AN1

Who Dares Wins

Chapter Seven: Brothers in Arms

Sunday, 21 October, 2007

Hereford

United Kingdom

Chuck pulled his Audi A4 to a stop on the tarmac of the driveway to his home. Bryce and Sarah were present with him as his passengers, but they wouldn't be for much longer, because the three teammates were about to exit the vehicle. They would then be awaiting Cole to pick them up who, along with Jamie Hughes, had been designated as one of the two drivers for this evening whilst Red Team were back on their base.

Throughout Chuck's three years in the Regiment thus far, his team had always taken turns on driving duties on their many piss ups that they had undertaken together. Though if Chuck began to think deeper about it, then he had always ended up taking on that duty a fair share more than the rest of his comrades due to volunteering himself for it. However, Chuck very much planned to drink himself silly tonight, as he was unable to do so five nights ago. Hence why he had absolutely no intentions of volunteering to take on those duties this evening just earlier while they were all on their base together.

Chuck moved to fire down the engine of his car, and on doing so, he turned to glance at Sarah for a short moment, who was sitting in the front of his car, before he changed his glance to Bryce via the aid of the rear-view mirror. "I'm sorry about this by the way. It's just that Cole wanted to pay a visit to his fiancee before we head out."

Sarah smiled reassuringly at him. "It's ok. I'm not in a rush anyway," she said.

"I hope he doesn't take too long. I want to get pissed," Bryce said with a grin.

Chuck suppressed a laugh. "You and me both, mate," he declared humorously.

Chuck then took a moment to compose himself before he continued to make conversation, "Do you both drive yourselves, by the way?"

Sarah nodded, and she held her smile toward him.

"Yeah. I just have to arrange to get it over here," Bryce said.

"Me too," Sarah replied.

Chuck smiled at his teammates before he asked, "Cool. So, what do you both drive?"

"I have a Vauxhall Corsa D. I purchased it a year ago," Sarah said as she held her gaze onto Chuck.

Meeting her glance once more, Chuck grinned at her. "Ooh, compact, nice," he said.

Sarah nodded, and she held her smile, and he continued to gaze at her for a second or two longer until he shifted his gaze back onto his rear-view mirror.

"What about you, Bryce?" he then asked, now gazing at his other teammate.

"I have a Four-door BMW E46," Bryce replied.

Chuck started to chuckle. "Of course, you do," he said while fighting off a smirk, and he glanced at Bryce with one eye, while looking at Sarah with the other, and he watched as Sarah began to smirk, likely due to her probably thinking the same thing as him.

"What do you mean by that?" Bryce asked in his Mancunian accent.

Chuck glanced at Bryce in his rear-view mirror once more. "It just seemed to be your type of car, mate. I didn't mean it as an insult," he said humorously.

Bryce nodded in acceptance, before he started to laugh.

"I agree with Chuck. I have just been thinking the same thing as him. When he asked what cars we drove my first thought to your car was also a BMW," Sarah said, chiming into the discussion.

Chuck started to nod in approval of Sarah's words while also emitting a light chuckle at them at the same time.

"I didn't see you as an Audi guy," Bryce said after a short moment.

Chuck met his gaze once more. "What can I say? I have good taste," he declared, causing the three teammates to share laughter.

"Come on inside for a quick minute. I'll introduce you to my girlfriend if she's home," Chuck said as he departed from his car, and Sarah and Bryce began to follow him up his pathway. On arrival at the door to his home, Chuck took out his house keys from his jeans, and he proceeded to open the lock, and he entered inside with his two teammates following on behind.

Pausing inside his hallway for a short moment, Chuck soon connected his gaze onto Jill, who had appeared from out of the living room. Jill met his gaze briefly before her gaze shifted behind Chuck to evidently query the presence of his teammates.

"Hi," he greeted her softly, and he smiled at her before adding further comment, "These are my two new teammates that I told you about. Sarah and Bryce," he said before he began to move to the side slightly so that he could see both Jill, and his teammates at the same time.

