A/N May 4, 2019: If you currently are reading this story, note that all chapters have been updated. See author's note for chapter 1.

Chapter 20: Left behind

GEORGIE

They woke up by a knock on the door. They had slept with their bodies tangled in an embrace all through the night but now he got up and put on his boxers with a grin in her direction, making her heart flutter. He opened the door and talked to someone outside in low voice for a while. She lay there, took the opportunity to unnoticed appreciate his lean extremely fit body whilst he was busy with the conversation. Took in the broad shoulders and muscles flexing on his back, his perfectly shaped arse and masculine legs, wishing he would join her again but wondering how they had ended up here and what would happen now.

He closed the door and came to sit on the bedside, with a cheeky smile like he knew exactly what she had been thinking.

"Good morning", he moved away a strain of her from her face and bent down and kissed her, but then sat up again.

"We got word that we have to leave, my team and me. Our job here is done so even if I want to stay I can't."

He now circled his finger around her bellybutton as he spoke, and she felt there was nothing she wanted more than for him to stay. She did not dare to say it though, did not want to seem needy when they had in no way established that this was anything beyond sex.

He got up to get dressed, explaining he was expected in less than fifteen minutes.

"You should probably head back to the dorm too, before anyone misses you." Then he gave her a foxy smile. "Come here."

He pulled her out of bed, so she stood completely naked before him in the morning light and she giggled until she saw how he was taking her in with now serious eyes. To her surprise, he then started dressing her in the most sensual way. Kneeling in front of her, he held out her knickers for her to step into and then slowly pulled them up whilst caressing up her legs and buttocks. Standing behind her, he put on her bra with a feather light touch on her shoulders, then firmly cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples with his warm hands whilst kissing her neck. He pulled on her combats, then buttoned them, now kissing her on the mouth until she ran out of breath, put her arms up in the air so he could put her t-shirt on, caressing her belly. Lastly, he buttoned her uniform jacket from down up, button by button and ended by kissing her on the lips again. He did this in complete silence and never had she known that getting dressed could be so intense. She stood there, now fully dressed and wanted him badly, but she knew it was good bye for now. There was not time for more fondling and she knew he needed to snap back into captain mode, was already half-way there. He stepped closer, cradled her head and kissed her one last time, deep and hard, at the same time gentle.

"I will see you back in UK", was all he said and then he was gone.

- OG -

Georgie returned to the still empty dorm. With the section still in the hospital, she had no specific duties for the day. She would go check on them later but now she would just stay another hour in bed, treating herself to a very rare sleep in. Half of her felt amazing after the night, the other half felt miserable that Jack was gone. They had not even had the opportunity to talk about what they were to each other, too absorbed in the heat of the moment and guided by their bodies needs to bother with words. She knew though, that if this would develop into a full relationship, it would likely always be like this. He would disappear off to God knows where without warning and she would not know when and if they would meet again, leaving her feeling powerless over her own life. It had been like that with Elvis and would be like that with any SF soldier, it came as part of the package. Could she handle that again? What if he met the same fate as Elvis? She did not think she would be able to bear that another time, but she loved to be with him, not just the passionate sex but to be close to him, talk to him, laugh with him. The more time she spent with Jack the more she craved but so far, the opportunities had been scarce. Could it be different? Would he want that? Only few times in her life had she felt as loved as she had in his arms tonight, but he had made no promises.

She longed for this tour to end now, longed to go home – even if she did not know if that would mean meeting Jack again or not.

- OG -

Later she went to see the others. All were doing quite fine considering the circumstances and cheered when they saw her. Maisie's bullet wound had been tended to, she was on painkillers and in good spirits now, but would travel back to UK in a day or two for rest and rehab. The others would after a few days' recovery return to their duties here and remain for the rest of the tour as planned.

"We owe you thanks Lane, you and the others that came for us. I'm quite sure those guys would have killed us off sooner rather than later", Captain Aldridge said.

"I know you would have done the same for me," she said modestly.

"I've never been so scared in my whole life" Monk admitted. "You know, having a baby at home changes everything. I don't want Beth to be without a dad. All I could think of was if I ever would hold her again."

Georgie wondered to herself if Jack once again had been right, when he some time ago had guessed that Monk might bid farewell to the Army in a near future, now that he had a little family.

"I was mostly scared that Maisie would bleed out, until we stopped it" Rab confessed. Having been so close to death, the two of them no longer bothered to keep up the pretence and they sat next to each other holding hands. Everyone was more than fine with that.

"What happened out there?" Georgie asked.

It turned out that much of what they had guessed was true. The section had strayed and gone outside the zone of the war game and were unable to communicate over the radio. They had approached a farm with the hope to get some assistance there but suddenly found themselves surrounded by men with machine guns.

"Our only option was to surrender or all of us would have been killed on the spot. Then they just kept us tied up and waited for something, orders from above I suppose. I'm glad we never found out what."

"I've never been so happy to see Bones!" said Brains. "He isn't my favourite but when it comes to rescue operations he is the dog's bollocks."

Georgie just nodded and hoped she was not blushing. Just the mentioning of Jack made it feel like a mild electric current was running through her body.

