Goniff

Goniff had gone back to his room at Amber's request. He'd felt bad leaving Chiefy when he was clearly so unwell, but having called for help didn't really know what to do next. He'd been relieved when Diesel had matter of factly elbowed him to one side and taken over the more unsavoury aspect of the problem.

Sleep came eventually, but he didn't sleep easy. Why had he agreed to go to London with Casino? Although he knew he'd escaped the flu lightly, compared to Actor, he would have freely admitted, had anyone asked, that he wasn't as yet himself. However, for the last twelve months the safecracker had been good to him. Since day one of this they'd watched each other's backs. He'd been asked for his support so he'd given it.

Unable to relax, the Cockney had finally given up on resting, packed his bag and gone down to the hallway to wait. He'd expected Casino to be up and around early, so it had been a surprise when the man was late and looking somewhat dishevelled.

Like Casino he'd raided the kitchen for whatever quick snack was on offer, but for once it was just fuel and tasted like cardboard in his mouth.

The drive to the station in the open jeep hadn't improved matters. He'd huddled down as much as he could behind the larger figure of Actor, but still couldn't stop shivering.

London was grey and depressing. Had it been this bad last time he'd been here on a pass or was it just his frame of mind? He didn't know. Casino was chattering loudly about what the break would bring. It seemed to sum up as birds, beer and repeat. Goniff has no illusions about what it would mean for him. Casino got the girl, he got the ugly spare or he went back to the boarding house alone to wait until the pub opened again. When had it stopped being fun?

When he met Millie, he suddenly realised. That was the difference. He was no different from any other man, he had his needs, but picking up loose women in pubs wasn't really his way, left to his own devices.

Perhaps he should have tried to get his cousin's address from his mum and gone over to see her, but the pass had been sprung on them too fast - and to be honest it hadn't occurred to him until now.

His musings had taken them to their usual boarding house. It was too early for it to be open, but Casino's hammering on the door and bellowing had eventually resulted in an upstairs window bring flung open and a head sporting an array of curlers stuck itself out.

The head withdrew and the window was slammed shut. Moments later the front door opened.

"Casino, Goniff why didn't you say you were coming?" she admonished as they were let in and shown to their usual room.

Casino threw his bag onto one of the single beds and followed it with his own body. The springs screeched in protest as 175 pounds of safecracker tested them to their limits.

Goniff put his bag down somewhat more gently, and sat on the edge of the other bed, waiting.

Their first visit to the pub was no better. The girl that Casino had come here to see wasn't there. In fact there were no women there, just a couple of tired-looking men nursing their beers, making them last as long as they could. The pub wasn't hot, but it was a darned sight warmer than the street outside and probably even some of the houses. Fuel was in short supply and a lot of people would be doing without, bundling themselves in layers of clothes in a vain attempt to keep warm.

Casino came back to the table, carrying two glasses. "Says Ruthie and Edi haven't been in today. Ruth said her ma wasn't well.

Goniff took a sip of the beer. It tasted slightly stale, but maybe his taste buds were a bit out from the flu. "That's OK, Casino. Edi weren't really my type. Let's just have a bite to eat and I'll go back and have a little snooze to set me up for the evening."

His words seemed to have the desired effect. He knew Casino was trying to be nice to him. It wasn't the New Yorker's fault that he mostly got it wrong.

And in the end that was what they did. They finished their pints, washing down pies that in no way contained the meats they purported to, and went their separate ways. Casino to try and find the absent Ruthie - who he was certain would be delighted to know that her favourite 'Yank' was in town, and Goniff to take a nap and consider his options.

Goniff awoke in the middle of the afternoon, realising that whilst he'd slept his unconscious brain had reached a decision for him. He was going 'home'. If he was quick he could get a train, from there it was a half-hour walk to the Mansion. He would still have time to take Millie to the Doves. Repacking the few items he'd taken out into his grip, he scribbled a short note for his missing room mate and shot down the stairs.

"Sorry Mrs P," he apologised to the landlady as he shot out the door. "Sumfink's cum up."

She stood there in surprise, then quietly closed the front door behind the departing whirlwind. It didn't surprise her. She'd often wondered about how faithful the little Cockney was to his brasher companion. It looked like he was finally 'kicking over the traces'.

Having made his decision, Goniff felt like a weight had fallen off his shoulders. Yeah, Casino might be miffed when he found out, but he was sure he could talk the man around.

He was out of breath when he reached the station, but he made it onto the train, collapsing onto a seat with relief. Next stop the Mansion, and if it meant a little walk, then so be it.

GG GG GG GG

Surprisingly the train encountered no delays, so when the Cockney alighted he was slightly ahead of schedule. Things improved even more when he spotted a USAAF jeep from the Airbase about to depart with a driver that was only too happy to give him a lift part of the way. It was clearly meant to be.

Goniff's arrival at the Mansion coincided with the departure of Amber's older sister Sapphire. "Hello, Saffie, whacher doin' here?" he greeted.

"Hello Goniff. I could say the same for you. Thought you were in London."

"Yeah, well, I was. Just didn't work out, like." The Cockney fidgeted. He wanted to get inside and cleaned up.

Sapphire was no fool, she spotted that the pickpocket was on a mission, but was too polite to dismiss her out of hand as the others would have done. "Just asking a favour of Diesel," she explained quickly. "Millie's home alone if you're at a loose end," she offered innocently. No harm in stirring a little, she surmised, hiding the small smile that played on her lips.

Goniff took the hint. He shot into the kitchen, built a corned beef doorstep sandwich that he ate whilst having a quick wash and brush-up and was on his way to the farm on an 'appropriated' bicycle, within half an hour of arriving.

Sapphire was spot on. Millie was 'home alone', and just settling down for a boring evening with only the radio for company. It took no effort to persuade her to throw on her glad rags (a clean set of Land Army uniforms), mount her own two-wheeled steed and accompany her suitor to the pub.