A/N: Firstly I want to thank you so much for your support and for all the lovely reviews for Part 1 … this is Part 2 which I hope everyone will enjoy.

-OG-

The singing was pretty bloody dreadful by anyone's standards but the volume more than made up for the lack of quality. It was definitely very loud, and it didn't seem to matter much to anyone just how out of tune they were or how loud it was, they were all singing as though they were auditioning for Britain's Got Talent, and Charles was no exception. To his ears the singing was absolutely fucking dire, but he was standing with his arms round Molly as she leaned back against him and belted out her own singularly out of tune version of "I love Rock 'n Roll" and "Here it is Merry Christmas" he found he was enjoying himself in a way that he'd forgotten ever existed. And that was despite the fact that he was probably the only completely sober one in the room.

The best moment for him came when she heard him sing the first few notes and had spun round with a look of total awe on her face, her eyes wide as he'd winked at her. It had been a very long time since he'd sung in front of anyone and he'd forgotten just how much it meant to him.

The party was still going strong when they left, or at least there were a few real diehards still there, people that Molly was pretty sure were going on to Donna's, or rather Donna and Tony's as it was now, to carry on with the partying. It was what they'd always done before when they'd had parties including the one where she'd stupidly taken Tony with her so that he could get to know her best friend. He'd done that in a way she certainly hadn't bargained for, so it came as no shock that she hadn't been invited this time. Not that she would have gone even if someone had asked her, she was never going to introduce Charles to Donna, not that he was hers or anything like that. It didn't stop her feeling just a little bit left out though, a bit of a 'Billy no mates' leper.

She wasn't sure how she and Charles ended up walking back to his car hand in hand, but she'd loved it when he'd wrapped his large warm hand round her small cold one, especially when he tightened his grip on her fingers. It was hard now for her to remember that it was only about five minutes ago that she'd had him down as a fucking miserable arse shouty soldier because now she thought he was lovely even if he did walk too bloody fast o legs that were so much longer than hers that she was having trouble keeping up with him. She wasn't drunk, although she wasn't exactly sober either but she was just a tiny bit unsteady on her feet and was stumbling a bit because she was bloody shattered.

It had been a really long day, she'd overslept and hadn't had time for breakfast and had been at work since 6 that morning and had been rushed off her feet all day because they'd been short staffed because a lot of people had taken their days off for the party. It had been a bit shit that she was already knackered before she had to start getting tarted up to go straight on to something she'd been worrying herself sick about all week. It had been bloody hard to feel in the slightest bit like it was Christmas and that she was getting ready to go to a sodding party, but then the evening that she'd been dreading so much had actually turned out brilliant. Even though it seemed to have lasted about a fortnight.

And now she was on her own with him and it was just the two of them walking along hand in hand she didn't want it to ever be over. She hadn't known him very long and she'd bloody hated him the day he'd helped her get home after the wedding. Well, she hadn't exactly hated him, more she'd been a bit afraid of him at first, had been bloody convinced he had evil on his mind. Funny how things changed.

-OG-

"Right … so …. here we are then"

Even he could hear how bloody hearty his voice sounded but he was struggling to think about something other than any idea he might have been entertaining about going in for the euphemistic cup of coffee. Not that he'd counted on it or anything, but that didn't stop him feeling a pang of disappointment when he saw the fairy lights twinkling round the windows of her house. He knew it meant it was odds on that Bella was still very much up and about, because he couldn't believe that she'd just go off to bed and leave the lights on like that. Although of course she might have left them for Molly, but somehow he didn't think so.

He could hear the distant echo of Elvis' voice telling him that it was his own fault, that he was a total dick and that he needed to get laid because it had been too long, that he should stop acting like a fucking hermit and get himself out there. Once upon a time when he and Elvis had spent a lot of time hanging out the way they had he wouldn't have hesitated, but Elvis was gone and it all seemed a very long time ago now. He no longer had the slightest desire to find someone and have meaningless sex with them and his track record with any other kind of relationship wasn't that great either. The last time he'd got involved with anyone he'd married her, and look how well that has turned out. He shouldn't even have shaken hands with her let alone made a baby, even though Sam was the apple of his eye.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yeah I did thanks and thanks …." Molly shrugged"

"What for?"

"Letting me drag you along like that …it wouldn't 'ave been the same without you ….. and ….. I really appreciate it .. 'n I'm dead sorry if it was a bit shit …?"

"Not a bit …. It wasn't, I enjoyed it and anyway I didn't notice anyone dragging me anywhere … I only wish I could invite you to hold my hand tomorrow night …. but there are no females in the platoon at the moment so stags only I'm afraid … god help me"

"That good eh?"

