Chapter Three

He barely heard from her for a week after he dropped her off at home. She'd hurried back inside with a muttered thank you, after she kissed him on the cheek and then disappeared. He'd texted her a couple of times in between but she hadn't replied. That was how he'd found himself tracking her down to her office, half wondering if he was going to come across as some kind of crazy stalker as he raised his hand to knock on the door. Maybe he should've just left if, if she wanted to speak to him she'd answer his messages right? But the thing was it was her and he knew he wasn't capable of just leaving it.

"Come in." She barked as he knocked gently on the door. She turned in her chair to face him as he walked in, her expression softening as she saw it was him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap."

"Bad time?" He asked, closing the door behind himself and taking a couple of steps closer.

She shook her head, kicking her boots off. "Sorry." She smiled apologetically. "I'm absolutely soaked. I've been out on this stupid bloody training exercise for four days and do you think it stopped raining for five bloody minutes the whole time?"

He laughed quietly as she peeled off the top couple of layers of her uniform. "I bet that was fun." He raised an eyebrow.

She stood up, rummaging around in her desk for a second before standing up triumphantly holding a clean and dry pair of combats and a T-shirt. "Can you give me five minutes?" She asked, already halfway to the door.

He was still sitting in the exact same position when she dashed back in a couple of minutes later. "Oh god, that's so much better." She sighed, flopping back down in her chair.

He returned the smile. "So…" He wasn't really sure what to say now he was sitting there in front of her.

"I'm really sorry." She offered. "I should've called."

"I was starting to think maybe you hated me." He joked.

She shook her head. "I should've called, I really am sorry. I wasn't supposed to be doing this bloody exercise and then the Brig called me in and told me I'd got to go because Smith's wife had a baby and he couldn't do it… I mean I'm not sure why that excuses him to be honest, but there you go. Anyway, I had to go straight away so…"

"Molly." He interrupted. "I was joking."

"Oh."

"Although, you going AWOL straight after what happened with my mother did make me wonder if you'd actually decided to run for the hills." He cringed.

"Well… I think we both know I'd be lying if I said I'd enjoyed meeting her." She mumbled.

"It's not that she hates you… it's just that she really, really loves Rebecca." He sighed.

"I'm not sure I'll be rushing to meet her again any time soon." Molly commented.

"Well." He grinned. "You'll be glad to hear this then…"

"What?" She questioned. From the grin on his face he looked like he'd just won the lottery or something.

"I went and signed a lease on a house this morning. I'm moving out of there next week." He grinned.

Her face softened immediately, and he knew it was a relief for her. "You here to tell me you need my help moving or something?" She raised an eyebrow.

He laughed. "Well I wouldn't say no if you wanted to help…. But no, that wasn't why I came."

"Play your cards right and I might be willing to help." She smiled. "What are you doing here then?"

"I'm meeting two section for drinks tomorrow night, they wanted me to ask you if you'd like to come." He explained.

She raised an eyebrow again. "Is it just two section who want me there?"

"Well, I'd quite like it if you came with me… for my sanity if nothing else." He smiled.

She paused for a second, then nodded. "Okay. But you can pick me up because I need a drink after the last few days."

He quickly nodded in agreement. "Now that I can do."

"Wow…. you look nice." He grinned as she opened the door.

"You trying to tell me I don't normally?" She shot back. She turned around to lock the door, trying not to feel too self conscious as she felt his eyes on her. It was bizarre, being out of her uniform left her feeling almost exposed.

"That's not what I meant at all." He said softly, his hand resting gently on her waist as she turned back around to face him. "You ready to go?"

"I think so." She nodded, relieved he'd decided to change the subject.

"Good, I want to get there before they have a chance to drink too much." He rolled his eyes. "The trick is to get there early enough you can leave again before they get too rowdy."

"You're not really selling this to me." She pointed out as she climbed into the car next to him.

"You can't back out on me now Dawes!" He turned to look at her as he started the engine. "No one should have to suffer through two section on their own."

She laughed. "Well I hate to break it to you mate but I'm not going to be there next time you get deployed with them all."

