My Soldier - Missing Home

Next Stop, Nigeria

A/N ~~ Wow, it's been a minute and a half! I am SO Sorry for my absence, between helping my Brother and Life in general, it's been so hard to find the time to sit and write.. But, I am BACK! I promise no more long breaks and I am back to regular updates!

As always, Thank you so much for the continued support and I hope you all enjoy this next Chapter. I also hope everyone is doing AMAZING and taking care of yourself! Lots Of Love!


~~Thursday Morning, London~~

Lizzie POV

Watching Harley leave in that taxi broke me. Knowing that I will not see her again for 6 Months is sinking in bit by bit. It's actually happening and she is flying to Nigeria today with her team and staying there for 6 Months. But right now, there is someone that feels the heart break more than I ever could. I can feel Maisie gripping onto my shirt, well Harley's shirt, as she cries softly into my side. I have my arm around her to try and comfort her, but I can't imagine watching my own Sister do what Harley does. Once the taxi is out of sight, I gently wrap my other arm around Maisie and slowly follow behind Stuart as he leads us back inside. Maisie lets me just guide her back inside, being careful going up the stairs and through the door into the kitchen. We head for the kitchen table, sitting together to have some tea as we just decompress from everything that has just happened. We are all feeling the emotions right now in different ways so we just take a moment as Stuart brews us all some tea. Maisie reaches for my hand across the table, wanting some small comfort as she just stares off into space ahead of her. I do the same, gripping her hand as I just stare down at the table before Stuart brings us some tea to drink as he joins the silence. We all end up in a comfortable silence for a little while, just letting ourselves calm down before I look over and see Maisie still staring off into space. "You okay Maize?" I ask, making her quickly look over in my direction and smile softly as I see her tear stained cheeks. "I will be." She tells me truthfully, making me smile in reply as we both look to Stuart who gives us both a comforting smile. "You both doing okay?" He checks in, making me smile as I nod my head confidently. As much as I want to just let myself cry, I know Harley will be okay. She has to be. She promised me. "What time is your flight to L.A.?" Stuart asks me, making me smile at how he is instantly taking over in looking after me now that Harley has left. "This afternoon, I need to be heading to the Airport soon." I tell him, not remembering exactly what time my flight is off the top of my head. "If you want, I can drive you before I go to work?" He offers, making me beam at his kind words. I nod my head softly as I take a sip of tea. "Thank you Stuart, that would be great." I reply with a smile, making him smile in reply before we all finish our tea and then head off to get ourselves ready to leave.

Once I have checked my bag and my suitcase, making sure I have everything to take back to L.A, including some of Harley's clothes that still smell of her to take with me I begin to carry everything downstairs towards the kitchen. I find Stuart already there with his work bags ready to go so I get myself ready to leave, grabbing my jacket and bag as I hear Maisie coming downstairs. I can see Stuart is not himself as he sorts through some paperwork at the kitchen table, he looks lost. But then as soon as Maisie comes into the kitchen, he quickly switches to his usual, happy demenour. It melts my heart seeing him having to hide his emotions, but I understand why he does it around Maisie. She is still so young, as much as she acts older sometimes, she is still vulnerable and needs protecting. When Maisie is ready to go, we all head out to the car and pack up our stuff. Stuart is going to drop me off first so they can say goodbye before they go to School and Work. As much as I would love to stay in London for a little while, I need to go back to L.A for work. But I am planning on visiting after I finish filming Sorry For Your Loss Season 2. The car ride to the Airport is filled with Maisie trying to distract herself by asking me what my plans are for being back home and working before she tells me all her upcoming plans for School. It's nice to see her smiling again after this morning, and it makes me relax more seeing her feeling better. I know she will struggle, so I make sure to remind her that she can ring me in L.A if she needs me for anything. I see Stuart give me a thankful smile as Maisie smiles in excitement at the thought of being able to ring me when she needs me. Even if it is just for someone to talk to on her bad days. When we arrive at the Airport, Stuart parks around the corner so we can get the bags out without any fuss as Maisie quickly joins us at the back of the car as I grab my suitcase and bag. Once I have everything I turn to Stuart and he quickly pulls me into a hug. "Take care of yourself over in busy L.A. Lizzie. And if you need us, you know where we are." He kindly reminds me, making me beam as I feel him squeeze me tighter before letting me go and say my goodbye to Maisie. She instantly wraps her arms around me and hugs me tight. I do the same, feeling her getting upset but that is not something I want for her right now. I know I am leaving for L.A, but I'm still only a flight away if she ever needs me.

