Time Warp: Home For Christmas (Charlie)

[Connor Anderson]

December, 2014

Connor was part excited, part nervous about going home for Christmas. It was only a week, which wasn’t a lot of time, but he was looking forward to it nonetheless. He’d missed his parents, his brother, and of course the farm and the horses. He’d slowly gotten used to sleeping past four or five am at school, and his parents had already told him that he was mostly off the hook for chores during the visit.

He suspected that a large part of that was due to the fact he was bringing a guest. After talking to his parents about it, them making sure it was okay with Charlie’s parents, and endless promises and threats aimed at his big brother, Connor had officially invited Charlie to meet his family and see their farm for Christmas.

His parents had paid for their plane tickets, as a flight under two hours was vastly more kind than a fifteen hour drive, and the moment they had touched down, Connor had felt a rush of anxiety and excitement in the pit of his stomach. He’d spent the whole flight telling Charlie about the farm, his parents, and making promises that whatever Curtis said was likely going to be a terrible, dirty lie. Why? Because that’s what big brothers do.

As it was just a short visit, Connor had only brought a carry on bag with him, though he’d been more than willing to wait if Charlie had brought something larger. Once they were organized, bags in tow, he steeled what courage he had and offered his hand to Charlie before heading out into the terminal.

Unsurprisingly, his mother was the one to pick them up. Lindsey beamed when she spotted the two of them and waved happily. “Over here, Connor! Charlie! Hello!” Typical mom, she was quick to treat Charlie just like one of the family already. Connor was just relieved that it was her and not Curtis that had come.

“Hey, Mom.” Connor grinned and hugged her tight, realizing just how much he’d missed her.

“How was the flight? Was everything okay? Sona’s all settled back in Vermont? UGH I’ve missed you, mister. You’ve grown again, too. You’re going to be taller than me, soon.” Her tone was playful as she turned her attention to Charlie, not even waiting for answers out of her son from her question bombardment. “Welcome to Lexington, Charlie! Connor’s said so much about you, and we’re so happy you came. We’ve got everything set up for you, and we’ve made Curtis promise to be on his best behaviour.” At that, she caught Connor’s eye and gave him a reassuring smile, which made him relax a little. Maybe this was going to be okay.

[Charlotte Greene]

If Connor had been nervous and excited, Charlie had been warring with herself not to literally explode. An entire week. With Connor and his family.. No school, no curfews, no gender-segregated dorms, no PDA rules.. er.. okay, so maybe they wouldn't be able to sleep in the same room.. and maybe PDAs wouldn't leave the best impression ever.. But it was still a WHOLE WEEK on Connor's farm! How freakin great was that?

There had been a minor issue or two. Namely a mom and a dad. Charlie's. Who didn't have a ton to do with her until something great was happening like this. Then they were all curious and cautious and weird. At least that meant they cared a little, right? Or, of course they cared but.. well.. Not the same as Uncle James had.

Not only had Charlie managed to convince her parents that she needed to go, but the other issue that may have caused a problem - getting there - was solved even easier. Connor's parents had money and Charlie had graciously accepted a plane ticket as her Christmas gift from her future in-laws. Er, um.. from her.. uh.. boyfriend's parents. She'd cried tears of joy for nearly half an hour and made Connor swear not to tell. And then told him afterward that if he thought it would make his parents understand how thankful she was, that he could tell them. But only if she wasn't around. Because they didn't need to see her glow from blushing.

The time had flown by after things had been made official and seemingly the next day Charlie found herself on a plane next to Connor hearing everything he could think of about the farm and the family and Charlie simply clutched his arm and stared and smiled with big, happy, glisteny eyes the whole time. She loved listening to Connor talk. She especially loved listening to him talk when it was actually to her.. for her benefit. But she could listen to him talk even to Sona for hours on end.

Charlie's bag was carry-on as well. A backpack. Because she didn't have luggage.. because this had been the first time she'd ever been on a plane and.. she didn't have luggage. Fortunately, she did know how to pack for a camping trip. She managed to fit a dozen outfits into that backpack with room left over for a few other necessities. If asked, she'd say the key was to roll up one's clothes as tight as possible so they took less space. What had Charlie worn on the plane? Well of course her orange, plaid, and denim that she'd become so fond of since she'd started spending time at the stable with Connor. Also orange socks. And an orange hair band. Because orange was Connor's favorite color.. and even more than usual he was her favorite person ever right now.

Finally they were off the plane and went hand-in-hand through the terminal. Charlie spotted Lindsey almost before Connor did, but when the woman called her name she very nearly tripped over her own feet. She was prettier than any of the pictures she'd seen could hope to explain, and everything about her seemed to wonderful and strong and... and this was going to be the best holiday ever.

Though, once Connor's question bombardment and hug were over and Charlie was welcomed, she only managed to eek out "Thank you so, so, so much for having me." Then she nearly leaped forward to give this beautiful being that had brought Connor into the world a hug. A hug of relief, a hug of intense gratitude, a hug that proved to Charlie that she was real and she was really here, and one that would give Charlie a moment to get her composure locked down.. because she didn't need Lindsey seeing her cry the first two minutes she'd officially known her.

