c-harlesemerson

[c-harlesemerson]

The second that happens, you know I'll be there. I'll slip in. Have myself a real good day.

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie didn't startle easily. He liked to think that he was always aware of his surroundings, always ready for anything that may come at him- something that was required when you were capable of antagonising every living being you came into contact with. But when the obsession of your life came screaming out of the earth, it simply wasn't something you could prepare yourself for. A scream of his own erupted from him as he pivoted into a fighting stance, scrambling to be ready for whatever was coming for him.

Nothing could have made him ready for this.

His stance relaxed, the implosion behind him forgotten completely. It wasn't important anymore. Nothing else mattered anymore. Charlie stumbled forward, not sure if he could let himself believe what he was seeing. Maybe he had drank more than he thought he had? He dropped to his knees at the edge of her grave for the second time that night, wanting to reach out to help her, but not sure that he should- that she would want him to.

Charlie didn't even think to question how this was happening. He had been alive long enough to know that pretty much anything was possible, so who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth? Instead, he did the only thing he could do and held a hand out to her. She had dragged her way back to this world, the least he could do was pull her the rest of the way. "Karen?" His voice was a whisper, softer than it had any right to be. "Karen, I'm here. I've got you."

Karen was planting the device. Locklyn was on her way to save her sister, Ryan and Danny were causing their carefully planned commotion. Her girls were holding the line. This was going to work. Xavier had explained the ins and outs of the device to her a hundred times, he'd promised there would be minimal damage. It would implode, there would be no accidental causalities. They would take Edward out, get their town back. This would finally be over.

In her lifetime, she had killed a lot of vampires. She'd stood toe to toe with monsters, walked in the darkness and come out bloodier than them. Alive. There were so many things she had survived. She had to survive, there was no other choice. If she had to go though, she'd have to go down swinging. But it had to mean something. Damn it, it had to be for something. A saviour. A martyr. It only mattered if she died for them for a reason.

They had to be okay. Without her.

After that... she couldn't remember anymore. Where she was. The feeling of peace, of closure, was fading fast. It was cold, suddenly. And painful. She was dying, she was dying, she was dying. The magic slowly, cruelly, brought her body back and dragged her up, up, up. The dirt around the top of her grave started to shake, started to crumble around itself. Karen was suddenly thrust out off the earth, bursting through her so-called final resting place with a scream.

She was clawing, clawing at the ground, dragging herself out. She coughed and coughed, tears filling her eyes while the air violently filled her lungs. What was happening to her? Why was this happening to her?

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie couldn't stop the smirk that tugged on the right corner of his lips at her words. "Karen, baby. Have you not been listening to every one of my monologues? Do I need to do my bit about our masks again?" It was still strange; the way they were with each other now. They had always bantered in their own way, but now it was laced with nostalgia and something akin to camaraderie. Maybe things would have been different if he had never been taken by the Institute. Karen inadvertently caused the insertion of the chip in his brain, but would they have let him down here without it? Did he prefer this alliance with Karen or did he crave the games they used to play? Would Clary have stayed? Would Karen have helped him save her? He tried not to think about any of it.

"You're just scared I'll do your job better than you." He teased, but she was right; he would get in the way. The chances that they would be fighting humans would be slim, so his chip wouldn't be a problem in that sense, but if he was to see Piper... Attack dog protocol would be triggered and the only way they would get him back would be to knock him out too. Not to mention that his cover would be blown. No, it was better that he stayed here. When this was all over and everything was back to the way it ought to be, then he would consider what his time with her meant. "Anything can be killed." His words took a more serious turn, echoing what she had told him years ago. "Including them. Whether the plan tonight works or not, you'll find a way, but you're not untouchable. If things go south, don't you dare be a hero, Karen McReid."

Karen scoffed at his joke but couldn't help noticing the way his grin faltered. That was a bad sign. An apocalyptic sign. Charlie Emerson both at a momentary loss for words and not laughing at his own antagonistic, morbid, jokes. She watched him then, waiting for the next blow to land. It was worse than she could have imagined. The 'with you' might not have passed his lips but she could hear it - feel it - between them now. Karen McReid wasn't afraid to die if it could mean something. If it could save them all.

"It's funny... Strip it all back, everything that's happened, and sometimes I think that no one has ever known me like you have," she said, unexpectedly. "And no one should ever know me like you have." Karen looked away from him then. "You'd only get in the way," she said, a smile almost twitching onto her lips- "And annoy the shit out of everyone."

