Author's Note: I'm super excited for the Charles and Monica scenes in the next few chapter. Hope you enjoy as well. Have great weekend!
Outside the Quartermaine Boathouse
Charles followed Monica to the deck area outside the boathouse. They found chairs and a table set up with a picnic basket on it.
Monica shook her head.
"I had nothing to do with this," Monica said, "I just figured we could use a quiet place to talk away from prying eyes. I'm not sure how someone would have found out or guessed we'd come out here."
"It doesn't matter," Charles said, "We can set it aside for now if you'd like."
"Let's do that," Monica said, grabbing the basket and setting it off to the side.
Charles pulled out one of the chairs for Monica to sit. Monica sat down and Charles pushed the chair in.
"Still a gentleman," Monica said as Charles sat in the other chair.
"It's funny," Charles said, "What things still seem like second nature after months of…."
"Months of being held prisoner," Monica said.
"Yes," Charles said, "But that's not what I thought we would talk about."
"Why not?" Monica said, "It happened. We can't ignore that. If I know you, you've been more focused on making sure everything is fine for Kellie, the grandkids, and the rest of your family. I'm here if you need to talk, vent, try to sort things out."
"That's just it, Monica," Charles replied, "I'm not really sure what comes next. I certainly wouldn't expect you to share that burden after everything that's happened. Obviously, things like playing with my grandchildren and getting back to practicing law are part of it. That seems easy. But anything else is so unknown. To be honest, I'd started to give up hope that I'd ever escape from Victor when Taggert showed up."
"No one would blame you," Monica said, "I can't imagine how difficult that was, being isolated, separated from your family, possibly having no idea what's going on with them unless Victor provided you any kind of information."
"No, he didn't," Charles said, "That might have actually been the worst part. Not knowing if the people I loved were okay. I only knew you all survived the shoot out and believed I was dead because it was one of the few things Victor told me. It was more to brag that Kellie had been his actual target. I didn't know anything other than that. I didn't know how you were or whether Kellie ended up running Sonny's business or not. Victor's form of torture I suppose making sure I had no idea about what was going on. That might have actually been the worst part."
Charles's voice cracked. He stood up and paced the deck.
"I'm sorry," Charles began to apologize, stopping to look out over the railing.
"Charles, I offered," Monica interrupted, standing up and walking next to Charles, "I do still really care about you a lot. I know maybe we can't necessarily pick up where we left off. I don't know what our future holds. But what I know right now is I still want to be here to support you."
Monica took Charles hand. Charles closed his eyes as if trying to push back whatever emotions he was actually feeling away.
Monica turned Charles towards her and cupped his face with one of her hands.
"Charles, I don't expect you to have it all together," Monica said, "No one does. Not after everything you've been through. You're home, Charles, with people love and care about you. We're here for you."
Charles, misty-eyed, pulled Monica into a hug.
"I have no idea what I did to deserve having you in my life," Charles said, "Especially now, after what happened on the island with Victor and Cyrus and knowing what you told me about how your first husband, Alan, passed away after suffering a heart attack in a hostage situation. The truth is there is still a certain level of uncertainty in regards to…."
"To the professions your brother and Sonny chose," Monica said, "and as much as I hate it admit it my son chose as well."
"Monica, I'm sorry, I know that part of Kellie not running Sonny's organization means your son is," Charles replied.
"I think we both know, Jason would always choose to run it so Kellie wouldn't have to," Monica said, "It's not the first time he's run the business and who know what other circumstances would have put him in change regardless of Kellie's involvement or not. Jason made his choices as much as I don't understand them a long time ago."
"If only they both were able to just walk away from that whole ugly mess if they wanted," Charles said, "But unfortunately not as simple as we wish it could be."
"No, it's not," Monica said, "But the uncertainty you referred to has never changed. It's an uncertainty I've lived with for years because of Jason's choices as well as it seems living in Port Charles in general. It's certainly doesn't change the way I feel about you or that I'd like to figure out if you and I could still have a future together."
