Eleven people sitting down to eat together didn't really fit round their table. Chairs rammed up against other chairs, some of them at totally the wrong height, kids all whinging loudly about not having enough room and why was it them had to sit by the leg and why couldn't someone else sit there cos they couldn't swing their legs so they were kicking the table legs and, if they could reach, out of each other and then saying they weren't doing it on purpose so it wasn't their fault. And there were elbows flying and sly pinches being dished out until, Christmas or no Christmas, Belinda's patience finally snapped and she yelled at them all to stop or else and Dave simply ignored it all.
"This is nice, innit?" Belinda looked round the table with the sort of hopeful smile on her face that said even she wasn't sure she believed it "It's lovely you being 'ere Molls ….. and Charles of course, it's really nice to 'ave you 'ere 'n all"
"It's lovely Mum"
Dave didn't appear to notice that Charles was speaking, that he was trying to thank Belinda for inviting him when Dave started to talk at the same time, his face a picture of bewilderment and suspicion; he had now convinced himself that he was the only one who hadn't known.
"Did you know he was another one in the fuckin' army?"
"Is he? Nah, Molls never said, Molls? ….. still that's nice innit? Means they got stuff in common, things to talk about" Belinda gave another tentative smile in Charles' direction "So, that's where you met? I wondered"
"Yeah, Mum, sort of, well yeah we did, but it was a long time ago now, he was me Boss in Afghan 'n we sort of made friends then"
"Dave, thought you was gonna stop with all the bollocks about the army" Nan scowled across the table, disapproval written all over her as she muttered that it would be good if he could do everyone a bleeding favour for once in his life and shut his bloody gob, but she said it just loud enough for him to hear every word, so that he opened his mouth ready to argue the toss before he caught sight of the look on Belinda's face and thought better of saying any of it. She was trying to deflect everyone's attention by exhorting them to not let their dinners get cold, to tuck in while it was still hot so that silence reigned for a few minutes as they all did as she said and began to eat, or in Dave's case to ignore the food on the plate in front of him in favour of his third beer which disappeared as fast as the previous two had done. Charles metaphorically raised his eyebrows to himself; used as he was to the speed that squaddies can put it away, Dave Dawes was in a different class altogether.
"Nice for you to get home and see your family this year Molly, I expect it's a real treat not to be sent away somewhere at Christmas, this time of year makes it all worse somehow"
Shazza's self-consciousness hadn't lasted long enough for her to keep her opinions to herself. She'd ended up sitting between Belinda and Martin, one of the least popular seats at any time because the youngest of the Dawes children had a horrible habit of chewing his vegetables to a mush with his mouth wide open and then spitting out anything he didn't like the taste of, which was most of it, so that usually they'd all be yelling at Belinda to make him stop. It was fairly disgusting so they certainly wouldn't normally expect a guest to sit there.
"Make what worse? What you talking about? I mean, yeah it's nice to be home 'n see everyone, course it is, but being in the army at Christmas is a lot of fun 'n all, well it is when you're away, not so bloody hot when you're stuck at barracks on guard duty like I was last year ... cos then it's pretty bloody boring"
Charles had the feeling that Molly wouldn't have agreed with Shazza as a matter of principle as she turned to look at him "Remember Christmas in the FOB?" Her green eyes lit up at the memory as she giggled so that he wondered what she'd say if he told her, and the rest of them, how much of that day he'd spent watching her, how envious he'd been of the way Smurf and the other lads had all been messing around teasing her and laughing with her when he couldn't "You wearing that Santa hat and serving us our turkey and stuffing 'n that"
"I remember, how could I possibly bloody forget? I remember the Brussel sprouts were like bullets, not to mention the mince pies, God, they really hurt"
"Hurt?"
Belinda sounded as puzzled as she felt, she had no idea what they were talking about as she looked at Molly and then at the lovely looking young bloke who was sitting there next to her, this bloke that they'd never even heard of until couple of days back although it seemed like they'd known each other for years, and who was looking at Molls with this lovely smile on his face. She felt this pang of … something … she wasn't quite sure what, but something that was missing for her these days as she smiled at the way the two of them looked at each other and laughed before he leaned in and kissed her on her cheek.
