This is my very first fanfic, please be kind :) all comments and feed back welcome!
He wasn't really sure why he'd agreed to this. Possibly because he was utterly fed up of his mother fussing and his ex-wife giving him absolute hell and stopping him from spending decent time with his son. When Elvis had suggested a break staying with him in Stockport, he'd jumped at the chance for a change of scenery. Elvis got it, he knew he was struggling with being stuck at home and his mother hen pecking him when all he wanted was to be back on the battlefield doing what he loved, but he had to wait out. He had to get himself 100% right before they'd let him anywhere near another tour.
He hadn't had Elvis down as the rugby type, more football. Charles had played a lot whilst he was at school and even played in the army during his early days, before he became a Captain and responsibility took over. Now he'd give anything to be out there with them, even just for a mess around.
Just watching Elvis and lads made the familiar ache in his leg nag at him, the one courtesy of the Taliban and the one responsible for keeping him land locked.
"Charlie my man. Won't be long then we'll meet Georgie and the girls" he responded with a thumbs up and then a middle finger salute when he thought Elvis couldn't see him "I saw that you moody fuck"
As she pulled into Stockport Station, a belly full of shots and regret from the night before, She couldn't quite believe that she was actually here. Molly had been working towards this for as long as she could remember. She'd done shit at school thanks to her less than ideal situation at home, but had knuckled down when she found that there was an access course that offered her the chance to put all that right and finally get to uni.
Despite her families lack of support she'd finally done it, she'd passed her course and got into uni against all the odds that seemed to be against her.
She chose Stockport so she could put as much distance between her and her Dad as possible. He couldn't interfere with her life up here and all that shit with Artan had finally finished her and Dave for good his time. He'd tried to marry her off in exchange for some mug putting a nail gun through his hand, all so he could go back on the sick.
Molly pulled out her phone to check the directions that her new flat mate had sent her. She'd never met this Georgie Lane before but once Molly had found the room for rent online and the deal was agreed between them, Georgie had been quick to add her on Facebook. Probably to have a nose but Molly didn't mind. She was glad to see that Georgie looked friendly and probably around the same age as her. Moving to new city at the other end of the country was daunting enough for her so at least she felt like she kind of knew someone. She was a soldier by the looks of things with a pretty fit bloke with a stupid name.
"Right Charlie. Put on your Sunday best coz we're going out" Elvis was already tarted up to the nines, so much so that Charles eyes were watering from the strength of his aftershave.
"I'll give this one a miss. Legs aching"
"Oh no you don't, you're coming out! We're only going to the rugby club, you can sit on your arse there in the company of some of the lovely ladies I'm sure Georgie will have with her. Come on, you didn't come all this way to sit in my flat on your jack jones"
With some protesting and a few threats from Elvis that he'd shoot him and they both knew he wasn't good with shooting, he limped his way to the shower "And don't be putting on that limp to guilt trip me either" Elvis shouted after him.
He knew Elvis meant well and was trying to get him back out there after Rebecca had left him whilst he was in hospital recovering from gunshot wounds to the stomach and legs. Wounds that had very nearly killed him, in fact he had died a couple of times in the MERT and on the operating table. Some days he felt so low that he wished they'd never resuscitated him. Without Sam he felt like he didn't have much to live for.
"So this is your room Molly. It's pretty spacious and there's a coat cupboard down the hall where I keep my jackets and shoes, you can bung yours in there too if you like to save wardrobe space. Help yourself if you ever fancy borrowing anything"
"Thanks Georgie" she smiled shyly
After the grand tour of the new flat Molly was ready to settle in for the night, the long journey with a hangover finally taking its toll.
"I'm heading to the local rugby club for a few drinks with my fella and some of our army mates. You should come! I don't suppose you know anyone at the moment?"
It was the last thing she wanted to do but she felt rude declining the offer of friendship as soon as she got there "No I'm literally Billy no mates"
"What brought you to Stockport? Can't of been the scenery" they shared a laugh "I just wanted a fresh start, you know a complete change of scenery to shitty London"
"I get that" Georgie sensed there was a bit more to it than that and hoped she'd share it with her in time "Ok well I'm just about ready. Help yourself to anything in the bathroom or the kitchen. Will I give you time to get ready?" "That would be great. Thanks, for everything" Georgie smiled and left her to sort herself out. She rifled through the limited clothes she had, she definitely needed to go shopping. Georgie was very obviously a glamour puss and extremely good looking, Molly felt a bit like a plain Jane in comparison.
Charles found himself in his usual position, stuck in the corner because Elvis felt the need to protect him from whatever it was he was protecting him from.
"How's the legs now Charlie boy?"
