Disclaimer: I don't own Our Girl. Everything you recognise was created by Tony Grounds and is owned by the BBC.


Baz Vegas

As Ben Grayson relaxed in his seat in the mess tent that evening he was starting to feel normal for the first time since they had arrived in Afghanistan. It had been a bit of a culture shock for the boy from Basildon, if he was fair. The heat, the dust, the feeling of fear and insecurity when they were outside the base, and the really nasty atmosphere over the past few days when they were inside. But for the first time he felt that things were on the mend. And the reason was readily apparent as he listened to Molly tell Fingers exactly what she thought of his poncey football team, and the section laughing as he spluttered in disgust. Because Molly Dawes had brought them together.

There had always been divisions in the section. Oh, they all got on pretty well together, but Smurf, Fingers and Dangles were a tight group and everyone else had always been on the outside of that. But now with Smurf injured, and Fingers and Dangles realising that they'd acted really badly, those pre-tour walls were starting to come down and the section seemed somehow better for it. And it was Molly who had done that. Or rather the fact that Molly clearly wasn't anything like how Smurf had accused her of being.

Because people who didn't give a shit about anyone else and only wanted to sleep their way to the top didn't crawl across minefields to rescue wounded comrades. And they certainly didn't crawl across minefields to rescue wounded comrades that had spent the last day completely dissing them to all and sundry. When the mine had exploded and he'd found her with his scope he had been gutted to see her lying there, unmoving. He had been pleased in a way. He had expected her body to be broken, and he thought it would have been horrible to see that, but it hadn't been and he had dared to hope then that she might survive.

But she didn't just survive. When she sat up he was flabbergasted and when she said she was OK he was delighted, but then she'd just got on with the job like nothing had happened. Just like that. And she had saved Smurf's life and then she'd defied the Bossman again to go up in the winch.

When she had walked back into the tent that evening and they had all sung that she was one of the lads they had meant it for the first time. Then they had seen her. She looked terrible and she looked amazing at the same time. Her face was all cut up, presumably from the mine explosion, and she looked tired, but there was something in the way she stood that wasn't there before. And then he had realised; she had had doubts about whether she could cut it but now she knew she could.

It was normal to have doubts about whether you could cut it. He had had and continued to have them after all, but her job was so different to his. She had to do his job but also hers on top. She had to function and fight as part of the section, but she also had to step up if anyone was injured as well. And she had proved she could do that today. And showed them all who she truly was as well.

She had been really chuffed to see all her stuff in her new area in the corner of the tent. Her eyes had glistened and he thought that she might burst out crying. It was only then that he noticed her eyes were an amazing colour. A kind of grey green with brown flecks. She was a good looking girl and if he was inclined that way he might be interested. Certainly the smile that she shot everyone was really beautiful and it totally lit up her features. Her accent was really pronounced when she told them, "fanx." She was thanking them? She had immediately gone over and dropped her helmet and weapon and shrugged off her medi Bergen and headset.

Brains had asked, "How come you've got another one of those Dawesy? We brought your one back."

To which she'd replied, "Well I wasn't sure if you prats would remember to bring it back and I can't save your sorry arses without equipment, can I?" she added, shrugging off her body armour, "Thanks for bringing it back though – this one's not worn in!"

She'd sat down on the bed facing them and lay back against the canvas wall as if savouring the situation. She closed her eyes, seeming to relax, uttered a deep sigh, and then opened them again to see them all still watching her.

"What's up with you lot? Ain'tcha ever seen a woman before?"

They looked at each other. Fingers was the only one with the balls to ask what they were all thinking. "Are you OK Dawesy?"

She looked at him steadily as though assessing his real level of concern and finally answered, "I've bin better, but it's nothin' a good night's sleep won't sort." Then, realising that they were all hanging on her words she asked, "Cor, is it time for dinner yet? I ain't 'alf starvin'!"

So here they all sat in the mess tent and for the first time in a while there was only good feeling in the section. The boys were taking the piss out of each other and laughing and joking and were going out of their way to include Molly in that. She was giving as good as she got and she was really good fun with a great sense of humour and the boys could all see that.

He knew that there would need to be some private conversations over the next few days which perhaps wouldn't be quite so fun but they all deserved that. They'd all decided that they'd speak to her separately. Some points needed to be cleared up and some apologies made. Some had behaved worse than others but they all knew they'd been in the wrong. Once they'd had those conversations, hopefully they could move on. One thing was clear; the section was better with Molly Dawes in it than without her. At least they'd learnt that.


A/N I assume from the Ep 1 post-production script that Baz Vegas is called that because he comes from Basildon, not anything to do with his name, so I picked a random one.