I'm sorry for not updating sooner! I've been super busy with school and it has kicked my butt! But, Christmas is near which means I'll have a long break to write :) Just forewarning, this chapter finally reveals some tidbits I've been hinting at. I will put out a trigger warning if you have experienced abuse, you may want to skip this chapter. I'm not explicit but I don't want to bring up any bad memories for you either. If you do skip and are curious about what the chapter entails, feel free to message me! Anyways, I hope you enjoy :)

"Charlie, I'm so sorry. Honestly, I just wasn't thinking and I threw like I normally would and I'm so sorry," Jacob apologized profusely. Charlie sighed and smiled slightly towards him.

"Jacob, it's not your fault. I should have been ready to catch the ball but I was distracted. I have a black eye because I wasn't paying attention. Don't worry about it, some ice and it'll be fine," Charlie reassured. Jacob didn't look reassured but didn't say anything. Charlie walked up her front steps just wanting to get away from Jacob's guilty expression and the cold and people. She just wanted to curl up on her bed and go to bed, forget the day even happened. Charlie turned back around and placed a smile on her face.

"Thank you for driving me home and letting me play with you guys Jacob. I'll see you later," Charlie said, waving her glove in farewell. Jacob got the hint and nodded, walking back to his car. Charlie opened the door and took off her kitchen, welcoming the warmth of her home. She walked to the kitchen, taking her hair out of her ponytail and then putting it back up again. This day was just not a good one. She never expected it to be happy but she didn't want a black eye. That was too close to memories she'd rather forget. Charlie rummaged around her freezer and found a bag of frozen peas. She set them on the counter, next to the card, and then went to the bathroom to get a towel. She glanced at her reflection briefly and groaned. Her eye was already swelling and turning purple. Nana and Nattie were going to have a fit.

Why did she have to play baseball? Because it was fun, her mind reminded her. That was true. It had taken her mind off of the day she was having. Until the ball smacked her in the face. It really was her fault for being distracted. And why was she distracted? Because someone had been calling more and more frequently and she was wondering if he'd call today. Steve had started calling her later in the day too instead of just the mornings now. Charlie enjoyed their talks, really enjoyed them. She didn't know if she should look forward to them as much as she did but he was a bright spot in her day. Today though, Charlie wasn't sure she wanted him to call. But a small part of her did. As if knowing her thoughts, her phone rang.

"Speak of the devil," Charlie muttered seeing "Steve" pop up on caller ID. She debated for half a second whether or not to pick up the phone. If she didn't, he would probably worry and Charlie didn't want that. If she picked up, he would also freak about her eye. Well best not let him see it immediately, Charlie thought propping the phone up, hitting receive, and then turning back to the ice pack.

"Hey! For a minute I wasn't sure you were going to pick up," Steve's voice laughed through the phone. Charlie gulped and squeaked out a laugh. Great, now he definitely knows something's wrong.

"Charlie? Is something wrong?" Steve's tone changed from one of lightheartedness to concern. Charlie sighed, grabbing the frozen peas and wrapping them in the towel. She ignored the card and hoped Steve wouldn't see it.

"Just don't freak okay?" Charlie turned around and saw Steve's eyes widen immediately. Wow, it must be bad, Charlie thought.

"Before you say anything, I was playing baseball and wasn't paying attention when someone was throwing at me. I got nailed in the face, thus the lovely addition to my face," Charlie explained quickly, covering her eye with the towel-wrapped-frozen-peas.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?" Steve asked. Charlie could tell he was holding back but not by much. She thought about it before answering. It throbbed and the ice was making it hurt at the moment but it wasn't unbearable.

"I'm fine. This isn't my first black eye," Charlie said nonchalantly.

"What does that mean?" Steve's eyebrows scrunched together.

"Just that I've had black eyes before," Charlie responded, looking down at her shirt. Crap, back track fast. I'm going into dangerous waters here. Why did I say that?

"So how have you been?" Charlie asked, hoping to divert the conversation from herself. Steve frowned and didn't answer.