A few moments later would leave a very blushy Charlie trying very hard not to stare at the floor with her arms wrapped around Connor's arm and almost hiding behind him. "Sorry, I've been looking forward to meeting you and everyone for a long time.. It's so wonderful to be here. Thank you so, so much."

[Connor Anderson]

Connor wasn’t too worried about his parents and Charlie, thankfully. He’d talked about her enough over Skype, on the phone, and by email that he knew both of his parents were happy to meet her, and even host her for the week. It was Curtis he was worried about. Not that he thought his older brother would be outright mean to their guest – he knew better than that. But this was the same brother that delighted in rubber spiders in beds and the like. Not to mention he was easily armed with all kinds of stories from when they were little that he could unleash on Charlie at any point in time.

That was why he had begged, pleaded, and tried bribing Curtis into behaving, just for a week. One itty bitty, tiny week. Though his brother had reluctantly agreed the last time they’d talked, Connor still got the feeling he needed to keep an eye on him.

With the brother hurdle somewhat jumped, and once Charlie’s parents were on board, it had been a hell of a wait to actually finish classes and leave. Sona had been left a few things in his tack box for Christmas, and after saying his goodbyes to his coworkers at Lahja’s farm, as well as Lahja herself, he’d thrown himself into final preparations for the trip.

In an effort to look somewhat presentable to his parents, Connor had ended up in a pair of jeans that, surprise surprise, weren’t ripped, relatively clean sneakers, and a blue and green plaid button up t-shirt over a plain dark green t-shirt. If his mother’s face said anything about it, she clearly approved. Granted, she was used to seeing him in dirt and sweat stained shirts, thoroughly beat up jeans, and muck boots. Seeing her son looking less like a stable hand and more like a clean human being probably made for a nice change. Lindsey couldn’t count the amount of time’s she’d had to go chasing her youngest son down prior to getting on the school bus to change out of his dirty barn clothes.

Charlie’s hug were met with only minor surprise before Lindsey Anderson folded her arms around the slight girl and returned it firmly. “Oh, honey, we’re happy to have you.” As tough a businesswoman as she could be, Lindsey was incredibly soft around her family, and it was clear that Charlie had been more or less accepted into her family. Connor had never worried about bringing friends home prior to attending Hammel, because he knew his mother would be welcoming like this. Quietly, he was smiling to himself and thrilled things were going well.

Once the hug was over and Connor’s arm taken hostage, Lindsey just smiled brightly at the two teenagers. “Well, I’ve got the truck ready to go. Curtis is back home doing some training with your Dad, but they know you’re on your way, so they should be wrapped up pretty quickly.” Connor nodded, glad that at least for a little while, Curtis might be out of the way.

“He’s a really great jockey,” Connor murmured to Charlie as they headed out of the terminal to the outside world.

“Just don’t tell him that,” Lindsey said with a little smile. “That boy’s ego doesn’t need any more help.” Connor grinned. This was what he’d missed. He knew that his mother didn’t really mean it. She supported both her sons, no matter what they were attempting.

“Yeah, don’t say it, or he’ll be strutting around the farm like a peacock.” Or worse, trying to flirt with Charlie like a big creep. Connor was going to do anything in his power to keep his brother from being weird like that.

The crew cab truck they arrived at was a dark blue, and clearly well looked after despite its’ farm life. On the side was simply the farm logo, with Copperpond scripted above, and Stables written below. It was one of those things that Connor had seen a thousand times, and only now realized that he missed.

“Charlie? Can I take your bag hon?” Lindsey smiled at her young guest and offered one hand out while she unlocked the truck with the other. Inside it was freshly cleaned, though a few spare saddle cloths were thrown into the backseat. “And Connor, just shove those over, would you? Curtis threw them in here the other day and they haven’t made it into the laundry just yet.”

“Yeah, Mom.” Connor pushed them off to one side before climbing in and offering his hand to Charlie. “Ready to see the farm?”

[Charlotte Greene]

The walk to the truck was one that was relatively quiet on the outside, but so loud on the inside that Charlie was worried a few times that she may have missed questions or conversation. So many things were running through her head and none of them could quite stick well enough for her to understand them. Until they got to the truck, anyway. The logo, the crew cab, the faint smell of farm, the way Connor's expression changed juuust a little. This was part of home. This was the first part of the home Charlie wanted so desperately to be a part of. This truck and the blankets still in the back seat were as close to magic as Charlie had ever experienced.

"Huh? --Oh! Yes Ma'am!" Charlie had been so caught up in the thoughts of her journey and her hopes that she really almost had missed a question. She handed Lindsey her orange and black backpack with a nod of appreciation and watched Connor hop up into the truck.. staying back for just a moment and glancing from Connor to Lindsey and back. "We, um.. we're okay to sit next to each other?"