"Hey," Sarah said.

Bryce quickly followed, "Hi."

"Hi," Jill said as she nodded at both Sarah and Bryce, before her gaze connected onto Chuck once more. "Can I talk to you for a minute, Chuck?"

Chuck nodded at Jill, before looking at his two teammates. "One moment," he said to them, affording them a smile.

Bryce nodded in response, as did Sarah, but she also returned his smile.

Chuck moved to close the distance between Jill and himself. "What's up?" he asked in a quieter tone on arriving in her immediate vicinity.

Jill began to sigh, and she looked at Sarah and Bryce once more for a brief moment. "Chuck, I don't want to be rude. But what are they doing here?"

Jill's question, and the abruptness in her tone towards his teammates, caused his smile to fade. "We're waiting for Cole to pick us up before heading out to the pub," he admitted.

A look of frustration formed on Jill's face as she began to shake her head. "Chuck, I hoped to do something ourselves. Maybe we could head out somewhere together?" she said.

Chuck sighed. "Jill, you know we always head out after a mission. It's regimental tradition," he protested softly.

"A mission I know nothing about," Jill said, whilst continuing to shake her head in disapproval over both his words to her, and Bryce and Sarah's presence.

Chuck puffed out another sigh in dejection. "Jill, you could come out with us, but every time you have you haven't enjoyed it, and you have mostly refused the offer in the times that I have invited you since so I don't bother asking you any more."

Jill nodded. "Yeah, because there's no point because you're always busy with the lads, and I always feel like an outsider," she complained.

Chuck shrugged his shoulders in resignation. "Jill, I don't know what to say. You have your friends, and I never tell you to ditch those and I never will do that so I would appreciate that you don't do the same to my friends. I don't nor did I expect you to give up your life when you moved in here," he said calmly, refusing to get into a disagreement because that was the last thing that he wanted after a heated operation this morning. All that Chuck wanted to do right now was to relax with his friends after a very long day...

"Maybe you should just ask them all to move in with us, Chuck! I'm sure we can find room for the entire bloody Regiment!" she said in frustration before she immediately began to storm off in the direction of the kitchen, which caused him to emit yet another sigh, but this time a much deeper one.

Shaking his head, he turned to glance at his teammates once more, and they both smiled sympathetically at him.

"Problems at home?" Bryce asked softly.

Chuck shrugged it off dismissively. "Don't worry about it."

Bryce nodded in acceptance, while Sarah continued her sympathetic smile toward him, and he met her gaze.

"Let's head back out. I have no desire to fight another battle today. Especially not in my own home. The one in Manchester was more than enough for one day," Chuck joked causing Sarah to laugh and Bryce to nod as they swiftly departed Chuck's home, and right on cue, Cole arrived, and he parked up his car outside Chuck's house in wait.

The three teammates walked up Chuck's pathway to join up with their comrade at his car, and Cole exited his vehicle to greet his best friend and his two other teammates.

"Bloody hell! Nice wheels, mate!" Bryce stated, and Chuck watched on as his new teammate began to admire his best friend's Mercedes C55.

"This is neater than my own and Chuck's!" Bryce added in a further comment, which caused Chuck to begin to glare daggers at his comrade over his remarks about his pride and joy. Chuck loved his white Audi A4 B7 Sedan more than anything.

"You cheeky bastard!" Chuck said with venom as he continued to glare disapprovingly at Bryce.

Bryce's comments caused Cole to laugh and nod approvingly at Bryce. "You're my new favourite friend, Bryce, and for that, you get the front seat!" Cole stated endearingly.

Chuck changed his disapproving stare onto Cole instead. "You traitorous bastard!" he shouted with disgust to his best friend as he began to shake his head. "I'm not coming with you guys any more. Come on, Sarah, let's go somewhere else," he said, glancing at his teammate looking to her to back him up.

