I am sure you were all as gutted as I was today with the BBC cast announcement. I was so hoping to see some more scenes between Georgie and Charlie on screen, and I really hope his absence from the next series isn't going to mean that they fizzled out or he didn't survive. In the meantime I'll carry on with my fan fiction as they're still my favourites, and maybe if the next series is bad news for them then I'll pretend it never happened ;) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets a mention, and he and Georgie are still together - then I can fill in the gaps with fan fiction!

Hope you enjoy the next chapter :)

Chapter eight

Georgie stayed another few nights at Charlie's. Every time she tried to talk herself in to going back to her parents her heart won and her head lost. The longer she stayed with Charlie the harder it became to leave. She enjoyed the warmth of his body against hers as he held her close to him at night, and the softness of his lips as he kissed her. She enjoyed snuggling up on the sofa in the evening with a glass of wine and a bowl of snacks, and most of all she enjoyed being able to touch and talk to him freely without having to worry about who might hear.

On Friday morning she had no choice but to leave. Her family were expecting her back and she was sure that Grace would have the 'welcome home' banners affixed to the front door, and a full buffet of party food in the fridge already.

Georgie and Charlie said their goodbyes and he left for the barracks, on his way to meet with the brigadier. They had spoken at length about the meeting, and it was now clear in Charlie's mind that he had to get the support he needed and secure a medical discharge. He wasn't fit to serve as a Captain anymore, and deep down he knew he never would be. He was battle tired, and if he went back he knew it would only be a matter of time before he made a mistake and someone was killed. He already had two strikes on his record and he wasn't prepared to risk a third.

Georgie's train to London was at 10.30am and she would catch a connecting train back up to Manchester. She was looking forward to seeing her family again and she knew they would be excited to see her. But she felt really sad about leaving Charlie. Her stomach turned when she thought about sleeping alone, without his warm arms around her. But it only had to be a few days while they both got things sorted, and then she could come back to be with him again. She was almost certain that she was going to leave the army now. Once he had sorted things out with Molly and his parents and she had spent some time with her parents, she wanted them to be honest about their relationship with everyone.

She had just finished packing her Bergen when she heard a key in the lock downstairs. Her stomach flipped at the thought of Charlie being back already - he had only left a few hours ago, it couldn't have gone to plan if he was back already?

'Charlie?' She called, but there was no answer. 'Charlie?' She called again, this time making her way towards the door. But as she climbed down the stairs, it wasn't Charlie's face that met her.

Georgie was so shocked she almost dropped her Bergen. She froze half way down the stairs, unable to move another inch. There was something different about her, but it was unmistakably her.

'Molly.' Georgie breathed, her heart thumping in her chest.

Molly was frozen too. The front door was still half open behind her and she stared at Georgie, half in surprise and half in disgust. 'What are you doing here?' Molly spat.

She looked good, Georgie thought. She was glowing and she was sporting a new hair style, short and cropped to just above her shoulders. Georgie wished she had left just five minutes before.

'I thought you weren't all back until this evening.' Molly said.

'We got back earlier than expected.' Georgie replied. She wasn't sure if she was making this seem better or worse.

'Where's Charles?' Molly asked, looking confused.

'He's gone to see the brig.' Georgie replied.

Molly paused and then a strange expression flashed across her face. Georgie took the last few steps down to the bottom and set her Bergen down. She watched as Molly glanced in to the living room and her eyes caught on the two wine glasses and large empty bowl on the coffee table from the night before. Georgie could tell that she already knew.

'Molly, it's not what it looks like.' She began, but Molly cut her off.

'Don't.' She said, her voice still relatively calm. 'Don't you dare.'

'Nothing happened until after you finished things with Charlie, I promise.' Georgie said.

Molly laughed. 'Didn't take you long did it? Don't lie to me Georgie, I know something has been going on for months. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. He's not been the same since he came back from Belize.'

'He's got PTSD, that's why.' Georgie replied quietly.

'That's not what I mean.' Molly replied. 'He hasn't been the same at all. Distant. Always on his phone. I know it was you he was texting. You're the only reason he went back, do you know that? We were this close, this bloody close to being able to start again, I could have helped him get better. But he threw it all away, for you.'

'No, the brig begged him to come back.' Georgie said. 'After Bones-'

'Oh I don't give a shit!' Molly said, her voice now raised. 'We all know why he went back, and that's cos of you.'

'It wasn't like that at all!' Georgie replied, but she knew there was little point in trying to defend herself. ' I didn't ask him to come back. I actually told him not to!'

'I know he was hurting too after Elvis but it's not an excuse for shagging someone else, is it?' Molly said, not acknowledging what Georgie had just said, her voice shaking. 'Cheating on me. Well you're welcome to him, because we don't need him anyway.'

She turned around and left before Georgie had time to stop her.

'Molly? What do you mean?'

And then it struck her. It wasn't just Molly's new hair style which was different.