Monday: March/23/09 Who: Charlie and Ava What: A confrontation. What else? Where: His apartment When: Monday night
When Cassie told her what Charlie had planned, or at least what it sounded like, Ava buried her head in the bed and screamed from frustration. Damn hero complex of his! It was going to get him killed one day, maybe in the not too distant future from the sound of it! The more she thought about it, the more angry she got.
At first she was just going to IM him, but then he’d probably just log off or ignore her, and that would piss her off more, so wrapping herself in a robe, not even thinking about whether she should put something more on, Ava marched up to his apartment and banged on his door.
---
Charlie had just gotten back from the gym where he was trying out some new moves to teach in class. It was strange teaching, but he was good at it. He just had to think a lot more about everything he’d learned over the years and figure out how to explain it so that his students could learn it. The hardest part was starting from the beginning, because he had to scale back everything.
He was just about to hop into the shower when Cassius started barking. It was nice having his dog back, same with his father. He hoped his brother and Alicia would be able to come soon, but money was too tight right now, and until they had some debt paid off and Lewis managed to secure a new job, they wouldn’t be able to leave California.
Cassius’ bark was followed by knocking. That’s how it often worked. The dog knew someone was coming before Charlie did. Apparently a dog’s senses were still stronger than a vampire’s. But as Charlie was made alert of a visitor, he was then able to pick up on the scents and sounds all too familiar to him. His shoulders slumped. Given the tone of her knock, he was about to get bitch slapped.
Charlie opened the door with a straight face. “What’d I do this time?”
---
Too right he was in trouble! He might not know why, but at least he seemed to know that she was annoyed about something. Ava pushed past him and into the apartment before turning on him. “I thought you weren’t trying to get yourself killed? What happened to that? Facing off against vampires a lot older than you is practically asking to be killed! I didn’t think you were that much of a bastard as to put us all- to put your family and friends through that again, no matter how good a fuck she is!”
---
“Oh yes, please, come on in,” Charlie said with a roll of his eyes as Ava did so without asking. God, she was a bossy bitch at times. He still struggled to figure out why he loved her so much. Present. Because he did. Still. Damn.
Then she started ranting, and his expression turned. “Fucking blabbermouth!” he cursed as he ran his hand back through his hair. Figures that Cassie would rat him out. He’d only told her that she couldn’t tell Jason. He never said anything about keeping her trap shut around others. Damn that chaos demon and her knack for finding loopholes!
But then the accusation that he was fucking Candi got him to stop focusing on how he would punish Cassie. “I’m not fucking her. Cassie must have left out that part. I made it extremely clear to her that I have never and will never fuck Jason’s mom.”
---
It wasn’t such a big leap to guess he was thinking about telling Cassie off for blabbing to the other vampire about his plans, and that made her roll her eyes. “Don’t get pissed with Cassie, she’s worried about you. She was there last time remember? She lay in your bed when you wouldn’t talk, supported you when you strangled her because it made you have nightmares, and now you want to do it all over again? I knew you were a stupid idiot with a hero complex, but come on! At least if you WERE sleeping with that woman it’d make a little more sense, although still stupid.” Ava growled, pacing around the apartment for a couple of seconds, trying to calm down, but it just allowed the anger to fade into fear, and she couldn’t face that right now too.
“Charlie, you’re not a killer. You did what you did to Val out of necessity, to protect Maggie, and it almost destroyed you. You can’t do this again... I don’t think you’ll survive it, even if you do manage to pull it off.” She said softly, fighting back the tears that threatened.
---
Charlie did have a hero complex. He was overcompensating for his shortcomings, and maybe trying to help others since he’d not been able to go to war for them. All his friends in the Marines had risked their lives (some of them had actually given their lives) to defend their loved ones and country. He wasn’t able to do the same. Lewis talked him out of it. Now he was making up for that. “Stupid idiot is a bit of a double negative, don’t you think?” he said flatly, since he didn’t have much else to say in response to her accusations. She was right.
“I am a killer. I’ve done it once, and I’ll do it again. I’m already damned, Ava. I may as well take as many pieces of shit sires to Hell with me as I can. Besides.. it’s not the same this time. He’s not my sire.” It wouldn’t be physically and emotionally crippling. “And it is out of necessity. Candi’s sire sent her here. He wants her to get close to Jason... you know, the guy Cassie loves?” Charlie could see where this was headed, and he was sure Candi could as well, which was why she wanted Charlie’s help.
