Havoc

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie relished Derek's fire, the heat between them igniting once more and she wanted to bask in it forever. He was gentle and yet strong, caressing her body and somehow, still treasuring it at the same time. She moved with him, like the ocean, fluid and strong until he had them propped against the wall ready for the plunge. She broke their kiss and while she hated herself for it, she was sore and she hurt and she felt all her muscles clench with both frustration and fear. She let her lips pause just in front of his, "I'm sorry," she whispered, almost drowned out by the water pelting against the shower floor, "I can't right now," she said, moving her leg so both her feet were on the floor. She started to cry, hoping the water from the shower would wash away the tears. This was what he wanted and she couldn't even give him that. Could she give him anything? She wanted to pretend that everything was okay, that things were okay, but they weren't. Who was she kidding? Even once the bruises healed, there would still be damaged. Why would he want a broken thing like her? She stepped back and wiped her face under the water. "I think I'll just go get dressed," she muttered, slipping out before he could comment.

She snagged a towel, the cold air snapping her back to reality even more so and she walked out of the bathroom to give him some privacy. She needed a minute away from him to figure out what she felt. She walked to her drawer and almost laughed herself. Who was she kidding? Moving in her things like this, she was a fool. She grabbed her duffle, dropping a few things inside of it, maybe he wouldn't notice. Maybe she could slowly move back to her Nonna's. She shoved it back under the bed and got dressed to see his sister. She threw on her leggings and a sweater, comfy and casual, not sexy. She ran her brush through her hair as the water in the bathroom ran. She was thankful that he had stayed in the bathroom for awhile longer. She felt like an idiot and a failure. A prostitute that couldn't give it up, a girl falling in love with her boss (a man who sold her body no less). She was an idiot and a failure. She pulled the sleeves on her sweater down further, with only a small ink spot of a bruise peeking its way out. Look good and maybe you'll feel good. Maybe you'll be able to ignore his disappointed looks, she thought to herself.

Her life had become a string of maybes, of guesses and swirls of emotions. She was like the ocean, yes, in the ebbs and flows of her emotion. It was current, undetected and uneven; smooth like glass and then a violent crash. She just couldn't get a hold of herself anymore, her mind or her body. When the water finally turned off, she sighed wondering how in the world they would talk about this. She just wanted to put her make-up on, put something on, be yourself. As if a painted face was more herself then the person she was looking at now.

@ hickey-a

Derek could feel the electricity pulsing through them, about to fuse together as one. This is what he wanted, and this is what he believed she wanted. However, Charlie tensed up in his embrace and moved out of reach at the last second. Her voice barely heard under the roar of the water. I'm sorry. I can't right now. I think I'll just go get dressed. And that was it. A few simple sentences and the spark sizzled. He was unable to get a word out in response before she fled the scene with only the sensation of her lips against his remaining. Derek's hand balled up into a fist, ramming it into the empty space. The water continued to rain down upon him as his thoughts reacted accordingly. Was there something wrong with him? Did she hate him? Whenever she looked at him, did she only see another Anderson? His face twisted into one of confusion and rage. Angry that he couldn't make her feel confident about herself. Angry that he couldn't remove Anderson off of her skin. Angry about everything in his life that just wouldn't go right. All he ever wanted was to be happy for once in his miserable life. Derek leaned forward to place his forehead against the cold tile, taking in a shaky breath.

The young businessman finished his shower alone. Clearly, they both needed time to recollect their thoughts and accept that there was something wrong. Something that appeared to be broken. They were stuck in a never ending cycle of hurt. Derek wrapped the towel around his waist and wiped the condensation off of the mirror. His empty eyes stared back at him, devoid of any emotion. Numb. He exited the shower to pad back into his bedroom while the chilled air brushed against his skin. He found Charlie seated on his bed. The worry was evident in her eyes as if she was unable to predict how he would react. Despite acknowledging this, Derek made no movement toward her and simply crossed the room to find a simple black t-shirt and jeans. There was no need for him to be dressed up for his sister since she could easily see through all of his layers. From one glance, Andrea would know that something was off. There was no use attempting to hide it underneath a forced smile and flashy clothes.

As soon as he finished, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," He mumbled under his breath, leaving her in his bedroom. Derek made his way over toward the front door and swung it open to reveal his sister. As suspected, she took in his expression and let the words spill from her mouth. "Jesus, Derek, what the hell happened to you? I haven't seen you look this miserable since the time Dad said that you would take over the company," His sister stated, pushing past him to enter inside. Derek merely shrugged in response as if telling her that the matter was best left untouched. "Okay, so where is she? This girl you keep gushing about."