"Sorry, Chuck. I prefer the Merc too," Sarah declared to him with a wide, affectionate smile which caused Bryce and Cole to laugh approvingly.

"Good lass," Cole said with a wide grin to his other new teammate, which caused Chuck to rotate his disgusted stare between his three teammates and now enemies.

"Oh, gosh! Some team you all are! I see how it is! Picking on the tallest one!" he shouted at them.

"You're only taller than me by two inches, Chuck," Cole stated to his best friend and Chuck furiously nodded his head.

"Yeah, I am! So suck it up! You may have a better car than me, but you'll never be taller than me, you bastard!" he joked, causing the small team to burst into laughter.

"I don't know why you two are laughing either. You're not getting a lift from me any more. Especially you, Sarah!" he added in.

All three of Chuck's teammates began to snort with laughter.

"Don't sweat over it. If you need a lift, just call me," Cole said.

Chuck shook his head in disgust once more. "I'll remember this!" he said with conviction. "You're getting embarrassed in my best man speech."

"I'll ask Bryce to be my best man instead," Cole retorted with a wide grin.

Chuck instantly placed his hand on his heart. "Ok, now you've hurt me! And Sophie loves me. When I tell her what you've just said and done, then the engagement will be off. You've had it now, Cole!" he declared before he immediately burst into laughter and his three comrades joined him as they all moved to enter into Cole's Mercedes, with Bryce climbing into the front seat...

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

A short while later

Chuck, Sarah, Bryce and Cole exited Cole's car, and Cole locked up his vehicle, and he quickly joined back up with his teammates as the four comrades walked together to the entrance to the same pub that Red Team were all together at minus Bryce five days ago in Hereford. The location they were at was one of their favourite places to relax and unwind because the team got on very well with the owner, a middle-aged man called Jim, and he usually left them to be in their own company. Jim knew who they all were, but he had never used it against them or to his advantage by ever boasting to his friends or to his customers that he regularly served numerous members of 22 Reg SAS. Arriving at the entrance to the pub, Cole entered first followed by Chuck and then Sarah and then Bryce. With the small team now inside of the pub, their gazes connected onto the other members of their team who were standing at the bar together and they soon paused their activities to glance at the rest of their team.

"Oi, Oi!" Big Dan shouted warmly to his four comrades.

Chuck, Sarah, Bryce and Cole each shared a warm glance with Dan, before they nodded at Chris, John and Jamie.

Chris and Jamie then broke their gaze onto the team, and they continued engaging in conversation with each other once more.

"What's up, Big Man?" Chuck asked as he walked into the vicinity of one of his best friends, and he shook his hand.

"I'm only two inches taller than you, you bastard," Big Dan replied with a loving grin.

Chuck started to snort in approval of the reaction to his words. He soon turned his attention to one of his other best friends, John Murray, and he greeted him warmly, "Alright, mate," he said, and the Scot grinned as he shook Chuck's hand.

"We thought you'd got lost, you bastards," John Murray said, glancing at Chuck and Sarah.

Cole and Bryce had moved to greet and engage in conversation with Chris and Jamie just a few steps away from them.

"Nah, it's just Cole's slow-ass driving! Though I'm glad that he has the driving responsibilities because the two newbies think his car is better than mine!" Chuck shouted in a tone loud enough to make sure the entire team could hear him.

The whole team burst into laughter as Jamie Hughes turned his back on Chris, Cole and Bryce to glance at Chuck instead. "It is, mate," Jamie said.

Chuck gasped at Jamie's comments in a deep feeling of betrayal once more. "Dan, Chris, John? Back me up, fellas! I need at least someone in my corner," he pleaded as he began to gape at his comrades and friends.

"You can piss off! I'm getting sick of you mocking my height. At least Cole doesn't so I'm taking the Merc," Big Dan said.

Big Dan's comments caused Chuck to gasp once more. "Chris?" he asked with his eyes squinted, and he began to look pleadingly at his team leader.