It didn't occur to Charlie that walking hand-in-hand through the airport, sitting next to each other on the plane on the way here, not to mention all the cuddling at Hammel, hugging and keeping super close and sitting next to or on each other in the airports was okay, so sitting in the back seat together aught to be fine.. No, now she had someone to leave an impression on... And had to make sure that everything was okay once before she did it. Yes, she'd just walked up to Lindsey holding Connor's hand.. and then hugged her without invitation.. and then held onto Connor's arm like a teddy bear in front of her.. but Charlie was excited, nervous, and.. well.. a touch overwhelmed and perhaps as much over-accomodating.

Assuming there was some sort of silly or serious reply that basically confirmed that it was, indeed, okay, Charlie would hop right into the truck next to Connor. She'd never realized before how much getting into a tall 4x4 truck was like getting on a horse, but after she'd gotten onto Sona as much as she had recently, getting into a truck felt so natural it almost surprised her. Charlie had... never been in a truck before. Her parents both owned smaller cars and her uncle owned a slightly bigger sedan.. Even her recruiter had driven a 4-door sedan. So being in a truck was new. Though she immediately and immensely approved of the clean smell combined with the un-deniable smell of farm life. She very much liked trucks despite never having been in one before.

"I'm so ready! I can hardly wait! Is it nicer than the stable where you keep Sona? Bigger? Do I get to meet the whole family today or just the humans?" Once again Charlie's arms were clutched around Connor's.. She was basically so excited that she needed to be touching something familiar in order to remind herself that she wasn't dreaming..

And then her reality came to a screeching halt as a twinge of pain sparked across her back. One she knew was only going to get worse as the day wore on. "We.. didn't really.. fully discuss.. my, um.. my wings."

[Connor Anderson]

Connor had the notion that he would no longer be taking parts of everyday life for granted. Just seeing the truck now, just that tiny piece of home, made him realize that. As much as he’d thought of himself as weird for missing home as much as he did at Hammel, especially those first few months, it was just was weird to be so relieved to be back now. Hell, he was even excited, if anxious, about seeing Curtis. Sure, they’d Skyped, but this was different.

Lindsey smiled brightly at Charlie and took her bag, placing it in the empty front seat for her. “No need for formality here,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Lindsey’s just fine.” She got enough of being called ma’am or Mrs Anderson at the tracks. At home, casual suited everyone just fine. As for the question, she shook her head. Connor had said she was a sweet girl, and Lindsey was positive he was right. “Of course you are, hon. It’d be cruel not to let you.” That was punctuated by a wink directed at Connor, which made him both blush and cringe slightly. Moms. All the same.

Once both teens were belted in and settled, Lindsey fired up the truck and pulled out of the airport parking lot, heading for the farm. It was a good half hour away, but the drive was pretty once they got out of the city. Urban scenery slowly turned to rural, with lots of green land whipping by the windows. She didn’t bother to give a guided tour, leaving most of that to Connor and allow Charlie time to settle in.

Connor grinned at Charlie’s enthusiasm, trying to answer questions as they came. “It’s bigger than Lahja’s farm, yeah, but that’s mostly because we have our practice track, too, so it’s a lot of land. I wouldn’t say nicer, but... different?” That was mostly out of loyalty to his boss. “You can meet the horses, yeah. We can probably take some of the older horses out, if you want. Or Flynn. He’s pretty much bombproof, all the stuff we pulled with him when we were kids, and he’s not huge. Way better behaved than Sona.” Flynn was a trooper, if nothing else, though he had graduated from teaching the Anderson boys to ride to babysitting weanlings and yearlings, teaching the young Thoroughbreds manners.

He was busy thinking about the fun they might have when Charlie seemed to tense beside him. Looking over at her, he realized what the problem was when she spoke. Right. Wings. It was Connor’s turn to look a little awkward. “Weelll.... I... kind of told my parents that you’re meta too, and your power is flying with wings.” Being that Connor was the first in a long time in his family to have an active meta gene, his parents had been a little surprised at first, naturally, but they’d come around to it. Curtis too, though he’d asked all kinds of questions that Connor hadn’t wanted to answer. “They’re okay with it. Curtis too, but if he says anything stupid, you totally have permission to smack him.” It was only fair, after all. “But it’ll be fine,” he assured. “You can have them out if you need to, promise.” With that, he squeezed her hand lightly in reassurance.

After what seemed like forever, the truck turned off the road and headed up a long driveway that led to a fairly large ranchhouse at the end of it. In the field either side, glossy Thoroughbreds grazed on the grass below a light dusting of snow. Connor stared out the windows, identifying those he knew with a smile. It was good to be home.

After the truck pulled to a stop, Connor all but threw off his belt to scramble out, once Charlie let go, and breathed in the farm air. It was familiar smell of grass, hay, dirt, and horse he’d missed. Yes, Lahja’s was similar, but this was home, and he couldn’t wait to show Charlie.

[Charlotte Greene]

Charlie hadn't really noticed any reaction from Lindsey when Connor had reassured her about her wings.. She figured that the lack of a huge negative reaction was a positive, but she would admit if asked (by Connor and only Connor) that she'd hoped for some sign or reassurance from her maybe-someday mother-in-law. Indifference was okay.. a roll of the eyes and a grin would have been better.. But Charlie would just... let them out sparingly. Or so she'd imagined.