"I'm one phone call away Maisie. I promise you if you need me, ring me. I'm here." I remind her, making her smile as she nods her head softly in reply and just hugs me tighter. "Thank you Lizzie." She whispers, making me smile but I can hear her trying not to get upset. I rub my hand up and down her back, soothing her before she slowly pulls away from my arms. "Make sure you come back and visit us." She reminds me, making me laugh softly as I nod my head in reply at her cheeky smile. "I promise you, I will come visit and spend time in London. We can have some girly days and go shopping to make us feel better." I whisper, making her giggle as she wipes her tears away. "That sounds really good." She adds gently, making me smile as I give her one last hug before I grab my suitcase and bag. "I will see you both soon, but if you need me, don't hesitate to call." I remind them both, making them smile as Stuart wraps her arm around Maisie. "Be safe in L.A!" Maisie yells as I start my walk towards the Airport, making me giggle as I walk up to the main doors. I turn back and wave back one last time as Maisie and Stuart wave back to me before I disappear inside. My eyes gloss over as I make my way towards my gate, checking in my bags before I grab a coffee and find a seat to wait for my flight to be called. Once I am sitting down, I check my phone, seeing a message from Harley to let me know she is on her Train. I send her a message back, letting her know I am at the Airport and we end up send a few texts back and fourth before my flight is called up. I make sure to let her know I am boarding and will let her know as soon as I arrive in L.A. I grab my bags and board the plane, finding my seat and getting comfortable before we are ready to take off. I take out my book ready to read, but my eyes fall to the window beside me as I let my thoughts slowly take over. So many thoughts flashing through my mind, from Harley getting the phone call from Charlie, too Harley leaving today and then everything in between. So much has happened over the last week and it has taken me on an emotional rollercoaster. I look to my left at the empty seat beside me, feeling like I am missing something. My heart breaking knowing it is Harley who I am missing. But then my eyes fall to my right hand, finding the stunning ring sitting proudly on my right ring finger. Harley's words from last night on repeat in my mind, reassuring me that no matter what happens, she will come home to me..


~~Thursday Afternoon, London~~

Normal POV

After a long, dragged out Train journey and a silent Taxi ride from the Station, I finally arrive at Pirbright Army Barracks. I grab all my bags and pay the driver before heading for the front gates where I am met with some familiar faces. I show them my I.D Card and share some small talk as they let me into the Barracks. I take in the loud voices and stomping boots as I watch groups of Soldiers running drills and training exercises as I walk towards the main building of the Barracks to hopefully see the rest of 7 Section. As soon as I round the corner, I spot some very familiar faces that quickly see me and rush to get to me, screaming and shouting as they do making me laugh. Bones, Kai and Tyler all surround me in a group hug as I drop my bag to wrap my arms around them all as best I can in return. "It's so good to see your face Lane!" Kai greets me as Tyler and Bones grab one of my bags each and take off ahead of us. "It's good to see you too Kai." I quickly reply, making him smile as he hands his arm over my shoulders as we make our way to where I spot Charlie standing just past the main doors of the building. The guys drop my bags with the rest of them before Kai leaves me to go and greet Charlie. As soon as he spots me coming, he beams over and greets me with a more professional handshake. "It's good to see you Lane, your looking well." He greets, making me smile. "Thanks Captain, I feel it." He laughs softly at my overly happy demenour laced with sarcasm since we are about to go on Tour for 6 Months, but he knows I enjoy my work deep down. "Ready for another Tour?" He jokes, making me chuckle as I shrug my shoulders with a grin. "I mean, are we ever ready for another Tour?" I joke back, making him laugh as he just smiles and nods his head before we are interupted by more voices behind us. I turn my head, seeing Jake, Natalia and Miles all approaching us with beaming smiles and fresh faces. Something that will only last a week or two tops before we all start looking like we have never had sleep and never have a shower. I walk over with Charlie to greet the rest of the team, Natalia rushing to greet me with a hug after she drops her bags with the rest. "I'm so happy to see your face Lane!" She beams, making me do the same. "It's great to see you too Jones." I return easily as we pull away again and I go to greet Miles and Jake. We all huddle around and do some catching up as we wait for Sparky, as always, he is late and the last one to arrive.

