Author's Notes: Melissa is also mine.

Life in Paradise

Charlie's PoV

"Ow, ow, ow!" I said as I pulled myself into the treehouse. I held me ear in my hand, blood dripping through my fingers. Sitting on the couch I groaned, I knew this would happen! Why did I do it then?

Looking at the hole in my ear I realized how stupid it was for me to try it.

"Charlie?" Melissa said, pulling herself in. She was Elastico's daughter, the one Caitlin introduced me to.

"Hey Melissa." I said, through clenched teeth.

"You did it again?!" She nearly yelled, but I shushed her.

"Not so loud! If Caitlin finds out she's gonna kill me!" I said. She gets worried when I hurt myself, and she gets mad if I do something I know I'll get hurt doing.

"Okay, okay. Here, let me fix that up." She said, stretching her arm across the room and grabbing some medical wrap. She stood behind me at the couch and took my ear from the base and gently putting the wrap around it.

"Thanks, Melissa." I said.

"No pro-" She started.

"Charlie? What happened to your ear?" Caitlin asked, coming up to us.

"Oh... uh... I'll leave you two alone." Melissa said, leaving the treehouse.

"What happened?" Caitlin pushed, taking up the job of wrapping my ear.

"I was flying and..." I started, but she cut me off before I could say, 'And I went too low and was hooked by a tree'.

"You did it again? You know that I hate it when you do that!" She said, pulling the wrap tightly around my ear, causing a lot of pain.

"Ow! Cripes that hurt!" I nearly yelled.

"sigh I'm sorry, it just makes me mad." She said, sitting next to me.

"I know... I'm sorry..." I said, noticing that we were inching closer.

"You should really stop doing that..." She said, closing her eyes slowly.

"I will, Caitlin..." I said, closing my eyes. We tilted our heads to opposite sides and a moment later our lips met. We stayed there for a minute before pulling away.

I looked at her, her pretty face, her silky red fur, "Caitlin... we just... wow..." Was all I could say.

"I... Uh... I..." Caitlin stammered, "Melissa's waiting, I can't leave her like that."

With that she hopped down the tree and to Melissa and they walked off without a word. I stayed where I was for a few minutes, hardly moving, then I got up and hopped down the tree. Once I landed I broke into a mad dash home, walking in on Jess and her boyfriend as they were kissing.

"Charlie?!" She yelled, nearly kicking him off of her.

"Jess, I have to talk to you."

"Looks like your lil bro is going to give you 'the talk'" Her boyfriend said and walked out, chuckling.

"Charlie! How could you?!" Jess yelled.

"Jess, I have to..." I started.

"You knew I was here with him! Why?!" She continued to yell. I felt myself starting to tear. Curse my pup sensitivity...

"Jess!" I yelled.

"What?!" She growled.

"I kissed Caitlin!" I said, quickley, getting it out there. Then I walked toward the door, "But you're too angry to talk to me, so I'll just leave you alone from now on."

"You what?" She asked, stepping in front of me.

I looked up at her.

"On the lips?" She pushed,.

I nodded, a small smile creeping onto my face. She had a big, dopey grin.

"Ooooh..." She said.

"Done yet?" Her boyfriend asked, popping his head in.

"Yup." I said.

With that I left the room, looking for my brother, Orion. He would know what to do. He's probably expecting me to come, knowing that we kissed already. He can read my thoughts, so it would be easy for him to know. No, if he did then our dad would know, and he would get in trouble.

I knocked on the door to his room, not wanting to get yelled at a second time today. He called for me to come in.

"Orion?" I asked, walking in. He was at a table full of chemicals, with a labcoat on and everything.

"Yeah, bro?" He asked, never looking from his table.

"I need..." I stopped. What do I need? Why am I looking for help when I don't even know the problem?

"Tell me what happened, bro. Don't ask for anything yet." He said, finally looking at me. I forgot he could read my thoughts.

