Charlotte Petrova/Kaz and Charlie pt. II

KookieCharlie

It had been a few months now and she'd, unwillingly, gotten closer to the family next door. It wasn't in the plan but it happened and she avoided any conversation about her past. It wasn't when she opened the door one day to find a line of armored trucks outside her door that it all came crashing down. In the middle of the trucks was a tinted, black car.

Her head cracked to the side and she stumbled back, having to grab onto the doorframe to steady herself. She deserved that. Her fingertips rested on her cheek, half of her mind reciting how much she deserved it, the other contemplating when Christie got violent and if she'd ever actually slapped her before. What she couldn't do, oh she could hold off the tears, but she'd be damned if she could look Christie in the eyes. No, she kept her eyes on the entourage behind her, "what are you doing here?" She finally asked, "you need to leave right now."

She stumbled back as she felt Christie hug her but was from going far. She didn't reply, her thoughts mixing together. "It doesn't matter," she whispered. How was she going to do this. Leave or go back? She felt her body clench under the idea of going back and gulped.

She jerked herself back, potentially out of her sisters grip and landed back on the threshold of her house. Her hand slipped down onto the door and she wondered if Kaz was back from work. She hoped he wasn't. "Christina...I'm not coming back. And even if you drag me, I'll just leave again so save your efforts."

She doubted that but didn't voice it. She twisted the knob, watching the guards behind her. "I'm perfectly happy here," she replied as if that was an answer. "So, please just...just leave me alone."

"I didn't realise in the past six months you've met my father, let alone loves me. I certainly did not know that," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "I did tell you not to look for me. It's not my fault you didn't listen."

"What did he provide us with? An absent aunt and a forgetful uncle?" She said, rolling her eyes, "no, Christina. This was a waste of time. We both know that. I think you need to move on and maybe accept that I wasn't even meant to exist and we live in different spheres that can *never* overlap. So move on because I have."

She pursed her lips. *Give up, Christie, leave.* "Quite frankly, no I don't and anyway...we were children. Children promise everything and anything but then they grow up."

She looked bored suddenly, "and yet you made it so we were on equal footing. Shouldn't I just be able to order them to not touch me? If I have the same amount as power as you, of course," she replied. Her mind was racing. Surprise. That's all she needed.

"Sorry, I don't really believe you there," she said, still not meeting her eyes, eyeing how she could still get away. "I must confess, isn't ten armored trucks a bit too much? I'd assume one or two, but ten? Bit excessive."

"Who would capture a duchess?" She muttered, "not like anyone knows I exist."

"All the more reason not to come back," she pointed out, finally looking at Christie in the eye, "pull some strings, it's easier for everyone if I stay away. Tell your father you found hanging from the ceiling or something."

She pursed her lip, "I wouldn't fret about that. You'll never know," she replied before slamming the door hard, locking it instantly with both the lock and the chain. With that, she darted out the back door, grabbing her keys to her motorbike and bolted out the back door, heading for the bike.

She stopped for a moment and shot a look over her shoulder, "now is not a good time, Kaz," she said. She needed to go. Now.

"Funny but I'm serious," she said, trying to push past him.

She pursed her lips, "fine, bike it though, you can drive," she replied. The thing will probably flip if his weight was on the back.

She swung her leg over, wrapping her arms around his waist and cast a worried look at the door. She could hear them making their way throught the house. "Hurry."

"Definitely the wrong time," she said, pushing it out through clenched teeth and shifted her arms so they held the bike and not him.

"Now is not the time for sex, Kookie," she snorted. "Maybe in your dreams."

She pursed her lips, wondering if she could convince him to go to the station, "can we go to some bar we haven't gone to?" She asked instead, they probably know the place is something she frequents.

"Well, hurry it up," she replied.

She breathed out in relief and soon they were at the bar and she gazed up at it before pushing inside, drawing her coat closer to her body. Should have grabbed a cap. She headed straight to a booth, where she was well hidden from the cameras and door.

"If I tell you," she said, looking at him seriously, pausing for dramatic effect, "I'll have to kill you."

She hummed, "my name's not Charlotte Anderson, well it is kind of but not really," she said frowning, "it was my uncle's name. My full name is Charlotte Isabelle Petrova."

"Just duchess," she replied as if it was a habit, "definitely not a princess. ut yes, that would be me."

"It wasn't because of being a duchess, it was for a different reason. One you're not privy too," she said, the warning to 'back off' from that topic clear, "it's nothing personal."

