A/N: Hey! I'm back! Maybe because I'm whipped, or maybe because threats and bribes work with me. Either way, I'm baaaack. Yeah, I'm not sure whether that's good or bad either. Thanks for all the great reviews, and I hope this is any good..
Chapter 2-
"Dr. Sternin, I hope I'm not interupting, but there's a 'Charlotte' for you on line one."
"Thank you Cindy. I'm just finishing up some paperwork, can you tell her to hold for a minute." Charlotte..Charlotte, I desperately tried to remember where I'd heard that name before. She obviously wasn't a patient or Cindy wouldn't have bothered telling me. But I couldn't for the life of me remember.
I finally decided to just pick up the damn phone.
"Hello?" Charlotte..who is 'Charlotte?'
"Hello Dr. Sternin. You probably have no idea who I am." Well that was putting it lightly. "But, I've actually heard quite a bit about you."
"Oh dear. Are you a friend of Frasier's?" If she was, this call couldn't be anything good. I didn't even want to think about what his family (if not Frasier himself) would have told her about me. Or rather, The Witch, as Martin had taken to calling me.
"Actually, yes, I am. How'd you know?" I think the more fitting question is 'Why are you calling me?' but I didn't think that would be a well recieved answer.
"Oh just a guess.. Charlotte, if I may be so bold, why are you calling me? Did Frasier put you up to this?" That was it. Frasier, for whatever sick reason, had told her to call me, and here I am, sounding like an idiot-which would be exactly his intent. Damn him!
"Actually, no. This was my own doing. Whether I'm insane or not, well, I'm not sure. I'm not the psychiatrist." Interesting. "I am sorry for bothering you Dr. Sternin, but something has been bothering me for a while now, and I think you might be able to help."
"I don't have sessions over the phone. That's Frasier's field. But, if you need to talk to someone, I'm sure he-or if you didn't want to even mention it to him, Niles-would be able to recommend someone that would be able to help you."
"Oh no! This isn't even my problem." It never was. "Actually, it's Frasier's, which I guess makes it mine. Alright, it is mostly my problem, but Frasier's involved. Even if he doesn't know it."
"I see, but I'm not sure you should be telling me..."
"No, I think you're the best bet I have. I mean, I think you're the only one that can help." Damn. "If you'll just let me explain.."
"Of course." I wasn't going to let her down-she seemed so desperate for me to hear her out, and I knew it wasn't easy for her. I sure knew it wasn't easy for me when I confronted Rebecca when Frasier thought he stood a chance with her.
"Well Dr. Sternin, I'm not entirely sure how to go about doing this.. I met Frasier a couple months ago when he mistakenly came to my office thinking it was his. You see, I'm a matchmaker," I had to really struggle to keep a laugh from surfacing. "And I was convinced Frasier needed my help. Eventually, he himself was convinced, and we were in my office talking.. After a few weeks of unsuccessful set-ups for Frasier, he had himself thinking that he was in love with me. Niles had it chalked up as one of Frasier's little 'quirks' and that 'the little crush he developed was only to mask deeper feelings.' And I'm starting to think he was right."
"Just out of curiosity, what does Niles think these 'deeper feelings' are? Or didn't he say?" I was curious, and I needed to know more of what Niles thought. After all, that was probably what was troubling Charlotte-Niles' bull diagnoses.
She laughed, but in a way that seemed like it caused her a lot of pain and effort. "Actually, Niles seems to think he still has intense feelings for you."
"You must be kidding. Or even confused. Niles wouldn't say that-he's under the impression that Frasier hates me." Which I knew wasn't true. I also knew that he didn't love me.
"No. He said it, and seems to stand by it. And it's not like that's all either. Frasier always seems to long for something more." Typical of him, or at least it had been recently. God, he'd never been able to accept a good thing. He was like a small child, you'd give them a piece of candy and they'd always complain it wasn't their favorite kind. "But," she laughed again. This time she sounded to be at the point of tears. "I feel stupid for telling you this."
"You needn't feel that way. I'm here to help." God that was cliche. But I was interested at this point. Very interested.
"What really gets to me is that..it appears to cause him physical pain to say that he loves me." That's when she broke down.
"I'm sure it doesn't. I'm sure he-" No, I couldn't say it. I wasn't sure that he loved her. Actually, I was pretty sure he didn't. "Charlotte, have you talked to him about this?"
"No. I was actually hoping you could help me with this." I knew she would say that, I didn't even know why I'd asked.
"You know you have to talk to him, without me, right?" She was silent. "What did you expect me to be able to do? Even if Frasier still loved me, I don't feel the same for him." I think I doubted that more then she did.
"All I ask is that you come for a visit, to have dinner with Frasier and me. I'd pay for all your expenses of course. Will you at least consider it?"
"If that's what you really want.. Am I allowed to tell him I'm coming, or will this be a surprise?" I really hoped she'd let me tell him. We've been telling each other everything lately-except he had left Charlotte out of our conversations for whatever reason. I just didn't want to go back to six years ago, when I'd show up announced, expecting him to have sex with me.
"Yes, that's what I want. And you can tell him." I didn't think she wanted me to tell him, but I had to. I needed him to trust me. "Dr. Sternin, I hope you know that all I really want is for Frasier to be happy."
