Disclaimer: I don't own Our Girl. Everything you recognise was created by Tony Grounds and is owned by the BBC.
Common Ground – Chapter 2
Charles looked up when his phone rang. Looking at the screen, he told the friend who had joined him for a drink, "It's Molly, I have to take this," and, receiving a smile and a nod, he answered the phone, "Mols, is that you?"
"Charlie!" came the concerned and exhausted-sounding voice from the other end, "Are you OK? We just finished the five day exercise and Sergeant Morris gave me your note. Do I need to come back?"
Smiling to himself he thought that that reaction was so Molly, "Don't worry Dawesy," he told her, "finish what you've got to finish; there's only two days left anyway. Besides, you sound shattered. Is it going OK?"
"Not bad," she answered, "at least my fitness is better this time, but it ain't 'alf tough. I can't wait to get back to you."
Aware of his companion signalling he told her, "By the way, Matt sends his best. I can't quite make out what he's signalling to me but I reckon he's implying you're a big softy!"
"You tell Corporal Geddings that he can stick it and we'll see who's fitter when I get back!"
He smiled. He missed her feistiness; she was always great value for money, "I'll pass that on! But from my point of view, you're definitely fitter Mols – I don't reckon I'd rate Matt in a dress!" he paused, enjoying the sputters from both the phone and the chair next to him, "I'll see you on Saturday morning Mols, but I just wanted you to know in advance that I'll have to make tracks early on Sunday afternoon. Good luck with the rest of the course and I don't want you to think about me 'til Saturday. Remember – stay focused, stay alert, stay al-"
"Yeah, I know Charlie," she interrupted him, "I love you but we really need to work on your material! I really can't wait to see you, even if it's only for a short time.."
He smiled to himself, "I know Mols, I've really missed you too. I love you too. Do your best and I can't wait to see you."
They signed off with him telling her to get some sleep.
"How did she sound?" Corporal Matt Geddings asked. Charles had become friends with Molly's basic training instructor after she first went to address the training groups at Pirbright and they joined her training instructors for a drink. Both Matt and his fiancé Nina were regular visitors at the Dawes/James residence, particularly if there was rugby on, and they all met for a drink regularly, postings and international disasters permitting. Sometimes they were joined at the pub by Matt's partner, Sophie Richards, and her husband Kevin.
"Knackered, but you know how it is." They both knew how it was, Charles as an ex-officer, and Matt as a serving soldier who had been through a similar course himself to attain his current rank, and had the joys of a SNCO or senior non-commissioned officer course to look forward to if he wanted to be promoted to sergeant.
"Yeah, that course is pretty pants," observed Matt, "still, at least she got a better time of the year for it this time. I can't believe she did the PNCO course in the winter, particularly after just getting back from Afghan. What an idiot!"
"Yep, she was pretty wrecked after that one," Charles remembered. Looking at his watch he asked, "Fancy a snack or do you have to head home?"
Luckily Matt, being a good friend, had agreed to join him for dinner, which had used up another evening, so now he just had to deal with Friday evening without Molly and he supposed he could find something to watch on TV for one night! They had talked about their respective jobs and the Army in general and rugby, about as usual, with both noting that the Bath vs Sale fixture was coming up later that month. Charles noted that, if he was staying in Bath, maybe Matt and Nina could come over and they could make a weekend of it. That was if Matt didn't mind staying with a bunch of southerners. Matt allowed that he may be able to endure that, if only to watch his beloved Sale thrash those self-same poxy southerners! They agreed that they would both ask their other halves. Charles hoped it would come off because it should be a good day out for him, Sam and Matt, and if Molly and Nina, who were thick as thieves, didn't want to join them then at the match, then they could avail themselves of some of the great shopping that Bath had to offer.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
"Phew, you're a sight for sore eyes, but you look knackered Mols!" It was Saturday morning and he was waiting outside the gate at Pirbright Barracks from where Molly had just emerged in her utilities and carrying all her gear. He wasn't kidding that she looked lousy. She had a half healed scratch across her left cheek and dark smudges under her beautiful green eyes. Her eyes had looked tired and glazed when she stepped out of the gate but immediately brightened on seeing him and she ran towards him, dropped her stuff on the floor and jumped into a hug, wrapping her legs around his waist. He had held her tight. After the time alone after she'd left Indonesia, the last week and the heart-breaking news from Rebecca he revelled in feeling her against him, all the while conscious of the fact that she had lost weight again and sad because if she was going to be here and he in Bath, he wouldn't be able to fatten her up again. Eventually they had let go of each other, but not before exchanging a searing kiss which had resulted in cat calls and wolf whistles from all around them.
On the drive back from the Barracks he had told her about his conversation with Rebecca and about what they had decided. He had told her how sorry he was to have to go away again after being away for so long. She had smiled sadly at him and told him it couldn't be helped. She understood how important Sam was to him and she knew that he had to go. When he told her that Rebecca had suggested that she came to stay at the weekends she had been really surprised and touched. She had smiled sadly and told him she looked forward to it.
