RaspBerryhats
"Aww, no, that is way too much salsa!"
"Are you serious, Jakes?" Charlie shook her head and flipped the scrambled eggs over. She put Guero's Salsa out of the ICE agent's reach. He groaned and put his head onto the table. "There is no such thing as too much salsa!"
"She's right, man," Johnny agreed, rounding the corner and grabbing the jar. He leaned against the counter, inspecting the label. "You know my gran'ma, she could eat this stuff with a spoon."
"Johnny, I'ma kill you if you come over here and start eating that with a spoon—,"
"What? Like this?" Johnny screwed open the cap and scooped out a glop of the salsa with two fingers. He started edging towards Jakes who starting moaning in protest.
Briggs appeared, grabbed a cup of coffee off the pot, reached over and smacked Johnny upside the back of the head.
"Ow! What was that for?" Johnny cried, gingerly touching his head.
"For messing with Jakes after he's been on a stake out until six in the morning," Briggs replied and added free-trade sugar to his coffee.
"Thank you," Jakes mumbled and put his head back down. Charlie shook her head, grinning, and eased the eggs off the skillet onto the plate. Then she turned to flip the bacon.
Briggs took his coffee to the table and smacked Johnny again.
"Okay, really, man?"
"That was for using your nasty fingers to eat Guero's," Briggs said seriously, pointing a cereal spoon at him. "I thought you had some sort of moral fiber, but I guess not."
"Aw, shut up. You'd eat it straight if you thought no one would catch you."
"Either way, Johnny, you're buying another jar," Charlie muttered.
"Man, you guys suck." Johnny scowled, standing up from the chair. "I'ma gonna go find Paige, the only member of this household without a giant stick up their asses."
"Aw, c'mon, Johnny, I'm pretty cool," Mike said, turning the corner. He had just gotten back from a run.
Johnny shrugged. "Yeah, but you got that weird hair-gel thing going on," he said as he passed Mike on his way out.
"He's got a point, Mikey," Charlie shrugged as Mike took a water bottle out from the fridge. "Nothing says, 'I'm a fed like perfect hair'."
"What, Californians don't do personal hygiene?"
The other agents glanced at each other, small smiles on their faces. Even Jakes lifted his head with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, okay, I'll cut it back with the hair gel." Mike grinned and sat down across from Charlie. "Ooo, are those scrambled?"
"Yeah, and if you hold up, you can get some bacon too." Charlie slid the bacon onto the plate. "Alright, come and get it. Anybody know where Paige is?"
Briggs loaded up his plate and grabbed a few extra pieces on a towel. "I think Paige and Johnny are gonna want some of Guero's eggs. I'll send them up if I find them."
Charlie put some eggs and bacon on a smaller plate. She put a plate near Jakes who again, raised a sleepy head at the smell of food. "Go to bed, Jakes. Nobody can carry you're unconscious body back to bed."
"Alright, alright," Jakes murmured and stood up, clutching the plate against his chest. Mike watched him go up the stairs.
"You're pretty good," Mike said, sipping his water.
"At what?" Charlie asked as she got out a tortilla from the fridge.
"At them. At knowing what they need. And what to say. That has nothing to do with being a FBI agent."
Charlie shrugged. "I'm good at taking care of people. I've done it my whole life. So why the hell not do it professionally? Besides," she said smugly, sliding down into a chair next to him. "You are legally allowed to shoot people who piss you off."
Mike chuckled and shrugged. "That too." He realized his hand around the bottle was inches away from her hand that held the fork. He swallowed and stood up.
"Now, you'll have to excuse me. I need a shower before I stink up the whole place."
"Oh thank God, you realized it. I just didn't know how to tell you!" She called after him.
She watched him go, laughing to herself. She took a bite of eggs and watched a new wave break out against the hot sand.
There was a phone call.
Charlie got up, answered it and her heart squeezed painfully.
"Ms. DeMarco, there's been an accident."
barricadeboyznthehood
The echo of the phone dial rang through her mind along with the sizzling of the eggs Charlie had cooked moments before her normal life came colliding with her professional life. Her father, Anthony Demarco, was in the hospital for problems with his kidneys that would most likely lead to kidney failure. Charlie pressed a sweaty palm to her forehead as she glanced back at the three minutes and two second conversation she had with his residing Doctor Sankara blinking mercilessly from the phone.
Everyone had left by now, their breakfasts abandoned, finished or taken with them out into the real world. Jakes was still in the house but Charlie figured he'd be out cold by now, he had stayed up since six because of an operation he was embedded in for a couple of days. Briggs was in search of Johnny and Paige who were most likely down at Hector's tacos getting a head start on their lunch. Mike was off running as per usual and he wouldn't be back till later.