"I'm sick of you playing shite music like Bob the Builder on drive-backs, so it's a no from me too," Chris said.

Chuck winced once more as the entire team minus Chuck burst into laughter before Chuck looked at his final remaining comrade to back him up. "John?" he asked as his eyes squinted once more, and he looked puppy-eyed into his comrade's eyes.

"Do it, John. You know you love the Merc," Cole said encouragingly.

Chuck shifted his glance around his team before resting his glance back onto John.

"Your car is shite, Cole, mate! You told Sarah I throw up after an op, so the Audi wins all day long. It's not even a contest!" he declared.

John Murray's comments caused the entire team to burst into laughter but more so for Chuck as his laughter was approving laughter!

"Oh, thank you!" Chuck belted out relieved with his hands raised into the air in relief, and he quickly rushed to bear-hug his now all-time best friend.

"You owe me big time, fella," John Murray retorted.

Chuck nodded strongly in relief and agreement which furthered the laughter of the team.

"I'm buying the first round then. But not for these two. They can buy their own," Cole declared, glancing at Chuck and John Murray.

"Right, that's it. I'm switching to the SBS (Special Boat Service)! Fuck the SAS!" Chuck retorted.

John Murray nodded furiously in agreement. "Too bloody right, mate! Time for us both to learn how to swim again," he said.

Chuck nodded.

"Take that back, you bastards!" Staff Sergeant MacDonald ordered both Chuck and John Murray.

"Nope," Chuck said as he shook his head.

"No chance!" John Murray retorted as he also shook his head.

"Take it back, Chuck!" Cole said.

Chuck continued to shake his head in defiance. "No chance," he then said verbally, glancing at Cole.

"Take it back, you bastards!" Big Dan demanded as he glanced distastefully at his two traitorous teammates.

"Make us," Chuck said in continued defiance, and he watched as John Murray nodded in agreement.

"Bring it on, bitches," John Murray interjected.

"Right, no one here buy either of these two a round until they retract their statements," Chris ordered his team.

"Agreed," Cole and Dan quickly concurred with the Staff Sergeant.

"We don't need your stinking rounds anyway. We'll buy our own 'cause we're joining the SBS!" Chuck said.

John Murray nodded furiously once more. "Too right, mate!" the Scot replied as the crack SAS unit suddenly all burst into laughter, and they began to revel in each other's company…

O-x-O-x-O-x-O

A short while later

Red Team remained standing at the bar, but they were engaged in numerous different conversations. Chuck was presently engaged in conversation with his new comrade Bryce.

"Chuck, thanks for having my back in that apartment today. I'm not sure if I would have landed the shot before he stabbed me," Bryce declared.

Chuck smiled at his teammate before he patted him on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, mate. You'd have my back in that situation too," he said.

Bryce nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I would," he said, as the teammates gazed at each other with a look of respect and comradeship.

"Does killing play on your mind? You seem fine with it," Bryce asked.

Chuck took a moment to mull over his teammate's question to him. "Not really. It did at first. But now I've very much come to terms with it being them or me and I very much enjoy living," he paused, and he watched Bryce nod before he continued, "In the two missions we've undertaken together as teammates so far, every hostile we have killed were all terrorists trying to kill our unarmed and innocent countrymen. I'm quite glad they're dead to be honest, mate. Because they can't terrorise anyone else any more," he admitted.

Bryce nodded sharply in agreement. "I agree, mate. It's not like they say are French Army and we are meeting them on a field and fighting a battle. These bastards are walking into shopping centres and blowing up women, children and babies," he said with distaste.

Chuck nodded strongly at each and every single word Bryce said. "Exactly mate. And that's why I'm not losing any sleep over a terrorist dying by me shooting them dead like that scumbag I shot today. I'm not heartless, and I never will be, but I will never give people like that any second thought. The hardest part of being in the army is losing teammates or seeing civilians die to cowardly acts. Now those things do hit home with me hard and cause me to second guess if I belong in the military sometimes," he admitted.

