn shrugged "I sadly won't be travelling with you, I have, well, better things to do."
"Carolyn, are you sure you want to leave the care of a client, a paying client, to Arthur, Arthur?" Douglas drawled amused
"These aren't really clients, Douglas, these are teenage girls who have made a song and are vaguely popular in Brazil because they remain naked on their music video."
"Oh Joy"
Martin had intended to spend the day lugging boxes so the fact that he was currently undergoing post take off checks on his way to Sao Paulo was somewhat of a pleasant change He'd tried to phone Avro before take-off just to let her know he'd be out of the country for a few days. He'd been a bit disappointed when her phone went straight to answer machine His meagre budget wouldn't stretch to phoning her from Brazil, so he'd left her a short message saying he'd call her when he got back.
"SO" Douglas turned to him after take-off "I take it you didn't get through to the delightful Miss Pettywright then?"
"What? How did you know?"
"Martin, before every flight you lock yourself away in your van for thirty minutes, and every time we land you check your phone as if you expect a call from the queen. This has been going on ever since we returned from, oh yes, Dusseldorf. It's nice Martin, I don't know why you've been keeping it a secret."
"Because" Martin sighed "because it's bound to go wrong, and I haven't seen her since Dusseldorf, and it's not like even if I had I could take her out anywhere, and you're going to take the micky out of me now aren't you?"
"No, Martin, of course not." Douglas smiled at his Captains rant filing it into a manageable order. "You like this girl, obviously, and for some unusual reason, she likes you as well, I'm not saying marry her but maybe invite her to Fitton, arrange to meet her on one of our not infrequent trips, you are after all an AIRLINE PILOT!"
"Captain"
"Oh yes of course" Douglas smirked. "She's an ATCO isn't she?"
"Yes, she also flies for Panavia."
"MARTIN!"
"What?"
"So you are both pilots, flying around the world, and you've yet to negotiate a meeting?"
"It's not that simple, it's not like we have scheduled routes, and she flies as a stand in, a favour for her Dad"
"And with all that going for you, you've not managed to engineer a mutual convenient meeting, Oh Martin."
"I know."
On landing in the pick pocket capital of the world, Martin took it upon himself to escort the band to their taxi as if the power of his gold braid would deter the criminal classes. So Douglas escorted Arthur through duty free on his endless search for Toblerone.
"Look Douglas, they even have the raison one!"
"Oh what joy"
"But it's great, sometimes they don't even have the raison ones in England!"
Suddenly a high pitched female shriek filled the small shop "ARTHUR!" followed by a tiny red haired creature leaping at the shocked steward and wrapping him in a hug.
"oof" went Arthur, dropping his Toblerone and dislodging his hat.
"ARTHUR what are you doing in Brazil?" Avro shrieked at the top of her voice.
"Good afternoon Miss Pettywright" Douglas interjected soberly "what a pleasant surprise"
"Douglas!" the small woman shrilled still hugging the confused Arthur, "Hullo, what are you doing in Brazil?"
"Shopping for Toblerone!" Arthur explained looking sadly at his fallen chocolate
"Oh of course" she giggled "have you just flown in? Is Martin here?"
"Yes, and somewhere." Douglas explained glad the tone of her voice had lowered slightly "Am I to understand you didn't know we were heading for Sao Paulo today?"
"No, I had no idea!" Avro smiled "Oh that's brilliant, I've just flown in I haven't spoken to Martin all week, I've been doing some hours for Daddy."
"How serendipitous, and here comes out gallant hero."
"MARTIN" Avro stopped hugging Arthur and ran towards the small ginger Captain.
"Avro?" Martin looked up towards the amused Douglas moments before she was wrapped into a hug and snogged within an inch of his life.
"I'm so glad to see you, you won't believe how glad I am to see you, Oh Martin, I can't believe you're here!" she rambled
"Avro, did Douglas call you?" Martin asked between panting breaths
"No?"
"Then why are you here?"
"Panavia, they are a couple of pilots down so I've been helping out, I'm sorry I haven't been able to get you on the phone all week."
"Sao Paulo, I can't believe you're in Sao Paulo, DOUGLAS?"
