This one has a little of Charli POV but mostly Josh and Charles. Enjoy and as always love to hear for y'all!

Charli

"Sign here...here...ok annnnd you'll initial here, here...and lastly here." Charli was sitting across from Claire who was tending bar on a slow Tuesday night. She was there on official business, Claire was signing her part of the divorce papers. After signing where she'd indicated Claire looks up at her, smiles a toothy grin and asks

"So when's the big date?" Charli cocks an inquisitive eyebrow at her. "Stop that, everyone knows about this thing with you and Josh not dating till after our divorce. Which has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Just boink already, you've both been making fuck me eyes at each other for months and months. This" Claire points to the divorce papers between them "is just an excuse for you to be a chicken shit." She gives Charli her best wise Irish bartender look. Charli opens her mouth to protest but Claire cuts you off before the first syllable can be said. "You know for someone so smart you can be a real dumbass."

"Chucky says the same thing." Claire nods her head approvingly and pours her a shot of tequila. Charli shakes her head in protest and pushes the overflowing glass back to the other woman.

"Sorry can't drink and lawyer, I'm still on the clock points to the signed divorce papers on the counter.

"Oh c'mon your work is done, and I need someone to celebrate with me! I get off in an hour you can pregame till then." She shoves the glass back at Charli and encourages her to down the clear drink. She stares at it as if it's contaminated with salmonella but ultimately she picks it up and downs it as quickly as possible making a comical face of disgust afterwards. Smiling Claire pours her another and challenges her to shoot that one too.

"Nope one is my limit I'll take a beer, which I will nurse the rest of the night."

The last thing Charli remembers is Claire pouring her a fourth (or was it her sixth???) shot and then total blackout.

Josh

Claire was home, Josh could hear her struggling with the lock. She must be sloshed. Normally she doesn't make a sound when she comes home late at night so she doesn't wake Oliver. She'd been with Charli celebrating the signing of the divorce papers. Josh had been comforted by the fact that Charli was there to watch out for Claire, who can get a bit too wild sometimes. Thinking about it now he'd never even seen Charli tipsy, the most he'd ever seen her drink was two beers in one night...over a period of four hours. She was a little too responsible sometimes he thought, maybe this is something they could work on together. Oliver's 1st birthday was next week and his head was filled with party planning and finally taking Charli out. They'd been spending a lot of time together lately and he was wound up tight in anticipation of finally getting a release...Yes, technically it would only be their first date but they've been engaging inforeplay for months, and Josh was achieving priest like levels of chaste. He drifted off into a fantasy world were Charli was feeding him frozen grapes while he admired every supple curve of her body, just as dream Charli was about to wrap herself around him Claire finally burst through the door with a loud bang. He jumps out of bed to check on her and to make sure Oliver was still sleeping.

"Hey" he hisses quietly in the dark not quite able to make Claire out. "Keep it down you'll wake the baby."

"Shhhhhh you'll wake Olly bear!!" Charli is practically yelling. Josh flips the light switch on to find a sober Claire trying to steady a very drunk Charli. He looks to his soon to be ex wife with unspoken questions, she shrugs and wobbles under the other girls weight. He stoops down to shift Charli off of her small frame.

"Girl cannot hold her tequila...she is definitely not Irish."

"Or Mexican." Charli whispers too loudly.

"I didn't know what to do with her she locked herself out of her phone so I couldn't order her a ride on her Uber account. I was not stuffing her in a taxi alone in this state, besides she refuses to give me her address so I couldn't if I wanted to." While Claire is whispering to Josh, Charli is squishing and molding his face as if it was clay.

"How does your face look beautiful even when it's ugly? Like whoa..." she continues to rearrange his face while staring at him in awe.

"She's got to go! Oliver cannot have his sleep schedule interrupted by Drunky McDrunkbutt, you've gotta take her home."

"NnnOoooooo, Chucky will murder me!" Ok yeah she had to go. Josh plopped her down on the couch, grabbed his coat and slammed his feet into his sneakers. Claire held her keys out to him and he stuffed his phone and wallet into his pockets.

"Her phone and briefcase are midway down the steps. They got to heavy for her to carry on the way up." Josh nods and scoops the inebriated Charli up into his arms causing her to squeal in excited glee. Claire's eyes grow to the size of saucers as she points to the door ordering him out. Outside the apartment he carries the drunkard down the steps, finds and picks up her briefcase, then sets her down while he orders an Uber.

"13 minutes, Charlie Brown." He says as he squats down on the step next to her. She beams up at him and makes a kissy face closes her eyes and waits for him to kiss her. Not like this, he thought sadly. She opens one eye at him and realizes he's not going to kiss her, her mouth contorts into a dramatic pout. Damn she's cute he thought wistfully, he does take her hand into his and interlaces their fingers together. This appeases her and the pout vanishes instantly.

"I think I drank too much tonight. I can hear the color purple, and I have this incessant need to call Neil DeGrasse Tyson up and shit talk his theory."