[c-harlesemerson]

Whiskey in hand, Charlie lazily wandered past the McReid house. It was currently occupied by Lily, her pack, and whoever her little friends were. There was a time when they would have stopped him from coming back here, but you visit a place enough times without killing anyone and people stop asking if you have nefarious motives. He took a swig of the whiskey and dropped to his knees. "Hey, Karen."

Charlie adjusted himself so that his back was pressed up against the gravestone of Karen McReid and closed his eyes. He stayed like that for a long time, only breaking from the stillness to drink more whiskey. "Your niece has quite the swing on her." His hand stroked the grass beneath him affectionately, tilting the bottle to pour some liquor into the dirt. "You know, I told you they'd find a way to blame me. Surprised it took them this long, honestly." Charlie opened his eyes and spiralled into a rant about that night. He didn't really have a point and his thoughts were scattered, but who else was he going to talk to, right? "You were my favourite... I think you knew that, but I don't know if I ever told you. You were going to be my masterpiece. You-... Damn it, Karen! You weren't supposed to die like this!"

The bottle was empty. He wasn't sure when that happened, but he threw it in the direction of the house and watched it shatter against the balustrade before dropping back, now fully lying down on her grave. His hands were in his hair, eyes closed again, "You should be here. We should've-..." The sound of the implosion cut off the end of his statement and he was instantly on his feet. Staggering just a little, Charlie looked out in the direction of the smoke. "Well that's unfortunate."

@kmcreid

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie nodded, still trying to keep his brow from furrowing. He hadn't actually meant to mention William. The name just... slipped out. Before the incident, William was a mild annoyance at best. In fact, it was pretty entertaining to ruin his day, but now, all Charlie could think about was the fact that he had killed Karen. "Well, at least we agree on that." Corey moved towards him and he hadn't been expecting it. Even more so, he wasn't expecting this line of questioning. "Sure. I mean, not exactly the same. You're in love with a woman that abandoned us all and my favourite pastime was murdered. Either way you look at it, yes, we both lost a McReid. Hence, I know how you feel." Charlie's tone was still jovial, but he had stopped making eye contact with him around the time he started replying.

"My apologies. I suppose I'm still his brother, too." The mention of William did not sit easy with him. He was all too aware of the atrocities that creature had committed. "He's beneath him, even now." It wasn't a claim he could make confidently, but Corey hoped he was right. He finally moved, if only to close some of the distance between them. He'd like to see it - the proof. The loss. The grief. Just a glimpse of similarity to his own suffering. "You already know how it feels then? How I feel?"

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie could have retaliated, in fact, he would have if Carrie hadn't spoken. You killed her. Despite the fleets of women he had killed over the century, he didn't have to think too hard to know that she was talking about Karen. He knew before she had even said her name. Carrie's words continued to spew, each one feeling like a dagger to the gut- and not the fun kind! Charlie just stared up at her, a somewhat pained expression on his face, but it was also twisted with anger. At her? At himself? At the fact that he still gave a damn? Who knew? He didn't kill Karen, but maybe if he hadn't given his out of date information, she would still be alive. He continued his devastated glaring until he saw a table leg coming for him, and he swiftly moved his head to the side. Shockingly, he still had nothing to say to her, but her last statement was just rude.

And then, suddenly, she was being lifted from him and Charlie had the opportunity to narrow his eyes at Genevieve Huang as she guided Carrie from the room. In what world was this human strong enough to restrain an enraged vampire? Whatever. He'd consider the implications of that later. Getting to his feet, he left to find the nearest bottle of whiskey, and headed above ground.

@cmcreid-warriorprincess

His cackle made her skin crawl and her blood boil. If it was worth a damn, she'd use the broken coffee table's wooden leg to stake him. Instead, she met his delighted, entitled, evil face with her fist. Once, twice. She let out a gasp then, looking down at him as if she'd been suddenly struck with what she was doing. Carrie felt the tears well in her eyes and she hated it. "You killed her," she snarled, venom dripping from each word as she said it. It was something she'd never said out loud before. "You knew and you did nothing. You hurt her, you broke her. You killed Karen." The rage started to bubble up again as she grabbed the wooden leg of the table, slamming it down beside his head. Missing. "You should be dead, not her."