"Nothing to do with me Martin." Douglas laughed "but may I suggest, touching though this reunion is, that we perhaps move on from Duty Free Congonhas Airport?"
"Oh yes, where are you staying?" Avro asked
"Ibis Congonhas" Douglas sighed
"Oh so are we!" Avro shrieked again "that's wonderful! Shall we go now?"
"Don't you have to wait for the rest of your crew?" Martin asked
"Oh, no, they left me behind earlier."
"So they went from Gatwick to Rio, then swapped crews to this flight to Congonhas" Martin explained to Douglas as they sat in the hotel bar.
"And when does she fly out again?"
"Day after tomorrow" Martin shrugged
"ooohhh, 2 nights of bliss" Douglas teased "and you're sure you want to eat with Arthur and me?"
"She insisted"
"Insisted?"
"Yeah" Martin dropped his voice "I'm not sure, but I don't think she's entirely happy in the company of the Panavia crew?"
"Really?" Douglas looked around "in what way?"
"I can't really explain, she sort of shivers when I ask her."
"well she did seem inordinately pleased to see Arthur?"
"hmmm, will you, I mean obviously not in a creepy way, but will you keep an eye on her at dinner? Your, well how can I say this?"
"Much better at this than you?"
"SO then, I saw some polar bears, and Douglas chases them, and Skip started screaming, only the cabin address came on and then everyone heard, including the shouty American lady."
"Yes thank you Arthur" Martin said quietly, as Avro laughed loudly.
"Oh don't be a grump Martin" she chided him, "it's funny, and I'm sure Douglas wouldn't have deliberately put you in danger?"
"quite"
"Oh you don't know him, he plays flight deck buckaroo, and he's reckless and he…"
"Flight Deck Buckaroo?" Avro interrupted
"Oh yes that's a great game" Arthur waved his fork of pasta enthusiastically at her "you turn everything off in the flight deck till you crash!"
"WHAT?" Avro shrieked
Douglas chuckled "not quite, you see G-ERTI is such an odd, erm held together old bird, she has many instruments that are superfluous to flight, the game involves disabling as many of these as you can before the flight warning sounds."
"Oh what fun" Avro clapped "although if I tried that in the 747 I flew in today, I think…." She stopped and looked across the nearly empty hotel restaurant, before carefully putting her fork into the rice dish in front of her and started eating quietly.
"Is everything okay my dear?" Douglas asked having shared a concerned look with Martin.
"hmm yes" she nodded and swallowed, even Arthur could fail to spot she was trying not to cry, "tell me about Mr Birling, he sounds a character."
And that was it, they finished there meal chatting and laughing, and then moved on to the lounge where their meagre budgets and the fact that Arthur and Douglas didn't drink meant they shared a bottle of pineapple juice and two bottles of sparkling mineral water. Arthur had curled his feet up into the squishy armchair and was dozing happily, Avro had curled up beside Martin, her head resting on his arm just below the shoulder, her eyes were drooped and a small smile settled on her lips. Martin and Douglas sat almost opposite each other Douglas swirling his apple juice around in his glass as if it truly was 25 year old Malt Talisker, Martin sipped his mineral water.
"Are you sure you're happy to share with Arthur tonight?" Martin asked
"Not happy no" Douglas clarified, "but in the interests of true love, I am willing to concede for a couple of nights"
Martin snorted
"Anyway" Douglas continued "Carolyn booked one room for three of us, this way only 2 of us have to share it."
"I'm sure she planned on you making your own arrangements." Martin pointed out.
"Argh well yes, and so I may have done, had you not asked me to dinner."
Martin laughed and closed his eyes "Thank you Douglas"
Douglas just smiled.
Martin had no idea what had woken him, he just found himself wide awake staring up at the ceiling, then the noise came again. Avro was shrieking in her sleep, not screaming but definitely sharper than moaning. Her face was screwed up in an ugly grimace and her cheeks were wet with tears.
"Avro, Avro wake up" he gently shook her, at which point she screamed like the devil himself was after her.
