A/N Thanks again for all the favourites, alerts, and stuff and the reviews, they are all at once, terrifying, and deeply appreciated. Sorry about all the Rambo/shooting stuff, but I had to set the scene and I have to admit it was fun to write. It's done now though; back to more interesting happenings ...Hope you're enjoying it.

They pass her accommodation on their way to the canteen. Jameson nudges Cook, nods in her direction, Soraya hasn't moved since they dropped her off on their way to a debrief. Cook hangs back

"I'll catch up in a bit fellas"

He walks in, sits next to her on her bunk.

"Hey, you OK?"

She shakes her head, begins to cry, Cook pulls her into him, and she shakes and sobs. She takes heaving breaths

"I killed some-one"

"Yes, you did"

"He dropped, like a puppet with its strings cut, they don't do that in films"

"No, they don't"

She wipes her eyes with the heels of her hands, sniffs loudly. Cook continues to hold her. "You probably saved Jameson's or my life."

"Really?"

"Really...Look, out here, normal rules don't apply, Ok? What you do here, now, and what you do in normal life...They're different, y'know?"

"I was scared"

"Me too, " he admits, she looks at him amazed, he continues, "You were scared, but at the same time, excited, right?"

She nods "Does that make me a bad person?"

"No, it makes you normal, it is exciting, it's fucked up, but it is." He shrugs. "Back in Bristol I was a screw up, a mess, shit worthless, I doubt I'm even missed. Out here, I'm so good at this stuff, I've been promoted twice. That's properly fucked up. " He continues "All of us are, Chris, Mark, even Jameson I'll bet, none of us have been back home in months and months, all of us have extended our tours."

"There's no-one back home for you?" She asks

Cook pauses, "Not anymore"

OooooO

Katie watches him from the edge of the dancefoor, the music is loud enough here so that you can feel it as well as hear it, the alcohol is coursing through her bloodstream making everything at once slowed down, and slightly shifted in her mind. She thinks he's good looking, handsome, all the girls hanging about must think so. They used to piss her off; she doesn't even really notice them anymore. Thinks to herself briefly that she's going to find Effy and tell her, but then changes her mind, there's some-one else she needs to find first. Shouldn't be too hard, look for the trail of carnage, she won't be too far away.

Effy walks calmly from the toilets, wipes her nose, climbs the spiralling stairs looking for Cook, she sees him standing by the railing sipping a beer.

"You ok?" She approaches.

He nods "these places, all these people..." he leaves it unfinished.

"Jesus, you need to get either wasted or laid" She smiles.

"Who'd want to with a bloke like me?" Cook is on a downer, he feels old, second hand next to all these happy people.

"Cook, for fucks sake, people get laid all the time, and not just good looking blokes, some are actively, seriously ugly, in a claw-your-eyes-out sort of way, and sometimes they get laid by very good looking women indeed. " She smiles. "That's a hint by the way" walks away to the dance floor. Cook watches her go. Finishes his beer, follows.

Naomi sees her coming towards her, she looks around, and she has nowhere to go. Like a rabbit caught in headlights. She knows that look, Emily's eyes are heavily lidded, and a drunk and slightly wasted Emily is...

"I want to fuck you"

...A horny Emily

OooooO

They walk into the mess together, and after they've got their food, Jameson Indicates for them to sit with him, he hugs her as she sits, she smiles shyly. The looks from some of the other ANA soldiers go un-noticed by any of them.

After their meal, it's late and dark; Cook and Soraya walk slowly back to the hut she calls home. They reach it all too soon.

"Stay with me tonight" she doesn't look at him

He shakes his head, "I can't"

"Just tonight, I don't want to be alone, I want to feel...something else, anything else. Please"

How can he refuse?

Afterwards they lay on her narrow bunk; she practically has to lie on top of him, which does nothing for his state of mind. They talk, he finds it easy to open up to her, and he tells her of his friends back in Bristol. Tells her stories of birthdays, twister, and student elections.

"I'd like to meet Naomi, "Soraya interrupts "I think I'd like her"

He continues to open up, tells her more of himself than he's ever told anyone before. Tells her about Effy, and Freddie, doctors, and Prisons, She lays a hand on his chest, stills him, says finally. "James, this is no place to be running from your demons, there are too many here already."

He knows she's right.

OooooO

Katie finds Panda on the edge of the dance floor, she's throwing shapes, and it looks more like she's having a fit than dancing. There's a space around her, as other people have realised just how life threatening dancing anywhere near Panda can be. Taps her on the shoulder. Practically has to shout:

"I need to talk to you"

"What?" Panda doesn't stop dancing, points to her ears, shakes her head.

Katie tries again, louder "I need to talk to you about something important"

Panda shakes her head again.

Katie closes her eyes, and just as the last track of the night fades out manages to shout;

"I'M DATING THOMAS," realised the music has stopped, looks around at all the people looking at them, "I wanted you to know...first..."

Panda doesn't say anything, turns, walks away.

"Fucking hell" mutters Katie, "That went well"

OooooO

Emily stills Naomi's hand by holding her wrist gently, she rocks forwards on her hips onto it, and throws her head back, her mouth forming a soundless cry. Her head falls forwards again, Emily's eyes are squeezed shut, Naomi watches her as she shudders, once...twice, utters a guttural moaning:

"Ffffffffuck"

She falls forwards onto Naomi, her hair falling around them like a curtain, looks into her eyes, kisses her once, and rolls to one side, pulling Naomi onto her side, they lie facing each other, sweat drying, and making them shiver. Emily is literally seeing stars.

"Naomi..." She starts to say something, her voice husky. Naomi puts a finger to her lips.

"Don't please, don't say anything, just hold me, OK?"

Emily nods, they cuddle together, and Emily drifts away to sleep.

She finds him on the back step a little while later. He's smoking a cigarette, he moves slightly to one side, and she sits wordlessly, hands clenched in her lap, she lays her head on his shoulder. After a while she speaks. Or more accurately, whines

"I have no willpower, I'm pathetic."

Cook smiles down at her. "Some-one once told me she was pretty fucking good in the sack."

Naomi says nothing for a minute then "I'm not going to sit here and feed your lecherous fantasies, Cookie" Pauses, chuckles to herself, "but, yeah, she is pretty fucking amazing".

Cook laughs, and puts his arm around her.

She snuggles in closer, sighs, and finally admits "I'm still in love with her"

Cook raises his eyebrows, looks over to her, and says "that's...inconvenient"

Naomi nods, "Isn't it" she agrees.