Chapter Text
“Are you sure you are alright Callum? I can ask Tracey to cover my shift at the Vic?”
“It’s fine Whit, I’m fine. We could do with the extra money” for the wedding is left unsaid “it’s only a few hours, I’ll be fine”
Callum was not fine but he wanted some space from Whit. Ever since he received the news that his friend from the Army had passed away, Whit had been a rock for him, taking care of him, making sure he was OK and as much as he appreciated it, he needed some time to collect his thoughts, to grieve.
He is sick at staring at the same four walls though and he could really do with a drink, so he decides to head out. It’s midweek so Callum thought E20 is the best place to go undisturbed, what with Whit working a shift in the Vic tonight and the chances of him having a quiet pint in The Prince Albert non-existent, E20 it is.
Callum walks into E20 and as luck would have it, there is only a handful of people in tonight. He walks up to the bar and takes a seat at one of the stools and waits to be served. To his surprise Ben Mitchell walks behind the bar
“Evening Sir! What will it be?”
Callum was not expecting that, although with the way his luck has been lately, it shouldn’t have surprised him. He is surprised that Ben greeted him so jovially though, it was not long ago that Ben told Callum he wasn’t worth the hassle and they have had little interaction since. It’s mostly just been passing each other in the square, politely saying hello. Callum did try to talk to Ben when he saw Ben had been beaten up yet again, but Ben had pretty much shut him down, even though Callum could tell his anger was not directed at him. The change in tone was not unwelcome.
“Ben! Was not expectin’ you here”
Ben replied with a hint of challenge “Is that a problem?”
“Course not, no.” Callum is a little flustered “I’ll have a Pint please”
Ben just smiles “Coming up Good Sir!
*******
It had been a dramatic few weeks in the life of Ben Mitchell but when was it not? Things were finally starting to go well. Phil had asked Ben to step up and help manage E20 so Sharon could lighten her duties as her pregnancy progressed. It was a small step but it showed that Phil, or Dad as he had started to refer to him again in his head, trusted him and wanted him to be part of the expanding family.
The Highway drama had taken a back seat whilst he dealt with his own family drama, he wasn’t purposely avoiding Callum but with everything going on, they only had the smallest of interactions since the day after Pride. Now things were settled with the Mitchell clan, it was quite nice to have Callum in his orbit again. It was a quiet night so Ben had plenty of time to time to talk to Callum if he wanted to, but he could tell something was off with Callum tonight. He looked as if he needed some space, why else would he have come here and not the Vic? So apart from taking his drinks orders, he let him be.
It was not until Callum had ordered pint number four that Ben couldn’t take it any longer, so against his better judgement he asks:
“Is everything alright Callum?"
Callum ignores the question and as he is now on pint number four and a little drunk, he replies with “Why you working behind the bar Ben? It’s no wonder unemployment is up with all of the Mitchells having like, three jobs.”
Ben just smiles back so Callum continues “your Mum is what, pushing 70 and has the Café and The Prince Albert? You have the Arches, the Car Lot and now you’re a barman?”
“Bar Manager actually”
“You look like a barman to me, Ben” emphasising ‘Ben’ for no real reason. Apart from Alcohol.
“It’s quiet OK? Well it was until your mopey face showed up, so I let Billy go home early”
“My face ain’t mopey. You’re mopey”
“That makes no sense Callum”
“You make no sense, Ben”
As much as drunk Callum was amusing him, something was up. “Come on Callum, what’s wrong? Is it wedding stuff?”
Callum doesn’t reply immediately, clearly thinking through how to respond. He eventually goes with “No, not wedding stuff, ain’t bothered about that. It’s more important stuff”
Ben decides not to comment on the fact Callum just called his wedding unimportant. Callum continues “we’re alright, aren’t we Ben? Mate’s I mean? You don’t hate me for what Stuart did do you?”
