A/N: Thanks for all lovely reviews! Many seem concerned over what will happen to them next and with good reason because we are up for a little bit of angst. But all is well that ends well, remember?

Chapter 18: Charles

Have you ever felt sorrow in the midst of a happy moment, because you suddenly have the idea that your time soon will be up, the moment gone, and you are already missing what you have even when you still have it? That happened to me during those days with Molly. Not at first, then I was only engulfed in the happy bubble, but as the days went by, sadness inhabited me because I doubted that she would remain mine when we left this place.

Everything was silent, peaceful. She was lying on the side with her back turned to me and I let my fingers slowly trace her softly curved contour from the shoulder, down her side to the dip of her waist, circle down under one of her buttocks and then up her spine, ending at her neck and finally placed a kiss there.

"Mmmm… Don't stop, I love that."

"Who has said anything about stopping? Not me."

I could not get enough of her body, enough of her. The more she gave me the more I craved, and it seemed to be the same way for her. I had lost track of time since we first went into the bedroom, when she was upset, and I was confused, it seemed like a life-time had passed since then. We had spent so much time in bed making love, talking and sleeping entwined that the only thing that separated day from night was the darkness and the light. When we got hungry we went up for a while, wrapped in the sheets and got ourselves something to eat, but then returned to the closeness in the bed as soon as we possibly could, to revel in what we had denied ourselves for so long. Not only had I waited out with her, it had been so long before I met her too. My marriage was dead long before the divorce and I could not even remind myself of a time when Rebecka and I had been like this, spending time in playful, lazy lust. I had not known how much I wanted this until I had it with her. From what she told me, her story was much the same. The marriage with Roger had never contained any passion and she had been single since. Our mutual discovery of each other entailed so much joy, curiosity and desire which none of us had experienced before.

She now turned to lay on her back, her green eyes gazing up at me, the dark messy hair spread over the pillow and she bit her lower lip as if hesitating to say something that she wanted to say. She was adorable, and I had to kiss her before I let her talk. When I withdrew she almost followed me up, unwilling to let my lips go, but then she sunk back to the pillow, sighed with contentment and asked;

"When did you know? That you had feelings for me?"

"You're really asking me to reveal that?"

Maybe we ought to be past that, but her question made me feel like a shy school boy. She giggled.

"I guess I'm just really curious. You're so good at hiding your feelings when you want to, so I truly have no idea."

"Okay, I'll tell you if you tell me. Deal?"

"Deal", she smiled.

"Well, the coin dropped when I was out having a beer with a friend. That was the weekend before the PM's party. We talked about me working for you and he said that you were one of his free passes…"

"One of his free passes! That doesn't make a girl feel very special. How many does he have?"

I laughed.

"I also reacted at the number and that it was you, but with a slightly different perspective… anyway, I really didn't like the thought of him with you and afterwards I realised the reason was because I wanted to be with you… like this."

I caressed her cheek softly with the back of my fingers and she placed her hand on mine, turned her head to kiss my palm.

"And you?"

"It came gradually… I realised the evening of the party that you were the only one I wanted to be with, dance with, talk to… that I even had bought that dress because I wanted you to see me in it. And the hours we had in the sofa after the party was just the best I had in ages. I felt I could be myself with you and that is unusual for me these days. I didn't want to admit it, but I knew then I had a crush on you… and I was so looking forward to seeing you again after the weekend, but that was when all went to shit because you had been told to spy on me."

"Do you realise now how hard that was for me? I already had feelings for you too… and god, that dress… I wish you had told me you had bought it for me, then I would have taken it off quicker than you can count to three."

"So, you liked it?"

"You were amazing in it, but you were in the West Ham t-shirt too… and in that rabbit night gown."

"Now I'm beginning to doubt your sense of taste", she smirked.

"It's because you're amazing in anything."

"You flatterer… but so are you… Even if didn't acknowledge any feelings until the party evening, I think I was attracted to you from the first time I saw you on the street outside my office, and the evening when Rob tried to ambush me into a date I knew I could not go through with it with you looking at us. I could not stand the thought of you getting the impression that I enjoyed a date with him."

