A/N: A few of the reviews to the previous chapter said they would have had less willpower than Molly. I thought the same for myself, until I remembered that was exactly how I met husband; snogging the handsome guy in a bar and he tried his best to get me to go home with him, which I very much wanted to but decided not to – and here we are ten years later with two kids, living life with all its ups and downs. Still laughing and still, not sure I would have been able to resist in Molly's place.

Anyway, here we are – Christmas Eve and everyone is finally coming together. It will have to be more than one chapter it seems. Hope you enjoy!

As always, thanks for the lovely reviews. I read each and every one of them and appreciate them super-much!


Charles

Immediately when he woke up, it hit him with full force what a total clusterfuck he had made of last night, but he could not fully grasp where it all had gone awry. He replayed the evening in his mind to try to find out. Not when he asked her to come with him and rehearse. It had felt like a secret conspiracy between them to sneak away and she had definitely been up for it. Not when they found that beautiful orangery, where it felt like they were in a magical world of their own and they had sung and danced together, her eyes had twinkled, and her smile been wide and genuine. Not when he kissed her, he was certain of that too, because she had returned it immediately, pulled him to her and moved in perfect synchronicity, been as out of breath as he was. Her body pressed to his, her mouth glued to his, her tongue meeting his, the thought of it caused a tightening sensation is his groin again. Then they had moved into the elevator and now he knew he was getting closer to the point where something had derailed. Somewhere between the floors she had realised she did not want this, him. Had it been a mistake from start for her and it was only then she had come to her senses? Had his joke that she was prude not gone down well? Was he a bad kisser or had she been offended when she felt his hard-on pressed against her?

Somewhere he had misread the situation and he cursed himself for it, because she mattered to him so incredibly much. She mattered more than anything except Sam had mattered to him for ages. When she said she did not want it, that she could not do this, his desire had been so intense that he felt like falling into a black hole of disappointment. Yet, that was nothing compared to the realisation that she did not have the same feeling as him, just when he had started to believe that she did.

He was not even sure how to approach her today. She had been the one to pull the emergency break, so he somehow felt that he must let her set the pace of the next step even if all he wanted was to rush to her room and tell her he was sober now and could they please have the talk. Then he changed his mind, this was too important to let it slip away. He swiftly swung his muscular legs over the edge of the bed, rose and got dressed. He walked over to her room with a spring of eagerness in his step and shot the offending elevator an evil eye when he passed it. Elevator stop buttons would not be associated with good things from now on. He knocked on the door to her room and waited for quite some time. He looked at his watch and realised she might already be in the restaurant for breakfast. It was not the way he would have preferred to meet her, but he did not have much of a choice. Maybe they could chat over a coffee, or a tea for her.

As he walked down the wide stairs, he had a full view of the lobby and what he saw made his blood freeze.


Molly

I managed to eat some scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon and half a toast but did not have much appetite. All I wanted was to talk to Charles, make things good between us before the wedding so it would not be totally awkward, but he was nowhere to be seen. I considered if I should go knocking at his door but would not be comfortable surprising him dressed only in trunks or less, given where we had ended off. Instead, I brought a cup of tea from the breakfast room to the big fireplace in the lobby, where I sat down in the same armchair as yesterday. I thought I would have a good vantage point and see when Charles passed by for breakfast as he must come down either the stairs or the elevator. The memory of us in the elevator flashed by in my mind, him perfectly positioned between my legs. My thighs spontaneously squeezed together in response to the mental picture and a specific area between them asked me what the hell I had been thinking when I interrupted that moment. I tried to shake it off. Nervously, I kept my eyes fixed on the stairs, both hoping for and dreading him coming.

I was so focused, that I did not pay attention to the seat beside me and was startled when someone spoke next to my ear.

"What's your name?"

The cutest boy had taken seat next to me. He must be around seven or eight years old, had large brown eyes with eyelashes any girl would envy him, a lovely but somewhat cautious smile and a mop of light brown unruly, curly hair. His thin boy body almost disappeared in the large armchair, but I had no doubt that in a few years he would be tall and breaking girls' hearts.