"Please don't look at me like that Steve," Charlie sighed, "This isn't the worst I've had."

"What?"

What was wrong with her mouth today? Charlie pursed her lips and looked away from Steve's eyes. She couldn't look at him, didn't want to see the concerned look in his eyes that she knew would turn to pity. She didn't want that from him.

"Charlie, what do you mean?" Steve asked softly. Charlie shook her head and looked down at her lap. How could she have let that slip? She had been so good up until now, so good at hiding. You knew you were going to have to tell him, her mind chided. Yes she knew, she just didn't want it to be true.

"Its this day," Charlie whispered to herself, as if to convince herself that it was only because he called today. It wasn't because she was tired of hiding. It wasn't because she knew he needed to know if this friendship was going to survive.

"Charlie look at me." She couldn't though. She was too afraid. Charlie looked out the window and felt her walls closing in around her. A part of her screamed at her to stop, she was too tired of keeping it all in. But a larger, more primal part of her wanted to put up the walls to survive, to protect her already battered heart. She was tired of being hurt.

"Charlie don't do that. Please don't close up," Steve pleaded. The request was strange so Charlie looked back at Steve, against her better judgment. His eyebrows were drawn in concern and his face held an almost desperate look.

"Look I know we've only talked over the phone and face-to-face those two weeks, but I consider you my friend. I can tell when you close up, when you say something you wish you hadn't and I've let it go. I hoped you would tell me what haunts you but I didn't want to push you. Maybe I shouldn't now, but I can't ignore what you just said. I care for you Charlie and the possibility that you've seen worse than black eyes, I don't like that. You shouldn't have seen black eyes at all. No matter what you say, I'm not going to judge you or run away. Charlie, I'm here for you," Steve said. Charlie searched his eyes and found genuine care. Her heart stuttered and for a moment, her throat constricted. I'm here for you. Those four words were all it took to give Charlie the courage to break down the walls. And for the first time probably in her entire life, Charlie allowed someone to walk into her heart. Charlie took a shuddering breath and took the ice pack away from her eye.

"I told you I ran away right?" her voice was small. She felt small. She felt like the little girl, wet and tired, that had knocked on Betty and Nathan's door so many years ago. Steve nodded. His demeanor wasn't pressing or nosy but it was open.

"I ran away from an abusive home. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was so stoned on drugs, she was never really there. I grew up with my father yelling and drinking and…and hitting. It was normal for him to come home and smack me, just because he was home. There was no reason at least that I could see for him to be angry with me except that I was there. I was another mouth to feed," Charlie recounted. She looked anywhere but at Steve. Her mind told her to stop there but her mouth wasn't cooperating.

"I thought it was normal until I went to school and I discovered that the other kids got hugs, not kicks. I felt abnormal and different so I never told anyone but I think they knew. There wasn't a lot they could do though when I didn't say anything. My father became more careful when I went to school. He stopped hitting me on the face but found other places to hit me. There was one time someone came by to check on reports of abuse but my father played the perfect parent. He told them my mother was sick and that it was hard caring for her and me. The social worker believed him and left. That was a bad night. I think he threatened the teacher who reported it too. She never looked me in the eye again." Charlie couldn't stop the words that tumbled out of her mouth. She had never told anyone this much but there was something about Steve. He was just so…good and kind, it was hard not to spill your guts to him. But that goodness was one of the reasons Charlie resisted so long. She got the feeling he liked to fix problems and Charlie knew her problem wasn't able to be fixed. Healed, maybe but the memories would never go away. She didn't want Steve to fix or even heal her. She just wanted him to listen.

"When I turned ten, I was finally done. I couldn't imagine one more day in that house, one more beating, one more drunken outburst. So I ran. I ran for a long time until I collapsed by the side of the road. And then I got up and kept walking. It felt like forever, but then I landed on Betty and Nathan's doorstep. I still can't believe they never called the cops. I was so afraid that they would and I'd have to go back to that house. For the first year I lived with them, I lived in fear that my father would break down the door and drag me back. But he never did. They never found me. I don't think they ever went looking to be honest. That should be a good thing I guess." Charlie's hand was frozen, holding the peas. She ran her other hand through her ponytail, sitting in the silence. It had been a long time since she'd recounted or even thought about that house, her father. She could still here him shouting.

