Author's Note: The last chapter! I'm kinda sad to see it end, but I know you don't want to be kept in suspense, so I hope I didn't hold it back from you for too long. And if you totally loved the story, there IS a sequel on its way, it might be up tomorrow, but probably the day after. I'm so happy, school has FINISHED! NO MORE FOR 6 WHOLE WEEKS!
I-hate-beeky, thank you so much for reviewing! And I'm glad you like the kids names.
Orli-anon, how do you know I haven't changed any of it? Huh? But I can't wait to get my Christmas present, did you know Hayley sent me something?
C-chan96, the name Jen was a reference to Dawson's Creek, but only because I couldn't think of any other name. Amy is actually the name of one of my friends, and somehow I convinced her to let me use her name for my niece, but now that Jen named her daughter Amy it fits in perfectly, no complaints from me!!
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Rating: PG-13 for adult themes, coarse language, and slash references
Chapter 13:
"So," Katie started, "We've danced around the subject for 10 minutes now."
"What subject?" Charlie asked, averting his eyes from her gaze.
Katie opened her mouth as Amy tiredly thumped into the room and crawled into Katie's lap.
"Amy? What's ter sweetheart??" Katie asked as she stroked her hair soothingly, also shooting an apologetic look to Charlie who just nodded.
"It's ok," he mouthed.
Amy yawned and snuggled into Katie's arms. "I had a bad dream," she mumbled.
"What was it about?"
Charlie smiled as he watched Katie soothe her niece. It was a beautiful sight. He could tell she would be an excellent mother.
"A monster was chasing me," Amy sniffled. She turned her big blue sleepy eyes to Katie's. "I beat him but," she giggled.
Katie smiled and stroked Amy's cheek. Amy turned her head and noticed Charlie. She smiled at him before turning back to Katie.
"Auntie Katie who's that?"
Katie bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Amy, this is Charlie. Charlie, meet my niece Amy."
"Hi Charlie," Amy said. Turning back to Katie, she said, "Auntie Katie, he's cute."
Charlie laughed as Katie's mouth dropped open in shock.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Amy continued.
"Amy, I don't have a boyfriend," Katie groaned, glaring at Charlie which only made him laugh harder instead of shutting him up.
"Do you want him to be your boyfriend?" Amy persisted.
"Ok Amy, bedtime," Katie said, standing up with Amy in her arms. "Say goodnight to Charlie."
"Cute Charlie," Amy corrected.
"Fine, say goodnight to cute Charlie," Katie said, blushing.
"Thank you Amy, but I'm not as cute as you, or your auntie," Charlie smiled. "Oh, and you might want to tell your auntie to stop blushing," he smirked, looking at Katie.
"Thanks a lot," Katie told him sarcastically. "Come on, you're going back to bed."
Amy giggled. "You want him to be your boyfriend, dontcha Auntie Katie."
Katie didn't answer, she just marched Amy off back to bed.
"I'm sorry about that," Katie said as she came back into the room, "about Amy and the boyfriend thing, she's never done that before," she rambled.
"Do you?" Charlie asked.
"What?" She stopped rambling.
"Your niece asked you if you wanted to be your boyfriend. Do you?" Charlie couldn't understand where all the courage for him to ask her this was coming from.
Katie looked down at the floor, hiding the tears that threatened to spill. "It doesn't matter what I want," she managed hoarsely.
"Yes it does. To me it does," Charlie told her. He looked at her as she nodded, her head still down. He moved and sat next to her on the couch, gently taking her hand in his own. She looked up at him, confusion written all over her face.
"Do you remember," he started, "the day I asked you if I was more of a Dawson or a Pacey?"
Katie nodded. She was revelling in the feeling of the (however minimal) physical contact.
"Did you ever wonder why that was?"
Katie nodded again, curiously. If she spoke she might wake up from this dream, this dream to which she desperately wanted a conclusion.
"Well, do you remember the time when you said our relationship was like that of Dawson and Joey's? I'm not quite sure when, but one day I realised that if you were a Joey I didn't want to be a Dawson."
"You wanted to be a Pacey," Katie finished.
