AN: This isn't a happy chapter. It's running with the theme of the story the last few chapters. I promise things will get better soon.
Connie stared up at her ceiling wishing she hadn't pushed Charlie away. But she had to; she couldn't deal with him right now. He had gone back to being the hotheaded best friend she had always known. And she if had to knock some sense into him she was going to beat him senseless. She wanted to keep him around for a while, so it was best that she stayed away from him. He still hadn't given up on her, so that meant something right? If she had to leave Minneapolis to get away from him she would. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and walked to her closet. Leaving Minneapolis, that wasn't a bad idea.
Half an hour later her mom was standing with her in the airport terminal. Her mom had been skeptical, but she would do anything to make her daughter happy. Connie's flight was called and her mom grabbed hold of her wrist.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"I need some time to think. I want be able to do that with him constantly coming around."
"What should I tell him?"
"That I want some space. And not come after me." Connie said before handing the flight attendant her ticket.
Connie sank into her seat with a sigh. She knew she was being a coward, but she didn't care. She knew her problems would still be here when she came back, but she didn't care about that either. Minneapolis became a small speck in her vision before the tears started to fall.
XXXX
Fulton stood behind the counter waiting for Guy to come in. He had said he was coming in to pick up his last paycheck. Fulton just hoped he got here before Charlie came in for his shift. He saw a flash of blonde outside and he sighed in relief when Guy walked in. They talked for a few minutes before Charlie came in through the back. He had seen Guy's motorcycle out front so he figured it was best that he came in the back.
Guy left a few minutes later as Charlie came out of the storeroom. Fulton stared at Charlie as he changed over the cash drawer. There wasn't any easy way to bring up what he needed to talk to Charlie about.
"Charlie?"
"Yeah?" Charlie asked not looking up from the safe.
"Don't you think you should talk to him?" Fulton asked hoping Charlie didn't haul off and hit him.
"He has succeeded in making my life miserable for almost a month now. And you want to forget it ever happened?" Charlie asked standing up.
"Think of it from his point of view. You've been through a bad break up before. You have to know how much he's hurting."
"Linda didn't date my one of my closest friends." Charlie said through clenched teeth.
"Then what did she do? I mean it had to been bad. For you never to talk to her again."
"It's none of your business." Charlie said walking around the counter.
"You can tell me. I won't tell anyone else."
"She cheated on me alright? Are you happy?" Charlie said almost to the point of yelling.
"Man." Fulton said just above a whisper.
"And not with just anybody. But with Scooter; while he was still with Julie. Does that answer your question?" Charlie asked slamming things around on the shelves.
"Holy hell." Fulton said running his hands through his hair.
"Julie doesn't know. So don't tell her."
Fulton dropped the subject wishing Charlie hadn't told him about Linda. But he had asked, so he couldn't take it back. How could somebody hurt someone they claimed they loved like that? And why the hell hadn't Scooter told Julie? It wasn't up to Charlie or him to tell her. He knew Scooter was a chicken shit.
XXXX
Portman stood at the kitchen counter fixing Justin dinner. Justin could be heard in the living room. He had been going through his CD's looking for something to listen to. Portman had to admit, the kid had good taste in music. He had pretty much grown up on Metallica and AC/DC.
"Justin get in here!" Portman called setting the plate on the table.
He heard the opening notes of Back in Black and started nodding his head to the music. Justin came in and sat down without saying a word. The phone rang and Portman made his way into the living room to answer it. He turned music down before grabbing the phone.
"Hello?"
"May I speak to Angela Portman please?"
"She's not here can I take a message?"
"It's important that I speak with her. It's about her daughter."
"What's wrong with Hannah?" Portman asked sounding worried.
"Are you a family member?"
"Hannah's my sister."
"My name is Dr. Hanover, I'm Chicago Memorial Hospital. Hannah was brought in half an hour ago. She was in a car accident. Is there a number where I can get in touch with your mother?"
Dean gave him the number as a million thoughts rushed through his mind. He went on auto pilot trying to get Justin out the front door. He was on the phone with Justin's normal baby-sitter explaining what was going on as they stepped into the elevator. His mom had called as he was trying to find Justin's shoes and had told him to meet her at the hospital. Justin looked up at him with scared eyes.