By the time they'd gotten up the driveway and Connor had scrambled out of the truck, Charlie's nerves had started to get the better of her and she'd failed at really relaxing her back.. Connor, of course, had seen her wings plenty of times.. but there were no pictures of her with them out.. So Lindsey, even if she'd gotten a description, had doubtlessly never seen them before. "Uh, Mrs. An-- sorry, Lindsey? I, um.. The, uh.. --Can you tell me if I'm going to scare your horses or employees?" And she shook her shoulders slightly as a huge pair of butterfly-like wings sprouted and grew from her back through the conveniently placed slits in her clothing..

Charlie desperately wanted to not worry about this.. and she'd already made up her mind that after this moment she wouldn't. Either it was okay and she could be more comfortable, or it wasn't and she would deal with it. Maybe Connor would be willing to help her out with the occasional backrub. Charlie simply couldn't risk being on anyone's bad side here. She didn't just crave their acceptance, she needed it. If she wasn't good enough for Connor's family, she wasn't good enough for him and she had never wanted anything in her life more than to be good enough for Connor..

So there she stood next to a truck.. door still open, hand clutching the handle.. staring up at Lindsey with a face that was embarrassed and eyes that were horrified, but a jaw that was determined and complimented by a balled left fist. Was the afraid of the thought of it not being okay for her wings to be out? Of course.. The thought of how little sleep she might get, the pain she'd have to walk around in every day.. but if that's what it took, she would manage it and no one - maybe not even Connor - would know.

Of course, this was all likely unnecessary.. as the chances were good that after a moment of wide-eyed wonder, Lindsey would say something to the tune of 'Aw, they're so pretty!' or 'Wow, thats neat' or even 'Bigger than I thought, but you should be okay' or at least 'Well, you'll have to be careful around the horses and we'll have to let everyone know what's going on first'.. But Charlie was prepared for bad news and she was bound and determined that she was going to be everything anyone could want for Connor while she was here. She had to.

[Connor Anderson]

Lindsey was doing her best to make Charlie feel as welcome and at home as possible during her stay. Connor had talked to his parents at length about it, and her wings had been included in the discussion. As such, the staff at the farm were aware, and unless the horses spooked in a dangerous manner, she would be welcome to keep them out as much as she wanted or needed to. When the question came up in the back seat, Lindsey trusted her son to answer, but if Charlie had questions, she could answer them.

She watched in amusement as Connor practically threw himself from the vehicle. Apparently he’d missed home more than she’d originally expected. Watching him didn’t last long, though. Charlie’s question gained her full attention, and a motherly smile quickly took over as she finally saw the wings. “Oh, Charlie! They’re lovely.” Despite Connor being the first in a while within the family, the Andersons were no strangers to metahumans. Several staff members had various powers, and the horses had all adapted fine to the physical powers so far. “Don’t worry about the staff, alright? Some of them are metahumans as well, and they were told well in advance about the visit. If anyone says anything, you can come right to me though, all right?” She offered a warm smile to the girl. She really was sweet. “As for the horses, we try to expose them to as much as possible so they’ll grow up to be calm in unfamiliar situations. They might spook a little at first, but they’ll come around. Don’t worry, okay? Just be yourself.” She didn’t want her to worry for her entire stay.

Connor finally clued back into reality, turning back to take Charlie’s hand again. “It’ll be okay, Charlie. Promise!” He squeezed her hand gently, looking utterly content.

A loud whoop followed by thundering hooves effectively shattered his bubble of contentment. Inside and out, Connor cringed and dared to peek over his shoulder. Sure enough, Curtis was cantering up with a grin on his face that made every single one of Connor’s defenses want to creep up. He’d promised to be nice. That meant he’d stick to it, right? Connor recognized the horse as Shining Star – the one that had been the catalyst for him becoming a Hammel student in the first place. Once he got closer, Curtis slowed the filly to a trot, circling around the truck. Not far behind, Connor could see his father aboard a horse he didn’t recognize.

“Is this your giiiiirlfriend, Connor?” Curtis flashed a knowing grin as he halted the bay filly in front of them. “She’s pretty cute. Hey, Charlie. Ever dated a jockey?” Connor shot him a scathing look.

“Knock it off, Curtis,” he grumbled at the same time both of his parents spoke his name in a scolding manner. The elder Anderson brother just smirked and dismounted smoothly, looping Star’s reins around his arm.

“Just being friendly,” he said innocently. “I like your wings.” Connor just eyed his brother carefully. Just because he was older didn’t mean he got to do this kind of stuff.

“How about you go cool Star off, and then visit,” Clarke said in his usual firm manner. “Properly, this time. Walk her out and spray her down before putting her away.” With a little sigh and a wave, Curtis nodded and led the filly away. Once Curtis was gone, Clarke looked down at Charlie and gave her a small welcoming nod. “Welcome to the farm, Charlie. We’re glad to have you.” The tall chestnut horse he was riding stretched out his neck to sniff the newcomers, curiosity all over his face. With Curtis gone, Connor finally relaxed a little.