"Well... me and Caitlin... we kissed." I said, the smile coming back.

"On the lips?" He asked. Just like Jess.

"Yeah." I said.

"I think I see where this is going... So do you want to be with her?" He asked.

I nodded, "Yes... I do."

"Then what're you doing here? Shoo!" He said, pushing me out. Now where's Caitlin?

Caitlin's PoV

"You what?" Melissa asked, smiling brightly.

"I... kissed him." I said, blushing slightly.

"Took you two long enough!" Melissa exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"C'mon, it's obvious you two like each other!" She said.

"Really?"

"Well... I always knew he liked you." She said, "You knew that... didn't you?"

"No..."

"You never saw how he looked at you? How he was always shifting in his seat around you?" She asked, amazed.

"No, Melissa. No." I said.

"So? How was it?" She asked, "I mean... kissing a boy?"

"It's not horrible like you would think... I actually liked it." I said, blushing even more, "A lot."

"Caitlin?" I heard Charlie's voice behind me. I turned to look at him, and we both blushed brightly.

"Oh... h...hi..." I said, blushing.

He looked just as uncomfortable as me. He wasn't able to look me in the eye, he kept trying to say something but couldn't. I walked up and held his paw and he smiled.

"Caitlin... I... uh..." He said.

"Charlie, are you upset that we kissed?" I asked. The thought hurt.

"Caitlin..." He said. That is it...

"Oh my god..." I said, starting to tear, "That is it... I... I'm sorry Charlie..."

Then I ran. I made a mad dash to get away from him before I did anything else to upset him.

Charlie's PoV

"Caitlin! Wait!" I cried.

"Great goin', Charlie." Melissa said. There it was, that hatred I get from the other experiments.

"Melissa, do you think I wanted this to happen?" I asked, angrily, "Do you think I wanted to hurt her? That wasn't what I was going to talk to her about, Melissa."

"Then what were you going to talk to her about?" Melissa growled.

"I was going to ask her out, okay?!" I yelled. Then, without another word, I jumped in the air, letting my wings carry me home. I landed and went through the door, going straight to my room, laying on my bed. I rolled onto my chest and hugged a pillow to my face and cried. I cried my eyes out, not wanting anyone to talk to me.

"Charlie?" Mom asked, coming to the door. I thought about using my psi to slam the door and lock it, but she was already inside. She sat next to me, "What's wrong?"

I didn't say anything, I just cried. She stroked the back of my head and I sat up, hugging her tightly and crying into her chest. Why does everyone hate me?

"Excuse me, Ms.Jookiba? Can me and Charlie talk?" I heard a voice from the door. Mom got up and left as someone else sat in her place, "Charlie?"

I looked at her through my tears. Caitlin. I let out a sob, "Why are you here?"

She smiled and hugged me tightly, "Melissa told me what you said."

"She did?" I asked, putting my arms around her and hugging her.

"Yeah.... Charlie, I would love to go out with you." She said. With those words my tears stopped.

"Really?" I asked, hopeful.

"Really." She said.

A Week Later

Melissa's PoV

I climbed up the ladder in the side of the tree, looking for Charlie and Caitlin. I heard them talking in a low tone to each other. I wondered what they were doing, so I pulled myself up. My eyes went wide as I saw them kissing.

"Charlie? Caitlin?" I said, eyes still wide.

"Melissa!" They cried, pulling away and looking at me.

"Oh... I'm sorry you two. I'll wait outside." I said, going for the entrance.

"No, no. I'll leave you two to talk." Charlie said, hopping over the couch and going for the entrance with a smile.

When he was gone I looked at Caitlin, "He's really happy lately." I said. "You both are."

"Well... Once we admitted we liked each other that way we've been really happy." Caitlin said.

"I wonder what it's like... being in love..." I said dreamily. Caitlin looked at me with a frown, "Oh, no... Caitlin.... I'm fine, okay?"

Her frown faded into a smile, "Okay, okay."