A/N: Thank you to everyone for all your lovely reviews and comments, your continuing support means the world to me … and as usual huge thanks to Flossy for being such an incredibly patient sounding board.

"DAWSEY … bloody good to see your ugly mug" There was the usual grin on his face "Okay … so how are you and what the fuck is an International Assassin? Never heard of it"

"I get to see the world at the same time?" Molly giggled "Sorry … would tell you but then I'd 'ave to use you for a bit of practise"

He smirked "And what makes you think I'm stupid enough to believe a single word of your bollocks?"

"You sure? Bugger …still, s'pose I might 'ave got you mixed up with someone else there for a minute" Molly laughed "'ere, a little bird told me you was engaged …" She sniggered again, it wasn't that anything was funny, it was more that she'd forgotten how much fun it could be to trade insults with someone who had a hide like a rhino "Is that true? Has anyone told the poor girl what she's letting herself in for?" Molly looked round "Come on then, spill, what's her name and where is she tonight … don't tell me she lets you out on your own?"

"Her name's Marie and you can bugger off right now… cheeky bloody mare …"

"Nice name … 'ere, it's not a secret is it? You didn't buy her in an on-line auction or something, did you?"

"You can say anything you like Dawsey, doesn't bother me … she loves me … well, stands to reason, doesn't it, dead lovable, me" He raised his eyebrows, before his pride forced him to defend himself "Course she bloody trusts me, why wouldn't she? She knows I wouldn't …"

"Hey … wasn't serious mate, sorry, I'll shut up … I'm 'appy for you" Molly was kicking herself for being insensitive, she'd been teasing, hadn't meant to upset him "So … who else is coming tonight then? Please tell me it's not just you?"

"Usual crowd … so what you done with him then?" Fingers made a big show of peering round the pub which struck Molly as remarkably empty for somewhere that was supposed to be a popular London boozer on a Saturday "Where the fuck is he hiding himself?"

"If you're looking for the boss, he's not here is he? Just me I'm afraid, but he did say to give you his best if I saw you…" Molly shrugged, she was doing her absolute best to turn a deaf ear to the niggly little voice in her head telling her it would all be a lot more fun if he was with her, but ignoring it was hard "Someone had to stop home for the kids, didn't they?"

"Got to hand it to you Moll, you finally managed it"

"Managed what?"

"Separating the bossman from his balls"

"What?" Fuck, what did he mean by that? Molly just about had enough presence of mind not to ask him to explain what he meant, it hadn't occurred to her that anyone would think anything like that, but now she was horribly afraid it was what everyone would think. There was a bit of her that longed to dismiss it as just Fingers getting his own back, she knew he had it in him to be spiteful when it suited, she'd been on the receiving end before, and it was definitely something that only a stupid macho jerk with no kids like him would say. But it stung. Even though it was a bleeding old-fashioned way of looking at it, they were as much Charles' kids as they were hers, she hadn't managed it all on her own "This is the 2020s not the 1950s and that's a bit bloody rude innit, even for you?"

"That's because he's a useless tosser who thinks he's clever and funny even when he's not … but then you already know what a twat-face wank stain he is … " Brains was laughing as he bent to kiss her on the cheek, a laugh that he immediately switched off in favour of a disapproving scowl at Fingers "Take no notice of him, he hasn't changed, still needs a bloody keeper … god help that girl of his … she's going to have to get used to apologising for him" He turned his back on Fingers and held her at arm's length "Now just ignore him and tell me how you are, it's really bloody good to see you Moll, been far too long … how are you? You're looking great"

"Yeah good thanks … 'ow about you? It's been a bloody age, I 'aven't seen any of you since that party at ours … and that was what? Couple of years now … bit more …"

"Yeah… was it something someone said? Nice place you got there I remember that … has to be a couple of years at least… "

"Yeah … thanks … we like it … Boss sends his regards"

"How is he these days? Still doing his bit to save the world from going hungry?"