"I don't get it, how can Brussels hurt? Or mince pies?"
"Did they? Sorry" Molly wrinkled her nose at him ignoring Belinda before looking across at her mum and giggling "We threw 'em at 'im, Mum"
"What? Why would you throw food at him? Why?" She leaned forward to look around the table at the children who were listening with open-mouthed rapt attention "And before you lot even think of doing that, DON'T"
"It's tradition Belinda, Officers like me, we serve Christmas dinner to the men …... and women" He smiled at Molly "And then the …. the little ... so-and-so's pelt the ….. poor bu… bloke with bits of food, you have never seen a mess like it in your life" Charles was being very careful about what he said and especially careful of his language, conscious of children at the table as he turned back to look at Molly again with a wide smirk on his face "And you? you were one of the worst, had the best aim with the mince pies if I remember rightly"
"Did I? Me?" She tried hard to make her voice sound as if she was shocked and then that he'd offended her "You sure? Nah, you're just sayin' that, you couldn't 'ave known who threw what"
There was actually an answer to that question but he had no intention of sharing it with the audience, there was no way he was going to tell everyone that he'd known exactly what she'd thrown at him because his eyes had been following her all day, he hadn't been able to take them off her, not once.
"Indeed I did, and it's true about your aim"
"Said I was sorry" She tried and failed to look contrite "I think they leave the Brussels all 'ard when they cook 'em, make sure they hurt when they hit the Rupert, and their pastry is usually lovely, just not that ... stuff ... no-one's gonna eat it like that are they?"
"What's a Rupert?" Bella leaned forward in order to shout down the table at her sister so that Molly turned in her direction and jerked her head indicating Charles as she shouted back over the racket of the kids bickering about something "'im"
"Oh"
"Did I hear you say you were sorry? Stop laughing then and say it as if you mean it"
She wrinkled her nose at him again and mouthed 'fuck off' before laughing as he threw his head back and shouted with laughter; contrary to all his earlier expectations, especially when Dave had started having a go about the army, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
The expression on Shazza's face as she listened suggested that she was very far from enjoying herself, that she had in fact been sucking lemons as she watched the two of them sitting together across the table from her in a happy bubble of reminiscence. His good looks made her uncomfortable and self-conscious, as attractive men always did, but she was genuinely mystified about how any of it was amusing and was making no secret of the fact that she deeply disapproved of grown adults off fighting some war that she also deeply disapproved of, behaving like naughty children. She simply didn't understand any of it at all.
"I can't believe that a girl like you Molly would join in with that sort of thing, it seems so … childish somehow for someone who was there to look after people as a ... what do you call it, a medic?"
"What do you mean girls like me? and why wouldn't I? Being a medic makes no bleedin' odds, I mean we was all just one of the lads even if some of us was girls, well actually I was the only one in our section, but still …." She shrugged "There's no room in the army for people treating you any different just cos you're a girl ... isn't that right Boss?"
"Yup, I clearly remember you telling me that" He smirked then leaned sideways to half-whisper "And you promised to stop calling me Boss, remember?"
"I did, didn't I?" She smirked then turned back to Shazza "And it weren't being childish, you 'eard what 'e said, it's tradition"
At that moment Shazza was far too busy putting her hand over her glass to pay any real attention to what Molly was saying as she refused to let Dave pour her wine which he in turn kept insisting would do her good despite her adamant assertion that she didn't touch alcohol of any sort at any time, that she didn't see the need for artificial stimulants of that sort, so that Charles took one look at Molly's face and tried his best to change the subject.
"Indeed it is, now shut up and do as your mum says, eat your dinner"
"Yes Boss"
"What about your mum and dad, Charles, do they mind you not going home to see them for Christmas?"