"Hi, there. I'm Molly."

"So, you're not the lady who's getting married then?"

"No, that would be my sister Bella. What's your name?"

"I'm Sam, or Samuel."

"Ah, Sam. Did you know that name means 'he who deserves to get many Christmas presents'?

He gave me a sceptic look.

"Really?"

I nodded seriously.

"Your parents really must have liked you, giving you that name."

"I think they do", he smiled again, this time looking less cautious. Maybe I was winning him over.

He looked around.

"It's nice here. I was afraid I wouldn't like not celebrating Christmas at home, but now I think this will be okay."

"I think so too. And I'm sure Santa will find his way here too, with all your gifts I mean."

Now, he looked at me like I'm an imbecile.

"I'm too old to believe in Santa. I know it's mum and dad who buy me things."

"Oh, of course you are. Sorry."

"It's all right, you seem okay anyway."

"You're not here alone, I reckon?"

"No, mum and I just arrived, she went to get the luggage. There she is."

He jerked his head in direction of the entrance where a model beautiful blonde woman with legs up to her chin just entered, dressed in an exclusive coat and carrying a suitcase with the distinctive Louis Vuitton logo on. I would not have guessed she was his mother because their colours were so different, but I guessed he had gotten his darker looks from his father. Also, the kid looked far nicer than her, he was cute while she looked posh and cold.

"Dad's already here, he came yesterday", he continued. Then his eyes fixed on a point somewhere above and behind my shoulder and his expression became one of total happiness. "There he is!"

Like an eager puppy he left the chair to rush towards the stairs. I had lost focus on the stairs for a short while when I spoke to Sam and just as I shifted my gaze back in that direction Charles came strolling down the steps. It seemed like this would not be the ideal moment to talk to him though, because the little adorable boy rushed towards him and was scooped up in a hug by strong arms. By his dad, obviously. Blonde mum and dark-haired dad equals a boy with light brown hair and brown eyes identical to his father's. The math was not complicated, why had I not put two and two together immediately. Those eyes, that smile, I should have known. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Charles had a family in Bath, that was what he always returned to. No wonder he had been eager to get it on yesterday because that was his chance before the trophy wife arrived. What a massive asshole. I so nearly had made a giant mistake. Well, technically kissing him was a mistake but I had at least diverted the disaster of sleeping with him.

Charles put Sam down and looked up, I assumed to look for her. Before I managed to tear away from the site of him and his son, Charles eyes met mine and widened, realising I had seen and understood. He opened his mouth half-way as if to say something, but what was there to say? 'Sorry, it would have been nice if we had taken the opportunity to shag yesterday, but now my family has arrived so if you would be so kind to double away fastest possible.' That was possibly what he would say if the words made it over his lips.

"Charles, there you are", the blonde woman called out in a posh, annoying voice, matching her looks.

He seemed unwilling to break eye contact with me but did not have much choice because I got to my feet, gave him a look filled with despise and walked away to leave him with his family. Right now, I felt he that he deserved the wife who looked like someone had put a stick up her arse, but question was if she deserved an unfaithful bastard.


Georgie

Georgie had finished breakfast and had the same idea as Molly, to have a cup of tea in front of the fireplace before she went to make herself ready for the day. She had seen Molly go in that direction earlier but now she was gone, and the lobby was quite empty. Elvis had been tired after last night – from one to many whiskies followed by passionate lovemaking until late. Georgie had skipped the whisky and felt so intensely happy, that she was full of energy this morning and had jumped out of bed despite falling asleep late.

She had barely sat down in one of the armchairs when her attention was drawn to a guest arriving through the entrance, putting his bag down on the floor to have a look around in the lobby. Fuck. This could not be happening. She briefly considered hiding behind the armchair, but it would have been ridiculous. If he was here for the weekend and the wedding she would not be able to avoid him anyway. Any second now his gaze would fall on her. Now it did. Surprise and disbelief passed over his face, then Bones approached her.