Sadly, Charlie wished they were all here with her. But, Briggs was the only one to know about the family problems she endured, her father's alcoholism, her brother's drug use and her mother's depression. She was from a family of illness and she half entered the FBI because it was an institution of structure, order and justice. Her family was a complete hopeless tragedy, she had tried to help but she needed an escape.
"Get a grip." Charlie muttered to herself, setting the phone back on its stand near the oven. She washed her hands, needing the methodical motion to calm her down and almost cleanse what was happening to her.
Eventually she walked away from the kitchen, not bothering to clean up because her name wasn't attributed on the chore wheel to her, that was Mike's job. Plus, she usually cleaned up for her friends, muttering that they were assholes but she loved them. Hopefully, this was her note to them. Her reminder that she was needed around her when at times she felt so isolated from them and their friendship.
She grabbed her purse, her phone charger for the car, and her sunglasses. She could feel moisture begin to prick at the corner of her eyes already. She hadn't cried in years it seemed like. Charlie didn't want to cry prematurely, especially if her father's illness was easily curable with rehab and AA meetings. For a moment she hoped her family was there, her mother seemingly happier, her brother clean, maybe then she wouldn't have to pick up even more of the foundation her family destroyed.
Providence Mercy Hospital was at least an hour away but Charlie didn't mind the drive. She took the inconspicuous red truck all the way down to the hospital. She actually listened to music she enjoyed instead of Johnny's Latino gangster rap. Charlie felt in that moment free. Until she reached the hospital, she'd feel like this was a normal carefree drive.
The hospital was decorated in the South Western feel while still being modern and looking like a respectable place. Charlie sighed as she walked through the automatic glass doors and headed towards the front desk.
She was greeted by a young woman named Alice working the front desk. Alice looked up at her with grey-blue eyes that reminded her fiercely of Mike's.
"I'm here to see Anthony Demarco. Dr. Sankara called me about an hour ago." She explained to the girl and Alice typed on the computer.
"He's on the fourth floor in room 212." Alice explained with a friendly smile, gesturing to sign in the book, where Charlie shakily signed her name.
"Thanks." Charlie told the girl, nodding towards her in appreciation before she rode the elevator up to the fourth floor.
She took a deep breath as the elevator bell dinged and the doors opened, showing Charlie the nurse's station with their numerous bottles of hand sanitizer and paper towels, along with their little alcove where there were refreshments, a lounge for the family members of patients, and a tiny refrigerator for the nurses along with two coffee-makers.
She exhaled shakily as one of the nurses with deep brown eyes glanced up at Charlie.
"Who are you here for?" The girl moved closer to her in hot pink scrubs.
Charlie was blinded by the intensity of the clothing and marveled at how the color was not faded or had any stains on it.
"Anthony Demarco." Her voice was dry and hoarse.
"We have water over there." The girl, seemingly an intern, gestured to the little alcove of refreshments.
"Thanks." Charlie muttered before looking back at the nurse, taking a moment to read her name tag, "Rebbecca, is it safe to go in?" She asked.
Rebbecca walked down the hallway with Charlie until they reached 212. She knocked and Charlie heard the gruff voice of her father announcing it was okay to go in.
Charlie walked into the hospital room , taking in the light blue tint of the room and the gray cloud of tension hanging over them.
"Hey, Dad." She smiled though it was fleeting.
Her dad blinked blearily, almost like he couldn't believe his Charlie was standing before him.
Charlie didn't remember her father ever looking this devastated. He had lost almost all of his gray hair, he had freckles and spots on his peeling and itchy skin, and he had lost his mischievous smile.
"How'd you get in here, Dad?" She teased him, sitting down in a chair and glancing up at Rebbecca for some sense of support.
Anthony Demarco snorted gruffly and shook his head.
"He was experiencing rapid changes in his urination, shortness of breath, itching of the skin, fatigue, a metallic taste in his mouth." Rebbecca explained, "All symptoms of Kindey disease, it's usually caused by high blood pressure or diabetes." She informed Charlie, turning to look at the woman in the chair.
"It doesn't help that he's a drinker." Charlie added matter of fact.
"No, it doesn't." Rebbecca seemed embarrassed to be talking about Anthony's diagnosis in front of him so she ushered herself out. "Ring that buzzer if you need me, Anthony." She reminded the man and he nodded.
"Dad, how could you do this to yourself?" Charlie whispered, her dark eyes now letting her tears fall as she hid her face in her hands.
