Thought I should take my own advice, show some human decency, dig in and crack on with this story. Just wish I could connect a usb cable from my head to PC and download what's floating around in there. Granted most of it would be utter rubbish but the rest might make a half decent story.

A visit from Nan. That was the last thing she wanted so she rang back. "Alright Nan, what do you want?"

"Just ringing for chat with my granddaughter, it's allowed isn't it?"

"Suppose" replied Molly.

"Are you looking after yourself? Are you up and dressed?"

"Not yet Nan but I will in a bit"

"No you'll do it now while I'm on the phone. You need to pull yourself together young lady. Your mum has been speaking to that fella of yours this morning. Says your not in a good way at the moment"

"So that's the reason for your call? I'm just a bit down Nan that's all" replied Molly.

"It's more than a bit int it? Are you gonna tell your old Nan what's eating you?"

Molly reluctantly explained about Barney going home and the missed birthday and how bad she felt.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know Nan. Nothing I can do about B-dog, he was always going home when

Charles's parents came back. I was stupid to get attached really. But about the birthday, I just can't face getting a train somewhere to get Charles a decent present."

"I can't sort the dog out for you but I do have an idea about the missed birthday. Get off your arse and bake him a birthday cake. That will show him that you care. Give you something to do as well."

"I don't know if I can. Apart from the fact I'm shit at cooking and I've never baked a cake in my life, I'd have to go out and get the stuff." She said walking downstairs and putting the kettle on.

"Your putting obstacles in your way Molly, you know that. You've been to the shops before your mum told me that you have"

Molly opened the fridge door to get the milk out and saw a yellow post-it note stuck on the bottle 'I love you C x' was written inside a big heart. Another heart was found on the tea bags. Molly smiled and thought for a moment.

"Your right Nan I reckon I could do that. I've been to the shops on my own before and I was ok. It will only take 10 minutes there and back"

"That's my girl. I said I'd be able to pick you up. Now I'm right here if you need me"

"Yer like your bleeding Mary Berry"

The call ended and Molly went and got dressed. She googled cake recipes, found one she liked the look of and wrote a shopping list. 'Right come on Molls you can do this' she said to herself as she set off on her way.

Half an hour later and Molly had creamed the butter and sugar together 'add the eggs one at a time' she read allowed following the instructions. 'Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and tea spoon of baking powder'. Baking powder! She hadn't seen that when she was writing out the list. How much difference can a teaspoon of something make? She wondered.

She rang Nan for advice but the call went to voice mail. Instead of waiting for a reply she continued pouring the mixture into the cake tins and placing them in the oven.

She constantly checked the cakes and after the allotted time took them out of the oven. Molly's cakes looked more like biscuits and not the big deep chocolate cake in the picture. She couldn't ice this it was shit, she wanted it to be perfect. 'Right I'm going to have to get the sodding baking powder and try again' she thought. Molly grabbed her purse and headed out the door again.

She stopped in the street clutching the baking powder and additional butter and eggs. She could see a rescue helicopter flying over the sea. She stood and watched mesmerised - just watching reminded her of when the MERT left the check point with Charles and she didn't know if he would survive. She stood watching for what felt an age until she heard a sound, a sound so terrifying. A lorry had pulled up behind her and the driver had opened the roll up shutter at the rear which made a loud clattering noise. To Molly in the instant staring at the helicopter the noise sounded like the rapid fire of a machine gun. The noise made her jump and the eggs fell to the floor. Molly started to run to the nearest place she knew she would feel safe, the tea shop which was just three doors down.

Molly barged through the door and sat at a table. She began to attempt Vince's grounding technique but wasn't having much success because the only thing she could hear was the rapid fire. "Molly are you ok dear?" Asked Doris shuffling over "Agata can you get Molly a pot of tea?" She asked her assistant.

Molly looked up with tears in her eyes. "The helicopter and ... that noise, it just took me back" she stammered.

"Took you where dear?" Asked Doris.

"Back to Afghan, when Charles nearly died and it was all my fault" she sniffed. "I was ok till I saw that"

"Oh my, I didn't realise you had been in the army, your such a small thing and I didn't think they let women on the battle field"

Molly explained her role as a medic and how Charles had been her CO. How they had fallen in love and how it had all gone to shit on that fateful day. She also explained briefly about her PTSD.

"Where's your other half today? I never see you apart"

"He's gone to Bath to see his son and to take Barney back to his mum now that she back off her holidays. I was at home trying to bake a cake for his birthday but well it didn't turn out right because I forgot this you see" she said holding up the baking powder. Molly's tummy rumbled.

"Have you eaten lunch Molly?"

Molly shook her head and realised that she ate nothing since lunch yesterday. "No not today".

"Agata can you get Molly a cheese toastie please" asked Doris. "You need to look after yourself better Molly it's nearly 2 o'clock"

"I wasn't thinking this morning just trying to bake this sodding cake. I wanted to do one just like yours, you know the one you brought over the day I was crying"

"Well I'll tell you what dear, you eat your lunch and then we'll go in the kitchen and bake that man of yours one of my chocolate fudge cakes. How does that sound?"