"Yeah," Charlie said. He raised his free hand and gently brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, smiling gently as her eyes fluttered closed and she leant unconsciously into his touch. As she opened her eyes, what could be seen in them were mirrored in his own - pure, undying, true love.
Slowly, almost torturously, they leant towards each other, neither wanting to rush. After what seemed like an eternity, their lips met in what could be described as a sweet kiss, short and tender. As it ended both smiled. Katie sighed happily.
"Charlie," she mumbled. "Please say tonight. It's too late, and they won't mind, I promise.' she yawned "I just - I don't want to wake up and find out it was all just a dream."
"Neither do I," Charlie whispered to her, "neither do I."
"Good," she whispered back.
"And that," Katie finished, "is where your Uncle Charlie and I started." She smiled at her niece before checking on her daughter, who was running to Amy.
"Chloe, slow down," Katie told her daughter. "I can't pick you up if you hurt yourself." She placed a hand on her swollen stomach.
"So did you… do it that night?" Amy asked, rubbing Chloe's back.
Katie rolled her eyes. "No we didn't 'do it'. Especially since you and Kyle were in the house." She glanced over to where her nephew was now making out with a girl.
"Did you stay with him or did you move with us?" Amy interrupted her thoughts.
"What? Oh, I uh, I stayed at Eden Hall. You moved, and about 3 months later my father had a heart attack an passed away, and-"
"I resigned from my job with the Navy and we moved back to be close to you now fat aunt," Tony finished.
"I am not fat!" Katie exclaimed, lightly hitting her brother on the shoulder. Her eyes lit up as she saw her husband come out of the house, his eyes scanning the yard for her.
"Hey!" She called, waving him over.
"Hey," he replied as he sat next to her, placing a hand on her stomach.
"Can you please tell my pain in the ass brother that I am not fat."
Charlie smiled. "You are fat though - good fat. 7 months pregnant fat." He kissed her gently. "I think you look absolutely radiant."
"Hey Uncle Charlie," Kyle strolled over to them, his girl in tow.
"Hey man. What's been happening?"
"Not much. Everyone - well, Uncle Charlie, Auntie Katie and Chloe, this is my girlfriend Rylie. Rylie this is… everyone."
"Wow, such a touching introduction, I'm gonna break out into tears any second," Katie said sarcastically, lightly slapping Charlie when he muttered that she probably would. She extended her hand to the young woman, who was clearly uncomfortable. "I'm Katie, it's nice to meet you," she smiled.
"Hi," Rylie smiled genuinely.
"We're gonna go," Kyle said, taking Rylie's hand.
Kati motioned for Amy to cover Chloe's ears. "Use a condom!" She called after her nephew, who extended his finger over his shoulder in response.
"I love that kid," Katie smiled.
"Kyle? He's a royal pain in the ass," Tony commented.
"I know, he's definitely yours," Katie smirked. "Takes after you in that department, that's for sure."
Tony poked his tongue out at her.
"Amy!!"
Everyone turned to the source of the sound - a skinny, bright red-headed girl bounding towards Amy.
"Hey Leefa," Amy sad. "Leefa, this is Chloe" she pointed to Chloe sitting on her lap, "and my Uncle Charlie and Auntie Katie."
"Well, actually my real name's Talitha but I tend to go off at people who call me that, so pretty much everyone calls me Leefa," Leefa smiled.
Charlie looked weirdly at Katie. She half-smiled at him before extending her spare hand to Leefa.
"It's very nice to meet you Leefa," she told her warmly.
Leefa shook her hand exuberantly and stared at Charlie. "I know you," she stated. "You're the captain of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. My sister thins you're like, sooo hot, and you're my brother's favourite player, but I don't like my brother, he's a dickhead," she rattled off.
"You're good," Katie told her, grabbing Charlie's hand and giving it quick, painful squeeze under the table, warning him no to say or do anything that would offend Amy or Leefa.
"I know," Leefa smiled. "this is really forward of me, more forward than usual, but my bother and sister would both kill me if they didn't get your autograph. Do you mind?" She asked hopefully.
Katie looked around the yard, at her nephew and his girlfriend bantering; at her niece teaching her daughter to play ring a ring o' rosies, and Leefa skipping over to join them; and at her brother and sister-in-la sharing a special moment of their own. She smiled as Charlie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and put his other hand on her stomach below hers. She snuggled into his touch. This was it, this was her family, her home. This was where she belonged, where she was happy. And she wouldn't have it any other way.
