LostLormzo: Hey, lucy you. I've still got two more weeks. Well, not full weeks. Four full days and four half days. But then i'm done! About the hair dieing thing, I have a love for Charlie's hair, but i recently found a picture of him, where it was 100 blonde, and he looked adoriblw, and it gave me ideas. So, thus, the blondness. Well, don't have much else to say. So i guess you should get reading
ponyboysgirl: Hey, thanks for the reveiw. Keep them comeing!
FATE: Growing Pains
"Liam" Michelle lifted her head from Charlie's shoulder in suprise. Liam didn't reply. He simply stood in the door way, stareing at his feet. "Where the hell have you been?" She demanded angrily, makeing her way towards him. He still said nothing. "Look at me" Michelle insisted, grabbing onto his shirt. "I'm sorry" Liam explained, not knowing what else to see. His eyes were glassy, and slowly welling up with tears.
"Your sorry? You've been gone for three days, Liam!" Michelle exclaimed, gesturing angrily. "Michelle, please-"
"Don't. Just...god, i can't even look at you right now" Michelle muttered angrily, and turned away from him. "Michelle-" Laim begged, but she ignored him and stormed upstairs. Liam watched in failer untill she disapeared before turning to his brother who stood in the middle of the room.
"Where were you?" Charlie questioned, showing little if any emotion. "I stayed with Jay." LIam explained, doing the same. Charlie nodded. "You could have called, you know. Michelle was worreid sick" Charlie explained, trying not to sound angrey. "I know. I was just being...suborn" Liam replied guiltfully.
"Yeah...me two" Charlie nodded, not really knowing what to say. He was still mad, but he was also happy to have his brother back. "I'm sorry, Charlie" Liam apologized, trying to sound sensere as posible. At first Charlie only nodded distently, looking down at the floor. But then the good got the best of him, convinceing him to look up and walk over. Liam pulled his arms around him and he hugged back. They stood for a moment then parted, both carrying an aqward smile.
"You should go talk to Michelle" Charlie sugested, glanceing over at the stairs. "I'm gonna step out for a bit. Give you two room to talk" He added, grabbing his hoodie once again. "Alright." Liam nodded and stepped around him. He turned and gave once last smile before heading up the stairs. Charlie pulled his hoodie on and opened the door, then turnned, grabbed his cell phone off the end table by the couch and shoved it into his pocket before walking out again.
He climbed into the car and pulled the door shut behind him. After pulling out of the drive way, he flipped the tiny silver phone open and dialed Claire's cell. It rang three rimes before he finaly got a "Hello?" on the other end.
"Claire?" Charlie questioned in confusion, not quite reconizeing the voice. "Oh, so thats who's phone it is" The voice on the other end noted. Charlie's bewilderment contenyuied. "Who is this?"
"Sun." She explained simply. "Oh. Hey, congradulations" Charlie noted with a smile. "Thanks. Would you like me to find Claire?" Sun offered thoughtfully. "Yes I would" Charlie replied. "Alright. Hold on"
For a few moments it was silent. Charlie waited impatently, his fingers franticly tapping on the stearing wheel. "Hello?" This time it was Claire, no doubt about it. "Hey" A grin crossed Charlie's face, thrilled to hear her voice. "Charlie! I've been waiting for you to call" Claire explained happily. "Sorry. I've kind of had my hands full" Charlie explained reasuringly.
"Its alright" Claire assured with a laugh. "So how's the wedding going?" he questioned curiously. "Good. Starts in a half an hour" Claire explained brightly. "What? Oh god, ummm, ok...hold on"
"Claire?" Charlie questioned in confushion. "Sorry. Shannon's haveing a wardrobe malfunction" Claire explained in amusement. "I'll call you back after the wedding, I promis"
"Alright, Luv." Charlie replied, still smieling. They both said their I-love-you's and hung up. Charlie pulled up infront of the school, witch was now haveing recess, and climbed out of the car. He walked in through the gate, hands shoved in his pockets, looking around for Ms. Adams, who's first name he could not rember to save his life.
"Daddy!" Gabby apeared out of no where and tackled his leg. "Hi, sweetie" He replied, glanceing down at her in suprise. "What are you doing here?" Geni questioned, raiseing an eye brow. "I"m looking for your brothers teacher" Charlie explained, lifting her up into his arms. Geni rolled her eyes. "Oh I see, your still mad at me" Charlie noted, running a fantastic guilt trip. Geni sighed. "No, its ok. I understand." He faked a sob, and could here Gabby giggiling from below, still hugging his leg.
"Fine" Geni grumbled, and gave him a hug. "Hello?"