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie sat on his bed, the sound of water offering some sort of comfort to an otherwise eerily quiet house. She bit her nail, waiting for his return and wondering what he would say, if he said anything at all. There wasn't much to say and somehow, there was everything to say. The sound of the water turning off set Charlie on edge and she felt her anxiety coursing throughout her entire body, her chest squeezing tightly. Where was all her confidence? Her sass? Why was she the blubbering and anxious mess at all times? Derek walked into the room and his glares were almost as icy as the air when she walked out of the shower. He didn't look at her and that stung the most, like he didn't like who she was now anymore than she did.

The knock that sounded through the house seemed to give Derek an excuse to leave the room and let everything remain completely unresolved. They had spent so many days in his office talking and learning about and from each other and now somehow, all their words fell right at their lips. If anything, she hoped it would have been easy for her to communicate with her body, but even that skill seemed to falter. She walked to the bathroom, running a brush through her curls once more and letting them settle into something sort of acceptable, and trying to make herself focus on anything else. She grabbed her makeup bag from where she had stashed it and put on her usual amount of make-up. She felt better, like herself a little, and that was nice to feel for once. She was nervous again and kept clumsily knocking powder on his clean counters just at the thought of meeting his sister. Was now exactly a good time? Probably not, but it seemed to be too late.

She rested her hands against the counter, wondering just exactly what she should even do. Should she go out there? Was what she wearing even cute enough? Should she put shoes on? What was his sister even like? She didn't sound like his father or even like him. In fact, his sister almost seemed more like Charlie than either of the males in her family. She walked back to her duffle, moving her newly packed clothes to pull on a pair of high boots. Yes, that looked better, more put together. She bit her lip, wondering if Derek was going to come get her. She paced between the room and the mirror, taking glances at herself.

---

Andrea pushed past her brother, glancing around the room and hoping to see her just waiting there. Andrea almost wanted to roll her eyes, why did he brother have to make everything far more complicated than it actually was? Her arms were heavy with the piles of food she had snagged from her new favorite Chinese place. It bothered, of course, the way Derek's forehead was wrinkled with concern and the way his eyes were empty and resigned, like there was nothing to look forward to. He had sounded so much happier on the phone and she wondered what happened. Was the girl even here? Had she left? She wondered how many more people would hurt Derek before he would shut them all out entirely?

She wanted to ask, but maybe now wasn't the right time. Andrea never did hold her tongue, but she didn't want to make anything worse. Derek looked like he was about to break and Andrea didn't want to be the one to do it. She moved to the kitchen and started unpacking things. "Anyway," she said, filling the silence of Derek's frustration. "I know you like your place, but I found this cool place by my old apartment. You remember the one, right? I had to move out because of Daniel. Yeah, well I went back to grab some stuff and there was this place and the food was awesome. So, I decided that I would pay for something for once. I didn't know what she'd want, but I got your favorite and just sort of picked a bunch of other stuff. Okay?" She asked, running out of words to fill the awkwardness of it all.

@ hickey-a

Derek remained silent, waiting for Charlie to appear on her own. She could easily hear them in the hallway from his bedroom. There was no reason for him to escort her to Andrea. Besides, maybe he was better off letting her gain back her own confidence on her own. It appeared that anything he ever said to her went in one ear and out the other anyway. But Charlie made no appearance. A soft sigh left his lips as he knit his eyebrows together in frustration. Why was she still holed up in his bedroom? His sister took the cue to start on a tangent about the food. "That's fine," He mumbled in response, reaching out to take some of the bags from Andrea. The food smelled delicious, watering his taste buds. It made him look forward to at least one thing during dinner. This had not been what he pictured when calling his sister a few hours ago, and Andrea could easily sense that something was off. Moving over toward the dining room, he placed the bags onto the table and began to unload all of the white boxes.

Once a few more moments passed, he got fed up with the lack of Charlie's presence. "I'm going to go get her. See what is taking her time. I'll be back," He stated with a small shake of the head. What the hell was wrong now? His footsteps bounced off the walls until he reached his bedroom, peeking his head inside to see her pacing back and forth. "My sister brought the food. You should come meet her. It's the least you could do right now," Derek stoically explained. It was a huge step from the young male to introduce her to his family, thinking that it was one in the right direction. But this clearly wasn't the right time or the right move. Derek couldn't send his sister away either after she made the trip.

