empire state of mind;, Alex!

[Charlee Westlake]

The place was everything she had ever dreamed it to be. Everything was bigger here, and just as loud during the day as it was at night. The lights were brighter, the honks of the taxi horns louder and the people more gregarious. Maybe that was just because New York was a totally foreign land to her; all of it was an adventure everywhere she looked. No matter what time of day, you could scan your eyes five feet ahead of you and see faces you’d never see again with stories you’d never know. The last time she’d looked, they were headed down West 77th street towards Central Park (something she had to see before their little vacation was over). Across from them was the Natural History Museum – a place she recalled stopping and snapping a few photos in front of. Needless to say, Charlee was thoroughly impressed. But what impressed her most, aside from being here at all? She was here, with her sweetheart. It was easy to look track of what they’d been talking about with all the sights that had her mind buzzing, but she remembered just moments ago that he had made her laugh, and she had squeezed his hand for just a moment before releasing only the slightest bit of pressure, keeping a firm grip on the fingers that were locked with her.

It was cold. The February air bit at her cheeks like playful pinches from a loved one, but her body was warm from all the walking they’d been doing already today. They had seen so much; it would have been far easier to have filmed the whole trip so far instead of trying to relay it all to the people that had been oh so envious of the fantastic boyfriend that had bought her tickets to New York on Valentines day for Christmas. It was true; she and Alex didn’t spend nearly as much time together as she would like. However, it was also true that he had gone so far beyond what he’d had to when he’d thought of this for her. She would have been happy with a weekend sans telephones with him – though, true, New York had proven to be an especially lovely way to spend time with each other.

She was distracted once again by a person with a shadow on their face, (what some might call a five o-clock shadow) running along the jawline and cupping under the chin, rimming just around their upper lift. This might not seem so strange, stubble, except this person was wearing higher heels than she could ever hope to attempt and a fur coat she was sure cost the lives of hundreds of baby chinchillas. She couldn’t help but stare for just a moment but remembered her manners quickly and snapped her head forwards once again, turning her chin up so she looked to her boyfriend instead. [color] “You know, I think this is the most fascinating place I’ve ever been.”[/color] She said with a light chuckle, sidestepping just slightly so their bodies were just that little bit closer. “Except the police station. That can get pretty fascinating sometimes.” Another gentle tease, administered with a playful grin.

A little part of her wondered if he was as excited to be here as she was. She was sure he wanted to be here (she was more sure that he wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t) but Charlee hadn’t spent much time out of Bishop City. She was curious to know what places he’d been, and if they had made him feel as alive as she felt now – like the energy from the city itself was speeding her heart up that little bit faster than normal. “Where’s the most exiting place you’ve ever been?”

[Alexander Atwood]

Alex couldn't remember the last time he had taken a real vacation. He was sure that there had been one smuggled in somewhere in the seventeen years since he had joined the force - in fact, he recalled a sunny week in California at one point, and a chilly trip to Chicago one Christmas to visit family - but the actual last vacation he had taken? That remained a mystery. There had been a few goggling eyes when he shared the news that he would be unavailable for a long weekend, which was probably indicative of just how long it had been since he had decided to take time off. One person had even laughed, and expressed doubts for the probabability of the occurence of this weekend. Alex couldn't even fault him for it; he had had the very same doubts from the moment he had clicked 'send' on the website that finalized the trip, and with good reason; his mistress (otherwise known as Bishop City) was a demanding one.

Sometimes people would ask if the stress of his work got to him, but most of them could never understand that Alex often found it more stressful to be away from the endless grind than it was to handle it. No matter where he went, no matter what he was doing, his responsibilities would always be in the back of his head. That was an unescapable fact, and if he was going to be thinking of it anyway, it was easier to take care of it right away. Especially since by the time he finished one thing, ten new things had been added to his to-do list. It might be tough to put out fire after fire after fire, but it was surely better than coming home to a burned down house.

