Recondite {Malia Tate}

26: Together Again

"No, absolutely not!" Aunt Sophie told her nephew.

Charlie shook his head, "Aunt Soph, I'm okay."

"You could have died, Charlie. Again!" She yelled, hands on her hips as she paced the vacant office she and Charlie resided. "How does this keep happening?"

"We were trying to help," Charlie said. "I was trying to help, Aunt Sophie because I can-I can finally do something."

Sophie stopped her pacing, looking to her nephew, "Charlie, you have always been able to do something."

"You're supposed to say that," Charlie grumbled. "You're my aunt."

"I'm not supposed to say anything," she said. "I wouldn't say it if it weren't true, and you know that."

"I need to help Lydia," Charlie told his aunt, moving to leave the office.

Sophie stepped in front of him, blocking his way out, "I don't want you going anywhere near that Meredith girl right now. Especially since she's one of our biggest suspects in what the hell is going on with this town."

Charlie sighed, knowing there was no winning the argument with his aunt, "Can I at least get something to drink?" He asked, seating himself back in the leather couch.

Sophie nodded, going to leave Charlie in the office, "Wait!"

She turned towards Charlie, and he cleared his throat, "Can you find me a tape player?"

"I can try," Sophie said. "What for?"

Charlie bit his lip, "I found an old tape and I wanted to know what was on it."

Sophie nodded, "I'll look for one," she told Charlie, giving him a pointed look. "Don't go anywhere."

Charlie pulled the blanket he held tighter around him, " 'Course not."

Sophie nodded, leaving Charlie to his thoughts, as unwelcoming as they were.

Charlie had killed someone, or at least he aided in killing someone. Something in his gut told him the man deserved it, that he was going to kill him and Lydia, but... another part told him that killing wasn't what was needed.

He still didn't feel guilty, and that's what scared him. He had helped take a man's life, be it tainted with murder or not, and he didn't feel a bit of remorse.

A knock sounded on the door, and Charlie glanced up from his lap, seeing Lydia holding a cup of water for him.

"I come bearing hydration," she smiled tiredly, sitting down beside Charlie, handing him his drink.

"Thanks," he said, emptying the cup of its contents, directly into his stomach.

He sighed in relief, his throat feeling soothed as he tossed the styrofoam cup into the trash, completely missing, "I definitely needed that," he said, ignoring the cup lying next to the trash can.

That was embarrassing, he thought.

"Charlie..." Lydia trailed off, searching for a way to ask her question.

"Phoenix," Charlie mumbled, eyes downcast as he did so.

Lydia looked to him, "What?"

"I'm a Phoenix," Charlie told her, blue eyes catching green ones. "A bird of fire, to be exact."

"Oh," Lydia nodded, not knowing how to respond to the confession, yeah, sure she had just seen Charlie on fire, but she couldn't have guessed he'd be a Phoenix.