"I've always been here for you"

Chapter One.

"Duffy?" Charlie asked her, as he looked at her for the first time after their kiss ended. Both stood standing together in their embrace.

"I'm sorry". Small tears ran down both cheeks, as she broke into a smile.

"Hey, it's ok, it's going to be ok. I'm here." Charlie replied, hugging her closer to his chest.

"I've waited so very long to be with you, Charlie." She said through gentle sobs, and cracked smiles.

"I've always been here for you Duffy, you know that." Charlie said, as he rubbed her back and shoulders hugging her as much as he could.

Duffy broke free of his grasp to look into his eyes, trying to explain to him just how much he meant to her.

Her palm rested on his face as she spoke, "I know, I didn't realise just how much until I was on the other side of the world, away from you".

She touched her brow to his as she said, "Oh Charlie, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too kid." Charlie said, as he moved his head down to kiss her once again.

Their kiss was full of lost time and missed opportunities, both let their emotions surface as their kiss continued further.

It was Charlie who ended their kiss, tears already in his eyes, he needed to see her face as he told her,

"I love you Duffy, I always have."

Duffy's tears fell once more as her emotions overcame her, as she replied,

"I love you too Charlie, I've never stopped loving you."

Their lips met once more as they kissed again, knowing their love for each other had always been there, only this time they could finally embrace it: together.

It was Duffy who broke their kiss. She looked into his eyes, that were full of unshed tears, and so much of that emotion she suddenly felt was part her fault.

"Oh Charlie, I'm so sorry." She raised her hand and touched his cheek.

She looked into his eyes, seeing something she had wanted to see for as long as she'd known him: love.

"For what?" Charlie's reply was full of shock, as he saw her emotions come to life.

"All these years...the years we've lost. It's all my fault." Duffy hesitantly replied. She'd moved her hand onto his chest as she spoke, and began to play with the collar of his scrubs.

Charlie took both her hands in his, as he explained to her. "Duffy, none of this is your fault. I should have told you, done something, much sooner. You weren't to know."

"But, all this time Charlie. And I never knew." Duffy looked up at him, as he tried to reassure her.

"I didn't want to hurt you, to hurt us. I didn't want to just be that bloke to split up your family. You're worth more to me than that."

"Charlie, you have no idea do you?"

"About what?"

"Do you really think I never felt the same about you?"

"But Duffy, you and Ryan?"

"Long before Ryan, Charlie."

"Before Andrew?"

"I married Andrew, and Ryan for all the wrong reasons, I know that now. But at the time, well, I was blind-sided wasn't I?" She replied, looking rather pensive.

"Charlie, you have been my oldest and closest friend, but I kept close to you because I loved you. I'd rather be your friend, your best friend, than lose you if I told you how I felt about you."

"I never knew."

"Well then, now you know, and now we've wasted years and years apart. And it's all my fault." She frustratingly said, as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Oh Duffy, we're both to blame. But just for putting our friendship first. Why do you think it took me so long to tell you? Because I couldn't bare to lose you as a friend." Charlie held her hands as he spoke honestly to her.

"Oh Charlie, we've made a right mess of things haven't we?" She choked back her fresh new tears, as she looked down at their hands.

"Well isn't it about time we changed all that?" He said, as he took her into his arms and kissed her tentatively at first, releasing her to gauge her reaction.

"I think we..." Charlie was about to speak when the keypad on the door was being pressed, and the handle on the door turned, as someone was trying to get into the store room.

Both were surprised by the interruption and they quickly separated from their embrace, to find Elle trying to get into the room.

"Duffy? Charlie? Peter has been looking for you." Elle said, looking at a teary Duffy, and shocked Charlie.

"Tell him I'll be right there." Duffy quite reassuringly replied to Elle.

"Duffy, are you alright?" Elle's concern for her colleague was apparent.

"I'm fine, Charlie was just trying to cheer me up." Duffy suppressed a smile through her tears she tried to hide.

Charlie smiled back at Elle, as he replied, whilst he put his hands in his trouser pockets.

"She's had a bit of an upsetting day."

"Of course, I'll let Peter know you're ok." Elle replied.

"Thanks." Duffy replied to Elle, as she looked at them both and swiftly left the room.

"I think we better go, Peter sounds worried." Charlie says, as he steps closer to Duffy.

"Yes, yes, you're right." Duffy replies, as she turns to the table top and picks up the photograph of the two of them together.

"I struggled you know, without you. This was the only reminder I had of you that kept me going, kept me strong. And I always kept it close." Duffy gestured to the crinkled, slightly aging photograph.

"I know, Peter told me." Charlie said, as he looked down at the photograph in her hands.

"Peter told you?" Duffy said shocked by his response.

"I think your boy knows you a lot more than you think."

"Ha, yeah, ha, I think he does." Duffy smiled at the photograph in her hands, and back at Charlie.

Charlie opened the door as she walked out of the room, as he followed on closely behind.

-x-