A/N: Hey to all my dear readers. Here comes a little fluffy stuff again, before Becker is going to mess it all up again ;)
Special thanks to YouHaveLovelyHair for doing the beta-read. Thank you.
And special thanks to lovingthis for reviewing every chapter additional. Thank you.
And thanks to all of you who added this story to their favourite story/story alert. Again, please leave a review. I'm keen to know what you think of the story.
Please, enjoy!
:o)
Jess woke up by the sounds of rummaging in boxes. Looking on the clock she saw that it was eleven minutes till seven. With a frustrated moan she dropped her head back into her pillow. Deciding that sleeping on the remaining time till the alarm went off would be pointless, she finally got out of her bed. Cuddling herself into the dressing gown, she opened the door, gazing at Connor, who knelt over one of the boxes and unpacked it again.
"Are you looking for something?" Jess greeted him sleepily.
Connor looked up, visibly surprised at the woman standing in the door frame he answered. "Morning. Did I wake you?"
The woman shook her head, yawning widely. As she opened her eyes again she saw Abby appearing to her left, leaving their bedroom and carrying one of the boxes to the entrance.
"He's looking for his action figures." The blonde woman declared.
Jess grinned. "Those of which one is looking like you?"
"Yeah. I can't find them." Connor whined desperately.
The FCO rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, stepping into the kitchen she opened the dishwasher and took the six figures out, handing them over to the baffled scientist. "It was only yesterday when you put them into the washer don't tell me you can't remember?"
It was nearly visible as it came up into his mind again. "Right. Thanks, Jess." He replied gratefully.
Jess turned back, heading for the coffee pot and filling her cup which stood aside. Holding the drink in her hands she inhaled deeply the fragrance of the hot black liquid. The young woman regretted their leaving and already missed her friends and colleagues, although they only moved out, they wouldn't disappear forever but somehow it felt like they did.
Unwillingly, she silently listed what she wouldn't have anymore when they were gone as she sipped on her drink: No more fresh made coffee waiting for her when she awoke. No more warm buns on a plate next to her cup. No more cooking together. No more chatting after a stressful day. No more driving to work together. No more huddling up against each other on the couch and watching a movie. No more … no more Connor's socks inside the oven. No more clothes laying around in the living room. No more terrible sounds of action games waking her on a Sunday morning. No more waiting to go into the bathroom. No more earplugs to silence the sounds coming out of their room at night. Well, now that she thought about it, living alone again wasn't such a bad idea.
The young woman emptied her cup and placed it into the sink, heading for the bathroom to get ready.
On the tick, the door bell rang at eight o'Clock. Connor, who stood in the entrance placing a box, opened the door and welcomed Becker.
"Morning mate, you arrive on time. The boxes are already packed and only need to get into the cars." The scientist stated.
Becker smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Just let me greet the ladies and then I'm all yours."
"All right. They are upstairs. Just go and I'll start to fill my car." Connor replied, took the first box and walked out the door.
The Captain rushed up into the living room, seeing the women filling the last box. "Good morning you two, may I help you?" He questioned cheerfully.
"Morning." Jess greeted him back in her best bright smile.
"Hi. Um, no. We just finished, but you can carry the box to the car." Abby replied closing the lid.
The soldier grabbed it and walked the stairs back down, heading for his car. Twenty minutes later everything was packed inside the vehicles, the flat was locked and the friends drove to the couple's new home. Jess sat on the passenger seat in Connor's car, silently mourning that it was Abby who had the pleasure to sit next to the soldier, to show him the way.
It didn't take long and they arrived at the new building. Their flat was situated right under the roof but without the disadvantage of having sloping walls. Matt and Emily already waited in front of the house, helping to carry the boxes upstairs.
Finishing this, the Captain and the scientist drove away collecting the ordered furniture from the shop.
Meanwhile Matt and Abby built up the already delivered furniture. They started in the bedroom putting together the bed and the cabinet. Jess and Emily joined in, starting with the desk in the study and continuing with the sideboard.
After almost two hours the busy bees were interrupted by the bell. Abby rushed to the intercom, asking. "Who is there?"
"We are." It came through the speaker.
"We don't buy anything." The zoologist replied, almost laughing.
"Abby, open the door!" Shouted the voice back.
A second voice sounded. "The couches are very comfortable and Connor already met one of the new neighbours, a really pretty and attractive one. And she already asked us to help her repairing the sink and Connor is keen on doing so."
Abby gaped and quickly pressed the buzzer. She shouted for Matt, who instantly appeared at her side. Together they went downstairs - to be more exact, she ran, leaping several stairs at a time, and he followed her, walking at a leisurely pace.
