The Redemption of Ace Merrill

Stella.

Ace let her climb in next to him as Billy, Charlie and Vince bundled in the back.

She looked around cautiously around the interior of the car.

Ace didn't speak as she drove the short distance to the police station, knowing Eyeball had his previous one night stand in his car.

"Is this it?" The girl asked as she looked up at the building in front of her.

A couple of officers outside stared curiously, having noticed Ace Merrill's car parked by the station.

Ace nodded. "They'll help you out here."

"Ace..." Billy mumbled from the backseat.

"Enough. She ain't my fucking problem." Ace snapped back as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"No, but she is." Charlie spoke as he pointed to the girl storming her way over to Ace's car.

"Oops." Ace mumbled as the girl watched her curiously.

"Shall I hit this one too?"

Vince, Billy and Charlie stifled laughs from their backseats as Ace groaned.

"You hit her outside the station and you'll end up arrested." Ace grumbled. "Oh fucking hell."

Just as the girl had begun to shout at Ace, he quickly started his car up and reversed out, speeding off.

"I thought I was going there?" The girl asked quietly.

Ace sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah so did I." He mumbled as he ignored the boys in the back with their smiles.

*****

"So we dropped off-" Eyeball started as the group re-met outside Irbys.

Yet he stopped as he saw the girl climb out Ace's car and cautiously look around.

"I thought he was taking her to the station?" Eyeball asked as he watched Ace gently lead her over to them.

"Change of plans." Billy mumbled as he patted Eyeball's back.

The group piled in the bar as they filled the others in with what they'd missed.

"Look just stay by side in here, not the nicest group of people." Ace mumbled down at her.

She nodded up at him slowly. "So why do you come here?"

Ace shrugged. "We're not the nicest either." He mumbled in response as he held the door open for her.

Ace clenched up slightly as he felt her hand reach out and grip onto his shirt tight as they walked in.

He looked down at her slightly and sighed as he shook his head. How exactly had she become his problem?

"Ace! You ready?" Eyeball shouted from a pool table.

Oh yeah, that's how. He sighed again as he walked over, letting her quite literally cling to him as she stuck by his side. He had told her to after all.

Ace took the cue as the girl slowly let go of him and shuffled backwards to let him play. She looked around as it felt like all her senses heightened.

The dim lighting of the bar barely showed a thing, not to mention the amount of cigarette smoke.

"You know how to play?" Charlie asked her with a smile as she looked up at him confused.

"How fucking thick are you Hogan?!" Jack snapped. "The girl don't even know her own name, let alone how to play this!"

"Alright, was just asking." Charlie grumbled as he looked back down at her. "Can't keep calling you 'the girl' though."

"I don't know my name..." she mumbled as she looked down.

"Oh I know that, but till you remember, anything you wanna be called?" He asked with a smile.

She shrugged slightly as she kept her focus on the floor.

"She looks like one of those girls has the same name as a flower." Vince mumbled as he tilted his head to the side, staring at her.

She looked up at him blankly.

"How the fuck can she look like any name?" Fuzzy snapped at him.

"Well you look like an arsehole and shock horror, arsehole works for your name." Vince snapped back.

The girl laughed slightly as she felt a little more relaxed.

"I'm Charlie by the way." He mumbled as he leant a little closer to her. "You know Ace and Eyeball and Billy. Then I'm case you forgot, that's Jack, Vince and Fuzzy."

The girl smiled up at him as she looked between him and Eyeball. Remembering how he had told her to shake hands, she stuck hers out.

Charlie grinned at her as he took her hand and gently shook it.

"Shame you can't remember your name." He said as they let go but he kept his attention on her.

"Not got anything you wanna be called?" He asked again.

Once more, she shrugged up at him.

"How about Jessie?" He asked.

Ace stood up straight and stared at Charlie. "The fuck you calling her Jessie for?" He snapped.

Charlie shrugged. "Well you found her when your car broke down, seems only fitting you name her after the car?"

Ace shook his head as he walked around the table. Reaching out to her, he gently took her hand and led her over the bar.

"Ain't you got any idea what your name is?" He asked as he looked down at her, when they were finally away from the others.

She shook her head slowly as she looked up at him. Something about him still scared her yet made her feel safe at the same time. It was a mixed and incredibly confusing feeling.

Ace ordered the drinks as he was handed several bottles. He paused as he looked down at the labels. Stella Artois.

"How about Stella?" He asked as he turned to her.

"Stella?"

Ace nodded. "Yeah, for your name. Till you remember? How does Stella sound?"

A smile came to her face as she nodded slowly. "I like Stella." She mumbled.

Ace gave her a small smile before it disappeared. "Yeah... me too." He mumbled as he went to take the drinks. "Help me carry-"

His sentence was cut off as he watched her effortlessly grab each bottle, the necks trapped in between her fingers as she walked back to the boys.

He watched her hand them out as he took a swig from his own. Looking down at the label he nodded slowly.

"Stella." He whispered as he shook the thought off and walked back over to them.

"Her names gonna be Stella." He snapped at the others as they all nodded and gave her a smile.

"Well Stella!" Eyeball said with a smile as he walked around to her. "Wanna learn?" He asked as he offered the cue in his hands.

She shrugged slightly as she gave him a small smile. Reaching out she took the cue and let him move her around to the next table, where he proceeded to teach her how to play.

Had the newly named Stella and the cobras been a little more observant, they would have noticed the tv above the bar playing a news broadcast.

A picture of their newly named Stella on the screen.