Author's Notes: Also, Melissa belongs to me.

Life in Paradise

Charlie's PoV

I woke up with a yawn, stretching. Hopping out of my bed I noticed everyone else was awake, judging by the voices downstairs. I thought I was up later then I should be, and hesitated on going downstairs. But what other choice was there? I walked, or hopped actually, down the stairs, hoping I wouldn't get in trouble.

"There you are!" Caitlin said, grabbing my wrist.

"Yikes! Oh... it's you." I said, "Did you have to scare me like that?"

She giggled, "Sorry. I was waiting for you for a long time."

"Really? Sorry, guess I overslept." I said. Or did I? Maybe I'll always wake up at this time...

"Caitlin, who are you... Oh, Charlie. Awake at last, huh?" Orion said, noticing me.

"How late is it?" I asked.

"Twelve." Orion said.

"Oh. I thought it was later." I said.

"So Charlie, any plans?" Caitlin asked.

"No... not really. I don't really know anyone to have any plans." I said.

"Okay." She said.

"Oh yeah, I have an idea for something we can do." I said.

"Okay, what is it?" Caitlin asked.

I looked at Orion, then back to Caitlin, "C'mon, lets go." I said cheerfully, "Mom, dad! I'm going out!"

With that I left with Caitlin before mom or dad could stop me. I walked away from the house with her, leading her to the woods.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Here." I said, stopping.

"Okay... What's the idea?" She asked.

"Treehouse." I said.

"What?"

"A place where we can just go when we're in trouble and not be found, or a place to go when we want to be alone." I said. By the look on her face I had her hooked from the 'When we're in trouble' part.

"That would take a lot of work, though." She said.

"It's okay." I said, "I'm really strong."

"Lets do it then!" She cried.

In a few hours we had ourselves the supplies we needed and a nice, decently tall tree. We started work on it, and by the end of the day we were done.

"Awww man, we just finished and now we have to go home." Caitlin said.

"It's okay. Besides, we haven't mpved anything comfortable to sleep on in here yet." I said, everything we need already waiting in my room.


The Next Day


Caitlin's PoV

"C'mon, you can do it!" I called as Charlie beat his wings furiously, struggling to bring up a couch. I don't know where he got it from, and I don't care.

He got up to level with the enterance and slowly inched his way in and set it down, landing next to it and picking it up with ease and setting it down in the middle of the room.

"Is that all of it?" I asked, looking at everything he carried up. This place was a like a literal treehouse and he brought things to make it feel like a house, even a bed.

"Not yet." He said, climbing back down and coming up with a TV.

"Uhh... Charles? How are we going to use that? No power." I said. He smiled and climbed down. I watched him go around to the other side of the treehouse, bringing the wires with him. There was a spark and he came back, his finger a scorched black.

"Oh, are you okay?" I asked, looking at his paw.

"I'm fine. I can take way more than a spark." He said, looking at the finger. Then he shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

Charlie's PoV

Can my finger hurt any more? Is it possible? Ow! I think I should shut up, it's starting to hurt even more now that I think it can't get worse.

"Are you sure?" Caitlin asked.

"I'm sure. Caitlin, I'm fine." I said, walking to the TV. I pressed the 'On' button and it flashed on. I smiled, it worked!

"You did it..." She said, amazed, "But... how?"

"I live with a genius scientist, Caitlin, I have my ways." I said. She giggled, playfully shoving me. I laughed, "Only one problem."

"Oh?" She pushed.

I grinned, "No remote."

She laughed, and I did too. She brushed her antennae back behind her head, since one had gotten in front of her. I looked at her and she smiled.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." I said. I just realized how pretty your smile is, that's all. I wanted to tell her that, badly, but I couldn't.

She shrugged and sat on the couch and started to watch TV. I smiled and sat next to her, but not too close. She didn't notice it though, how strange I've been starting to feel when I'm around her. Is it because she's my only friend? I shook it away and got closer to her. She's my friend. We've sat next to each other, I wont let a funny feeling end a friendship. Again, she didn't notice.


A Week Later


I sighed, rolling onto my back and covering my eyes. Caitlin's with her other friends today and I'm all alone. Don't get me wrong, I know she has other friends and can't spend all her time with me. But I get bored without her.

Standing up, I spread my wings. Time for a flight. I hopped out and let myself glide down to the park. Landing I decided I was bored of flying already and sat down on a bench.

Why can't I make any other friends? Why do people hate being near me? I looked around, there was a two foot clearance for me. People don't want to get close. I almost screamed in anger and frustration, but instead used that anger to fuel my flight as I jumped into the air. Landing back inside the treehouse, my anger gone and sadness in it's place I wished Caitlin was here, with me...

I laid on the couch, on my chest, holding a pillow to my face to let it catch my tears as I wept. I wanted Caitlin to be here with me, to hold me. I wanted her here, but I wanted her to be with her friends. I can't force her to be with me all the time, she has other friends.

Unlike me...

I felt someone sit down next to me and rub the back of my head. I thought it was Caitlin, but her paw wasn't that big. I moved my head to the side, looking out of the corner of my eye to see... Jess?

"What's wrong Charlie?" She asked.

I sat up, wiping away a tear, "Jess?"

"I've known about this place the whole time. I followed you one time. Now what's wrong?" She aksed.

"Don't you know?" I asked, "I mean, you've been reading my thoughts for the past half hour."

She smiled, "I wanted to see if you would tell me." She said.

I laid my head back on the pillow and started to cry again.

"C'mon, bro... don't cry..." She said. I sat up and looked at her, "You have a family that loves you and a friend that would do anything for you."

I nodded, she was right. But I still felt bad. Why can't I make any friends?

"Soon you'll see." Jess said, reading my thoughts again.

"Jess? What are you doing here?" Caitlin asked, climbing up.

"Caitlin? Aren't you supposed to be with your friends?" I asked.

"I saw you in the park, why did you leave in such a rush?" She asked.

I wiped away a tear with a sniff, "No reason..." I said.

I knew it was painfully obvious that I was lying, but she didn't push, "If it's okay... I brought a friend." She said.

I nodded with a sniff, tears still flowing, "Sure..."

Right after I said that a yellow experiment pulled herself up and into the treehouse. She looked like a yellow Elastico, only about half his size.

"Hello." She said. I didn't hear a hint of hatred that there always was when I spoke to new experiments.

"He - sniff - Hello." I said.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Don't push..." I heard Caitlin whisper. The yellow experiment nodded, and I didn't say a thing.

I looked for my sister, but Jess was already gone. How does she do it? Caitlin turned the TV on and sat next to me.

"Hey, where's the remote?" The yellow experiment asked. Me and Caitlin looked at each other and burst into laughter as the new experiment sat on my other side. I smiled through my tears. I have another friend now...