"Georgie?"

"Yes", she said sheepishly, wishing she could sink through the floor.

"What are you doing here?"

"Drinking tea."

"I can bloody well see that, but you know that's not what I meant."

"I'm here for a wedding."

"Your own?", his voice now filled with sarcasm and she followed his gaze to her engagement ring, the diamond sparkling on her finger disclosing its presence and she had to supress a reflex to cover it.

"No, of course not", she whispered, sad that she had hurt him.

"Then I guess it's the same wedding I'm attending. I used to work with Matt Geddings when I was in the Army."

"That's the one. I'm friends with them both."

To her surprise, he sat down in another armchair, kept looking at her intensively and made her feel uncomfortable.

"As we're going to be guests at the same wedding, maybe it's a good idea we had a talk."

It was not a question, he demanded to have a talk. Georgie was not sure she wanted to but here was clearly no escape to be found.

"I think it would be fair if you explained to me how we could be dating and kissing just a week ago, and it sure as hell felt like you enjoyed it, and now you're engaged? Unless I'm mistaken, and you just went and got yourself a really nice diamond ring as an early Christmas gift?"

"You're right. I owe you more of an explanation than you got over the phone. First, let me say you're right – I enjoyed being with you. I never wanted to hurt you."

"But you sure as fuck ended up doing it anyway, not as much when you said you didn't want to see me again, as when you turned up here, engaged."

"I didn't know you'd be here, did I?" she said softly. "Listen, I had been going out with this guy for two years. I loved him, but he had commitment issues, so I felt I had to move on and broke up with him even if I never really wanted to. We were on a break when I met you and I tried to get over him. I liked you – yes, it's true I did – and when you asked I wanted to go on a date with you. I had a great time both our dates, but I couldn't stop thinking about him. Then a few days after our last date, he appeared on my doorstep, telling me he had been a fool and proposed. I knew in my heart I had to say yes. I've loved him for two years and I still do."

"So, I was the collateral damage in the great love story of you two, a side track", he established flatly.

"I'm so sorry."

Her eyes filled with tears of remorse, but suddenly he laughed loud and heartily, almost made her jump in the chair.

"Come on, Georgie. It wasn't that bad. I liked you. I liked you a lot – I won't deny that, but we only dated twice and snogged a bit. I'm a grown man and I can handle rejection, even if I prefer when women fall at my feet. Sure, I may come out of this slightly bruised but nothing that won't heal after a whisky or another woman."

His blue eyes were amused. She realised there was no hostility or bitterness buried there and let out a sigh of relief.

"I want this wedding weekend to be great, so don't worry about me turning up with a sulking face later today. It's not my style."

"I want it to be great too, and I'm so relieved you don't take it that hard."

He shook his head.

"Even if I did, I understand you didn't want to hurt me. I've seen enough of you to know you would not do that deliberately, but that's how things turn out sometimes You can't please everyone. Christ, half of the time I'm lucky if I please anyone, but you learn to brush it off."

His face turned serious.

"I hope your bloke knows he's a very lucky guy."

"I don't think he did, but that he does now."

"Then I'm happy for you."

He smiled, and she thought that he was an undeniably attractive man but that he never would be able to cause her to feel butterflies in her stomach the way Elvis and his cheeky grin did. She suddenly had an idea, something that just might work out very well.

"Thank you, Alex. It was nice speaking to you and I'll see you later today, but I have to go up to the room and make myself ready now."

"Glad we cleared the air."

He got to his feet and pecked her on the cheek before she headed off and he went to check in. Bones watched her go and thought to himself that even if he without a doubt would survive, it was an amazing girl that had slipped through his fingers and he wished he would find someone like her.

Passing the elevators, Georgie nearly stumbled on a dark beautiful girl coming out of it, occupied as she was thinking of the idea she just had. When the girls bumped into each other, both giggled.