When Sparky finally decides to arrive, we are already half way through packing up the truck to take to the Cargo Plane. Once we are all in a rhythm getting the boxes into the back of the truck, I take the chance to take Jake for his final Medical assessment before we leave for Nigeria. "Jones, take over with the medical supplies please." I ask Natalia, taking the opportunity to have more responsibilities this time around now she is a permanent member of 7 Section and will one day be taking over as our Medic. "Yes Cap." She quickly replies, making me chuckle as I hand over the clip board and call over for Jake to follow me inside the main building. We make our way to the Medical wing where Charlie had already booked a bed for Jake to get his check up with me before we leave. "Take a seat Jake, I'll go grab what I need." I tell him, tapping the bed after I pull back the curtain around us. He jumps up on the bed as I head towards the cabinet and grab what I need to do a pretty in-depth check up to make sure Jake is ready to go on Tour safely. Once I have everything, I wheel over the table and take out a clipboard with all the paperwork I need to fill out as we go through everything. "Alright Jake, let's get this over with shall we?" I say light-heartedly, making him chuckle as he nods his head in agreement. "So, simple questions to begin with about how your feeling after your physio then we can get to the physical assessment." I add and he nods his head in reply. I go through some standard questions, asking how his recovery has been and if there has been any complications. "The only complication was the stitches burst open in the hospital, but they re-stitched me straight away." I jot down everything I need too, smiling as Jake tells me pretty much everything we have already talked about over the phone since he left the hospital but it's standard practice to go through everything properly like this. Once we get past all the questions, I place the clip board to one side and get the blood pressure and heart monitor machine set up. "Alright Jake, remove your top half for me so we can get this done." He does as I ask, letting me check his blood pressure and anything else I need too. Thankfully, he passes everything with no problems so once I am done, I begin to pack everything away as Jake gets dressed again. "How you feeling about being back out there Jake?" I ask, wanting to make sure he is not only physically prepared to be on Tour, but mentally as well after what happened. I sense he is thinking about what to say, so I stop what I am doing and give him my full attention.

"As much as I want to say I am completely ready to get out there, I can't deny that I'm nervous." He admits, and I am proud of him for being open and honest. "I just don't want to have a repeat of last time, or to have a breakdown at the sound of a bullet or something similar you know.." He adds and I nod my head softly in reply, letting him know I am listening to every word. "That's completely normal Jake. But I found the best way of dealing with it is just talking about it with people you trust. If you feel on edge, let someone know and we can get you through it together. Your never alone in this." I remind him, making him visibly relax as he smiles softly in reply to my words. "Thanks Lane. I am looking forward to being back out there with everyone, missing out last time actually killed me knowing you were all out there." He adds, making me chuckle as I finish clearing everything away and sign all the paperwork off. "You didn't miss much mate, this one is bound to be more entertaining, trust me." I assure him, making us both laugh as we get up and leave the medical wing. "Thanks Cap, for everything." Jake tells me sincerely before he runs off to help finish packing up the truck with the rest of 7 Section as I head for Charlie and hand him the paperwork for Jake's assessment. As soon as he reads through it, he smiles as he sees everything is perfect and he is more than ready to be out on Tour with us. "Medically fit for Tour, that's what I like to see." Charlie reads out loud, making me smile and I nod my head in agreement. "Yep. But mentally, he is a little on edge so we need to check in regularly when we're out there." I add and Charlie nods seriously in reply as he finishes reading over the papers before tucking them away with the rest he has and we both turn to see the truck is practically packed up ready to go. "How you feeling about this one Lane?" Charlie asks, not looking away form the rest of the group. I let out a breath, not knowing how to answer that right now. "Honestly, I wasn't ready to come back.. I wanted more time. But at the end of the day, we have a job to do." I confess to him truthfully, hearing him hum in acknowledgement before I feel his hand on my shoulder in a comforting manor. "You'll have time with her Lane. She's not going anywhere.. I can assure you." I love Charlie as a second Dad, so hearing him say that is more than enough for me right now. I just hope he is right on this because I can't bare the thought of losing Lizzie for being away for so long.