"That took a lot of strength."

Charlie looked up, startled at the reply. She almost thought she heard wrong. Steve looked back at her with kindness in his eyes.

"What?" Charlie whispered, breathlessly.

"Running away, that took a lot of strength. Not many people have the ability to make that decision in that situation. That took guts."

"I think it was more desperation," Charlie replied softly.

"Nonetheless, I see it as strength," Steve said. Charlie searched his face and then searched it again. No pity. Only the truth, that he saw Charlie as strong. Her throat constricted again and Charlie couldn't seem to find her voice. She placed the frozen peas back on her eye and too a deep breath.

"Thank you," she could barely hear her own words but Steve must've heard them.

"No Charlie, thank you for telling me. I know it wasn't easy and I'm sorry if I pushed you-"

"You didn't! I…I needed to tell you. I just…wasn't sure how but I guess I told you a lot. More than I intended anyway," Charlie laughed weakly. Steve's mouth quirked in a slight smile and it brought that light back into Charlie's day.

"I do have one question though."

"Shoot."

"How did you contact your brothers again? Did they know about the beatings?"

"Oh yeah, they were beaten too. That's why they were in military school. That was their way of escaping. I don't think they knew I was alive until I'd run away and contacted them myself. They sent postcards and letters home occasionally but my father never replied. When I ran away, I ended up grabbing a couple. I contacted them once I felt brave enough. Luckily they responded positively and we were able to meet when I was thirteen," I explained.

"Do you guys have a good relationship?"

"Well, not all the time. It's rocky but I think it's getting better. I hope it is. It's hard to accept the fact that you have a little sister. We all carry the scars from that house but…differently. George never speaks of it and Tommy…well he drinks a lot. And he has my father's temper when he's drunk which…can be interesting at reunions. Sorry, that was a lot more than I was planning to say."

"Stop apologizing. It sounds like you needed to talk about it."

"I haven't told anyone, at least not this much, well probably ever."

"I'm honored that you told me."

"Thanks for listening," Charlie said, looking into Steve's eyes. He was so sincere and kind and warm. Charlie didn't know how to describe him but she felt comfortable and accepted? Her heart thumped and she felt indescribable. She hadn't expected his reaction and she was blown away. Charlie had found a true friend in Steve. And maybe, just maybe, he found a true friend in her.

"So how have you been?" Charlie repeated with a smile. Steve chuckled and all the heaviness of their previous conversation seemed to lift. Steve recounted his week and how he'd been feeling. He still felt like something was wrong or missing but he couldn't identify it. They talked for another hour and when they finally said goodbye, Charlie knew that their relationship had changed. They weren't just casual friends anymore, they had dived deeper and survived the pressure.

A week later, a package arrived from Washington D.C. Charlie opened it and was surprised to find a card and brown wrapped present in the box. She opened the letter and nearly started crying after she read it.

Dear Charlie,

I know you never said anything but I saw the card behind you while we were talking. I didn't want to interrupt you or push you anymore that I already had so I didn't mention it. But, I couldn't do nothing after seeing a Happy Birthday card. So, Happy Birthday Charlie! Here's a little something to help you in the kitchen and show you what's waiting for you in Washington D.C.

Your friend,

Steven Rogers

Charlie unwrapped the brown paper and laughed out loud as the oven mitts fell into her lap. One oven mitt had the white house while the other had the Washington monument printed on it. Charlie smiled and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She usually hated birthdays. They had been celebrated with beatings by her father so she refused to celebrate them, even with Nana and Nattie. The most they could get away with was a card. But Steve, he had just broken that rule without even trying and it nearly left Charlie in tears. She had never felt more accepted or cared about in all her life.

Well, what do you think? Please review and let me know your thoughts! Thank you for reading! :)