After a few moments she came to her senses stopped fighting Martin and relaxed into his embrace, "Oh God, I'm sorry Martin, are you OK?" she begged, panting.
"Yes, are you?" he asked genuinely concerned wiping her face with his thumbs.
"No" she said sadly "Oh Martin I'm not, I'm really not."
She sat up and looked at him, as he reached over and flicked the light on. "What can I do?"
"Oh Martin, stay with me."
"Of course"
"no I mean stay with me, don't leave me alone, I'm scared."
"What of?"
"Oh Martin I'm in such trouble."
That was all she said, snuggled into Martin she fell into a fitful sleep, while he stroked her hair.
It was an hour or so later, when Martin was woken again by a muffled shout and a bang outside the hotel room, followed by a strangled yelp and a cry. He carefully lay Avro down onto the pillow and she nuzzled down under the blankets. He stepped out of the bed and pulled on his trousers. He crept to the door, and put his ear to the door.
"But Douglas?" The whispered voice of Arthur came from behind the door.
"Remember what I said Arthur?" Douglas more urgent whisper returned "We're keeping Martin and Avro safe from those men."
Martin slowly opened the door. "What?" he says thickly
"Martin" "Skip" Douglas and Arthur say at the same time, Martin looks down to see them both sitting outside the door with duvets..
"Why are you both sleeping outside my bedroom door?"
"We're your guards!" Arthur supplies happily.
"And why do I need guards?"
"Martin, a word?" Douglas asks and standing up quietly pushes the younger man into the hotel room.
"Avro is asleep" Martin whispers
"Good, what has she told you about her Panavia crew?"
"Nothing, nothing why?"
"When you came up to bed, I stayed in the bar for a while, and some of the crew, in fact I think it was the first Officer and the flight engineer, came in and bought a bottle of scotch." Douglas swallowed and looked towards the sleeping form on the bed. "They had procured a spare key to this room, and where under the impression that Miss Pettywright would be on own."
"Uh"
"Martin, I certainly got the impression it wouldn't be the first time."
Martin retched, "Oh God" his eyes spun to the girl on the bed "she had these nightmares."
"I'm not surprised."
"What do I do?"
"Well while you were asleep I had suggested to Arthur we act as a guard, but if you aren't adverse I suggest you take Arthur and I's room, and we take this one."
In the end Martin and Avro shared the double bed in Douglas and Arthur's room while Arthur stayed in the single bed. Martin was at first surprised by this, but as Douglas explained it was hard to feel scared when the Arthur was in the room.
Douglas stretched out on the double bed in Avro's room, obviously Panavia cared slightly more about their pilots than Carolyn, or perhaps slightly less about the budget, because unlike the tiny shared accommodation they had been booked into, Avro's room was a palace, wifi, a large desk, mini bar and full size bath, reminded Douglas of the life he had before leaving air England, not the glamorous life perhaps that a BA pilot might expect but certainly comfortable.
Of course Avro wasn't expected to share either, how glorious that sounded a room to one's own, without Martins snuffly half snores, or Arthur coming up with games to play, or without the hassle of picking up some brain dead stewardess or lonely traveller in order to charm your way into a warm bed for the night. Oh the bliss.
Of course that's not how Avro felt at all, clearly used to being harassed and possibly assaulted, by the not so chivalrous crew she was clearly delighted to share a room with people she trusted. Why Douglas thought she had chosen to trust the men of MJN was beyond anyone's guess. Obviously the girl had a thing for Martin, and Arthur was well, Arthur, but Douglas himself had barely shared a dozen words with her before this evening, and yet she was happy to sit on her own with him whilst the others were at the bar, chatting happily and without the spectre of fear. Douglas wondered idly what Martin had said about him to inspire such easy trust. Douglas knew himself to be a gentlemen, knew that the poor girl had nothing to fear from him, but she, who flinched when waiters came to close, had no such prior knowledge, and it was a nice feeling to know that his Captain had obviously spoken highly enough about him, that she felt safe in his presence.