Raspberryhats
"Ay, anybody want to play some frisbee?" Mike hopped into the kitchen, tossing the frisbee back and forth in his hands. Unfortunately for the game, the kitchen was empty, the skillet and pan still on the stove from Charlie's breakfast this morning. He frowned. While it was a favorite game among the rest of the agents at Graceland to find any way to stick him with the clean-up duty, Charlie was often the only one who cleaned up her dishes. It was a little odd to find them abandoned in the same place, as though Charlie had just walked away. Mike turned and noticed the phone was lying on its side, not in the holder. Little tiny warning flags went up: something was wrong. Mike picked up the frisbee and went to find Briggs.
Up the stairs, Mike heard a muffled voice coming from inside Briggs's room. He was speaking low and fast, dotting his phrases occasionally with just "yah" or "uh-huh".
"Okay, I'll keep it quiet. But Charlie, you know if you need—,"
He cut off abruptly. There was silence and then a small click of the phone going back in place.
Charlie.
Charlie's in trouble. Something's wrong with her. Where is she? Does she need help? What—
Briggs opened the door and Mike, leaning up as close as he could to the door to catch every word, stumbled back, looking sheepish. Briggs frowned and glanced back to the phone. He opened his mouth, the stern slope of his eyebrows, evidence that he was about to scold Mike.
"What's wrong with Charlie?" Mike asked sharply. He crossed his arms and hoped to seem a little taller. "She left the dishes out and the phone's all messed up. It looks like she just got out and ran. Where is she?"
Briggs blinked then frowned— damn kid, too smart for his own good. He turned and walked back into his room, motioning for Mike to follow. Mike stepped in and Briggs closed the door, propping his hip up against the handle.
"So you can get that worry little crease in your forehead to go away— you'll get wrinkles— I'll tell you." He paused, still worrying that Charlie would skin him alive if she found out Mike knew, " She's in Providence Mercy Hospital."
Mike felt goosebumps spring up on his arms and the room suddenly felt too warm. He was sweating under his neck, again. His knees went soft and he had to lean against Briggs's bed.
"But she's not there as a patient. Her dad is real sick. Thirty-year alcoholic and it's finally catching up to him." Briggs sighed and crossed the room. "She's been worried about this happening for a long time. Now it's finally here. She's a little rattled, but she'll pull through. Just like she always does."
"But shouldn't we talk to her? Go give her support?"
"She wants to fight this battle alone." Briggs turned, his thick brows at a straight line. "And we have to respect that, Mikey. Charlie's a big girl and she can make these decisions on her own. Got it?"
"That seems a little bitter coming from the guy who got so deeply involved in someones life that they got kicked out of Graceland," Mike snapped. He almost regretted it the instant the spiteful words came out of his mouth, not sure exactly how Briggs would react. To Mike's great surprise, Briggs looked away, his hands on his hips. His voice was rough, almost bruised as though his internal conscience was raging a battle against the subject of Lauren.
"I don't have to explain myself to you, but you know I did it for the sake of this house and everyone in it. Charlie can take care of herself, much more than Lauren ever could. That's what trust is about— knowing there's danger, but believing your partner will do the right thing when your backs are up against the wall. I couldn't do that with Lauren, but I sure as hell can do that with Charlie. So just let her fight this by herself."
Mike sighed, nodding. "Yeah, sure, I'll leave her alone."
Briggs glanced up, narrowing his eyes. "I'm serious, Mike. This is more for your sake than hers. You don't want to rush in there, half-cocked, and mess with an emotional Charlie. She's not the Judo Queen of this house for nothing."
Mike raised his open palms in defense. "Alright, alright. No half-cocked. No messing with Charlie."
Briggs searched him over, looking as if to spot a lie wriggling out from behind Mike's ear. He nodded briefly, satisfied. "Great. Now I know a bunch of them are out playing on the beach. Personally, I'm going to go catch some waves. Wanna join?"
Mike shrugged. "Eh, I think I'll pass. I should probably go clean those pots before Charlie gets back. Somehow, it's always my turn on the chore wheel."
He laughed, the motion more air being expelled from his chest, rather than a reaction to something humorous. Charlie's in the hospital. She's upset and we're doing nothing.
"Later, Briggs."
Mike left the bedroom, his head suddenly foggy and thick. He bumbled down the stairs and fell onto the couch, his wrist falling over his eyes. He sighed and tried to keep from exploding.
barricadeboyznthehood
Mike sighed, turning over on his perfectly made bed as he questioned whether or not to approach Briggs again. Approaching him after he was just outside, soaking up the California sun and being a boss at surfing seemed like a bad idea. Okay, not Briggs then. But he knew that he had to tell someone else. Even though Briggs was reluctant to tell Mike in the first place, the young agent knew that in the end, Charlie would want her second family there.