"Still aching"
"Corr I look forward to the day that I start getting full sentences again Chaz"
Charles kept his eyes firmly on his drink, he knew he was being extremely moody and difficult but he felt like he could be whatever he needed to be with Elvis and it was okay, and he was right. Elvis knew the score, he knew how deeply unhappy his friend was and he was there to just be whatever Charles needed him to be at that moment.
"Georgie's here so I'm gonna get another round in. Same again?"
He nodded to the same again as his eyes wondered to Georgie and her pretty little friend he'd never seen before. All glossy dark hair and a tiny frame next to Georgie's tall model like stature. She was striking and for the first time in a long time he'd noticed someone. He turned his attention away from the girls to concentrate on whatever rugby was playing on the big screen above the bar, hoping Elvis wouldn't catch him looking and no doubt push him onto some stranger.
"Evening Charles. You alright?" Georgie's voice carried over the sound of the lads getting ratted and noise of the tv much to Charles annoyance "Fine George. You?"
She could sense that he wasn't in the mood for small talk "That's Charles. He's..erm, not really himself at the moment" Molly eyed him suspiciously, quietly taken in by his brooding good looks "What's the matter with him?"
"Oh Christ what isn't he matter with him is the question" she giggled. Georgie filled her in on just enough so that she wouldn't feel offended by his standoffishness.
"Here you go ladies. I took the liberty of getting you the bottle. If your anything like Georgie here then you'll know how to put them away" Georgie slapped Elvis' arm
"Cheeky prick! Molly this is Elvis, Elvis this is my new flat mate Molly" Molly couldn't help but wonder why he was wearing sunglasses inside and why his name is Elvis
"Nice to meet you... Elvis" she smirked
She giggled as he gob shitted his way through his usual speech about himself "As you can see Molly, he's not a bit modest is our Elvis" Georgie muttered under her breath "Oi I'll have you know that my name is sacred round here. So no piss taking! Have you met Charles?"
"That miserable sod in the corner? Well, sort off" she found her eyes drawn to him, he was so bloody handsome.
Charles could feel their eyes on him as he swirled his drink in his hand, completely ignoring his audience. "He's a bit of a wounded soldier right now. Physically and mentally, so we've got to look after him! Bit on the fragile side" she saw Charles roll his eyes to heavens and knock back the rest of his drink as Elvis spoke about him.
"I am here you know Elvis. Wanker" he spat. He looked far too young and handsome to have the weight of the world on his shoulders she thought to herself.
After several rounds and bottle of wine later they decided it would be a good idea to show the Londoner what Stockport was all about "Right one more for the road then we'll get some taxis" Elvis stumbled to his feet "I'll get these Elvis, it's my round"
She watched him as he limped to the bar "Do you think give him a hand Mol? Poor bastard can hardly walk" Georgie was laughing so much at a pissed up Elvis she didn't dare drag herself away from him.
"I thought I'd give you a hand" her voice made him jump "Sorry I didn't mean to scare you, just I saw you struggling and thought I'd, you know help" She hadn't meant to sound as awkward as she did "Its fine. I'm fine" his curt and cold response wasn't what she was expecting "Ok then.."
She lingered at the bar for a minute just to make sure, rummaging through her bag to make herself feel less awkward. He'd paid and was h overing, unsure if his leg was going to allow him to walk back without buckling and the last thing he needed was to hit the deck in front of this lot of piss takers and send a tray of drinks flying.
She noticed him holding the bar for support, his right leg held slightly off the ground doing some kind of routine of movements "Are you alright?" Her voice was full of the sympathy that he was absolutely bloody sick off "I'm fine. I just told you I'm fine" her cheeks flushed red as he snapped at her.
She tried not to take it personally after what Georgie has told her, she took a few steps closer to him and offered him her hand, maybe he'd respond better to physical contact. Reluctantly he accepted her help, she clearly wasn't about to piss off like he wished she would. Instead of taking her hand placed his hand on her shoulder, using it to support himself. She grabbed the tray from the bar, silently and slowly they made their way back to the table, him wincing the whole way.
She put they tray down whilst keeping hold of him so he didn't lose his balance, the others didn't seem to noticed the trouble their crippled mate had been in.
He stayed standing, stayed holding onto her for support for longer than he intended "Thank you" he winced as she moved a chair closer for him to sit. He groaned as he finally took the weight off his right leg, The worst of the two, almost hopping as he lowered himself into the chair.
He'd gone back to being quiet and unfriendly after that. Not that their exchange was exactly friendly in the first place.
"Right guys and Doris', Let's neck these and make a move. Cabs are on their way" Elvis and this rest of his mates made light work of their drinks "Who's Doris?" Molly whispered "Oh I'm the Doris. And now you are too. It's a term they use in the army for a female" Molly couldn't help but laugh, she was used to her cockney rhyming slang not army banter, she wondered how she'd found herself here in the middle of a load of soldiers on her first night in her new life.