Once more, Bryce nodded. "Have you lost many teammates?" he asked.

Chuck nodded affirmatively as a sad smile took shape. "Even one is too many, mate," he said.

His new teammate nodded strongly in agreement once more...

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

A short while later

Sarah and the rest of her team were still at the pub, and Sarah had just finished talking with Cole. Their topic of conversation had been about Cole's engagement and upcoming marriage. He had told Sarah how he had met his partner, Sophie, on a night out with most of the people present at the pub tonight. Sarah had asked him who was to be best man and Cole had said that even though the team joked about who it was to be, they all knew and accepted that it was going to be Chuck. Cole had told Sarah that he loved Chuck as a brother, and that Chuck felt the same way towards him and that Chuck was the best friend that Cole had ever had even though like Chuck, he had also told Sarah that he loved every single one of the rest of the guys almost as much. Cole had then excused himself to the restroom while Chris and Dan were busy playing darts and Bryce, Jamie and John were occupied in talking to numerous women in another corner of the pub.

Sarah turned to glance to the left of her, and she met her gaze with Chuck. They shared a friendly smile.

"Hi," he said, grinning at her.

"Oh, hi. I didn't know you were there," she joked with her continued smile.

Chuck moved to put his hand on his heart. "You're behaving very wickedly to me today, Sarah! That's three things now. Firstly in the canteen when you insulted me. Then you took Cole's side and now this," he said with a smirk.

Sarah snorted approvingly at his words. "I'm sorry. I guess I should make up for those things and be a better friend to you," she replied with a wicked smirk.

He nodded. "Yes, you should. I'm starting to regret asking to be your friend now if this is how you treat your friends," Chuck stated, playfully.

Sarah smiled at him as the two teammates continued to stare at each other as they drowned out the background noise in the noisy pub. "You're right. What if I buy you a drink. Will that make up for it?" she asked, holding her gaze.

"It will go a long way to repairing your actions towards me, yeah," he said, still grinning at her.

"Can you at least have a spirit like me, though? I don't like feeling like the odd one out," she said with a faint smile.

Chuck grinned at her once more. "Sure. I'll have whatever you're having. Because that's me being a good friend, just give me one second to finish this pint," he said.

Sarah watched on with a vivid interest as her teammate picked up his pint glass and he downed half of a full pint in just a few short seconds, and her mouth opened agape.

"Jesus! You must have a cast-iron stomach," she declared to him in shock.

Chuck nodded. "After drinking beer for most of my eight years in the army, I do," he declared, holding his grin and she started to smile before emitting a brief chuckle for a short moment before she ordered two Captain Morgan's Spice Rum for herself and her comrade.

Sarah and Chuck were promptly served their two drinks, and she glanced at him once more, and they shared a smile as Chuck moved to hold his glass near to her own as he said, "Cheers."

"Bottoms up," Sarah said as she moved to connect her drink with his own.

The teammates entered a brief silence as they relaxed and unwound at the bar together whilst their other teammates continued to engage in activities all around them.

Glancing briefly to where Bryce, John and Jamie were still located, Sarah observed as her teammates continued to talk and flirt away with four young women that appeared to be around the same age as her teammates.

"So, Sarah?" Chuck asked suddenly.

Sarah broke her gazing around the pub to make eye contact with Chuck once more. "Yeah?" she said.

"Did you find anywhere to live off base in those three days you had off?" he asked.

She smiled affectionately at her teammate. "Yeah. I think I may have."

A wide grin started to form on her teammate's face. "That's great. What's it like?" he asked.

She returned his warm smile, and she held her gaze as she replied, "It's a modern two-bedroom apartment right in the centre of Hereford."

"Ooh, what street?" he asked, inquisitively.

"It's just off Victoria Street in Victoria Court," she said, continuing to gaze at him.