“Sorry about Curtis,” he murmured to her, reaching out to touch the soft muzzle. “He just likes to show off.” Hopefully, she hadn’t taken offense to it.

[Charlotte Greene]

If relief had a taste, Charlie was feeling enough of it that Connor, Lindsey, and every horse within about fifty yards would be tasting it and nothing but it. For the next half-hour or so. She looked like she'd been holding her breath, too. "Okay, Mrs-- Sorry, Lindsey. Just please, please tell me if I'm scaring any of the horses and don't notice. --And that goes for anyone else here, too. I don't want to scare anybody, not bipeds, not quadrupeds, not ungulates." Speaking of ungulates, a whoop caught everyone's attention and Charlie spun around, subconsciously moving to take Connor's hand in her own.

What was perhaps funny, if Lindsey and/or Clark payed attention, was that as much as it seemed that Charlie was seeking comfort and protection from Connor, her positioning and her wings meant the was also providing quite a bit of it as well. Because it was hard not to pick up on how nervous Curtis made Connor.. mostly in relation to Charlie herself. If anything, Curtis was the person Charlie was least worried about during the holiday because she'd already decided to irritate the crap out of him by simultaneously being smarter than him and by acting completely daft at the same time.. ignoring all of his flirtiness or smartassery or jeers at Connor. --Okay, maybe not all of them but the vast majority.

Since nobody else answered when he asked questions, Charlie did. "Yes, thank you, yes, Connor seems like a wonderful jockey to me, and I do, too." She fluttered her wings briefly, still tucked in close to Connor, fingers of her hands intertwined with his. Of course, before any more real conversation could happen, a very firm voice was completely diffusing the situation.. and satisfactorily adding a bit of insult to injury in giving instructions that a 'good jockey' aught not to need to hear. Charlie couldn't help but grin despite herself as Curtis sighed and lead the horse away. "Oh, thank you very much, Mr. Anderson. The pleasure is all mine, Sir, and don't hesitate for a minute to put me to work if there's something I can help with. Connor has taught me a lot." She gave his arm a little squeeze as he apologized for his older brother and Charlie grinned some more.

"Don't you worry about him. Even if he decided not to be on his best behavior, we'll have some fun with him." Clearly she hadn't been offended.. In fact, her wings were fluttering a little in what seemed like anticipation. --Alternately, that anticipation might be because there was a very curious stallion sniffing at her.. and fully winged Charlie slowly and gently reached up to present the horse with her hand.. which, if it didn't seem to mind, would then to go work patting his nose and rubbing his neck. Charlie liked horses. It was a wonder that Connor hadn't taken video of her and Sona to send back home. He could probably win bets. Maybe some other horses here would like her, too.

[Connor Anderson]

Lindsey smiled at Charlie and gently waved her hand in a vague dismissal of Charlie’s worries. “We’ll tell you, but don’t worry so much, okay? The horses will get over it.” As long as the yearlings didn’t start a stampede and hurt themselves, it would be okay. If she was around the pastures and the stables, she expected that Connor would be with her, and he’d be able to recognize potential trouble before it arose.

As much as Charlie seemed intent on protecting him, Connor was equally invested in protecting her. His brother was well capable of being lewd when the mood struck, and he’d proved in the past that showing off was a priority whenever Connor had friends over, female or otherwise. Today was clearly no exception, despite promises otherwise.

Sure enough, Curtis chuckled as he held Shining Star in place, shaking his head. “Connor wishes he was a jockey.” Unlike his brother, who still simply helped exercise the horses, Curtis had actually made racing them a job. It was something he liked to lord over his little brother when he could. Usually, that meant when their parents weren’t around to stop him. The brothers were close, but Curtis still got a kick out of teasing his brother from time to time. “Just being able to ride doesn’t make him a jockey, but don’t you worry. I’ll teach you what does.” Of course, before he could go further he was sent off by his father, effectively squashing whatever progress he’d made in charming Connor’s new girl. Sigh.

Glad that Curtis was gone for the time being, Connor relaxed slightly and let his grip on Charlie’s hand loosen a little. He was even grateful that his dad was being oddly talkative. By nature, his father was usually a fairly quiet man. His mother was the talker in the family. His father seemed equally pleased with Charlie’s response. “Well, we might just do that.”

“Oh Clark, no. They’re here to relax, not to work.” Lindsey stepping in, but the little smile on her husband’s face made her stop. “What? What are you up to?”

“Well, we might have a few early foals to socialize,” he started with a look at Connor. “Connor can show you what to do. He’s been helping with them since he was barely out of diapers.”

“Daaaad,” Connor moaned, color streaking across his cheeks while his parents just laughed. Still, brand new foals were lots of fun to play with. Trying to ignore his parents, he stroked the muzzle that was now gently brushing against Charlie’s hand. Hedging a subject change, he looked up at his father. “I don’t recognize this one. Who is he?” Lindsey was the one to answer, mostly because Clark was turned in the saddle to ensure Curtis was actually doing as he’d been told instead of giving the young mare off to one of the stable hands.