"Yep …. you'd better believe it"

"In that case, you will be careful won't you?"

"Always"

He'd been about to tell her that none of the antics of her drunken mates at tonight's little get together could hold a candle to 2 Section when they were out on the piss, especially when they put their minds to it, but kept his mouth shut. For some reason she'd sounded genuinely concerned about him and suddenly he didn't want to say anything that might make her worry. Instead there was a small silence as they sat and looked at one another with their gazes locked, both of them waiting for the other to say something to break the silence or to make a move of some sort.

"Ummm … we still got some of that coffee left … do you wanna come in?" Molly bit her lip, willing him to say he would "Bella will prob'ly still be up …. but she'll get off to bed …"

That at least was something she could guarantee, if she had anything to do with it her sister was going to be out of there even if she had to drag her up the stairs herself.

"Oh fuck … now that is a frightening thought"

Charles leaned forward and put his hands lightly on the steering wheel before he turned and grinned over at her with an expression of mock terror on his face. For some reason she couldn't quite explain she'd told him all about Bella thinking he was the nuts, and although she had no clear idea now why she'd said any of it, except that she'd had a fair bit to drink, Bella would bloody kill her if she ever found out that her brain had been somewhere else when her mouth had been flapping. A faintly horrified expression had appeared on his face when she'd fallen about laughing and he'd frowned and chewed at his bottom lip as he flicked the odd glance at her where she was giggling and tried to concentrate on the road.

"But how old is she for fuck sake?"

"She's four and a bit years younger than me, so nearly 20"

"So …. she's what? 19 … fuck … well, at least that's older than I thought, but I'm 32, Molly … Jesus…"

"Don't worry you don't look it"

"Thanks"

"You're welcome … you don't look a day over 31"

"Lovely …"

She'd been laughing like a drain as she'd told him, enjoying his obvious discomfort, but now the whole conversation had come back to bite her on the bum with a vengeance. She still couldn't think what the fuck had possessed her. The last thing she wanted was for him to go, she wanted him to come in the house and spend some more time with her, but knew he wouldn't now she'd blabbed about Bella. Not that she could blame him, but it wasn't like she expected to have sex or anything, not exactly, but it was as if telling him all that shit meant he'd gone back to when they'd been to the Castle and she'd been longing for him to say he'd like to see her again. And hadn't.

He'd said about wishing he could take her to his Christmas party with him but that it wasn't possible and she'd believed he was telling her the truth, but then he hadn't suggested anything else and she badly wanted him to. She knew, or thought she did, that she wasn't imagining that he liked her, she was almost sure he did unless he was a bloody brilliant actor, but then every time she started to get a bit closer to him, he seemed to think about it and get all distant again.

"Come on, Cinderella, find your bloody shoes and let's get you in"

"Okay …"

Molly deliberately strung out finding her key for as long as she possibly could and then fiddled about hesitating before putting it in the lock. She was trying very hard to put off the moment when he'd get in his car and leave as once again the little voice in her head was screaming at her that if she just gave him a chance he was bound to ask her. But he didn't, and there was still a bit of her that wasn't sure enough of herself to be the one who asked him. Just in case he said no.

"I know you said you were working at Christmas … but when are you actually off?"

"Middle of the week but we're taking Martin up to see Mum and Nan and taking their presents 'n that and then Bella and me are taking him and the others to see Father Christmas" Molly paused and grimaced "Dunno how he's gonna be, you know when he sees that they're all together and he's with us … still … s'pect we'll work somethin' out …. then I'm back working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day … well, nights … and then I'm off till after New Year … why?"

"Good … I don't mean it's good you have to work Christmas … of course it's not, obviously that's shit …"

"But …?"

She wanted to shout at him, just ask me, just bloody ask me why don't you and just stop messing, what you bleeding waiting for?

"I was going to ask … I wondered if you'd do me a favour and come and hold my hand on Boxing Day … every year my mother, well my parents, have this god-awful party and every year it's the same thing …. I've managed to avoid a fair few of them, but not all by any means"

He paused and remembered taking a very bored Rebecca to one of them, when she'd found the whole thing incredibly tedious and hadn't bothered to make a secret of the way she felt.

"The ones I haven't managed to be away for have been pretty fucking dreadful … full of pompous bloody awful dull people who are boring as fuck to talk to … but if you come with me I promise you won't have to talk to any of them, only me …"

There was a long pause as he looked over at her with a rueful expression on his face and then slowly shook his head "I'm not exactly selling this to you, am I?"