He raised his gaze to finally take a look at Charlie. She was all dressed up with no where to go. "Why do you have makeup on? All dressed up for my sister?" He questioned with a small frown. For the past few weeks, all she would wear were comfortable clothes. Anything that was loose and allowed her to lounge around the house. Now, here Charlie was with a painted face and high boots. He couldn't understand the phases she was going through. He really never understood why Charlie did anything. Did he ever really know her at all? On the other hand, he was in jeans and a simple t-shirt. It was complete reverse of their usual attire. Derek was no longer in a suit, but Charlie was all dressed up. They always appeared to be out of sync.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie glanced up when Derek walked into the room and broke her third consideration of changing her outfit. She looked at his face in the mirror, trying to wrinkle out the hurt and worry in her face when he started to speak. The least she could do? She had done so much, she thought, glancing down at herself and trying not to get frustrated. "I just.. I wanted to look nice for her..so she would like me," she said, pausing in between her words. She liked to wear make-up, this was the first time she had it since she started staying with Derek. He should know that, considering the make-up she wore around the compound. Why was he so critical? It wasn't like she a ball gown on, just boots, leggings and a sweater. She thought it was casual, but cute. She had never met someone parents before, she had never even 'dated' someone before so this was an entirely new thing for her. If Derek had met her Nonna, she would have expected him to at least try a little. Isn't that what she was doing?

She turned to look at him, biting her lip and puzzling between words. She had never felt before like she had to be careful with her words, but lately it seemed like she couldn't get it right. "I don't know why you would say that. I was just trying to make a good first impression," she spat. She wavered between angry and upset, but blubbering like an idiot just didn't feel like something she would do, even if she had been doing a lot of it. She crossed her arms. She didn't want to fight now, but she didn't understand why Derek had to come into the room and act like such a pompous ass. She wasn't sure what he would do, respond, turn around, walk out, ask her to leave, maybe schedule a meeting time with her so they could talk. She wanted to roll her eyes and she suddenly felt so distant from him.

@ hickey-a

Listening to her explanation, Derek automatically felt like a jerk. All she wished to do was make a positive impression on his sister, and his head was rammed so far up his own ass to realize. He preached the idea of always being presentable to others in order to be respected yet his completely missed it. If the positions were reversed, he certainly would have dressed in a suit for her Nonna. A moment of shame and disappointment in himself passed, letting a small frown cross his features. He hated that his mind felt muddled and uncertain about the present. "I brought my sister here so that you wouldn't have to dress up to meet her. I thought you'd be more comfortable this way," Derek simply explained, glancing up to meet her gaze for once. There was a twinge of pain in his heart at the sight of the anger in her body language. He caused that upset and anger as always.

"I'm sorry," He quickly added, wondering why he always managed to say the wrong words. For the past few weeks, Derek was sure that he said those two words to her more often than anything else. He wondered if there would ever come a time where they found bliss. Setting aside his pride, his eyes swept over her appearance. Her clothes appeared chic yet conservative and far from the first impression of a prostitute. She was a young lady and more than appropriate to meet his sister. "You look beautiful," He genuinely stated but stayed in his corner of the room. The last thing he wanted was to make her more upset, careful with his actions. "We shouldn't keep my sister waiting. She's excited to meet you."

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie sighed, clearly they could have avoided yet another argument. She didn't understand why they couldn't just talk like normal people, like adults. She didn't understand why they were mean glances and sighs and huffs and it was endlessly frustrating to her. When Derek apologized, she glanced back up at him, finally noticing just how tired he looked. "No, I'm sorry," she said. She didn't want him to look this way, to look defeated by their daily interactions. Shouldn't they enjoy being around each other? Shouldn't it be easy, not so much work? When he followed up his apology with a compliment, she offered a soft smile.

She pulled off her boots before walking over and grabbing his hand. "Yeah, okay. I'm ready, let's do this," she said, moving towards the door and pulling him along. She can fake confidence, she's done it her whole life. Walking down the hallway, she turned and smiled at Derek again, walking backwards to continue talking with him. "And for the record, I like when you don't wear a suit. Sometimes it looks like that tie is choking the life out of you," she said, giggling before finally stumbling into the light of the living room.