He was determined to push work out of his mind for this weekend though, for Charlee's sake. She was so young and so full of curiosity about the world; curiosity that he wasn't sure he had ever felt. He had been younger than he was now once, because that's how life goes, but even then, he had been old. This made Charlee and him a rather mismatched couple. Some, if given the chance to comment, would even have said they were polar opposites in every way, which begged the question of how they had managed to stay together so long. They were coming up on their one year anniversary now, in only a few short months. As far as Alex was concerned, their relationship had gone by in a strange kind of blur, which was actually strangely fitting, seeing as Charlee's neverending energy could make her a little blurry at the edges from time to time. She rarely sat still unless you tied her to the chair.

This quality shone through the expression she was wearing at the moment. Her eyes were constantly darting back and forth, as if she was worried she might miss the details that made up the city of New York if she looked away for too long. And being here with her, he could understand it. Even as a native of Bishop City, and a police officer for no less than seventeen years, he sometimes found himself looking twice at some of the people in the crowd milling around them. Just when you thought you had seen it all, New York always had something new to show you.

"I hope that's good," he laughed, putting his arm around her shoulder as she moved closer to him to avoid colliding with a passerby. The expression she was wearing said all he needed to know though, which made him glad he had taken the plunge and booked the tickets, even when he hadn't been sure that he would be able to go with her. With a look like that on her face, the trip was already a success.

"The most exciting place I've been?" He looked down at her, a contemplative quality settling onto his features. He didn't really travel much outside of work, and when he did travel for work, it was hardly exciting. It wasn't meant to be, though Alex still found pleasure in these trips. He was always happiest while on the job, after all.

"I don't know," he continued, shrugging his shoulders. "I went to Disney World once, when I was twelve. I thought that was pretty amazing at the time."

The memory elicited a laugh. Even as a child, he'd been the serious type, but without the responsibility he had accumulated over the years, it had been easier to make him focus on things not related to work. Mainly because back then it had been possible for him to get caught up.

"How about you?"

[Charlee Westlake]

Finally, Charlee understood what it meant when someone said a “New York Minute”. Everything moved so quickly here – not only did they talk faster, but it seemed that people breathed faster too. Nobody seemed as amazed as she did by the sheer hugeness of the place they lived. Would they not stop to marvel for one minute at the skyscrapers bigger than they’d ever be? Or had the magic of the place lost its shine for them in the years the city had spent hardening them to her wrath? Charlee had come to love the city of New York very quickly in her time here, but she quickly decided then and there that she’d never want to live here. No, this would be her and Alex’s place for the weekend, the place in which the magic would never fade for her. It was another thing to add to the list of things she loved about him – this magic he had been warm enough to bestow upon her.

A part of her wondered if Alex was just as mystified as her. He was so much more composed than her all the time, even now. It was impossible to tell if everything they were seeing sent his mind reeling with questions and wonderings. It was impossible to keep off her face, and as confident as she was that she could indeed take care of herself, she was glad to have her boyfriend here – calm and composed, answering every question she threw at him with thought and calculation. No doubt had she been walking around by herself, the sight of her would have screamed ‘tourist, rip her off’! But no, not today. Today she was Charlee Westlake with boyfriend Alexander Atwood, and nothing could spoil the trip he had planned for the two of them. She reached up and took hold of the hand that draped around her opposite shoulder as she listened intently to what he spoke next to her. I don't know, I went to Disney World once, when I was twelve. I thought that was pretty amazing at the time.

The mental image warmed her heart. She could see it without closing her eyes, serious little Alex surrounded by frivolity and gaiety at its finest. He still had that impish look in his eye from time to time – the one from boyhood, she could swear it. She had seen pictures and aside from the tell tale signs that every person gets with age, he hadn’t changed all that much. He was more handsome now as opposed to cute if a comparison had to be made. “I’ve never been there, but I always used to get really jealous of the girls that got to hug Belle on the commercials. She was my favourite.” When it came to Disney princesses, Charlee certainly didn’t know them all but as it was with many things, only her favourite characters stuck out in her head.

