Disclaimer: Own nothing.
Thanks to those who reviewed!
I give you two new chapters and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 9: Charlie
The warm and active days of the summer months eventually gave way to the crisp and fresh ones of fall. Kristy returned from her honeymoon and under her leadership business went on as usual at the magazine. Sparrow had just got back from a trip to Morocco and had not spoken to Charlie since that startling kiss. That was to change tonight.
Kristy with a critical eye was looking over some of the photo's Sparrow had shot for the next issue when her intercom buzzed.
"Mrs. Thomas?"
"Yes, Mrs. Merriam?" said Kristy distractedly as she took one of the shots and held it away from her.
"Your brother is here." The editor-in-chief dropped the picture and looked at the intercom strangely.
"Which one?"
"You have more then one, Ma'am?"
"Four of them Mrs. Merriam. In fact you've met them all."
"Really? Are the rest of them as cute as this one?"
"Not at all," replied Kristy flippantly.
"Oh, well that's why ma'am." Kristy looked at the intercom and smiled, "What do you want me to do with him?"
"Sell him for the best price you can get and keep the money for your trouble." Kristy picked up the picture again and leaned back in her executive chair.
"How about I just avoid all that work and keep him?" suggested Mrs. Merriam, practically purring into the intercom.
"In that case, please send him in."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Charlie Thomas walked into his sister's office with Mac. The secretary who had opened the door for them winked as he walked by. Mac by "accident" stepped on her toes. She left with a nasty look directed at the girl.
"Ah it's the tall, dark and simple one with his bold, beautiful and blunt daughter I see."
"Nice to see you too Kristy."
"Why are you two bothering me today?"
"We've been shopping, sight seeing and other fun stuff and thought we'd come by to say hello to our favorite aunt and/or sister." He threw his arm around his daughter's shoulders and smiled at her. "Right kid?"
"True for everything else, but the favorite Aunt. The answer to that is no, yes and maybe. "
"I see," said Kristy. "What do I have to do so that I again may be the favorite Aunt in your eyes? Charlie answered instead.
"Well Christmas is mere months away as I have been reminded daily by a certain red headed child and I was hoping to do some Christmas shopping. I had also hoped to prevail on a certain Aunt to baby-sit?"
"That means he'll buy something for you as well Aunt Kristy. And you'll also be my favorite Aunt. It's a win, win." Auntie shot her niece a withering look. Mac innocently beamed back a smile.
"You know I have a better idea. Nick and I could go with you oh brother of mine and show you all the best spots, while Mac can stay with Mary Anne or Sparrow. (A/N okay, okay I know. It's a poor excuse to drag Sparrow into this) At that moment a commotion could be heard outside the closed door.
Ms. O'Connelly please wait!"
"Mrs. Merriam, its Sparrow, NOT Ms. O'Connelly. I am not my mother. Yet."
"Kristy are you done with those photo's?" Sparrow burst into the office in her typical scattered way, taking no notice of the people in the room. "Ah, there they are."
"Hi Sparrow!"
"Hello Mac," replied Sparrow distractedly. She began to look over the photos on the desk. Charlie just starred at her red faced and said nothing. His daughter gave him an odd look.
"You know, I'm not sure about this shot." She held it away just as Kristy had done. "Is there something with the light?" Then something else dawned on Sparrow driving out any thoughts of photos. " If you're here Mac then so must be," Sparrow spun around. "Charlie!"
"Sparrow." The two smiled at each other like maniacs. They were both shuffling their feet awkwardly, while not quite looking into each other's eyes. Kristy looked at them with a raised eyebrow, while Mac just shot them both confused looks.
"I'm not either," said Kristy deciding to break the odd silence that had been going on between her friend and brother. She was definitely going to have to find out what that was about tonight.
"Huh?"
"The photo Sparrow."
"Right. Yes. I think I have a better one."
"Good. Show it to me by the end of the day."
"Right." Smiling at everyone Sparrow went to make her exit.
"Wait Sparrow!" cried Kristy thinking about the conversation they had just had.
"Yah Charlie? Er, I mean Kristy," Sparrow said a little too late. Kristy looked at Sparrow as though she had completely lost her mind.
"Can you baby-sit tonight?" said Kristy deciding to drop it now and corner her brother tonight to get the whole story.
"I have the Flocking later, but you're welcome to come Mac."
"Thanks, but what's the floc-"
"Perfect. Charlie can pick her up there," said Kristy cutting off her Niece. "We'll drop her by at the end of the day."
"Great! Anyway, I have to get back to work. I'll see you later Kid." Sparrow winked at the girl and headed out of the office.
"Wait! What's the Flocking?" said Mac as she ran after Sparrow.
"You'll see," was the only answer she got.
"Was anybody going to ask my opinion on this?" asked Charlie.
"No," replied both Mac and Kristy.
Later that day.
"I beg you be civil."
"Course I will Dad, I like Sparrow."
"I wish you'd like your baby-sitters."
"Yes, I know you would."
Charlie Thomas quickly hugged his child goodbye and headed out of the door. Mac didn't miss the backward glance he gave Sparrow, nor did the girl they were directed at.
"Just give me three seconds Mac and we'll be out of here." Mac watched a slightly red Sparrow shuffle through her desk. A thought that both pleased and disturbed her came into her mind.
"Where are we going?"
"Home, so I can dump this and then over to the Flocking. Ready?"
"Sure."
"Oh good, now all I have to do is remember were I left my keys."
"What is the flocking anyway?"
"I'd tell you, but I wouldn't want to scare you. Where are those damn keys!"
"There in your hand."
"So they are. Let's go."
"Do you do that a lot?"
"No." Mac knew she was lying, but wondered if it wasn't just due to absentmindedness like usual.
