Trouble Doubles

[Bobbie]

As Charlie entered the large office after Annika, she slowed down in her steps, taking a moment to just look around and her lips parted in shock. This was amazing. She had no idea what it said about status, but it was an impressive office and she imagined that whoever sat at these desks were very important people! The way Annika spoke of her father and this other person also supported that.

The door closed behind her and Charlie glanced back at it, then at the desk again, in awe of everything. When Annika pointed out the other desk was her father’s, she approached it and placed a hand on the green leather chair, as if getting some kind of a sense of who the man who usually sat in it was, then she sat down in it and nervously swivelled from side to side.

Annika’s giggle prompted a similar one from Charlie as her attention darted to the girl who was now spinning in her chair, and she felt compelled to push against the desk and do the same thing. “This is so cool…” she uttered, before bringing her chair to a halt as she grabbed the desk and pulled herself closer to it. She didn’t have the tall stature that Miguel did, but she leaned on the desk in the same way, and then sat back in similar fashion to the man, with one hand lazily hanging off the armrest.

“Yeah…” the girl grew silent for a moment, though her smile said it all. She was eager to meet him, though she was afraid that it wouldn’t turn out to be as great as it all seemed. Currently, her stare was fixed on the desk drawers, terribly curious to see what was in them. More specifically, she wondered if there would be a photo of her mother somewhere in there, just as her mother had a photo of him hidden at the bottom of her jewellery box. Anxiously, her fingers drummed the wooden surface of the desk.

“Isn’t all this stuff, like… confidential or something?” she asked as she finally peeled her gaze away from the drawer to look at the corkboards with the red string, then her vision would sweep over all the filing cabinets as her chair rotated. Then she looked down and started to lightly pick at the seam of the leather armrest of the chair without doing any damage.  "Do you think he'd... I mean, has he ever mentioned like a family to you?"

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

Annika heard the first question and nodded. Looking at some of the boards and then shrugged. “It is, but you already know my secret, so I’d trust you to keep a few more. If you don’t, I’m sure I can track you down.” The vigilante spoke, locking her eyes on Charlie’s with a sly smile before flicking her now finished lollipop stick across the room into the bin by the door. If one were to look in there, it would be more lollipop sticks than any other rubbish.

Then came the next question. Did Miguel actually speak of family? No, he did not he was quite a closed of person in that regard to Annika in the least. The young woman sight as her hand dove back into her side pouch and pulled out another lollipop, this was likely not going to be a surprise to Charlie, but it might still sting a bit.

“Miguel? Nah, he doesn’t mention anything. I remember Simon telling me he was an eternal bachelor at one point.” The blue haired menace spoke as she fiddled to get the wrapper off of her next treat. With a twist and a flick the wrapper flew off and floated down to her lap. “When he was fired from the police, he took it hard, they both did. But I managed to pick them both up.”

Annika glanced to Charlie to gauge her response, was she hurt, surprised or not bothered? What was going on in that little sporty brain of hers? Something both Simon and Miguel were better at figuring out than she was… all she did was follow clues and beat up overt bad guys, they did the hard thinking work.

[Bobbie]

Charlie watched Annika as she answered all her questions. First was the comment about her secrets, to which the girl smiled. It was a given that she would be keeping any and all secrets that Anarchy Blue trusted her with, but she did have a point - if she even attempted otherwise, she probably wouldn’t stand a chance. “I will take your secrets to my grave.” she solemnly swore, a smile still present on her face.

It wasn’t until Annika took out a second lollipop that she realised she was missing her own. With a subtle frown, she looked at her empty hands and wondered where she lost it. She instantly felt guilty for littering if it was dropped somewhere outside, but it would be worse if she dropped it somewhere inside the mansion and left a sticky mess somewhere. Sighing softly, she turned back to her blue-haired companion once more to listen to her response, though the crackling of the wrapper was distracting.

The tracksuit wearer didn’t say anything in reply, and just looked down at her knees as she continued to sway from side to side in her chair, her smile fading. An eternal bachelor… she thought to herself as she wondered if he actively chose not to be with her mother in order to safeguard and hold onto his freedom to lie with whomever he pleases, enjoying his life without the restriction a family brings with it.

“I see… So that’s the kind of man he is…” she muttered, quietly. Absent mindedly, she took a pencil out of a holder on the desk and began to fiddle with that in her fingers.