“Hmmm…” She had to think about this for a few moments. The best trip she had ever taken – she couldn’t remember taking many. And then it donned on her. “A few years after my parents died, my grandma took me and my brother up to Maine for a week to visit her sister. I don’t remember a lot of the trip, but I remember we played on the beach a lot. I remember being really happy again, there.” It went without saying that that joy had never really left her. She was still happy and it was easier now to talk about her parents without that dark gloom come back over her. It was a part of life now, a natural fact and it was true when she said she wouldn’t let anything ruin this weekend with Alex. It was a fond memory brought about by a tragic loss, but she chose to think of the fond memory. Another memory came across her as she caught something out of the corner of her eye when the reached Central Park. The carriage seemed to glow white, the horse gleamed a shiny chestnut brown. She stopped for a moment and tugged him to stop with her, grinning up at him. “Remember what you promised, when you gave me the tickets?”

[Alexander Atwood]

Alex gave his girlfriend's shoulder a squeeze. Coming from the background that he did, he could never quite comprehend what it was like to experience a tragedy like the one Charlee had gone through so early in life. His own childhood, as he remembered it, had been idyllic, perfect in every way. He hadn't known true loss until his grandfather died when he was nineteen. Still, that was the natural order of things, and as such, hardly comparable to losing your parents before you were even old enough to truly know them. She did have her grandmother, and Fiona was a truly wonderful woman, but she could never be a replacement for what Charlee had lost. There would always be something missing.

He had always been impressed by how Charlee had handled it all though. She had grown up to be such a vibrant and bright young woman, a stark contrast to the darkness she had come out of. She was the first to laugh at a joke, and the last to stop laughing after the punchline had been delivered; he loved that about her. Sometimes, he wondered what she would be like if that car accident hadn't happened. He was convinced that she would still possess the energy of a small tornado, but would she be so determined to smile in the face of anything and everything?

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Alex had already taken another step before her tug on his arm registered. He looked back at her, his eyebrows rising. There was an impish smile on her face, and she asked if he remembered what he had promised when he gave her the tickets.

Still confused, he searched the spot her eyes had been before they met his. He saw the horse drawn carriage, and hid a smile.

"I promised you something?" he asked innocently. "I don't remember that."

[Charlee Westlake]

Charlee felt the light squeeze on her shoulder and reached up to squeeze his hand, offering him a quick smile to ensure that she was okay. It really was easier talking about it now, especially to him. She had never been one to keep her history a secret, but everything was easier with Alex, it seemed. He was strong, level-headed…he knew how to make her feel better with seemingly little effort at all and he only made her happier even when nothing needed to be fixed at all. But behind that strong exterior, there was still an imp waiting to cause her trouble, much with the bluff he was trying to pull over on her now.

She narrowed her eyes at him nastily, but that had somewhat faded with his false forgetfulness was still playing on her lips – even in her attempt to be serious. “If this was a court of law I could incite perjury, Captain, and you damn well know it.” Her façade faded quickly and her eyes widened, her bottom lip jutting out in the most pathetic pout she could possibly muster.

“Please? Please? Please?” She asked (or alternatively, shamelessly begged) while she pressed a kiss to his lips with each plead. Though she was relatively certain she would win this one. “We can take cheesy pictures and people-watch on the way!” If there was one thing that Charlee was indeed a professional at, it was people-watching.

She leant back down to the flats of her feet and tugged just that little bit harder, the smile growing once more on her face. “It’s not like I’m asking for diamonds. Just a pony.”

[Alexander Atwood]

He chuckled at her stern expression; even he had mastered a better 'I-mean-business' look, and in the days before he became chief, he had often been teased about the sad puppy eyes that were better suited for a kindergarten teacher than bad cop. That was all part of being on the force though; your brothers were hard on you, because when you were out there on the streets, there wasn't a single criminal that would take it easy on you because you had a kind face. No one escaped that treatment, no matter how good they were at their job, and there were not many people who had ever worked with Alex that could say that he was not well suited for his work. Like everyone else, he had had to prove himself, but by now, he had done it a thousand times over.