Charlie turnned to see Ms. Adams standing behind him. "Hi" Charlie replied, not knowing what to say. "I'm asumeing your Mr. Pace, correct?" She questioned, raiseing an eye brow. "Yes, yes I am" He assured, setting Geni down. "Hi, nice to meet you" He held out his hand. As she shook back, he noticed that she was giving him a questionable stare, as if she reconized him.
"Are you here to pick up the girls?" She questioned curiously, after a moment. "Uh, no. Actualy, I wanted to talk to you about the type of home work you've been giving Ben" Charlie explained after takeing a gulp. He nervously shoved his pockets into his hands. "I see...well, I was just headed back to my class room, if you like we could talk there" She sugested in a friendly voice. She'd defenetly changed, but then again, so had he.
Charlie nodded and fallowed her into the building. They stepped into the plaine, empty class room witch he despised much. He wondered in, looking around as if he'd never sceen the room before, hands still in his pockets. "So, what is your concern, Mr. Pace?" She questioned, closeing the door behind her.
"Well, my wife has been out of town, and I was trying to help Ben with his home work. The only problem is I'm an adult and i didn't even understand it. I know people usualy forget math if they wern't good at it, but i just think that multiplication is a little advanced for a second grader, and-"
"Holly shit"
Charlie looked up in suprise. "Excuse me?" he blinked at the women in confusion. She stared back at him in suprise for a momen, not knowing what say. He could tell at that moment that she did infac rember him, makeing the situation thousands of time more aqward. "I'm sorry. Contenuie" She sugested, aqwardly, contenuing to eye him curiously.
"Thats pretty much it" He explained, scratching the back of his head. "I see, and I agree. Multiplication is very advanced for a second grader. But the reson I've been giving Ben that type of work is because he's so much more advanced then the rest of the students" She explained, doing her best to act as if she didn't reconize him.
"Oh...realy?" Charlie questioned, a smile crossing his face. "Yes, very infact." She assured, smiling back. "But If he is haveing difficulties, I'd be glad to give him an extra hand in class, make sure he's getting it all. The last thing I'd want to do is make him feel over whelmed"
Charlie nodded. "I'd apreciate that"
"alright them" She back and headed pulled the door open. "It was nice to meet you" She explained, still trying to sound friendly in order to hide the fact that she was rushing out. Charlie gave an apreciative nod and stepped into the hall. The door closed behind him quickly. He glanced back for a moment, then started down the hall before looking back again. Not paying attention, he ran into a young man who was walking the oposit way.
"Oh, sorry-" He aplogixed, turning to look up at the person whom he'd ran into. "Boone?"
Shannon sighed loudly as she sat in a chair in the middle of the girl's dressing room, waiting impatently as Claire sewed up the strap on her dress. Sun paced back and forth, muttering to herself as she led her boquet in hand. "Uhh...Sun?" Shannon questioned, raiseing an eye brow.
"hm?" Sun looked over. "You ok?" Shannon questioned in concern. "Oh, yes. I was just going over my vows" Sun explained, blushing slightly. "Ohhh..." Shannon nodded, "Lets here them"
"You will dureing the seromony" Sun assured, tauntingly. "Why not now?" Shannon questioned childinshly, leaning forward. "Hold still" Claire insisted, pulling her back to the chair. "Becuase I don't want to have to say them twice" Sun expalined. "Why not?" Shannon questioned curiously.
"Becuase, they arn't verry good" Sun explained, bashfully. "Oh, come on. I'm sure they super good" Shannon insited reasuringly. Sun couldn't help but laugh. "I just have a feeling Michale's are going to be better" Sun explained, sitting in a chair across from them. "Oh, hunny, belive me. The girls vows are always better" Shannon assured.
"Oh, I disagree" Claire noted, contridictingly. "What? Your wedding vows were good" Shannon noted, turning her head to face her. Cliare turned her head forward. "I wasn't talking about mine. I'm talking about yours" Claire explained, teasingly.
"What was wrong with mine?" Shannon questioned defensivly, turning in her seat. "You compared your love of Sayied to your love of shoes. Now turn around" Claire insisted. "I happened to have spent a long time on those vows, thank you. It took me weeks to think of that" Shannon explainred, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What a suprise" Sun noted sarcasticly. "Shannon Marie what ever your last name is, if you don't turn around right now i will not hesitate to take this sewing neadly and shove it right into your aorda, you here me?" Claire threatened, leaning over Shannon's shoulder. "Fine" Shannon sighed and leaned back agesnt the chair. Sun let out a muffled laugh.