She didn’t know the full story, of course, she was smart enough to realise that and understand that there may be many layers that she wasn’t aware of… but, on the other hand, it may also be as simple and straightforward as that, and the disappointment on her face was clear. Yet, she didn’t regret asking. She needed to ask Annika, because she couldn’t ask anybody else. Her mother tried so hard to hide it and her father was livid when he put his suspicions forward to her mother.

Still, however, she had very little faith in Edwin being a better man than this Miguel, and as grim as this may seem, it was what gave her hope.

“How did he take it? I mean what did he do first when he was fired?” Charlie looked away from the pencil only for a brief moment to look at Annika, then she shifted her attention back to the pencil that was being twisted and turned at the mercy of the girl’s grip. It might have seemed like an unimportant question, but in actual fact it was far from it. Did he lose his temper? Did he lash out in any insulting fashion or was it less verbal and more physically aggressive? Did he latch onto his support circle or did Annika have to force her way through a wall? Charlie’s mind was racing, ready to draw any quick comparisons of this man’s character to her own, anything that she could latch onto for a connection to any form of father figure - if he would ever allow himself to be one.

While the sound of it would be very faint through the closed door and down the staircase, the lost lollipop was discovered by the bottom of Miguel’s shoe as the sticky sugar crystals shattered under his weight and clung to the sole of his boot. It was at the bottom of the staircase, having fallen over the railing when Charlie was nearly knocked over. Following this, of course, came a string of complaints in the irritated tone that was most typical of Miguel on a bad day and his steps ascending the stairs.

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

How did Miguel take getting fired? That was a question that made Annika pause for a moment before shrugging, waving the lollipop she had in her hand and shrugging. “He sulked; said he would become a professional backstreet basketball player. He was pretty childish about it.” She spoke before letting out a small giggle as she pushed the Lollipop back into her own mouth. “He snapped out of it after I called him too old and offered him a job with Simon.” Her words were perfectly clear, even with her mouth and tongue occupied. She had practiced eating with sweets in her mouth extensively in her past.

“He snapped out of it pretty quick though, Simon took it hardest and spiralled into a midlife Crisis. Your dad came in like a knight and helped me convince Simon it all wasn’t over.” She explained further before spinning in the chair she was in. She still had that makeup that Simon had given her… it was more of a keepsake than something she actually used. Well, the lipstick was good at least.

“What do you want out of this?” Annika asked, a real question. It would be tough on the girl and something that should really make her think. If her answer was good then she would be honest and introduce Miguel properly… if not then she would find a way to protect him and her from the obvious mess that could come from this disaster of a meeting she facilitated.

[Bobbie]

Annika’s answer was not quite what she expected, but she could understand it. It sounded like a fair response, to sulk, that is. Stating he would become a professional backstreet basketball player, on the other hand, simply made Charlie chuckle as a smile grew on her face involuntarily, the thought of having something in common with the man warming her heart.

Then Annika mentioned calling him old and she just couldn’t help letting out a loud laugh, “Yeah? I bet I could beat his old-man ass at basketball any day.” She blurted out, glancing in her direction, before turning back to the desk and continuing to just pick at its edge.

Reining herself in, Charlie nodded, making sure not to get too excited about any admirable characteristics in the man. She didn’t know him, after all, and the fact still remained that for one reason or another, he was not around, and both she and her mother were stuck with Edwin. That counted for something and she wasn’t quite sure that any excuse he could give would allow her to forgive him for it. When it was Annika’s turn to ask a question, a frown grew on Charlie’s face. It was a difficult question to answer, and she wasn’t quite sure of how to do so.

For a couple of seconds, the girl remained silent, her eyes fixed on the polished mahogany desk as if it had somehow wronged her.

“I don’t know…” she finally muttered with a soft sigh and a heavy shrug. “I guess I just kind of want him to know that I exist… I have nothing in common with Edwin, and my mum doesn’t seem very happy with him either but she tries to hide it.” As she said Edwin’s name, her tone changed to one of almost disdain and she rolled her eyes. "I'm not looking to force anyone into a family life. If he wants to remain a bachelor forever, or whatever, then so be it."

Pausing once more, she looked at Annika and sighed yet again. “I don’t know what I want out of this. Maybe I just want to know if this is it… if this is how things are supposed to be for me for the rest of my life with mum and Edwin or if there’s something else. I know I’m not his child… I just know it. So that means some parts of me that don’t come from my mum, come from this Miguel, and I want to know which parts those are. I want to get to know who my dad really is, even…” Charlie’s response was interrupted by a lump in her throat that forced her to swallow before going on, looking down instead as her voice seemed to shrink. “Even if he doesn’t want to get to know me.”