He exhaled shakily, wondering how he would go about this. First off, the dishes. Though Mike's name was always permanently stuck on dish duty and seemed to never move from that position, he admitted inwardly that washing the dishes were a cathartic experience and he loved the feel of water against his skin— water that wasn't trying to drown him in the ocean, mind you—d he just wished that the agents would remember they didn't have a garbage disposal. Scooping out all the yuck of Johnny's Malaysian fruit, bits of salsa from Briggs, and Paige's vegan crap was disgusting and Mike always swore under his breath that he would seek revenge. Not today. Mike dutifully did the dishes as quickly as he could. He heard the sliding screen glass door close and he knew it was either Briggs returning early from the waves or another member of the household returning with food. It was the latter and Mike turned, dishtowel slung over his shoulder, to see who it was.
"Ay, man." Johnny grinned at his friend, "Dishes duty again? Seems like your names super-glued to the chore wheel." He joked and noticed Mike's downcast and intense concentration on a stubborn stain. "Yo," his eyebrows knitted together, "What's happening, Mikey?"
Mike shut off the water, took the dishtowel off his shoulder and placed it in a heap on the counter. He turned to look at Johnny but he said nothing. How do I tell him? Does he know about her Dad? Does he even know she has family? Briggs is gonna hate me, Charlie will kill me for sure.
Johnny immediately folded his arms, a nervous habit that he thought made him look tougher, plus it showed off his real tattoos. "What's wrong?" He firmly repeated the question.
"It's Charlie," Mike began and he saw the rapid progression of Johnny's dark eyebrows shooting up and his hand wiping at his mouth in surprise. "Oh, no— it's not—," Mike placed a hand out and shook his head, "Nothing to do with her. She's at Providence Mercy for her Dad."
Johnny let out a sigh of relief. "What's wrong with the dude?"
"He's an alcoholic and he's finally suffering the consequences." Mike noted with a frown. "I . . . I didn't know why the dishes weren't done cause unlike some people," Mike gave Johnny a pointed look, "She cleans up after herself. She didn't even bother to put the phone back properly, so I knew something was up." He continued, "I heard Briggs talking to her on the phone, telling her that he'd keep it quiet, so naturally I confronted him."
Johnny shook his head, "Merciless Mike." He snorted, "Maybe we should call you Nosy Mike." He teased lightheartedly.
Mike laughed hollowly but continued, "So, I've been wondering whether to tell you guys cause I know Charlie wants to keep it private but if something is that bad with her Dad and . . ."
"Whose Dad?" The sliding glass door was opened and closed again as a sun-soaked and ocean-sprayed Paige emerged from the ocean, ringing the water out of her blond hair. "What's up?" Her face contorted into a worried expression as she drew closer to the two guys.
"Charlie." Johnny looked over his shoulder and Paige drew closer.
"Charlie? My Charlie?" Paige frowned deeply, "We were supposed to have Girls Night tonight to get away from you Goons. Is she hurt? Did something happen with her mark?"
"No, no." Mike told her, shaking his head. "Her Dad. He's an alcoholic and he's at Providence Mercy hospital." He explained.
"The juice has caught up to him." Johnny explained and Paige nodded.
"That sucks," she sighed. "Why didn't she tell us?"
They heard footsteps coming from upstairs and Jakes appeared, his hair in the familiar bun he wore and a long golden chain around his neck. He looked surprised at the congregation in the kitchen and he noticed their worried and guilty looking faces.
"What's got you all looking like you ate some of Johnny's Malaysian fruit!?" He asked with a small chuckle of laughter.
"Hey—," Johnny was about to protest but Paige looked at Jakes and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Charlie, not her specifically, but her Dad." She continued, "They're at Providence Mercy Hospital."
"He's an alcoholic." Mike finished, "I heard Briggs talking . . . "
"And naturally you became Mr. I Need to Know Everything," Jakes told him with a sigh and he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Y'all know that Charlie's business is her business, right?" He paused. "Her and Briggs go way back. This is like . . ." he tried to search for the words, "some weird violation of their trust that you're messing with..."
Johnny shook his head, "Who cares if they had a thing, man. Charlie should know that she could come to all of us."
"Right, I thought we were sisters." Paige said quietly, looking down. "I . . .I told her things and . . . not that I don't trust you guys but it's different with another girl in the house and we're. . ." she paused, "We have to do something!" She exclaimed.
"She wants to fight this battle alone, though." Mike reminded her.
Jakes glanced over at Mike, narrowing his eyes and proclaiming, "Nobody really wants to fight alone."