It didn't take us long to pack up the rest of gear before getting our orders and moving out to load up the Plane. And once that was done, we were finding a seat for the flight to Nigeria. Most of us decided on getting some sleep for the journey, not knowing what we are walking into when we land. Up too now, all we know is we are heading out to train with the local Forces, as well as helping with some nearby Medical Centers with vaccinations and everyday issues. But as we all know, anything can happen on Tour so we need to be ready to face whatever comes our way. We are well aware of the people who will not want us there in Nigeria, and will get very defensive with our presence alone. So we need to be on guard at all times and take care of each other. So, after a 7 hour flight from London, we finally land in Nigeria. There is a truck waiting for us so we load up all our gear and get going for the Base we are staying at. As we are driving through the local villages, we can see the looks in our direction as soon as they see the Uniform on our backs. This is going to be a interesting few months. When we reach the Base, we see some of the local Soldiers already looking at us like we don't belong here. Great. Just what we need. But, we have a job to do so we are going to get it done. "Alright guys, let's get this gear off the truck and into the Barracks." I lead us off the back of the truck once Charlie lets us down, and we all get to work unloading everything. Once it's done, everyone is waiting on our next move. "7 Section, boxes are to go into the far right tent, everything else other than the medical boxes are to go with your gear into the Barracks which are to your left. Natalia and Miles, move the medical gear, everyone else move the gear before moving the bags to the Barracks. Once that is all done, get settled in before we have something to eat then heads down ready for an early start. Understood?" Charlie yells out his orders. "Yes Sir." We all shout in reply before he sends everyone off to do their job. "Lane, on me." I nod my head and follow behind as Charlie leads us off to what looks like a small office building where 3 Men in various Uniforms waiting for us. "Happy face Lane." Charlie jokes, knowing me being a women is always something that we have to get past initially so I turn and give him a sarcastic smile, making him laugh subtly before we get to where we need to be.

"Captain Summers." The first guy greets Charlie with a handshake. I take note of the Uniform and ranks on his arm, sensing he is the guy in charge around here. "Colonel Abdullahi. Pleasure to meet you." Charlie greets him in return before turning towards the other two men standing watching us both closely. I notice one of them wearing a similar uniform to the Major, but the other is in what looks like to be a Police-type Uniform. "This is Lieutenant Ali and Police Chief Kayode." The Colonel introduces and Charlie greets them both before turning towards me. "This is Captain Harley Lane, 7 Sections Medic and second in command." He introduces me and instantly I can see the Men are a hesitant when it comes to a women having any type of authority. But they do greet me eventually, as much as I can see it is against what they believe, they try and mask it infront of Charlie. Once all the pleasantries are out of the way, we all head inside the office and go over anything we need to know in terms of the work we will be doing. We go over the risks when leaving the Base, talking about the extremist groups in Nigeria that could pose potential threats to us before we talk about the Medical Centres and what problems they are facing. Which is mainly to do with a lack of medically trained personnel and medical supplies. Both of which we can try and help with whilst we are here. I suggest doing some work with the local troops for the first few days we are here before we do a trip down to the nearest Medical Center and do what we can to help there. Then if things are as bad as what they are telling us, then myself and Natalia can spend some time helping with treating the local people and offer out some vaccinations. Everyone seems to be on board with the plan before we part ways to get some food before getting some sleep ready for a early start tomorrow morning. I head out the office with Charlie, both of us heading for the food tent where 7 Section are already waiting on us. We grab some food and sit with the team to go over our plan of action we just made, telling everyone everything they need to know for our time out here. We then fill the rest of the time we are eating with some more laid back conversation before Charlie gets us up and heading for our bunks ready for our 05:00 start in the morning. I head for my separate Bunk, finding my bags here for me so I get settled in, putting some things away before dressing down into some shorts and a t-shirt then grabbing my phone to send out some messages to let everyone know I have arrived safely in Nigeria.