Belinda was also desperate to find a topic of conversation that would stop the war that was in danger of breaking out between her friend and her eldest daughter, who had that look on her face, the one her mother knew spelled trouble, so that she didn't stop to think that it might sound like he wasn't welcome until after she'd said it, so that she blushed with embarrassment and wanted to kick herself. It was just that she was bitterly regretting the impulse that had led to her inviting Shazza to join them for dinner. She knew Molly didn't like her, well none of her kids did, or her mum, or Dave for that matter, but at the time she'd done it she hadn't known Molly would be home for the day, let alone that she'd be bringing someone with her, in fact she'd have put money on that not happening. It wouldn't be so bad if Shaz would just stop with all her anti-this and anti-that crap; it never sounded as bad when they were in the staff room at work and she started going on about something, mind that was probably because there was some of them there agreed with her, not all, not by any means, but Belinda usually kept her mouth shut and said nothing. It was just that it felt like Shaz was being rude when they was all there sat there having a drink, and what with Charles sitting there and him being in the army 'n that like Molls …..
"No they're fine with it, Belinda, they're used to me being away and Molly and I are going down to stay for a couple of days over New Year"
"That's nice ... Molls never said"
Molly shrugged and smiled and nudged him surreptitiously with her elbow. She wanted to say that that would be because Molly didn't know and that this was the first she'd fucking heard of it, which would be because he'd just made it up and she knew that he'd just made it up because his parents were off to Lake Garda day after Boxing day, he'd told her that over and over. Still least he hadn't told her mum that she'd spent Christmas in Bath couple of years back, she couldn't remember now whether she'd warned him not to say anything about it, but she forgot sometimes that he had the memory of a bloody elephant.
"Charles, 'ere just had a thought, if you two was together in Afghan, that means you knew our Smurfy, now he was a good 'un, shame he had to die like that after all he went through 'n all, and he was so bloody young" Nan leaned forward to look down the table at Charles who smiled and nodded at her in silent acknowledgment that yes she was right, that yes of course he'd known Smurf, but that he really didn't want to get into it, not right at that moment. Talking about what happened with the three of them in Afghanistan was likely to make Molly's happy mood disappear in the blink of an eye.
"The Smurfoid?" Charles smiled, a non-committal look on his face "Yup, it was all of those things, very sad"
"You used to call him best recruit at Catterick, didn't you? Pissed me right off, especially when you called me a Doris"
"I know, sorry ... I'm glad you've forgiven me"
"You're sorry? Can I 'ave that in writing Boss?"
"Nope"
Nan realised somewhat belatedly that bringing Smurf's name into the conversation was more than likely to wipe the happy grin off her granddaughter's face, something she hadn't thought of when she'd opened her mouth like that, and that was definitely something she didn't want, it was a very long time since she'd last seen her Molls look as happy.
"Still, a while ago now wasn't it? Water under the bridge 'n all that ..."
"Yeah it was" Molly smiled at Nan. It was obvious to her that Nan regretted saying anything and wanted to change the subject, as she turned to Charles and laughed "I thought you was pretty bloody ..." She paused knowing he'd be wondering what on earth she was going to say next, whether she was going to tell her family about the way he'd bullied her the first few days they'd known each other "Tall"
"And I thought you had the loveliest smile I'd ever seen, not that you were smiling at me of course ..." He laughed with a certain amount of relief that she hadn't said a word about him threatening to lob her out of the plane "And lovely eyes"
"Did you? Never knew that" Molly sounded as surprised as she felt.
"Always surprised me that, our Molls sticking with it in the bloody army, she was never one for rules and regulations"
Dave grinned at her as he went round the table to top up glasses and Charles considered for a moment doing a Shazza and putting his hand over the top of his because Dave's answer to his 'No, no more for me, thanks, I'm driving' was a simple 'Go on son, one more won't hurt you' before re-filling his glass to the brim. Reluctant as he was to alienate Dave, who appeared to take any refusal of a drink as a personal insult which was liable to set him off again on his pro-Adam anti-army rant, he needed to remember that he'd already had more than the one glass of wine that he usually allowed himself when he was driving, not to mention the beer.