"Yeah he is … he still worries about it all, and yeah he's still doing everything he can to organise food 'n shelter 'n that … he's still with DEC"

Molly felt a little pang of worry, all of a sudden she was examining everything for clues that people knew about all the crap, that maybe the gossip machine which she knew was the most efficient in the whole bloody world would have gone into overdrive if anyone knew anything about him being investigated and suspended over Sasha. Brains raised his eyebrows and leaned forward to pluck her empty glass from her hand "Another Vodka in here?"

"Bloody good memory you got there, mate, and yeah I'd love another one thanks but … maybe best make it a white wine, nothing good ever came from me drinking Vodka" She laughed at the exaggerated expression of shocked disbelief on his face.

"That's not how I remember it … don't think I'll ever forget what you were like when you'd been at the Vodka"

"Got no idea what you're talking about … you must be mixing me up with someone else"

"Don't think so … okay, white wine it is, and what about you Jackie?"

Molly had always had this little niggle at the back of her head that there was maybe a bit of a thing between Jackie and Dangles, something that hadn't got off the ground because of Neil, but Molly suddenly caught sight of a fleeting expression on Jacs' face as she stood silently watching and listening. It seemed it could well turn out to be Brain's lucky night, that's if it wasn't for his long-term girlfriend making it a complete non-starter. Poaching definitely wasn't Jackie's style.

"How's Angie these days?"

"Fine … far as I know"

"What?"

"She decided that a rough soldier who pissed off for months at a time was spoiling all her plans, that she could do better for herself" He shrugged "Either that or she just got fed up looking at my ugly mug … but … anyway there we go … while back now"

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, I didn't know …"

"Why would you?"

"Dunno … still, I'm dead sorry, I liked her, I really thought …"

"Me too … look, just leave it Moll, it's okay … while back now"

A raucous burst of laughter made Molly look over to where Fingers had wandered off to join Dangles, the pair of them were laughing and chatting and very much part of a group that looked like a bunch of complete strangers. There were several girls with the group that she was pretty sure she'd never clapped eyes on before, girls who could have been squaddies or partners or even just friends of the blokes she didn't know from Adam. It was common sense to accept that things don't stand still, but it seemed that time meant the 2 section she'd known, the one that had felt like her family, was actually no more. She'd always thought of the lads as her sort of brothers, but seemed she'd been living in the past. Things change all the time, especially in the army, she knew that, people come and people go, her and Charles had moved on hadn't they, but stupidly she hadn't bargained on not knowing hardly any of them at all. She'd been looking back and hanging onto memories and expecting everything to be like it used to be which was never going to happen.

Now she was desperately trying to think what to say to Brains to fill the suddenly awkward silence that had sprung up between them, something that never used to be a problem.

A very long hour later and she was admitting to herself that she was more than ready to give up and call it a bloody day. It felt as if she'd been standing on the fringes of a group with a fixed grin on her gob for about forever and would like nothing better than to go home. Well she would have done exactly that if it hadn't meant dragging Jackie away from where she was very much part of the group as were the lads that weren't exactly lads anymore. The group they were with seemed to Molly to be so young it was almost like they were too young to be out drinking, the girls all reminded her of herself a long, long time ago. All of them, not only the girls, were young and eager and full of it, all talking over one another, all laughing and generally teasing and taking the piss out of each other in a way that was achingly familiar to her but the people and the incidents they were laughing about were not. The lads had done their best, they'd made a big deal out of introducing her to everyone, had told them all that she was one of them, that she'd been the medic on their first tour to Afghan, that she'd looked after them but had paid very extra special attention to looking after the boss. Despite her denials that they'd got it wrong, there'd been a lot of winking and sniggering and she knew exactly what the group were thinking. Well, it was what was being insinuated so it was what they were supposed to think and for some reason they all seemed to find it bloody funny that she'd not only bagged the boss but had married him and that the two of them had then set about creating their own population explosion.

