Disclaimer: I only own the OC's, no more, no less. LOTR belongs to Tolkien's estate.


Chapter Eight: Fury

Shortly before one of the stop lights, Charlie slowed the truck down and pulled into a nearly dark parking lot. The truck glided easily over the indented rain gutter, something that would have jostled them had they been in a smaller vehicle. Éomer had kept his eyes on her for most of the ride as she talked, especially because he did not understand the purpose of headlights and could not see far beyond them. He was much more accustomed to traveling in pure darkness, and preferred it over her way.

"Oh, great," Charlie exclaimed as she pulled into a place between two smaller cars. She shifted into park and looked out her window at three guys gathered around a small car a few yards away.

Éomer leaned over to look past her, sensing that she did not want to speak to them. "Who are they?"

"My ex-boyfriend and his entourage. They haven't grown up to be men, yet they think they have and harp on about being in their late twenties. Now, remember what I told you. These guys are goin' to try to piss me off and bother you, but don't acknowledge them, okay?" She gave him a warning look as she stepped out of the truck.

Éomer quickly recited her instructions in his head. To anyone that spoke to him, his name was Keith, he was from a place called Orlando, and he had befriended Charlie in something called college. If anyone inquired about more of his history, she said that she would try to take over; since everyone knew she loved to have control over a situation. Her mother had given her too much control when she had left for Nashville, and it had gone to her head, she joked. Once he was certain he had it memorized, he got out of the truck and joined her.

"Let me do all the talkin' with these boneheads. You won't understand a word they say." She told him in a hushed tone as they walked towards the brightly lit store, her eyes focused on the ground.

He felt slightly concerned, for she usually walked with her head high. He could tell that this small action would not keep the men from noticing them, as they had already ceased conversing loudly and now watched them.

"Well, well, well, look who it is boys! It's the perfect Charlotte Manning…and she has a friend!" One of the men, his curly brown hair ruffling in the slight breeze, approached them with a drunken swagger. His grey eyes settled first on Charlie, then on Éomer, sizing him up.

"Go to hell, Lee," she snapped, barely faltering in her long strides. She cast a glance at Éomer, who returned a reassuring look before staring straight ahead.

"Go to hell, Lee," he mocked in a squeaky, annoying voice as he followed a few paces behind. "That's all you got? Seriously Char, ever since I broke up with you, you just ain't been the same."

She stopped, looked towards the sky as if she would find aid, and turned on her heel to face him. "We broke up, let me think now, over ten years ago. In those ten years, I've had three other boyfriends, and you've had zero girlfriends. Strippers don't count, so don't even try. If anything, you ain't been the same since."

His two friends childishly exclaimed, "Oooh!"

Lee turned his head and glared to quiet them. "Yo, shut up! Whose side you on?" He turned back to Charlie. "Me and Gina got something good goin' now. And I've had a bunch of girls that ain't been strippers."

Charlie shook her head and chuckled. "Whatever, Lee. I really don't feel like getting in a battle of wits with you, especially since we all know who would win." She turned and began to walk away, but Lee grabbed her elbow and pulled her back roughly.

"Where the hell do you think you're goin', sunshine? We ain't finished talkin'." She could smell the alcohol on his breath, wondering how much he had drank already.

"Excuse me? Last time I checked, this was a free country. I can do whatever the hell I please." She pulled her arm out of his grip sharply and stepped away. The venom of anger was obvious in her tone, and the expression in her eyes gave away that she was ready for a fight.

His friends made their childish exclamation again, earning looks from everyone.

"Charlie, I can't believe you forgot your manners. Who's your buddy here?" Lee walked up to Éomer, stepping up close enough to nearly stare him in the eyes.

She nearly chuckled at how short Lee was compared to Éomer, who was staring at the other man in an extremely annoyed manner. Lee only reached his shoulder and was nowhere near as muscled, and she almost expected Éomer to push him out of his space. He was a Marshal, after all, and very accustomed to respect.

"He doesn't want to know you, so why does it matter?"

"Sure he does! Everyone wants to know Lee Anderson!" He exclaimed, his breath causing Éomer to wrinkle his nose in disgust. Even his Riders did not act as terrible as this, no matter how much alcohol they had consumed.

"Charlie has already spoken my feelings. I do not wish to know you," Éomer informed him in a dark tone.

Lee sent him a vengeful look, turning to attack the source of his troubles. "Why do you do this to me, Manning? What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"Why did I do what?" She asked innocently, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "If anything, you've done this to yourself."

He lunged at her with a growl, angered by her innocent act. She did not expect the lightning-quick action, and was promptly knocked to the ground. In self-defense, she began to assail his back with punches as he seemed to attempt to push her into the rough asphalt.

"Dude! Lee!" His friends yelped and threw themselves into the fray.

