Moxxie wasn't the only one thinking long and hard about the decision to travel to the Binomial Isle. Charlie was thrilled at finally being given the opportunity to travel to the wild and help protect it's creatures, and if it was any other location she would have said yes on the spot. But she had mixed feelings about the Binomial Isle. So much so that she had to take more than one day to reach a decision.
She decided to ask her friends what they thought on the subject. She met with them at the local cafe, where they had coffee and she told them everything about the offer. Vaggie was the darkly tanned woman with her hair tightly pulled up and Angel was the skinny fellow wearing the open shirt, and at first glance you'd swear he wasn't a man of science.
"You're not actually thinking of going are you?" Vaggie said when she heard the news. "Hon three people disappeared on that island."
"They said that it would be safe and that we'd have a guide." Charlie said.
"And they just picked you to be their animal record keeper? You? A rookie fresh off of campus?"
"I was highly recommneded by Dr. Hamiliton's colleagues."
"But you've never met them."
"But they knew him and he knew me. He probably told them about me."
"What kind of animals are on this island anyway?" Angel asked.
"They said that they were rare speices that have never been seen before, and rare means valuable and valuable means poachers. If I came, I could be contributing to the safety of that island's wildlife. That's something I've been wanting to do for years."
"But are you sure you can handle going there toots? I mean with the history behind it and all?"
"We all have to face ghosts eventually Angel."
"What do your parents think about this?" Vaggie asked.
"I haven't told them yet, but I already know what they're going say. It's a bad idea and I should look for a new line of work."
"Well they might be right in this instance. After all, you wouldn't want to run into some horrible creature that would rip you to shreds."
"Yeah like Vaggie's mother." Angel teased.
"How many times I've I told you to stop insulting my mother?" Vaggie snapped.
"It's not my fault the woman is evil incarnate."
"This is why she doesn't like you."
"No she doesn't like me because I'm a man. She hates all men. She even hates your father."
"If you would just be nice to her-"
"I was nice to her when I met her. I was nice, polite, and friendly and she called me a brainless male tramp ."
"She actually called you that?" Charlie said.
"Well technically she said it in Spanish. So I had a few words for her in Italian."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing too mean."
"You said eat shit and die, devil hag." Vaggie said.
"Well she never knew I said that. She doesn't speak Italian."
Charlie didn't even bother discussing it with the people at Animal Haven. They didn't believe that she was ready for the wild at all. As for her parents, that didn't agree with it just as she as she had suspected.
"Now Charlie I have allowed you to have your little hobby but there is no way on earth I am allowing you to go off alone to some island where there is no human civilization." Her father had said.
"First of all Dad, it's not a hobby, it's my career." Charlie said. "And second, the island is perfectly safe and we'll have guide with us. This is also my chance to contribute something very big and impactful to the animal world. You know how much I've wanted to do something like that."
"Charlotte Lilian Morningstar, the things you do will drive me to an early grave. Choosing to work around dirty animals instead of a respectable job as a bank president, givng money to every wildlife charity event that appears in this city, paying for that old biddy to come live here."
"Don't insult Miss Baring, Dad she's my friend."
"She's a lunatic that's what she is. I was there when she pulled that stunt in court."
"She was blinded by giref Dad."
"She tried to strangle the man on trial, and how she didn't end up institutionalized is a mystery to me. She's a public menace."
"Dad!"
"Now Lucifer that's a little out of line." Charlie's mother spoke up. "While I agree the woman is disturbed, given the circumstances of that trial, I'm not entirely certain that she's the only person who would react that way. What about your brother Joel? When the courts let off that heathen who molested your niece, he ended up stabbing the man to death."
"That was different. The man she attacked wasn't on trial for molestation or murder or assualt. He was a trial for illegal experimentation."
"But what you know what she was thinking."
"And you believe her delusions?"
"Of course not, but she was grieving, not insane."
"And she couldn't pay her medical bills anymore Daddy." Charlie added. "She would have been a paralyzed woman left to fend for herself. I couldn't allow that to happen. Not after all she did for me. Why I'd never be able to forgive myself."
Lucifer calmed down.
"Charlie your devoution and kindness for that woman is understandable. But she may have been a Godsend to you, but she's been nothing but trouble to me."
"That wasn't her Lucifer." Lilith said. "That was Dr. Hamiliton and her son."
"Well she was friends with that mad scientist and she birthed and raised the little punk."
"Don't speak ill of the dead Lucifer. It'll shorten your lifespan."
"I'm sorry but don't forget what those two did to me. They vandalized my bank all because I loaned money to one of my investors."
