I was awake first on the Sunday morning, the first rays of the early morning sun streaming in through the window. Rolling onto my side, I spent a couple of minutes just staring at the man laying asleep next to me. After everything that had happened, I could hardly believe I was here with him and that he loved me.
"Morning sexy." Danny's eyes eventually flickered open and he gave me that silly grin of his that made me shiver.
"Morning." I leant over and kissed him lightly on the lips.
With that he grabbed me, rolling me onto my back and making me squeal "No, not again... you're insatiable."
Rising over me he gazed into my eyes as he pinned me down against the mattress "Are you complaining?"
Biting my lip I looked back into his mesmerising grey-blue eyes and shook my head "Never."
It was another forty minutes before I eventually got up out of bed and, pulling on the robe he had leant me, made my way downstairs to the kitchen.
"Good morning sweetheart." A beaming Brenda winked as she poured out a mug of tea for me while her husband read the paper at the table.
"Anything much happening?" I enquired, my cheeks colouring yet again as I sat down.
Smiling he looked across at me "Nothing special. Just talk of us withdrawing troops from Afghanistan."
Suddenly the realisation that Danny would be going back into danger in just a few weeks came back to me. I had almost forgotten about it as we enjoyed the weekend and behaved like a normal couple. After Monday I would go back to being Captain Upson-Marsh and he would be Sergeant Cantwell, eventually serving thousands of miles away from me.
I felt a hand on mine and looked up to see Brenda gazing at me "He'll be fine. Try not to worry."
It was easy for her to say but I had been there and seen it for myself, I knew something of what could happen to him while he was deployed out there.
"Yeah of course he will." I smiled at her and tried to be positive despite my misgivings.
After breakfast Danny and I got ourselves showered and dressed intending to make the most of what would be our last day together as a couple at least for the foreseeable future. Putting thoughts of Tuesday out of my head we went for a long walk, talking and holding hands just like anyone else until sometime later we found ourselves outside the village pub.
"Fancy a drink?"
"Mmhhmm that sounds nice." I let him lead me inside the old-fashioned country hostelry.
The oak beams and horse brasses on the walls gave the pub a real sense of atmosphere as did the handful of locals who were already inside. A few people greeted Danny and gave me a curious look while he ordered our drinks and we then sat ourselves at a table at the far end.
"You ok? He looked at me as he handed me my glass of white wine.
I shrugged "Yeah I guess so."
"Tomorrow?" the look he gave me told me he understood what I was thinking of.
For the next few minutes, we sat in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts about what the next 6 months might bring. I had a deep sense of dread that having overcome all the obstacles that had been put in our way I still could lose him for good.
"Hey, let's forget it until tomorrow." His lop-sided grin made me smile again, "Another drink?"
"Please." I gave him a weak smile in return.
Watching him go to the bar I felt a twinge of jealousy as a pretty young brunette came across to him. It was obvious she knew him from the way she excitedly threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. The pair of them then exchanged a few words as she kept looking directly across at me.
I was still jealously wondering who she was when she came straight across to me.
"Hi, I guess you're Natasha." She held out her hand to me.
"Err... yes... do we...." bemused I took it and we shook as I wondered if I had competition for Danny.
"Thanks. He deserves to be happy after everything." Her statement left me puzzled.
"Umm... I'm sorry... I... don't understand."
"I'm Claire. Louise's sister." She finally introduced herself.
"Louise?" was all I could think of to say.
"She was Danny's fiancé."
"Oh god, yes... I'm sorry. I didn't... realise....." my words tapered off.
"Don't worry about it. I better go and leave you two alone." She said glancing back to Danny who was just getting served.
"It's wonderful to see him happy again." She continued placing her hand on mine and smiling, "Please don't hurt him."
And with that she was gone leaving me almost in tears, again.
"What did Claire want?" he asked returning with our refreshed glasses.
"Nothing, she was just saying hello." I took his hand and squeezed wondering just how much more I could love him.
The rest of Sunday went by far too quickly.
An afternoon spent cuddled up in front of the television followed by a gorgeous roast dinner in the evening, courtesy of Brenda. Then before I knew it Danny and I were heading back upstairs and I realised this would be the last time I shared his bed for quite some time.