Johnny and Paige took this as confirmation, as Jakes was the second senior officer in the house hierarchy to Briggs and Charlie, that this mean they could celebrate. They both beamed, high-fived and bumped hips.
"Aw yeah, road trip baby!" Johnny exclaimed, thrusting his fist in the air, "Come on, I'll pack us some food!"
"Don't bring any of your Malaysian shit!" Jakes reminded them.
"Should I bring anything, Levi?" Paige looked expectantly at Mike, "You know, girl things? Magazines that are actually current and hair brush and stuff. Who knows how long she'll be there. What if it's super serious?"
Mike nodded, "Bring whatever you'd like, Paige. I know she'll appreciate it." He paused, looking at the group. "Charlie's going to be mad. We all know this. We're invading her private life, though we know her as the den mother and the all-around badass in Graceland, there's gonna be things she doesn't want us to know or see."
Jakes nodded at this. "So, we have to proceed with caution and whatever you do, Don't tell her that Briggs told us. We don't want to be messing with their lives."
Mike cleared his throat. "Get packing. Bring whatever you think she might need."
They all met by the truck in the driveway. Mike and Jakes helped pack the trunk. Paige brought along a small travel case of toiletries including hair brush, nail polish, nail file, cuticle cutter, etc. She thought she could still have girl time with Charlie even if it was during a sad situation. Paige also brought along girly magazines.
Jakes brought along some cross words and more game-orientated things like cards. He knew Charlie would enjoy mindless games if she was feeling numb.
Johnny brought food, the good non-smelly kind, including Hector's tacos and some leftover pasta.
Mike wasn't sure what to bring Charlie at first. He thought they had it all covered. He brought her the book –Little Women— that she read from when Mike was sick. He figured it might be a comfort to Charlie.
"Alright, ready to go, gang" Jakes looked at them, taking the moment to be the driver.
Johnny called shotgun and jumped into the passenger seat.
"Suckers!" He exclaimed to Mike and Paige as they were banished to the back.
Mike didn't mind. It meant he could think about what to say when he saw Charlie and avoid the punches she might throw. Paige looked worried and rest her head on Mike's shoulder for comfort. He tenderly kissed her hair and sighed. They were in for a long day.
Raspberryhats
Jakes pulled up the hospital, turned off the car and they all sat. Mike remembered Easter when he was five and his grandfather died on Good Friday. It wasn't a very good Friday because it smelled like moisturized puke in the agonizingly white hospital room. He thought of Charlie having to face that smell, the presence of death, and the overwhelmingly sadness all alone. He glanced at Paige, who was still staring up the hospital through the window with the color steadily draining from her face. Mike patted her hand and she grimaced at him, clearly trying to smile and failing.
"We going, or what?" Johnny asked from the front. He nervously bit on his thumbnail.
"Yeah, but I'm not carrying the giant fluffy bear." Jakes climbed down from the driver's seat, but Paige was already running around the side of the car.
"Okay, but it's either the fluffy bear, or flowers, or candy."
They had stopped at a local candy stop "just to pick up some things that Charlie totally needed" (Paige pleaded). They would have gotten to the hospital at least fifteen minutes earlier but Johnny and Mike argued which flowers would have been better, before Jakes stepped in, grabbed a twelve inch bouquet, an assortment of flavored candies and a stuffed bear with a head three times the size of a tire.
Paige glanced up at Jakes through light eyelashes. "C'mon, think of what Charlie would want."
Jakes shook his head, sighing. "Charlie wouldn't want us anywhere near here. You do realize that public place or not, there is a very high chance that she will kick the crap outta us the second she sees us, right?"
Johnny slammed the trunk shut, arms overfilled with the bear, the flowers, and the candy box perched precariously on his head. He handed the flowers to Mike, the candies to Paige and pushed the giant bear right into Jakes's chest.
"Yeah, but we're family, and family is supposed to be annoying as all hell, right?"
Paige was sweet-talking the nurse behind the front desk to let them visit the DeMarco room, despite the fact that it was only family who could be allowed to visit now. While she put on her best angelic act, Mike glanced around. Sullen and pale nurses and doctors meandered through doors and up and down hallways. They pushed patients in wheelchairs, held up others on crutches and waited for the elderly to hurry along with their canes. Mike tried to smile at two orderlies passing, but it felt like his skin was cracking.
A hand clapped his shoulder and he jumped.
"Hospitals are creepy, ain't they?" Johnny asked with conviction.
"They really are," Mike nodded.
"Well, if they weren't, everybody would be getting sick. It's all advertising, man."
Paige waved them over and the nurse, still scowling, led them down the hall. Jakes narrowly avoided hitting a old man with the giant bear, apologized and ran after the group.