"They were a crooked drug company investing in a scheme to smuggle a plague into the city." Charlie said. "One they intended to have spread by stray cats and dogs, so more people would buy their product."
"But I didn't know that at the time Charlie. They told me it was for medicine to treat cancer. Damnit, Dr. Hamiliton didn't even try to talk to me about. He just drew his own conculsions and attacked my bussiness."
"But when I told him if you were innocent of the whole thing, he apologized and paid for the damages."
"He humiliated me and no amount of money can pay for that."
"Alright fine, but don't hold it against Miss Baring just because Dr. Hamiliton is dead now. And could please stop looking down on her all the time?"
"Well when you carlessly sleep with a man without portection and throw away a college education-"
"She was pregnant, she needed money for the baby."
"No one said she had to keep it. She could have had an abortion or given it up for adoption."
"She had no family and the man she loved was dead, that child was all she had left. And she was protestant. They believe abortion is murder."
"That's another reason why I never liked her. She put all that religious nonsense in your head. I told her I didn't want you learning that garbage."
"It's not her fault. I saw her reading the bible when I was six and asked her about it. What was she supposed to do? Lie to me? And it's not like she forcibly insturcted me behind your back. I wanted to learn. I wanted to convert."
"Lucifer your irrational dislike of Miss Baring is not the big issue here." Lilith said. "We're trying to prevent our daughter from endangering her life."
"But Mom I won't be endangering my life. We'll have guide, there will be armed men, these animals who will avoid humans if possible."
"What about weather conditions? What if these's another storm down there like ten years ago?"
"They've checked weather. It's not hurricane season."
"So no danger?"
"No danger. Just me studying harmless animals and roughing it."
That's when Lilith got an idea.
"Luci Darling, a word if you please."
Lilith then pulled her husband into his study.
"If this island is truly danger free then we should let her go."
"What?!" He said.
"Just listen, this trip will be to a place with no air conditioning, technology, or indoor plumbing, inother words it will give our daughter insight to how those animals really live and once she sees how horrible it is, she'll finally give up this whole zoology phase and settle down with a real job."
"That's...That's brillant." He said with a smile. "Why my sweet Lilith, you're as beautiful as a vixen and as clever as one."
"I know."
She booped his nose and returned to the living room.
"Charlie sweetie, your father and I have talked and we think you should go on this trip."
Charlie smiled.
"Really? You do?"
"Yes but we would feel much more comfortable letting you go if you brought someone with you. Someone trustworthy. You are going to a foregin place we've people you don't know. Don't you think it would be safer to travel with a friend or two?"
"That's a good idea." Charlie said. "Hey maybe you and Dad could come. See how important my work?"
"I'm sorry precious but I have a fashion show to prepare for and your father is swamped with meetings all week. But we will try to call everyday."
"Okay."
Last one Charlie spoke to about the trip was Miss Baring and her reaction was very different then what you'd expect but Charlie expected it.
"Honey child, you can't really want to go to that God forsaken island." She said. "Not after what happend to poor Edward and...And...And..."
She was already choking on her words.
"I know, I know, but Miss Baring I see this as my chance to do something that will really help the animal community." Charlie said. "And if all goes well, my parents may finally see the importance of my job."
"Surely you could do something like that here?"
"I don't think so. I'm a graduated zoologist who works at an animal santcuary and it still means nothing to my parents. With this money is getting made so they're bound to at least pay attention."
"But what if you don't come back? Just like all the others?"
"But I will come back."
"That's what my parents said, and my beau, and my baby, and they didn't. They never did, and Darlin if you never came back well...Well I don't know if my heart could take it. It's already taken far too much pain."
Charlie sighed and gently took hold of the woman's hand.
"As God as my witness, I promise you that I will come back and you know that I never break a promise."
Miss Baring wanted to argue further. She wanted to say just about anything to convince Charlie not to go. But she knew that Charlie wasn't a child, and she wasn't her child, she had no say in the matter. She could only give her advice and let it be. If she tried to act like a mother it would drive Charlie away and she didn't want that. She had no choice but to accept the girl's decision.
"Just be careful. Please be careful." She pleaded. "Don't do anything risky, and for God's sake, think before you act. That's the problem with young people. Their bodies move before their minds tell them to."
Charlie giggled.
"I promise I'll be careful and I'll look before I leap."
"Then I have nothing more to say on the subject."
She leaned over and kissed Charlie's forehead.
"I love you. Be careful and come back soon."
Charlie nodded with a loving smile.