He approached her tent, pushing the flap aside and stepping inside. He froze when he saw her. She had his back to him, wearing only a cropped sports top and shorts, towel drying her hair. He cleared his throat and she turned to face him.
"Sorry, Sir, I didn't hear you come in." She said, folding the towel up.
"Not to worry, Swan. You looking forward to going home?" He asked.
"Yeah, I need a decent shower to get all this sand out of my hair." She said, they both laughed.
"Now, Swan… I have a favour to ask." He said, leaning against the cabinet on the opposite side of the room to her bed where she sat.
"Sir?" She asked.
"I have had my Nespresso machine sent over at a great cost."
"Is that a decent use of army funds sir?" She asked jokingly.
"Absolutely, since I can't be a fully functioning Soldier unless I've had my first shot of coffee in the morning." He said. "Which leads me to the favour…" He began, taking a pen out of his pocket and moving to crouch in front of her. "Nespresso shop on Regent Street, go and get me some Rosabaya coffee capsules and I will adore you for always." He said, as he wrote the coffee name delicately on her arm, holding her hand to keep her still.
"Always, Sir?" She asked. He looked up at her quickly before tilting his head down to look at her hand. He ran his thumb over her knuckles and back again, repeating the motion as he took in a small breath.
"Come back to me." He whispered, looking into her eyes. Her lips moved into a small smile and her eyes remained on his.
"I will." She said. The sound of a helicopter broke them apart as he stepped back and smiled one last time before leaving the tent.
She kitted up and grabbed her bag and gun. She left her tent and moved towards the gate where her section waited. They shoved post-it notes and shouted things at her that they wanted her and Neal to bring back.
"We are going on our bloody holidays, so would you lot kindly…" He stuck two fingers on each hand up and they all shouted "oooohhhh" as they made their way out of the gate. Jones waited for them.
"Good luck you two." He said simply. She could tell something was wrong.
"What is it Sir?" She asked.
"Sahau's gone AWOL." He said, sighing.
"I knew it!" Neal shouted. "He's Taliban!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that Cassidy." Jones said.
"Sorry Sir, you've got to admit that it's suspicious though."
"Look, we'll handle it, go. Good luck."
They both smiled and thanked him. Neal ran out first, Emma followed behind for a few paces before stopping.
"Swan?" Jones shouted from behind her.
"I can't go!" She turned and spoke to him. "If Sahau is Taliban then something might happen."
"And we'll handle it."
"But you're gonna need a medic!" She shouted over the chopper.
"We've already got one." He said, walking over to her with his hands on his hips.
"But she's not me." She said, honestly.
"Swan! Go! That's an order. I need that bloody coffee." He said the last part a little more gently. She looked at him one last time before turning and running to the copter. She climbed in then looked back at Jones stood in the gate, he was watching her too. They took off and he watched as she flew away.
She walked in the door to her home as her Mum came running down the hall.
"Ems!" She shouted as the rest of her family came out to greet her. She had left Neal at the airport, promising to call him when she got home. Her family had invited everyone round to welcome her home and she was overwhelmed. She didn't get a minute to herself until everyone had either left or gone to bed. She put the door on the latch and went outside to get some air. The city was beautiful at night and she could always rely on their stunning view to cheer her up. The lights of the skyscrapers made a golden gleam around the night sky and she always smiled when she saw it. She pulled her phone out of her coat pocket and sent a text to Neal.
Sorry, welcoming party was a bit bigger than expected. See ya in a couple of weeks, enjoy it. E x
She didn't have to wait long for a reply.
No worries. Dad invited all the family round so it's been pretty hectic down here in Newport too. Back at you Em. N x
She laughed and tucked the phone back into her pocket. She went back inside and locked the door before heading up to the bathroom to shower before heading to bed for a much needed sleep. All she could think about was Rolex boy and the others at the CP. That night, she dreamt of her section, Leila, Sahau and of course Captain Jones.
The next day, she woke up early to a text from Neal.
Can't get my head out of Afghan. N x
She decided to call him.
"Missing me already Swanny?"
"You wish mate. How are you doing?" She asked.
"Well, I can't stop thinking about the lads." He replied.
"Me neither, it's like no-one understands here. Like we're the only ones who know what's really out there." She said.
"I know. Listen, why don't you come here?" He asked.
"What? To Newport? No thanks, mate." She said, laughing.
"Em, please?" He said more seriously. She stopped laughing. "I need you."
"Okay." She said, hanging up the phone and booking the next train down. She texted him with the arrival time, said goodbye to her family and left.
She had been in Newport a week. They had gone to pubs and seen some of Neal's favourite sites, talked about Afghan and normal stuff occasionally.
They had agreed on staying in Newport for a week then heading back to London so that Emma could still see her family for a bit longer. He would sleep on the sofa at her house as she had at his. They greeted her family with warm smiles and hugs before Emma decided to show Neal the best that London had to offer. She took him to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, the Natural History Museum and she took him shopping in Camden Town. They had only two days left of their R&R and so Emma decided to spend it in the best place she could.
"Swan, where are we going?" He asked for about the fiftieth time that day.
"You'll see." She said. They rode the underground until they reached Oxford Circus and from there they changed lines to London Bridge. She took him to the Shard. They took the elevator to the top and she took him to see one of the best sites in London.
"Wow." He said as they leaned against the barrier on the window.
"See? I told you it would be worth it, didn't I?" She said.
"Okay Swan, you win this one." He admitted holding his hands in the air in surrender.
They remained at the Shard for a while before she told him to head home, that she had one last stop to make. She took the tube to Regent Street and walked to the Nespresso shop on the corner. She pulled the door open and gasped when she saw the amount of different brands and types of coffee that surrounded her.
"Can I help you, Madam?" A very pristine shop assistant approached her.
"This whole shop is just for coffee?" She asked, she knew it sounded stupid but she couldn't get over it.
"Yes, Madam." She said, a small laugh escaping her lips.
"Right, here you go." She said, holding out her arm and pulling up her sleeve to show her the writng on her arm which she had somehow managed to keep visible for two weeks.
Good thing he used a Sharpie. She thought.
"Rosabaya, certainly Madam." The woman said before making her way to the counter.
She packed the last bits into her rucksack before grabbing her kit and heading out. She wore her beret and full uniform, ready to head straight back to Afghan when they reached Brize Norton.
"Look after her, Neal." Her Mum said.
"Course I will." He said. She said goodbye to everyone then moved to her Mum. She was already welling up.
"Oh Mum." Emma said, pulling her in for a hug.
"Just come home, Ems, Okay?" She said.
"I will." She said, a tear falling down her cheek. She sniffed and moved away, picking up her bag and walking up to the taxi waiting at the end of the drive. She climbed in after Neal and the driver pulled away. She waved at her family and then turned back to face the front of the car.
"Afghan, here we come, eh?" Neal said.
"Yeah." She said simply.