A/N: This Chapter is told from Charles' POV and picks up on the first morning he doesn't have to go to work.

Comments are welcome I encourage any feed back or suggestions, what do you want to see Charles Brooks doing outside of Empirical?

Thanks and enjoy!

Chapter 2

5:43am Monday

Charles woke at the same time he did everyday, but today he didn't have to be awake this early. The girls were at Pauline's all this week, he'd reluctantly left them with her last night. He was never going to get use to not having them home with him half of the time. Twice last night he'd awakened and started the trek down the hall to check on them, before remembering their beds would be empty for a full week. Feeling this way when they were gone just fueled Charles anger that Pauline had ever left her children for a year, when it literally pained him to be a 20 minute walk away from them. He sighed pushing that reoccurring anger bubble back down into his gut and turned the alarm clock off before it went off at 5:45am. He lay there in the cool dark room staring at nothing, Liza kicked out a foot and it grazed his leg under the sheets. He smiled at least there was this, and the weekend had been pleasant. Friday night he and the girls had dinner with Liza, and they had told them that they were dating. He wasn't quite sure they understood the relationship entirely, but they had been thrilled at the knowledge Liza would be around more frequently. Saturday had just been the three of them, bird watching in the park that morning, the Zoo after lunch, and a Disney movie marathon that evening viewed from their makeshift pillow and blanket fort. Last night had been rough, after he'd dropped them off at Pauline's he'd called Charlotte. Charles had had every intention of filling her in on the happenings at Empirical, but it just didn't seem right to do it over the phone. She'd just won the OJ trial of her generation (exception being that her client was legitimately innocent) and was heading back to the city to resume working at her firm next week, he reasoned he'd tell her when he picked her up from the airport. After talking with Charlotte, Liza had called to check on him. When she'd heard his false bravado over the phone she'd suggested she come over and keep him company. To which he'd replied only if she stayed the entire night with him, half an hour later he was taking her overnight bag from her as she entered the brownstone.

Charles slipped out of bed careful not to wake Liza and quietly made his way to the bathroom. There he washed his face, ran his hand through his hair to calm his "bed head", and brushed his teeth as quietly as he could channeling his inner church mouse. He eased ever so gently back into bed with Liza and watched her sleep while he waited for her to wake up. She stirred and stretched making a soft "humph" sound as she transitioned from dream to reality. Her eyes fluttered open and took a moment to focus as she stared at Charles in the early morning light, she must have forgotten where she was for a moment because there was a look of confusion as her eyes widen ever so slightly at him. The corners of her mouth tugged heavenward after she remember where she was, when she did speak her voice was laden with sleep and was almost inaudible.

"G' Mornin' "

"Good morning" Charles replied as he leaned in to plant a sweet kiss on her nose.

"How can you look like a GQ model so damn early in the morning?" Charles chuckled and pulled her to him so he could properly tell her good morning. 45 minutes later as they were glowing in the aftermath Liza moaned in protest that she had to get ready for work. She instantly regretted mentioning work in front of Charles and turned her head away from him in shame. Charles sighed and reached out to her cupping her chin to guide her back to him. He saw her discomfort and what he recognized as pity in her eyes. He was having a hard enough time convincing himself that everything was exactly as he wanted, he felt slightly annoyed that he now had to convince her too. With a patience no mere mortal should possess Charles eased her mind.

"You can talk about work in front of me Liza. It'd be weird if you didn't. I'm still apart of Empir-" he caught himself and corrected his error "Millennial, I'm still very much involved in Millennial. I may not be in the position I held before but, I'm excited to be where I am now." She wasn't convinced, "Hey did you know I haven't had a vacation since Bianca was baby?" He smiled at her and knew that talking about the girls would relax her. "It's true, even then I was working half of the day. So I am LONG over do for one and It's going to be nice to-" He had no idea how to finish that sentence...he breathed in- "to take a morning run, I can finally go through the girls clothes and donate what they've out grown, I can finally read a book- not some unedited manuscript from a potential author but an actual book. I can drive up to Pound Ridge, there are a few things that need my attention there; squeaky doors, loose floor boards, a few shingles need to be replaced on the roof. That should keep me pretty busy." Liza eyeballed him in disbelief. "Okay, there are a few things that need my supervision at Pound Ridge then." He smiled down at her. "I have plenty to keep me preoccupied, it's all good Liza we are good. Don't be afraid to talk about work with me, we are equal partners in this relationship."

"You're right, and this," she gestures between them "is good-so good."

An hour later Liza is leaving the brownstone, her hair smells of Charles shampoo, her belly full of Charles' kid approved blueberry pancakes and a brown paper sack with a crust-less peanut-butter and jelly sandwich with an apple. While Liza was getting ready he'd made breakfast and thrown a quick lunch together for her. Liza had a tendency to skip lunch when she got into her work and today would be hectic enough without the added distraction of leaving to get her lunch. She'd teased him when he's held to bag lunch out to her as she was leaving. But he knew she was touched and grateful that he'd thought about her well being even if he wasn't going to be there to remind her to stop and eat today.