---
That little nitpicking over double negatives was completely ignored by Ava. There were bigger problems than her ranting having grammatical problems. Unfortunately she had lost her angry wind, and she ended up sitting on the arm of a chair, ignoring the leg she was showing as the robe fell open a little. Sighing, she looked back up to Charlie. “What you did to Val doesn’t make you a killer, not really. I’m more of a killer than you.” Not that she was going to get into that because he’d probably want to kill her or lock her up. “I get that you’re trying to help, and that you wouldn’t care about being a matyr, but.... Charlie there has to be another way you can help. You CAN’T go after this guy, you can’t try and kill him. You can’t do this to the rest of us.”
---
Charlie didn’t want to know what Ava was talking about. She was right, he’d probably feel the need to take action if he knew. The little flash of bare leg had him thinking about taking action as well, but he ignored it as best he could.
The ‘us’ part of her plea irritated him. “The rest of us? Ava.. that’s not your place. I’m not your concern anymore. At least I shouldn’t be. And I’m not looking to get myself killed. I can do this. I have to. You should hear the way Candi describes this guy. I’m not going to let him come after Jason. It doesn’t matter that I’m no longer head of security.” Now that he was aware of a threat, he had to act on it. “Unless you want me to go to Adam and risk him getting killed.” Maybe that would shut her up. Ava cared more for her sister than she did for Charlie.
---
“Grow up. You know it’s not that easy to switch off, and you know I still love and care about you, even if we are divorced.” She rolled her eyes. “You can’t say that, you don’t know you can do it. You could have just got lucky with Val, you were running off adrenaline and probably surprise you would actually do it on her half. Do you even know how old this person is? He could have a hundred years on you, a hundred years of training, or more.” Yes, it was mean, and sort of a low blow, but Ava wasn’t really thinking, she was angry and scared. “Maybe you should let Adam know, so he’s prepared if something happens, so they are ALL prepared incase something happens, not so he can go out and get himself killed like you’re planning to do. You can help with that, make sure this guy can’t get to Jason, or anyone else in this school that way. Just..... you can’t do this.” She moaned. Her arguments were getting weak, she didn’t really know what to say to convince him, but she just didn’t want him getting himself killed.
---
It was probably wrong of Charlie to feel good briefly as Ava said she still loved him, but he did. He still loved her too. They couldn’t be together, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to be together. Then she insulted him, sort of. Charlie looked offended, “Got lucky? Are you fucking serious? I’ll give you the adrenaline thing, but stopping her does not boil down to blind luck.” He raised his voice, close to yelling at her, and he was gesturing angrily. “You will never know how hard that was. None of you will. And you know why? Because you’re cowards. I’m not going to Adam for help. Do you know what Adam does? Fucking nothing. Someone attacked this school with a man-made virus. What’s he doing to search for the person? Has he questioned anyone at school? Has he gone over all the surveillance video hundreds of times? He hasn’t done shit. He’s not willing to make sacrifices.” Charlie was right in Ava’s face now. “I am. And so is Candi. She’s willing to die for her son. She’s willing to suffer the pain of losing a sire to protect him. I’m not fucking her, but I do admire her.” He couldn’t say the same about Ava in this situation. Ava wouldn’t give up her sire. Not for Charlie or his family.
---
There was a very small part of Ava that wanted to move away when he got in her face, shouting and ranting at her, but since when did she ever give in on this things? She wasn’t thinking enough to be eloquent or protect herself, she just stood up, getting even more into each other’s space. “Then let her get herself killed!” She shouted. It was horrible, and when she thought back on it Ava would probably feel bad for saying it, but the truth was she would rather sacrifice a stranger than Charlie. “I can’t.....” She swallowed, closing her eyes and trying to stop the tears that were now threatening to spill over, but still a tear fell down her cheek as she shook her head. “I can’t do this. I can’t accept it, let you go and risk everything, I can’t lose you completely when I’ve already lost you from most of my life. I need to know you’re still existing somewhere. I need... I can’t.... I should go.”
---
Charlie’s anger faded. It was a common thing for him when Ava cried. He couldn’t stay mad at her. Dammit! He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest. His voice softened substantially. “I’m not going to get myself killed. I promise... and you know how I am about promises.” Now that he’d said it, he’d have to keep it.
“I’m not leaving tomorrow without a plan. And it’s not like I won’t have help. Give me some credit, Ava. This is the sort of shit I was trained to do. If I’d reenlisted, I would have killed hundreds of enemy combatants by now. I think this is what I’m supposed to do.” Maybe it was the reason he’d been turned. Maybe it was God’s plan for him. He’d been turned into a vampire to make it possible for him to take down other ones.