---

Charlie: #f3404e

[Kami-Gaz]

This was it, the answer Annika was looking for… Was this for the pure act of being selfish or was it just to sate her curiosity and to see if Miguel was open to being a part of her life and her his? The answer was raw, and from the heart and it was one that Annika appreciated, something cold and truthful even if she didn’t really know what she wanted she did her best to put it in words.

“I can accept that.” She replied, pushing away from the desk on her chair and letting it spin some as she looked up at the ceiling. The Lollipop was still in her mouth as she absentmindedly sucked on it and played with the hard sugar sweet with her tongue. With a long exhalation she sighed then shoot a hook our of her hand that bounced off of the floor and then latched behind a desk leg. Her spin stopped as she reeled herself back in slowly.

“He shouldn’t be too long; he was the grumpy guy we passed on the way up.” Annika revealed before cracking a smile and removing her lollipop, now devoid of actual sweet and just being a perfectly cleaned stick. With a deft flick it went into the bin under the desk she was at. “Miguel cares for Simon like he was a brother, and while he does look cure in his sportswear, he is old! So not my type.” Annika spoke, a giggle coming out as she finished.

“He is nice though, under that gruff exterior or when he isn’t stressed. I think he will at least give you the time of day.” Annika added before turning to look at the door in anticipation of Miguel entering.

[Bobbie]

Charlie stared at Annika in disbelief, her jaw dropping open. For a moment, she looked horrified, as if she just realised that she made a huge mistake coming here, but then she laughed.

“No way. Him? He’s Miguel?” She asked, another excited laugh coming from the girl as she shook her head. “He was such a grump! He must be having a really bad day today…” she mumbled, but smiled and was grateful for her last comment as she started to sway from side to side in her chair, letting her spin only be at 45 degree angles. She hoped Annika was right too, but just as she said in her answer to Annika’s question, Charlie wanted to find out who he was regardless of whether he cared about her existence or not.

It was at that moment that the door was swung open, and the man in question barged in. “Annika! Keep your darn sweets to yourself, will you?” As he entered the room, he had the remains of the red lollipop in his hand, holding it by the stick as the remains of the candy was still wet and sticky, half crushed with bits of grime and dirt from the bottom of his shoe. “I’ve got sticky sugar in the grooves of my boot, do you know how long that’s going to be jammed in there?” he snapped, a little bit grumpier than usual because of recent events with Simon.

Charlie stared at him, then looked at Annika, then turned back to Miguel. At first, she sank in her seat a bit, but a vicious frown soon grew on her dark brow, her eyes fixed on the angry man.

“That’s not Annika’s, it’s mine,” she corrected him, boldly.

Miguel stared at her, confusion on his face for a moment, before he looked at Annika again. “Who’s this, sitting in my chair?”

Charlie’s frown developed into a glare as she watched him, seeming to share his temper. “Charlie Le-… just Charlie,” she replied, before she stood from his chair and then hopped onto his desk to sit on that instead, kicking her feet, though she was careful not to scratch the polish on the wood. It looked very expensive and she didn’t want to be an inconvenience to Annika. “Is this better?”

"I see, so today is mess-with-Miguel day, huh? First Simon leaving me here to deal with his problems and sort everything out by myself, now you bring your friend to the office to hang out. Nice trail you've left along the way, really appreciate it..." he waved the lollipop again, "But I wasn't lost."

---

Charlie: #f3404e
Miguel Murphy: #ffdfb2

[Kami-Gaz]

Miguel charged his way into the office after Charlie reacted to the news of who the man they saw earlier was. It was a good reaction to watch. As the man in question barged in and the office door swing closed behind him Annika switched her gaze and locked it onto the man with an icy cold dagger like intent. The Same intent she always gave him when they were closer to enemies than friends.

“Mi-“ She was cut off by Charlie who was giving off the same fire he was. It was actually quite nice to witness come to her defence for a change… outside of Fonzie and the other guards no one stood between Annika and trouble before, especially on a social level. The whole exchange between the two was actually quite fun to watch, though Annika kept her eyes icy and her face cold as Miguel came to address her again.

