Rainy Days and Mondays Part 1

Charlie sighed as she walked out of the pub, pulling her jacket around her. She frowned as she looked at her watch, pouting as she realised it would be at least another couple of hours until Smiffy finished work. She pulled out her phone and leant against the wall, desperately hoping he'd be out of the station and able to come and pick her up.

"Can't leave me alone for five minutes can you....?" Charlie's face lit up as Smiffy's distinctive drawl answered at the other end.

"You'd only bitch if I didn't check in!" She smiled, leaning against the wall and not noticing the two figures watching her from their vantage point behind the bushes surrounding the dark car park. "Where are you?"

"Stuck in Custody..." he yawned. "Have you been drinking...?" he smirked into the receiver.

"Er...no?" she giggled slightly. "Only a couple...." She trailed off and pouted slightly. "Any chance you can get off early...?"

Smiffy shook his head. "If I could, I'd be there with you..." he sighed. "But Gina's on the warpath about Gabriel...and there's no-one else to cover here...."

Charlie pouted and sat down on the small wall outside the back door. "That's not fair..." she frowned.

Smiffy chuckled and leant against the desk. "Get a taxi home...I'll see you when I get back...if you're still awake..."

Charlie frowned and rubbed the top of her head, knowing that he'd more than likely end up being roped into more overtime. "So you can't pick me up...?"

"I would if I could Chaz....but I can't get out..."

"But I haven't got-"

"I've got to go..." Smiffy looked up as Reg and Steve walked in with a prisoner. "Got customers, see you later...love you" he said, hanging up.

Charlie blinked and looked at her phone, sighing and closing it, and putting it back in her bag. She fished out her purse and looked inside, frowning at the loose change shining back at her, and wrapped her jacket further around her, shivering in the cold wind. "Typical..." she sighed, putting her purse away and walking out the car park, trying to think where the nearest cash point was.

"Got the time love....?"

Charlie looked up at the teenage lad in front of her and sped up walking slightly. "Er..." she looked at her watch and looked back to give the time, yelping as she was pushed from behind into an alley.

"What you doing...?" she whimpered, looking at the lad as another appeared from behind her. "What's going on...?" she said, tensing as they walked towards her.

"You shouldn't be out at this time of night by yourself...." One of them smirked. "Pretty little thing like you...anything could happen..."

Charlie tried to move past them and walked away, yelping as she was pulled back by her hair and slammed against a wall, crying out as her head bounced against the brick work. "Just let me go..." she said, trying to struggle.

"Where's the fun in that?" the other one smirked and took a hold over her, pressing his hand over her mouth and stopping her from shouting as the other one laid into her, kicking and punching.

Charlie struggled vainly and fought against them as best she could, freezing as she saw a flash of silver.

The teenage lad smirked as he gently ran the handle of the knife down the front of her top. "Now....what shall we do..." he smirked at her."Play a little game..." He nodded at his mate who pulled Charlie back and pinned her in place as the other one turned the knife round, sliding the blade down her top and cutting it open.

Charlie froze and closed her eyes as she felt the boys hands pull at her. "Don't...." she tried to say, her voice muffled by the other one's hand.

"Just what do we have here..." the boy smirked, running his hands down her sides and pulling her trousers away.

"Let me go!" Charlie struggled and tried to scream, again all sound being muffled by the hand clamped tightly across her mouth. She cringed and retched as she felt her underwear being slit open and tried to look away as the lad undid his trousers and advanced on her, entering her and thrusting roughly, all the time being egged on by his mate.

"Nooooo!" Cass giggled. "You have to make sure that the Inspector doesn't find out..." she hiccupped. "Or she'll go mad!"

Nick blinked at her and tried to focus through the alcohol swimming around his head. "But...but where's the fun in that...?" he asked, pointing a finger at her. "If she doesn't find out....then the joke's all gone!"

Cass shook her head, clinging on to the table as the room spun. "No! No, no, no!" she giggled. "It's...." she looked around. "Charlie can explain it...where is she?"