"Oh shut up" Shannon grimached, moodily.
"Charlie?" Boone questioned in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"I was talking to Ben's teacher" Charlie explained. "Ben goes here?" Boone questioned curiously. "Yeah, man...what are you doing here?" Charlie questioned in bewilderment. "I'm working here, or atleast trying to. I just got finished with an interveiw" Boone explained happily. "Oh, aswome. How'd it go?" Charlie questioned, curiously.
"Good. I think I got it" Boone explained. "Fantastic. What grade would you be teaching?"
"Kendergarden. The currnet teacher is going off on pregnacy leave" Boone explained. "Hey, you'd be teaching my girls" Charlie noted happily. "The twins are in school already?" Boone questioned in suprise. "Yep. Growing up way to fast" Charlie nodded, sounding more like father than ever. "No kidding" Boone nodded in agrement. "So how's Claire?"
"She's good. She's up in New York for Sun and Michale's wedding" Charlie explained. "Sun and Michale are getting married?" Boone questioned in suprise. "Yep. Married, haveing kids, all that jazz" Charlie confirmed. "Wow." Boone noted simply. "no kidding" Charlie nodded in agreement. "So, I hear your getting married" Charlie noted, just now remembering.
"yes, yes I am" Boone nodded, blushing slightly. "Its aobut time" Charlie noted playfully. The bell rang and with in seconds the hall way was flooding with kids. "I'll tell her you said hi" Boone explained, watching as a young man walked right between them. "What?" Charlie questioned, unable to hear him over the crowd. "I said I'll tell Fiona you said hi" Boone explained in a much louder tone, but Charlie once again didn't here. He was to busy watching as his nice walked hand in hand with a young man, who looked like he and Charlie could be the same age. He was even more alarmed when he saw her turn to the boy and give him a hug, with an added little kiss on the cheek.
"Charlie?" Boone questioned in concern, trying to see where he was looking. Charlie was busy trying to keep a track of where the two were heading, but lost them in the crowd. "Huh?" He turned to Boone, a bit out of it. "You ok, man?" Boone questioned in concern. "Yeah." Charlie assured, "Yeah. I'm good. I"m gonna go wait for my kids" He explained, and headed towards the door.
"Uh, ok man. Later" Boone replied, a little confused, as he watched Charlie push through the crowd. He waited at the car with his back agenst the door, hands still burrowed deep into the pockets of his jeans. "Hi dad" Gabby came running up and gave him a hug. "Hey" Gen fallowed, giving him a pitifull nod of acnoledgment. Any onther time Charlie would have ingaged in a guilt trip but at the moment he was to preqcupied.
"Hi, sweeite" He replied distently, without even takeing the effort to look down. His eyes were glued to the front door, waiting for Megen to emerge. The girls climbed into the back seat of the car unphased, as their father stared off at the front of the school. "Hey Charlie"
Charlie turnned quickly to se Megen standing beisde him. He jumped, starteled at first, and Megen couldn't help but laugh. "Where the hell did you come from?" He questioned in confusion. "uh...the gate" Megen explained, eyeing him curiously. "oh" Charlie nodded, trying to play it off as if he'd done nothing but wait outside. "Uh, are you alright uncle Charlie?" Megen questioned worriedly.
"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine, I'm...I'm fine, like said, i'm fine. Get in the car" He babbled pointlessly, doing little good to his argument. "Ok..." Megen muttered skepticly and climbed into the car. He climbed into the driver's seat and pulled the door shut. He pulled his hand out of his pocket along with his keys and started the car.
"uhh..., Charlie" Megen began, raiseing an eye brow at him. "yeah?" he questioned, curiosly as he began to minuver out of the parallell parking. "Three down, two to go" Megen reminded teasingly. "huh?" Charlie's face turned to a look of utter confusion. Megen gave an idicateing nod towards his door. Charlie turned to see Ben and Logen standing out side. "ooh" He pulled stopped the car and let them get in.
The girls and Megen all began to giggle. "What?" Charlie questioned defensivly, "I saw them" he assured. "riiight" Megen rolled her eyes. "I did!" Charlie insisted. "Just drive" Megen sugested teasingly. "Right" Charlie nodded, and obayed.
Later that day:
Megen was laid out on the couch, doing her home work when she heard the cell phone ringing from inside the pocket of Charlie's hoodie. She starec at it for a moment before decideing to answer it. "Hello?"
