Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Surprising herself, she stopped by for another visit by her parents just a week later. Her mother had been delighted obviously, and had kindly informed her that if she could spare one day every week it would be great then she had refused to let her leave without a full breakfast. She hadn't regretted it one bit. Breakfast was certainly the most important meal of the day. She had left a happily snoring Buffy in the room when she went to grab her things and she'd run out of the house like a school girl late for her bus. It felt like old times.

The snow had melted up a few hours after it had fallen the first time as was bound to happen in London but there was a somewhat clean smell to the air that she just loved. Surprisingly, the fresh scent still lingered despite the days that had passed. Sometimes she forgot what nature really smelled like.

It had been two months since she'd started in the firm and she still hadn't found a job to go to once Lithia got back. It was beginning to worry her. Maybe she'd ask Mr Robert to put in a word for her. Yes she wanted to make it on her own but sometimes life was so unfair that you had to cheat a little.

The building was buzzing with activity as she made her way to the break room, everyone greeting or throwing smiles at her as she passed. One wouldn't think it, but it wasn't always a warzone of stress in the world of law. Well, not between the secretaries and PA's anyways. The lawyers had their own issues.

Grabbing some biscuits for the office, she'd run out last week and Mr Robert did love his baking, she made herself some tea and filled the kettle for whoever might need it next. It was sort of an unspoken rule amongst the staff to always keep the kettle ready.

She was early for once so there was no rush as she caught the lift up to Sandra's office.

"Charlie! Hey, you're here early!" Sandra, it seemed, was in a good mood only when her boss wasn't around. It made Charlie extremely grateful to work for someone as calm and cool as Mr Robert.

"Yeah, actually went to pay my Mum and Dad a visit yesterday. They live closer to the office than I do and Mum just used that as an excuse to make me stay the night.'

"We all know the real reason though, don't we?" Sandra said, giggling.

Charlie froze then realised that Sandra meant it in a harmless way. She gave a short laugh, "Yeah. She didn't want me catching the tube late at night."

Sandra nodded in understanding before her eyes widened, "Oh I'm so glad that you came to visit but you better get going. Don't want your early appearance at work to be wasted on me, would you?"

Charlie smiled in agreement and they waved their goodbyes before Charlie caught the lift up to her office. She would really miss the place when she left, especially the company. When she really thought about never coming back to a day of work here, of never seeing Michael again, she'd start having a panic attack. So now, she just thought happy thoughts. Like the fact that she'd see Michael the next day. That always brought a smile to her face.

The day went by without any drama. Mr Robert was starting to really get excited for the arrival Cleo's baby and seemed to want to order everything that remotely resembled a teddy bear and shades of blue and pink would send him into a delighted chuckle. But besides reigning him from ordering the entire Babies 'R Us, things were relatively normal.

"Charlie! Oh bollocks! Charlie."

Charlie ran into Mr Robert's office imagining the worst only to see him leaning back in his chair, feet crossed on the table.

"Mr Robert, you scared me. I thought something had happened."

He chuckled, "Yes, well the only thing that's happened is that Lavery has still not sent the files that I've asked for. I know that it's not his PA's fault. Miss Alden is quite capable of doing her job. It's Lavery that gets to me. Would you mind terribly to go down and ask him?"

Charlie nodded and smiled, "Yes I think that would be best. Sandra gets nervous around Mr Lavery."

"Oh please, he's all bark and no bite. But just go and fetch the documents for me please. A woman's life depends on them."

Charlie was about to walk away before she realised that she had no idea what the documents were actually called.

"Mr Robert?"

"Yes?"

He was still leaning back as if he had no care in the world. It was terribly odd to see him like this but according to Cleo he got like this when he was thinking.

"What exactly should I ask for?"

"The Ryan and Greyson files, Charlie."

Nodding, she turned and headed for the lift.

****

It turned out that the documents had been lying on Mr Lavery's desk the entire time. He just hadn't the motivation to tell Sandra to send them up. Charlie could have smacked him. It was a wonder that he'd lasted in the firm for so long.

"I'm sorry, Charlie. I don't know why he's acting like this today. He's normally not so scatter-brained."

Charlie smiled at Sandra's attempt to defend her boss. "It's not your fault, Sandra. And are you sure? Because the way Mr Robert made it sound, it was like he's normally like this."

Sandra vehemently shook her head and Charlie would have laughed at her antics if it hadn't been for the pinging of the lift, alerting them to the fact that someone had arrived. They both looked up in time to see a suit-clad Benedict Williams walk through. Michael was in his arms, squirming to get out and Benedict was whispering something in his ear. The boy calmed down and smiled at his father before grabbing a lock of his hair and yanking.

The boyish yelp that escaped his father's mouth had Charlie in giggles which caused the two William males to look at her.

Benedict's eyes lit up but before he could say a thing Michael screamed her name.

"Charlie! Charlie! Look Daddy. It's Charlie!"

Benedict's head snapped towards his son so fast it was a wonder that he didn't get a crick in his neck. Sandra was staring, her eyes about to pop out of her sockets. And Michael was waving at her with so much of energy it was making her dizzy.

"Mikey is Benedict William's son?" she whispered furiously to Charlie, her hand fisted in Charlie's sleeve.

She slowly extracted the shocked girl's hand from her before turning back to her and whispering, "Yes, I thought you knew!"

"Obviously not!"

She was cut off sharply when Michael barrelled into Charlie's legs, wiping his wet mouth on her trousers.

She laughed and bent down to pick up the boy who lifted eager arms. As soon as she'd lifted him up, he hugged her and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek, causing her heart to stutter with happiness.

Benedict was still staring in shock, "He knows your name? How? He kissed you! He never kisses people."

Charlie was about to explain but was interrupted by Michael, "Daddy is a monster. A big monster." With that pronouncement he glared at his father and muttered, "Not your friend."

Charlie started laughing, "Michael, what on earth are you on about?"

'Not you friend' had become his favourite line after Sandra had used it on him the day he'd refused to share his cake with her. It was now used whenever he didn't get his way. 'Monster' was what he used when he knew that he wasn't going to get his way and therefore declared you evil for denying an angel such as him. It seemed that his father had truly upset him.

Thankfully for Charlie, this seemed to derail Benedict's thoughts from how she knew him and he shrugged, saying in his defence, "I told him no sweets until after lunch. He wasn't too happy."

On hearing the word 'sweets' he yelled Charlie's name clearly indicating that she should supply him from her stash. She was about to deny him as well when Sandra spoke, "Mr Williams, Mr Lavery said that you can go on inside."

Benedict nodded at her before turning back to Charlie, "Well he seems to be in good hands here. Mind if I leave him with you until-

He was cut off when the lift pinged again, opening to reveal a stunning brunette, wearing a rather short dress for the still chilly weather of London. The white dress hugged her curves, ending at her knees, a gold belt around her waist, the sleeveless garment making Charlie feel like an under-dressed commoner at a ball.

"Oh well, there she is."

Charlie couldn't stop staring and she knew that she was being rude but...

The woman walked towards them, looking curiously at Michael who was now playing with Charlie's hair that had escaped from her bun, before smiling politely.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered that Benedict was making introductions, so she forced herself out of her shock and pasted a smile onto her face.

"Sam, I'm so glad that you made it. This is Charlie. The young lady that saved Michael in January?"

The woman nodded and beamed at her, extending a hand in greeting.

From her gobsmacked state she heard Benedict continuing, "Charlie, this is my wife, Samantha. She's been dying to meet you."