“His name’s Malibu Hurricane. We bought him over the summer. He’s been a good racer so far, and we thought it was high time we get more studs around here. We love Blitz’s lines, but Malibu has some good blood too to give a little more variety. He’s surprisingly gentle, too.” She smiled and laid her hands on the stallion’s neck. He didn’t even budge, simply leaning his neck slightly against her touch. “Anyway, you can take your things in and get settled, then go see the stables if you want. Clark’s right – we have two foals so far, and a couple others on the way sooner rather than later. You can do whatever you want until dinner. We even got Flynn brushed out so he looks a little less... yeti-like.” Connor smiled and squeezed Charlie’s hand.

“Is that okay with you? Put our stuff away and then go see the barns?” It might be his home, but he wanted Charlie to be comfortable too.

[Charlotte Greene]

"Malibu Hurricane... I like it." The horse's name didn't exactly describe his apparently gentle nature, but somehow it fit.. A hurricane wasn't always bad.. It was often a force of change.. A thing that brought family and friends together.. reminded people what was important, what was worthwhile.. Charlie gave a firm and gentle nod. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hurricane. I hope that we see lots of each other while I'm here. Maybe if you like me, you could even take me for a ride.." Sure, likely wishful thinking.. but then here she was.. At Connor's family's farm.. She'd already had one wish granted, why not keep on wishing?

Of course.. then foals got mentioned... and Charlie lit up and nearly started hovering. "Baby horses?? !!!" She gave Connor's arm a squeeze and bounced on the balls of her feet. She was going to get to play with baby horses! Big horses were awesome.. and little horses were bound to be at least as awesome! Best vacation ever! On the first day!

Suffice it to say that Lindsey and Clark May have been impressed by Charlie's apparent strength as she basically dragged Connor to the house at a near jog. "Yes! Yes it is okay! Where does stuff go lets go play with the babies! And Flynn!" And everything else, if Charlie's current energy level was any indication. Perhaps never before had a pixie managed to wear a cellular regenerator out, but Charlie was looking like she just might do it.. And all the while images floated through her mind of later that night, both of them tired and happy.. sitting near a fireplace content just to be in each other's company after a home-cooked meal.. Charlie had helped clean up despite it being insisted that she didn't need to, and she'd managed to get the whole family laughing at Curtis....

Of course, she was getting ahead of herself. She hadn't even seen the inside of the house yet. Or Connor's room.. Where she wasn't entirely sure if she'd be sleeping... But boy did she hope it was. --Not to do anything inappropriate.. She and Connor were both mature enough not to go there.. but she would love to spend an entire night cuddled up with him.

[Connor Anderson]

Malibu gently nudged at Charlie, clearly hoping for treats, or at least some more rubs. As stallions went, he really was quite gentle. Connor knew there would have been a lot of research into his lines, both backwards and forwards to his current offspring. His parents always looked for sound horses, as well as good temperaments. Clearly this one would have ticked all the right boxes. Connor stepped beside her to pat his neck while his parents looked on. They seemed pleased with Charlie's responses so far. Even Clark had a little smile as he gently reminded Malibu not to beg with a gentle flex of the reins.

As the conversation changed from the new stallion to the foals, Connor grinned and looked up at her. "Yeah, we can play with the babies. They need to learn to be nice to people." Maybe her wings would even be an asset. The less they learned to fear now, the less work would have to go into training them to accept things later.

Lindsey waved in amusement as the two teenagers started towards the house, giving Clark a knowing look before sending both him and Malibu back off towards the stables with a pat on Malibu's neck and Clark's leg. She trusted Connor to sort them out as she headed back to the house as well. She had dinner preparation to start.

Connor followed Charlie to the house, laughing in an almost breathless way. "Okay, okay, yes, we're going. Hold on!" Still laughing, he moved ahead to get the door for her. His mother had already told him about the sleeping arrangements. The house was by no means small, and had room to spare. Lindsey had already made up one of the guest rooms for Charlie, but she didn't exactly expect her to stay there. They were teenagers, after all.

"Okay, so, uhhhh..." Color dusted Connor's cheeks. This was the first time he'd ever really brought a girlfriend over, and though he'd already told her in a roundabout way that his family was kind of sort of well off... well... the house generally did a good job saying it too. It was large and open, with a spacious living room to the right, and a large, open kitchen to the left. Connor gave Charlie a quick tour before heading upstairs to the bedrooms. At the very end of the hall was his parents' room, which neither he nor Curtis went into out of respect, but the rest of the rooms were fine. His mother's office, one of the four bathrooms in the house... Curtis' room... and finally, the last two facing each other in the hall before veering off to parental territory.

"Sooo... this one's my room." Connor pushed the door open, smiling because it was just how he left it, albeit tidier than he remembered. The walls were a vibrant orange, and he had a faded border near the top of the wall with horses frolicking. Several models sat on his desk, and a large bed took up most of the room. His favorite spot was by the window. His mother had made him some cushions to set into the window seat, and he'd spent ages there when he was younger reading and practicing card tricks. "And then across the hall is the room my mom did for you." He leaned over to push the door of that room open as well. It was bright, and though it was more or less impersonal in terms of decor, his mother had done her best to make it look homey. There was a bright afghan blanket spread across the bed, and an old, but clean, teddy bear Connor recognized as... his.