---

Andrea sat on the floor, a box of noodles already open and the Food Network blaring. She glanced over to the couple, taking a good hard look at them both. They looked tense, but relaxed in a way that you could tell a fight had just finished. They were trying. Derek was trying to relax, to care about someone and to challenge things he didn't believe in. She (that girl) was trying to fit into a place she didn't fit, but then again, so was Andrea. They were both trying so hard and Andrea wondered why she was even here, what she would be giving to Derek. She put down the chopsticks and smiled, "Took you long enough, damn," she muttered before eating again.

---

Charlie was, of course, surprised by Andrea's overall appearance. Not that she wasn't beautiful, she mirrored her brother in many ways, but she was clearly different from him. A tattoo peaked just over her shoulder, her hair was curly but kinky and left in a mess on the top of her head and a box of cigarettes rested next to her. She looked tired and worn and angry. Derek was put together and strong and organized. Derek would never plop in front of the tv in leggings and a t-shirt or eat Chinese food out of the box. She glanced at him or maybe she would. Charlie was confronted again with the realization that she didn't know much about Derek and that hurt her to the core. "To be honest, I was a little nervous," she said with a laugh.

@ hickey-a

Derek visibly relaxed as the tension slid off of his shoulders. He didn't want this constant bickering for them. They were both stressed by the situation and allowed it to affect their emotions. He should have been building up her confidence in preparation for this meeting instead of tearing it down. After all, they were both nervous for Andrea's approval. However, her smile was enough for him. Enough to know that their argument was resolved, and that they were okay. A moment of silence passed between them until Charlie slid off of her boots and reached out for his hand.

Allowing her to guide him, they moved back into the living room where Andrea waited for their arrival. "Sorry for making you wait. This is Charlie. Charlie, this is my older sister, Andrea," He introduced, feeling his sister's eyes analyzing his every movement. She scrutinized them for a brief moment before relaxing her features. "Ah, just relax. I'm the one you should be least worried about," Andrea waved her off, after swallowing her lo mein. It was true. Out of every person in the family, Andrea was the least judgmental. She marched to her own drum and could care less about what anyone else said. Their father always threatened to cut her off if she didn't pull her act together but that was yet to happen. "Now, eat the food before it gets cold," She urged them, holding out the two white take-out containers for them.

Derek gratefully took the food, busying himself with something. The atmosphere was odd. He felt as though his two worlds were colliding and was unsure of how it would turn out. "So, Charlie, tell me about yourself," Andrea requested with a small grin before downing her noodles. She was curious as to why Derek was so bent on Charlie. Why he was willing to go to such lengths to defy their father to be with her. Growing up, he was the golden child that always listened to their parents. She almost collapsed out of shock hearing that he had disobeyed their father for a woman.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie smiled at Andrea, her relaxed demeanor almost rubbed off onto the entire room or at least Charlie hoped that if Derek was wearing a tie, he'd have probably loosened it by now. Girls liked Charlie, usually. Except when they were worried about their boyfriends or their rich husbands which didn't seem to be a problem here. Andrea didn't seem to be the kind of girl that would be overly protective of her brother and so Charlie sat, glad she had both literally and metaphorically kicked off her boots. She snagged the fried rice, a weakness of hers, and a fork with a smile.

Charlie glanced up nervously at Andrea when she asked her to talk about herself, something she hated to do anyway. She wasn't sure if she knew that Charlie was an employee and she glanced nervously towards Derek. "I am, uh, Italian. I've lived in the Bronx like my whole life. My gonna, uh grandma, she still lives there. I wish I had to more to say to be honest. I'm still trying to figure it out," she said, her voice sort of trailing off in the end. At least she was telling the truth, but she couldn't stop herself from realizing how true the truth was. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she couldn't go back. She wasn't sure if that good or terrifying, but all she could do was pull down on her sleeves to hide the bruising and smile.

"But, I mean, whoever actually has any fucking clue what they're going to do?" She said, trying to lighten the mood and chuckling slightly.

@ honeysuckle;

Well, at least she was an honest gal. Andrea's eyes slid over toward Derek with a curious glint in her eyes, wondering what set Charlie apart from the rest. While she seemed nice, Andrea never pegged her to be his type let alone have him break every rule in the book for her. After all, he was the goody two shoes of the family and the family's prized possession. The only thing that seemed to satisfy Derek was whatever satisfied their father. "You got a point there. That's actually how I ended up with this tattoo," She pointed out, casting her gaze to the ink that peaked over her shoulder. "Got a little buzzed. Always wanted one. Said fuck it."