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie's eyes narrowed a fraction before quickly relaxing. Corey wasn't taking the bait. He was throwing some of his best annoyances his way and was getting nothing but a wisp of nostalgia? Between this guy and Carrie, this place was becoming a manic nightmare. Maybe Carrie would be able to get a reaction out of him. "Okay, the past tense just hurts, Chris is still my best friend. Like who is the alternative? William?" Charlie scrunched up his face, trying to get his train of thought back on track. "You think because I'm... well... me that I don't have a heart?" He scoffed, "Corny, please, you're not the only one who lost a McReid."

Corey watched as Charlie sampled his dinner. Normally commentary on his endearingly termed 'Bambi diet' would annoy him, but he couldn't argue with Charlie on this as of late - it tasted vile. It all tasted vile. He'd not managed to finish a single meal in weeks without being ill, and the thud of the bag hitting the desk was nearly enough to make him retch. "It's all I need," Corey said, his eyes following Charlie's movements across the room as he systematically displaced his belongings - the type of petty behaviour he knew all too well having grown up with brothers. The mention of his given name nearly made him snicker, reminding him just how long ago it was since they were just dumb kids, "I haven't heard that name in a long time," he mused, but the thought of Chris rained down on his nostalgia. "Yeah, Chris was your best friend. I was his brother. I don't think we need to dwell on that." He mimicked Charlie's hand movement to his own chest with a look of genuine wonder, "which part of this do you know, Charlie?"

[c-harlesemerson]

Admittedly, a little chill ran down Charlie's spine when she looked at him like that. For a second, it was twenty years ago and they were on the verge of another tussle, but then she looked away. Just like that, the moment passed. Charlie wasn't sure if he wanted things to go back to the way they were, or if he preferred the strange truce they had now, but it wasn't often that he found himself getting nostalgic.

Karen turned back to him before he had too long to think, and he couldn't keep the playful grin from his face. "Could I get that in writing? Anything could happen to you out there and I'd like the rest of the lemmings to know that I'm cleared of all charges." His smile dropped almost immediately. Sure, part of him was being serious, but it was still intended as a joke. A joke where the punchline was the very real possibility of her death. There was a long pause as he tried to sort out his feelings about that. "I wish I could go-..." He left the 'with you' unsaid.

It was strange now to think about how afraid Karen had once been of him. Paralyzing fear. Indescribable hatred. Both were still in her, of course but her priorities had shifted. Everything had shifted since the dome came down. The lines that Karen had promised herself she wouldn't cross, were long gone. No matter what, she was going to get this done. Whatever it takes. Charlie Emerson was a necessary evil.

Karen took a deep breath, slowly looking up to meet his eye. Her gaze was steel. "Then I'm going in blind. Is that acknowledgement enough for you?" she barely kept the sarcasm from her tone even though she meant it. Karen looked away from him, balling her hands into fists. There had been a vote. Not everyone was on board.

She let out a sigh then, rolling her shoulders before turning her attention back to him. "What do you want Charlie?" Karen didn't want him to answer. "Do you want to be absolved? Fine. You're-," she waved her hand in front of him- "Absolved."

[c-harlesemerson]

Okay, so Charlie had expected Carrie to be embarrassed by his comment. Maybe she would partake in some verbal sparring with him, at most perhaps he would get a punch out of her. He hadn't been expecting her to launch herself at him, so he wasn't prepared to be knocked to the ground, breaking the coffee table on his descent. Honesty? He didn't hate it, and he did cackle delightfully on the way down, but he couldn't take all the credit for this. Charlie knew that he was an antagonising bastard- he lived for irritating these people- but this reaction was a bit excessive. Should he be... concerned? He laughed again, "Are we feeling a little-..." His words were cut off by a fist to the face.

Carrie never would have taken the bait before. In fact, she'd gone out of her way to avoid Charlie Emerson before. Karen never would have let him step his toes out of line in her direction anyway but still. She never would have taken the bait. Now, she was like putty in his hand. She practically snarled as he kept talking. "Someone should have shut you up a long time ago," she hissed, the fire extinguisher clattering around the floor. She was going to tear off his damn arms! Without thinking, she charged towards him, fangs bared with every intention of doing just that. Nevermind he had hundreds of years on her. Nevermind that she was acting like a monster. She wanted him gone.

