All's Fair In Love and War

Panic and Hysteria (Present)

Soundtrack to this chapter was:
-Bon Iver-Blood Bank
-Iron and Wine- Boy with a Coin
-Lungfish- Pass and Stow EP

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“Look after her for me, yeah?” Lee told Callum, slapping him on the back as they embraced in a tight hug. Callum gave him a firm nod.

“Thanks-thanks for…ya know…for lettin’ me come an’ stay wiv ya these past few weeks. For allowin’ me get ta my head together ‘an that. Means a lot.” Callum said managing to give Lee a small smile.

“It’s no problem mate. I’m just glad I could be of some help. It’s been great ta see ya again after so long.”

Lee slung his knapsack up onto his shoulder and with a heavy-heart, started to make his way off down the road, out of The Square, for how long…he didn’t know. He turned and looked over his shoulder as he was halfway down the road and saw pretty much the entire population of Albert Square there to wave him off on his new adventure.

Linda was crying her eyes out into Micks chest, as he enveloped her in a tight hug, one arm wrapped reassuringly around her shoulders, pulling her closer into the safety of his body, the other arm up in the air, waving off his eldest son.

Lee could see the red-haired girl he had, until this past week; been married to, staring out of their bedroom window above The Vic. He swallowed down the hard lump that had formed in his throat, and thought he saw her faintly raise her arm and give him the smallest of waves goodbye — maybe it had just been wishful thinking.

He hadn’t meant to have hurt her so badly, but he knew now that there was no coming back from this, and that it was now finally over.

Following the repercussions of his failed marriage, he decided to turn back to the only thing he knew that he was good at, and re-enlisted into the army. Linda had been horrified at the news when he had first announced he was re-joining. In fact, she had begged him not to go.

A few weeks prior to this, his old comrade Callum Highway had turned up on his doorstep. The two had been messaging one another on and off for a good few months after Callum had managed to track him down since his tour in Afghanistan.

Callum had had a rough few years, in fact, rough was an understatement. The poor guy had been dragged through hell and back, and it was now that he had decided he wanted to start a new life, away from all the chaos and misery that seemed to have followed him.

Lee had suggested that he could move to Walford. Things weren’t exactly sickly sweet in his life either, and he had decided it might be nice to have an old friend around to reminisce the good old days, and trade war stories etc; something that no-one seemed to get in Walford, and there was no-one he could share inside army jokes with, that ‘the lads’ used to rag one another about constantly.

Callum arriving had been like the breath of fresh air that Lee had needed in his stale life. But now it was time for him to move onto pastures new and for Callum to take up where he had left off.

Both Linda and Mick had warmed to him instantly. That was the main thing about Callum. He was so likeable; it was hard for anyone to dislike him. He was an all-round good egg, who would do anything for anyone and want for nothing.

Eventually, Lee became nothing but a speck in the distance, until he finally rounded the corner and was completely gone from sight.

Linda broke down sobbing and Mick was doing his best to keep her standing.

"Mick why dontchya, go and head upstairs wiv Linda. I can handle things here. I’m sure Whit can come and help me.” Callum suggested looking at a distraught Linda and a very worried looking Mick.