---
The sensible thing would probably be to pull away, to not let herself be held, but truthfully? Charlie’s arms were the place Ava felt safest and she couldn’t bring herself to move away, so she simply let him hold her as the tears started to ease again. “You shouldn’t make promises you don’t know if you can keep.” She muttered against his chest.
Woah, there was a word there she wasn’t sure how to interpret. “Tomorrow? Please tell me you aren’t doing it tomorrow no matter what?” She said, looking up at him. “What.... what help do you have? Is there.... something I can do to keep you walking around longer and annoying the hell out of me for decades to come?” Only Charlie and Ana brought out this jokey, softer, more vulnerable and open person in her, and... well sometimes Godric, but that was something she wasn’t going to even think about around Charlie because it was a volatile mix.
---
“I don’t make promises without the intention of keeping them. You know that.” He was trying to reassure her. Charlie didn’t have a death wish, not anymore. He was going to kill Candi’s sire, and he was going to survive it.
“No.. Ava.. I meant that I’m not just going to fly off unprepared. Candi and I are working on a plan. And I’ll probably get help from a few other people as well.” The one person he knew he’d have to ask for help, well, he didn’t want to ask... because he’d need to talk to Godric first. Fucking hell, that was going to suck.
“You’re going to have to put up with me for years to come. Why don’t you cry and whine about that instead of something you never should have known about to begin with.” He ran his hands over her back and kissed the top of her head.
---
They really shouldn’t even be letting this happen. Charlie and Ava were complicated enough, without confusing themselves more. She didn’t stop him though, or herself. “Don’t shout at the chaos demon too much. She was just worried, and she knew that I’d try and talk you out of it, or at least tell you how stupid it was.” Ava laughed softly. “I can whine about both anyway, not that I whine at all. Just.... protest.” He would be wise to not debate that one.
Maybe since they were getting along, well sort of, at the moment, it would be the time to bring something else up. “I’m not trying to start an argument, but.... please will you just let me buy your brother’s house so they can come back here? Maggie needs them, and I’m sure you and your dad miss them.... It makes sense...”
---
Charlie smiled as he held her. “I’ll go easy on Cassie. It’s my fault for only telling her she couldn’t tell Jason. I should have forbid her from telling anyone.” The little brat was sneaky though, so even then she would have found a way around his orders.
Pulling away from Ava, Charlie walked back into his bedroom without a word. He returned a few seconds later with an envelope. “I sold the car,” he told her as he handed over the money. It contained the paperwork from the sale as well. “Do whatever you want with the money.” He didn’t like the idea of her buying his brother’s house, but he wouldn’t stop her. It was Ava’s choice to make.
---
Ava sighed as he pulled away. Great, that didn’t seem a very good sign, although he wasn’t shouting or glaring at her when he left.... She supposed there was nothing to do but wait and see if he returned, and return he did.... with an envelope. Groaning, she didn’t even look in the envelope as Charlie explained what it was and handed it over, just holding it out to him again. “I don’t want the money from the car. We’ve been over this.” Well, argued over it. “If you really don’t want to keep it, then.... give it to Maggie. She’s a 15 year old girl, she’ll find something to spend it on I’m sure.” She shrugged, adamant.
---
Charlie put his hands up, refusing to take it back. “I’m not taking it. If you want Maggie to have it, then you give it to her... though I’d prefer if you’d invest it on her behalf, because she doesn’t need that kind of cash. It’s bad for kids to be given money like that.” Ava and Ana were prime examples of why you shouldn’t just hand over stacks of money to children. It corrupted them. “Use it toward buying the house if you want. But I’m not taking it. It’s not mine.” Even though he wasn’t in great shape financially, he refused to accept charity from Ava. It would be different if they were still married, but they weren’t.
And while they were on one touchy subject, he figured he may as well bring up another. “If you wanna date Godric... go for it. Maggie’s happy about me dating, so I don’t think it would hurt her feelings if you started seeing someone.” Charlie wouldn’t feel great about it, but this wasn’t supposed to be about him.
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Ava raised an eyebrow, not able to help the small laugh. “Do you really think I know how to invest it? I just let someone else do that for me, but I suppose I could sort something out.... and give her some cash too. I was broke at her age, and it was miserable.” She explained, wrinkling her nose at bad memories. It wasn’t really money that started Ava and Ana’s corruption, it was just the opposite. Ava had done some questionable things to make up for not being able to pay for her vices with money. “For the record though, the car was a gift, it was yours, no matter how much you want to argue it.”