He was woken from this particular train of thought, by the noise of the electric door being unlocked, the scrape click of a key card releasing a latch Douglas lay perfectly still, his breath caught, his mind whirred on two levels, the first being "what exactly am I going to do" the second thinking "you poor, poor girl" his fists clenched, if he thought for a second his little girl, his Verity was in such a dangerous predicament, he mind rebelled what would he do, kill them, string them up, call the police. Two, obviously drunk, men crept through the door, even from the far side of the room, Douglas could smell their breath. The stumbled into each other, and then the first called out in a sickly chirp.
"Avro?" his friend giggled "sweetheart, wake up, we're here to see you." The sickly voice continued.
Douglas moaned lowly
"Oh yeah baby" the second voice started "you know what we're going to do to you, you know you love it!"
Douglas moaned again, watching the dark shadows move across to him. His fists clenched again, as the side of the bed depressed and a searching hand reached out across his chest. As a second hot hand slid up his covered legs, he reached out and flicked the bedside light on The strangled cry of the man currently trying to straddle him, stopped his slower friend dead, who looked up eyes wide.
"I was under the impression gentlemen that you were going to do things to me I was going to love" Douglas said with sly satisfaction, "pray continue".
"Who the fuck are you?" the second man who was now standing beside the bed demanded, as his friend struggled to extricate himself from Douglas' lap.
"Oh" Douglas put on his best hurt expression "were you not expecting me?"
"Where's Avro?" The more vocal of the pair asked.
"Oh" Douglas smiled a shark-like smile "Miss Pettywright has been called away, and rather kindly donated her room to me."
"Called away?" the second man asked "where?"
"Odd that that's what you decided to concentrate on" Douglas sat up "but maybe it's rude of me, I'm Douglas Richardson, and who might you be?"
"We we're invited" the chatty one said suddenly "she invited us"
"Really?" Douglas smirked "odd that she didn't mention it?"
"Yeah well" the men turned to leave
"Yes, odd especially as the delightful and charming Miss Pettywright, has been rather reticent regarding her Panavia colleagues, in fact I've had the distinct impression she hasn't been enjoying her time with your airline at all?"
"Look she invited us, a bit of fun, that's all, I don't know what you're insinuating but…."
"She wanted it, whatever she said, that's what she asked for"
"Douglas sat up a cracked his knuckles, the way the man had said that, his voice it grated at him, and suddenly Douglas wasn't the gentlemen Avro thought he was, anymore.
Spooned in Martins sleeping arms, her head facing Arthur's bed, hot tears spilled down Avro's cheeks. She was safe, and no longer scared, but now the shame and fear filled her brain and she couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She wiggled her ample bottom into Martin's pyjama covered lap and he unconsciously tightened his arms around her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she wasn't at all sure if she was sleeping or not, but it was warm in Martins arms and the bed was soft.
After a short while that Avro doesn't know if it's hours or minutes she hears Arthur move off his bed and pad quietly across the room Enough of a noise that she opens her eyes. She watches quietly as Arthur pulls a jumper over his pyjamas, kicks on his shoes and gently leaves the room. Tired and comfy she just snuggles back into Martin.
She wakes to the sound of Arthur gently whispering her name, she looks up into his wide eyes and beaming smile.
"Hullo Arthur?"
"You were crying" he said quietly
"Yes, but I'm OK now, where have you been?"
Arthur pulled a carrier bag from behind his back, "I went and got you a present."
"Arthur?" Avro sat up "What time is it?"
"7.10" Arthur told her, sitting back on his own bed, and watching Avro squeeze the bag "I woke up and knew the little shop opened at 7 so I went and bought you a present to make you stop crying."
Avro smiled at him, and carefully opened the bag, out of it she pulled a fat fleece teddy bear. "Oh Arthur!"
"I thought you could call him Martin, and then when Skip wasn't with you, you could still have Martin with you and you could cuddle him and you wouldn't cry."
"Oh Arthur" she smiled "but what about when I'm with Martin? I tell you what, I'll call him Arthur Bear, and then he'll always make me feel brilliant."
"Oh" Arthur smiled "Yes, Arthur Bear, and he kind of looks like a Polar Bear as well"
"Yes?"
"Polar Bears are brilliant."