Thanks to those who reviewed!
I give you two new chapters and I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 9: Charlie
The warm and active days of the summer months eventually gave way to the crisp and fresh ones of fall. Kristy returned from her honeymoon and under her leadership business went on as usual at the magazine. Sparrow had just got back from a trip to Morocco and had not spoken to Charlie since that startling kiss. That was to change tonight.
Kristy with a critical eye was looking over some of the photo's Sparrow had shot for the next issue when her intercom buzzed.
"Mrs. Thomas?"
"Yes, Mrs. Merriam?" said Kristy distractedly as she took one of the shots and held it away from her.
"Your brother is here." The editor-in-chief dropped the picture and looked at the intercom strangely.
"Which one?"
"You have more then one, Ma'am?"
"Four of them Mrs. Merriam. In fact you've met them all."
"Really? Are the rest of them as cute as this one?"
"Not at all," replied Kristy flippantly.
"Oh, well that's why ma'am." Kristy looked at the intercom and smiled, "What do you want me to do with him?"
"Sell him for the best price you can get and keep the money for your trouble." Kristy picked up the picture again and leaned back in her executive chair.
"How about I just avoid all that work and keep him?" suggested Mrs. Merriam, practically purring into the intercom.
"In that case, please send him in."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Charlie Thomas walked into his sister's office with Mac. The secretary who had opened the door for them winked as he walked by. Mac by "accident" stepped on her toes. She left with a nasty look directed at the girl.
"Ah it's the tall, dark and simple one with his bold, beautiful and blunt daughter I see."
"Nice to see you too Kristy."
"Why are you two bothering me today?"
"We've been shopping, sight seeing and other fun stuff and thought we'd come by to say hello to our favorite aunt and/or sister." He threw his arm around his daughter's shoulders and smiled at her. "Right kid?"
"True for everything else, but the favorite Aunt. The answer to that is no, yes and maybe. "
"I see," said Kristy. "What do I have to do so that I again may be the favorite Aunt in your eyes? Charlie answered instead.
"Well Christmas is mere months away as I have been reminded daily by a certain red headed child and I was hoping to do some Christmas shopping. I had also hoped to prevail on a certain Aunt to baby-sit?"
"That means he'll buy something for you as well Aunt Kristy. And you'll also be my favorite Aunt. It's a win, win." Auntie shot her niece a withering look. Mac innocently beamed back a smile.
"You know I have a better idea. Nick and I could go with you oh brother of mine and show you all the best spots, while Mac can stay with Mary Anne or Sparrow. (A/N okay, okay I know. It's a poor excuse to drag Sparrow into this) At that moment a commotion could be heard outside the closed door.
Ms. O'Connelly please wait!"
"Mrs. Merriam, its Sparrow, NOT Ms. O'Connelly. I am not my mother. Yet."
"Kristy are you done with those photo's?" Sparrow burst into the office in her typical scattered way, taking no notice of the people in the room. "Ah, there they are."
"Hi Sparrow!"
"Hello Mac," replied Sparrow distractedly. She began to look over the photos on the desk. Charlie just starred at her red faced and said nothing. His daughter gave him an odd look.
"You know, I'm not sure about this shot." She held it away just as Kristy had done. "Is there something with the light?" Then something else dawned on Sparrow driving out any thoughts of photos. " If you're here Mac then so must be," Sparrow spun around. "Charlie!"
"Sparrow." The two smiled at each other like maniacs. They were both shuffling their feet awkwardly, while not quite looking into each other's eyes. Kristy looked at them with a raised eyebrow, while Mac just shot them both confused looks.
"I'm not either," said Kristy deciding to break the odd silence that had been going on between her friend and brother. She was definitely going to have to find out what that was about tonight.
"Huh?"
"The photo Sparrow."
"Right. Yes. I think I have a better one."
"Good. Show it to me by the end of the day."
"Right." Smiling at everyone Sparrow went to make her exit.
"Wait Sparrow!" cried Kristy thinking about the conversation they had just had.
"Yah Charlie? Er, I mean Kristy," Sparrow said a little too late. Kristy looked at Sparrow as though she had completely lost her mind.
"Can you baby-sit tonight?" said Kristy deciding to drop it now and corner her brother tonight to get the whole story.
"I have the Flocking later, but you're welcome to come Mac."
"Thanks, but what's the floc-"
"Perfect. Charlie can pick her up there," said Kristy cutting off her Niece. "We'll drop her by at the end of the day."
"Great! Anyway, I have to get back to work. I'll see you later Kid." Sparrow winked at the girl and headed out of the office.
"Wait! What's the Flocking?" said Mac as she ran after Sparrow.
"You'll see," was the only answer she got.
"Was anybody going to ask my opinion on this?" asked Charlie.
"No," replied both Mac and Kristy.
Later that day.
"I beg you be civil."
"Course I will Dad, I like Sparrow."
"I wish you'd like your baby-sitters."
"Yes, I know you would."
Charlie Thomas quickly hugged his child goodbye and headed out of the door. Mac didn't miss the backward glance he gave Sparrow, nor did the girl they were directed at.
"Just give me three seconds Mac and we'll be out of here." Mac watched a slightly red Sparrow shuffle through her desk. A thought that both pleased and disturbed her came into her mind.
"Where are we going?"
"Home, so I can dump this and then over to the Flocking. Ready?"
"Sure."
"Oh good, now all I have to do is remember were I left my keys."
"What is the flocking anyway?"
"I'd tell you, but I wouldn't want to scare you. Where are those damn keys!"
"There in your hand."
"So they are. Let's go."
"Do you do that a lot?"
"No." Mac knew she was lying, but wondered if it wasn't just due to absentmindedness like usual.