"Oh, I know exactly where that is! That is right in the centre," he declared.

She nodded. "Yeah," she said as her warm gaze held.

"Have you been to see it yet?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. But I need to," she admitted.

"Can I take you?" he offered.

She turned a little fidgety at her teammate's offer of help. "Chuck, you don't have to do that," she said in an attempt to protest his offer of help.

"I want to," he declared without hesitation.

Sarah began to smile at her teammate's kindness. "Ok," she agreed.

Chuck grinned at her. "Great! So when would you like to go and see it?" he asked.

Sarah took a moment in pause to contemplate his question to her. "Preferably tomorrow. If that's…"

He interrupted her before she could finish, "Tomorrow it is then!" he said with a grin.

Sarah beamed him an affectionate smile because of his kindness towards her. They had only known each other for nearly two weeks, and since the first day they met, he had done nothing but help her at every single opportunity. "Your girlfriend is a very lucky woman, Chuck," she declared as she continued to stare into her teammate's eyes and she smiled affectionately at him once more.

Chuck grinned briefly, but his smile quickly faded. "Apparently she doesn't seem to think so. It would appear I'm not entitled to a life with my friends."

She gave him another loving smile before her own smile faded, and she turned serious. "If you'll forgive me for being blunt. I don't care what she thinks."

He winced at her bluntness, which caused her to snort approvingly.

"Ouch! That was blunt!" he joked.

"Sorry," she said unapologetically, as they continued their stare on toward each other.

O-x-O-x-O-x-O

A short while later

This is BBC News at ten o clock, and we are coming live to you from Manchester. The street that we are presently standing on may look like a regular street to you. But in the early hours of this morning, a dramatic raid occurred just yards from where we are standing. You can still see the significant police presence and the large cordon in place, and Greater Manchester Police have told us that it will likely stay as such for several days. We have not been given much information as of yet but what we do know is that at around 07:00 hours this morning, a crack British SAS unit raided this block of flats that I am pointing at right now. The raid concluded in dramatic fashion as we have had it confirmed to us that the crack SAS unit had shot and killed a terrorist during the raid that is without a doubt connected to the events that occurred in London ten days ago. Police have confirmed that there has been one fatality. And the only information provided to us so far is that, that terrorist had attempted to attack one of the soldiers with a knife. We will apprise you of more, just as soon as we get it...

"I take it that was you," Jim, the pub owner, asked the team who had all gathered at the bar again.

The entirety of Red Team started to shake their heads, as frustration began to build up amongst the crack unit over the barman's questioning towards them.

"Come on, Jim, you know we don't do that," Staff Sergeant MacDonald reprimanded the friendly barman.

The rest of the team nodded at Jim in agreement with their team leader's statement.

Jim nodded in acceptance, and the team watched as the barman raised his hands into the air. "You're right. I'm sorry. So, what will it be then?"

"Ask Speedy Gonzales over there. It's his turn for a round," Chuck declared as he nodded over at Bryce, which caused the entire team to burst into roaring, uncontrollable laughter.

"Speedy Gonzales? I love it!" John Murray declared as he nodded in strong approval over the nickname for his new comrade.

"That's his new name from this moment on," Big Dan declared with absolute conviction causing everybody at the bar except for Bryce to nod in strong agreement.

Speedy Gonzales then began to order the next round of drinks for the team of eight...

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

A short while later

Red Team was still at the pub, and they had all had a fantastic night together. Sarah was currently in the company of one of her new teammates, Bryce. Though she knew him the most, as they had undergone selection together for nine months.

"You like him, don't you?" Bryce asked her suddenly.

A dumbfounded look formed on Sarah's face over the extremely personal and utterly random question that he had just asked her. "Who?" she asked dumbfoundedly as her curiosity to find the answer to his question overwhelmed her.

"Chuck," Bryce said, while nodding over at his teammate.