"I'd really like that too, Monica," Charles said.
"So maybe we start with this picnic basket," Monica said, "We just take it from there one day at a time."
"That sounds like a good start," Charles replied. Monica looped her arm with Charles and they moved back to the table. Then Monica picked up the picnic basket and put it on the table. She opened it and pulled out meat, cheese, and crackers, fruits, and a bottle of sparkling cider and champagne glasses."
"I'm beginning to suspect this may have been Olivia's doing," Monica said.
"Probably, the likely culprit," Charles said.
"So you met with the WSB," Monica said, setting the food out on the table, "Do you think you'll have any more issues with them or has it all been sorted out?"
"They seem to be as satisfied as they can be," Charles said, grabbing the cider, opening it, and pouring it into the glasses, "Thank you again for showing up at the PCPD the other day."
"You're welcome," Monica said, "Anything to make sure the WSB isn't whisking you off some where far away. What exactly happened with them putting you on a different plane?"
"The WSB apparently had some sort of mix-up," Charles answered, "Which I will say worked out in my favor."
"I would agree with that," Monica said, "Though I will say it was unexpected for you to end up in Port Charles right after they found you. I would have guessed the WSB would have kept you for observation. Drew mentioned your brother confirmed your identity or something. How did that come about?"
Charles took a deep breath and considered his answer.
"All I can really say is that Anna Devane had concerns about letting the WSB take me with some the shake-ups in their leadership during what happened in Greenland," Charles said, "If I had been brainwashed I can't say I was particularly keen on letting the WSB have me after some of what I heard about Dante's treatment. There were still some issues when he came back to Port Charles. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should be coming right back to Port Charles. I asked for my brother to confirm my identity and state of mind. I knew if I shouldn't be let back into society or near Kellie and the grandkids, he would have done what was necessary to keep that from happening."
"Does the WSB know about your brother's involvement?" Monica asked.
"No," Charles said.
"Well, I'm glad that he was able to make sure you could come home," Monica said as they heard the rustling of footsteps.
Wiley and Leo stopped far enough away to be out of sight but could be heard loudly whispering.
"Can you see anything?" Wiley asked Leo from behind the railing furthest away from Monica and Charles.
"No, remember we can't be seen," Leo said.
"How are we supposed to see if Great Grandma Monica's boyfriend is actually alive?" Wiley asked.
Monica and Charles looked at other, trying to hold back laughter.
"It seems we have company," Monica said, starting to get up.
"Let me," Charles said, "Then the boys will have their curiosity satisfied."
Monica sat and Charles stood up. He walked over to the railing and looked down where the boys were huddled, whispering.
"Leo, Wiley," Charles said.
Leo and Wiley scrambled to their feet.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt," Leo said.
"Actually, we kind of did," Wiley said.
"Does anyone know you're down here?" Charles asked, gently.
"Not exactly," Leo answered.
"Were you really kidnapped by a mad scientist?" Wiley asked.
"Something like that," Charles answered as Olivia came running into the area.
"I'm so sorry," Olivia said, "I took a call and hadn't realized Leo and Wiley snuck out."
"We just wanted to make sure Great Aunt Monica's boyfriend being back was real," Leo said.
"I wanted to see what someone who was kidnapped by a mad scientist looked like," Wiley said.
"Now that your curiosity has been satisfied," Olivia said, "Let's head back to the house. There's a couple of chores with your name on them for sneaking out of the main house."
Leo and Wiley groaned.
"You can groan on the way back to the house," Olivia said, "Let's go."
Leo and Wiley moved in the direction of the house.
"Will Charles live with us again?" Leo asked.
"That is uh something that might take some time to figure out," Olivia replied.
"But why wouldn't he?" Leo said, "He makes Great Aunt Monica happier and he lived here before everyone thought he was dead."
"Let's discuss the chores you'll be doing when you get to the house," Olivia said changing the subject.
Once Charles and Monica were sure Olivia and the boys were out of earshot, they both burst into laughter.