Charlie went back to the Nurses office for Lucy, seeing Schroeder on his way out.

"What're you doing here, Charlie?"

"What," he pulled down his headphones.

"What're you doing here? I'm on my way to see Frieda… I just couldn't concentrate, it's not calming me."

"I'm here for Lucy, she's in the Nurses office."

"Lucy‽ Don't you know what she did to Frieda?"

"Yeah, do you know what condition Lucy's in, her mental state?"

"I don't care," he spat, "she beat up Frieda."

"She was delirious. She kept asking what happened, and what did she do, she hadn't ate probably since Saturday afternoon. For good or bad; she must've been in love with you, or close to it. There was so much pain in her that night. She's broken, I've been there. Did she really look like herself when it happened," he walked away.

Charlie walked inside.

"She's doing okay, I did what I could, but she needs to eat," she took him to her.

"Lucy, how you feeling?"

"Weak."

"I'm back to get you, we need to get food in you."

"Of course you'd want to take care of me."

"Yeah?"

"I'm not complaining… any more."

Lucy managed to walk back to the student parking lot with him, he held her hand, they managed to catch up to Schroeder going to his car. Schroeder turned around, when he heard her feet slide on the concrete, as she stumbled. Their eyes locked and all that pain returned.

"C'mon Lucy, you're stronger than this."

"It hurts!"

"Calm down, before you pass out, or something."

"I did something bad, I can feel it," she tried to fight him, "what did I do‽"

"I'll tell you if you eat something," he picked her up again, "look at me, Lucy, focus on me."

Schroeder was simply looking out of curiosity, she was off, and it was weird to him, to see somebody like Lucy being carried in somebody's arms, or that Charlie could even. Lucy focused on Charlie's face, she recognized that determined look on his face, and there was so much more weight than she ever noticed. He sat her in the car, all she could think otherwise, was the fact nobody has ever carried her before, and this guy has carried her twice.

"You need to come to terms with reality… I get it," he started the car, "I know you have a thing for him- we all knew, for whatever reason."

"I generally felt like I loved him."

"And honestly, you were coming on way too strong, that's why he kept it a secret from everybody. They were afraid of what you would do, that given your past; you might do something drastic, which would just push him away even more. I'm not scolding you, I just want you to understand. We aren't kids anymore.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I? I feel like shit."

"I bet… you haven't eaten anything."

"Emotionally. The nurse gave me two crash bars."

"Well… you're getting some real food," he looked around, "I don't want you to mess your body up, or die over some boy."

"Yes sir," she retorted.

"I'm serious. You can go back to hating me when you're healthy. All that spite and vindication requires a lot of energy, until then; I want to make sure you're going to be okay."

"I wanted to be everything for him, I thought we'd be good together."

"You're not his type, he doesn't have the patience you think he does, to deal with you outside of what friendship you have."

"if… you could call it that."

Charlie pulled in the drive-thru of a fast food place, "free range, go for it."

"No… some of this is too much."

"You're worth more than money. Pick something."

Lucy ordered the biggest combo the place offered, and took her time eating it, finished near half, by the time he pulled up to their houses. Charlie swung her backpack on, opened the door for her, she got out, and stumbled a little, he caught her.

"Guess I'm still not all that well."

"Last thing I want is you falling on any of these steps," he picked her up again.

"I'm telling you he's not human, that's the secret he's hiding," Sally commented on the television show her and Linus were watching.

"It seems that way, but it could be misdirection."

"Just you wait… you'll see."

Both turned when the front door was opened, Linus scowled when he saw Charlie carry Lucy inside.

"Don't mind us, return to your regularly scheduled program," Charlie closed the door with his foot.

Lucy couldn't see them, but she heard his sigh, and saw the look Charlie tried to hide.

"He's not happy I'm here, is he?"

"Nope."

"Probably wishes I was dead."

Linus and Sally both overheard that, as Charlie carried her up the steps.

"You don't wish that, do you?"

"No… no, I wish she would not be here, but not dead. I don't think I want her dead."

"Good. Love her, or hate her, she's still family."

"You almost sound like your doofus brother."

"You know… in some ways, even I can admit that him and Lucy are a lot alike."

"I think I can take it from here," she said with a smile, once in the bedroom.

"You just wanted me to carry you, didn't you," he rose an eyebrow.

"I think I would barely manage it, but yes, I wanted you carry me again."

"I should pick you up and throw you on the bed."

"Save it for when I'm feeling better. Linus… Linus wasn't happy to see me, was he," she went to finish eating.

"Not really."

"I don't remember much from today."

"You beat up Frieda. Apparently you were zoned out all day, and you walked up to her and started swinging."

"No! I didn't do that, I never wanted to fight her!"

"But you did. Marcie found you near collapsed, and came to get me."

"Oh my god, I can't believe I fought Frieda! I wanted us to be friends again, Patty too," she cried out.

"Hey, calm down, don't get too worked up," he sat next to her.

"But I fucked up everything!"

Charlie sat her food on the nightstand, and pulled her close to him, while she cried.

"I've got your back, you're not alone."

Just then, Charlie's phone rang, he saw it was Marcie.

"Marcie, Lucy's doing better."

"That's good, do you know what was wrong?"

"She hadn't ate anything since Saturday."

"That's horrible!"

"I'm with her now, I bought her some food."

"I'll let you go, tell her I said to get better."

"Okay, see you," he hung up, "Marcie said get better."

"Marcie is probably the closest thing to a friend, other than you. Violet and Linus said some mean things- I know I deserve it, but it still hurt."

"I know. You've said a lot of hurtful things to me, and look at where I am; much better off, and with you in my arms."

"You didn't deserve the way I treated you… you're really a great guy."

"Obviously it's all forgiven."

Later that evening, Charlie made sure Lucy was okay, before he left. He decided to have a few words with Linus before leaving.

"Yo Linus."

"What do you want?"

"I would like to hope we can put this Lucy stuff behind us, and remain friends- I still think you're my friend. This isn't like you, I know she's alienated our friends but she's still your sister, and you need to be better than her, despite it all; she wants to be better, she misses Patty, and Frieda, she didn't want to fight her at all. Let her change… and pull your head out of your fucking ass, and love your damn sister, like I love mine," he poked his chest, and walked out the door.