Ben replies softly “No Callum, I don’t hate you and Yes, I’m your mate” Callum seems pleased by the reply but Ben continues “but I can’t get drawn in again to your little wedding crisis, every time I do, I end up being threatened or beat up by a member of your family”
Callum nods his understanding so Ben, more light-heartedly adds “I’m half expectin’ your mum to show up and hit me with her handbag just for talking to you now”
Callum smiles and Ben is pleased, it’s the first smile he has seen all night from him.
“No chance of that, don’t think mum knows where live to be fair but thanks”
They are interrupted by one of the other few patrons coming up to the bar so Ben goes off to serve him. Ben sneaks the odd glance at Callum whilst he is serving, he can tell Callum is wrestling with something in his head.
The guy annoyingly ordered some fancy cocktails, so it takes Ben a while to prepare them. He is not sure he has used all the right stuff in them but they look garish and lethal so they will have to do. By the time he has finished and returns to Callum, he can see that he has made up his mind about whatever it was he was deliberating.
Callum starts quietly “Ben, as we are mates n all, I want to ask you a favour. What are you doing next Wednesday?”
Ben can’t help himself “Why, thinking of sneaking me off for a quickie?”
Callum looks upset again, the drunkenness not helping. He eyes are glassy and he looks up at Ben, as earnest as he can muster and says “I’m bein’ serious here Ben. There is somewhere I need to go and don’t want to go by myself. Was wondering if you could, you know, come with me?”
Ben looks sheepish and places his hand over Callum’s on the bar “Sorry, it’s just my default setting you know? I forget I don’t need to act like that with you. Of course I will come with you, where is it you...........”
Ben never gets to finish the sentence as he and Callum are interrupted by Sharon marching into E20 and Sharon saying sternly to Ben, “In the back, now. “
Ben can tell whatever Callum is trying to ask him is important. Callum didn't even attempt to remove his hand from under Ben's when Sharon came in. “Can’t this wait Sharon, me and Callum were just…..”
“No Ben, now” Sharon replies with no room for arguing. Ben mouths ‘sorry’ to Callum, removes his hand and heads in the back room.
***
Ben follows Sharon into the back, she is clearly agitated about something
“Open the safe Ben”
“You couldn’t do that yourself?”
“You are really asking a pregnant woman to bend down under a desk”
“’course not, sorry. What’s the code?”
“It’s Louise’s’ birthdate”
“Erm, gonna need to give me a clue about that”
“Seriously Ben! That’s your Sister!”
Ben just smirks and opens the safe “Joking! Look it’s open. What is up with you?”
“Your Dad is up to something with Shirley, I need to know what. Pass me those papers.”
Ben reaches in and pulls out the top papers. He sees ‘Last Will and Testament of Phillip James Mitchell’ and gives Sharon a confused look. Why has his Dad been looking at his will recently?
“Not that Ben, the other ones below it”
Ben hands the papers to Sharon who takes a seat at the desk and starts reading through them. After a few minutes she hands them back to Ben “Put them back as you found them, with the will on top. This is between us OK?”
“No problem Sharon, I ain’t getting between you and Dad and whatever’s going on. None of my business.”
Sharon touches Ben’s arm and says kindly “Thanks Ben. You know I’m really proud of how you have handled the whole ‘Will’ thing”
“Well, I was removed ages ago, so don’t see why it would bother me now”
“No, but Phil adding Keanu in, that must have hurt a bit”
Ben is suddenly silent and his face has turned murderous. Sharon quickly realises her mistake
“Oh god Ben, I’m sorry, I thought you knew? Phil said he would sort it”
“Making me a glorified barman was obviously how he decided to sort it, instead of, you know, telling me the truth like a normal human being. Fucking Keanu of all people. Knocks-up my little sister and suddenly he is the son Phil always wanted!”
“I don’t think Keanu had anything to do with this Ben, don’t direct your anger at him”
“At Golden Boy? Why should I be angry with him? It’s not his fault he’s straight now is it? Just born that way I guess.”
