Her heart thumped against her chest, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. She watched as Dodge seamlessly laced his fingers between hers as they made their way up to the entrance. To anyone, they now looked like a couple. Her body was in autopilot, she urged herself to yank herself from his grasp, but she couldn't. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt.
The cold air engulfed Cassie as they stepped into the street, a shiver running through her body as her heart continued to pound against her chest. Dodge's grip on her was tight, he pulled her along the pavement with no words. Cassie followed, her eyes scanning around her, hoping she'd see one of the guys who had gone for a cheeky cigarette, but she recognised no one.
As they turned the corner away from any crowds, Dodge pushed Cassie against the brick wall, her feet stumbling beneath her and her hands scrambled against the brick trying to steady her balance. The sound of London vibrated in Cassie's ears, the distant sirens, the rumble of late night traffic and the cheers and shouts of the drunk pedestrians as they walked the streets.
"What do you want Dodge?" Cassie asked, looking into the cockney's dull eyes, the yellow street lights making his skin look even more clammier and waxy.
"I want you to pay." He sneered, his face inches from hers; Cassie gulped. He was fidgeting on his feet, stepping side to side as his breaths were hectic and heavy. Cassie watched him as his eyes frantically searched her face, trying to figure out what to do.
Dodge stepped closer to Cassie, his hands either side of her head, his palms resting against the brick wall. She was trapped, there was no way to get out.
"Pay for what Dodge? I did nothing." She tried to stay calm, but her voice was shaky, the alcohol making her fear him even more. She wasn't in control, she was in a flimsy dress in high heels, it would be different if she had her uniform on, it made her feel unstoppable, filled her with courage. But now she felt useless and weak.
"You got me kicked out, you ruined my career," his voice was a whisper, "I have NOTHING because of you," he bellowed, his saliva spitting in her face, her body trembling at his outrage.
"I didn't Dodge." Cassie bit back, her voice stronger than before, "I never asked for anything to be done, I only mentioned it to Captain James and the psychologist you made me see." She added, she stared into Dodge's eyes, the ones that once glistened now dull. Fury boiled through her body, but it wasn't enough to help her. She was stuck, she had to hope that someone would turn the corner and see her.
"It was you…" Cassie's eyes narrowed, "You've been watching me, following me?" A smirk grew on Dodge's face, like he was happy that he had been caught.
Suddenly his hand grabbed quickly at Cassie's hair, pulling at the tight slick backed locks, her head jolting to the side. Pain riddled her scalp, and as she opened her eyes from wincing in pain she could feel something scratching her skin. A knife.
"Please." Cassie whispered, she was plastered against the wall, she could feel his hand shaking, the silver blade buzzing against the skin on her exposed neck.
"No." He whimpered, no longer able to carry himself with anger and hate, "You ruined everything," his voice cracked, "and you need to pay for it." His eyes glazed over, the sudden vulnerability gone and replaced once again with anger. His hand was still shaking and his breathing erratic, his eyes stared into Cassie's.
Cassie looked around slightly, she hoped that the busy streets of London would come to her aid, but it was quiet and empty. Cassie gulped, her throat contracting slightly she felt the blade closer on her skin.
"Come on, someone's going to see, and then your life will be ruined." Cassie tried to rationalise with him, "My career is over Dodge." She lied, "I got shot. I can't go back to serve. I'll be pushing papers for the rest of my days." A tear fell down her face, she tried to stay strong, to find all the bravery she had in her injured body, she searched his eyes, trying to get him to see what he was doing.
"Please." Cassie whispered again, it was like time stood still, his breathing was heavy, his body fidgeting and the knife pressed against her neck. All he needed to do was take one quick swipe and she'd be down. But he was hesitating.
Taking as deep a breath as she could, Cassie snapped her arm to Dodge's, twisted his wrist away from her and lifted her knee into his groin. He yelped in pain, crumbling to the floor, Cassie's hand still gripped onto his wrist and twisting it further until he dropped the knife. The knife clattered to the floor, the sound of the blade rung in her ears. She fell to the floor, her knee resting on his back as she held his arm twisted behind him.