The front door stood wide open and the blonde woman jumped the last steps rushing outside. Like two old men the scientist and the Captain slouched on the couch, between them sat an old lady in her seventies.
Abby blinked in surprise at the stranger.
"Let me introduce you to Mrs. Daintry our neighbour from the first floor." Connor declared, smiling widely.
"Hello young lady." The dear old lady greeted her, holding her slightly shaking hand out to the zoologist, who immediately clasped it and shook it warmly.
"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Abby." Abby replied with a grin on her lips.
Becker smirked cheekily. "Isn't she beautiful?" He questioned the woman teasing.
"Indeed, very beautiful and lovely." She countered looking kindly at the old woman.
"Are you the wife of the handsome young man?" Mrs. Daintry asked pryingly.
Not knowing which of them she meant, Abby replied pointing at Connor. "Not yet, I am Connor's fiancé."
"So the handsome young man still remains up for grabs?" The elder lady questioned, making moon-eyes at the soldier.
Connor contained his laughter, nodding briskly. "Yes, yes. He is."
Not resenting the joke for Temple, Becker put on his lovely smirk suggesting to the woman. "Well, milady. May I help you carry your shopping bags?"
"I'd really appreciate that. Thank you my dear." Mrs. Daintry replied thankfully.
Becker helped her up. Linking the woman with his left arm, the shopping bags in his right hand, they walked to her flat, passing Matt who just came out of the door.
The Irishman stepped at the young couple's side, joking. "Being here only ten minutes and Becker is already picking up women?"
Abby and Connor burst out laughing and Matt joined in. Finally calmed down, the two men hefted the smaller couch and the woman carried two stand lights, tagging along after them.
The men reached the new flat and Connor directed the leader to the second door on the right, entering the study they placed it on the remained free side. Emily and Jess were really fast and had already put all the furniture inside together, so this room was the first one finished.
"Do you need help?" Jess asked as the men stepped back into the living room, watching Abby placing the lights on the side.
"Um, no. Thanks for the offer but the second couch is way too heavy for you, and the couch table is really to unhandy to carry it into the fifth floor." Connor replied, worrying the women could get a hernia if trying, and walked after Matt out of the large living room.
Abby headed after them, but was stopped by the scientist. "Abby, please. Like I said, too heavy for you."
"I can help." The zoologist protested.
"I know." Her man replied, kissing her slightly on the lips. "But this is a man's thing. Let us do our stuff and stay here, please."
"All right." The woman answered grinning widely. "Don't get a hernia." She said, turned around and joined the other ladies putting the living room sideboards together.
It was nearly noon as the van was clear and the furniture stood at their places. Time for a little strengthening Emily placed her self-made sandwiches on a plate on the dining table opposite the kitchen. Beside the fitted kitchen it was the only furniture which was left by the previous tenant. Seeing the big dark brown coloured wooden table for the first time, Abby instantly fell in love with it and the couple decided to keep it. The six friends sat around, eating the sandwiches and drinking tea and soda.
Half an hour later Becker and Matt excused themselves, planning on bringing back the borrowed van. Matt drove in his own car after the big vehicle to pick up the soldier at the shop. Meanwhile, Emily insisted on doing the dishes and the three left persons continued with building up the remained sideboards in the living room and filling the cupboards.
Jess was just doing the second sideboard with Connor as her mobile rang. Scurrying to her bag she took it out and read the message.
'We're back . Come downstairs with Emily so we can give all at once. Bx'
"Something important?" Connor questioned, watching the Field Co-ordinator gazing at her phone.
"Um, yeah. The men are outside. I'll, um, quickly go and open the door for them." Jess conjured up a lame excuse. Smiling shyly, she nodded towards Emily, who was now helping Abby.
"I'll, um, help her holding the door." The Victorian lady added, stood up and went after the younger woman, disappearing behind the ajar front door.
Abby looked questionably at Connor, who only shrugged his shoulders and made circle movements with his forefinger against his head, gesturing the two must be crazy. It didn't last long and the four friends appeared in the entrance again. Jess held a little box and Emily carried a basket, stuffed with things hidden under a blanket. Matt and Becker hefted a big cardboard box and placed it on the dining table as soon as they walked into the flat. Visibly knackered but with a wide grin on their faces they turned around to the couple and stepped next to the girls.
Matt began to speak. "Well, we took the liberty to buy you two a little present for moving in your new home."
"Even Lester gave some money." Emily added, smiling warmly.
Becker smirked with delight. "And just a hint but the reptile farm, we had the mission at, brought up the idea."
Connor's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Please no snake." He begged, frightened.
The other burst out laughing.
"No, Connor. It's not a snake." Jess replied and handed the box over to Abby.
"Thank you." The zoologist replied beaming with joy, with a cheeky smile she added. "Shall I shake it?"