"I was so relieved when you ended it, not comfortable at all witnessing a tête-a-tête between the two of you."

"You were so stone-faced, I never could have imagined."

"It was my job Molly, to be near you and protect you, but hardly to be drooling over you. And I never imagined that you would look at me."

"Are you kidding me? Have you looked yourself in the mirror? And in addition to being a looker, you're such a top bloke. Very annoying sometimes but you make up for that by…"

She pressed her naked body to me and wrapped her right leg around me, at the same time as she kissed me with parted lips and let her tongue sensually probe my mouth, the complete experience made me groan.

"You'll be the ruin of me Molly Dawes. I'll never be able to leave this bed."

That was the end of conversation for a considerable time.

I knew we would not be able to shut out reality forever. I had promised to get in touch with Lorraine again in a week and we would have keep to that, otherwise a nation-wide search for Molly would probably be initiated, but we had a few precious days that were ours only and I tried to enjoy them to the fullest and not think too much. Still, as the days past, the inevitable coming closer, I sometimes during the night when she was sleeping peacefully next to me, could not help myself from going there, wondering what it would be like to return to normal life. Could we continue this? Would she really want to? And even if she wanted to, would it be possible under the critical eyes of other politicians, the public, the newspapers and tabloids? I was certain of what I wanted, but would she want the same once reality seeped into this lovely bubble?

I did not share my fears with her, she seemed so happy, so untroubled, like years younger when she did not have the weight of the Home Secretary role on her shoulders and I did not want to remind her of that reality. Did not want to deprive her of this easiness sooner than I had to. We finally left the bed for a little longer periods, went for walks, went swimming - or actually skinny-dipping now that nakedness was preferred rather than embarrassing. To be close to her slick body in the dark water, it will always remain one of my most sensual memories.

This morning I woke up with a pang of angst. We had been here for a week, been lovers for five days but now it was time to find the nearest phone booth and give Lorraine a two-minute call. I knew those two minutes could change everything. Maybe we would be able to return here for a longer period after that, but more likely it would be the signal that it now was time to break up from this love nest.

"I don't want to go", Molly protested next to me.

"You know we have to. We can't hide here forever."

"I'm not letting you go."

She suddenly was on top of me where I was lying flat on my back, placing one hand on each side of my head, leaning over me with her face close to mine and her hair hanging like a curtain around us, protecting us from the world.

"You know I'm stronger than you, right? I can carry you to the car if I have to", I smiled.

"Not if I convince you to stay."

She moved her body, making it evident in what way she intended to convince me.

"It does not change anything, Molly…"

But the sensation when she lowered herself over me…

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes..."

I tried to sound convincing but heard that my strained voice did not sound as firm as I had intended. She sighed.

"You really are a bore Charles James, spoiling my fun but in that case we at least have to make this a good one, like one for the road so we can stand being out of this marvellous bed."

The thought of not being this close to her was almost unbearable and I grabbed her hips to pull her closer to me and she leaned back, supporting herself with her arms, arching her back so I came deeper inside her and we moved with an intensity different from what we had before. Passionate but with a touch of desperation too, like we were already preparing to miss each other's body contact and now wanted to inhabit one another in every way possible before being parted. Suddenly she felt too distant in that position and I pulled her down to me, so our faces were close again and we could kiss. We moved slower now, kissing, caressing, not breaking eye contact for one second and I saw her coming closer, her eyes widened, her expression nearly frozen as her body shuddered and clenched around me and I let myself go to. Loosing ourselves in each other, or finding ourselves in one another - I was not sure which it was.

"Whatever happens after this, remember that I love you", she whispered.

"I will", I said but her words had a finality to them that rather increased my sadness and sense of loss than diminished them, but I attempted to strike a less serious note. "And remember that I love you, you're the hottest Home Secretary that ever existed."

The nearest phone booth was a few miles away and we drove there in silence, both having the sense this was a fateful moment and my whole body was screaming no as I dialled Lorraine's number and she picked up. I had hoped she would not.