"Which theory?"

"That waffles are better than pancakes. He really thinks he knows everything. He ain't nuthin' but a know-it-all astrophysicist punk."

"But waffles are better than pancakes, they have built in syrup pockets" She looks at him in disgust and snorts her displeasure.

"And Lincoln was a better president than FDR, yeah okay. Bet you think Adele is superior to Brittany too, huh?" He smiles and decides to bait her.

"None of those things have to do with astrophysics, but seriously there is no way Brittany Spears is a better artist than Adele. C'mon Brooks get your head out of your ass."

"OMG, you're basic...like legit basic. Poor Oliver, at least he has one cool parent. Claire is the bomb dot com by the way. You sure you want to divorce her?" She fumbles for her briefcase and says "it's not too late to call the whole thing off." Josh stills her hands from pulling out the thick packet of paper that will effectively make him a bachelor again and shakes his head no. She looks like she's about to debate him when suddenly she blurts out-"I gotta hurl." Her face turns a bright green and she runs to the trash can on the curb. Josh follows and holds her hair back as a bottle of tequila is expelled from her body. Afterwards Josh guides her back to the stoop and scurries back upstairs to re-emerge with a disposable toothbrush, some baby wipes and a bottle of water. She takes it without a sound and sets about cleaning herself up. Satisfied that she's somewhat presentable she rests her head on his shoulder and they wait in comfortable silence the final 6 minutes till Dave the Uber driver arrives.

Charles

It was just after 2 am when Charles was awakened by the doorbell. He sat up from his reclined position on the couch and rubbed his eyes into focus. Who in the world? He thought bitterly, mind still foggy from sleep he does a mental check of his loved ones. The girls are sleeping over at a friends. Liza is curled up next to him on the couch, they'd fallen asleep discussing Pauline's soon to be released sophomore book entitled Andie. She'd brazenly ripped off Charlotte's tumultuous early teen years, and he hated just how beautifully Pauline had told her story. Charlotte, that must be who's at the door. Probably forgot her key again. Charles stands and bends to push Liza's wavy hair from her face.

"Hey sleepy head wake up." She groans in protest and pulls him back down next to her. They start to get lost into each other their lips meet with a familiar intensity and if the door bell hadn't rang again at that moment he would have given in to her and stayed there on the couch. Reluctantly he stands again and pulls Liza into a sitting position. "I've got to let Charlotte in, you head on up to bed. Okay? I'm right behind you." She looks at him sourly and then smiles devilishly up at him.

"I'm awake now...but I may not be in ten minutes. See you in bed...or not." She stands and Charles' blood boils as she slaughters away putting extra emphasis on the swing in her hips. The doorbell rings again and Charles is all but running down the steps to let his kid sister in. It might be time she finds her own place! He thinks wildly as he opens the heavy door to find Josh standing there, Charles was so startled at the sight of Josh he almost missed that Charlotte was tossed over his right shoulder. He opens the door wider and ushers Josh into the foyer.

"Her legs turned into jello halfway up the stoop. Uh, sorry to wake you but I couldn't find her keys." Josh sets, what Charles now knows to be, a very drunk Charlotte on the bottom step of the stairwell. He watches as Josh gingerly pushes Charlotte's tangled mess of hair out of her face, much like he had with Liza just moments before. Shit Charles thought unceremoniously, Josh has it bad for his Charli. Anyone else, literally anyone...billions of people on this planet and he has to fall for my Charli? Charles' face turns sour, but then he sees the way she looks up at the punk and his heart stops. Even through the haze of her drunken state, Charles could tell Josh's feelings were reciprocated. Double shit... He thought, and he watches the pair until he feels like he is the one intruding. He coughs to remind them they aren't alone, and Josh drops his hand from her face to stand. He never breaks eye contact as he says

"Ok Charlie Sheen drink lots of water, take two aspirin and call out of work tomorrow because you are going to be worthless for the next 12 to 24 hours."

"But who will yell at Sean Hannity? Or correct Nicolle Wallace's grammar?" Charles rolled his eyes, even in this state she's a know-it-all. Josh shakes his head and Charles sees every bit of the great dad he was growing into.

"It's inadvisable, but I know there's no stopping hurricane Charli, so please stay hydrated. Ok?"

Charli nods obediently and Charles watches as the young man wrestles with himself before ultimately bending to kiss her on her cheek. He also catches her look of disappointment that Josh's quick peck was on the cheek instead of the lips. She really was smitten with this kid huh? Who would've thought control freak Charli would fall for a free spirited artist from Brooklyn? Josh turns and nods at Charles then heads out the door. Impulsively he follows him not sure of what to say to the kid. He goes with the obvious choice and thanks Josh for bringing Charlotte home in one piece.

"I didn't do it for you." He says bluntly, Charles could tell he didn't mean to sound so defensive, but it was hard for the two men to be alone together. They've been thrown together sporadically ever since Liza and Charles started dating, but they always had either Liza or Charli as a buffer and they were never alone together. Charles nods and accepts Josh's statement. Josh looks to the ground and sighs. "Sorry, it's just-"

"Really fucking awkward?" Charles interrupts Him and he almost smiles back...almost before ultimately nodding in agreement.

