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Everything considered, Charlie adapts well to living with Tucker and Wash. For a five year old who has gone from living with her Dad in the middle of nowhere to a crowded place full of strangers, she deals better than anyone could have expected. She’s mostly cooperative to the investigators questions, answering everything she knows. The new meals she eats with little fuss. She opens up to the Reds and Blues in time, her Father;s trust of them enough of an endorsement. All and all, she’s a well adjusted kid given her situation. Better adjusted than anyone would expect from a kid of Locus’.
That being said, there are hiccups. Like the one Carolina gets today after sitting in on another session of Locus’ hearings. It’s been over a month and they still have yet to decide if they’re going to kill the man or let him rot. Carolina has been campaigning for the latter.
If you told Carolina six months ago that she’d be asking a court to spare Locus’ life, she would have been appalled you even thought she should get an opinion in the matter. Locus’ crimes should be answered to by the people of Chorus, not a Rogue Freelancer who showed up last minute. Carolina, despite the losses she suffered (and God, did she suffer, with the memory of Epsilon weighing on her every morning and night) didn’t get a say over them.
Charlie made that entire situation all the more complicated.
The call comes in from Donut because unlike Tucker and Wash, he’s willing to admit when he’s out of his depth. Charlie has apparently been sobbing all day, a big blubbering scaley mess. Apparently Locus made it to the front of the digital paper and she got a look.
“She keeps asking when he’ll come home,” Donut says, the chipper tone to his voice entirely artificial. “We don’t know what to say.”
A memory comes to Carolina of her at Charlie’s age. dancing around her father’s legs and asking the same question. For two years, he’d dodged replying. It was only when her mother came home in a coffin that she got her answer.
Carolina refuses to leave Charlie to the same fate.
Thankfully the court lets out early, busy yelling about Felix. Carolina makes it to Tucker’s place in record time and when she makes it to the door, Wash has it open for her. He opens his mouth-
“Look, I know this is a sore spot-”
“Don’t worry. I got it.” Carolina says. And for once, she’s sure she does. Because after living through her father question dodging, she knows exactly what Charlie needs to hear.
She’s crying in the living room, Tucker sitting next to her. She’s big already, the size of a ten year old human child. Tucker leaves when Carolina walks in and takes his place. It takes her a moment to put her hand on the child’s shoulder. She’s not exactly the most tactile of people, even with the Red and Blue’s influence.
“When is he going to come home,” Charlie blubbers. She’s sounds miserable, but Carolina picks up on something else in her tone. Frustration.
Kids aren’t stupid. Carolina certainly wasn’t at Charlie’s age. They know when something is wrong. And more importantly, they know when they’re being lied to.
So Carolina doesn’t lie. Instead, she pulls Charlie in for a hug.
“We don’t know yet. I’m sorry.”
Charlie keeps crying. Carolina squeezes her tight. Hugs aren’t her division but she thinks she knows the basics by now.
“I’ll let you know as soon as we get word. I promise.”
Charlie sniffles. “You promise?”
Despite her size and the scales, she sounds like a little kid. Carolina pulls back to look her in the eye.
“I promise.”
The day they decide Locus is to go to Prison instead of going to his death, Carolina is the first to call.