"Sorry!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't see you."

"And I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Are you also here for the wedding?"

"Yeah, it seems like everyone is."

"Great, then we'll meet again later. I'm Georgie."

"I'm Maisie." The girl had a very beautiful smile and Georgie noticed that she had the kind of appearance that would have made Elvis looks linger a bit too long in earlier days, making her jealous, but where they were now, she felt such trust in his feelings that nothing and no one would be able to make her turn into the green-eyed monster. With a sense of contentment, she returned to the sleeping Elvis and woke him up with a kiss.


Molly

Furiously I strode off to my room, slammed the door shut behind me, breathed heavily and clenched my fists. Then I was overwhelmed with sadness. It was like all the anger vaporised and was replaced with sorrow and emptiness. I was in love with a man who was a complete scoundrel. How could I be? How could he be?

I know I have trust issues. If I had not had the insight myself already, Bella and Georgie had made sure to tell me every time I ended things with a guy despite that he was quite promising after a first few dates, because I would rather be safe than sorry. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that. My trust issues started with dad and continued with Artan and I have never let anyone in enough after him to give them a chance to repair my faith in men. I was starting to think I would be prepared to let Charles in, if he wanted to. Instead he had ruined everything by proving that even seemingly perfect guys were absolute fuckwits when it came to relationships.

This was not the time to feel sorry for myself though. This was Bella's amazing day and I wanted to be one hundred per cent by her side. I would have to pull myself together, put on a happy-face, put up with being close to Charles and see him together with his stroppy wife, dance, not drink too much and become obnoxious and appear to have fun. Damn! I just remembered I would have to sing a love song with Charles. I had no idea how to cope with that in the current situation, but I had to get through it. Look at his earlobe instead of his eyes and think of Ryan Gosling maybe, I have always fancied him. Then I could maybe avoid showing that I loathed him. Funny, yesterday I had been preoccupied people would see I was in love, now I was worrying the would see I hated him.

It picked my things together to go over to Bella's suite. A girl would come there and help us with hair and makeup. If anything, I intended to look my most dazzling self today, so maybe a small part of Charles would regret he had fucked everything up. I suddenly wondered why Bella had not warned me he was married. I had the feeling she had been trying to set us up, had she not known he was married? I would have to dig into that later, but today I would not disturb her or upset her with my petty love problems, just make sure that she had the loveliest day.


Brains

Brains was sitting in the church, taking in the interiors and the ambience. It was a medieval church, or rather chapel. The stone walls almost seemed to radiate with a golden glow in the light from the many candles in candle holders along the aisle and chandeliers hanging from the roof. There were beautiful decorations made of white flowers and green leaves all over the place, probably wasted on many of the male attendants but Brains always paid attention to such details – one of the things about him that sometimes made Fingers jokingly ask him if he was sure he was not a Doris. It was a big wedding but most of the guests were gathered now and settled in in the pews, everyone filled with anticipation for the ceremony to start. Then he saw her.

She had apparently been sitting in the front but seemed like she needed to go get something in the back of the church and came walking past him. She did not see him. Of course, she did not, because she had never seen him. He had been wearing a fake beard and Santa hat when they met. The lovely Ginny. She was here, how amazing was that. He watched her pass on her way back, appreciating that she was at least as lovely from behind, and take her seat again, together with the family of the groom he noted. Then the coin dropped, why she had seemed so familiar. She had reminded him of someone and now he knew who; his commanding officer, Captain Matt Geddings. Brains knew he had a little sister named Ginny. For fucks sake! Here she was within his reach, at a wedding, the most romantic place imaginable to meet her again, but fate was truly shitting on him from a great height because he would never have the guts to make a pass at his CO's little sister. Matt would probably kill him, or at least put him up for charges for the foreseeable future. He buried his face in his palms and groaned in desperation.


Rab

Rab sat next to Brains and followed his gaze as he was watching at a pretty, dark-haired girl pass by, then hid his face and let out a sound of desperation. Rab laughed to himself at the lovesick behaviour and jokingly elbowed him in his side.

