Lexi sat cross-legged on the end of the bed as she watched over Charlie. Charlie tossed and turned as she started to come too. Charlie startled awake a few seconds later and shot straight up. Before Lexi could get a word in, it was as if Charlie didn't recognize her for a second for she threw a punch in Lexi's direction. Lexi dodged and caught Charlie's fist in her hand. "Charlie it's ok, its me! ..Its Lexi."
"Lexi?" Charlie said, a little out of it.
"Yeah" Lexi said softly as she stroked Charlie's hand. Charlie pulled her forward and hugged her.
"Oh God kiddo I'm sorry" Charlie whimpered.
Just them Briggs walked through the door and Charlie threw a lamp at him. After she calmed down, Lexi and Briggs explained everything. Briggs left after a while but Lexi stayed with her. Helping Charlie in any way that she could. Charlie struggled but Lexi stuck by her.
"You shouldn't have to be doing this little one.." Charlie said as Lexi held back her hair as Charlie emptied her stomach once again.
Lexi brushed back Charlie's sweaty hair from her face. "Didn't you once tell me that everyone needs taking care of sometimes?"
Charlie crawled back into bed. "Yeah I did." She said with a tired smiled.
A little while later Lexi came back into the room with some food she'd got down the street. Charlie was a wake and in a panic.
"Charlie what's wrong!?" Lexi said worriedly, setting the food on the ground and racing to her friend's side. Charlie explained about the phone call she had just gotten from Johnny.
"I'm so screwed Lex. I'm gonna lose my job. I don't know what to do. I just.. can't even think straight right now." Charlie said breathlessly. Lexi wasn't about to promise Charlie everything was gonna be ok because she didn't know what was gonna happen. Instead she told Charlie she understood and knew how she felt. That end of the world moment.
"You do?" Charlie asked as she looked into Lexi's eyes.
"I felt the same fear as you feel now... when I saw my dad shoot my mom.." Lexi finished rather quietly.
Charlie chose her next words carefully. "You.. saw it?"
Lexi simple nodded. Lexi was silent for a moment and Charlie could only imagine what was going through that little head of hers. "I survived... and so will you... I'm gonna call Briggs... we'll get you through this Charlie." Lexi finished and stood up and went to get her cell phone.
"I wish you'd let us in a little more.." Charlie breathed. Lexi looked up at her from her phone.
"It's hard... to talk about that stuff... It's hard to let someone into that world... that time.." Lexi said, a little pain in her voice. Charlie nodded as she felt sleep over take her.
Lexi lay on her back in her room (Lauren's former room). She just left Charlie with Briggs a couple of hours ago. Briggs promised he would take care of her and get her through this. Lexi believed him. Just them she heard a knock at the door.
"It's open!" She called out and Mike walked in.
"Hey have you seen Briggs? He's not answering his phone." Mike asked. Lexi lied and shook her head no.
"You look beat" Mike said with a chuckle. Lexi grinned with closed eyes.
"Yeah well I've been going though a lately." She said.
Mike knew that to be true, what with Lauren and Donnie's departure.
"Hey.. I know you and Donnie use to go surfing together.. if you ever want to go and want some company.." Mike said.
Lexi turned her tie-died eyes to him and smiled. "What are you doing right now?"
Mike and Lexi came up out of the water with their boards laughing when they ran into Abby running on the beach.
"Hey Mike! Fancy seeing you here. Who's this? Your sister?" Abby said.
Mike laughed, "No, just a friend."
Abby gave him a look and Mike realized how dumb it sounded, him being friends with a teenager. That's when Lexi chimed in.
"And Paige's niece. Hi, I'm Lexi."
"Oh so nice to meet you!" Abby said shaking the girl's hand.
"You too! Yeah Paige's at work so Mike here offered to take me surfing today." Lexi said.
"How nice, we'll I actually gotta get going. It was nice to meet you Lexi. See you later tonight Mike?" Abby said jogging off.
"You bet." Mike said.
Lexi and Mike walked back up to the house.
"Don't you think you should have cleared it with Paige first before inventing that little cover story?" Mike asked.
Lexi smiled and kept walking. "Paige already knows. Having a "niece" really helps you get out of stuff when your under cover."
"Really" Mike said, not really surprised.
"Yeah" Lexi said, putting her board away and Imitating a drug dealer and Paige. "Hey baby we gonna shoot up tonight or what? I do you, you do me what do ya say?" "Oh no I can't.. I gotta watch my sister's kid. Next time, next time."
Mike laughed.
Later that night Lexi sat on the roof and waited for headlights to hit the driveway. Johnny was bringing Charlie home. Mike and Briggs should be on their way back from a case, Paige too. And Jake's was picking up pizza. Lexi couldn't wait for her family to get home.