As he slumped in the corner, his back pressed against the rough fabric of the booth, Jacks finger circled the rim of his pint glass. His glazed eyes were unmoving as he stared at the glass, he was looking but not seeing, his mind lost deep in thought. He had been in the pub for the best part of the evening. Unlike his usual Sunday routine, Jack ventured away from Base and wandered several villages over before finding the 'Farmer and Pitchfork'. He'd spent several hours in the pub already. When he first arrived the pretty bar maid had struck up an innocent conversation with him but Jack had no time for anybody today.
"You're here alone?" she had questioned.
Jack had nodded as he waited for her to pour his drink.
"You're from the RAF base. You know soldiers don't usually come this far," she placed the drink down in front of him. Jack slid some coins towards her before picking up his beer.
"They do today," he nodded in her direction before finding the booth he had been sitting in since.
Farrier and some of the others had invited him to come to the local pub with them but Jack had declined their offers and instead he found himself reliving the last few hours over and over. His mind was so lost in transition that he didn't hear the voice speaking to him at first, nor did he notice when they sat opposite him.
"You look as shit as I do,"
The voice snapped Jacks head up. His hard stare was broken and his eyes looked up to meet the stranger in front of him. Jacks eyes narrow as he scrunches his brows together. The man's brown hair was shaggy with a slight curl to it; it was long enough to brush along his ears. His beard was rough and unkempt and his cheeks had a rosiness to them as though he had been out in the hot sun for too long. The mismatch of clothes he was wearing were dishevelled and illfitting. The man before him was a stranger, yet the kindness in his eyes brought about a sense of warm familiarity.
"Has it really been that long Jack? You've forgotten my face already," the mans lips curved upwards into a crooked smile.
Suddenly and all at once, a wave of realisation washed over Jack and his eyes widened.
"Charlie?"
The man nodded and reached across the table taking hold of Jacks pint glass.
"As I live and breathe!" he raised the glass towards Jack before taking several large gulps then slamming the glass down.
Jack was lost for words as he watched the man before him.
"What are you doing here?" the words were the first thing that came to his mind.
"So you've not seen me for nearly a year and the first thing you say to me is what are you doing here? What a cheerful greeting you ungrateful bastard," his tome was serious but then Charlie guffaws and slams his hand on the table laughing at Jacks expense.
It's Charlie alright, Jack thought to himself. He let a grin creep across his face as happiness consumed him at the sight of his best friend.
"Now that's more like it," Charlie picks up the pint glass again and downs the remains of the beer before holding the glass out to the passing bar maid and ordering two more pints.
"It good to see you Charlie," Jack leans across the table towards him.
Charlie stretches his arms across the back of the booth and sighs "You too old friend,"
The barmaid returns and sets the two pints on the table. Charlie nods to Jack "Be a darling Jack, buy your old mate a drink,"
Jack rolls his eyes but hands the barmaid some money. Jack pulls his glass towards him as he watches Charlie take several large gulps from his glass.
"Nobody's heard from you," Jack starts "What happened?"
Charlie shakes his head and waves his hand in dismissal "Don't you worry yourself about me, I want to hear about you man! I want to hear something good. Tell me about Ali, you still chasing her tail?" Charlie snickers.
Jacks face falls slightly as he leans back against the booth. He reaches for the newspaper beside him and slides it across to Charlie.
Charlie looks confused as his eyes scan over the open page in the paper. He starts to read out loud once he finds what he's supposed to be looking at.
"On this day 5th April 1940, Lord and Lady Harrington celebrate and toast the marriage of their second son James George Harrington to Miss Ali Elisabeth Dawes at Hopes Chapel Weymouth, Dorset."
Jack had read and re-read the words over and over. He had picked the newspaper up in the mess hall yesterday morning. He had been idly flipping through the pages, mostly it was talk of war and how parliament were pressing for Chamberlain to resign and for Halifax to take up his position. All of it was old news, a repeat in the papers on a daily basis. Unlike before, he frequently found himself reading through the announcements page. News of weddings, christenings and babies born brought him a sense of comfort and happiness in what was often a dark and miserable time.
Today was different. As he sat eating breakfast, newspaper in hand, his eyes flitted over the very paragraph that Charlie had just read. The words cut through him like a hot knife sliding through butter.