After a bit she gave up protesting and decided to let them think what the fuck they wanted to think, there was nothing she could do about it anyway, people always believe what they want to believe. For months she'd been looking back to a time when everything had seemed easy, but it hadn't been the way she remembered it, not really, telling herself that all she had to do was turn the clock back definitely wasn't going to provide the answers she'd been looking for. For months she'd been running away, alright not physically but in her head, and running away was never going to be the answer, standing and facing things, looking at the future instead of the past was what she had to do. And she definitely wasn't going to find any answers standing in a boozer on a Saturday night in London with a noisy bunch of half pissed squaddies. Okay, there were three of the lads she'd served with in the dim and very distant past, lads she'd always have this bond with because of the things they'd shared, but their lives had moved on. All of them, and that included her, and she didn't want anything else to drink either, if she drank any more she was horribly afraid it was odds on she was going to see her spicy chicken pancake again.

-OG-

"Ssssh … shu' up Patches … stupid dog, you're gonna wake the whole bloody house … I know, I know … I'm 'appy to see you 'n all"

Molly shrugged off her coat and aimed it at the newel post at the bottom of the stairs and missed, and then kicked off her boots and wriggled her toes with a sigh of relief. Her feet were bloody killing her. Any ideas she'd had of just creeping in hadn't taken account of Patches going into an ecstatic fit of welcome at her arrival home when the house was in darkness. The only light was from Charles' tablet or something in the front room. She was incredibly relieved to find he hadn't already gone to bed, it hadn't even occurred to her till the taxi had turned into the drive that he might have already locked everything up and that she wouldn't be able to get in without ringing the bell and waking the whole bloody house. She hadn't been able to phone, her phone had died hours earlier.

"What the … what are you doing here?"

He was trying to keep his voice down to a whisper but it was a bit louder than that as he struggled to sit up from where he was stretched out on the sofa without disturbing Livvie. She had his checked shirt over her and was fast asleep with her head tucked into the side of his neck as he gently stroked her back.

"I wanted to come home"

She was tempted to say she was there because it was where she lived but knew that wasn't what he'd meant, he hadn't expected her back, had thought she'd be stopping the night with Jackie.

"Shit … please tell me you didn't drive" He sat up slowly making sure he didn't wake Livvie and was still whispering for the same reason "Wny are you back… what's wrong?"

"Nothin' was wrong, I just wanted to come home that's all, and I'm not stupid, I got a taxi … that's what credit cards are for innit?"

She glossed over the moments of hungover panic that had set in on the train when she'd suddenly began to wonder whether she'd be able to get a taxi and how she'd get home if she couldn't. She was still over the limit, probably, and It was too far to even think about walking. And it was peeing down. She'd got no idea whether there'd still be any taxis waiting at the station at this time when it was bloody late and was Saturday night as well, so all the taxis might well have been busy or all the drivers tucked up at home with a cup of cocoa.

Getting out of the pub had been the work of moments, a lot of fond farewells and rude messages for Charles together with a lot of promises of getting together again soon, but it was only when she started saying her goodbyes to Jackie that it felt a bit difficult. The last thing she'd wanted was to upset her, they'd had a lovely day together but the evening had been a mistake, her mistake not Jackie's, it hadn't been a disaster because it had been a bit of a wake-up call, but now all she'd wanted was to go home. Jackie had immediately offered to cut her evening short and for them to get q bottle and go back to hers but Molly had insisted she did no such thing, had raised her eyebrows and winked suggestively and said the last thing she wanted was to cramp Jacs' style. They'd both laughed, alright sniggered, but Jackie hadn't denied it.

Travelling across London on a Saturday night on her own had been a trip down memory lane for Molly. It hadn't taken long for her to remember not to catch anyone's eye and to be bloody careful where she sat on the tube, as well as it being a refresher exercise in avoiding drunks and like every other lone female pretending to be engrossed in her phone which had already run out of charge. Her charger was at Jackie's together with the rest of her weekend away kit, something she was going to have to sort out.

"'ere shall I take her up? What's she doing down 'ere anyway?"

"Sssh … no it's okay, I'll take her … I've only just got her off, if she hears you and knows you're back she'll be awake for the rest of the fucking night … it didn't matter what I did she wouldn't settle, obviously didn't understand where you were and missed you … couldn't work out where you'd got to"

"Did you?"

"Did I what? Know where you'd got to … yep"

"Nah, did you miss me?"