“You got lost looking for the toilet Miguel.” Annika spoke with a cool shrug before shifting her weight in the chair and with ease standing up and stretching her arms up high. At a certain point a squeak escaped her mouth as the joins in her shoulders and elbows popped. As her limbs came back down a content sigh left her mouth.

“You’re always cleaning up after Simon, so what makes today any different? He just isn’t here to pile any more work on to you.” She said cheekily, she loved how Simon stuck into the job and hunted down any and every case with enthusiasm… it was a genuinely great trait about the man that she admired so much, so earnest and true. “Me and Charlie came on some important business. She has a job for you.” Annika spoke, nodding towards the girl.

“She is looking for her biological father.”

[Bobbie]

Miguel paused for a moment as Annika so openly revealed that he got lost looking for the bathroom, a look of slight embarrassment on his face that made Charlie chuckle. Glaring at Annika, he scoffed. “I wasn’t lost… I was just disoriented because this mansion is like a maze. You don’t even need half the rooms you’ve got in it.”

Marching to his desk, he grabbed the chair and pulled it away to sit down, lightly patting Charlie’s knees with his knuckles and gesturing for her to get down in annoyance. Despite her eyes very clearly following his hand, she pretended not to notice what he was doing, so she remained where she was while Annika spoke and Miguel shifted his attention onto her once more.

In a very forced tone and not the least bit amused, Miguel feigned a laugh, “Hah hah hah, so funny.” However, after a roll of his eyes, he seemed to be attentive to what the blue-haired girl put forward, as it seemed that they weren’t just sitting here to hang out after all… there was a case.

Still, it was not a case that Miguel particularly wanted to work on, hunting down a biological parent sounded extremely messy, yet he knew that if he didn’t accept this job, Simon would have a fit… or perhaps another heart attack.

With an irritated sigh, he nodded. “Until she gets off my desk, I’m not accepting any jobs.” Wheeling his chair forward toward said desk, he offered a cheeky smile in return to both of them. “Can’t expect me to work without a station to work at.” Charlie’s eyes reflected like diamonds in contrast to her dark hair, her straight fringe falling down to reach just above them as she watched him. It looked like she was going to say something witty or insulting, appearing ready to challenge Miguel on his most recent statement, but she then hopped off the desk without saying a word, only to lean against the side of it instead.

“What can you tell me about your biological father? Oh, and I’m going to need more than ‘just Charlie’ if I’m going to have any success here…”

“He’s grumpy, snappy, and not as cool as he thinks he is.” The girl’s response was spat out like rapid fire without taking a moment to think about it.

Miguel narrowed his eyes on her, then looked at Annika. “Is she serious? Does she actually believe that is helpful?”

---

Charlie: #f3404e
Miguel Murphy: #ffdfb2

[Kami-Gaz]

Annika sat in her chair, using her legs to half spin it in both directions as she watched the conversation that Charlie had taken the lead on. She was messing with her dad in ways that Annika could never pull off. She then looked to Charlie and shook her head with a light smile before pointing her hand and limply shooting a hook over Miguel’s desk and reeling herself in to get closer to the pair without standing up.

When she got close enough, she let her fruits power dissolve into air before pulling out the picture that Charlie had given her and handed it to Miguel folded up so he couldn’t see what was on it. “She brought a picture, some good evidence if you ask me. I have reason to believe you know the man personally.” She explained in a cold and serious voice, betraying the internal joy she was getting with messing with her friend. Once the picture was taken from her hands, she put her feet on the floor and pushed back hard, rolling back towards Simon’s desk.

She let the man open the picture and take a good look at it before standing up. “Congratulation Miguel, it’s a girl.” She said, cracking a cool smile, her blue lips parting ever so slightly as she let out a rare giggle. The vigilante’s feet were carrying her to the door, about to leave the pair alone to have a conversation between themselves.

[Bobbie]

Miguel sighed impatiently as Annika approached the desk. Taking the folded picture, he watched her while she spoke. “I know him personally? Please don’t tell me he’s one of the police officers back at the station. Honestly, if he is, I pity this poor girl.” He joked, perhaps in poor taste and rather insensitively, but it was common knowledge by now that the majority of workers in that place were not the most reliable or trustworthy.