"They didn't play an active part in the decision, no," she replied slowly.

"You do realise I'll have to leave now, don't you," she replied, tugging at the sleeves of her jacket. She missed her clothes.

"I expected nothing less," she replied shrugging, "but thank you. For the past few months."

"I did, honestly," she said, "I actually tried to stay away from you. But...it failed."

She smiled back, "I'll try to stay in touch...I don't suppose you could ride me to the train station?"

She stood up, heading back to the bike, expecting him to follow.

Once more, she situated herself behind him, holding onto the bike.

"Give you something to remember me by," she replied, rolling her eyes. She watched the buildings go by, soaking them up. She couldn't help but feel her stomach sink as she reached the station.

"Better not go near my house," she replied, "they'll be pouring through it right now. You can keep the bike." She glanced over her shoulder, "so...I guess this is it."

"You too, kookie," she replied, hesitating for a moment before wrapping her arms around him. Eventually, she pushed him away and stepped back, giving him one last smile before rushing into the crowd. She pushed down to the stations, buying two tickets to two different locations. Soon she was waiting for the train and got ready to leave.

Finally, she heard the train coming and a breath of relief rushed out of her. This was it. She's safe. Safe and gone. This time she'd be more careful, maybe this time she'd go back to Elementrium, the fire kingdom. Would they be able to search for her there? God, she hoped not.

It seemed to take the train an hour to skid to a stop and allow its doors to open and as soon as they did, she darted in, not looking back. Unfortunately, the train was crowded and she could barely find somewhere to fit.

She froze before sneering, her face contorting to a cruel expression, "I don't have to do anything."

She looked over at the guards and paled considerably, trying to push through the crowd.

She got pressed against the wall and her mind went blank. She thought about using her powers even with a number of humans around them. This would certainly give them a different reason to search for her but...it wasn't worth it. Due to the amount of time she spent thinking she felt their hands grab around her arms and she muffled back a scream and began to struggle.

She spat at her face. "Go to hell," she growled kicking at the guards.

"Neither did I, but here we are," she snapped, trying to ignore the curious glances of the humans around them.

She looked at her, sagging. There was no point in arguin now. She'd lost. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore," she replied, before turning to look out the window.

She bit down on her lip, stopping herself from crying. "It's not about trust. I asked you to come with me. I practically begged and...I get I left earlier than I promised but the situation changed."

"Then don't compromise with me," she said, finally looking at her, "because I'm not going to tell you.'

She purses her lips, forcing herself not to say the first cruel thing that entered her head. "What's going to happen now?" She asked, thinking through pathways she could run away once more. Better someplace they won't expect it. An event perhaps. Maybe she could throw a welcome back party.

She froze before whipping her head over to stare at her, "*what*?" She asked, not able to say anything more for a while but continued to stare at her with furrowed eyebrows. "You did..." she breathed out, "I'll tell the truth. I'll accept the punsihment. God knows I deserve it." She bit her tongue, not meaning to say that.

"Why? What are they going to do?" She asked, rubbing her wrists, "throw me in jail? Lock away the key?"

*Maybe someone should discipline her. A slap on the wrist everytime she looks at another man.* She didn't say it but she wanted to. "No wonder you want me back," she said, "stop you from getting in trouble for lying."

*Good idea, Charlie, let's piss your only ally off. Another great choice.* She rubbed her temples, "I don't think there ever was a period of time where we got to know each other. Unless you count the time in the womb as that period."

She didn't say anything for a moment not thinking of what else to say before finally conceding, "I have a plan. What if I fake my death? Then both of us are saved!" She nodded, "suicide's a simple one. Or if we need someone to blame it, we could just point out some fire knight. They usually don't like us. Say he killed me or chucked me off a cliff."

She slowly closed her mouth, knowing she'd crossed a line just by the use of her full name. It made her skin prickle whenever someone said it but it was worse coming from Christie's lips. "Alright, alright, I'll shut up."

"Enjoy it while it lasts," she muttered without malice, turning to look out the window again. "How are we even getting back?" She asked, "are we just driving Prague?" Charlie was never one to sit in silence.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said instantly, "it's not like someone moved into my room...what did happen to my room? I left my whole life in there. Please tell me you didn't sell it all. Dear lord, if someone moved into my room then I'm sure the academy can just put me into another dorm. It's really no big deal." Charlie was, of course, was oblivious to the real meaning as half of her mind was still watching Prague until it clicked. "Oh, oh right," she breathed out, glancing at Christie, "that, I suppose, is to be expected. Are we having seperate beds?"