Dammit, Mom.

"So, um, yeah, we can just drop our stuff and go back out again, if you want. Or we can explore a little more... what do you want to do, Charlie?" Being home was nice, but he was also a little flustered now. What would Charlie think of all this? Was it too much? Were his parents trying too hard? He didn't know.

[Charlotte Greene]

When Connor finally had Charlie in the front door.. after his hesitation.. she simply stopped and her shoulders went a bit limp. "It's.. so pretty.. And so big! And so nice! And it smells good in here and it feels like there's so much good and love....." She slowly panned from the living room to the kitchen, taking in as many details as her eyes and nose would allow. It felt so right in here.. And this was a very, very nice house, too.. During her quick tour, Charlie couldn't help herself.. she touched almost everything that was within arm's reach. The walls, the furniture, the doors, the cabinets.. just lightly drug her fingertips across things, getting a feel for all of it, proving to herself it was real and she was really, actually here. Charlie was likely going to be doing a lot of that this week.. Especially to Connor.. Whose hand had apparently been cemented to Charlie's at some point.

When Connor opened the door to his room, Charlie took a deep breath. Not because she'd been holding hers, or because she was expecting something magical.. but because this was likely the only place aside from literally on top of Connor that one could breathe him in so well. The smells in a person's room told volumes about them and what they did.. She held her breath and smiled until Connor turned and opened the other door. At which point Charlie's smile faded.. just a bit. If there had already been another room set up for her.. it would be downright rude not to use it, right? Especially when it looked like Lindsey had taken efforts to make it feel more homely than a generic guest room... So.. perhaps with a little less energy than the rest of the tour, Charlie casually turned, let go of Connor's hand, and walked in.

She dropped her bag at the foot of the bed, scooped up the teddy bear, and hugged it gently under her chin as she walked right back out and across the hall into Connor's room.. She walked straight to the window seat and plopped down with her legs folded beneath her, still hugging the teddy. Her eyes were sharp and moving everywhere.. This was where Connor had come from.. and with God as her witness, Charlie was going to remember ever possible detail about this room. Not the least of which being this teddy bear. "This was yours, huh?" She turned the teddy around to stare at it for a moment, then squeezed it gently back to her chest again. "He smells like you. What's his name? When did you get him? Why didn't you bring him to Hammel?" Charlie had a stuffed animal.. Hers was a little grey bunny. It sat next to her pillow or on her desk. It had been a gift from her uncle James many years ago.

Assuming Connor stumbled with his answers for a moment, Charlie would grin and giggle to herself. "I just want to be here. I don't care if we stay in this room all week, if we work like proper stable hands all week, if you have to help Curtis and I have to help your mom, if we camp out in the pasture, if we have to build a new barn.. I'm just.. so glad I haven't woken up yet." She paused and buried her face in the teddy bear for a moment, taking in another breath of Connor and nuzzling the bear as she sighed it out.. Her eyes were a bit glassy like she could cry if she was given an excuse. "Will you sit with me? Tell me about some of your things and what you did before you went to Hammel? Just for a few minutes.. then we can explore or go meet the horses or hide from Curtis or anything else.. I just wanna be close to you and happy for a bit.. just in case I do wake up."

Suffice it to say... It was exactly the right amount of 'too much' and everyone was trying just enough and not knowing was perfectly okay because it would be difficult to imagine Charlie happier or more thankful than she was just then.

[Connor Anderson]

Connor had to remember to stop being so worried around Charlie. She’d already proved once that she didn’t care that his family had money. In fact, the opposite, worrying more than she couldn’t return the kinds of presents he could provide fairly. Not that it bothered him in the slightest. As long as he had Charlie, he was happy. “Yeah, my mom loves this house,” he admitted with a smile. She’d always done her best to make sure it felt homey, especially when Clark and Curtis often spent so much time travelling with the horses to racetracks. “She’d be real happy to hear you say that, you know.” Like his mother needed another reason to like Charlie. He’d already seen it on her face that she liked her, which was more than he could have asked for.

He knew that his mother had set up the room for Charlie in an effort to make her really feel included with the rest of the family, and welcome. Connor appreciated the effort, but he was also a little embarrassed by it. When she wanted to, his mom went all out, as made clear by the bear and the afghan.

Color dusted back onto his cheeks as Charlie hugged the bear and brought him back to his own room, where he had been originally sitting on the dresser. Connor watched her settle on the window seat, leaning against the door frame for a moment before smiling and joining her amid the bright pillows. “Yeah, he was mine.” He reached out to brush his fingers against the worn, but soft fuzz covering the bear. “His name’s, uh...” His cheeks got darker. “Frankie. I’ve had him since I was a baby.” More reasons as to why the thing being in Charlie’s room was a little embarrassing. “I was going to bring him, but Curtis started teasing me that only babies need teddy bears, so I left him here.” Silly, maybe, but older brothers tended to wield a certain power over younger ones.