"Cass?" A shocked voice ran through her ears, Cassie looked over to see Ben's towering frame tumble round the corner and run towards her.
Cassie stumbled back on her feet, Ben had grabbed at Dodge after her quick explanation. His large frame picking up the cockney with just one hand holding him and pushing him against a nearby wall, all whilst he rang the police on his phone with his spare hand.
Cassie's back hit the brick wall before she slid to the floor, the cold pavement touching her bare legs. She was unsure how long it took but she sat in silence as they waited, her ears blocking out the words Ben and Dodge spoke, just muffled sounds went into her brain. Cassie looked on at the thrashing cockney, the blue lights illuminating her surroundings, flashing off the railings and shop windows.
Cassie watched a group of feet tumble onto the street, a mixture of voices asking Ben what happened as he handed Dodge to the police. Lifting her eyes she was met by Charles, his tall frame crouching down and meeting her gaze. Her chest tightened.
"Are you OK?" He asked her softly, his hand reaching and pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. His fingers pulled back and brushed at her cheek before holding her chin and moving her head slightly so he could see the small scratch that sat on her neck. Cassie nodded, her body frozen in shock, her heart still pounding against her chest. Charles' hand lingered, his fingers stroking her cheek.
After giving a statement to the police and being checked by a paramedic, Cassie fell into Ben's large frame. His arms engulfing her, she didn't cry, all she did was stand limply in his arms.
"Can we go back to the hotel?" She asked, pulling out of his hug and looked at him.
"Sure." He said softly, "Let me grab my jacket from the cloak room." He rubbed her arm and walked back towards the bar. Cassie leant on the railing, she watched the rest of the group as they listened to Charles, they all gave a sympathetic look towards Cassie before Charles tapped one on the back and urged them to leave.
Charles turned and looked at the blonde, her body shivering in the cold night, her face down and her eyes carrying no spark.
"Are you sure you're OK?" Charles asked, Cassie nodded again, her eyes lifting to meet his. Charles searched her face for answers, and as his eyes met hers he watched as the tears gathered in her glossy gaze, her lip began to tremble before she sniffed back the tears and blinked heavily.
"You're with Williams?" Charles asked, it wasn't the right time but he was unsure when the right time would be.
"We're just friends Charles, nothing more than that," She chuckled slightly, her face momentarily holding happiness.
"Sorry." Charles dropped his head, looking at his feet and rubbing the back of his neck, "Call me tomorrow." Charles gave a soft stroke of her arm before stepping away, leaving her in Ben's capable hands.
Cassie followed Ben into a taxi, she sat quietly as the black cab drove them round the London streets. Her eyes blurry and tiredness rushing through her body. She could see Ben watching her through the corner of her eyes, his worrisome face directed at her. He didn't know what to say, how to react; she could see his mouth opening and closing now and then searching for the right words to say.
"I'm going for a shower." Cassie mumbled as she followed Ben into the room. She had taken her heels off in the taxi and dumped them on the floor as soon as the door closed behind her. Ben looked at her, a soft smile on his face to try and reassure her, he rubbed her shoulder and walked further into the room as she went into the bathroom.
Cassie looked at the large shower cubicle, her back softly hitting the closed bathroom door. She wished she could just close her eyes and wake up from a very bad dream, but it wasn't to be. Looking ahead at the large shower Cassie wished there were a bath, so she could soak in her misery for a while, but in an attempt to modernise the unreasonably large shower sat in the indent where a bath most likely once stood.
Stripping her clothes off Cassie padded to the shower, turning it on and waiting for the hot water to steam up the room. Slowly, the large mirror that backed one wall began to mist, taking her cue Cassie stepped into the shower, closing the door behind her.
The hot jets hit her skin with ferocity, her fair skin growing red as the water continued to stream down her body. Stepping further into the stream Cassie let the water flow over her head, her hair saturating slowly and her face covered in water.