Mickey shrugged slightly. "Toilet?" he slurred.

"She's been gone ages..." Gary blinked, trying to the do the 'yawn and stretch arm' routine on Honey.

"She's probably gone to ring Smiffy..." Honey shrugged, blanking Kerry as she glared at her, oblivious to Gary's arm around the back of her seat.

"Smiifffffffffffffy!" Yvonne laughed, lifting her glass up in a toast and then gulping from it.

"You're all pissed!" Nick laughed at them. "You alc..alki..al..." he frowned and shrugged. "Sod it.."

Charlie blinked and slowly looked up, squinting down the dark alley, too afraid to move incase the two teenage lads were nearby. She slumped against the floor again, gasping with pain and rolled gently on to her back, laying still for a few minutes, before realising they'd gone. She saw her trousers laying a few feet away and slowly reached her arm out for them, ignoring the tears rolling down her cheeks and pulled them closer, slowly and carefully sitting up and pulling them on.

"More drink!" Cass slapped her hand on the table as Nick unsteadily stood up. "More!"

Nick looked back at her and mock-frowned. "You've had enough!"

"Nicholas dear!" Cass beamed cheekily at him. "You can never have enough booze!"

"Seconded!" Mickey said, waving his glass at Nick.

"Booooze!" Gary grinned, holding his glass out, and pouting as the landlord rang the bell for last orders.

"Club!" Honey beamed round. "Let's go to a club!"

Honey's suggestion was met half with agreement, and half with mutters of having to work the next day.

"I've got to go..." Kerry said and stood up, wrapping her coat around her, and leaving the pub.

"What's wrong with her?" Mickey hiccupped as he followed Nick to the bar to give him a hand.

"She's been like it all day..." Yvonne shrugged. "She'll be alright....she's just getting it in the neck at work..."

Mickey shrugged and continued to the bar, helping him carry the drinks back over.

Charlie slowly tried to get to her feet, moaning and gasping with pain as she slumped back against the cold, damp floor. She curled into a ball and rested her head against her knees and sobbed quietly, crying out for Smiffy.

The group inside the pub finished their drinks and stood up, ready to leave, all gathering their coats and belongings, Gary was beaming at Honey, who was turning greener by the second. Nick was leant against the wall, waiting for the girls to finish hugging and giggling, and Mickey was draining the last few drops from his glass.

"Let's go!" Yvonne said, clutching Cass' hand and pulling her along behind her. "Taxi will be here in a minute!"

Cass was much too drunk to argue and allowed herself to be pulled out the car park, ahead of the others.

Charlie blinked as the gang approaching and listened hard, lifting her head up from the floor and swallowing hard and trying to call out softly.

"Can you hear something?" Cass frowned, placing her hand on Yvonne's arm and trying to shut her up long enough for her to work out if it was her brain the alcohol playing tricks on her or if there was someone calling her.

Yvonne looked round and listened. "Can't hear anything..." she hiccupped, waiting with Cass as the others caught up.

Charlie whimpered softly as she heard them getting nearer and called out, hoping they heard her.

Cass stumbled over to Nick and Mickey and pressed her finger to her lips. "Listen!" she hissed. "Can you hear something?"

Nick and Mickey exchanged glances and looked back at her.

"Cass...." Charlie sobbed quietly. "Mickey...."

"S'Charlie..." Mickey slurred and looked round for her. "Charlie....?" He called back. "Where are you....?" He listened hard as she called back and tried to follow the sound of her voice, blinking as he got to the entrance of the alley. "What you doin'?" He frowned crouching beside her as she stared up at him, her eyes wide with fright and shock. He called for the others and leant his hand down to help her up, frowning as she flinched and turned away from him. "Chaz...it's me...." He said, sobering slightly. "What's wrong....?" He asked, rolling her back and freezing as he saw the bruises and cuts covering her face and arms. "It's alright..." he said sobering completely and pulling his phone out, calling for an ambulance. "Don't just stand there!" he said, looking back at the others and puling his coat off and wrapping it over her as Nick pulled his off and gently put it under her head.