"Tell me about it, Mr Dawes, she never did anything she was bloody told"
"Did ... sometimes"
"Me name's Dave, son"
"I thought you had to obey orders in the army" Shazza was still mystified "I didn't know you could do as you like"
"You can't, but it does sorta depend on who you get as a boss ... "
"Hmmmm, otherwise you get yourself put on a charge"
"Do you?" Molly giggled.
Belinda found herself watching and listening and absently thinking about Adam. She and Dave had been very unhappy when Molly had told them her marriage was done and Belinda had, like Dave, been bloody furious with her for not sticking with it, for not trying harder and giving up on Adam the way she had. But now, as she watched her with him, with Charles, it felt like she'd been wrong. Yeah, it seemed like he was a lot older than their Molls, which was definitely a bit of a worry, but it didn't actually matter what they thought, Molly was going to do what she wanted, and that looked like it was him.
-OG-
Dinner had come to an end with kids bickering over plastic crap from the crackers and Dave's insistence on everyone listening to him read out the lame jokes and with Molly insisting that Charles had to wear a purple paper hat to match hers, giggling and telling him that he looked cute in it after he'd told her, and meant it, that she looked beautiful in hers.
They were left with the wreckage of the meal on the table which Belinda insisted she would sort as Bella and Jade slid off quietly vanishing while Nan was insisting she'd help as soon as the Queen was done, then looking pointedly at Shazza who'd carried precisely one plate through to the kitchen before informing them that she had to go, she was helping out at some charity for the homeless.
"Anyone would think poor buggers 'adn't got enough to worry about already" Nan spoke in a quiet aside to Molly so that they both sniggered loudly and Belinda frowned a warning at them before going to see Shazza out or as Nan put it "Make bloody sure she actually pisses off" before going through to annoy Dave by putting the television on.
"You okay? I'd make me own coffee if I was you, at least you'll be able to swallow it"
She didn't turn round as she put tea bags in mugs just breathed out a sigh as she leaned back against him, enjoying the feel of the solid weight of his body as he snaked his arms round her waist and nuzzled her hair at the back of her neck before doing his best to push it to one side with his chin so he could kiss her skin.
"Unless you wanna go 'ome?" She tried to twist her head round to look up at his face, then gave up as he tightened his hold on her.
"Nope, have to sober up a bit before I drive"
"Sorry thought I'd warned you me dad's a knob and won't take no for a bleedin' answer, that he'd keep on insisting"
"You did, my fault I shouldn't have drunk it so stop worrying, it's been lovely ... your family are lovely"
"Now I know you're bloody lying ... they're a lot of things, mostly bonkers things, but ... lovely? Don't think so"
"I've never told you a lie, not once"
"Nah? What was that then when you said we was going down to your mum's to spend New Year, that was a lie"
"No it wasn't, I didn't say we were going to see them, I said we were going to Bath" He turned her round to face him and tucked her hair behind her ears "They're away so the house will be empty, I thought it'd remind you of ... old times ... we can spend four days in bed, what do you reckon?"
"Dunno, need to think 'bout it" She paused for less than ten seconds and then snuggled into his chest, nestling her head against him so that he bent and kissed the top of her head "Okay, I've thought, sounds pretty bloody good to me"
"Come on you two, where's this bloody tea then? Hurry up, nearly time for the Queen" Nan hadn't bothered to cough or clear her throat or to do anything to herald her imminent arrival in the kitchen but had just bustled in "Put 'im down, remember what happened with your granddad"
"Nah ... what happened with him?"
"Ask your mother"
-OG-
A/N: Hope everyone had a lovely Xmas and that you all have a wonderful New Year - This Chapter has been done (or re-done) on my new laptop which I have finally mastered (how impressed am I at myself?) bearing in mind that the bl**dy ate all this chapter when I transferred it over (Okay might have been me having finger trouble ... maybe). Thank you for taking the time to review, I do hope you are not getting bored with the real-time progress of Xmas Day – Chapter 21 will take us into Xmas night ...
Have just found the missing Chapter 20 (a bit late) – filed it on the wrong directory so am definitely going to take Natalie's advice and use a memory stick in future, told you I was getting all up to speed – even with some of the techie jargon xx