A sob escaped her lips, she caught the next one with her hand as her body began to convulse. She stumbled back, her sobs strangled by her hand over her mouth, her other hand rubbing her wet hair from her face; no doubt smearing her make up everywhere.
Sliding down the cold tiles Cassie curled her knees to her chest, the water tapping viciously against the shower floor now that nobody occupied the space under the stream. One side of her body was splashed by the water, the tiny droplets keeping half her body damp whilst the other half slowly dried up as she nestled in the corner.
Ben looked at the time on his phone, he was in bed waiting for Cassie, ready to feign sleep when she came from the bathroom. It had been over an hour since they came back, he had expected her shower to be longer than usual, but not this long. Biting down on his lip Ben tossed onto his back, wondering what to do.
Flipping the duvet off his topless body, he swung his legs off the bed and pushed himself up.
"Cass?" He called as he reached the bathroom door, knocking slightly to wait for a reply. She didn't respond. He tried again but a little louder, his heart pumping against his chest as he went through all the possibilities. Ben bit down on the inside of his lip again before running his hand through his short hair, his eyes stared at the door handle; he had to hope she didn't lock it.
He placed his hand on the metal handle, wondering whether to open the door. If she was OK he would be breaking all friend code, walking in whilst she was naked in the shower. But if she wasn't OK Ben wouldn't be able to forgive himself. Taking a deep breath Ben stared intently at the floor before pushing the handle down and giving the door a push. It was unlocked.
Ben threw his hand up to shield his eyes, just in case, as he was engulfed by the iridescent bathroom light. The room was full with steam, the shower still pelting the floor.
"Sorry Cass, I just wanted…" Ben's words trailed off as he looked up for a moment, the blonde was curled in the corner, her forehead resting on her bare knees, her body shaking. Ben wasn't sure if the shakes were from her being cold or sobs that escaped her lips every now and then.
"Cass?" Ben stepped forward, grabbing the towel on the towel rack - that was thankfully warm. He opened the cubicle door and reached to turn the shower off.
Slowly, he tried to grab at her hand but she snapped it away, her face still hidden from him.
"Come on, you'll freeze to death…" Ben said softly, trying to ease her from the cubicle. He had never seen her like this, they had both been through hard times, and Ben had even experienced one of Cassie's breakups, but she was never like this. Tonight had made something inside of her burst, all the thoughts and feelings she kept hidden had trickled to the edge and she had no way of dealing with it other than shutting down.
Cassie still refused to move, Ben tried to drape the warm towel round her to as least give her some warmth. He quickly pushed his unused towel on the towel rack before leaving the bathroom once again. Grabbing his phone he did the only thing he could think of doing, he was unsure if it was right, but someone must know how to get her out the shower.
As Ben waited he turned the heating up further and threw Cassie's pyjamas onto the towel rack to warm up. He shoved the radio on the TV on and turned it down slightly, at least the room wouldn't be in complete silence. He found classical FM and hoped they'd be streaming this early, in hope that the calm orchestral pieces would ease Cassie slightly.
A knock on the door disrupted Ben from his thoughts, as he passed the open bathroom door he glanced at Cassie, her frame shaking slightly, her knees still curled into her chest. She hadn't moved an inch, her forehead was still resting on her knees, her hair still damp but slowly drying in places as strands began to frizz up from the once steamed room.
"Sir." Ben opened the door and was greeted by Captain James, he was slightly smaller than Ben but even though they were not in uniform Charles breathed authority.
"Charles, or James if you wish, but not sir, not tonight." Charles said softly patting Ben on the arm and entering the room.
Charles padded softly a few steps before being greeted by the white illumination from the bathroom. He stared in, his body stopping for a moment as he looked at the strong, kind, funny, smart blonde crumpled into a heap in the corner of the shower. His heart ached when he saw her, his face dropping and his eyes stinging. He was still seething at what Dodge had done when Ben called him, and now the anger began to boil once more when he looked at the broken blonde in front of him.