"Hello"
"oh, hey Claire" Megen sat up and sat her home work aside. " Hi Megen. Where's Charlie?" Claire questioned curiously. "He's upstairs. Either sleeping or takeing a shower" Megen explained, uncertantly. "Probly both" Claire confirmed in a fair enough kind of way. "I wouldn't be suprised with the way he's been acting lately" Megen noted with a laugh.
"Why? How has he been acting?" Claire questioned, in concern. "Crazy" Megen confirmed bluntly, "Like, more so than usual."
"Wow. Is something worng?" Claire asked, sounding a worried. "No. Not that I know of, atleast" Megen assured honestly. "Alirght" Claire sighed, "Tell him I called" Claire sugested. "I will." Megen assured. "Bye" She hung up the phone and slipped it back into the pocket of her Uncle's hoodie.
She streched out on the couch once agian and tired to contenuie her homework, but was once again distracted by the sound of music comeing from upstairs. Curious, she slid off the couch and wondered up stairs. The lights gently flickered in the hall as usual, and Dina laid outside of Charlie and Claire's bed room door, witch was slightly cracked. Megen walked over and peared in through the door where she found Charlie sitting on his bed, playing his guitar.
After a moment, he took note to her presence and glanced over his shoulder. She stood with her head tilted, leaning agenst the door way with a slight smile. Charlie smiled back, slightly embarassed. "How long have you been standing there?" He questioned, turning back to his guitar. "Just a little bit. Whats that song about?" She questioned curiously, makeing no effort to step inside.
Charlie smied but didn't reply. "Let me guess...Claire" Megen asumed teasingly. "Nope" Charlie replied with a smirk. "One of your kids?" Megen raised an eye brow. "Nope" Charlie replied once again, takeing pride in the little gussing game and playing all the while. "Then what?" Megen questioned, insistantly, a look of both confusion and curiosity on her face.
"i'll tell you when your older"
Charlie's smile widened as he contenuied to play. Megen rolled her eyes and started to walk of, them traced her steps backwards and poked her self in through the door way. "its not ms. Adams is it?"
Charlie threw a pillow at her. "i'm just kidding" Megen assured with a laugh. "Yeah, well, lets keep that little secret between you and I" Charlie sugested smartly. "Why? You don't want your wife to know you screwed your kids kindergarden teacher?" Megen questioned, playfully.
"No" Charlie replied blontly, as if his answer were to be exspected. "Ok, ok. I won't say a word. I promis" Megen assured, with a smile. Charlie opened his mouth to thank her but aparently she wasn't finished. "I won't say a word if..."
"If what?" Charlie questioned, raiseing an eye brow. "If you tell me what the songs about" Megen set the condition with a sweet smile on her face, one of witch had hadn't bought since she was about five, exspecialy after what he saw today. Charlie rolled his eyes. "Ok, I'll sing it for you, but only if you promis not to tell" Charlie agreed, giving her a testing look. "Deal" Megen confirmed with a nod, and impatently waited for Charlie to find the right string again.
A smile crossed his face as he began to sing in German. "Hey, no fair!" Megen protested, angrily. "What?" Charlie questioned, innocently. "German dosen't count you danm nazi!" Megen exclaimed playfully, throwing the pillow he'd turned at her back. Charlie sat his guitar aside, ready to chase her down the hall. Megen screamed and bolted to the stairs before he could even get off the bed. He hurried after her untill he reached the bottom of the stairs and spotted Claire, Shannon, and Sun in the door way. He looked up in suprise, cluching the railing breathlessly. Megen began to giggle from across the room, not at all phased by her little sprint down a full flight of stairs. Ah, to be young.I'll kill her later.
"Wow. Your home early" He noted, still trying to regulate his breathing. A smile slowly grew across Claire's face. A slightly questionable, and curius smile, but also vaugly admiring. "What?" Charlie questioned in confusion, glanceing around him in an attempt to figure out what it was she seemed so fixiated with. "What happened to your hair?" She questioned, still smiling, clearly not at all aposed.
"She did" Charlie confirmed, pointing an acuseing finger in Shannon's direction. Claire turned to her, still smiling happily. "See. Told you you'd like it" Shannon declared with an air of pride. Sun watched the event in amusement, and Charlie then took her into notice. "Sun!" He exclaimed, in a delay to out-do all delay's. He walked over and gave her a hug.
"Hello Charlie" Sun replied with a smile, hugging him back. "So, what are you girls all doing here?" He questioned curiosly. "Um...well, lets just say the wedding was...delaied" Claire explained, doing her best to sugger coad. "You know, much like your reactions" Shannon added teasingly. "What happened?" Charlie questioned, ignoring Shannon's remark.