"No!" The four presenters shouted in unison.
Abby chuckled and started to unpack the box, Connor stood an arms length apart ready to jump aside, just in case.
"Awe!" The blonde woman stated as she got sight of the green iguana, sitting inside the box. "Thank you." She was touched, handed the box over to her wide grinning husband-to-be and hugged her friends.
"Cool. A lizard. Thanks." Connor determined gleefully, touching the reptile's skin with his fingers.
"That's an iguana!" His fiancée corrected him, rolling her eyes and smiling.
"It's the same." The scientist defended himself.
"It's not." The woman countered.
"So, where do you want the terrarium to be standing?" Matt questioned, changing the topic.
Abby looked around. "Um, I think it's best on the sideboard, in the back right corner." She decided and directed the two man, who put the big glass jar on its place.
Emily handed the basket over to her, commenting "basic load."
"Thanks. We can need that." The blonde replied and started to get the terrarium ready before Connor put the reptile into its new home.
The others continued with the remaining work. Not long after the moving finally was finished. Every furniture stood in its place, only a couple of boxes were left, which Abby and Connor wanted to unpack the next day. The rooms looked homely and ready for use. As a thanks for their helping the couple gave a little house-warming party.
Abby ordered the food, pizza and Chinese, while Connor turned on the music and dimmed the light. The friends sat on the couch or stood, chatting and laughing together. As the food arrived they left their places to head for the dining table, not wanting to take the meal on the couch to prevent stains.
/-/
Jess stood outside on the balcony, viewing the skyline of London and watching the stars twinkling clear and bright in front of the black night sky. She shivered from the cold and her breath became visible as a little cloud with every exhale. The light shone from inside the living room, where the others laughed and danced. Their talk became louder as somebody opened the French window and died down again, making clear that the door must have been closed. Jess didn't want to look behind, she couldn't take her eyes off of the beautiful sight in front of her.
Feeling the presence of somebody standing next to her she finally found the need to turn her head, gazing right into two big, beautiful hazel eyes.
"Hey." Becker greeted her with a smile. "Abby thought you might need this." He held a cardigan towards her, in his other hand two cups of hot tea.
Jess smiled thankfully as she grabbed it and put on the cardigan, already feeling warmer. The Captain offered her the tea which she accepted with an even bigger and brighter smile.
"Thank you." She replied and nipped on her drink, feeling the hot liquid running down her gullet and warming up her stomach.
"All alone here?" The soldier questioned, it sounded like a lousy chat-up but he didn't know what else to say.
"Yeah. The view is so beautiful, isn't it?" Jess returned the question, looking back at the stars.
"You're right, very beautiful." He answered, gazing with a desired eye at the woman in front of him.
Missing his true meaning, the FCO turned her attention back at him, smiling warmly. "So, Connor already told me you have your first date with your new girlfriend tomorrow?"
For a second Becker looked with wide baffled eyes, not knowing what she was on about, but then returned the smile as it came back to his mind. "Yeah, Mrs. Daintry. A very beautiful old lady from the first floor. She told me her husband died three years ago, after 55 years marriage and she is all alone now. She invited me to tea tomorrow and I couldn't say no."
"That's so lovely. 55 years married with the same man. That must be true love." She stated and her little fairy-tale heart started to beat faster at the thought. "Could you imagine to live with only one woman for the rest of your life?"
Becker nodded his approval. "Yes. Absolutely. I don't want to be with anybody else than the woman of my heart." he declared and took a gulp of his tea, not removing his eyes from her.
Jess started to flush at his gaze and his words, feeling glad that it already was that dark outside. She turned her head back to the stars and drank from her tea to soothe her rushing heartbeat. She laid her head back, taking a deep breath to inhale the clear and wintry air as something danced down from the heaven and landed right on the tip of her nose.
"Oh my god. That's a snow flake. The first snow flake." Jess spoke in amazement and the second one fell on her face followed by the third and the fourth one. "It's snowing." She determined, beaming like a child having its first winter, shivering with cold and excitement.
Without a word Becker placed his cup on the handrail, clasping his hands around her body from behind and holding her tight to warm her up while they watched the snow falling down on the streets and decking the city with a white cover.
Jess held her breath, feeling his large warm hands on her belly and his firm chest and tummy muscles pressed against her back. Slowly she moved her head back until it leaned against his neck. She could feel his chest lifting and lowering with every breath he took. He tightened his grip once more, hugging her closer against his body and rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment.
In this position they stood there for a while, watching the fall of the flakes of ice crystals. But the real cause why they stayed that long was the feeling of a slice of heaven.
A/N: I hope you didn't mind that I didn't went into detail how they put the furniture together. I found the talks much more interesting than which side of the desk belongs to which end ;)
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