Just a Soldier

Chapter 47 - London

Y/n's POV:

Trying to teach whilst jet lagged is not fun. It especially doesn't help that we're doing all the theory work on day one, which is hard enough to stay awake for on a good day! Julia is mainly taking the lead on the teaching, with me in support. Once I leave on Friday, she'll be taking on the course next week on her own. That will be the first of my duties handed over, which means no moving around to deliver these courses.

We have a really good group of lads who are enthusiastic which really helps. They are due to deploy next month, and it's not lost on me that I would have been with them had my leg been 100%. By the time we finish for the day, it's already 5:30pm. Julia and I complete the bits of paperwork that we need to, before deciding to grab some food.

This is Julia's first time in London, so we decide to get some food in the city, rather than sticking with the food in the mess. Knowing my way around London quite well from when I lived here, I take her on a walk that shows some of the main tourist sites, such as the houses of parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. We then end up eating in a nice restaurant in Victoria.

During dinner we chat easily. She shows me some of the photos her husband had sent her today. Her twin boys had started football and the photos were of them in their kits. They were very cute. They're a year younger than Ava and we decide that they should have a play date together.

When we finish up our food, we head out but are greet by flashing lights. I sigh to myself as the two of us push our way through the group of paparazzi to the underground to get the tube back to the barracks. We both flop down onto a seat in the relatively empty tube. "Does that happen often?" Julia asks, turning to face me. "Unfortunately, more often than I'd like. It's usually when I'm with Scarlett, but it seems to be getting worse for them find me on my own. But I guess that something I have to put up with if I want to be with Scarlett." I share and Julia gives me a sympathetic look.

"That doesn't mean that it can't affect you. They've not exactly been kind to either of you in your relationship." She observes and I nod before leaning my head backwards. She's right. The whole thing with Scar and Colin and then the article about me. It's not been an easy ride. "Well, I guess the next rumours are that I'm dating you!" I chuckle, but really, I'm feeling anxious of the articles that might be published from our photos tonight.

I try and shake that thought as Julia laughs at my comment. We fall into an easy silence whilst we wait for our stop. When we get back to the barracks, we say our goodbyes before going to our separate rooms. I grab my phone and give Scarlett a quick call and fill her in on the first day. I give her a heads up about the photos and the frustration in her voice is clear, although she tries very hard to hide it. As I try to challenge her on it, she puts Ava on the phone, who has just gotten home from school. Good to know that this is still and issue...

We chat for an hour as she fills me in on her day and the pizza's that her and Scarlett made last night after I left. It sounds like they're getting on great, and it makes me so happy that Ava is so comfortable to be with Scarlett. Eventually we end the call as I struggle to keep my eyes open. It doesn't take me long to fall asleep to night. The jet lag kicking my ass.

The next day flies by. We get all the course materials done quite quickly and we end up finishing at 4pm. I decide that I'm going to make the most of the extra time and visit Dicky's parents. But before I go, there's somewhere I need to visit first.

I grip the stems of the flowers I had picked up on the way tightly as I stand at the entrance to the Military graveyard. It's been too long since I was last here. I slowly make my way through to the spot where my best friend lies. When I reach his grave, I kneel down and brush away some of the dirt and place the flowers at the base.