"I missed the part when I took the oath to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God," he said, eyebrows rising over twinkling eyes. "Besides, perjury is the wilfull giving of false testimony, and you can't prove nothing, counselor."

Attempting to frame the Chief of Police by using the law was probably not a very good idea, especially not a Chief with a sticky brain like Alex'. He had spent enough time, both on the job and in the courtroom, to know the basic rules backwards and forwards. He did, however, soften as a result of the little kisses she placed on his lips. His smile grew wider between each of them, and when she promised cheesy pictures... Well, how could any man resist?

"Well, since you're such a cheap date, I guess I'll let you have the pony."

Quickly, he leaned in and stole a kiss before changing up the roles, and tugging her along towards the carriage, setting a brisk pace until they reached the waiting carriage.

"The lady wants a ride," he said to the mustachioed man that was seated on a folding chair next to the dozing horse.

[Charlee Westlake]

Okay, so many using her limited knowledge of the law on her boyfriend wasn’t such a good idea. Especially as her boyfriend was the Chief of Police. Alright, so it was a pretty shit idea. I missed the part when I took the oath to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. So neither her knowledge of the law or her stern face were very effective. They were rendered even less effective by the twinkle in his eye. For a moment she pondered her response but when nothing came to light? “Nyeh, nyeh nyeh…” was followed by a rather obtuse little sticking-out of the tongue. He could play his games, and she would play hers. In the end, it turned out, she’d won.

Well, since you're such a cheap date, I guess I'll let you have the pony She was grinning when he stole his kiss and squealed a little squeal of excitement, skipping just a jump to keep up with him as he pulled her towards the carriage he had promised her, smartass comments aside. She squeezed his hand and greeted the driver with a grin on her face. She traded niceties with him while she stroked the neck of the massive horse (whose name turned out to by Layla, after the Eric Clapton tune) before she climbed into the carriage. She had prepared herself for a chilly ride until the driver wrapped her in a blanket, and she sided over to make room for Alex on the seat beside her.

“Do you want some blanket?” She asked as she leant against him, making herself quite comfortable between the combined tools of the soft blanket, the padded seat and her cozy boyfriend. She spread some of the blanket across his lap regardless of his response and looked around as the carriage started moving. She listened carefully to the sound of the hooves against the concrete as well as the mixing sounds of the city around them. She was sure that if she listened close enough, she could hear her heart beating with all of it. Yes, she loved New York. She did indeed.

“Have you ever done this?”

[Alexander Atwood]

While Alex paid for the ride, Charlee took the opportunity to make friends with the horse. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the little redhead next to the huge horse; she looked even smaller by comparison, and yet she seemed to be totally at east with petting the large animal, as if she had been around horses her entire life.

"Here." He gave her a hand to help her into the carriage, and the driver produced a blanket that he handed to her to protect her against the chilly New York air. Alex smiled at the man, who looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties, before he climbed in himself, sliding into the seat next to Charlee. The driver asked if they were all set, before he took his own seat at the front, and then they were off, the music of the horse's hooves heralding their departure.

He settled back into the backrest, allowing his girlfriend to spread the blanket over his lap. When she was done, he put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close, and placing a kiss on top of her head.

"No, this is my first time," he replied, grinning with the realization. Because Charlee being only in her early twenties, she still had a few firsts to go, while, at thirty eight, he was running out of them. But this was a first that he could share with her, and since he was allowed to take a break this weekend from all the responsibilities that normally rested upon his shoulder, he would also allow himself to be sentimental about it.

He turned to her, placing his free hand on her chin and holding it between his thumb and index finger while he placed a tiny kiss on her lips.

"I'm glad I'm here with you."

