A/N: Hi everyone! I know this is somewhat different from the fanfictionstories I usually write, but I watched the italian job - again - yesterday and have been toying with the idea of writing a Charlie/Stella fanfiction for quite some time now. So, here it is. This is just one chapter, but I don't know...I'll probably add to it. Reviews would really help on making that decision... (hint!).

Please tell me what you think? Please?

XO

"So what are you going to do about the Stella-situation?"

Charlie's head snapped up at the sound of her name and he sighed in annoyance at the lack of faith once again portrayed in Rob's eyes. "I told you before, Rob, she can handle it. How about some trust?"

Rob, seated – well, crouched – on the couch, his feet under him, looked like a predator on the very verge of jumping and devouring his prey. He answered Charlie with a sly grin and a roll of the eyes. In the background, they could hear Left-ear let out a soft laugh at the situation he knew the both of them were getting into.

"Not that Stella-situation, Charlie. I know we can trust her. The girl's got gut."

The leader of the pack leaned back and folded his arms, awaiting the rest of it. What was it, exactly, about the girl in the other room that had everybody tiptoeing around her? Besides the obvious 'she's a girl' theories, that is.

"What I mean is : what are you going to be doing about that lovesick puppy-look in your eyes every time you lay eyes on her?"

What was he..what?

Left-ear walked over to where they were seated, his trade-mark drink of Iced Tea in his hand. "The man is right, Charlie. It's obvious to anyone. I mean, you should have seen the look on your face when you returned from her room just now."

Charlie shook the shock out of his expression. "Guys, I just wanted to make sure she was okay. I mean – weren't you there in that restaurant? Didn't you see that creep put his hands all over her?" He nodded decidedly. "I was just concerned, that's all."

Lyle let out a laugh and sillily waved his hands in front of him. "Oh, 'that's all' eh Charlie?"

"Did you in any way hold her?" Rob asked him.

Charlie protested. "Yes, but…"

"Kiss her?" He continued merciless.

A soft sigh escaped a pair of lips. "It was just a friendly kiss on her temple. Nothing to read anything into."

The three men looked at eachother and a moment of silence ensued, followed by Left-ear putting both hands on Charlie's shoulders.

"We'll help you, man."

Charlie ran a hand over his tired face. "Thanks for the offer, but nothing's ever going to happen. She hates my guts."

"Then why did she come?" Lyle asked,a confused look on his face.

He clapped his hands together. "For John. Why else? Steve murdered her father, she just wants revenge."

"She didn't want revenge until you talked her into it." Came the witty reply.

Charlie shook Left-ear's comforting hands off of his shoulders and walked to the window. Resting his head against it, he watched as his breath left its imprint on the glass, clouding the reflecting of two sad eyes.

"You weren't there that day. It's funny, it's almost a year ago and I can still hear every word she said echo in my head." Snippets of her angry words followed him around these days, scratching cuts into his heart.

Rob walked over to him and patted his back. "You know what you need? You and her need to forgot that day ever happened."

Charlie huffed. Not very likely.

"…and you need booze. Plenty of booze."

A quick smile flew over a broken face. "Yes please."

--

Stella lay on her bed, her hair sprawled all over the soft hotelpillow. Her eyes were staring at nothing in particular, looking right through the Tvset that she was facing. A Tvset… she sighed. Her life had begun to look more and more like a saturday-evening movie.

Her dad, Steve,…Charlie…

Three men. One of which she hated with every fiber of her being, one which she had loved with all her heart, and one…One she had hated and now… Stella rolled over to look at the ceiling instead. She didn't know how to feel about Charlie Croker.

She knew she couldn't blame him for her father's robbings – her father had always done what he himself had wanted to do. It was just easier to have someone to yell at, and one year ago, Charlie had been perfect for that position. No one else had lived up to the criteria. She smiled. 'Lived up'. He had come to tell her of her father's passing and she was using the words 'lived up'.

The details of that day had started to become blurry in her mind, but she still knew that she had been horrible to him. She had screamed at him, flown at him both physically and verbally and all the while he had stood there, taking it like a broken man.

Was it too late for her to apologize?

She sat up in bed and opened the drawer of the nighstand, reaching out and taking the brown leather binding, slowly opening the covers. The diamond necklace smiled back at her, shining with all its brilliance.

No, she decided, it was never too late to make things right.

Okay, so...what did you think? Please tell me?? Please?

XO