"Michale r-u-n-d-o-f-f-ed" Shannon explained in a wisper. "Shannon, one, i'm standing less than a foot away so unless you can wisper siently, i'm going to here you, and two, i can spell" Sun reminded, in annoyance. "Wiat? Michale left? Why?" Charlie questioned, in amazement at the girls casual aprocach to the situation.
"I dunno" Sun replied honestly. "Cold feet i supose"
"Well, arn't you going to try and find him?" Charlie asked in utter confusion. "Nope" Sun answered simply, and plopped down on the couch. Charlie turned to Claire in hopes of finding some sort of logic. "She's makeing him come to her" Claire explained, turning this female-madness into perfect since. Charlie mouthed an O and nodded in understnding.
"So Sun's gonna stay here for a little bit, alright?" Claire confirmed in the form of a question. "Of course" Charlie nodded in agreement as if he had a choice, not that he actualy minded. Sun glanced around the room and spoted Megen standing by the kitchen.
"Hi" Megen waved, awqwardly. "Please tell me your not one of the twins" Sun noted, stareing at her in confusion. "No, this is Megen, my neice" Charlie explained reasuringly. "Oh, good" Sun sighed in relief. "Nice to meet you"
Megen nodded uncomfortable, then turned to Charlie. "Uh, Charlie, this is kinda weird. Can i go upstairs?" Megen questioned, softly. "Sure" Charlie replied, seeing no reson why not. "Thanks" Megen ran for the stairs. The girls sat in a row on the couch, all looking at him questionably. It took Charlie only a moment to realize he was being shunned.
"Right. I'll be upstairs" He nodded, and fallowed the imagenary dust witch Megen had left behind. He could here the girls began to talk franticly as soon as he reached the top of the steps and sighed before truging to his room.
It was about 3:00 when Claire quietly came into the bed room, some how manageing to menuver her way over to the bed in the dark. Charlie had always invied that talent of hers. He had permenetnt bruses to show his defeat in moveing about in pitch black suroundings. He watched her slip into bed beside him, eyes half open and himself half asleep.
"Hey" She wispered, rolling on her side to face him. "Hay" He replied with a lazy smile, running his hand over a long strand of hair that had fallen out of the clip that heled the majority of her hair back. He leaned forward to give her a kiss before laying his head back agenst the pillow. "How's Sun doing?" he questioned in a slightly strained voice, to tired to carry his usual enthusasum towars talking.
"She's fine" Claire assured huridly as she leaned over him. She bent her head and pressed her lips agenst his, pulling back seconds later when she noticed the look of confusion on Charlie's face. "Something worng?" Claire questioned in concern. "Well, its just, Sun and Shannon are down stairs...i thought you'd want to, you know, hold off for the night" Charlie explained, propping himself up on his elbos.
"Charlie, they live only a few feet away from us in a tent for a whole year. I don't think they'll mind over hearing us through a couple walls and a floor" Claire explained contridictingly. "Well, yeah, but...don't you think its a bit disrespecfull to Sun after her husband ran off?" Charlie questioned, trying his hardest to graspe the situation.
"Oh, trust me. Sun won't have a clue" Claire assured. " How so?" Charlie questioned in confusion. "Well, after her and Shannon downed three whole bottles of shampaine they both passed out on the couch-slash-floor and haven't made a peep since so i highly doubt they'll be conchious enough to notice" Claire explained huridly. "And besides, you have blond hair" She added with a smile, running her gingers through his hair.
Charlie grinned and pulled his arms around her waist before rolling onto of her and pressing his lips to hers in a pasionet, long awaited, its-been-a-week, make-up-for-lost-time-in-a-few-short-hours-before-we-both-pass-out kind of kiss. They had both just begun to get into it when they heard a knock at the door. Both looked over to see Megen in the door way.
"Claire, you left your purse down stairs with the drunks. It had a thing of condums in it so i thought you might want it" Megen explained, tossing the little black mag in their direction. To Claire's suprise she managed to catchin it with both hands and glanced down at it for a moment, then back at Megen, then back at Charlie. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone with the kids" Claire scolded playfully. "I swear, i didn't do a thing." Charlie assured, lieing through his teeth and doing a rather bad job of it at that. "Right Megen?"
"Rock on, Charlie" Megen replied with a smile and pulled the door shut behind her before heading off into the hall way. "Well, you heard the girl, rock on" Claire noted, playfully. Charlie slid ontop of her once again and gave that magnificent kiss a anchour performace that would receive a standing ovation by any crowd. And like that Charlie's rehin of terror in the house was over. Claire was back in his arms, in controll, and he would never have to play mommy again. Atleast, he hoped.