It was sweet of Charlie to take the time to give her his blessing, and slightly creepy, but she still had to roll her eyes. “Thank you, but I’m guessing you haven’t noticed that Blake and Godric are happily together with a house full of Swedish or Finnish or something children. They have been back together since you brought the cure to the school. Godric really is just a friend.” Ava shrugged with a soft awkward smile. “I’m glad you’re dating though.... you seem happy.” She forced herself to say, giving a convincing performance.
---
“No, don’t give her cash. Take her shopping or something. She has everything she needs, but it would be good for you to spend time with her.” And Ava excelled at shopping. Charlie was good at it too, but not when it came to things like buying bras and tampons. He had left that up to Kim, though she was too busy these days to continue taking Maggie shopping for such necessities.
As for the car, Charlie just shrugged. “I couldn’t keep it.” Just like he couldn’t keep the bike Davia gave him. The gifts were too much, and they were constant reminders of his mistakes. He wouldn’t blame Ava if she got rid of the piano. Maybe she had. Maybe she’d gotten rid of her rings and the locket as well. He didn’t see her wearing any of them. Wearing his wedding ring was no longer an option. It was gone. He’d actually returned to Boston to search for it, but it was too late. It probably paid for some homeless guy’s booze or crack.
“Right. Happy together. I’m sure that’ll last.” It wouldn’t. Godric was a prick and Blake seemed to be a flake. They’d implode eventually. The children thing hurt though. Charlie was jealous to hear that they were raising kids together. “I’m working on it.” He supposed he was happy, even if it still hurt to not be with Ava. He’d found a way to move forward. “Can you try not to be a bitch to Jay? Or McKenna for that matter. I’m staying away from Godric as best I can.”
---
Shopping. She could do that, and it would be good to spend time with Maggie. “Shopping and my favorite teenager. I think I can cope with that command.” Ava joked. “Maybe one day I can take her shopping in New York with me, or a fashion show or two. I was trying to encourage her to develop her own sense of style anyway.”
It took quite a while for Ava to be able to look at the piano Charlie fixed up for her. Truthfully, it still hurt to look at it sometimes, and she had been considering putting it into storage, so she had no room to judge Charlie for selling the car anyway. As for her rings and her locket, well they were safely in her jewelery box, a symbol of trying to move on.
“They are supposed to both be my friends, so I’ll hold out hope for them actually managing to make it work this time. I have my doubts too though, so you’re not the only one.” She laughed, softening to a reassuring smile at his request. “I actually like McKenna, despite myself. She lent me some clothes after that last big fight we had where you threw me out, so I could go to the administration office and get a spare key to let me into my apartment.” She wasn’t promising anything about Jay though. That girl annoyed her for some reason that she would swear had more to it than just the fact she had been out with Charlie and probably fucked him.
---
A lCharlie made a face at the suggestion of Maggie going to a fashion show. “There are a lot of drugs at those shows. I know. I’ve been.” He’d fucked a lot of insecure models back in the day. “Maybe just stick to the shopping.” He didn’t want Maggie exposed to drugs or the excess of women with body and daddy issues. It wasn’t a healthy environment.
“McKenna’s kinda awesome,” he said as a small smile appeared on his face without even thinking about it. He couldn’t help it. He liked her, and thinking about her made him smile. “Jay is.. a good friend.” He stole that term from Ava. She was right, he had fucked Jay. She’d helped him out when he felt like giving up.
---
“You do realize that one day Maggie will be exposed properly to drugs, and alcohol, and boys and bad influences, and you’ll probably implode from worrying about it all? But ok. I can protect her for now.” She agreed, teasing. “I think she’s going to grow up better than we did though, even if she does find out about these things. She has more sense than we did... or still do I think.”
Now that... that smile at the mention of McKenna, that was hard to see, but Ava kept up her smile, even when he talked about Jay. “I’m glad.” She repeated simply.
---
“I know she will be. But I’m still around and scary enough to keep assholes away from her. Mostly. And she lets me. She’s smarter than I was, and she’s making good choices so far. Even Devon seems like a decent guy, which surprised me.” Maggie saw the good in Devon and was probably a big part of the reason he’d decided to move out of Will’s sex dungeon. Charlie was proud of her for that.