"Lorraine, it's Charles James calling like I promised. We have two minutes so use them well, what news?"

"Thank god you're calling. Is the Home Secretary there? Can I talk directly to her?"

I could not deny her that and it was reasonable in so many ways, as Molly in the position as the Home Secretary was the one that both Anne Sampson's police force and Stephen Hunter-Dunne's Security Service were reporting to. I gave the phone to Molly and could follow the conversation only through her expressions and words. What she heard seemed to astound her. When time was up I signalled to her and she ended the call saying;

"We'll let you know when we're back in London."

And with a heavy heart I knew this was the end to our romantic get-away.

She hung up and stayed silent for a few seconds. I was impatient to know what has been said but let her take her time. Finally, she spoke.

"The investigation of the St. Matthew's bombing has taken unexpected turns… the recording they found in your hotel room made them scrutinize the activities of Stephen Hunter-Dunne… and as an extension of that the PM as well. Loraine did not have time to expand on the details now, but they are both in custody… and I'm needed back in London. Immediately."

"Then we have to go", I said sadly. She stepped closer to me and wrapped her arms around me and I mine around her, held her close to my chest and leaned my chin on the top of her head.

"We have to, yes, but it does not have to be the end of this. You and me. I don't want it to be."

"Me neither, Molly. I want us more than anything... I just realise it will be more... complicated out there."

I found my eyes dimmed by emerging tears because I feared that this was indeed the end of this, of us, because it was a fairy tale only meant for the lake cottage not for the political scene of our country.

We headed back and packed the few things we had, cleaned the cottage, locked it and placed the key back in its pot.

"Don't tell anyone where it is", I smiled to her.

"I only ever want to come here with you", she said, and I could see that now her eyes were damp too, mirroring my fears.

We did not speak much on our way back to London. We listened to the news for the first time, in an attempt to catch up on the officially known version until we got to London and Molly would receive more information directly from the source. The death tolls of the bomb had landed at twelve and many of the injured were still in hospital but seemed stable even if the condition still was serious for some. It was said that the Home Secretary was still in the hospital due to her injuries but would recover fully. We were both relieved that this escape had not been known to the public, that would make her return, our return, easier. Nothing was mentioned about Hunter-Dunne or the PM, but it was noted that it had been remarkably quiet from no. 10 in the last days.

"The PM… and Stephen… I wonder what exactly they have entangled themselves in."

"Me too, but I guess we'll know soon enough."

On the outskirts of London, we made another call to Lorraine to ask where we should go, where it would be safe for Molly to meet up with her and Anne Sampson, preferably without being attacked by journalists and we were directed to a hotel, not the same one where she had been staying before but one where they now kept a room for her, guarded by the police. Before we went into the car again, I pulled her to me.

"I know we will be separated when we get there. People need to talk to you, I'll be in for a bollocking by my boss… And I don't think it would be wise to let people know about us... so we should kiss good bye now."

"I'll kiss you, but not good bye. I intend to do this hundred, no thousand times again – just so you know."

"If you say so, Ma'am", I smiled to her lips, but I was not sure I had ever felt this desperately sad and hollow.

"And I'll make sure Lorraine understands that this was all my initiative, you just did your job coming with me."

"A bit outside the job description though…"

"I've always liked people who colour outside the lines."

We kissed one last, long and deep kiss but I could not enjoy it because it felt like my heart was being ripped out at the same time because it was so final.

Then we drove to the hotel, where Molly, as I had foreseen, immediately was escorted to a room to meet Anne Sampson meanwhile I had to face Lorraine who was waiting for me with an all but pleased expression on her face. Before Molly disappeared into the hotel, she stopped in front of Lorraine saying;

"Don't be too hard on PS James, he only did what I asked, taking me away from here. He's an excellent bodyguard and he has acted above and beyond duty keeping me safe. I don't want to hear about any repercussions. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am", Lorraine nodded reluctantly. Molly glanced at me and our eyes said all the words we could not say out loud in that moment, and then she walked through the hotel's revolving door and was gone.