I-hate-beeky, thank you so much for reviewing! And I'm glad you like the kids names.
Orli-anon, how do you know I haven't changed any of it? Huh? But I can't wait to get my Christmas present, did you know Hayley sent me something?
C-chan96, the name Jen was a reference to Dawson's Creek, but only because I couldn't think of any other name. Amy is actually the name of one of my friends, and somehow I convinced her to let me use her name for my niece, but now that Jen named her daughter Amy it fits in perfectly, no complaints from me!!
Disclaimers: See Chapter 1
Rating: PG-13 for adult themes, coarse language, and slash references
Chapter 13:
"So," Katie started, "We've danced around the subject for 10 minutes now."
"What subject?" Charlie asked, averting his eyes from her gaze.
Katie opened her mouth as Amy tiredly thumped into the room and crawled into Katie's lap.
"Amy? What's ter sweetheart??" Katie asked as she stroked her hair soothingly, also shooting an apologetic look to Charlie who just nodded.
"It's ok," he mouthed.
Amy yawned and snuggled into Katie's arms. "I had a bad dream," she mumbled.
"What was it about?"
Charlie smiled as he watched Katie soothe her niece. It was a beautiful sight. He could tell she would be an excellent mother.
"A monster was chasing me," Amy sniffled. She turned her big blue sleepy eyes to Katie's. "I beat him but," she giggled.
Katie smiled and stroked Amy's cheek. Amy turned her head and noticed Charlie. She smiled at him before turning back to Katie.
"Auntie Katie who's that?"
Katie bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Amy, this is Charlie. Charlie, meet my niece Amy."
"Hi Charlie," Amy said. Turning back to Katie, she said, "Auntie Katie, he's cute."
Charlie laughed as Katie's mouth dropped open in shock.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Amy continued.
"Amy, I don't have a boyfriend," Katie groaned, glaring at Charlie which only made him laugh harder instead of shutting him up.
"Do you want him to be your boyfriend?" Amy persisted.
"Ok Amy, bedtime," Katie said, standing up with Amy in her arms. "Say goodnight to Charlie."
"Cute Charlie," Amy corrected.
"Fine, say goodnight to cute Charlie," Katie said, blushing.
"Thank you Amy, but I'm not as cute as you, or your auntie," Charlie smiled. "Oh, and you might want to tell your auntie to stop blushing," he smirked, looking at Katie.
"Thanks a lot," Katie told him sarcastically. "Come on, you're going back to bed."
Amy giggled. "You want him to be your boyfriend, dontcha Auntie Katie."
Katie didn't answer, she just marched Amy off back to bed.
"I'm sorry about that," Katie said as she came back into the room, "about Amy and the boyfriend thing, she's never done that before," she rambled.
"Do you?" Charlie asked.
"What?" She stopped rambling.
"Your niece asked you if you wanted to be your boyfriend. Do you?" Charlie couldn't understand where all the courage for him to ask her this was coming from.
Katie looked down at the floor, hiding the tears that threatened to spill. "It doesn't matter what I want," she managed hoarsely.
"Yes it does. To me it does," Charlie told her. He looked at her as she nodded, her head still down. He moved and sat next to her on the couch, gently taking her hand in his own. She looked up at him, confusion written all over her face.
"Do you remember," he started, "the day I asked you if I was more of a Dawson or a Pacey?"
Katie nodded. She was revelling in the feeling of the (however minimal) physical contact.
"Did you ever wonder why that was?"
Katie nodded again, curiously. If she spoke she might wake up from this dream, this dream to which she desperately wanted a conclusion.
"Well, do you remember the time when you said our relationship was like that of Dawson and Joey's? I'm not quite sure when, but one day I realised that if you were a Joey I didn't want to be a Dawson."
"You wanted to be a Pacey," Katie finished.
"Yeah," Charlie said. He raised his free hand and gently brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, smiling gently as her eyes fluttered closed and she leant unconsciously into his touch. As she opened her eyes, what could be seen in them were mirrored in his own - pure, undying, true love.