As his gaze lowered to the picture, sitting back as he was about to open it up, Charlie’s smaller hand suddenly reached out to grab it and pinch it closed before he could take a look. “I don’t think everyone from the station is a lost cause… and from what I hear, you don’t really believe that either or you wouldn’t be sitting here working with Annika and that other man, Simon. You both got fired unjustly, didn’t you?” The girl’s eyes narrowed on the man who was growing more frustrated by the girl with each passing second, but her gesture had successfully caught his full attention. Finally turning and pulling the photo out of her reach, he shrugged.

“Fine, not everyone…” he corrected himself in a quiet tone. It was odd how this girl seemed to know just what to say to get under his skin and he didn’t like it. Focussing on the task at hand, he opened the folded image and saw the two faces that were printed on it, as the answer to this puzzle was staring right at him.

His face went pale, it was as if he had seen a ghost.

One of the two people was clearly him - a younger version, definitely, but it was him smiling in that picture… the other face belonged to a woman that he hasn’t seen in a long time, though that was not to say she never entered his thoughts. He didn’t need to stare at it as intently as he did, he recognised her and remembered the very moment this photo was taken in an instant. It was the last moment they shared together before they were forced apart and she moved on to marry a man named Edwin, an older colleague of his, two years later, while he focussed on work... He was only 18 back then, she was 17. As he eyed the picture, he was mentally doing some quick calculations of years and dates as he recalled the year Camilla became pregnant and the events that led to it. Two years after her marriage at 19, four years from the day this picture was taken, she and Miguel had an affair. He remembered quite clearly how she would frequently visit the station to drop off lunches for her controlling husband, and that was when he'd swoop in and try to catch her alone as neither of the two could deny the feelings that they had for each other as teenagers nor as adults, their love immediately rekindling. Yet, she had never made any indication to him that the child was not her husband's, although he was very well aware of the possibility that it was. No, instead she grew distant from him and seemingly closer to that slob of a husband whom Miguel loathed, and it was this that confirmed to him that the child must have been Edwin's, as the man she was married to was very involved in the pregnancy to the point that he was practically dictating what his wife was and wasn't allowed to do while carrying his unborn baby...

Annika’s words cut through him and it was clear that he was holding back a lot of emotions that were tied to the young lady in that picture and the moment that it captured. Instead of facing Charlie, however, he looked at Annika with a deep frown.

“Is this a joke?” Miguel asked in all seriousness, rising to his feet in preparation to stop her from walking out without addressing his question if it was needed.

“You’ve messed with me before, but this is a little too far, even for you…” the truth in that statement was what scared him the most - as devious as Annika could be sometimes, he knew that even she had her limits, and messing with something as serious as this wasn’t like her. “Annika, this isn’t funny.”

Charlie stared at the man whose back was now turned to her. His reaction was hurtful, but she had mentally prepared herself for an unfavourable response before coming here and maintained a stoic expression. She knew this was a possibility. Charlie was also level-headed enough to understand that whether it turned out to be good or bad news in the end, the reveal would still be a shock and initial reactions might not always be an accurate representation of one’s true feelings toward a situation. Moving away from the desk, she now crossed her arms, her nails digging into the sleeves of her tracksuit jacket as she squeezed the fabric to keep her emotions under control.

“You can relax, nobody’s asking you for child support.” Perhaps her tone was a little more aggressive than she intended it to be, but the girl shared the same hostile sense of humour that Miguel had. Her first choice when trying to lighten the mood was a nasty comment that might be taken as more of a jab than a joke by some.

---

Charlie: #f3404e
Miguel Murphy: #ffdfb2

[Kami-Gaz]

Annika watched the man’s face, saw the emotions rush through him as he considered everything. The fact that he thought that she could be using this as a joke, to mess with him. No. That was offensive, distrustful. Annika Stratonovski was a prankster and a girl who liked a joke, but she had a heart and family is the one thing she would never mess with. Family meant everything to the young woman. Her eyes narrowed on the man and a hook formed in her hand, the air so cold around it that the metal prongs shed a cold mist as it dangled on the line that came from her hand.

“I.” She started, the word as cold and harsh as a winter in the north blue. “Never.” She spat. “Joke about family, Mister Murphy.” The young woman warned with a chilling bite that shouted to not go there again, or no one will like the result.

Then Charlie brought up her jibe and it snapped the young vigilante out of her cold anger, making her force the hook she had materialised vanish in a cold puff of air. She kept the door closed and walked back over to the seat she had been sat in and sat herself down. This was going to be a right time.