He had told her that he was sorry to leave her home alone again but suggested that maybe she should invite her grandmother over to keep her company at the house while he was gone. She had gotten a faraway look and he knew she was thinking about something, and he hoped she was not too disappointed. Then they got home and he helped her in with her stuff and started running a bath. They could at least do their best to enjoy what was left of the weekend.
- OG - OG - OG - OG -
It was Monday evening, and Charles James reflected on a busy few days. He and Molly had had as good a weekend as possible under the circumstances.
She had been pretty dead to the world after her bath (and some serious pampering by him) and he'd put her to bed. She had slept through lunch and he had cooked one of her favourite meals, roast lamb and roast potatoes for dinner. She had emerged just before dinner, looking much more rested, and they had had a really nice dinner together in their kitchen, just talking, cuddling and kissing one another. Then they had gone to bed, with him breaking the habit of a lifetime and leaving the washing up for the morning, and worked on getting physically re-acquainted.
On Sunday morning he had taken her for her surprise spa treatment at the Four Seasons hotel in Dogmersfield (one of their favourite bolt holes for special occasions), and she was really chuffed, and then they had come home for a bit of afters. As he left that afternoon he had shown her some of her favourite dishes he had cooked for her for the next few days which were sitting in the freezer. She had been really touched and told him he was getting so lucky next weekend. Then they had regretfully kissed goodbye and he had set out to drive to Bath.
As he had driven he had reflected on the conversation that he and Rebecca had had explaining the situation to Sam. He thought that it had gone as well as it could under the circumstances, but obviously Sam was upset. They had tried to play to the fact that he would get to spend more time with his Daddy and play down the fact that his Mummy was very ill and was going for an operation. They hadn't said how serious it was at this stage, but Sam was no fool and he had obviously realised that it was an abnormal situation. He had been in parts worried about his mother, but also excited that his father was going to stay with them.
At one stage Sam had asked about Molly. Rebecca and he had looked at each other before Charles had explained that Molly wouldn't be able to get time off work but that she would stay with them at the weekends. Part of him wished that she would be able to come and join them because God knew, he could do with the support, but there was practically no chance of her getting leave and he didn't want to pressure her to try, potentially causing issues for her with her CO.
Sunday night had been difficult. Rebecca was obviously nervous. She didn't drink very much normally but he had brought a bottle of red wine with him, hoping it would help her to relax a bit and it had worked. They had had Indian takeaway (Sam's favourite) as a treat. As Charles unpacked his stuff in the spare room later he couldn't help but wish that Molly was with him. As he unpacked the double photo frame, part of a set that his parents had given him and Molly for their first Christmas together, and that he took with him everywhere, he smiled sadly at her playful green eyes smiling out of it. He had recently replaced the original photo with one from their trip to the Caribbean this year and it brought back some wonderful memories. They had only been back from their trip for two days when the call had come to fly to Indonesia for the tsunami relief effort.
Monday had gone as well as it could. Rebecca's parents had accompanied them to the hospital having only got in from Australia on Sunday morning. Obviously they were distraught. Charles had been dreading the meeting. He had always got on well with her father, but had not had a cordial relationship with her mother (even when they were married) and their one meeting since the divorce, at Sam's birthday party, had been distinctly frosty. However today's meeting had been better, with Rebecca's father Lionel pulling him aside as Rebecca and her mother had examined all the features of her private room, to thank him for supporting her. Charles had told him that it was his pleasure.
Sam had been dropped off home about 4.30pm by his friend Dan's mother, Jenny, and she had introduced him briefly to her son, as well as the other two boys on the school run, Asad and Chris, and wished him luck for his first school run on Thursday morning. He had thanked her, bid her farewell and he and Sam had gone back to the family room. Sam was a bit down, understandably, so he had taken him outside to practice their passing for half an hour (Sam was an aspiring rugby scrum half, the position that Charles had played at school and university), after which Sam was much more cheerful, and then they had worked on his Maths homework for a while. Charles had enjoyed helping his son with his homework and couldn't help reflecting back on the fact that this was how they had often passed the evening when he and Rebecca had been together.
At about 6pm they had called a halt to the homework and Charles had told his son he could have half an hour off while he cooked supper (one of Sam's favourites, bangers and mash). He had just put the potatoes on to boil when Molly called on his mobile. They had talked a little bit about their days, although Molly was a bit mysterious about what she'd been up to; maybe she'd just slept for a lot of it, he thought. Molly asked him what he was cooking for dinner and he told her, bangers and mash, a little sad because it was one of her favourites as well, and he had bought the really nice farmhouse organic Cumberland sausages from the farm shop just down the road from their house in Aldershot. Molly made appreciative noises and then told him that she was about to get to her destination and could she speak to him later? He told her he was looking forward to it and they said their goodbyes.
Just as he hung up, the doorbell rang. He wondered who it could be at this time of the evening? Switching the outside light on, he opened the door, only to be greeted by a beautiful sight. On the doorstep stood Molly Dawes, dressed in denim jeans, black ankle boots, a Bath rugby top and wearing a black anorak. She was carrying her Army rucksack over her shoulder.
As he stood frozen, staring at her in disbelief she grinned at him and said, "Surprise!"
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