“You don’t have to keep saying that. You’re allowed to be pissed.. just don’t take it out on them, okay?” If she wanted to yell and hit things, then she could do that with Charlie. “I don’t like thinking about you with other guys. I don’t expect you to be happy about me seeing other women.”
---
“No offense, but you’ve been wrong about good people and bad before. Remember Starbuck?” Ava laughed. “Obviously Maggie’s a better judge of character, and Devon seems... sweet.”
If only it could always stay this easy, joking and teasing and being nice, but it always broke down eventually. Usually because of the way other people fit into their lives. “It’s not easy to see you or hear about you with other women, but.... we’re divorced, so it had to happen eventually.” Ava shrugged. “Like I said it would... “ She had always known he could move on some day, and he seemed to moving towards that now.
---
“I never thought Starbuck was a bad person, I just didn’t like him. Big difference there, darling.” He was smiling though. “And I didn’t really dislike Devon, but I was worried about his.. situation. I’m glad he’s escaped from Will’s sex dungeon of horrors. I don’t regret saving Will’s ass, but it’s beyond fucked up what he was doing. Should be a crime.” He hoped that Ana had distanced herself from the fallen angel, because that shit was so very wrong.
“I guess,” he said with a shrug. It made him sad. If it could be just Charlie and Ava forever, with no one else around to screw with their heads and hearts, then they would be fine. But they were constantly being pulled apart for one reason or another. The world clearly didn’t want them to be happy together. Love really wasn’t enough for the two of them. He pulled her into a tight hug again. “I miss you,” he admitted in a soft, sincere voice. “I wish we could have made this work.”
---
“You just thought he was, in your own words, a ‘douche’, right?” She was even too amused and comfortable right now to get awkward about him saying ‘darling’. “Sex dungeon of horrors? A little melodramatic don’t you think? It was... a little odd, but Will isn’t that bad overall. I’ve met far worse and he has been good to me.” Ava advocated for the angel a little. “I’m glad Maggie and Devon get on though, it must be nice for her to have someone who went through similar when it comes to growing up fast.”
Ava had always been skeptical of the idea that love was enough, and that it could fix everything. There would always be ways for people or the universe to screw things up, and they were proof of it. She wasn’t expecting the hug, but she relaxed into it after a second. “I miss you too.” She whispered. For a few hours, not that long ago, she really had thought they could make it work, but look how that ended up. Him fuming, and her half naked in the hallway with no keys. Obviously they were not meant to last. “The universe must have some other woman planned for your future.” She laughed softly, a little forced as she made her joke.
---
Charlie frowned as Ava tried to defend Will. “Ava.. would you feel the same way if...” he tried to come up with the best example he could, but it was hard seeing as how Maggie didn’t have a step father. “What if Starbuck started fucking Maggie? Someone she trusted to love and protect her as a child, and mentally she still is a child. Devon was five-years-old just a few months ago. He may walk and talk like an adult, but he’s not. Not really. Will was his step father. It’s disgusting.” And no one would convince Charlie otherwise.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what God has in mind. If he really does work in mysterious ways, then there’s gotta be one hell of a final chapter to bring all the pieces together. Because I can’t see how all the shit I’ve been through makes any sense whatsoever... at least not in a world where I’m supposed to believe that God is loving and forgiving.” Charlie felt forsaken.
---
Ava simply shrugged. “I wasn’t try to cause an arguement. I agree it seems wrong, and if it were Maggie I’d probably be angry about it. I was just saying Will isn’t all bad. Sometimes just because you did or do bad things doesn’t mean you’re a bad person overall.” If that was the case she would have been screwed.
Charlie had just pinpointed why she had no interest in religion at all. If God was real, he was a sadistic bastard. “Suffering is meant to make us stronger, or some such nonsense.” She said, pulling a face. “I prefer to think that suffering teaches us that the world is unfair and we are the only ones who can make something of it, not destiny or God, or whatever. The sooner we realise that all we can do is make the best of a bad thing, the better.” Bitter, disenchanted person? Ava? Never!
---
“No, you’re right,” he agreed. “Doing bad things doesn’t automatically make someone bad... but don’t expect me to ever speak to Will again. And I sure as fuck am never going to carry his bleeding ass to the infirmary again. Ungrateful, child-molesting piece of shit.”
Charlie couldn’t convince Ava of God’s existence. Nor could he convince her that there was value in faith. Especially not when he was struggling with it himself. But he had to hold on to his beliefs. And the main reason he did, was because he refused to accept that there was no Heaven, because if there wasn’t, then where was his mother?