"Dean, what's going on?"
"Nothing. I just have something I need to take care of little man." Portman said messing up the six year olds hair.
He couldn't tell him the truth. Justin wouldn't understand. Plus he would flip out and start crying and Portman didn't want to deal with that.
XXXX
Fulton sat on a park bench waiting for Guy. He had asked him to meet him after he had got off work. He needed to tell Guy to back off. If he didn't he wouldn't be responsible for what Charlie would do. Guy came walking up the street and sat down across from Fulton.
"What's going on?" Guy said looking at him.
"You're not gonna like what I have to say."
"Just say it man." Guy said giving him a weird look.
"You need to back off Charlie. It's been three weeks. And you're just making things worse."
Guy glared at him not knowing what to say. Fulton wished he would say something.
"Don't give me that look. Just be glad she's with someone you know. You know he won't hurt her. And don't bring up Linda. He had his reasons for doing what he did with her."
"You know?"
"I pushed him a little too far. And he dumped it on me."
"Is it bad?"
"Oh yeah. I can't tell you though."
"You're right. Connie could do worse than Charlie. I should apologize, right?"
"That would work."
"Yeah. I'll see you later." Guy said before getting up to leave.
Fulton watched him walk away thinking that things had gone easier than he had thought. Maybe things would go back to semi-normal soon.
XXXX
Angela Portman stood in the emergency room waiting for word on her daughter. Dean still hadn't shown up and she was getting worried. Where was the damn doctor! She hadn't seen him in half an hour.
"Mom?" Portman asked from behind her.
She turned around and fell into his arms. He held her as she sobbed into his chest. He hadn't seen her like this since his dad died.
"Where have you been?" She asked pushing herself away from him.
"Justin wouldn't let me leave the Mitchell's. I had to pry him off my leg, since when does he do that?"
"You didn't tell him did you?"
"No ma'am."
"Okay good. He must know something's wrong. He's smarter than you think."
They sat down and waited for the doctor. He finally walked out through the doors an hour later. He looked almost scared to talk to them. He asked them to follow him into his office. He shut the door behind them and sat down at his desk.
"Hanna has lost a lot of blood. Luckily we were able to stop the bleeding. But she needs a blood transfusion. And she's broken two of her ribs. She was lucky to be alive. The driver of the other car didn't make it."
"Neither of us are her blood type." Angela said shaking her head forcing herself not to cry.
"That won't be a problem. We need you to fill out some forms giving us consent to do a transfusion."
Angela nodded before telling Dean to start calling everyone. He made his way to the phones figuring he should call his aunt first. She was closest and she could call a lot of people herself. His aunt had told him not to worry about calling anyone else that she would do it. He called Julie next. The phone rang six times before someone answered.
He checked his watch and sighed when he realized it was almost midnight, which meant that it was almost two there. This was important and he really needed to talk to her. So he didn't care.
"Hello?" Julie said groggily.
"Hey." He said sounding tired.
"Dean?" She said sounding more awake than she had a few seconds ago.
"I know it's late, and I'm sorry. But I needed to talk to you."
"What's wrong?"
"Hannah was in an accident." He said with a sigh.
"Is she okay?" Julie asked sounding worried.
"She needs a blood transfusion. And she broke a couple ribs." He said running a hand down his face as he saw his aunt coming down the hall.
"Is there anything that I can do? Do you want me to call Fulton?"
"No. Listen, I'm gonna let you go back to sleep. But I'll call you in the morning."
"Okay, I love you."
"I love you too." He hung up the phone with a sigh.
His aunt was standing a few feet away from him watching him.
"So that was the girlfriend I've heard so much about?"
"Yeah." He said giving her a lazy smile.
"You feel better now that you've talked to her?"
"I do. But I'm still frustrated."
"That's normal. I called the Mitchell's, they said Justin could stay there tonight. You should go home and get some sleep."
"No." He said shaking his head.
"I'm not telling you again Dean."
"Yes ma'am." He said feeling like he was four again.
He drove home feeling helpless. He would give anything to trade places with his sister. He was just glad she was okay. If she hadn't been, that whole hospital would have heard about it.