“It’s a lot to have dropped on you… but she said it herself, you don’t actually have to do anything. It’s too late for that. But you can at least cool your temper and get to know her. I’ve seen her for one afternoon and found she is almost a carbon copy of you!” She looked over to Charlie.

“Sorry Chaz, you do have his love for sports. And eyes.”

[Bobbie]

As Annika took his question so negatively, Miguel shrank before her. At least, he would have under any normal circumstances, but right now he was a little preoccupied. If Charlie really was his daughter, and it was perfectly believable that she was, why didn’t her mother ever come to him with that information?

Turning back to look at Charlie as she passed her comment, he continued to consider this. He had a daughter… whose life he had just missed the first 15 or so years of. He felt anger rising within him, anger at Camilla for not telling him - she had no right to keep this a secret from him, and not once did he ever suggest that he wasn’t interested in a life with her. In fact, it was really quite the contrary. Miguel was the one running after her, and Camilla turned him down. Several times if his memory served him well. She was married, it was true, but they truly loved each other… Annika was right, there was no denying that he and this girl were related. Their facial features, mannerisms, eyes, and apparently she loved sports too, these were all characteristics that she must have acquired from his genetics. Also her snarky attitude.

“I didn’t know…” just as Charlie was starting to get worried about his silence, Miguel finally spoke. He sat down again, his gaze lowering to the floor as this news hit him hard. He was still trying to piece together why he was never told, a clear reflection of the gears in his mind turning in his eyes.

Charlie frowned, unsure if she believed that or not, and glanced at Annika as if for confirmation.

Everybody knew she was pregnant, and she claimed it was Edwin’s… everybody believed it, Miguel included. Of course, it would have been a scandal if an officer of his ranking were to be tricked by his wife, cheating on him with another officer in his precinct and of lower status, no less. Miguel sat back in his chair, his elbow on the armrest of the chair and his knuckle pressed against his lip that was being viciously chewed while his eyes were narrowed. There was only one explanation that he could think of - Camilla feared Edwin’s controlling nature and had no other choice but to lie and say it was his. The consequences could have been devastating for her, her child, and probably even for him.

“I’m going to murder that disgusting piece of garbage.” The rage that was now burning in the man’s eyes was unmatched by any frustrations displayed before in the company of Simon and Annika. It even surpassed the blind anger he felt toward Captain Baltimore when both he and Simon were let go.

As Miguel stood, his hands in tight fists, he nearly sent the chair flying, promptly turning to the door and fully intent on killing Sergeant Leissvelt. However, Charlie quickly ran to the door before him, blocking his path.

“You can’t!”

“Don’t tell me you actually give a sh*t about that lying-”

“I don’t!” Charlie immediately spat without a second thought, “But nobody can know that I came here. My mum has no idea either, and if he finds out, he’ll…”

Miguel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The way Charlie couldn’t even finish that sentence was enough to confirm what Miguel had always suspected. Camilla didn’t love Edwin and was now trapped in a toxic, loveless marriage. Perhaps at some point she did, but that fire was snuffed out long ago, most likely by the man’s overbearing need to be in control of everything. The way she dressed, the way she spoke, the food she cooked, perhaps even the air she breathed! Now if Charlie was implying that he lay a hand on her or his daughter, that was the final straw.

“When he finds out, he won’t get the chance to lift a finger…”

Charlie stared at Miguel. His reactions to everything were all so raw and genuine: annoyance at her arrival; nostalgia and sadness at the lost memory in the photo; disbelief and shock at the situation; and now pure rage and anger toward her mother’s husband. They may not have been perfect responses to any of this, but they were genuine, and it made Charlie’s heart ache for what her mother must have had with this man so many years ago… and what she could have experienced in her childhood with such a caring father. However, although she put on a very tough front so far, she was still a child beneath that mask, and her eyes glistened when she began to feel overwhelmed with everything.

She glanced at Annika for help, then sniffled and turned back to Miguel, her eyes now defiant. “He’s a police sergeant, how is somebody as insignificant on the social ladder as you going to pull that off and get away with it?” she retorted, once more hiding behind her nasty, though accurate, comments.

This time, Miguel simply smiled. She is definitely my daughter.

---

Charlie: #f3404e
Miguel Murphy: #ffdfb2

[Kami-Gaz]

Miguel had moved into actually processing the news, having gotten over his denial phase, his whispered words rang so true. In the short time that they had been friends and that bit more where they were frenemies there was no mention of a daughter, or any family outside of just himself and an occasional mention of a mother.