"So, Cousin Charlie hasn't really told us anything," Paige glanced at the nurse, then behind to the rest of the group. Mike rolled his eyes. How exactly Paige had convinced the poor nurse that they were all estranged family was beyond him, but he could only congratulate her for it. "We were just wondering about our poor Uncle's condition."
The nurse narrowed her eyes at Paige before sighing. They turned down the hall, burrowing deeper and deeper into the hospital, squeezing together as a family against the absurdly clean walls.
"He's not good. I'll say that," the nurse muttered. "Only getting worse. That little girl of his, Charlie, hasn't left the room since. I don't have the heart to tell her that no amount of bedside waiting will do him any better."
Paige's facade of overly concerned distant cousin flickered. "So it's pretty sure . . ."
"Yeah," the nurse sighed. "I just don't know how to tell her. Maybe I can get that older brother of hers to do it."
Paige froze and the giant fuzzy feet of the bear bumped her. "What older brother?"
Charlie sat back in the chair, heels of her palms rubbing into her eyes. She had been staring at her father's financials for too long. All she could see were numbers.
"Hey, chin up, DeMarco, we've still got about three more boxes to go." Briggs reached over and slapped her knee with a rolled up spreadsheet.
Charlie groaned. "Never saw the movie, never liked the idea, but I'm pretty sure I've got the Matrix replaying on my eyelids."
Briggs grinned and stood up. He grabbed the two water bottles from the bedside table. Anthony DeMarco was snoring roughly, tubes running every which way, so many that they seemed to be feeding off him like snakes. Briggs turned and handed Charlie a cold bottle. She pressed it to her head like a cold compress.
"You know Johnny is still going to make you see that movie eventually," Briggs muttered and sat back down in the hospital chair. He dragged over one of the unopened boxes with his feet and propped them up.
"No, uh-uh," Charlie murmured, her mouth twisted. "Too many numbers."
Briggs watched her. Even slumped back in the chair, she was tense, every muscle contracted in anguish, stress and exhaustion.
"You can't keep this from them forever," Briggs said quietly. Charlie peaked at him from under the water bottle.
"I can try."
"They're all highly specialized, highly trained field agents to catch any anomalies in human behavior." Briggs raised an eyebrow at her, a grin threatening. "They're going to find out sometime."
Charlie sighed. "Then I'll just take out my gun and shoot them all."
"Are you going to shoot Mike too?"
Charlie took the water bottle off her head and glared at Briggs. "What's that suppose to mean?"
Briggs picked up the spreadsheet from earlier and went back to figuring out how much more care Mr. DeMarco could afford. "He's a good man, Charlie, and an even better agent. Don't run him around if you've got nothing to follow up."
Charlie's heart squeezed unconsciously. She set the water bottle down and resettled her hands in her lap.
"I know he's good. I can see that. He's just so damn . . ."
"Sincere." Briggs's brown eyes felt like heat waves, riding over the spreadsheet and crashing into Charlie.
"Yeah."
"Well, he's sincerely unafraid of you, if that's what you're worried about."
"If he knew what was good for him, he would be." She wanted the chair to swallow her. She looked at her father and she remembered the night when she was six and it was storming outside and he told her everything was going to be okay, holding her tight. The next morning he was gone for the next six months.
"Never said Mikey had a whole lot of street smarts." Briggs reached forward and took her hand. He smiled briefly but the shine didn't reach his eyes. Charlie glanced at him, the touch surprising but needed.
"Thank you, Paul."
The door opened, Paige leaped in, smiling and waving a box of candy, Johnny pulled Jakes in by the collar. Jakes scowled, lugging a giant bear in after him.
And Mike appeared last, smiling guiltily from behind brilliant flowers. Charlie smiled at him, her heart expanding at his crooked grin. Then his eyes fell on her hands, still clasped with Brigg's, and the smile, the abashed joy in his blue eyes, melted away.
barricadeboyznthehood
Charlie saw the joy melt away from the young agent's face and at first she wasn't sure why his expression washed away. Maybe it was the sight of a man he didn't know in a hospital bed or the presence of all the boxes with financial records laying about a grim reminder of the inevitable or maybe it was the fact that Briggs's hand squeezed Charlie's in reassurance.
She could see the flicker of anger in Briggs's eyes as he saw not just Mike but all the house mates of Graceland. He had broken Charlie's wish for the matter to stay secret and here Mike was with the whole god damn group. Briggs figured Charlie would eventually forgive the young agent but not without making Mike afraid of her first.
Briggs smiled sweetly though, a false hope for the other agents that he wasn't mad, and Charlie raised an eyebrow at him. He shook his head and laughed at Jakes's grimace.