Slowly, almost torturously, they leant towards each other, neither wanting to rush. After what seemed like an eternity, their lips met in what could be described as a sweet kiss, short and tender. As it ended both smiled. Katie sighed happily.
"Charlie," she mumbled. "Please say tonight. It's too late, and they won't mind, I promise.' she yawned "I just - I don't want to wake up and find out it was all just a dream."
"Neither do I," Charlie whispered to her, "neither do I."
"Good," she whispered back.
"And that," Katie finished, "is where your Uncle Charlie and I started." She smiled at her niece before checking on her daughter, who was running to Amy.
"Chloe, slow down," Katie told her daughter. "I can't pick you up if you hurt yourself." She placed a hand on her swollen stomach.
"So did you… do it that night?" Amy asked, rubbing Chloe's back.
Katie rolled her eyes. "No we didn't 'do it'. Especially since you and Kyle were in the house." She glanced over to where her nephew was now making out with a girl.
"Did you stay with him or did you move with us?" Amy interrupted her thoughts.
"What? Oh, I uh, I stayed at Eden Hall. You moved, and about 3 months later my father had a heart attack an passed away, and-"
"I resigned from my job with the Navy and we moved back to be close to you now fat aunt," Tony finished.
"I am not fat!" Katie exclaimed, lightly hitting her brother on the shoulder. Her eyes lit up as she saw her husband come out of the house, his eyes scanning the yard for her.
"Hey!" She called, waving him over.
"Hey," he replied as he sat next to her, placing a hand on her stomach.
"Can you please tell my pain in the ass brother that I am not fat."
Charlie smiled. "You are fat though - good fat. 7 months pregnant fat." He kissed her gently. "I think you look absolutely radiant."
"Hey Uncle Charlie," Kyle strolled over to them, his girl in tow.
"Hey man. What's been happening?"
"Not much. Everyone - well, Uncle Charlie, Auntie Katie and Chloe, this is my girlfriend Rylie. Rylie this is… everyone."
"Wow, such a touching introduction, I'm gonna break out into tears any second," Katie said sarcastically, lightly slapping Charlie when he muttered that she probably would. She extended her hand to the young woman, who was clearly uncomfortable. "I'm Katie, it's nice to meet you," she smiled.
"Hi," Rylie smiled genuinely.
"We're gonna go," Kyle said, taking Rylie's hand.
Kati motioned for Amy to cover Chloe's ears. "Use a condom!" She called after her nephew, who extended his finger over his shoulder in response.
"I love that kid," Katie smiled.
"Kyle? He's a royal pain in the ass," Tony commented.
"I know, he's definitely yours," Katie smirked. "Takes after you in that department, that's for sure."
Tony poked his tongue out at her.
"Amy!!"
Everyone turned to the source of the sound - a skinny, bright red-headed girl bounding towards Amy.
"Hey Leefa," Amy sad. "Leefa, this is Chloe" she pointed to Chloe sitting on her lap, "and my Uncle Charlie and Auntie Katie."
"Well, actually my real name's Talitha but I tend to go off at people who call me that, so pretty much everyone calls me Leefa," Leefa smiled.
Charlie looked weirdly at Katie. She half-smiled at him before extending her spare hand to Leefa.
"It's very nice to meet you Leefa," she told her warmly.
Leefa shook her hand exuberantly and stared at Charlie. "I know you," she stated. "You're the captain of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. My sister thins you're like, sooo hot, and you're my brother's favourite player, but I don't like my brother, he's a dickhead," she rattled off.
"You're good," Katie told her, grabbing Charlie's hand and giving it quick, painful squeeze under the table, warning him no to say or do anything that would offend Amy or Leefa.
"I know," Leefa smiled. "this is really forward of me, more forward than usual, but my bother and sister would both kill me if they didn't get your autograph. Do you mind?" She asked hopefully.
Katie looked around the yard, at her nephew and his girlfriend bantering; at her niece teaching her daughter to play ring a ring o' rosies, and Leefa skipping over to join them; and at her brother and sister-in-la sharing a special moment of their own. She smiled as Charlie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and put his other hand on her stomach below hers. She snuggled into his touch. This was it, this was her family, her home. This was where she belonged, where she was happy. And she wouldn't have it any other way.