Then came the angry outburst and with a grace and speed Annika had never shown to Miguel or Simon. The young, tattooed vigilante rose from her chair and moved to the door in a quick glide and interposed herself between it and Miguel. As he got to the door she did not budge. The pair had their back and forth, the young woman giving very good arguments and points.

Damn she was good; it brought a smile to the blue lips of Annika. “I can offer something.” Annika spoke, looking at the pair and softening her stance. “My dad has an amazing lawyer… I am sure we can ask him to help with maybe the divorce between your mum and her scumbag husband.” She started with a cruel plan forming in her brain. One of her devious schemes that might just work because of how hairbrained it is.

“All we need to do, is convince her that divorcing for true love is better. If Charlie wants to hang with me more and more, we can play the field and set up a scenario to show her that there is no reason to be with him if we can protect Charlie and you Miguel… are still in love with her whilst showing how detestable that other guy is.” Gears whirred in her head, all her knowledge of theatre and the Pipsi-man plays flashed through her mind… every romantic subplot and storyline being used to formulate this devious plan in her mind. Yes, this could work.

“Then with our lawyers your mum gets full custody of you, and he is truly out on his ass!” In her talk she walked to the pair and with a hand on each of their arms she dragged them to Miguel’s desk and pulled out a piece of blank paper and began to sketch out a diagram. One that indicated how Charlie becoming a genuine friend and hanging at the Stratonovski house with Annika would lure her mum there to pick her up. Seeing her interacting with Miguel and Annika. That would help her mum befriend the Stratonovski parents… who were smart and could be let in on the plan to help solve all of these troubles!

[Bobbie]

Now the attention of both Miguel and Charlie was all on Annika as she put forward her offer to assist. A lawyer was exactly what they needed, although Charlie was well aware that they weren’t of financial status to afford one, not without Edwin’s support. It didn't seem like Annika had any intention of charging them, but she knew it wouldn't sit well with her mother to get a free service. However, she remained silent as Annika continued to explain.

Immediately, it seemed, Annika picked up on the next biggest issue - convincing her mother that divorcing her husband would be the better option. As she sighed, Charlie shook her head lightly.

“My mother is… well, I love her so much, but she’s afraid of change. I think it will take a little more than that to convince her to take this step, even if it is clearly in the right direction.” Now the girl specifically avoided looking at Miguel, whose eyes she could feel harboured all his hatred toward the man whom she was about to mention. “After living with Edwin for so long, she’s…” she shrugged lightly as she got to a difficult part to explain. “He’s not kind to her and she’s just sort of accepted that. It doesn’t make any sense to me, it’s like she believes that she doesn’t deserve better. He made her believe that after years of… the way he treats her.”

Miguel’s jaw was clenched tightly, the shadows cast by his jawline dancing so smoothly as the man was grinding his teeth in absolute rage. He had his gun on his belt and was ready to force Camilla out of that marriage by any means necessary. Edwin would certainly be the last person in all of Water 7 who was worth missing. This was the difference between him and Simon… Simon was really great at colouring within the lines, taking care not to let any colour spill out of the image in a painstakingly slow manner, while Miguel’s work would be filled with scribbles and smudges, shortcuts to fill in the designated area. Both reached the same outcome, the image would always be filled in one way or another, but one was significantly messier than the other… Miguel was quite okay with that mess.

Then Annika’s hand was placed on his arm and the pair were pulled to Miguel’s desk, the movement taking him out of his own spiralling thoughts. “Annika…” he started, letting out a sigh of his own. Miguel, in love… the thought would not have seemed so foreign to him 15 years ago, yet now things were different.

“I’ll do whatever is necessary to get Charlie and her mother away from Edwin, but I haven’t seen Cami in a very long time… we have no guarantee that there’s anything between us that will be enough for this to work.”

This was when Charlie chimed in, “That photo was hidden at the bottom of a jewellery box, does it look like it’s been torn up? It’s in perfect condition as if it were taken yesterday, even after all these years.” Again, she glanced at Annika, afraid that Miguel would back out. “That wouldn’t be the case if there was nothing between you…” as she looked at Miguel once more, her tone was almost as if she was scolding Miguel for saying something incredibly stupid, then her attention went to the diagram that Annika was drawing.

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Charlie: #f3404e
Miguel Murphy: #ffdfb2