It was another few hours before Claire made it back to the hotel, late enough that almost everyone was already asleep or at least had retired back to their rooms to do whatever it was they felt like. She tried not to think too hard about what those things might be as she walked carefully across the lobby, boots in her hand to try to keep from making too much noise even on the carpeted areas. As she passed by one of the side rooms her eyes were drawn away from the day's menu where 'Burger Bar' had been crossed out and 'JAMBALAYA' scrawled over it to the figure of Charlie sitting on the ground surrounded by piles of papers and various art supplies.
Claire glanced towards the stairs, weighing her chances of making it without being spotted. Entirely possible. She took a step towards them then stopped, wincing a little and turning back around, "Hey, Charlie," she called out, knocking her knuckles against the door frame lightly, "Everything okay?"
Charlie looked up with a frenzied expression, eyes bloodshot, "Oh! Claire! You're back!" She exclaimed as she shuffled some papers around.
"Late night?" Claire asked, shifting her shoulder into the door frame and watching as Charlie frantically moved from one pile to another, sometimes on her knees, sometimes standing, motions so quick they blurred together.
"You know how it is," Charlie chattered, not looking at Claire as she moved things around, "trying to get new exercises in place for redemption class! Which, haha, I noticed you haven't really been attending the group sessions…" she turned to look at her now, a bunch of drawings of the hotel's residents clenched between her hands, large smile brittle.
"…right. Sorry," Claire cleared her throat, giving her a slightly remorseful look. "With everything that's happening it sort of slipped my mind—"
Charlie threw the papers in the air, crossing the distance between them in a heartbeat and grabbing Claire's shoulders, "It's okay! Don't apologize! You just seem like you have a really good chance of well, being really good!" Her fingers clenched a little tighter as Charlie leaned closer, the desperation she was hiding slipping past a cheerful smile that was a touch too wide, "And we need a win here. I need this place to work. For everyone."
Claire didn't wince, though she did let her boots drop down to the floor to reach up and take Charlie's hands away from her shoulders, "Charlie," she said gently, clasping her hands between her own, "What you're doing here is amazing. You're giving hope to your people, you're fighting for them against what seem like overwhelming odds. It's inspiring. And it's hard."
Tears filled Charlie's eyes, "I just worry I'm giving everyone false hope," she pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself and looking to the side, "After Pentious—I really thought—he was—"
"Hope is hope, Charlie," Claire reached out and set a hand lightly on Charlie's shoulder, "I haven't known you very long, but nothing about you strikes me as false." She gave her a reassuring smile, "You're as genuine as they come."
Charlie stared at her with teary eyes and a quivering lip, then threw her arms around her, nearly sending Claire toppling. "Thank you!" she sobbed, clinging to the smaller woman, "I just—there's so much pressure—and I—I want the hotel to succeed and—and—I want to save everyone and—and—" she blubbered while Claire patted her back.
"Hey, hey," Claire said soothingly, "It's okay." She let Charlie sob into her shoulder for another minute before pulling back slightly and ducking her head to make eye contact with the sniffling hotel owner, "Want to get really stereotypical and break out the ice cream so you can tell me all about it?"
"Mmmhmm," Charlie whimpered, wiping tears out of her big, watery eyes.
Claire smiled and patted Charlie's shoulders, "Why don't you go get ready and I'll head up to your room in a minute with everything I can find in the pantry? Okay?"
"Yeah I just—I should probably—" Charlie mumbled, looking around at the mess.
"I'll get Niffty to tidy up," Claire promised. Charlie gave another sniff and a nod then headed upstairs. As she did, Claire made a quick attempt to get some of the papers off the floor then headed to the pantry where she loaded a tray with as much as she thought she could easily carry and then a few more extras. She left a note for Niffty and headed, very carefully, to Charlie's room.
Once there the Princess, already clad in a pair of cozy pajamas insisted on supplying Claire with a pair that were a little too full of bows for her taste, but she wasn't about to complain. They curled up on an ample amount of pillows by the window and piled bowls full of ice cream and toppings and Claire listened intently to the saga of Charlie's life.
