Author's Note: Hi readers! I've been missing writing OG fanfic since i finished 'Ghosts' so I'm back with this. Going back a bit to just after Elvis' funeral now... just fancied filling in some gaps from series 3! Is it worth carrying on? Let me know x

It was late when Charles and Molly got home. The street was in near total darkness but for the security light by the porch that flicked on as their car came to a slow stop in the driveway outside their house in Bath. They sat in silence as Charles turned the engine off. It had been a long and draining day and their beloved friend Elvis had now been laid to rest.

Charles couldn't get the image of the union flag draped ever so neatly over the perfectly polished coffin out of his mind. How was it even possible that his best friend could have been inside?

He had hardly spoken two words on the drive home. Whenever she'd stolen a glance at him his face remained unchanged, devoid of any emotion, his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. He'd been stoic all day. He'd even gotten through his beautifully written eulogy without so much as a shaky breath.

She didn't know how he'd managed it. The tears had streamed down her own face as she'd looked on helplessly from their pew as an utterly bereft Georgie wailed beside Elvis' coffin. She'd swallowed the lump in her throat as Grace and Max Lane had to prize their daughter off of it, practically holding her upright as they struggled to get her to her seat so that the service could begin.

She hadn't been able to stop herself imagining what if that were Charles lying lifeless in that coffin? She could so easily be Georgie, she'd thought. It hit home harder than ever before that this could be their reality, especially whilst they were both still touring. She'd felt his arm drape around her shoulders as she sobbed quietly to herself, biting down hard on her lower lip in a bid not to make a sound - Georgie's howling was enough for everyone. It was so unfair. Why was it always the good ones? Smurf? Elvis? Her heart almost stung as she thought about it. Then he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and she stiffened as she realised it was the first time he'd made any attempt at physical contact since he came home from Nepal and that only made her sob harder. She had looked up at him briefly, but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were firmly on the back of Georgie's head up at the front as her Mum held her close and it seemed as though his thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

He'd stood by her side for the most part of the day, appearing the dutiful husband to the outsiders looking on. But he was the dutiful Army Captain first. She could feel it somewhere deep inside her - that he was merely going through the motions. He said all the right things to all the right people but it was as though he was on autopilot. He'd been here before but this time it was his best friend. She didn't quite understand it.

There was a moment however, when he appeared to come to life so to speak. She'd emerged from the Ladies' and saw him with his arms wrapped around Georgie, embracing her in what looked like the warmest of hugs. She almost felt a pang of jealousy; he hadn't held her like that for a long time. Georgie had her eyes closed and was leaning into his chest. He was saying something to her but she wasn't close enough to hear what it was. Georgie looked up at him and nodded, managing the smallest of smiles through her tear stained face which he reciprocated. In that split second it was as though he was back for a moment, Charles, not just his shell.

As she approached them they slowly pulled apart and then that stone faced look was back on his face. She instinctively, somewhat possessively she supposed, held onto his arm. "Georgie..." She said, her voice tinged with sympathy.

"Mols." Georgie replied with a quivering lip. Molly watched as her eyes flicked quickly from her arm linked with Charles' and then back to her. She had almost felt guilty, standing there next to her Captain when Georgie no longer had hers.

"I'm um.. I'm heading off now." Georgie had said, her voice beginning to wobble a bit. Molly nodded, trying to hold back her tears again. She didn't know what to say. I'm so sorry Georgie just didn't seem to cut it. Nothing she could have said would bring him back. It just felt a bit pointless. Suddenly she'd broken free from Charles and embraced Georgie into a hug. "You take care, yea?" She sniffed. Georgie pursed her lips together and nodded at her, breaking away from the hug before she fell apart again. And then she was gone.

Charles watched her until she was out of sight, his head then dropped downwards and he seemed to find the floor interesting for a moment. Then he sighed, "You ready?" He said, not even looking up at her. "Yea." She answered simply, and they were on their way home.

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"I'm gonna take a shower." Charles said once they were inside the house. He was already climbing the stairs up to the bathroom.

Molly sighed as she watched him disappear and then she followed in his footsteps, upstairs, where she then turned into the bedroom and flopped herself down onto the bed, exhausted. What a day.

Still puttin' up with Charlie-boy 'ere then?

She shook her head as she lay looking up at the ceiling, fondly remembering Elvis' cheeky demeanor. He was the big brother she never had. She was really going to miss him.

In the bathroom Charles stood in front of the mirror, barely recognising the man who stood looking back at him wearing full military dress uniform. Being in uniform was what held him together for the most part, but today he couldn't wait to take it off. He felt a fraud, wearing this uniform like a badge of honour when underneath, it was his poor judgement that had gotten Elvis killed.

He stepped into the shower and allowed the hot water to wash over him, washing the day away, oh how he wished it could wash away everything that had happened in Afghanistan. So many thoughts spun around in his head.

Cpt. Azizi: This mission, it's too much of a risk. I think we should abort... I have a bad feeling James, we are taking a huge risk, with my men and yours.

Cpt. James: It's what we signed up to do Azizi... we're in this together.

Richards: You remember that dicker on the way out 'ere? I think Azizi knows him... I know he's your mate Sir but you do 'ear about it don't ya, green on blue?

Cpt James: I trust Azizi to stand by me the way I trust all of you.

Cpt James: It was you! You told them we were coming. How could you do this? I trusted you!

Cpt James: I've done 5 tours of Afghanistan, for what?

Cpt James: Once we get clearance we're out of here, never to darken Afghanistan's door again, never again.

Cpt James: What good has it done really? Us, in Afghan? It's a fucking waste.

Kingy: With all due respect Sir we've all lost friends here. Me? I don't want to think that they might have died for nothing.

Elvis: Suspected IED on rooftop, ten liner, wait out.

Georgie: What am I gonna do without him?

Soon enough, he had broken. It was inevitable. Like floodgates trying to hold back a tsunami. Tears streamed from his eyes and he sobbed loudly, pushing his hands against the tiles in the shower to steady himself as he lost control for the first time that day.

Molly froze as she first heard his cries through the wall, then she almost felt a sense of relief. This had to happen at some point. He couldn't hold it in forever. She slowly got up from the bed and made her way to the bathroom door. She tried the handle, it was locked. "Charles?" She said, knocking on the door. He didn't answer. She could still hear him sobbing through the running water of the shower. With her palm flat against the door she leaned her head against it as her tears also fell.