"And when you say roommates, do you mean like dorm roommates so seperate rooms?" She pressed. She didn't really care for Christie if she was across the hall.

She gave her a tight-lipped smile, "of course."

"It was a smart move, I'd take responsability for it," she commented, "must have been terrible, though." Her sarcasm obvious. "I liked my room too. It had a door leading out to a pool."

She looked at her once more, "you stayed in my room? Just for the pool? I did not give you permission to do that," she said, her jaw going slack, "please tell me you didn't touch–oh please tell me you touched my wardrobe, I left everything nice behind so please. Please tell me you used it for the greater good."

"Mourning insinuates the other person's dead," she murmured before grimacing, "god, what a waste. I knew I should have inserted instructions on how to dress yourself properly. It's like I left you a bag full of gold and you chose a piece of copper."

She bit her lip. She left the clothes behind to leave herself behind. She heard identity was only created by context. She thought if she left everything she loved then she could start anew but...it turned out they were just sitting there. Her identity waiting for her to pick up once more. "I'm so, so sorry," she breathed out, "it wasn't my..." she trailed off, because she couldn't say it wasn't her intention to leave her because it kind of was. She did leave her. Willingly. *I didn't let you come with me because I didn't want you to ask.*She rubbed her lips together, "I didn't think...it wasn't planned. I didn't think it through." Half truth but half lie.

Thats because she actually started enjoying herself in Prague but she would never concede to that. "Yes, well, I'm stubborn."

She shrugged, "yes, well, the more you know. What have you been doing, though?" She asked, "other than oh-so-frantically looking for me. How's school?"

She stared at her for a moment, "you...idiot...I told you to..." she trailed off before beginning to kick her. "Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot."

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"Chris! Why didn't you ask Chris!" She growled, "I told you not to do anything stupid."

"Surely he would have done it in his years there," she pressed, kicking her one last time before settling back, crossing her arms over her chest, "or invest in a tutor."

"Lady parts," she repeated with a snort, "whatever, I suppose we both will be getting each other up to speed."

She hummed, looking back out to the disappearing buildings, "it was a good place, you know," she replied, "I even learnt how to swear in Czech."

"Ty kurva," she declared which roughly translated to "f\*\*k you". "I learnt them from a guy at a pub."

"He was some biker with a bushy white beard, I think he wanted to sleep with me but I left before anything happened," she lied. "Had an early shift the next day."

"Who knows, I could have a Santa claus kink," she joked.

She flashed a grin but it was quickly gone. This line of conversation had brought Kaz up and her stomach had sunk. She'd miss that guy. Once more, she turned her back on Christie to look out the window.

"Nothing, just...I'll miss this place," she replied. She'd suppose this place became one and the same with Kaz.

She made a face as she though to the two girls she'd met here, "unless you think listening to someone talk about poems continuously counts as gossip?" She asked. She didn't hate Alek but she never expected to know what a stanza was.

"A few here and there," she replied. Which was true, just because she was friends with Kaz didn't mean she committed herself to him. "Flings really."

"Why would I be friends with men? That is so not their purpose," she drawled. She was joking, of course. "But I befriended some, I guess? Hard not to, this place is very close knit."

"Knew I should have gone somewhere more remote," she grumbled,

"I should have gone to the Australian desert, you would never have looked there," she mused, "maybe I should have moved around too."

"Be elated for the both of us then," she replied before huffing, "are we nearly there yet?"

Ten more minutes. "Fine," she replied, twisting around to stare at the city in its entirety.

Ten minutes drifted by and soon they entered a deserted factory, if it wasn't for a small group of soldiers surrounding someone, who was pressed onto the ground, his cheek against dirt. She frowned as she saw them, "what's that?"

She knew who it was as soon as the guards stepped away. Kaz. She looked at him briefly then towards her sister then the guards. "He didn't. You've made a mistake," she replied, her words tumbling over themselves, "he saved me. The kidnapper had...had me locked in a cell underground and...as this man's a mechanic, he had come over to fix the kidnapper's car and heard me scream. He got me out a few," she paused, "weeks ago and let me stay in his house as I recovered." She let herself look down at Kaz again, praying he wasn't seriously heard.