A/N May 4, 2019: If you currently are reading this story, note that all chapters have been updated. See author's note for chapter 1.

Chapter 7: Can she really be that special?

JACK

Jack closed the door behind Georgie, then sat down on the bed, with a sigh and a small laugh, leaning his head in his palms. Now that she was gone, thoughts were spinning wild in his head. Part of him was excitedly happy, part wondered how the hell he could have done this. As an Officer in Her Majesty's Army he should always keep emotions in check whilst on duty, both on the outside and inside. He had failed big time. Even if Army regulations did not per se describe what applied to "fake dead" officers, he seriously doubted that his superiors would approve of this situation had they known about it. She was no longer in his chain of command at least, not since Captain James had taken over, thank fuck, but anyway, a moment of weakness and it had ended in this.

- OG -

The first time Jack had heard about Georgie Lane was when he and Elvis had a beer together as they found themselves in the same bar an evening off duty. They knew each other from Sandhurst and liked to hang out when they got an opportunity, which was rare due to their profession.

Jack himself always had his fair share of female attention and enjoyed it, but Elvis was hard to beat. A handsome, charming, dark Italian, with the fit statue of a special forces soldier - the number of women who sought his attention was almost ridiculous. But as the evening went on, Jack realised that even if it may seem like Elvis was flirting he was actually turning all of them down nicely.

"As far as I know Elvis, you're a single guy and having an evening off duty, so you have every right to enjoy yourself..."

"Yeah?"

"So, why are you brushing off every woman that comes over? Not interested in women?"

"Oh yes, I love women... but I'm only interested in one. Georgie Lane."

"Is she your girlfriend then?"

Elvis' eyes turned dark.

"No, I'm trying to convince her to be."

Jack had never been in love for real and felt curious about what kind of woman that had made the heartbreaker Elvis fall at her feet.

"What makes her so special compared to all others?" He made a gesture around the bar where there were quite a few pretty girls.

"I loved her from the first moment I saw her..." Elvis started but was interrupted by Jack who snorted so beer sprayed the table.

"Seriously?! How does one even do that, when you don't know the person? Isn't that just something people say because they want to sound romantic?"

"Remember I'm Italian, we're passionate. Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, go on..."

"There is just no one else as beautiful and brave as her… ", Elvis continued. "…and smart and funny and kind hearted. She is a medic in the Army, you know, and she gets me like no other woman ever could."

He nursed his beer like he had lost interest in drinking it.

"Sounds like you're really lost, mate. So, what's the problem? How come she is resisting your charms when everyone else falls head over heels?"

"Well, because she is not everyone. And because I had my chance and screwed it up. Maybe I should mention that I am trying to win her back."

"How did you screw up?"

Elvis looked tormented.

"We were going to get married..."

"Married?! Then you were serious for real? I didn't know that"

"Yes, we were serious. Engaged, had a real wedding planned and all, but in the morning of our wedding day, this girl I had dated a short while before Georgie, knocked on my door and told me I was the father of her baby girl. I panicked. I felt I had to be there for the baby and that I could not go through with marrying Georgie that day."

"Then what, you told her, and you broke up? She left you because you had a baby?"

"No, as I told you I panicked... I'm not proud of myself but I sent by best man, Charlie James - your "favourite", to tell her I couldn't go through with it."

"You stood her up at the altar?!"

"In wedding dress and all, yes. Then I didn't see her for two years. I tried to contact her sometime after the wedding, but she refused to have anything to do with me, so I couldn't even tell her what had happened."

Jack tried to take in the story. He liked Elvis, but he could not understand how any man could let the one he loved, if he really loved her, stand by the altar alone on the wedding day. He also wondered how one could truly love a person, yet not feel certain that she would stand by him and stay even with the baby, and instead chose to run in the other direction rather than trying her at all. Especially if she was as brave and kind hearted as Elvis claimed. It seemed Elvis was in some ways a less brave man than Jack had thought him to be and he could not 100% feel with him in this story.

"How did you meet her again?"

"My team and I were called to Kenya, to intervene in a hostage situation. A British soldier and a voluntary worker were held hostage by Muslim terrorists. When we arrived, and got the briefing pack, it turned out that the primary was Georgie. I thought I was going to puke in that moment... but I pulled myself together and we got her out. The other hostage was killed, so it was a closer call than I like to think off."

"Then what?"

"She still would not talk to me, she was so furious even after two years. I think she would rather had stayed in that fucking cell instead of coming with me if she had known it was me", he chuckled. "First thing she did when she saw my face was to slap me and then she just ignored me. She had moved on with her life and was engaged to another guy, not interested in hearing my story. Finally, I got a chance to explain though..."

"What did she say?" Jack was captivated by what to him mostly resembled the plot of a daytime soap.

"That I was weak. And she was right of course. Since then I have tried to prove myself to her. To tell her and show her I will be there for her, never fail her again."

But would you not? Jack wondered to himself. If your spinal reflex is to run when life gets complicated, can you ever change that even if you want to?

"We have crossed paths on tour since then and gotten as far now as being friends again, but she has not really let me in. I hope one day..."

Jack wondered if any woman would ever make him feel this way. Like there was no one else. Surely Elvis must be exaggerating how fantastic this Georgie was, blinded by love and perhaps by the fact that she was resisting him. He did not express his doubts to Elvis though.

"Looking forward to hearing the continuation. Another beer?" was all he said.

- OG -

But all he got to hear was that Elvis soon after had been killed in Afghan. Jack wondered then if he had managed to mend things with his love before he was killed and once again left her alone and heartbroken. He hoped not.