Where Are We Now

Chapter 27

Homeward Bound

They had spent their 4 days in Cyprus with her and Mimi mainly on sun loungers topping up their tan, chatting not about anything and nothing in particular. She liked Mimi she saw similarities between them, the lack of confidence her reluctance to speak of her past as if she was ashamed of it. It made her realise how far she had come in the years since her first tour and that was down to her Captain and the lads she was with, enabling her to grow and be the person she hoped to be when she left home, her family and Artan. She felt that Mimi could be a really good medic, she cared about the people she tried to help and she at least listened when given an order, even if she questioned it. As far as she was concerned that was a sign of a good medic.

The sections of course set up volleyball championships and she loved watching them play as if they didn't have a care in the world.

She felt the sun vanish through her closed eyes and opened them to see Spanner towering over her.

"We're shipping out Molls, thought I would come say goodbye before we left" he smiled at her

She stood up to hug him goodbye "It was nice seeing you again after all this time"

"Yeah you too half pint" he smiled down at her "We'll have to have one of those barbeques it's been too long" she gave a sad smile as she remembered Elvis and Charles with those sunny afternoons at Elvis' home all of them together, her and Georgie pissing themselves at their antics and trying not to poison them with under cooked food. Spanner on his guitar and his wife starting the singing followed by Charles who always liked to sing before his PTSD took over.

"Well I'm in barracks now and Charles is in a flat so it might be a while"

"Are you forgetting there is always our place, Jen and I would love to have you over."

"You sure about that?" Molly smirked and Spanner looked sheepish

"You and the Boss certainly knew how to party that's for sure, my liver certainly don't miss him"

"Yeah Elvis loved a party" wistful for the old days when Charles really laughed

Spanner flicked her nose "Sort it with the Major, I think the Boss would be upset if he thought you two had messed up" Molly just raised her eyebrows it wasn't really her that messed up

"I liked Georgie, and I am prepared to accept they were messed in the head" he looked at her with such a solemn face she felt like laughing it wasn't him that had been cheated on "they let his death change them, we all know that sometimes we need a bit of help and they should have got it sooner"

"What even SF and Elvis"

"Yeah! even SF and Elvis, I would hate it if Jen wasn't about, she's a diamond my rock when I get home" he looked at her intently and Molly had to agree whenever she had met Spanners wife she was life and soul, they were so well suited to each other. He clearly adored her.

"Peanut would love to see you both again and so would Spunky and Dyno. Let's do this and show Blue and Jackson just how it should be done"

"You've twisted my arm mate"

"I don't think it took a lot of twisting do you Molls" he grinned down at her "Looking forward to it already" and he flicked her nose again before turning to leave. She watched him go, she really had a soft spot for her Ewok. He raised his arm in a backward wave and was gone with the rest of SF.

.

The following day they were due to pack up and leave themselves. Seven hours of an exceptionally boring flight back to Brize with no inflight movies.

A full flight and no way to spread out. Molly leaned her head back trying to get some sleep before Prof decided to interrupt her peace "You looking forward to getting back?" Molly just nodded there wasn't really much to say. Her Nan would be pleased to see her back and she knew Charles would, even Sam and his parents but she wished that her Mum and Dad were.

"I spoke with Georgie and seems we are all going to a christening when we get back"

"Mmmm" Molly couldn't think of much to say, she could see Fingers in the FOB and although she knew he was gone struggled to accept that she would never see him again except in her dreams. The noise of the plane was echoing around them and she could see her comrades reading, dosing and chatting taking no notice of her and Prof.

"I know you don't really know me" he started looking down at his hands "I was where you are, you know being cheated on" Molly turned to look at him and screwed up her eyes she really didn't want to talk to him about this.

