Review responses:

anti scarlett the harlett: "Like the plot."
Wait… this has a plot? *looks astonished* Zillah! Why didn't you tell me you caught a plot when you caught my muse?

In all seriousness (which isn't much), the main plot has only just started – everything else was kinda setting up the universe.

Angel*Eyes: "I love Ian, he is just made of awesome"
Yes. Yes he is.

Current tally: CC 7, CE 6. This doesn't necessarily mean anything, since I know what's going to happen, but it may influence how things turn out in the end. Maybe.

A/N: This chapter is just… wow. It was meant to be something light and funny, and instead… Charlie took hold of the pen and drama came out. Now you have the explanation of why Charlie and Don were angry at each other for so long in this verse.

Chapter Five: A Long-buried Grudge. In which Charlie and Don fight, and Charlie reveals more than she meant to.

-BD-

"My hope for grandchildren has been rekindled," Alan grinned at his eldest. Don rolled his eyes, trying to hide how much saying goodbye to the kid actually affected him.

"Don't start, Dad," he attempted to cut him off, but Alan wouldn't be swayed.

"I'm not making a formal request, I'm simply saying that it would be nice."

"Dad," Charlie grinned impudently at them, "you do realise how long the odds actually are for this man, right?"

"Charlie!" Don protested. "I thought you, at least, would back me up on this!"

"I know, but given your dating patterns… or lack of dating patterns… I think it's gonna be a long time before Dad gets his wish from you."

"Like you're one to talk," Don mock-scowled at her. "When's the last time you had a date?"

"About a month ago," Alan spoke up, surprising them both.

"Wait, a month ago?" Don looked from Charlie, who had gone red, to their father, who looked pleased with himself. "Charlie, you never told me about this! Who was he? Did he try anything inappropriate? Are you still seeing him?"

"Nice going, Dad," Charlie muttered as the barrage of questions started.

Alan smiled to himself and leaned back against the wall to listen in. Charlie had been quite close-mouthed about her night out, and despite his urging for grandchildren, Alan was a little concerned. He didn't want his daughter to get hurt, after all. His questions had all been deftly avoided, but he knew that Don would get the truth out of her.

"C'mon, Charlie," Don crossed his arms and fixed her with a stern gaze. "Spill, so I can go hunt him down."

"And this is exactly why I didn't tell you," Charlie glared back defiantly. "You always interrogate my boyfriends and scare them away. That, or actually beat them up."

"Hey now," Don protested, "I've never beaten up one of your boyfriends."

"Mikey Tolson," Charlie shot back. "Although you're right, he wasn't actually my boyfriend." Don pulled a face.

"He was a creep who never should have gone near you."

"He was my date for the prom, and you broke his arm!"

"You were thirteen!" Don pointed out angrily, oblivious to the fact that they were now shouting about their past, in front of an airport. "He was nineteen! There was no way I was going to stand back and let him touch you."

"It wasn't your decision to make!" Charlie spat back. "And for your information, he was more interested in you than in me!"

Both siblings froze as they realised what Charlie had just said. Charlie sighed and hung her head, chewing on her lower lip in consternation. Don looked as though someone had punched him in the gut. After a few false starts, he managed to speak.

"Mikey was… was a…"

"Homosexual?" Charlie offered. "Yeah. And he'd been crushing on you for about three years at that point. I knew about it, and knew that he was one of the boys at school I could absolutely trust not to touch me. He knew that I would have no expectations of him, so he asked me to the prom, and I agreed. We were jest gonna go listen to the music, do some people-watching for a while, then head home and watch a movie or two. But instead, you attacked him without letting him explain himself, and broke his arm. Which, aside from everything else, meant that I missed my own prom, since I had no friends that would be there."

Charlie waited a moment, but when Don didn't say anything, she turned and left. By the time Don came to his senses, she had already climbed into a taxi and was driving away. He stared dumbly at the retreating cab, until he felt a warm arm around his shoulders. Turning, he let his father wrap him in a gruff hug.

"I'm such an idiot," he whispered.

Alan could think of nothing to say to that.