"…and so yeah," Charlie finished with a shrug, curling her arms around her bowl of ice cream as if it were a teddy bear, "It's been tough since my mom left, buuuut it's been great having my dad around more!"
Claire thoughtfully licked the last of some sprinkles off her spoon and gave a supportive nod, "It sounds like a lot to deal with. Especially on top of trying to step into the role your mother had around here. While also being worried about her."
Charlie shifted uncomfortably, swirling her spoon around in the nearly empty bowl, "I'm sure she's off doing something really important! I just…wish she'd call. Or write. Or…something."
"You know, you have every right to be upset that she hasn't," Claire pointed out, setting her bowl aside to focus all of her attention on Charlie, "I know you want to defend her and think the best—and that's admirable. But you're allowed to feel hurt too."
Before Charlie could protest, Claire glanced out the window and continued, "I lost my mother when I was twelve. She was my entire world. Smart, beautiful, and capabale-I thought she was perfect. But she was only human. And some of the choices she made were…let's say, questionable."
Charlie put a hand to her mouth, "Oh, Claire, I'm so sorry!" but Claire waved the apology away with a faint smile.
"It was a long time ago. And while I wouldn't wish it on anyone, I am the person I am today because of everything I've faced," Claire explained, reaching out to take Charlie's bowl for an ice cream refill. "You'll come out of this experience even stronger, Charlie."
"Thanks, Claire," Charlie said, though her voice was little more than a despondent sigh as she gazed out the window, "I hope you're right."
"I am," Claire said knowingly, tone a little firmer than it had been, "And you will. I know you will."
"Really?" Charlie looked back to her, a mix of curiosity and hope lighting up her eyes.
"Yes," Claire confirmed with a nod, "Because you have an advantage I didn't." She glanced over to the door a second before a light knock rang out.
"You're not alone."
The door swung open to reveal Vaggie and Angel standing there, both already in their pajamas, "Hey, I heard there was an ice cream party happening," she said as she strode over to give Charlie a big hug.
"You bitches better not be holding out on us," Angel grinned, grabbing up a carton of ice cream and a spoon as he sprawled out on some pillows.
Niffty was little more than a blur as she rushed forward to claim her own container, "I want to experience a dramatic death by chocolate!" she exclaimed, falling headfirst into the carton in her excitement, tiny legs kicking in the air.
Charlie was momentarily overwhelmed with emotion, taking a second before hugging Vaggie back tightly, "Aw, I love you guys!" she said tearfully, as Claire set Niffty upright once more.
"Speaking of dramatic," Vaggie said, taking a seat next to Charlie and keeping one arm around her shoulders lovingly, "Did you know Charlie's a great storyteller?"
"Oh, I'm not that good—" Charlie immediately protested with a blush.
"We'll be the judge of that," Claire replied, attempting to hand Niffty a spoon and leaning back so as not to get caught in the chocolate spray as she shoved handfuls of ice cream into her face with impressive speed. "Tell us your best one, Charlie."
Even though she'd just protested, Charlie brightened and cleared her throat, "Okay, fiiiine. I'll tell you the most romantic story in the history of everything! It all began one perfect day in the Garden of Eden when my mom, Lilith, heard the most beautiful violin music…"
Hours later the sounds of laughter and friendly chatter had been replaced with light snoring as the sugar crash abated and the real sleep over began for almost everyone. Claire had outlasted them all and now stood back to survey the damage. Vaggie and Charlie were curled up together in the window seat, Angel sprawled on the floor with one arm over his eyes still clutching a spoon, and Niffty had passed out with an empty carton of ice cream on her head. After contemplating it for longer than she needed to, Claire decided to leave that sticky mess for tomorrow. She pulled a blanket up around the cuddling couple, tossed a throw down on Angel, then gathered up as much trash and used silverware as possible on the tray before tiptoeing her way out of the room.