Shortly after Liza left Charles donned his under used/over priced running shoes and decided he would flee his insecurities for the moment. He ran, ran until his lungs protested in pain and then ran further pushing himself so that the only thing his mind could process was moving his feet forward and pumping air into his lungs. Later when he was cooling down he realized that it was only 9:18, he'd ran a grand total of 34 minutes. Damn, he was old and out of shape. He did always make a point to walk to most places and he did his daily sit ups and weight training but he could not for the life of him remember the last time he'd really worked out beyond the scope of just maintaining his weight and health. He'd need to start training again, build his endurance back up. Maybe he could run marathons? Maybe even triathlons, he had all the time in the world to decide.

As he sat there on a dusty park bench a thought crept into his head, he just couldn't NOT go into work today. He still had things to clear out of his office, signed first editions his grandfather had collected where on display in his office-Kelsey's office. His stomach flipped at the image of the too young, too opinionated, and often unprofessional Kelsey sitting at his desk. The one cluttered with chewed pens, his personal trinkets, his baseball from the last game he pitched as a Princeton Tiger. The desk he'd bought when they'd hit it big time and moved into the office suites of the Bank of America building. He loved that desk, and he resolved to have it moved to the brownstone...nope no room there, it'd have to go to the house in Pound Ridge. He'd find room for it there. He was sure Kelsey would redecorate his office to reflect her own style, any new boss would do the same. He had when he'd taken over for his father, but his father hadn't stepped down or retired he'd died abruptly. One day Charles was just the managing editor working with his father; learning what it takes to lead a company proudly and successfully the next he was alone calling the shots. It was almost poetic that he's taken the job as quickly and dramatically as he'd left. He'd failed more times than he cared to count, but reflecting back on everything now Charles could say he succeeded more often than not. He sucked in a big gush of air to test that his lungs were back to normal and had finally stopped hurting, he stood stretched and walked...ok hobbled to the coffee shop across the street. He'd bring Liza, Diana, and Kelsey coffee today, and pick up some things from his office. He reasoned with himself that it would be a personal visit, not professional he wasn't in a suit and he wasn't going to be there long. He hoped Liza believed him more than he believed himself.

Charles entered the Bank of America building the same as he had thousands of times before, today was no different except it was. His favorite security guard, Ricardo, buzzed him through security only briefly stopping him to inquire about his causal workout clothing. Once on the elevator his heart threatened to leap from his chest, this was a bad idea. He had no business stepping on Kelsey's toes, today was her day. She may not have been Charles' first choice to replace him, but given the unusual circumstances that lead to him stepping to the side she was the only choice. He wanted-no needed her to succeed and he had faith that she would mostly because he knew Liza would be there with her every step of the way. Shit what was he doing, one day he couldn't go one damned day...the elevator stopped and opened there he was stepping out he knew he shouldn't but some magnetic force-maybe it was magic-whatever it was something carried him into the office that was no longer his office. He walked in as muscle memory carried him forward, he caught Diana in the corner of his eye. He secretly loved her too whimsical outfits, Diana may be lots of things but boring wasn't one of them. She was loyal too, he had been worried that she would resist Kelsey, but reasoned that her loyalty was to the company and not to him personally. She was standing there with Liza and possibly a third person, probably Liza's replacement, he should wait for them to come out. No he should leave not, before they saw him, and yet again he did the exact opposite. He reached the conference room door and knocked to get their attention, he'd hand them their coffee's, and excuse himself to his-nope Kelsey's office and he'd be in a cab back to the brownstone in 5 minutes, 10 tops.

Liza made eye contact with him first, he noted her worry, and then looked to Diana who looked to have been crying. What was going on here? Before he could question them his eye caught the unidentified person in the room. At least he knew why the cosmos had brought him here today. Charlotte, he hadn't seen her in person since after Christmas when he and the girls had stayed at her Nashville home the week after Christmas. They'd parted ways New Year's Day, and she wasn't scheduled to be home till next week. But there she stood every bit her her a carbon copy of their mother. Crap she knew, he didn't think Liza or Diana could have told her everything or she'd be in full "fixer" mode. As it was she stood there expecting him to fill her in on everything. He was actually surprised that she hadn't found out via the press release, but Charlotte was on a whole other level than him and the fate of the company. She was on Today and had sat down with Don Lemon last week alone. She'd surpassed him three years ago when she'd tried and won a harassment suit for Taylor Swift. Her momentum hadn't slowed she'd defended celebrities and billionaires alike anything from divorce to-well murder. She had never felt the crippling weight of keeping their family legacy alive, and that's exactly what he'd wanted. There was no amnesty, Charlotte was born to be in a court room and Charles could not be any prouder of her. A tiny voice edged it's way up through him telling him it was his turn to find the thing he was "born to do", and just as quickly as it came he squashed it away. Not yet he thought. He refocused himself on Charlotte standing there before him.

"Hey kiddo." He exercises his lungs again breathing in deeply and said "we need to talk."

"Yeah Chucky, I'd say we do"

End Chapter