Glancing out the window to the pastures, Connor smiled fondly and glanced back at Charlie. She really was happy all the time. “You’re not going to wake up, and you’re not going to be put to work, promise.” Taking one of the smaller pillows from near the window, he tucked it into his lap and looked around his room. “I don’t know what to tell you. Umm... before I got recruited I’d get up at like, 4:30 or 5:00 to start feeding the horses, come in and eat breakfast, then go and exercise a few on the track with Curtis for my Dad before I had to come back in and change for school. After school I’d go back and help muck out stalls, do my homework, eat dinner, and if I had time, I’d ride Sona.” He shrugged his shoulders a little. “It was a lot of work, but I liked it. I kind of missed it, when I first went to Hammel. It was weird, sleeping to 7:00 or 8:00 and not having to do anything other than get dressed and get breakfast.” After a moment, his gaze landed on a neatly stacked deck of cards on his dresser. Getting up, he grabbed them and settled back in front of Charlie. “If I wasn’t doing homework or working with the horses, I did learn some really cool magic tricks with cards.” He shuffled them before fanning them out. “Wanna pick one for me?” He hadn’t done this in a while, but it was worth a shot to try.

[Charlotte Greene]

As Connor spoke, Charlie simply stared at him with big, happy eyes. Connor was so dependable.. He was so driven and confident and he was so sure of what he was good at and what he enjoyed. She loved that about him. Even if he'd had no romantic interest in her at all she'd have wanted to be around him simply because he was who he was. Perhaps the moment Charlie was most happy with herself for in all those that she could remember was when she'd taken Connor's offer to get food and taken it a step farther. The first time she'd met him and he'd helped her.. honestly, genuinely tried to help her and been so kind and professional and just such a good person. He'd offered to escort her to the cafeteria to get food after their workout - which, if she were honest, was basically all about her and very, very little about Connor - and she'd asked if he meant his offer as a date. And praise the powers that be he'd said yes.

Weeks and months had passed by in a flash.. and form that one desperate plea for help, Charlie had come all the way to Kentucky.. In a beautiful home sitting next to and staring at such a beautiful person... Of course, Connor had been holding the cards out for about seven seconds before her eyes went wide and she blinked, looking down and immediately adopting a healthy blush. "S-sorry.. I.. might have been daydreaming.." She plucked a card from the offered deck and looked at it. Of course she'd hoped for the queen of hearts or something silly like that, but she'd drawn the seven of clubs. It might not offer the same grin, but it would most likely suffice for the trick.

Charlie, of course, knew about card tricks.. The trick was in the misdirection and the slight of hand. There was no 'magic' to it, but that didn't stop it from being amazing when a skilled set of hands seemingly lost, then mystically found one's card. She hoped that Connor didn't mess his trick up.. Not for her own benefit, but for his. She wanted him to feel smart and skilled and strong and confident.. Because.. really, she drank it up. Though.. on that note.

"You shouldn't listen to Connor about babies or girls, by the way. Only one of you has a pretty girl all to himself for the holiday.. and if she's any indication.. Frankie here is a chick magnet. She seems to love him dearly." Charlie grinned and hid her blush in Frankie's fur as she continued to stare, being a model participant in Connor's card trick. Like she would keep doing for as long as he wanted to keep showing her tricks. If he later asked her what she'd like to do, though, the fillies and colts were definitely the top contenders.

[Connor Anderson]

Especially around Charlie, Connor liked to be dependable. His parents had instilled good values in him since he was younger, and those lessons seemed to have stuck more with their younger son than their older one. Connor loved to be dependable and confident, while Curtis... well, he had the confidence part down. Connor was still a little worried about him being home for the holidays with them. He loved his brother, absolutely, but he didn’t fully trust him. Promises to behave aside, he’d just have to play the trip by ear and pray Curtis would behave.

Connor smiled affectionately at her admission of daydreaming. It was one of the things he liked most about her, the ability to just drift off like that, and come back from it all flustered. It was adorable. “It’s okay, I didn’t mind.” He waited patiently for her to draw a card, then offered the deck out for her to replace it. “Got it? Don’t let me see, and put it back on the deck.” He really hoped he could make this work. He used to do lots of card tricks at lunch at his old school, before going to Hammel. Since attending school in Vermont, he hadn’t done much in the way of practicing, but he wanted to impress Charlie.

Once it was back, he slipped the deck behind his back and shuffled it again, slipping the important card away before bringing them back and doing some more shuffling in front of Charlie. It wasn’t the best trick he could do, but it was a good one to get back into the swing of things. As he shuffled, he looked up at her and smiled.

“That’s true. He probably knows that, too, which is why he’s being such a... well, you saw him.” He shook his head. “Frankie likes you too. And so do my parents.” And Curtis, but clearly that didn’t need to be said. His actions spoke volumes. Hopefully, their father was giving him a solid talking to at the barns.

After enough shuffling, Connor carefully spread the cards out before sliding Charlie’s out and presenting it to her with a slight bow. “Is this your card?” If he’d kept track of it properly, it was right. If not... well, Charlie could laugh at him all she wanted.