Éomer jumped in quickly, hooking his arms under Charlie's shoulders to pull her out. Lee held on for a moment until his friends overpowered him and he struggled against them to attack her, yelling obscenities. Charlie dared not to fight the iron grip Éomer had around her, only stared at her ex-boyfriend in disbelief. No one had ever dared to attack her, and Endi had only ever punched her in playfulness. She was tempted to start yelling back, revealing everything that had become lies and secrets, but she knew that she would be lowering herself to his level if she did. Éomer wished to let go of her and assault him, feeling that he would be less honorable for not protecting her.

A moment later, just as his screeching hit a higher decibel, a car pulled into the parking lot. As its headlights fell on the group, the driver flicked on his blue and red lights, stating that he was with the police. Charlie finally relaxed against his chest in knowing that she had definitely won this fight. Lee continued for a moment until his friends started telling him to shut up. The police cruiser stopped several feet from them and the driver opened his door, stepping out and eyeing them.

"Ryan," Charlie breathed with a sigh of relief.

"Who is he?" Éomer asked quietly.

"He's a police officer. I know y'all don't have much crime to really have guys like this, but he's the one puts the bad guys away," she whispered, keeping her gaze locked on the tan uniformed man.

The blonde-haired man studied the people before him, giving Charlie a small smile. He waited for Lee to calm down before his asked, "What is everyone's business here?"

"We're just here to do shopping," Charlie piped up quickly.

"And what about you fine gentlemen? Are you buying anything?" Ryan asked, smirking at his sarcasm.

"Ryan, you know that we don't got any money! We had to spend it all to bail Tom out a couple days ago," one of Lee's cronies exclaimed, earning a glare from his friends.

"Well boys, loitering isn't allowed. I suggest you get in that sad excuse of a car and get outta here before I have to arrest you."

At his threat, they stumbled over each other to jump in the dragster car. Lee paused before getting in and sent Charlie a heated glare. She blinked at him, knowing he was little to fear. Sure, he was taller and heavier than she, but she did ten times the hard labor he did. And now with Éomer's training, beating Lee would be a piece of cake, if she had the chance.

Ryan watched the small hot rod zip through the parking lot to the exit, cutting off a car as it pulled onto the road. He shook his head and laughed, unable to remember why and how he could have ever been friends with him. He slammed his car door shut as he walked over to Charlie and Éomer, who released her from his grip.

"Thanks Ryan. I don't know what would've gone down if you hadn't shown." She gave him a friendly hug and smoothed out her mussed, yet already loose ponytail.

"Char, how many times have I told you to just keep walking when he starts to harass you?" He playfully poked her in the shoulder, contradicting the seriousness in his sky blue eyes.

"Four thousand. Seriously, he wouldn't let me keep walking." She poked him back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"She speaks the truth," Éomer supplied. "She tried to keep going, but he did not allow her to do so."

Ryan studied him curiously, feeling that he recognized him from somewhere. "Hey, it's cool. Charlie's never been one to lie, unless it's to protect her chewing gum."

"Will you shut up about that?"

"Um, nope. I guess I should introduce myself, since Charlie seems to have lost her manners. I'm Ryan Menendez, and despite these boy-next-door looks, I am Mexican. Here legally." He held out his hand, which Éomer simply stared at quizzically.

"Hey, germophobe, he has a cold," Charlie informed him quietly. She smiled as he quickly pulled his hand back with an innocent grin. "Ryan, this is Keith, one of my friends from college. Keith, this is Ryan, Endi's step-brother, and one of the most annoying people in the world."

"After Lee and company," he added.

"After Lee and Co., of course," she echoed.

The small radio on Ryan's shoulder crackled to life, a mouthful of numbers and short codes heard. Ryan cocked his head closer to it and listened for a moment. He sighed as the transmission finished, shifting in place.

"Duty calls?" Charlie asked.

"Of course it does. It hasn't been two minutes and it sounds like Anderson's got his ass in an accident." She snorted at this and he grinned in equal amusement. "Char, listen to me this time. Don't let him get to you. Next time he tries to piss you off, flip him the bird, and give him a good dose of pepper spray. Then call me to the scene so I can laugh myself to death while I arrest him."

She smiled, but it was hard to discern whether she was amused by his statement or concerned over another face-off. "Don't you have an accident to get to?"

Ryan opened the car door and began to slide in. Before he did, he told her one last phrase, "Rock and roll, Charlie Manning."

"Si se puede, Ryan Menendez," she finished and nodded at him in farewell.

He restarted his police cruiser and quickly sped out of the lot, the lights and sirens nearly deafening and blinding them.

Charlie watched the cruiser until it disappeared into the night before she finally turned to Éomer. "Well, I think that's enough excitement for one night. Let's get this shopping done and get home."

He thought for a moment before he finally spoke, wondering how much of the jokester was still in her that had been in Merides. "Why does everyone seem to think you have forgotten your manners?"


Okay, wow, it's been an unbelievably long time. You can't believe how sorry I am that it's been so much time. Life and all its problems caught up with my parents and I, and school demanded a bunch of attention. I'm hoping to get the next chapter up within the next week or so, since I have some of it already typed.