~~Saturday Morning, L.A.~~

Lizzie POV

It feels so strange to be back in L.A without Harley with me. The past two mornings I have woken up to a cold spot beside me in the bed, the place where Harley should still be lying beside me. But instead, she is thousands of miles away, in a completely different continent. I can't help but worry about her already, knowing she is already settled into Nigeria and getting to know the local Army before she moves on to work at the Hospitals that need her. The thought of her being in any kind of danger is scary and keeps me awake at night. I know she is fully trained for this sort of thing, but the last Tour she was on was proof that anything can happen when they are out there. I just hope there doubts and fears start to settle the longer she is there without getting herself hurt. We have shared a few text messages back and fourth, the first ones being us letting each other know we are in Nigeria and L.A. The others have been Harley letting me know she is safe every morning and me doing the same when I wake up. I can't wait to hear her voice, I have missed it so fucking much. Since I got back to L.A I have been in touch with Mom and my Sisters so we could all make arrangements to meet for lunch soon now I am back. My Mom was quick to ask about Harley and if I had heard anything yet. I love how much Mom loves Harley, she even told me Harley sent her a message to let her know she landed in Nigeria safe and sound. I still adore the fact Harley calls her Mom too. It's something so small to most, but to me it is more than perfect, and I know it means so much to Harley after what she went through with her Mam years ago. Just having that figure in her life that supports her so much is something she always wanted so I know having my Mom there means the World to her. I also got a call from Scarlett and Rose as soon as they knew I was back in L.A. And Scarlett was quick to arrange for us to go for Lunch since she got to L.A last night for work. Seeing Rose's little pout when she remembered Harley isn't with me broke my heart, and only cemented how much I want to have kids with Harley one day when I am reminded of how amazing she is with kids. Scarlett was sure to check in on how I am feeling now Harley is gone again, being the amazing best friend she is she made sure I am doing okay before taking Rose to bed. Leaving me with my thoughts again, but I need to be strong. Because this is not going to be forever, Harley is my forever. And one day we will look back at these times apart and realise they made us the unbreakable couple we are becoming.

Since Harley is going to be back on Tour for the next 6 Months, I decided I need to keep myself busy and to do that, I am throwing myself into work completely. So after making myself a slightly early lunch, I get my laptop and notes, getting back into working on Sorry For Your Loss. This time around, I'm stepping more into the Production side of things so there is so much more work to do. Thankfully, it is more than enough to keep my mind away from constantly thinking about Harley. I have always wanted to learn more about what happens behind the camera so now I have the opportunity, I am grabbing it with both hands. I love working on this Series so to be able to have more of a say in what is shown on screen and what my Character does is something I am already very proud of. Apart from Wanda, I think Leigh is one of my favourite Characters I have played on screen. She has so much to her and I get to really dig into everything during this Series. And having a really talented and creative cast alongside me is helping bring even more of her character out. So, I am currently sitting going though some of the scripts I have been sent by the team, mainly surrounding my Character right now and her continued struggles with Matt's death and also wanting to try and move on with her own life. I want to really dig into how far I can push her and her actions in terms of putting herself first, but also pulling others into her grief. I haven't experienced losing someone so significant in my life which I am very thankful for, but hearing how Harley talks about when she lost her best friend James is something I always have in the back of my mind when playing Leigh. She seen James as a Brother and the bond they had was something only Soldier's like Harley would experience. So I always have some of her words and expressions in my mind when I think about what Leigh could do losing someone so important. The way Harley can put things into words is incredible, so hearing her talk about anything is always so mesmerizing. And one of the best parts about playing Leigh is that she is very different to previous Characters I have played in the past so it is something I can really get into and explore new acting styles that I have watched and learnt about. I manage to lose all track of time when I am looking into the script infront of me that hen my phone starts to ring, I nearly miss it. But as soon as I glance over and see Harley's face on my screen, I can't get to it quick enough across the table to answer it. Instantly my heart is beating out of my chest when I see her face pop up onto my screen as her voice fills my ears.