"I can't let you do that I've taken up enough of your time"

"You can, I'm the owner so I can do what I like, when I like and at 76 nobody is going to stop me."

"Your 76? You don't look it. Why are you still working shouldn't you be putting your feet up?" Said Molly tucking into her lunch, she hadn't realised just how hungry she was til now.

"I tried retirement but it didn't suit. I like being here, keeps me active and I have Agata to do all the running around, don't I dear?" She shouted to her assistant.

**OG**

In Bath Charles was sitting in the kitchen with his mother while Sam and his dad were in the attic looking for the Christmas decorations.

"How's Molly getting on?" Asked Margaret. "I thought she'd be with you today".

Charles sadly shook his head. "Earlier this week I was hopeful that she might have joined me but over the last couple of days she's been really down again."

"Do you know why?"

"No idea mum"

"What about Vince? Is she still seeing him?"

"Yes the sessions seem to be going very well. Her nightmares and panic attacks are starting to subside. In fact everything was going really well until Friday morning then she just became tearful and withdrawn." Charles reached for his coffee. "It could be worry over tomorrow's session, she's usually quiet before hand, mind you never like this. I just don't know what to do mum!" He said running her hands through his already disheveled hair.

"Charles seriously can you not see the obvious?" Margaret said shaking her head. "Can you not put two and two together? It's Barney! I rang you on Friday morning it all ties in with Molly's being depressed, am I right?"

"I just thought it was the PTSD, didn't think it would be something closer to home, I was looking for links to Afghan"

"Take him back Charles, see if he helps. Couple more weeks won't hurt and he's obviously enjoying being with you"

"Are you sure mum?"

"Positive son. Go now and cheer up that girl of yours"

** OG**

Molly spent the afternoon with Doris chatting away about this and that. The cake was cooling on a rack by the window and they were currently in the process of making a lasagna for Molly to take home for dinner. "When I was your age I had depression you know. Two years of it."

"What happened?"

"I had a baby boy who was still born, I blamed myself and closed down. Cost me my husband, my job and my home. It was just me and Katie struggling on our own till one day she tried to make me feel better by giving me her favourite teddy to cuddle, it was like a wake up moment, a turning point."

"That's so sad"

"Life has knocked me down a few times I'll tell you Molly. It has shown me things I have never wanted to see. I have experienced great sadness and failure but one things for sure I always get up eventually, that time took longer than most it was a learning curve." she smiled.

"How did you get over it"

"I picked myself up and slowly started again. But it was different back then, depression just wasn't talked about it was just brushed under the carpet. Its not easy Molly but you'll get there I'm sure of that. Right I reckon you can start to decorate this cake now"

**OG**

Charles was halfway home on the motorway when he got a call on his mobile from an unknown number. "Hello"

"Hello I'm Molly's nan. I'm worried. I spoke to her this morning and she seemed ok, she was gonna do some baking and I told her to ring me if she had any problems but then I got caught nattering with Fat Pat and missed her call. I've tried ringing her back loads but she's not answering again and I'm starting to worry"

"Right ok. I'm about 30 minutes away I reckon, I'll let you know if she's home as soon as I can". Charles knew that if Molly was feeling down she had a habit of ignoring her phone so he wasn't too alarmed when it went to voicemail when he rang.

As he reached the cottage he could see it was in darkness and he found the front door was locked. He opened the door and checked the house to find it empty but saw Molly's phone on the table. He picked it up and saw 8 missed calls and 2 text messages.

His phone rang again "It's Nan again, where is she?"

"I don't know, she's not at home. I'm going to have a walk around to see if I can find her"

"I'm getting the train, I bleeding knew I should of this morning but she convinced me she would be ok".

"Just give me 10 minutes to have a look around first. I don't want you to have a wasted journey"

"No you listen to me mate. You rang this morning and said she was so depressed, the worst you'd seen her. She hasn't got her phone, she never goes anywhere with out her phone and she's not at home. Is there a note?"

Charles walked back into the cottage to check. He couldn't find a note just a mess of baking equipment dirty bowls and two very flat and burnt looking cakes. "I can't find one" he said.

"I'll tell you what, if anythings happened to that girl I'll hold you personally responsible for leaving her in that state. If she's gone and done something ... something I don't want to think about what, I'll have your balls on a plate and that will be for starters. I brought that girl up from the age of seven when my Belinda decided to become a one woman sprog factory churning out one a year. She means everything to me that girl"

Charles had walked into the garden at this point just to make sure she wasn't sitting outside like she had been previously. No still no sign of Molly, panic was starting to rise but he tried to keep it out of his voice. "I'll check the streets first then I'll think about calling the police ok?" He felt sick with worry. If anything had happened to her he'd never forgive himself either. He had one sole job of keeping her safe and yet again he'd failed her. 'Where the fuck had she gone?' He thought.