Derek knit his eyebrows together in response to his sister's confession, "You told Dad some sob story about how it held special meaning after your boyfriend broke up with you. How it helped you cope and move on from it." At this point, he wasn't even surprised that she would manifest this type of excuse for getting a tattoo. If there was one thing Andrea was good at, it was getting what she wanted.

"Yeah, well, I lied to the old man. Wouldn't be the first time either," She shrugged her shoulders. Giving a devilish grin, she scarfed down some more noodles.

As per usual, he concluded their conversation with a shake of the head accompanied by a sigh. Derek could see from his sister's expression that she could sense something was off. While Andrea acted out often, the intellect didn't skip her. "So, there's something you need to know about Dad. Why I need your help," He stated off slowly, drawing in Andrea's attention. From there, he explained their situation with his father allowing men of power to abuse their girls. "It.. It actually happened to Charlie. I didn't mean for it, but when I confronted Father he waved it off." His eyes traveled over toward Charlie to elaborate about Anderson, knowing that this was her story to tell.

@ Dandy Darling;

Andrea listened closely as Derek spoke, setting down her food and letting her eyes scan over them both. It started to make sense: the protectiveness Derek had over her, the anger of her father upon his return home, the way Charlie looked to Derek before even speaking sometimes and the tense and icy feeling of the entire apartment. She felt a little sick to her stomach thinking that her father would let this happen to one of his girls. Andrea had never agreed with the family business nor the objectification of the girls, but Nightly always seemed to be honorable and safe and a fair place to work. Now she looked at Charlie, so beautiful, but with purple bruising peaking out on her collarbone and wrists and she sighed.

Charlie almost choked on her fried rice when Derek seemed to just jump into the story of why she was here and why they were together and everything that happened. She felt a stab of anger, she was under the impression that they were just here to meet and have a one night where this wasn't the main topic of conversation. She set her box of food down, choosing instead to fiddle with the wrappings of a fortune cookie while Derek jabbered away. She shouldn't have been surprised, of course, this was Derek after all. He didn't have his tie on, but he was all business; straight and to the point. She glanced up momentarily to study the tattoo that peaked over Andrea's shoulder where she only caught the word 'sobriety before then subsequently catching Derek's eyes.

His face was almost pleading like his business plan wouldn't work out if she didn't supply more evidence; she was the closer of his deal. Her hands were frozen on the plastic wrapping of the fortune cookie, her lips equally as frozen and she just stared at him. She felt that stab of anger again, why wouldn't he have told her that was what all of this was for? Why did she even bother to get dressed? She could have just worn her bra and underwear if all he wanted to do was put all her pain for sure. Charlie couldn't stop her sleeves from falling so at least, those bruises were out in the open, but nothing else was.

"I'm fine," she muttered, starting to peal the wrapper of the fortune cookie off. "It's fine," she said, diverting her focus away from Derek.

Andrea rubbed her eyes, exasperated, before looking back to both of them. Derek's jaw was set tight and she wasn't sure if he was angry or scared and Charlie was still working on freeing the cookie from it's trap. Charlie stuttered over her words and Andrea tried to soften her usually sarcastic features. "Hey, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want me to. It's okay, we don't know each other," she said, making a pointed look to Derek. Sometimes he just didn't understand how people feel. She sensed the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere like this, so she stood and grabbed some of the garbage.

"Derek, you want to help me in the kitchen?" Andrea asked, walking away from the nervous girl on the carpet and her protector.

@ honeysuckle;

Derek could practically hear Charlie's outrage with his proposition and cast an apologetic look over in her direction. Yes, they were here to meet each other, but he couldn't leave Andrea in the dark. If he didn't explain their circumstances, she would view their relationship as a mere hiccup in the road or a lapse of judgement. He wanted Andrea to acknowledge that he needed Charlie just as much as Charlie needed him. As Charlie began to stutter over her words, Derek felt an ache in his chest reappear as flashes of the incident reappeared in his mind. It angered him, making him ball his hands into fists. That was when Andrea cut her off, startling him. He noted his sister's pointed look and cringed at the backlash, setting his jaw firm. What had he done wrong this time? "Yes, of course," He understood the signal, standing up to pad over toward the kitchen.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Andrea's hushed voice cut through him, placing her hands onto her hips. Her brother was clueless when it came to relationships and quite an idiot. "I don't deserve that story, and you know it. I barely know the girl. I'm sure the last thing she wants me to hear is: 'Hi, I'm Charlie, and I'm a victim of rape'. You don't have anything to prove to me and neither does Charlie. I came here to learn about the girl you've clearly fallen for. Nothing more. Nothing less. Now, you're gonna go back into the living room, shut up, and let Charlie talk."