[Charlee Westlake]

While Alex settled in beside her, Charlee again came to the realization that this was all really happening. They were together, in New York, and for what felt like the first time in their relationship he was all hers. They were out of his jurisdiction – if he got a phone call now he’d have a hell of a lot of explaining to do to her and a long trip home with a very huffy girlfriend if he had to go home. (…Okay she wouldn’t be that dramatic, but she would be very disappointed.) No. Alex was all hers this weekend, and it was a happy thought as he leaned in and kissed the top of her head.

She settled into the crook of his arm and snuggled in, making good use of his body heat as the horse set into pace, dragging the carriage along with it. No, this is my first time. She wrapped her arm around his torso and looked up at him in time for him to retrieve her chin with the gentlest of touches before he pressed another kiss to her, this time her lips. She smiled against his and almost pouted when he pulled away, but how could she with what came out of his mouth next? I’m glad I’m here with you.

Charlee smiled up at him and didn’t hesitate to press another kiss to his lips. She let this one last longer than she would usually outside the comfort of either of their homes. She knew he liked his private life to stay private, but this was New York. And he was happy to be here with her. A small, cold hand reached up to cup his cheek as she pulled back only to press one more small kiss to his bottom lip. And without a pause, without compunction, her eyes scanned the face she had come to know so well in the last year and finally stopped once she reached his own.

And like she was breathing, without thought, the words floated through her lips like a song from a flute. “I love you.”

And she meant it.

[Alexander Atwood]

Alex was smiling as he pulled away, exhilarated at the warmth that was spreading through his chest, no thanks to the weather, nor the blanket that was laid across his lap. It was all because of the beautiful girl sitting next to him, this spitfire of a young woman who, despite being an unlikely girlfriend, was unlike any he had ever had in the past. She deserved so much better than he could ever hope to give her at this point in his life, but she never seemed to mind that he wasn't home to be with her. She was always ready with a smile and a kiss when he stopped by her apartment after work, always acting like it hadn't been days since they had seen each other properly.

"Your fingers are freezing," he said when she placed her hand on his cheek, but there was something about her expression that silenced him and created an odd sort of silent anticipation.

"I love you," she said, and rendered him speechless with those three little words, which he had never really considered until now, despite it being nearly a year since that fateful night when this strange relationship of theirs had seen its birth. He always had a million things to think about before he started philosophizing about whether this was love, or maybe just simple infatuation that dragged on too long.

"Charlee," he said, tilting his head forwards so that their foreheads touched. He looked into her eyes, and a serene little smile played on his lips.

"I love you too."

[Charlee Westlake]

If you had told her a year and a half ago that this is where she’d be, Charlee probably would have laughed. What a ridiculous notion, that she’d be taking part in a horse-drawn carriage ride in the middle of New York City with a wonderful man to keep her warm. A wonderful man she had come to love, in fact. No, Charlee had always been the kind of girl that went with the tide – even then the tide was mostly predictable. Alex was a prediction she’d have never made. She was the kind of girl you laughed and joked around with – she never expected to be taken seriously, in any aspect.

But here they were, bundled together and cozy, and like a locket she’d just opened her heart to him, totally and completely. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect in return when he came closer to her, rested his forehead on hers. She closed her eyes for the briefest moment and without any regret. Much to her complete and utter joy, she had nothing to regret in the first place.

He loved her too.

Her eyes opened again and a smile spread widely across her face. He loved her too. She grinned and leaned forward to kiss him quite happily, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pulling her lips from his only to giggle lightly into his neck. “Yeah?” Her face was hidden, but the joy in her voice was quite audible.

[Alexander Atwood]

Her face lit up when she smiled, but he only got to enjoy the expression for a short moment before she leaned in to kiss him, her arms finding their way around his neck. He kissed her back, his free hand coming to a rest on her chin, holding it lightly between thumb and index finger. She drew back and nuzzled her face into the space between his neck and shoulder, her giggle muffled by the fabric she was laughing into.

He laughed at her question, nodding before he spoke. "Yeah," he confirmed, leaning his head on top of hers.