"Come here for some reconstructive surgery, Jakes?" The senior agent teased Jakes as his head disappeared from view and was replaced by a teddy bear.
"Yeah, I was thinking y'all could call me Yogi now." He deadpanned and handed the bear to Charlie, but not before the teddy bear kissed her on the cheek.
"Aw, Jakesy." Charlie teased and lifted a hand to her cheek where the teddy bear kissed it. She glanced at the box on her lap, "Looks like Yogi here doesn't have a seat."
"I'll take him!" Johnny enthusiastically offered up, taking the bear away from a grateful Jakes.
Paige smiled at Charlie, placing a comforting light hand on her shoulder, "I only got you the good kind. No pecans." She remembered Charlie's allergy as she called it, though it was just aversion towards pecans.
"Thanks." Charlie smiled at Paige and gestured for the girl to sit in the last remaining seat by her. Briggs sat opposite the young agent and he had finally let go of Charlie's hand, lest Johnny tease them.
Johnny was perfectly fine with sitting on the floor with the bear.
Jakes rolled his eyes and wrinkled his nose, "Dude, that's probably where all the puke and urine spills."
"Man, I lived in the ghetto. I think I can handle an old dude's bedpan spilling over!" He made the teddy bear point threateningly with a fluffy paw. "Me and Pedro got this covered."
"Pedro?" Briggs raised an eyebrow.
"What? He represents the diverse community of Southern California and my Mexican heritage."
"It's Charlie's bear." Mike, who had been silent and still holding the flowers, chimed in solemnly. He smiled fleetingly at Charlie and she gave him a smile in return. It looked like something had broken in him moments before.
"Pedro's fine, Johnny." Charlie called out to her friend on the floor. "Come on, sit down guys." She gestured to the love seat by the window, get well cards lying on the windowsill and a vase filled with dead flowers.
Mike moved past Charlie, Paige and Briggs, stepping over Johnny and Pedro, and passing Jakes on the couch to take out the dead flowers and replace them with the brilliant ones they bought at the gift store. With a satisfied sigh, he dropped down on the couch next to Jakes. Jakes discreetly patted his room mate's thigh and pursed his lips. Jakes had seen the devastation in Mike's eyes as well.
They sat in silence for a minute, Charlie's weary eyes ghosting over numbers that she didn't remember, Briggs looking over her shoulder, Paige searching through the toiletries bag to retrieve a deep red nail polish that would look perfect with Charlie's skin tone, Johnny playing with Pedro on the floor, Jakes turning to look over his shoulder at the courtyard outside and Mike staring at the beeping of the monitor and the whir of the air conditioning above them.
His pale blue eyes glanced over at the mounted TV, now turned off, and the eerily cheerful schedule for Anthony Demarco which listed when he took his medications, who his nurse was, what they did when they checked up on him. All routine. Mike hated the order in hospital, the attempts to quell chaos that resided in someone's body. Sure, he admired the doctors and nurses who went through medical school and rose out of the depths of obscurity to be trained surgeons or nurse practitioners who saved lives, but he couldn't help but feel empty when faced with uncontrollable forces that not even trained humans could understand. Most of all, he hated the silence and the waiting.
After Paige selected the nail polish, shaking it and bringing it to meet Charlie's eyes, Paige asked, "So, you have a brother?"
Charlie's dark eyes narrowed and she snatched the bottle from Paige's well manicured fingers and slammed it down on the small table.
Anthony Demarco murmured in his sleep and Charlie moved forward to place a calming hand on her Dad's and he drifted back to sleep.
"How do you know about that?" She hissed and everyone in the room tensed, even Briggs.
"Well, to even get onto this floor, I had to pretend that we were all distantly related to you. The nurse was uptight but she eventually listened to me." Her expression showed that she was worried Charlie might berate her some more, or worse, even hit her; though she couldn't help a ghost of a proud smile show on her lips.
"That's my girl." Briggs murmured and Charlie's eyes shot him a pointed look. He didn't recoil, he only sifted through more financial records and set about organizing them by date.
"Yes, I have a brother and it's none of your god damn business." Charlie snapped and Paige furrowed her brow.
"We're only trying to help."
"You can help by leaving me alone." Charlie hissed and Briggs shook his head, looking at his other agents.
Paige huffed, setting the toiletries bag down on the table, "You shouldn't be alone."
Jakes stood up, stretched, and proclaimed, "Come on, guys." He gave Charlie a tight lipped smile, reassuring her that they would leave.
"But Pedro and I are just starting to get comfortable!" Johnny noted but Jakes pulled him up by the tank top sleeve.