His eyes darkened at the realization that he treated this like a business transaction. The goal was to have Andrea accept them. The evidence was Charlie's abuse. He kept pushing and pushing like he did with any uncertain buyer. "Fuck," He mumbled, running a frustrated hand through his hair. Everything that came out of his mouth seemed to do the opposite of whatever he wanted. It wasn't often that Andrea barked out orders like that but she was right whenever she did. Dropping his head, he followed Andrea back to the living room and settled back down beside Charlie with tight lips.

Andrea offered a smile and attempted to break the tension in the room. "So, what was it like living in the Bronx? I've been in Manhattan for most of my life. Lived for a little in Queens, but other than that."

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie's sat reading the fortune while they argued in whispers in the kitchen: Today it is up to you to find the peacefulness you long for. Charlie huffed because to her it seemed that everyone else figured it was up to them to give her peacefulness. Though she appreciated Andrea's sentiment it still somehow felt like even Andrea knew what was best for Charlie. It was the first time in her life that no one looked at her and asked, "Hey, what do you need?" Charlie almost rolled her eyes at herself though, knowing that had anyone asked, she wouldn't have an answer. She broke the cookie into pieces, while resting the fortune softly on her leg and staring at it with empty eyes.

Looking up, she noticed Derek following his sister into the room with his head cast down like a puppy in trouble. Charlie tried to break her own tension and rolled her shoulders before grabbing the fried rice contained once more. "It isn't the nicest place to live," she said, answering Andrea's question, "But, my Nonna made it as safe as she could make it. I moved out of there when I was 15 though, into the Nightly so Manhattan has been my home for awhile now. Never in a place like this though," she said, gesturing around them. Derek's place was the nicest place she had ever 'lived in' per say though she had been in nicer places with clients, Anderson's place included.

She tried to think back to before everything had happened, before she had been groomed and trained to be the perfect date for Anderson. She wondered if Derek would still find her so appealing had he not been involved in her training, was she now a perfect date for him too? She tried to remember what it felt like to sparkle in that dress that now lied in ruins somewhere. "So, are you still in Manhattan then?" She asked, trying to distract herself.

Considering the rumors about the Bronx, Andrea figured that there were rough parts of the borough. She picked up her lo mein, continuing her dinner where she left off while listening to Charlie. "It's nice to have someone like that to protect you. Our mom's like that. Whenever our father got mad at us, well, me, she'd calm him down. Try to keep me safe from his harsh words. He'd never hit or anything but some of the stuff he'd say practically ripped your heart out of your chest," She trailed off, furrowing her brow slightly. She rolled her eyes to play it off before shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm still in Manhattan. Right now, I'm working at one of those clothing stores and live in a small apartment. Nothing crazy. Derek's the one that has all the luxury," She stated before playfully glaring at him. While she envied Derek's lifestyle, she was grateful that she could follow her own path. Her father wouldn't tell her how to run her life, and she never complained about her lifestyle. "I pretty much live off of chinese take-out and ramen, and barely scrape by on rent like every other broke New Yorker. It works though. Can't complain."

Charlie nodded and the rest of the night was full of flowing conversation and it was pleasant. For a few hours, she felt like she was normal again and she felt like she was actually a normal girl meeting her boyfriend's family. She hadn't ever thought she would feel this way, she never thought she would feel nothing like a prostitute at all but in this moment she didn't. The way Andrea spoke, so nonchalantly and so courageously like life had fucked her over but she had fucked it right back (and enjoyed the ride). Andrea made her feel comfortable, much like Martiza did, and she appreciated the light-heartedness of it all. She loved the cynicism that turned into jokes, she loved it all. She felt happy for a moment.

When the night was wrapping up, Charlie felt happy and she kept sneaking smiles to Derek, wondering if he felt the strange magic of tonight. She closed the boxes of food and started helping Andrea load them into the refrigerator while Derek spoke on the phone in the living room where they just sat. She wasn't nervous to be alone with Andrea after everything that had talked out from Manhattan to sex (much to Derek's dismay) to tequila versus gin. Andrea felt like an old friend and Charlie wondered if she had the effect on everyone. Even though Derek looked a little stressed as he, she kept smiling at him hoping that even a phone call this late couldn't ruin all the fun they had tonight.

