I've really enjoyed writing this story and thank you to Isilarma for your lovely reviews, they have really inspired me. It's a lot harder to write for Donna and Kieran, as there is not as much history between them. My Jac/Joseph stories tend to write themselves, with all the history between them, so this is a new challenge! Please continue to review (: Makes me very happy! Hollie x
It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later
Chapter 2 – See you later.
Donna Jackson locked the door to her home and with Mia's hand in hers she walked towards the station.
"Are you okay, Sweetie?" Donna asked.
"Yeah, but why are we going to say goodbye to Kieran?" Mia's sweet voice uttering those words made Donna's heart sink.
Donna did the only thing she knew. "It's not goodbye, Mia. It's see you later."
"So he's going to be coming back?"
Donna knew the risk she was taking, and the risk Kieran was taking. Soldiers and civilians were dying every day in the war and Kieran was putting himself at extreme danger. How could she promise Mia that everything would be alright, that Kieran was going to come home. She couldn't even promise herself. Donna knelt down in front of Mia and held both of her hands. "Mia, you know all of those brave, brave people who have gone away to make us all safe?"
Mia looked slightly confused. "Yes."
"Well, Kieran is going to be one of them."
Mia's face lit up much to Donna's surprise. "Wow! Kieran is brave!"
Donna couldn't help but smile at this. "Yes, Sweetie, yes he is."
"Can we go and see him then?" The anticipation was evident in Mia's eyes.
"Yeah, come on then." Donna said with a smile and a wink.
The walk to the station felt like hours to Donna although in reality it was only a few minutes. Mia and Donna walked onto the platform and saw Kieran stood proudly in his combat uniform. Donna couldn't help but beam with pride and admiration. Kieran ran over to the two of them, picked Mia up, span her around then took Donna into a warm embrace and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"I'm glad you're here." Kieran smiled.
"You are so brave!" Mia squealed.
"Thank you, Mia!" Kieran ruffled the little girls hair and turned his attention to Donna.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Just as long as you contact me whenever you can, promise me that." Donna stared deep into his eyes.
"I promise, I'll write you letters, call you when I can, I'll do whatever I can." Kieran kissed Donna and to his relief, after some hesitation she kissed him back.
"Ewwww, that's gross!" Mia chimed.
"Okay, Mia!" Donna exaggerated.
A train pulled up to the station, the three-thirty from Holby to the base in Exeter. Donna started to cry, as did Kieran. As he picked up his bags and straightened his beret, stepped onto the train and smiled and waved at Donna and Mia.
"Goodbye, Kieran." Donna sobbed.
"Goodbye, Donna, I love you." Kieran croaked.
Mia looked at Donna stubbornly. "It's not goodbye, it's see you later."
Both Kieran and Donna looked at each other, and in a flood of tears they managed to laugh. "See you later!" They both chimed.
A kiss through the train window, a horn from the train and the carriage began to pull away. As the train got further and further away from the station, more and more tears began to fall from Donna's eyes, and a single tear escaped from Mia's eyes.