Silence descended upon them, apart from the sound of the wheels crunching against the gravel. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel the bliss of the moment. This was what people were talking about when they said 'live here and now'. Usually, he couldn't help but think of what the next hour would bring, or the next day, or week, or month, but right now, all that mattered was here. Far away from his mistress, with his cell phone switched to vibrate in the pocket of his coat, he could live without worrying what kind of tricks she was up too.

His eyes had only been closed for a few seconds, when an sound made him open them again. He glanced around himself, bewildered for a moment, and wondering where it was coming from.

"Sorry about that," the driver called out over his shoulder, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. "The horse ain't got much understanding of romance."

Then the smell reached them, and Alex realized what the sound has been. He was quiet for a moment, looking down at Charlee. Then he burst out laughing.

OOC: This is what happens when Birthey and I walk home late at night and get to talking about our threads. Also, LOLFART!

[Charlee Westlake]

It was a very peaceful moment – probably the most peaceful in Charlee’s life. That short moment with his cheek turned to rest on her head would stay in her memory bank as one of the sweetest she could remember. This whole trip had been everything she could imagine. There was love and there was laughter. What more could a girl ask for? And then she realized.

There was also flatulence.

It took a moment to register, and when Alex looked around bewildered, her own eyes grew to the size of saucers. What on earth? When their eyes met again, Charlee followed suit with Alex and doubled over, laughing so hard that she doubled over. Of course the horse had farted – what else would happen in Central Park on a Saturday afternoon? She always had had impeccable timing – had the horse not farted then it would have been the driver.

This idea sent another burst of laughter her way, and then it happened. Charlee snorted.

Her hand flew to her mouth to cover it and she waved her other hand as if it were a white flag. She was done-for. The whole thing was absolutely ridiculous, but such was life when you rolled with a firecracker. She finally stayed the laughter and wiped at her eyes, the remnants of the well-defined belly laugh still echoing in her eyes and her voice. “Nothing says ‘romance’ like a fart in Central Park.”

[Alexander Atwood]

Another guffaw of laughter escaped from Alex at the snort that his girlfriend emitted, and another one when he saw the face that followed along with it. This wasn't quite the beautiful carriage ride that he had pictured when he was first talked into it, but in a way, this was better. It was perhaps not a particularly flattering metaphor, but their relationship was, like this carriage ride, far from perfect. They could always laugh together though, and that was the side of Charlee that appealed so much to him. No matter what, she could always find a way to turn his frown upside down. She was just that kind of person; a girl who was lost in deep belly laughs when their romantic getaway turned out to include horse flatulence.

"Very true," he agreed, still chuckling. "Just be glad that it wasn't me that farted. The romance would have been too much for you."

The very idea set him off again, but only for a moment before he he calmed down enough to wink at her. Then he leaned in to kiss the top of her head, taking a deep breath to commit the sweet scent of her to his memory forever. He didn't draw away after, but leaned against her, his chin resting on top of her head.

"Ready to go back to the hotel?"

[Charlee Westlake]

Really though, who wouldn’t laugh? Romance, snow, a horse-drawn carriage and an age-old tale of digestive wonder. Very true. Just be glad it wasn’t me that farted. The romance would have been too much for you. She burst out into another giggle and smacked his shoulder playfully. “Oh yes, you’d have to hold me back. It would be a whole other side of me.” She teased, of course, but she knew in her heart of hearts that this was a kind of happiness she had never felt before. Charlee cuddled into him when he kissed the top of her head and she sighed happily.

When he proposed a venture back to the hotel she shifted to look up at him, nodding. “Yes, we can go canoodle.” Being in a relationship hadn’t done much to mature that side of Charlee. She wiggled an eyebrow playfully at him. It was sad to think they’d have to board a plane to go home tomorrow. By this time the following day, she once again would be Charlee Westlake; waitress and student and he Alexander Atwood; very serious Chief of Police. Worlds apart from one another sitting close enough to touch. She smiled through the bittersweet thought and leaned up to kiss him.

“Come on, let’s go.”

-FIN-