"I think your grumpy mate over there needs to go home" she was more concerned than she should be about a bloke she'd barely met
"He'll be alright Molly. He sticks with Elvis don't worry about him. He's been through a lot, a hell of a lot. The time out will hopefully so him good. He's actually a really nice bloke when you catch him in his normal state. Those injuries he's got, they're fucking with his head" Charles' ears were burning as usual, he could tell she was asking about him by the way she kept sneaking a look. She really was pretty, her green eyes like orbs. He was struck by her kindness at the bar even after he'd been rude to her, he was also struck by his own willingness to let her help him. Something he'd never usually do is accept help from a stranger, or anyone come to that but she seems kind and genuine, like she really cared he made it back to his seat in one piece. Maybe she just wanted her drink was more like it he thought to himself.
Determined to show "Dawsey" as they'd now christened her a good time they ended up at the cheesiest club Stockport had to offer. She'd ended up sandwiched between him and some prat called fingers in the cab, and spent the whole journey trying desperately not to let her leg touch off his, unsure if it would cause him pain or not "It's not catching" he whispered in her ear, pissing her right off
"Oh.. I didn't.. I wasn't... I just didn't want to hurt you" he felt guilty when her innocent expression met his grumpy eyes. He tried to apologise but the cab had stopped and her a fingers had darted, throwing the cab fare in the window to the driver before he'd even managed to make a start on getting himself out the car "Do you need a hand mate?" The driver offered seeing his struggle "I'm fine, thank you. I just need a minute".
By the time he joined them in the line for the club they'd already been there 10 minutes "Charlie boy. You coping? You alright?" Elvis put a protected arm around him. Molly thought he was quite sweet really, the way he looked out for his friend "Fine. Although I'm not sure I should have come. They probably won't let me in, I don't fit the criteria being half crippled"
"Fuck off Charlie. Nice try mate! You're coming in" she noticed he was limping more heavily now. Maybe it was the soon to be student nurse in her that made her want to look after him or maybe it was just the fact that he was hot as bloody hell. She was only just getting a good look at him now under the bright lights of the club but he was definitely a looker.
He was tall, much taller than her 5ft1 frame and muscular under his simple shirt. Thick curly brown hair and brown eyes that could melt your soul if he looked into your eyes "Dishy ain't he" Georgie caught her admiring "Well you wouldn't kick him out of bed for farting would ya" they both laughed, full blown hysterics after a few too many vino's.
"He's single! You should have a chat if you catch my drift" "Oh no, I'm not looking for anything. I've just come out of a long term relationship. That went to shit! I'm not ready for anything yet" Georgie eyed her suspiciously "hmm well your eyes say different Dawsey, Men like him don't stay single for long"
The club was heaving and the lack of anywhere to sit or even lean was pissing Charles off. She hadn't spoken to him since the cab journey and he didn't blame her. He'd been nothing but rude since they'd met earlier that evening. His legs were getting heavy now and becoming increasingly hard to walk on. His eyes scoured the dance floor for Elvis or Georgie to let them know he was going to head back when she popped up in front of him "Beer?" She handed him a bottle, the confused look on his face suggested he didn't know why a bloody little stranger like her was buying him a drink "I owed you one. From the round earlier" she filled him in "Oh Thank you. You didn't have to worry though. And I owe you for the cab fare" the infectious giggle let out gave him butterflies "Don't worry about it " He decided out of politeness he'd drink the beer she'd got him before heading home, he'd text Elvis or send a message with Molly to let them know he was leaving.
He was just about to bend down to meet her ear when some idiot had knocked him flying, nearly completely off his feet "Oi watch it twat" Molly called after him, grabbing Charles' arm to help steady him. The shooting pains had left him dizzy and unable to catch his breath, he could see her mouth moving, she was speaking but everything was fuzzy and in slow motion "Charles!" Her hand grabbing him brought him back to the here and now
"Are you alright? Should I get Elvis?" It took him a moment before he could speak "Don't worry about me. I'm fine" he turned and legged it out the club. Quite quickly for someone with bad legs she thought as she watched him go.
Even though she'd just met him she couldn't help but feel a little rejected by him "get a fucking grip Molly" she told herself "He'd never look at the likes of you" she could hear Dave's voice telling her she'd never be good enough.
It had taken him far longer to get out of the club than he realised. His legs could barely carry him, he hailed a taxi and breathed a sigh of relief when he was back in the safety of the back seat. He put his head in his hand to try and stop the noise, his ears rang making him dizzy. He pulled his buzzing phone from his pocket;
Elvis: Charlie where'd you get too mate? Are you alright?
Charles: I'm fine just needed to get back. Enjoy the night, I'm okay.
But the truth is he was anything but okay. His life was falling apart and there was no amount of nights out with Elvis that was going to fix his broken heart or his health. He was finished and he couldn't see a way out of this mess.