"I left teaching and joined the army to get away from it" Molly snorted a laugh

"I know that feeling mate"

"Really"

"Yeah that's why I joined. On me 18th birthday me best mate gave me boyfriend a hand job in the toilets"

"Nice"

"Yeah now another one's done it only with more than just wrist action" She looked out the corner of her eye and could see him wince and lean forward so she couldn't see his face

"I care about her and I think she cares about me too" he said quietly looking around to make sure that no one else could hear "I think they were friends that both had PTSD and it made their judgement questionable, a one off if you like and quite different from the affair my wife had"

"Typical bloke" she snorted "Degrees of unfaithfulness. He chased her for months before he shagged her" again Prof winced at the harshness of Molly's colloquialism

"I knew she had history when I met her and I'm not sure that she thinks the same about me as I do about her. She had something special with Elvis but I genuinely believe that we have something different to what we both had. Her with him and me with my wife. We could be happy"

"What you trying to say Prof"

"Nothing really, just if you want him back you could. Don't think she thought of him as a life-time partner or nothing just a friend and the lines got blurred because they were ill"

"Look Prof" she started "I know you mean well and that but you just can't understand what it feels like to be shit on by a friend and husband"

"But that's it Molly, I do" he looked across at her "Right up till she announced on Facebook that she was pregnant I hoped I could get her back. The Major has made no attempt to keep up a relationship with Georgie, if anything from the little I have seen when we have all been together he has done everything to keep his relationship with you".

"You don't think he's pretending then" she sounded anxious and hated herself for showing emotion to someone she really did barely know "That he's with me cos he can't have her again"

"No Molly I don't" he looked earnest with his reply "I hope Georgie wants to stay with me because I really care about her and what happens to her, I would like a future with her if she would have me. I don't think either of them want to be with each other" he paused and inhaled a deep breath "I think they filled a need to start the process of recovery from their grief of losing Elvis"

"Bloody hell mate" Molly looked incredulous at how deep this man was "You've really thought about this ain't you"

"Well I've had to" he smiled "can't face getting hurt again myself" Molly wasn't sure if he could be a mate what with him being with Georgie but she liked him and knew that he was a caring person who didn't deliberately go out of his way to be unkind. They smiled at each other with a new understanding between them and maybe she couldn't get home quick enough.

Their plane came to a halt on the runway and the rear opened to let the trail of very tired soldiers disembark collecting their kit on route they all walked to the terminal. You could feel the anticipation in all of them hoping that their family would be there to greet them.

"So, what's worse than having your family come to meet you Dawes" laughed Kinders a conversation remembered from her first tour. Molly's eyes were scanning the arrivals area for Charles and he wasn't difficult to spot owing to his height. He was in jeans and jumper and his leather jacket to help keep off some of the chill from the November day. He spotted her quickly, his face broke out into a huge grin as his hands went up behind his head and he looked up towards the ceiling. His happiness at her return almost palpable. She grinned back at him; she couldn't remember the last time she saw him looking so happy.

"Your family actually turning up" she laughed as she moved off towards Charles. They were both looking at each other, smiling as they walked towards each other and it was as if no one else was there.

"Missed me then" she beamed as he picked her up so their heads were together and gave her a long and lingering kiss oblivious to those around them.

"See you two haven't changed much" whispered Jackie as she walked past with Dangles "Yeah get a bloody room" he added throwing his head back laughing.

Charles let Molly slide down his body and she turned to face her friends smiling broadly and with one arm still round Charles waist.

"Right we are heading off home now Molly" said Dangles "See you in barracks tomorrow then, guess we will have to go through the after action reports with the powers that be?"

"Hasn't that been done yet?" queried Charles

"Yes" answered Molly "but I think there are queries on why the people we were gonna help weren't there and if there was some sort of inside job or something"

"Some sort of leak at the hospital letting them know soldiers were going there" added Jackie and she hung on Dangles arm just that little bit tighter.

"See you later Moll" Brains shouted across as he left the terminal. Jackie and Dangles followed also saying their goodbyes and that they would see her the following morning.

"Come on then Mrs James, let's get you home to a lovely warm bath, a glass of white and a Chinese takeaway" said Charles smiling down at her

"You really know how to treat a bird don't ya" Molly laughed back

Charles cupped her chin before saying "No, only you Molly" his eyes twinkling "Let's see what you make of this rental apartment I have." He picked up her Bergen put out his arm for her to link hers with his and started walking to the car park.

He put her Bergen in the boot, opened the passenger door for Molly to get in as she turned to face him he gave her a quick peck on the nose before saying of course he had bloody missed her. He still had this amazing smile on his face, she didn't think he had stopped smiling since she first laid eyes on him in arrivals.