Quickly finishing in the bathroom, I undressed and slipped under the duvet to wait for my boyfriend to join me.
We were both needful and we made love twice before I let sleep take me, wrapped in his arms, the multiple orgasms having left me exhausted but totally satisfied.
Danny was already up when I awoke the following morning, slowly coming to I experienced sudden feelings of despair as I remembered what Monday meant for me. I would have to return home but Danny was leaving, going back to Afghanistan, and going back into danger in just a few weeks.
The mood at breakfast was sombre. No one really said very much as we sat consumed with our own thoughts of what the next few months might mean for us. It was only later, while I sat in Danny's room watching as he sorted the last of his things from his kitbag.
"I'm going to miss you." I could already feel myself becoming emotional.
He paused from his unpacking and sat on the bed next to me, "We've got a few weeks yet."
"I know but I'll be at my camp and you'll be here and then you'll be gone."
"I've been thinking," he stared disconsolately at the floor, "When I go, I'll be gone for six months and you'll be alone."
"It'll be fine. I'll be here when you get back."
"That's what I mean, I think you should be living your life and if you still want me when I get back...." His voice tailed off as he finished the sentence.
"And exactly what does that mean Danny Cantwell?"
He didn't look up at me "It means you should be...."
"Free to sleep around?" I could feel myself getting angry.
"Mmhhmm..."
"Listen to me Danny and listen good." I pulled his face up so his eyes met mine, "I love you and I have no intention of sleeping with anyone but you so get that into your thick skull for once and for all."
His grin diffused my anger "I had to ask Nat."
I slipped my arms around his neck "I'm yours. Get used to it."
He kissed me tenderly on the lips "I'm trying to but I've wanted you for so long it's hard to believe you're actually mine now."
An hour or so later, standing by my car he watched me say goodbye to his parents, his mother hugging me.
"Don't be stranger Natasha." Brenda squeezed my hand before I left and made me promise to come down and see them.
My own tears came later when I said goodbye to Danny.
"I'll be back soon Danny. I promise." I sobbed as I clung to him not wanting to let him go but all the while knowing I had to, "Behave yourself."
"I'll try my best to be good." He joked.
"You'll do as you're ordered Sergeant."
"Yes ma'am." He kissed me one last time and then I slid into my car watching him in the rear-view mirror as I drove away.
We managed just one more wonderful long week-end together before Danny had to re-join his unit in Afghanistan.
On the day he had to leave I drove down to pick him up, watching as he said a tearful goodbye to his parents then driving him up to the camp from where he would ship out.
Watching him go through the gates I sat in the car and cried. The tears streaming down my cheeks and dripping onto my lap for a good ten minutes before I felt composed enough to continue my drive, heading back home for the first time in a month. I had phoned and said I was coming and my mind was now wondering what my mother would say when I got there.
Letting myself in I was immediately confronted by her.
"There's obviously no need to guess what you've been up to, is there young lady?" were the first words out of her mouth, "I'm amazed Richard is even prepared to talk to you."
I was left almost speechless by the way she made herself and Richard to be the offended parties in all of this.
"I suggest you go in there now and apologise to him. If you beg him to forgive you, he might.... just might... be prepared to take you back." She continued to harangue of me.
"Richard is here?"
"Yes, he's here and waiting to have a word with you."
Leaving her watching me I stormed into the lounge to confront him.
"Natasha." He stood up as I entered, "I want you to know that I'm prepared to forgive you and take you back as my fiancé."
"Oh, you are?"
"Yes, I am young lady." He smirked, "And in return you'll stop all this silly army nonsense and devote your energies to becoming a dutiful wife and mother. You'll also tell that... that Danny... whatever his name is that you never want to see him again."
"And I suppose I'll have to start drinking red wine as well?"
"Yes, and tonight we can properly consummate our relationship." He took a step towards me as if he was going to take me in his arms.
Alarmed I stepped back "Richard, you can take your red wine, your ring and your dutiful wife and shove them where the sun doesn't shine. I'm with Danny Cantwell and that's the end of it."
"Natasha, I mean it...."