"Yeah super awkward. Uh," He fidgets and then sucks in a deep breath of courage as he says "I've been meaning to apologize for uh" he mimes punching "you know for hitting you. That was uncool of me. Your kids could have seen, and I'm not proud of the way I handled myself that day, I'm sorry." And it as if he can't stop talking now that he's started so he continues "I'm also sorry it took me this long to apologize. I really meant to back when I was painting the mural on your fence, but I was a chicken shit. And Charli never left my side the entire time I was here...She sure is something huh?" A wide smile creeps across his face as he talks about Charli. Charles nods his agreement, and Josh blubbers on. "Yeah, did you know she taught my kid to fetch like a dog and to bark too? Everywhere we go he barks at people and they think it's so cute till he starts to growl at them." Charles laughs and adds

"She taught Bianca to slither like a snake and she'd hiss at people. She taught Nicole to do a chicken walk and cluck." The two share a smile and when the awkwardness starts to creep back up Charles quickly says "thank you for apologizing, but please know that it was not necessary. It's all water under the bridge. Truth be told, I'd probably do the very same thing if the roles were reversed. I wish I could honestly say I didn't know you two were still together, and maybe I thought you weren't but I'm not so sure I would have behaved any differently. It's not an excuse, because my behavior was inexcusable but I was falling in love and I didn't care to think of the collateral damage. For my part I apologize." Charles watches as Josh puffs up some, and then deflates.

"You knew then you were falling in love? But you didn't even know who she was then?"

"I didn't know her age or her adult life, I didn't know about Caitlyn or that there was an ex husband-who I think we can both agree was a real shit head?" Josh nods in agreement "but in spite of it all she was still Liza and there was no going back after that night."

"Wow...okay then." Josh takes a deep breath and looks Charles in the eye as he says "it all worked out in the end huh? You and Liza...I owe a lot to Liza, including my sons very existence. I guess I wouldn't know Charli if not for Liza too." He looks around for extra courage and continues "I really like having Charlotte in my life. We uh we-"

"Will make an excellent couple." Josh grins and asks

"You think?" Charles nods "Yeah me too, but she's kinda stubborn about the whole thing. She keeps pushing our friendship, and refused to go on a date till my divorce was finalized. Which it was earlier tonight, and now that she's out excuses she drank herself stupid."

"Yeah she can be self destructive, but there's no one better." Charles says this with an underlining message that this was his baby sister, someone he would kill for.

"I know." Just then an Uber ride pulls up and Josh heads down the stairs "make sure Charli sleeps on her side, prop a pillow behind her so she doesn't roll over and choke on her own vomit. And uh g'night Charles." He hops in the car and is gone before Charles can say more than goodbye. He waves and heads back inside, Charlotte hasn't moved and inch except now she's sleeping her face smooshed up against the banister drool pouring out the corner of her mouth.

"If Josh could see you now I'm sure he'd reconsider wanting to date you. Come on kiddo, let's get you into bed." He walks over and gently shakes her shoulder, he's met with loud moans of protest.

"Nnnooooo...can't moooove...toooo tired...this is my home now. Right here, please have all of my mail forwarded to step number two...I'm never leaving it again."

Charles coaxes her up to her feet and under extreme protest they make their way up the steps at speed of molasses in the North Pole. After he's made sure she won't 'choke on her own vomit' as Josh so eloquently put it, Charles sets two bottles of water on her night stand and hands her two aspirin. Another protest of epic proportions results in Charli taking a few sips of water and swallowing only one aspirin. He gets her tucked in and tries to think of the last time he saw her like this and comes up blank. Charli was a difficult kid but she was never a drinker nor had she experimented with drugs. She was too much of a control freak to be under the influence of an outside entity. This whole situation with Josh must really have her topsy-turvy. He bends and pecks her forehead and she reaches out to grab his arm stopping him from leaving.

"Chucky can I ask you an important and serious question?" He looks down at her and notes how sweet and nice she looks without that look of 'kiss my ass' she's always projecting.

"Always, kiddo. You know you can ask me anything." Please don't be about Josh or your love life...please don't be about sex...please oh please...Charles waits anxiously as she takes in a slow breath and asks

"How much wood, would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck would chuck wood?" Charles lets out a sigh of relief and laughs softly.

"I'll have to look into that, you go to sleep now and we'll discuss in detail tomorrow morning ok?"

"Okay, I expect a full summary with a detailed outline first thing in the morning...night night Chuckleberry Finn."

Charles leaves her and heads to his own room, hopeful that Liza may still be awake. She wasn't, but he didn't care just so long as she was there. He crawls into bed and she instinctively turns towards him and settles in his arms peacefully. Damn he loved this woman, and the joy she brings to him daily. He kisses her cheek and drifts off into dreamland.