"Love at first sight?"

Brains raised his head and shook it.

"No at second, I've met her before when I was Santa in the galleria - but nothing's going to happen."

"Why?"

"Just realised it's the CO's sister."

"Bloody hell."

"Hush, we're in church – but exactly!"

Rab whistled silently. He fully understood the predicament, he would not hit at their CO's sister either, not even now when he was free to flirt with girls as he liked. He was free, and he felt light at heart, like a stone had been lifted from him. He could not quite believe how everything had played out over the last few weeks.

On his dad's birthday, he had felt so desolate and sad, wondered how he would be able to live the life he wanted without being a grand disappointment to his parents. He had known for sure he did not want to marry Aisha but had no idea how to get out of it without causing shame and sadness to his parents for breaking the engagement.

A few days later, Aisha surprisingly had asked to meet him. So far, they had seldom met without the company of others, so the têtê a têtê at a café the next day was something unusual and Rab was quite curious when he arrived. Aisha had seemed nervous when they sat down at a table, breaking her choc chip cookie into small crumbs without eating any of it, while he waited for her to speak. When she finally did, she surprised him yet again.

"Rab, I don't want to marry you."

No beating about the bush there, he who always had taken her for shy.

"What?"

"I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't love you and I'm in love with someone else."

He absorbed her words.

"You've met someone else?"

"It's a guy I work with. He's not Muslim, so this is not going to be pretty. I'm not sure mum and dad will talk to me after I tell them, but I wanted to let you know first as you are my fiancé."

"In name."

"Sorry?"

"In name, Aisha. I don't want this either, this arrangement between our parents. I've never wanted it. We're good friends but I don't love you either and what you're saying is making me unbelievably happy. I just haven't been as brave as you, have not known how to take the step to end it. I had to fight to join the army and I wasn't sure I could take another fight with them, and I didn't want to hurt you or bring shame on you."

"It's our lives Rab, we must do what's right for us even if it would mean a break with our parents. I can't live a lie."

That was he increasingly had felt too, and his relief was palpable, now that she had taken the step. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you! You don't know how happy you're making me. Let's tell our parents together and let them know it was our decision. I won't let you take the blame alone."

Two days later the told the elderly Khalils and Jamalis. There was complaining, tears, anger, but Rab and Aisha stood firm in their decision and the arrangement was dissolved. Rab had arrived to this wedding weekend a free man and he was looking forward to some fun with his friends. As an adult he never had been a free man, it was an intoxicating feeling. When he got back to the city for a few days' leave, he might try to find Maisie. Just thinking about the possibility made him giddy. He knew she lived opposite to his uncle's restaurant. He could even leave a note with his number on her bike. Maybe she would want to see him. Now that he was no longer engaged, possibilities seemed endless. Right now, he would just enjoy the wedding and a great party.


Molly

Bella and I were to meet Matt and Charles at the church. She had not been traditional about not sleeping together the night before the wedding, but she was adamant that he should not see her in the wedding dress before church. The arrangement suited me perfectly, the longer I could post-pone seeing Charles and the shorter time I had to be in the same room as him, the better. However, we would meet them in the back-room of the church because they had decided to walk up the aisle together. Even if Bella had forgiven our dad for the shortcomings during our childhood, she did not feel that she was his to give away.

Once the makeup-girl was ready with us, I looked like a photoshopped version of myself, especially when I got the silver grey tight dress on to complete the look, and Bella looked an absolute dream. The dress, the veil, her hair, her face glowing with happiness – everything was perfect. When we stepped inside the small room where the men were waiting for us, Matt had eyes only for her and gave her a look of adoration and as if he was prepared to fall to his knees and die for her if she asked him to. Fortunately, that was not what we were here for this day. He did not look to shabby either in his no. 1 dress uniform, and neither did Charles where he stood tall and solemn.