"Good Afternoon beautiful.." Wow, I've really missed hearing that. I can't help but blush as my smile takes over my features hearing her voice. I can't help but take a moment just to take her in, seeing her Uniform peaking through the bottom of my screen with slightly messy hair and a mucky looking face. "Hey Soldier. It is so good to see your slightly dirty face." I tease, making her instantly break out into her signature grin as she chuckles lightly at my words. "Yeah it's been a long day.." she quickly tells me, but still with a huge smile on her face. "Tell me about it." I add without hesitation, wanting to know all about what she had been doing. "You really want to hear about my day?" She jokes, making me giggle so loudly as I nod my head. I just want to listen to her, no matter what she is talking about. But to be able to listen to what she has been up too is always so interesting. "Well, we have been doing some training exercises with the local Soldiers, wanting to see how they work and what they need support on. That way we can work more closely with them to help teach and train them in anyway we can.." Harley's smile is beaming as she carries on talking about what she has been doing for her first couple of days in Nigeria. She adores her work, so I know she is in her element being on Tour. I can't help but just sit and admire her as she tells me everything about her day before she runs out of things to say. "So, now I have told you everything about my day, I want to hear about what you have been doing in Sunny L.A my girl.." Fuck she is so cute. I love her way with words. Even though she blames it on being a British thing, it is deffinently just a Harley thing. She is just unapologetically her and I adore her for it. I end up gushing about my work on Sorry For Your Loss as she gets comfortable where ever she is sitting. I can see her listening and taking in every word I say, whether she knows what I mean or not. She listens and takes it all in. "I want to try and develop Leigh's Character even more this Season, try and dig into her grief even more." I explain as she nods her head softly in reply with a smile never leaving her lips. "If anyone can dive into emotions in a Character and show them perfectly, it's you Elizabeth Chase. You are so talented, you can achieve anything you put your mind too." How did I get so lucky to find someone so supportive and just so perfect. I can feel myself starting to get all emotional from her sweet words but she is quick to catch on to my bubbling emotions.

"So tell me your plans for next week beautiful." She quickly asks, distracting me from my tears as I manage to shake them off and go on to tell her some of the filming locations we have coming up and what we are planning to do at each one. And again she gives me her undivided attention until I end up running out of things to tell her. Then the feelings I have tried not to show start to bubble up in my chest. "I miss you Soldier.." I mumble, not trusting my voice too much right now. "I miss you too baby. But you sound like you have SO MUCH t keep you busy and before you know it, these next couple of Months will fly by.." Harley is quick to comfort me, and as much as her words do make me feel better, I can't help but think that 6 Months is such a long time to be apart. I just hope we make it through together and stronger than ever. As my thoughts begin to spiral, I catch Harley trying to hide a yawn from me. "What time is it in Nigeria?" I ask, making her quickly frown as she glances at her watch. "Harley.." I add, making her chuckle as she gives in. "A little past 11." She admits and I raise an eyebrow, knowing she should be asleep since her mornings always start so early when she in Tour. I catch her shrink a little under my gaze, knowing exactly what I am about to say. "You should be asleep baby." I add and she nods her head softly in agreement before trying to hide another yawn, but failing miserably making us both laugh. "Go get into your bunk and get some sleep Harley.. Please." I ask quietly, making her nod her head again as she gets up from where she has been sitting away from the Base. "Have fun with Scarlett at Lunch, and text me any gossip!" She teases, making me giggle as she walks back to her bunk. "Of course I will Soldier." I add, making her beam as she lets herself into her room and sits on her bed. "Now, go and get some sleep Harley Lane or I'll tell Mom on you!" I joke, making her laugh as she shakes her head. "I'm going, I'm going.. Until our next phone call baby.. Stay safe and I'll text you tomorrow." I can't help but swoon as I stare into her gorgeous eyes staring back at me through the phone. I can't wait to see them up close again. "I love you so, so much Harley. Please stay safe out there." I say a little sternly, wanting her to listen and take it all in. "Always baby. I love you too, more than I can ever put into words." We stretch out our goodbye for as long as we can before I blow her a kiss through the phone and eventually we end the call. As much as I miss my Soldier, I am so incredible proud of her and can't wait until we are together again.