"Yeah… God help me." He sighed, looking at the road ahead of him as he headed for the pub they were meeting at. "Although… you never know, you couldn't stay away last time." He joked.

She rolled her eyes at him. "If you go and get your other bloody leg impaled on something just so I have to come and rescue you again I'll be pretty pissed off."

He cringed a little at the thought, it definitely wasn't an experience he'd be in a hurry to repeat. "I haven't got any plans to be doing anything like that ever again."

She turned in her seat slightly so she could look at him. "What's brought this on anyway- you going somewhere soon?"

He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "You know what it's like, it'll come round again quickly."

She was quiet for a moment, nodding. "Yeah, I guess it will."

They got there early in the end, sitting down at a big table in the corner of the pub while they waited for the others. Charles went off to the bar to get them both a drink. As she sat there watching him leaning against the bar a commotion outside the window caught her attention. She couldn't help but smile as she realised it was two section crashing towards the entrance. Judging from the amount of noise they were making they'd started much, much earlier.

"I thought we were early but it looks like they started without us." Charles raised an eyebrow at her as he slid back into his seat. He slid her glass of wine towards her. "I'd drink up because you're going to need it."

Molly laughed, taking a gulp of her wine. Charles rested his hand gently on her thigh as they both sat there watching the door, waiting for the inevitable moment that two section would come crashing through. "Did they get lost or something?" She joked, they seemed to have been sitting there for what felt like forever. "They were literally right outside."

"It wouldn't surprise me with them lot." Charles rolled his eyes.

"I don't think I could put up with them all on a day to day basis, I mean they're all lovely but…." She shook her head.

"They're like children?" Charles offered.

She nodded in agreement, laughing. "Exactly."

The door swung open, crashing into the wall with enough force Molly was surprised it didn't put a hole in the wall. "Brace yourself." Charles whispered conspiratorially.

She smirked, taking another sip of her wine. "Here they come."

"Oi oi, look out everyone… the Boss is on the beer!" Richards yelled, spotting them in the corner. "Sorry we're late… Fingers was trying to sober himself up… didn't want to make a tit of himself in front of your girlfriend boss."

Fingers was the colour of beetroot as he walked through behind her. "Yeah, thanks for that Richards."

"We're not… She's not… err…" Charles stuttered awkwardly, trying to work out what he was supposed to do about the fact two section had just called Molly is girlfriend.

"You're fine Fingers, were not at work and I plan on having some wine and relaxing tonight." Molly smiled at him reassuringly.

Fingers let out a sigh of relief and so did Charles. He wasn't sure if Molly had just not heard what Richards said or she wasn't phased at all. Either way it was a relief.

Richards slid into the seat opposite Molly. "So, when are those gorgeous special forces blokes joining us? I was hoping to see some real men!"

"Oi! I heard that!" Rab protested as he sat down next to her, clutching his chest as though he was wounded.

Molly laughed. "They're not, but I'll let them know you missed them." She teased.

There was a moment of silence before Richards turned her attention to Charles. "So y'know how we're not at work and that… does that mean I can say something Boss?" She grinned.

"It's not like you really keep your mouth shut even when we are at work, is it Richards?" Charles joked. Molly nearly choked on her wine at the look on Maisie's face.

"So I can say it then?" Richards asked again, looking at Molly as though she might help her out.

Molly smiled, nodding just a fraction. "Why don't you say it then and we'll decide afterwards whether we heard you or not?" She suggested, Charles squirmed uncomfortably beside her. He'd been on the receiving end of some of the stuff Richards had blurted out before and he wasn't so sure this was a good idea.

"You two…" Richards pointed at Molly and Charles. "When's the wedding?"

"We're not…" Molly muttered. Charles shook his head.

"Oh come on, we're not stupid." Brains shouted from the other end of the table. Molly's head snapped in their direction. She hadn't even realised they were listening.

"I'm not so bloody sure about that." Charles muttered under his breath.

"I'm happy for you Boss." Fingers grinned. "It's nice."

Charles went to retract his hand that was still on Molly's leg, he'd forgotten it was even there, but apparently everyone else had noticed. Molly caught his hand as he did so, holding it in place. She looked over at Fingers and Brains and smiled. "Thank you."