“Come on Ben, it’s not like that, that’s not why Phil did it, you must know how you’ve been acting lately, you already have the Arches and, as you said, you weren’t actually in the will already”
Ben is still murderous, “You don’t get it Sharon. Phil has already shown more love for that sprog you have in there then he ever has for me. And he treats Keanu like the ‘sun don’t shine’ and what do I get eh? A seat at the family table if I behave myself”
****
Callum could do with another drink but the barman is nowhere to be found. Well that’s not true, Callum knows he is in the back with Sharon due to all the yelling coming from there.
Ben finally emerges from the backroom, face of thunder and marches to the exit with Sharon calling after him “Wait! Ben! Don’t do anything stupid!”
Callum heads out to try and catch up with Ben but he can’t see what direction he has headed in.
Giving tonight up as a bad job, Callum heads home.
****
Callum is nursing a pint of water when Whitney arrives home from her shift several hours later.
“You alright babe?” Whitney asks concerned.
“Yeah, decided to have a few drinks, had a few too many”
Whitney comes over and kisses him on the top of his head “Good job you didn’t come to the Vic tonight, it all kicked off!”
Callum wasn’t interested in whatever happened at the Vic so he just mumbled a reply.
“Yeah, Ben burst in, thought the door was gonna fall off its hinges!”
Callum suddenly took interest in the conversation “What!? What happened?”
“Not sure exactly but he went marchin’ up to Phil and started yelling at him ‘you ain’t my dad no more’ and Phil was all [Whitney putting on her best Phil impression] ‘stop embarrassing yourself Son’ and Ben was all ‘you’re dead to me’ or something. Proper dramatic it was!”
“I hope Ben’s OK” Callum replies
“It’s Ben and Phil, you know what they are like, will probably be all forgotten about by morning”
“Even so, maybe I should check on him?”
“Callum, you are lovely, but we don’t want to get involved with any Mitchell drama. Just leave it.”
Callum could leave it, even ignoring everything else that has happened, Ben is still his friend. “I can’t Whit, Ben is a mate, I need to go see if he is OK”
“This was like, two hours ago, he is probably drunk somewhere or sleeping it off already”
Callum ignored her, grabbed his coat and calling out as he left “but I need to check on him”
****
It didn’t take Callum long to find Ben. Whitney was right about one thing, he was drunk. Very drunk. Callum only saw him a few hours ago in E20 and it’s only two hours since his showdown with Phil in the Vic so he has obviously been hitting it hard.
Ben is staggering towards the Car Lot so Callum approaches him.
“Ben, Ben mate, you alright?”
Ben doesn’t seem to react, he is completely out of it so Callum catches up with him and touches him on the arm.
“Ben. What’s happened?”
Ben takes a moment to focus “Callum?”
Callum keeps hold of his arm “Yes Ben, it’s me. You alright?”
Ben shrugs Callum’s arm off and with a sneer says “Great. Tonight just gets fucking better. What you want? Someone to tuck you in?”
“I just want to make sure you are alright Ben, Whit told me about what happened in the Vic”
“No offense Callum but just Fuck off and leave me alone. I can’t deal with you right now”
“Ben, you are drunk and I want to make sure you get home OK”
“M’ not going home, sleeping here tonight where I can get some peace and quiet. Alone. And in case I weren’t subtle enough before, Fuck. Off. Callum.”
Ben has made it into the portacabin at the car lot, at least that is something so Callum reluctantly leaves him.
Later that night, Callum hears sirens coming from across the square, he puts on his dressing gown and looks out the window. There is an ambulance and several Police Cars outside The Arches and Callum thinks the worst. He knew he shouldn’t have left Ben. He pulls on his clothes and makes his way to the door. Once out onto the square he can see the Car Lot. There is still a light on inside the portacabin and he can see a Ben shaped silhouette moving about inside so he relaxes.
He doesn’t know what’s going on or who has been hurt, he just knows that it isn’t Ben so he releases the breath he didn’t know he was holding and heads back inside to bed.