"Come on, man."
"Fine. Take care of him for me, a'ight?" Johnny looked at Charlie and she nodded. "Hang loose, Charlie." He murmured, passing her before he walked outside with Paige and Jakes.
Through the open door, Mike could see Paige and Jakes arguing, words such as "help", "alone" and "sisters" being thrown out there.
Mike stood up, about to leave, when Briggs told him to sit back down and stay here a while.
"You're taking over my shift, Mike." Briggs announced, gesturing to Charlie and her father. He paused in front of Charlie, squatting down to be at her level before he took her hands and placed a kiss to her forehead. Charlie could see out of the corner of her eye Mike turned, his face feverish.
"Call me if you need me, Mike'll be here. Don't scare him, okay? He's too sincere." Brigs whispered and gave Charlie a reassuring smile before he stood up, taking a few of the records with him.
Charlie's eyebrows rose at this and Briggs explained: "as punishment for all of them betraying you wish to be alone, I'm going to make them organize a few boxes." He grinned. "It'll make our job easier."
"Thanks, Paul." Charlie whispered, her dark eyes catching his, before he nodded in approval and closed the door behind him.
Mike felt oceans away stranded on the lithe couch with the cards decorating the windowsill behind him and the evening sun settling around him like a halo.
"You can come closer you know." Charlie laughed hollowly and Mike cautiously sat next to her.
"I'm sorry." Mike relented.
"Sorry?" Charlie furrowed her brow.
"I . . . I noticed you were gone. You're the only except me to actually wash the dishes," Mike said appreciatively before continuing, "and the phone wasn't in its proper place and the dishes weren't washed. So, I went upstairs and I heard Briggs talking to you on the phone." He paused. "I know it wasn't cool of me to confront him, but it seemed like the right thing to do." He noted with the fierce look of determination and idealism returning to his eyes.
Charlie smiled genuinely, "Thanks Mike, I know I can be pretty crabby about invasion of personal life and this just seemed like a burden that I didn't want you guys to bear." She paused. "I mean you guys didn't even know I had a brother, I think that tells something about my trust issues."
"But you trust Briggs?" Mike asked softly.
"Yes." Charlie replied, her face contorting into a confused look as Mike seemed saddened by this. She felt the need to explain, "We've been undercover together. He was my first undercover partner. It's a . . . pact, a loyalty, an understanding." She struggled for words that didn't seem too platonic or romantic. They were in a weird middle ground, acting as Mama and Papa bear to the other members of Graceland but never acting on their buried feelings. They saw how emotions could destroy relationships.
"Oh." Mike cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his neck, "You can stay mad at me for however long you like." He chuckled.
"It'll pass soon, don't worry." Charlie laughed along with him, a genuine laugh, and it echoed against the too white walls.
Mike smiled and glanced at the red nail polish, "May I?"
"You better not be like Johnny and paint my fingers instead."
"He did that?"
"To Jakes while he was sleeping." Charlie snorted with laughter.
Minutes turned to hours and soon visiting hours were over for non-family members. The small army of nurses came in every few hours to check on Mr. Demarco, a few times needing the disappearance of Charlie and Mike for privacy reasons, before they returned to their station outside the door.
Charlie and Mike listened to the whirring of the hospital instruments and devices while he painted her fingernails. Occasionally he would mess up and the red would streak outside her nails and he would take his thumbnail, pressing it into the crease of her nail and banishing the red liquid to live under his thumb instead.
"There." He grinned, holding Charlie's right hand in his, turning it over and surveying it with calculating eyes. "Pretty good, huh?"
"Good enough." Charlie teased before she let her thumb run over the back of Mike's hand, "Thanks, Mikey." She whispered, "I needed this." She admitted.
"You're welcome, Charlie." Mike whispered, his hand still clasping hers, the overwhelming smell of nail polish and cleaning solution assaulting his nostrils. His pale blue eyes stared into her dark sultry gaze, his joyful and sincere expression returned, and Mike felt himself leaning in, his lips brushing Charlie's ever so slightly.
Mike was not oceans away anymore.
A knock came at the door before a nurse burst in and smiled at the two, "Visiting hours are over. Family only." She glanced pointedly at Mike.
"It's okay." Charlie held her hand up at the nurse and smiled at Mike, "He's like family to me."
Mike's bright grin returned and Charlie clasped her hand to his. They were all family.
*A/N Okay, I cannot express the love I have for my co-author. She is a brilliant friend, a brilliant writer and puts up with all my crap. If you are cool, you have to go check her out on tumblr and on AO3. Dis girl is da BOMB! GO GIVE HER SOME LOVE!