He let her go and that was when Cassius decided to steal some attention. He nudged Ava’s leg and whimpered for her to acknowledge him.
---
“Ok.” And that was all there was to it. She was fairly sure that if he were to come across Will bleeding to death he’d still do something to save him anyway, so it was all just words, and if not... well it wasn’t her issue right now.
Let go, Ava was thinking about how she should leave while the going was good, let this end on a good note. This was probably the best they had got along since... well since he left. It seemed someone didn’t want her to leave just yet though, and the nudging made her look down at Cassius and give a small smile. “Jealous?” She laughed, stroking him and scratching behind his ears. She would never admit it properly, but she sort of missed the mutt sometimes. “You just didn’t want me to go without giving you some attention. Typical man!”
---
Charlie crouched down and buried his face in Cassius’ fur, scratching him roughly as Ava offered up some polite attention. “That’s her way of saying she misses you too, boy. She’s just playing coy. Typical woman.” He glanced up at Ava with a smile before Cassius licked his face. Charlie chuckled and playfully pushed the dog’s muzzle away. “Damn dogs..”
---
Ava laughed and rolled her eyes at Charlie’s joking around, especially when it got him licked. “Oh yes, because there is nothing I love better than something furry in bed, and being licked on the face by a tongue which has been who knows where, but most likely somewhere I wouldn’t like my face near.” She joked, wrinkling her nose. “I might miss you a little bit though mutt, or maybe I just feel sorry for you being subjected to just Charlie now.” Ava was actually almost cooing to the dog, which she suddenly realised, making her straighten up and clear her throat. “Anyway, I should probably be getting back to my own apartment now I’ve shouted at you like I was meant to.”
---
“Says the woman who licks other things that have been who knows where..” Charlie teased with a wink. What? It was true! Cassius’ ass wasn’t clean, but neither was Charlie’s. At least not all the time.
He stood up when Ava started to excuse herself. “Hey.. before you go.. I have a favor. If you really want to help me stay safe with this whole thing... you know, Candi’s sire. Do you think you could help me track down Peyton without anyone knowing why you’re doing it? I’ll need her help.”
---
“That was unnecessary.” Ava cringed at his words, but she couldn’t help but laugh too. It might be true, but it didn’t need saying!
All he had to say was the part about it helping keep him safe and Ava would have said yes to almost anything, but this, well this she would help with anyway. “I can... try. Godric might know how to get in touch with her if I can find a subtle way to ask, and if not, well I can find other resources.” She shrugged. “It will be up to you to convince her to help you though.”
---
“Yeah, I’m sure talking her into helping will be impossible, but I’ve gotta try. Just tell Godric that you miss her. You two were friends. Or check his phone. Maybe he has a contact number for her saved. I just think she’s my best chance of getting in and out.. alive. Val had a teleporter. I need one on my side, and with all of Peyton’s other abilities, she makes for a damn good weapon.”
---
Ava just nodded. “Ok... It would be nice to hear how she’s doing anyway, see if she needs help with anything.” She decided, then cringed at how.... nice she sounded. “Tell anyone I said that and I will make you suffer.” Cover up with a joke. Niiiice. “I’m sure you’ll find some way to convince her to help, and she does sound like a good asset in this. Just... don’t get her killed either. That would cause more mess than you could ever hope to clean up.” She added as she walked back to the door, rearranging her robe to cover her again.
---
“Peyton is more than capable of protecting herself, but I promise you.. I’ll bring her back in one piece if she agrees to help me. See if you can get ahold of her first. I’ll take it from there.”
Charlie followed Ava to the door and looked at her carefully. “You know I’m always gonna love you, right? No matter what happens.” Even if he fell in love with another woman. It wouldn’t erase the love between him and Ava. A part of him would belong to her for eternity.
---
They couldn’t just leave it on a comfortable note could they? Ava paused as he confessed his feelings, looking down at the floor for a few seconds before she could look back at him. “I think I’ll probably always love you too. That’s why we hate each other so much sometimes.” She said softly, a small sad smile on her lips. “It was nice.... to not argue... well, much.” A soft laugh and she opened the door. “Thank you.” A brush of her lips against his, and she walked out.
---
Charlie’s eyes closed when Ava kissed him. He managed to refrain from pulling her close, because that’s what he wanted to do. It was instinct now. Fighting it was hard. “Goodnight, Ava,” he told her as he stepped into the hallway to watch her leave. When she was out of sight, he slowly headed back inside and shut the door.