"Your brother," Charlie said, "he's really been fantastic to me. He looks a lot better with his tie off, doesn't he?" She added, with a chuckle.

((Sorry, I didn't get the notification for this!))

Deciding to let Andrea control the conversation, Derek merely sat back and listened to them jump from topic to topic. It was odd for him to release authority, but Charlie seemed at ease with their wide variety of subjects and that satisfied him. He observed her facial expressions shift from nerves to joy. Charlie smiled with ease and even blissfully laughed, which was something he hadn't seen in a while. Soon, Derek even found himself getting pulled into the merriment. Much like a younger brother, he blocked out all words when the conversation shifted to Andrea's sex life. No, he clearly didn't want to know anything about that. Throughout their talk, he interjected to refute a statement from Andrea that was either utterly embarrassing or not completely true.

"Excuse me," He stated, feeling a vibration from his pocket. Of course, Nightly would find a way to ruin the evening. Derek moved off into the corner of the room to hear the male voice on the other end of the line, bracing himself for the worst. It appeared to be a call from a vendor about another batch of girls. He paced around the living room as the two women left, listening to the dilemma. It seemed that Anderson had hijacked the women en route to their headquarters, leaving only the van behind. Derek pressed his lips into a firm line while pausing to exhale. This would be dealt with in the morning.

---

Andrea couldn't help but chuckle in agreement, peeking her way through the doorway to see him. "Yeah, the tie makes him seem like that phone is wedged up his ass," She admitted before shrugging it off. Despite loving Derek to bits, the man was too serious for his own good. "Keep him sane, alright?" Andrea requested, shoving the leftovers into the refrigerator. Although it didn't surprise her, it was completely barren. The only thing inside was a carton of milk and an egg or two. "Jesus, Derek. What the hell do you eat?" She thought aloud before closing the doors.

@ Dandy Darling;
Andrea remained for most of the night, cleaning and smiling and laughing. Charlie appreciated the sentiment, the normalcy of it all more than she could explain. She felt like this was a routine she would become comfortable with. When Andrea left, Charlie felt a happy warmth within her that she was sure she had never felt before. That feeling continued throughout the rest of the night, even though Derek had that line on his forehead that indicated he was worried. They climbed into bed and it felt innocent and complete, another feeling Charlie had never felt before. She laid close to him, smelling the soap on his skin and relishing in the warmth of their contact. She would long for nights like this forever.

---

Charlie woke alone, to the bright light of Derek's white washed room. She stretched, feeling uneasy at how cold the bed was without him. She felt comfortable in his shirt and in his bed, so much so that she didn't want to move. Yet her curiosity at where Derek was caused her to move from the bed and sleepily into the kitchen. The house echoed with silence and she looked around for something that indicated where Derek would have gone without telling her.

She opened the fridge and a note was perched on top of the eggs. Gone to work, didn't want to wake you. - Derek. He writing was messy and rushed, he was hurrying to fix something. Charlie frowned, she was dense to think that their bubble from last night could exist for so long. He had so much work to do: replace Anderson, keep the business running, keep the girls happy and even to replace her. She ran a finger over the words and looked around at the empty house. She had existed in the compound for so long that she did not remember what it felt like to be alone.

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. "Just a minute," Charlie hollered. She ran back to the room, throwing on a pair of shorts underneath Derek's shirt before walking to the door.

She opened it and suddenly felt like she had been punched in the stomach. This face, his face, was a face that would be burned into memory forever and the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up. She pushed to shut the door but he was quicker, shoving it open and grasping Charlie by the throat. He pushed her back against the wall, smashing a picture of Andrea and Derek in that hung there. "Come on now, gorgeous. Is that anyway to greet me?" Anderson said, his voice as rough as the hands on her throat. Charlie couldn't breath and caught herself whimpering and felt the seen in front of her flicker.

"Let's take a ride," he said, grasping her wrists tightly and pulling her alone with him. She felt too tender, too frightened and too focused on breathing to fight back or to pull against him. She was soon flanked by two of his henchmen and it felt futile to even try now. She was pushed onto the floor of his limo without another word, but with a lot of things needing to be said.

For the remainder of the night, the atmosphere remained jovial and upbeat. Derek effortlessly smiled and laughed along with the conversation yet subdued the worry lingering in the back of his mind. They bid their farewells to Andrea and softly closed the door behind her. Once again, they were alone. Instead of the tension, Derek only found comfort and warmth, especially when they settled into bed that night. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing Charlie close to his chest. He drew in a deep breath, letting his lungs fill with the smell of her shampoo. Derek wished that every night could end like this.

