MacAllister Residence - Harrison, New York - Thursday Night
Jane
Charlie was putting the last of his clothes into his bag when Jane walked in.
"You're leaving."
Charlie"Yeah," he said, looking up at her from the bed. "I think Frank's weirded out enough to last him a lifetime." He got along well enough with his brother-in-law, but Charlie wasn't above weirding him out for kicks. This was particularly easy considering Frank didn't have the full story and only knew that Charlie was alive and much younger than he was supposed to be and that it was some military secret project.
Jane"That's not why you're leaving," Jane folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame.
Charlie"Nah, I've got a tux fitting tomorrow."
Jane
"Becoming a penguin?"
Charlie
"Been there, done that."
Jane
"What?"
Charlie "Wedding coming up sooner than expected," he replied, figuring it was easier than explaining. "In May."
Jane"The one that was supposed to be three years away? What happened?"
Charlie"Well, he's a religious warrior from another galaxy and she's a college student from New England, so I'm thinking it's either meddling family or intergalactic war. It's a toss up."
JaneJane had developed a way to react when Charlie said things that she had no quick remark for or that broke her brain in various ways. It involved pausing silently for the moment to pass, then carrying on the conversation as if he hadn't said anything. "And you're part of the wedding party?"
Charlie"Guess so. Either Anakin doesn't have many guy friends or they want me there to keep out unwanted guests."
Jane"Groomsman turned bouncer?"
Charlie"I'm good muscle. Everyone knows it."
Jane"Somehow I don't think a warrior from another galaxy needs a bouncer."
Charlie"He'll be busy worrying about what he got himself into while being nice to Rory's family."
Jane"Or she'll kill him if he's not?"
Charlie"Rory wouldn't hurt a fly. Now the bridesmaids, they'll kill him."
Jane"You make strange friends wherever you go."
Charlie"It's part of my charm."
JaneJane gave a skeptical look, as if to say 'charm? Keep telling yourself that', and then mentioned a flaw in this plan of his. "May is still a while away and Virginia isn't that far. You're still packing."
Charlie"I told you. Frank..."
Jane"Frank has no problem with you being here. Neither do the boys. Neither do I. So what's up?"
Charlie"I have to go learn how to ride a horse."
JaneHer brow crinkled in confusion. "I don't..."
CharlieHe held up a hand to silence her, then pulled a sheet of lined notebook paper out of his pocket. In his sketchy handwriting with black marker there was a list. "Ride a horse," he rattled the list off from memory as she read it, "Shoot a crossbow, fight with a sword..."
Jane"Juggle?" Jane asked, eyebrows raised. She realized it was a list of rather rudimentary skills to learn. Rudimentary, that is, if you lived in a medieval-era society.
Charlie"If I suck at everything else, I figure I can become a court jester."
Jane"You're going after Alanna?" she asked, ignoring the joke.
CharlieHe shook his head. "I'm going to check out this place I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life in. Didn't get a good enough look around last time. She should still be out of town in the desert or somewhere, I don't know. If she's not, then I'll deal with it."
JaneJane folded up the list after another look and handed it back to Charlie, who put it away. "Okay." Her brother was an idiot, especially when it came to women, and she shouldn't have been the slightest bit surprised that nothing had changed, even though he knew things about his future that no one else got to know. If he said he wasn't going for her, she knew it was his way of saying he probably was, but wasn't holding his breath that all of this was going to work out the way it was supposed to and wasn't going to get his hopes up. Going with the flow. That was the Kawalsky way. Jane pushed off the door frame and turned to go. "I'll see you in the morning before you go. Send me a postcard."
Charlie"I'd bring you back a t-shirt, but I don't think they've invented those yet." He closed the flap on his bag and fastened the clips. "Night," he called after Jane, and reached over to push the door closed.