In the Cold April Rain

The raindrops pelted off the metal surfaces and ran down through gutters into the city sewers. It would be raining. It's always raining. Talia was running through it, her rain-jacket deflecting most of the water. Most people had umbrellas but not her, she didn't bother with one. The orange hair that peaked out at the left side of her head was soaked, but otherwise she was mostly dry. Every now and then a car would drive too close to the curb and she'd have to jump away to avoid the wave of water that would crash onto the sidewalk. But it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. She climbed the steps to their floor quickly, not because of the rain this time, but because she was furious. She couldn't remember the last time she was this angry. People had pissed her off before, but she didn't think ever got this mad at them.

Then again, she didn't really have high expectations for most people. It was reason she got so angry with Cassie. At the time, she thought the Canadian knew better, or at the very least trusted her enough to make the right decision. In hindsight, of course, she knew it wasn't Cassie's fault. But what had made her so made was the fact that it was someone she trusted, someone she believed had her back. And they didn't, they never did.

Charlie was watching an old movie with LC on his lap, one of his favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon. It was sort of dull and rainy outside, and he wanted no part of that. LC happily sat on his lap seemingly glued to the screen as Turner And Hooch was on. In Charlie's mind it was an under-rated Tom Hanks classic..

He heard the rain outside but paid little attention to it. Right now both he and LC were warm on the couch and happy as can be. Charlie's ring shopping was done, and he looked at weather reports for when he would pop the question to Talia. He was sure she'd say yes, and he had the place picked out: A park full of those pink blossom trees that Talia liked. In Charlie's mind everything was perfect for the moment.

The door to their apartment burst open and in came Talia in a pink raincoat with her hood already pulled down. She was fuming, raging even, even after all the time that had passed. All she wanted to do was see her new niece. That's all she went out to do.

"UN-FUCKING BE-LIEVE-ABLE" she shouted as she walked right past Charlie and LC and towards the bedroom. She didn't even take off her wet boots. "I TRY, I really do, to TELL THEM what the fuck they're doing wrong and they just spit in my face, tell me to get the fuck out," she continued in a ramble of hysteria as she pulled stuff out from under the bed and threw it on top.

"Oh Tal why you got to be so stupid all the time?" she asked in a dumb voice, clearly mocking someone. "Fucking idiots."

Charlie nearly fell out of his chair as Talia stormed in! "Whoa... Tal, babe whats wrong?" Charlie asked as he followed her into the bedroom. "Tal are you all right?" Charlie knew the answer was no, but asking was still a formality he couldn't ignore.

Charlie, and LC for that matter, had never seen Talia like this. Charlie went from super happy to super worried at the drop of a hat! He couldn't fathom what had happened to make her like this. He knew she had a strained relationship with her family, but from what he had seen it was far better than anything he ever had with his deceased mother and jailbird father.

Talia emptied a duffle bag of its contents and stuffed her shorts drawer into it sloppily. "I...am fucking DONE with them. NO more. I aint dealing with their shit ANYmore!" The redhead didn't seem all there, like she had gotten a drink on the way home. Or two. Or three. "My sister, that bitch of a whore, fucking married Mamouru. MAM-FUCKING-RYU." She stuffed socks and stockings into the bag and zipped it up, while rambling angrily almost incomprehensibly as she nearly tore the closet door off.

"THE NERVE! She knew-KNEW that I fucking hate that scumbag, and not just because of our history. He's a genuinely bad person." Talia ripped some clothes and their hangars out and just threw them on the ground annoyed at them. "And she MARRIED him. MARRIED."

Charlie walked up to Talia and gently put his hands on her shoulders. "babe... take a deep breath and relax. Tell me what happened." He said in as calming a voice as possible. He was downright worried about Talia, he never saw her like this before. And Mamouru married Auroroa!? Charlie would get answers.... hopefully. "Tal, everything will be all right....."

Charlie was now starting to get angry. Not at Talia but at the news she just informed him of, if he was understanding it correctly. Aurora and Mamouru? Married with a kid? He cheated on Alaina with Aurora and left Al for her? Charlie shook his head as he tried to focus on the task at hand: Calming Talia down.

Talia didn't shrug off Charlie, but she kept moving as if he wasn't there trying to calm her. "No, it won't. Aurora fucking married Mamouru," she repeated as if it countered all rebuttals for the rest of the time. "They're fucking married and have a daughter. HER. MAMOURU. Technically, that bag of scum is now my brother-in-law. My in-laws are now that stupid Higurashi family. I'm seriously done with this shitty place and everyone in it." The hysterical redhead throw a handful of clothes onto the bed. She didn't seem bothered, or even upset that 'everyone in it' may had included Charlie. She was far too focused on the life or death task in front of her that was packing up her stuff.

Charlie would have to tell Alaina, but that could come later. Right now Talia needed him. she was stressed out of her mind. "If you don't want to be around your family you can distance yourself from them babe." Charlie said. "What are you doing with your clothes?" Charlie asked as he sat down on the bed. LC walked in, curious as to what was going on. He sat in the doorway looking at Talia before he waddled up to her. "Tal.. just sit down, take a deep breath and talk to me."

Charlie looked at Talia, clearly concerned. She didn't seem like herself. Not one bit. He just wanted her to calm down, step back from everything for a second, and explain things to her. He got that Aurora married Mamouru and knew about the history. She was understandably upset. He would be too, and given the implications of the situation on his girlfriend and friend he wasn't happy about the new development. Still... he didn't want to see Talia rushing to some crazy conclusion, like she appeared to be doing.

"Didn't you hear me?" she asked angrily while pulling a drawer entirely out of the dresser. "I'm LEAVING this god forsaken place. Did you know my brother was here too? That no good dirty rotten fucking piece of shit. He thinks I'm a fucking failure, he told me so himself. Like that time back when I first started. He said that was MY fault. THE FUCKING PRICK!" she rambled on, clenching her fists angrily as she shoved even more clothes into another garment bag. She nearly kicked LC as she turned around and started emptying the dresser of more of its contents.

"Tal, listen I know how crazy family can be but just take a second to think about what you are doing!" Charlie said as LC whimpered, scampering out of the way. "We can't just pack up and leave! What the hell are we going to do for work or a place to live?" Charlie asked, hoping his questions could make Talia see that leaving on a whim wasn't the way to go.

She did say something that caught his attention in regards to her brother. "Tal, what was your fault the first time? I have no idea what you are talking about!" Charlie was and begging more than asking by now. "Baby, please just take one minute to sit down, and think this over all right?"