"What? You really need to ask? Let me go and put her back and … don't go anywhere…"

-OG-

She wasn't even a tiny bit drunk anymore, and it wasn't even as if they'd kissed when she came in, but she just felt reckless and as if something had changed. All the way home on the train she'd been looking out at the dark and thinking about how much she loved him and remembering all the ways he'd tried to show her that he loved her. Okay so he'd got things a bit wrong lately, but even the night out had been down to him, his idea, and he'd left the job that he loved in the army because he didn't want her to be unhappy. He'd known how much she'd have hated to up sticks and move again when they'd just moved to the Barn, somewhere that she loved. Indirectly, and no matter what she'd said to Brains earlier, it was down to her that he was stuck doing a job he was struggling to love and she hated the thought of that when she loved him and wanted him to be happy.

"Do you want anything before we go up?"

"Nah …ta … well … if you're offering … maybe some strawberries … and chocolate … 'n a bottle of something nice?"

"I was thinking more of making you a cuppa … and sorry, no strawberries … but we might have some chocolate somewhere … Chloe showed me where you keep your secret stash earlier …"

"Did she? Bloody hell …nothing's bloody secret in this 'ouse, is it?"

"Nope"

"You gonna kiss me then?" She hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her jeans and threw her hair back over her shoulder before she did her best slow sexy walk towards him while treating him to her most wicked smile "Or maybe I should kiss you? What d'you think?"

"I think that's an excellent plan"

Molly lifted her hand and bunched a handful of his 't' shirt in her fingers and used it to pull him towards her "You might not 'ave noticed, cos I might 'ave kept it a bit secret lately but I think you're the nuts … always 'ave done … bloody sexy 'n all"

"You should obviously go out more often … but, just tell me, exactly how pissed are you Mrs James?"

"I'm not … don't have to be pissed to tell you I fancy you, do I?"

"Not at all … "

The blood was pounding in his veins and was all heading in the same direction as he became aware that the atmosphere had gone from teasing and laughing to increasingly hot and heavy in a way that he'd forgotten all about. In the way that made him forget being tired. It was the way it always used to be before everything conspired to make things become a bit routine. Her fingers were still tangled in his 't' shirt as the smile on her face faded slightly and she lifted her head to look at him with her eyes half closed in anticipation. She was standing so close that his brain virtually shut down, kissing her was all he could think about, the look on her face all he could see, she was all he wanted and he had no idea what he was waiting for as he buried his hands in the waterfall of her hair and tugged her body against his.

His kiss was aggressive but it didn't seem to matter as she melted into him and wound her arms round his neck, she was doing her best to drag him closer as her mouth opened under the fierce pressure of his. Desire was flooding through him as she pressed herself up against the hot ridge of his erection and made a deep purring noise in her throat when he pulled her shirt free of her jeans and began to run his hands over the silky skin of her back without lifting his mouth from hers. He stopped and looked down at her with eyes that were hooded.

"Nice shirt … is it new?"

"Yeah … careful … you 'aven't paid for it yet"

He laughed "I see … what happened to 'what this old thing, had it ages? That's what you usually say"

"Well I will if you want … but I'd be lying"

"I know …"

His laugh sounded gruff as his fingers went back to making short work of the buttons tugging off the dark green silk and then unclipped her bra and threw it on the floor to join the shirt. There was a moment's silence as he stood and looked at her before he pushed her hair back over her shoulders and bent his head to kiss across her jaw and down her throat and Molly did her best to hang on to some sort of sense of where they were.

"Charlie … think we should go up … before …"

"Might be an idea … He raised his head and looked at her with eyes that were full of desire, his pupils were huge and almost black "You haven't called me that for a long time"

"I know …"

His mouth was saying things his brain wasn't registering as he dipped his head back towards her and carried on kissing down her body to the swell of her breast and then took her nipple in his mouth flicking it with his tongue. He loved the way it immediately stiffened as she wound her fingers in his hair and her breath hitched in her throat.

"Come on … "

"Come on what?"

"We really 'ave gotta go to bed … you still got your kit on, but I 'aven't … if one of 'em comes down …"

"Interesting thought …"

"Nah it's not …"

She knew he was joking, he would no more want an interruption or an audience than she did, but he didn't want to stop what he was doing either. There was this look on his face thar she hadn't seen for, well she couldn't think how long it had been, just that it had been a very long time.