"Nah" Molly had this huge urge to giggle, mainly because she was suddenly extremely happy "Yeah, yeah you are …. I'd love to …" She laughed "Don't worry about it, it'll be fine … I talk to all sorts of people all the time at work, I'm used to 'aving to talk to loads of boring buggers …. and that's just the staff …"

Charles roared with laughter "They speak very highly of you as well …"

"Yeah, well so they should, I'm the nuts …"

"Yup … that's what everyone says… "

"Stop it … that's bullshit 'n you're making me blush … but you can kiss me goodnight if you want"

His laughter slowly drained away as he looked at her steadily without saying anything. It was taking him a huge effort of will to drag his eyes away from her mouth as he blinked and chewed at the corner of his lip and then leant forward and kissed her lightly on the mouth. He immediately stepped back and created a distance between them and told himself not to even think about pouncing.

"I know I'm dead well known for being subtle" She giggled "But that was actually an invitation" Even as she spoke she suddenly wished she hadn't said anything, that kiss definitely hadn't been the kind she'd had in mind.

"Yup I know …. and I love how subtle you are …." He laughed "But …. it's getting late and I really should get going in a minute …"

"Yeah ….… course ….…. it's just thatI … look, it don't matter … I'm gonna shut up now"

He was right of course. Short of going to sit in his car which wasn't going to happen or taking a bleeding chance on Bella pissing off to bed, which was also highly bloody unlikely, there was nowhere for them to even be on their own. And she'd come very close to telling him how much she liked him so it was definitely time for her to shut up. She didn't want him to go but knew he wasn't going to stay and that he wasn't going to kiss her the way she wanted but whether that was because of Bella and Martin she didn't know. She didn't want to think it might be that he didn't think of her like that, that he wanted her as a friend, well she already felt like they were friends, but she couldn't help being a bit afraid that it was all he wanted, nothing more. She was getting a bit pissed off with wanting blokes who didn't want her. But it still felt like it was going to be a long time till she'd see him again.

"You know it's a bit bloody hard to know what it is you're thinking sometimes don't you?"

"I know"

She put her hand up and touched the side of his face and watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath at the feel of her fingers running down his face and as she stroked the stubble that was emerging on his chin. The dark arcs of his lashes fluttered on his cheekbones as he bit his lip and then captured her hand where it was resting against his cheek and kissed slowly across the back of her knuckles. He turned her hand over and gently kissed the inside of her wrist, his eyes locked on her face the whole time his lips were touching her skin.

"Sometimes even I don't know …. I'm sorry…. I can't explain it, it's just how I am"

"I know ….…"

But suddenly he seemed to be standing very close so that her heart was beginning to pound as if it was about to jump out her chest and she was sure it was loud enough for him to hear. Somehow it felt very different from earlier when he'd been standing close to her when they been singing or even when he'd touched her while they were dancing. She was almost holding her breath when he leaned forward again and touched her lips with his and then leant away again to look at her before he moved his hands to cradle her head and twined his fingers in her hair. He kissed her again and again and this time he closed his eyes as he deepened the kisses and she kissed him back and then began running her hands over his shoulders and his chest and up and down his back. Her fingers told her how rock hard and strong his body was until she stopped thinking about anything at all except that she was drowning in the feel of his lips on hers, and of his hands touching her skin.

Eventually they ran out of breath and had to pull back a little and he leaned his forehead against hers and inhaled deeply. Molly knew he was about to say something and instinctively held her breath and began to pray that he wasn't about to say that it was a mistake and that he shouldn't have kissed her. Or even worse that he was sorry, not when she was more bloody turned on than she could ever remember.

"You okay?"

"Yeah …. I've been wanting to kiss you again like that ever since the first time you kissed me … but just for a minute there I thought you was gonna say … oh shit, I don't know what I was thinking"

"Believe me you're not the only one … all I know is that you're fucking awesome …. and that you scare the living shit out of me"

"Me… how do I scare you? Oh I see … you're kidding, right?"

"Nope …. I'm not …." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and took a deep breath which sounded a little bit shaky to Molly "I'll see you after Christmas … Boxing Day … which now feels like a very, very long time away …"

"You will be careful tomorrow won't you … don't get too slaughtered … don't do anything you'll be sorry about"

"Are you worrying about me?" Charles raised his eyebrows and chuckled as he stroked the hair from her face "Hey there's no need to worry, I'm the officer, so I'll be setting a good example …. I'll call you"

"What? When you get home pissed? Don't be daft, but you better call me after or you'll be going to your mum's party on your own"

"You wouldn't do that to me"

"Wouldn't I?"

"Nope"

-OG-