A look of disgust took shape on Sarah's face, and she began to shake her head to display that disgust towards her teammate. "That's none of your business!" she snapped sternly over his line of questioning.

Bryce nodded. "That's true. You're right. It is none of my business. But Sarah, you are entitled to like somebody. And I know you like him, we all do, as you barely take your eyes away from him," he revealed.

"I don't screw the guys I work with, Bryce. I meant it when I told you that during our SERE," she said with no emotion attached to her tone as she gazed at him.

"Sarah, it's just a bit of fun. You should and can live your life however you want to, with who you want to. Nobody would hold it against you, and they would be assholes if they did. I know I wouldn't hold it against you," he replied.

Sarah studied Bryce's face as she looked for any discrepancy to his sincerity, but he appeared to be very sincere. She started to sigh for a long moment. "I've worked too hard to throw it all away for a night of passion, Bryce, with anyone. Nobody in the Regiment would respect me any more, and I would lose all of their respect that I have earnt if I go around sleeping with their mates," she declared.

Bryce smiled in sympathy towards her. "I wouldn't like to be in your shoes in being the first female in the Regiment. It must be hard," he stated.

She nodded. "It is," she said as her glance shifted away from Bryce, and she began to gaze over to look at Chuck from where he was standing with Cole and John...

A short while later

"Last orders, ladies and gents," Jim declared suddenly to the pub.

Red Team immediately groaned with a loud complaint over the declaration.

"Oh, Jim, why would you have to give us the last orders? We are enjoying ourselves so much you bastard," Big Dan complained.

The rest of his team promptly drunkenly agreed with their comrade.

"Sorry gents and ladies. Rules are rules," Jim said.

"Rules are boring," John Murray slurred drunkenly.

"And made to be broken," Chuck interjected.

Red Team sharply agreed.

"Not mine, or else I'll lose my license! So, what will it be then?" Jim asked as he began to take the last orders...

-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-

A short while later

Red Team exited the pub together after finishing their last order. And for all of them except Cole and Jamie Hughes, they were feeling very deflated because of the abrupt ending to their evening.

All six of the comrades were quite merry and drunk right now as they laughed away while closely joined together.

"You lucky bastards!" Jamie Hughes declared enviously to his team with a wide grin

Red Team burst into laughter from where they were closely hunched together.

"Sorry, fella," John Murray slurred sympathetically as he struggled to pronounce his words.

"Better you than me," Big Dan said, which caused the rest of the drunken teammates to strongly agree.

"Yeah, rub it in why don't you?" Jamie Hughes complained, shaking his head as his grin remained.

"At least I'm going home to a lovely lass. Unlike you," Cole said, glancing at both Bryce and John to get some payback over some of his team laughing at him.

"And I'm going home to a shit marriage," the drunk Staff Sergeant declared which caused all of the team to groan loudly in complaint.

"Thanks for ruining the mood, Chris, you bastard!" Chuck said with discontent.

The rest of the team sharply agreed.

"Yeah, you could have waited to state that until me, Chuck, Bryce and Sarah have all cleared off," Cole said as the team laughed.

"Well, enjoy your curry," Bryce said, looking at Chris, John, Jamie and Dan.

"Thank you, Speedy Gonzales, we will," John Murray replied.

Red Team suddenly erupted with roaring laughter once more.

It took nearly a minute for the laughter to die out between the comrades. The team then said their final farewells to each other before they split off into two groups of four leaving just Chuck, Sarah, Bryce and Cole outside the pub.

"Are you ready to head back then?" Cole asked, glancing around his teammates. They drunkenly nodded and smiled affectionately towards him.

They then entered Cole's vehicle, and he dropped them off one by one until returning to his own home in a cheerful loving mood due to the close comradeship of his dearest friends and brothers in arms…

End of Chapter

AN2 It's the Christmas season! Stop being scrooges and refusing to leave reviews! :) Or Santa won't visit you ;)