"Come on then … what are we waiting for?"

There was the faintest hint of a laugh in his voice as he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her behind him towards the stairs, which Molly actually thought was probably just as well, her legs seemed to be having a bit of difficulty holding her up. They were more jelly-like than when she'd been thoroughly rat-arsed earlier. Her senses were so swamped by him that it was bloody hard for her to even think straight, his smell of lemons and rain and just the smell that was him was all around her, surrounding her.

He leaned back against the bedroom door effectively blocking it shut as she wound her body as close to his as she could get, sliding her thigh against his and pressing herself against the rigid thickness of the erection she could feel though his joggers. She was loving the way she was making his breathing get all fast and ragged as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again, but this time the kiss was soft and gentle and to Charles it seemed to blow all the circuits in his brain. He felt as if all his senses were screaming as he kissed across her jaw and down her throat and then slid his hand down to undo the clasp on her jeans and slide them down her legs. Her heart was beating frantically and he was so focussed on her that he'd almost forgotten he was still fully dressed until her fingers started doing their best to pull his 't' shirt off over his head. He covered her hands with his to help her pull it off and to get rid of his joggers and then closed his eyes and took a deep shuddering breath as she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his boxers and carefully peeled them off him.

"God Moll, you're so beautiful …"

"You're not so shabby yourself"

He gave a little groan and started nudging her towards the bed holding onto her when she stumbled which Molly couldn't help thinking was probably just as well, she wouldn't like to lay any bets on her ability to stay standing upright. Her legs had definitely gone. He lowered her onto the bed before carefully sliding his body over hers, bunching his muscles to stop his whole weight flattening her as she looked up at him with her eyes huge and slightly unfocussed.

"Oh yeah … " She was murmuring against his mouth and began to move her hips against him as he started nibbling at her bottom lip.

"Patience … no rush is there?"

Molly could hear the laugh in his voice but he was only half kidding, there was a fierce need in him to pin her there and take what he wanted but at the same time for it to last forever, he'd forgotten how it felt to get carried away with all the feelings he had for her. He slid lower and kissed down her body loving every bit of the the way she began to writhe and squirm under him and against him and the way her breathing got fast and shallow as he slid his hand down between her thighs. He moved down to kiss where his fingers had been, and started tormenting and torturing and driving her insane with need as she began to murmur and squirm and twist under him and he knew just how close she was when he stopped and began kissing up her body again until she wound her legs round his waist in pure invitation.

"Moll … where are those bloody condoms?"

"Oh shit …forgot … top shelf … bathroom cupboard"

"Fuck … don't go anywhere …"

"Sorry … put 'em there to stop the kids asking …"

Her mouth was bone dry as she watched him disappear into the bathroom, his beautiful back view with his wide shoulders and incredibly defined muscles and those long legs and his gorgeous arse, she really hadn't thought it through. She'd just put the box the nurse at the surgery had given her out of reach of prying hands and eyes and forgotten all about it, something that was now a complete pain in the bum. Talk about wrecking the mood.

"Christ, how many have they given you?"

"Dunno … fair few … they obviously think we need a few for every night and a lot more for Sundays or some'ing…"

"Lovely …" He laughed and held the condom between his teeth to tear the wrapper "Now … where were we? Oh yes I remember …"

She gasped as he rocked deep in her and he stilled immediately, momentarily he'd forgotten all about the pain and even though she'd told him the doctor had cleared her, he still worried.

"Sorry, am I hurting you …?"

"Nah … 'n don't you dare stop …"

Her hips were urging him on so that he was having to use every last little bit of control he could dredge up to keep his movements slow and easy, the feelings that were tearing through his body were anything but. He could feel from the way she was moving under him that waves of pleasure were building and expanding in her as she clutched at him and began to murmur words he couldn't quite hear that she was very close and this time did nothing to hold her on the brink as the tremors began ripping through her. Her body was gripping him as waves of her pleasure rippled round him in a way that made his control disappear, sensations that sent him over the edge with her as they kissed and carried on kissing through the tidal wave of pleasure that was sweeping over both of them.