---

The following morning, Derek awoke to the sound of his phone vibrating on the nightstand. He glanced down at Charlie to find her nestled up against his chest with the gentle rise and fall of her chest. With a sigh, he slowly reached out to reach for the phone trying not to wake her. "Hello?" He groggily whispered into the phone, running his gently fingers through her hair. A few moments passed while Sam explained that there was an issue with the girls. One ended up insulting the other, which only erupted into a fight. There was blood everywhere and each girl had broken bones. "Okay, I'll be there," He reluctantly stated before ending the call. Derek lingered a moment longer before peeling himself off of the bed and dressed for work. Before leaving, he scribbled a note and left it on top of the eggs to find, knowing she liked making omelettes in the morning.

He arrived back at work, breathing in the familiar air. Ever since the incident, he had holed himself up at his apartment with Charlie. Derek figured that the business would run itself other than the occasional email to deal with clients but that was completely wrong. "It's over here, sir," Sam waved over, bringing Derek over to one of the rooms. Red covered the floors with the room in disarray. Hair products and make up scattered about the floor while a light flickered in the corner, thrown by one of the girls. He shook his head out of frustrated, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, send in the cleaning team. Where are the two girls?"

It turned out that one girl had insulted the other by calling her an ugly cow, which started the first fist. As more name calling came out, more violence did as well. Derek punished both by giving them no pay for the next month as well as no free time. They were to be holed up in their rooms and unable to speak to another girl unless it was for work related reasons. Both were displeased by the consequences, but he refused to budge.

Returning back to his apartment, he found the door inched open. "Charlie?" He called out, concerned by the state of the living room. Glass shards coated the floor, crunching underneath his shoes. "Charlie?" Derek searched throughout the entirety of his apartment to find it empty. "Shit," He squeezed his eyes closed, wondering what had happened. Despite having a nagging feeling it was Anderson, there was no proof of it.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie sat quietly as they drove through the city, though she could barely see which direction they were headed in. Anderson seemed happy, a ghost of laugh crossing his face, and he grabbed a bottle of champagne and two glasses from the mini fridge in his limo. He poured himself one, taking a smug sip, before handing Charlie a glass. Charlie looked down at the glass, her stomach twisting into a thousand angry and scared knots. She knocked the glass out of his hand, it smashing against the other side of the limo.

"Fuck you, she said, through clenched teeth. Anderson didn't respond and they sat in pained silence until the car stopped moving. Charlie was promptly blind folded and as she walked outside, she felt the chill of the evening hit her skin.

When the blind fold was removed, she was clearly in a luxury hotel room though the phone had been removed (pretty violently) from her bedside and where it resided in the bathroom. Anderson leaned against the door, again looking smug in his capture of her. "What do you want?" She asked. "You want another perfect date?"She chuckled, but it was cold and she felt even more numb than before. She did not understand why he was infatuated with her, she hadn't had sex with him but was he really so not used to rejection?

There was only one person who could figure out what happened to Charlie - his father. Of course, it would be the same man who despised her for derailing his son from his priorities. But there was no other option. Reaching into his pocket, his fingers began to shake as Derek dialed the number. "Find Charlie," He mumbled underneath his breath before sending the call. A few rings passed before Charlies picked up the line with a gruff greeting.

"Father, I need your help." Derek cut to the chase, knowing that time was of the essence. "Please." The desperation in his voice was prevalent. Every moment that Charlie was missing, Derek could feel a piece of himself breaking.

A moment of silence passed from the other end of the line before Charles spoke. "Depends on the request." That stung for Derek. In the past, his father would have done anything for him in a heartbeat. No questions asked, but Derek was no longer the same man that Charles wanted him to be. Despite what his father wanted, he actually preferred himself now.

Swallowing hard, his tongue felt numb in his mouth. "Charlie. She's gone. And.. you always tell me to trust my instincts and I'm sure it was that bastard Anderson. The picture was shattered and the door was wide open. Father, please, I need to find her," He frantically explained, fearful of what Anderson's intentions were. Was his picking up where they left off on their date now? Did he hurt her?

"Fine, but this is the last favor you will ever get if I find that Charlie has run away," His father concluded before there was click on the other line.

For now, all Derek could do was wait for Charles to find the information about Charlie's whereabouts.