-x- Chapter 6 -x-
"Charlie, never in my life have I..." Connie began to say, as she looked at him.
"I wouldn't if I were you." Charlie replied, as he put his hands into his pockets.
"Um, Charlie?" Connie said, as her eyebrows raised.
"She may have lost her temper, but, she never ever does without good reason to." Charlie said, quite calmly.
"But, the way she..." Connie tried to say.
"She, is my wife, and as she said all that because she had to. And I'm beginning to see why now." Charlie explained, as he frowned at her.
"But, Charlie that's ridic..." Connie began to speak.
"Oh is it? Connie, I'm not one for confrontation. But, when it is the only way you'll listen." Charlie explained.
"Excuse me?" Connie replied.
"Duffy had come to you as a friend, and you turned that against her." Charlie began.
"That's not fair..." Connie interrupted.
"Oh, fair? Ha." Charlie replied shaking his head at her.
"If you let me explain..." Connie continued.
"Oh, I don't think I have to, do you?" Charlie replied, raising his eyebrows at her.
"Charlie?" Connie replied.
"I'm sorry Connie, but, if it bothers Duffy..." Charlie began to speak.
"Pfft." Connie folded her arms and shook her head at him.
"Excuse me?" Charlie replied, as his eyebrows raised at her.
"You're taking her side..." Connie replied, shaking her head at him.
"What did you say?" Charlie answered.
"I said, if you're taking her side on this..." Connie frowned at him, tightening her folded arms together.
"Connie." Charlie said, shocked.
"Just because she's your wife." Connie added.
"I'll always take her side, I always have." Charlie explained.
"Oh really?" She rolled her eyes at him.
"Just because you and I are friends, doesn't mean you have the right to talk to about her any way you like. I have known her a damn sight longer than you. And I'm not willing to see you..." Charlie tried to explain.
"Oh come on Charlie, she's just doing it to get your attention." Connie replied.
"Excuse me?" Charlie said, his eyebrows raised.
"You've obviously been working too much, and she's just jealous." Connie said, as she smirked at him.
"Ha, jealous?" Charlie replied, shaking his head at her.
"It's obvious." Connie explained, as she looked at him with a knowing expression.
"Ha, I don't believe this?" Charlie said, as he raised his hand to his forehead.
"Blatantly obvious." Connie said, looking rather smug.
"You think she's come to you, as a friend, to ask you to apologise for what you said about Cal. And you think she's just jealous? Ha." Charlie said, then laughed.
"And about your working hours." Connie added.
"She may have mentioned it, but that wasn't the point of her speaking to you." Charlie replied.
"Oh, well it became more obvious at the time." Connie added.
"She came to you because I have been, *sigh, because I was upset." Charlie began to explain, as he put his hand to his forehead.
"Um" She replied, looking up at him.
"She also said, and rightly so, that you have taken that chat out of context, and used it for your own gain." Charlie explained.
"I didn't..." Connie added.
"Oh, you may not have done at the time. But, that is the point Duffy is making." Charlie advised.
"Um." Connie responded.
"She came to you as a friend, and you ended up making it about work." Charlie added.
"But that's my job." Connie exclaimed.
"Is it? All the time? I think Duffy's right. You need to change your attitude." Charlie suggested, as he put his hands back into his pockets.
"Charlie?" Connie said, shocked.
"And admit when you're wrong." Charlie said, as he looked at her with a bit of empathy.
"Well, I er." Connie tried to say.
"Duffy only said, what I couldn't." Charlie said, softly.
"Charlie?" Connie said, shocked.
"She knows me Connie, a lot more than you do." Charlie explained.
"But?" She began.
"And that, I think, is the problem isn't it?" Charlie said, as he realised something.
"Excuse me?" Connie piped up.
"You've never given her a chance have you?" Charlie said, as he shook his head at her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Connie asked, as she sat back in her chair, her arms still folded.
"You're jealous of her aren't you?" Charlie mentioned.
"Don't be ridic..." Connie replied, looking tense.
"You are aren't you?" Charlie replied, raising his eyebrows.
"That's absurd." Connie added, shaking her head at him.
"But true though." Charlie explained.
"I wouldn't be so..." Connie began.
"Petty?" Charlie suggested.
"Well?" Connie replied, looking away from him.
"It all makes sense now." Charlie said, as he folded his arms at her.
"Charlie?" Connie said, as she sat forward in her chair.
"You've never even tried to get to know her." Charlie pointed out.
"I, um." Connie replied, looking shocked.
"You haven't Connie." Charlie explained, as he gave her a look of unamusement.
"That's not..." Connie began.
"What friends do?" Charlie interrupted.
"That's what I..." Connie replied.
"As I said before Connie. Duffy only loses her temper if she has to. And she's has every right to come to you as a friend. As my friend. And you turned it around on her." Charlie explained.
"I didn't..." Connie said.
"You may not have done it intentionally. But, I can see why Duffy is upset." Charlie advised.
"Charlie, I'm..." Connie began.
"What Connie?" Charlie asked, as he frowned at her.
"Sorry." Connie said, as she looked up at him.
"I think you need to tell Duffy that too, don't you think?" Charlie said, as he then put his hands back into his pockets.
"Um, maybe." Connie replied, looking a little chastised.
"Good." Charlie replied, as he turned towards the door.
"Charlie?" Connie called out.
"Mmm?" Charlie replied, turning back.
"She's..." Connie began.
"Much more than just my wife Connie. A lot more to me than that." Charlie replied, as he turned back round and opened the door walking out into the department, closing it gently behind him.
Connie just sat at her desk, frowned slightly, and then sighed to herself.
-x-