- OG -

By end March they all returned home. They were in for some well-deserved R&R, but first they had a week's duties at the regiment and during that time they also made an excursion they all had been looking forward to.

Towards the end of the tour, they had received the happy news that Captain James and Molly had had their baby. Both Molly and the baby girl were fine and Kingy, who had talked to James said he seemed immensely proud.

"Apparently such a cute baby has never been seen in this world before" he laughingly told them.

By now they thought that the James family had had enough time to settle in and deserved a visit, so they all headed for Bath over the day to hand over the baby gift in person. Chip had mumbled something about that it was "highly irregular and not a soldier's job to go for baby visits", but he knew this was a special occasion and allowed them to go.

Both Molly and Charles appreciated having their home invaded by their uniformed friends for a few hours. The baby, named Matilda, slept most of the time so they had the chance to talk over tea. They guys had suggested beers, but Captain James averted that with a patient smile.

It had been so long since Georgie saw Molly except on Facebook and it was such a happy reunion. Molly still had some of the extra weight she put on during pregnancy, but despite that and both her and Charles being tired, she looked radiant.

"How is baby life, Molly?" Georgie asked her when they sat alone for a while. "I mean for real. Do you enjoy it or are you missing work?"

"I love it so far. Not every second - sometimes I feel like a completely unsexy milk cow and sometimes I just want to put the baby in the closet and go to sleep, but still... I love having her and that we're a family for real now."

"So, you're not missing work at all?"

"Not yet, but I think I will. I don't think I'm cut out to only be a mother, so I must figure out what I want to do, but there's plenty of time for that. Right now, I just enjoy being with her and Charles. We have spent more time together than we ever could do before and that has been amazing."

"What about you Georgie? Will you stay in the Army?"

Georgie looked around them, but no one was listening.

"No, I won't. I hope I get accepted to med school this autumn and then I will leave. I have gradually realised that things that have happened on tour have taken a toll on me. Not only Elvis but other things I have been through as well. Now latest when 2 section were captured in Estonia. I don't think I can take much more without breaking. Then, there is the thing about having a family at some point..."

She glanced at the baby sleeping next to them despite the noise from the rest of 2 section.

"I mean, it is possible to have both a career and baby, but an army career is a bit trickier than most."

Georgie had never been the most maternal of girls. Her dolls only had served as patients and she had never been overly enthusiastic over friends' babies but looking at Matilda she now felt a tiny flutter inside her. Maybe it was that stupid biological clock which she always had thought was something made up by men to make women want to give up their career for motherhood.

"And are you fine with living in Bath? You won't miss London?" she asked Molly.

"It is long since I really lived there anyway, and we figured it will be best to stay near Charles' parents, to get some help. My mum and dad anyway have enough with all their own kids yet, so we wouldn't get any help there. Charles parents will spoil her rotten. Also, his son from his first marriage, Sam, lives here and he wants to spend time with him. Both for his own sake and because he is Matilda's brother, so we hope they will be close. So far, he seems to adore her."

"How is Charles handling not being an Army man anymore?"

"Surprisingly well so far. This house that we have bought needs quite a bit of refurbishing and he is doing most of it himself. He enjoys it so much that he considers continuing doing it for a living. He has never been comfortable behind a desk, too restless, so I think it would suit him. Working with his hands, seeing things progress in a concrete way. His mum would be appalled of course, but now that we have given her a granddaughter I think she is willing to forgive us anything."

"You're probably right. I'm so happy things have worked out for you. I was a bit worried there for a while."

"So was I, worried about him, me, both. It was not only that we were both suffering from what we had experienced on tour. When we first started talking about having kids I got cold feet. I was scared it would be like with my parents. My dad is a complete wanker and mum has always taken care of everything. For a while, I forgot that Charles is a completely different ball bag." She sent a loving glance towards him over the room. As if he felt it, he turned and looked back at her, with the same intense love in his brown eyes.

Molly continued; "I think part of me was also afraid that without the Army, I would be back to the shitty little me that I felt like before I enlisted, but then I realised that I'm not that person anymore. I have done so much since and no one can take that away from me. Molly Dawes, or James, is a different person now and I will never go back, no matter what happens."

Georgie looked at Molly and thought that she was right. No one could take away the confidence and experience she had gained over the years in the army from her. She was now a grown-up and confident woman, not a young girl doubting her self-worth.

"But I sure made a mess out of everything there for a while, said I wasn't sure if I wanted a family, or sure if we belonged together and then it was just a vicious circle of events. I pushed him away and he fled, and at one point I thought he might even have feelings for someone else. Until I visited him in rehab and we cleared all misunderstandings - and accidentally made Matilda, too."

Both laughed, and Georgie felt such comfort and joy in seeing the two finding their way after leaving the Army. Both because she wished them all the happiness in the world and because it gave her hope for her own future.

Before they left she also gave Charles a long hug. Not the thing to be done with your commanding officer, but he no longer was that.

"Thanks, for everything", he said sincerely.

She knew that he did not only mean today. He was a such a good man, one of the best she knew but he had never been meant for her or her for him and she was glad he had found the way back to himself and his girl. If she had had any part in that she was proud.

"You have a beautiful family Charlie. Nothing could make me happier. Take care of them."

"I will, I promise. Take care of yourself, Georgie."