[c-harlesemerson]

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie watched her from the other side of the room, for once not immediately opening his mouth to antagonise whatever Resistance member crossed his path that day. He watched her breathing; watched the pulse in her neck steady. She really believed in this plan. The plan that he had set in motion by providing intel on the situation inside the Montgomery home. How many times had he told them that he hadn't been in there for well over a year? It was too risky when he could be triggered to attack Piper at any given moment. There was no way for him to guarantee that his information wasn't useless, and bad information could get her killed.

Honestly, Charlie would adapt either way. If the plan succeeded, his world could go back to normal. If they failed, he could easily join the so-named 'Bad Guys' like he hadn't been living down here for over two years. There wasn't really any risk for him... except her. Either this would work or it wouldn't, but the latter would mean he would lose her trust. If his intel fucked up the plan, she would blame him... If she was still alive to do that.

Charlie straightened when she spoke to him, daring to approach her. "Just here to remind you that I still don't think you should trust that they're operating the same way as I last saw it. You're going in blind and you need to acknowledge that."

Flashback: November 2016, Underground

This plan was going ahead, come hell or high water. Karen wasn't sure which one she was going to be. They'd gone over it a hundred times, prepped and planned until they were blue in the face. Everything was set in place.

There was only an hour or so before showtime. Karen was loading her weapons, finishing off a couple of things before meeting up with everyone else. She was taking a moment to herself. Remembering to breathe. All going well, this could be their last damn night underground. The hope of it was almost unbearable. She clung to it tighter than ever. She knew she'd gotten tougher, rougher around the edges down here. She knew she'd become obsessed with getting them out. But now it was finally coming to a head.

When she heard a sound behind her, she didn't turn. "If you're here to convince me to back out, you're a little late." @ryyyan-mitchell @c-harlesemerson

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie walked further into the room, eyeing the state of the place before picking up the blood bag. "What's on the menu today then?" He lifted it to his lips and took a sip, scrunching his nose up as he dropped it back on to the desk. "Absolutely vile. Don't you think you deserve a hit of the good stuff after... well." He carried on wandering around the room, touching literally everything and moving them mere millimetres from their original position. "Your taste for the animal kingdom aside, I think we have a lot in common, Cornelius. I mean, Chris was my best friend when we were human and you-... well, you were there. It might just help to open up about what's going on in here-" Charlie placed a hand over his heart, "With someone who knows you."

Charlie Emerson wasn't someone Corey expected nor particularly wanted to see walk into his room at that moment, but Corey didn't have authority to decide who checked in on him, or when, these days. He glanced down at his watch and then back to Charlie, "you're worried about the air?" Usually, Alex or Jess would make sure he'd eaten something around this time. They must've been busy. Assuming that's why Charlie was here, Corey pointed to his desk, where a blood bag laid half-eaten, the remnants dripping to the floor. "I ate. You can tell them I'm fine. Despite the eyes."

[c-harlesemerson]

Charlie couldn't contain his delight when his words hit their mark. He grinned from ear to ear as he sped to a standing position to avoid getting a fire extinguisher to the face. "Touchy." He commented, daring to step towards her. "Did Scotty Boy react this negatively when you offered yourself to him too? I guess we're both feeling the keen sting of rejection now." He pouted, holding his arms out for a hug.

If it had been any other day, Carrie might have kept walking. Charlie Emerson was a shithead, everyone knew that. Carrie should have kept walking. Instead, the horror - the embarrassment - she might have felt, was replaced by white hot rage. She turned on her heel, seething. "Shut. The hell---," the fire extinguisher was torn off the wall before she could think better of it. It was flying towards his infuriating head moments later. "Up."

[c-harlesemerson]

"You can have me." Charlie mumbled from the sofa as Carrie passed by him. "If you want me, you can have me."

@cmcreid-warriorprincess

[c-harlesemerson]

Sam Underwood as ADAM CARRINGTON in Dynasty 4.22

[c-harlesemerson]

[c-harlesemerson]

Listen... Charlie wasn't ever one to find himself on the chores rota here in the underground and certainly not on Corey duty, but there was only so much he could do for fun. So when Scott came to him with his little spreadsheet and demanded that he use his antagonising skills for good, he chose to indulge him.

Opening the door to Corey's hovel, Charlie almost took a step back as the wall of stale air hit him. Using his best condescending tone, he bravely entered, "Hey, Big Guy. Need me to get someone in here to check that AC? Your eyes are looking pretty... inflamed."

@corey-andrews-hih