Ali had married him.
Charlie tossed the paper onto the seat beside him. "I had no idea man,"
Jack balled his fists and shook his head "Of course you didn't, how could you?" the words held a bitterness to them but Charlie decided to ignore this.
"Do I even want to know what you did?" Charlie asks before sipping at his pint.
"How do you know it was even my fault?" Jack frowns.
Charlie rolls his eyes "Its always you,"
Jack pauses for a moment before bringing the pint glass to his lips "I was a fool, there's really nothing else to say," he takes a long gulp from his drink as Charlie watches him carefully.
As he places the drink down his eyes meet Charlie, who is still watching him "And the other girl?"
Jack sighs. Charlie always did have a knack for reading between the lines. "She's pregnant Charlie, it's mine,"
"Shit! And I thought my lot was bad," Charlie shakes his head laughing to himself.
Jack furrows his brow, annoyance creeping into him at the sound of his friends laughter. "So tell me about your lot," Jack insists.
Charlie pauses then and Jack leans forward.
"The four of us had the best summer together and then you left and nobody ever heard a peep from you!"
Charlie says nothing.
"You vanished Charlie! We thought you were dead! Emily is waiting for you!" Jacks voice is louder now. A few people look over at him and Jack lowers himself as he leans across the table waiting for Charlie to speak.
"Tell Emily to forget all about me," Charlie sighs. He knocks back the rest of his drink and slams the glass hard onto the table.
"What?" Jack is horrified at Charlie's words "She loves you,"
"I'm not worthy of her love, Jack,"
"What do you mean? What happened to you Charlie?"
Charlie reaches for his pint glass but it's empty. Jack slides his own half full pint glass over to Charlie, waiting for him to continue.
"I barely made it through basic training man. You know how I hate following orders. Well the captain...Miller, yeah him. He just kept on and on and on at me. That was just the start, every day was a slog, it ground me down and down until I hated everything. I hated myself , I hated him, hated England, hated the war and in the end I hated the thought that home...perfect Weymouth, was just there, waiting for me. I got sent to France months ago and believe me when I tell you this Jack...France tells no happy tales. It's war my friend and the fight is ugly. I couldn't stand it-" his voice cracks and his eyes gloss over as he continues with his story "I couldn't stand it...so I ran. I ran as hard as my legs would carry me. I stole a medic armband from a dead soldier and faked my way home to one of the hospitals. Eventually they cottoned on and I ran from the Base as soon as they realised I was a liar,"
Jack is stunned by Charlies words, he had no idea the gravity of the situation. "Why didn't you write, we could have-"
"Helped?" Charlie cut in "You can't help, nobody can. I'm on the run Jack, there's no helping me,"
Jack shakes his head, his heart heavy with the sudden fear he felt for his friend.
Charlie notices Jacks worried expression, he reaches across the table and rests a hand on Jacks arm "Don't worry about me old friend, I've been running from the army for months and they haven't caught me yet,"
Charlie stands from the table after he downs the reamaining gulpfuls of beer.
"Where will you go?" Jack asks staring up at Charlie.
Charlie taps his nose "The less you know the better my friend,"
He digs into his tatty trouser pocket and offers Jack a coin "For the drink,"
Jack shakes his head "Keep it. You need it more than I do,"
Charlie laughs then.
"I'm glad I saw you Charlie," Jack smiles sadly as he looks at the unkempt and scrawny man before him.
"Me too Jack, truly," he smiles his familiar smile. He turns to walk away but stops and looks back towards Jack.
"You be careful out there Jack. France is hell on Earth but if you have any reason to make it back at all then you will. Emily got me back and even though she doesn't know it, I'm forever grateful. That baby of yours is a gift...don't forget that," he turns his back and starts to walk away.
"Charlie!" Jack stands and calls after him.
Charlie turns. Jack stands and salutes him "I'll see you,"
Charlie pauses and stands tall, he raises his hand and proudly salutes Jack "I'll see you, old friend,"
A/N: I've been wanting to write the chapter for a while now. Hope you like it! Poor Charlie, poor Jack! Thanks as always for your continued support <3 Let me know your thoughts.... R.