I did my best to maintain a blank face, but he was so strikingly handsome that unwelcome desire nearly choked me. Appearing in uniform was an unfair trick. I knew he looked at me, trying to establish eye contact, but I avoided by keeping my gaze fixed on the line of medals on his chest. He had many. I guessed that meant he was a good officer. Too bad he was a shitty anything else, like prospective boyfriend or faithful husband. Unfortunately, the priest came to have some final words with Matt and Bella before the ceremony started, leaving us to ourselves and I squirmed uncomfortably wishing I was somewhere else.

"Molly…" He touched my arm, but I flinched and moved away from him.

"I have no idea what the fuck happened last night, why it all went to shit, but…" he started.

"Let me stop you right there. Last night never should have happened. I talked to your son this morning, very interesting. After that I don't think there's anything to say between you and me", I spat.

I looked up at him and his look was one of utter disappointment. I did not get it, how could he think there could be anything between us when he had a family, a wife.

"I had hoped it wouldn't matter to you, if you knew me."

I snorted in disbelief, had he really taken me for such a marriage-wrecker? Or a girl who would be happy being the little something on the side? Maybe that was it. He had so not seemed the type, but this was even worse than Artan and the disappointment was crippling my insides.

"You obviously don't know me if you think that."

We kept each other's stare, neither looking away. His face had become stern and unreadable and I hoped I had my coldest, hardest look on despite that I mostly felt like crying.

"We are both grown-ups and I wouldn't do anything that could ruin even a second of my sister's wedding, so I'll be civil, I'll be kind and polite and talk to you when others are there. I'll keep it to an absolute minimum though, and don't you dare touch me and after tomorrow I never want to see you again. Thank fuck I didn't sleep with you!"

He looked horrified, answered with a short nod and then Bella and Matt returned to us, happy as larks and we both put on plastered wide smiles on our faces.


Bella

Bella got the feeling something was wrong between Molly and Charles. Everything had been going so well up to now, her plan to pair them in a silly song and make them realise how perfect they would be for each other. Over the last weeks they had seemed to get closer and closer. She had seen them exchanging flirtatious glances across the tables yesterday and when she and Matt said good night, she had noticed out of the corner of her eye how Charles approached Molly, champagne bottle in hand and pulled her away.

She had cheered silently, hoping it meant the wedding romance she had hoped for all along, but Molly had shared nothing this morning and seemed unusually serious, especially given the happy occasion. She had been smiling, but the smile had not reached her eyes. When Bella had asked if everything was all right, she had finally bestowed her a true smile and said that it would be, Bella should not worry about her, because this day was all about her. Then Bella had known she was right, something was the matter. Now when she saw them standing awkwardly next to each other with horrible fake smiles, it was confirmed.

Stubborn as she was, she would not let Molly get away without explaining what was going on, but it would have to wait until she had become Mrs. Geddings, a happening which was now imminent. Suddenly she was overwhelmed with nervousness and her heart pounded with joy and excitement. She loved Matt more than anything, he was her best friend, her lover and her soulmate and sometimes she could not believe her luck for having found him. She knew she drove him crazy at times and respected him for putting his foot down when she drove it things too far. In the end they were partners and equals even if may seem to outsiders like she was the captain of the ship. She knew that nothing in the world could make her happier than him saying yes to her today, except maybe carrying his baby but that was getting ahead of things.

Matt took her hand and smiled at her.

"Bella, just in case I get so nervous in there that I don't manage to get a 'yes' over my lips, I want you to know that I love you and adore you and there's nothing that I want more than being your husband."

She felt her nerves calm down, leaving her feeling only joy and excitement.

"Same here. I love you more than anything."

They kissed.

"Hey, I think you're a bit previous, you haven't been declared husband and wife yet", Molly smirked.

The music began playing, and it was time to enter.


A/N: Already a long chapter, so I cut off there but will try not to leave you in suspense for long. I think you saw it coming, Rebecca and Sam, making things worse before it hopefully gets better.

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