"I do. And that's why I think I have to come."
Chapter 2-
"Dr. Sternin, I hope I'm not interupting, but there's a 'Charlotte' for you on line one."
"Thank you Cindy. I'm just finishing up some paperwork, can you tell her to hold for a minute." Charlotte..Charlotte, I desperately tried to remember where I'd heard that name before. She obviously wasn't a patient or Cindy wouldn't have bothered telling me. But I couldn't for the life of me remember.
I finally decided to just pick up the damn phone.
"Hello?" Charlotte..who is 'Charlotte?'
"Hello Dr. Sternin. You probably have no idea who I am." Well that was putting it lightly. "But, I've actually heard quite a bit about you."
"Oh dear. Are you a friend of Frasier's?" If she was, this call couldn't be anything good. I didn't even want to think about what his family (if not Frasier himself) would have told her about me. Or rather, The Witch, as Martin had taken to calling me.
"Actually, yes, I am. How'd you know?" I think the more fitting question is 'Why are you calling me?' but I didn't think that would be a well recieved answer.
"Oh just a guess.. Charlotte, if I may be so bold, why are you calling me? Did Frasier put you up to this?" That was it. Frasier, for whatever sick reason, had told her to call me, and here I am, sounding like an idiot-which would be exactly his intent. Damn him!
"Actually, no. This was my own doing. Whether I'm insane or not, well, I'm not sure. I'm not the psychiatrist." Interesting. "I am sorry for bothering you Dr. Sternin, but something has been bothering me for a while now, and I think you might be able to help."
"I don't have sessions over the phone. That's Frasier's field. But, if you need to talk to someone, I'm sure he-or if you didn't want to even mention it to him, Niles-would be able to recommend someone that would be able to help you."
"Oh no! This isn't even my problem." It never was. "Actually, it's Frasier's, which I guess makes it mine. Alright, it is mostly my problem, but Frasier's involved. Even if he doesn't know it."
"I see, but I'm not sure you should be telling me..."
"No, I think you're the best bet I have. I mean, I think you're the only one that can help." Damn. "If you'll just let me explain.."
"Of course." I wasn't going to let her down-she seemed so desperate for me to hear her out, and I knew it wasn't easy for her. I sure knew it wasn't easy for me when I confronted Rebecca when Frasier thought he stood a chance with her.
"Well Dr. Sternin, I'm not entirely sure how to go about doing this.. I met Frasier a couple months ago when he mistakenly came to my office thinking it was his. You see, I'm a matchmaker," I had to really struggle to keep a laugh from surfacing. "And I was convinced Frasier needed my help. Eventually, he himself was convinced, and we were in my office talking.. After a few weeks of unsuccessful set-ups for Frasier, he had himself thinking that he was in love with me. Niles had it chalked up as one of Frasier's little 'quirks' and that 'the little crush he developed was only to mask deeper feelings.' And I'm starting to think he was right."
"Just out of curiosity, what does Niles think these 'deeper feelings' are? Or didn't he say?" I was curious, and I needed to know more of what Niles thought. After all, that was probably what was troubling Charlotte-Niles' bull diagnoses.
She laughed, but in a way that seemed like it caused her a lot of pain and effort. "Actually, Niles seems to think he still has intense feelings for you."
"You must be kidding. Or even confused. Niles wouldn't say that-he's under the impression that Frasier hates me." Which I knew wasn't true. I also knew that he didn't love me.
"No. He said it, and seems to stand by it. And it's not like that's all either. Frasier always seems to long for something more." Typical of him, or at least it had been recently. God, he'd never been able to accept a good thing. He was like a small child, you'd give them a piece of candy and they'd always complain it wasn't their favorite kind. "But," she laughed again. This time she sounded to be at the point of tears. "I feel stupid for telling you this."
"You needn't feel that way. I'm here to help." God that was cliche. But I was interested at this point. Very interested.
"What really gets to me is that..it appears to cause him physical pain to say that he loves me." That's when she broke down.
"I'm sure it doesn't. I'm sure he-" No, I couldn't say it. I wasn't sure that he loved her. Actually, I was pretty sure he didn't. "Charlotte, have you talked to him about this?"
"No. I was actually hoping you could help me with this." I knew she would say that, I didn't even know why I'd asked.
"You know you have to talk to him, without me, right?" She was silent. "What did you expect me to be able to do? Even if Frasier still loved me, I don't feel the same for him." I think I doubted that more then she did.
"All I ask is that you come for a visit, to have dinner with Frasier and me. I'd pay for all your expenses of course. Will you at least consider it?"
"If that's what you really want.. Am I allowed to tell him I'm coming, or will this be a surprise?" I really hoped she'd let me tell him. We've been telling each other everything lately-except he had left Charlotte out of our conversations for whatever reason. I just didn't want to go back to six years ago, when I'd show up announced, expecting him to have sex with me.
"Yes, that's what I want. And you can tell him." I didn't think she wanted me to tell him, but I had to. I needed him to trust me. "Dr. Sternin, I hope you know that all I really want is for Frasier to be happy."
"I do. And that's why I think I have to come."