New team

9.Friend

Hi! Even if I didn't published it today I heard it is needed, so I gather all my will and this is what came out of it. However deep inside I know that it won't make anything clearer I try to portray Elvis as best as possible;-) Hope you'll enjoy anyway

"We heard you were a friend of our chief, Sam Jones" Liam introduced the topic. Everyone else were so surprised of the adult friendly, but also a little clumsy matter towards them, that surely started wondering, not to say doubting, how he and Station Officer Jones were friends for so long as the stories told. 

"Are. I'm still his friend" Elvis replied, sounding offended. 

"Then why did you le...?" Chris snapped, but Julia stopped him, obviously by pressing his wrist against the table a little too hard..

"I left because I have a better job here and I want to spend a little more time with my family" Elvis explained. "It isn't the same in Pontypandy that it used to" he sighed.

"But why it isn't like that anymore?" Tony asked carefully. 

"What do you mean, Tony?" Elvis replied, reminding himself the names he had heard a moment earlier. 

"You left and that's because we are here, both today and in Pontypandy. We're curious how it was in Pontypandy back then?" Tony tried to explain as best as he could what was in his mind while his friends where looking at him surprised. It wasn't a plan. 

"It was awesome" Elvis sighed dreamingly as he began recalling how it used to be. "I and Sam have known each other since we were a kids. It was a long journey". 

"Then why did it change?" Tony continued. "We heard stories that he was famous hero next door and at the same time he doesn't behave like one towards us. He's grumpy and changes he's mood all of sudden without any clear reason".

"Sam changed too much and my departure must have only made it worse for him" Elvis interrupted sadly and something like blame could be heard in his voice. "I invite him to come here from time to time to meet with us, but he is still stubborn not to leave Pontypandy".

"What do you mean by us?" Tony objected. 

"The old team. Ellie and Arnold often come here and even Station Officer Steele sometimes passes by" Elvis explained. "We sit here like you do, reliving good old days".

"But that's impossible when two of you are missing" Eddie noticed, commenting it out loud which startled Elvis. 

"I've told too much, sorry" Elvis patted his forehead in a guily gesture as he tried to stand up, but Tony quickly grabbed his other hand beggingly loooking at the older firefighter to stay. 

"Please, we like to hear stories" he tried to convince. "We won't tell anyone" Tony smiled, winking at his friends meaningfully. 

"You promise?" Elvis asked anxiously. 

"Promise" Tony replied formally as Chris, Julia and Liam repeated after him. 

"I'll tell you, because after all you are next us" he smiled finally when Tony quietly jigh-fived with him. "So it was like that..." he started his story from the first day of his and Sam's day at work and he was so excited speaking every word just as he was really reliving each day anew. "And then Penny came. I was probably more bewitched, but latter on we decided it won't work, so we've stayed as good friends" he sighed, making a short break. "Just like Sam and Penny. But neither of us could have seen what how strong there bond was until the end" he concluded his  almost never-ending story of exactly every single day of his life back in Pontypandy. 

"Is it she, here, in the photo?" Julia asked, handing Elvis her phone to let him take a closer look at the photo of the picture in the broken frame from their station officer's office. 

"Yes, it is Penny. Belive it or not, but everyone kept telling Sam and Penny they are in love with each other, but they denied it every single time" Elvis joked. "Even I told them it more than once" he admitted proudly. 

"I told you" Julia snapped at the boys when they tried in vain to pretend they were interested in their plates.

"But what happened then? We heard there was a fire ten years ago" Tony summarized briefly, however he had a strange feeling it wouldn't change a thing if he told they read it in raports, because it would not matter to Elvis. He seemed just too innocent and gulliable for it, even judging by his age. 

"After the fire in the cottage house, Penny was behaving really odd, for ashift or two" Elvis continued when Tony nodded his head that he knew that part of the story. "It was a lonely night shift and I was just about to go home when I heard some noises coming from the firehouse. I didn't bother myself with that as I assumed it was rather suppostedly playing up again. But..." Elvis hesitated. "When Penny disappeared and Sam stopped smiling, I knew something was not right where supposted to be. I tried to be here for all my friends after Ellie and Arnold left, I put my whole energy to be there for Sam" he said. 

"So why have you put the transfer?" Eddie asked distrustfully. 

"Because my family lives in Newtown" Elvis added proudly. "Besides Sam promised to take care of himself. By the way how is he doing?"

"Rather bad to be honest" Tony confessed sadly. It also must have saddened Elvis as he immediately stopped being so happy all of sudden. 

"That's why we came here, we want to help him. Just as you do" Tony smiled friendly. 

"I'll do anything for, Sam" Elvis immediately jumped to a promise he made long time ago. 

"We're trying to underatand what happened that we are at Pontypandy? What happened on the last call?" Tony asked, really hoping for an answer, but it was unsuccessful when Elvis struggled his shoulders helplessly. 

"I don't know" he admitted. "The only thing Sam told me after all those years was that he didn't realized how much he loved Penny until... Until their love for firefighting got in the way".

They thanked him and when Tony paid Bella for their pizzas, they left the pizzaria as it was already dark outside. 

"And once again we know nothing" Eddie complained when they finally caught the bus back to Pontypandy. 

"I disagree with you. We know quite a lot know" Tony started, but when the rest of his friends joined the sideeye glance, he corrected himself. "Good, we don't know much more, but at least we know where to look for more information next time".