Cassie's body remained still, her mind elsewhere as she ran through everything that had happened. She could hear Ben slightly as he pottered around the room, doing things, mumbling to himself, and even putting the radio on. Cassie could hear the soft twinkle of a piano piece run through the room and to where she sat, but she couldn't make much sense of it. She heard the door open and close, wondering what Ben had gone and what he had got at this late hour, but her wondering stopped quickly when she was transported back to tonight, to her last few months and to her future.
"Cass…" the voice whispered, Cassie wondered if she was in a dream because the voice was not Ben's. The voice repeated itself once more, she knew the voice, and dreamed of it most nights. Her skin was bare once more as the towel that was half draped over her body was removed, she heard the damp thud as it hit the tiled floor. The touch that followed the thud sent tingles down her spine, the warm of their fingertips on the back of her hand made her jolt slightly. She knew that touch, the caring tickle and the soft brush. The hand crept further, pushing between her shin and her thigh, attempting to grab her hand. Cassie had little energy, and the touch was so familiar, so welcoming, that she gave in.
"Let's get you up, ey Price." The words came as soon as her hand grasped his, she remembered. Falling out of her haze she realised that the soft whisper and the familiar touch all belonged to the man she shouldn't have, Captain James.
Sobs escaped her lips once again, she felt Charles pull her body up, his hands resting on her bare skin. Goosebumps layered her skin as she was exposed to the cold air once again. Charles held her up with one hand, supporting her body with his whilst he grabbed the towel and wrapped her in it.
"It'll be OK." Charles shushed Cassie as he wrapped his arms round her and pulled her into his chest. Her body sobbed into his chest, his hand gently stroking her now covered back.
Charles was acutely aware that Ben was standing in the doorway, the tall soldier looking on at his close friend and Captain. Charles knew that everything that he had done was wrong, but the woman in his arms made him feel whole again. Charles hoped that Ben wouldn't say anything, he was the one that called him, so it was likely he already knew.
Slowly, Charles pulled Cassie into the bedroom. Grabbing her warm clothes off the towel rack and planting her on the bed.
"Ben and I are gonna go outside to let you get changed." Charles said softly, the soft drawl of a dramatic classical piece interrupting the silence. Charles knew there was nothing more embarrassing than being found in a bathroom, naked and having a breakdown, he could at least give her some more dignity and let her clothe herself.
The two men stepped out of the room and they both let out a large sigh.
"Thanks for calling me." Charles said, reaching Ben's eyes with his own, Ben had a soft smile and nodded.
"You can stay, if you want…" Ben shrugged, "Schumi is upstairs I can bunk with him." He added,
"We'll see what Cass wants." Charles said softly.
The door unlocked beside them, the wooden door opening slightly to reveal Cassie. Her damp hair hung over her baggy white top, her legs shaking slightly in the striped shorts she wore. Her eyes were red and dark circles surrounded them as the make up she had been wearing hadn't been removed properly. She stepped back quietly and let the two grown men in.
"I'm going to sleep." She smiled weakly before padding towards the bed and curling up under the duvet. The lights had all been turned off bar the bedside light, and the TV was no longer playing classical music.
"Stay with her." Ben said softly, tapping Charles on the shoulder before grabbing his bag quietly and leaving the room.
Charles stood in the entrance way, battling with what to do next. It was late - or early - and Cassie would only manage to get a few hours sleep, that is if she got to sleep. Biting down on his lip Charles kicked his shoes off, deciding whether to hop in the spare bed or slide in next to Cassie to give her some support.
"Come here." Cassie whispered, she shuffled slightly in the bed and pushed the duvet aside. Charles gave a warm smile before pushing his jeans off and pulling off his top.
Cassie felt his warmth as he slid into the bed next to her, his arm wrapped around her body, pulling her into his chest. Taking a deep breath Cassie calmed, her body moulding into his side; his warmth radiating through her body. His fingertips slowly tickling at her back, soothing her softly. It wasn't long until Charles could hear her soft breathing fill the room, dipping his head slightly he placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head before falling back and attempting to sleep.
A/N: Hola, apologies for the delay... again. Once again, I really appreciate all your reviews and thoughts, they're always welcome :)