Chapter Thirty-Three
"You Don't Understand!"
"Melanie, you don't understand! She's gone and married my Mr. Kennedy!"
"Victoria, it was to save Ramblings. You must understand-"
"I hate Ramblings! It's the only thing I hate more than Charlotte!" Melanie chased after Victoria, but she knew there was nothing she could do to fix the girl's broken heart.
Charlotte sighed, with no expression on her face. She had married Frank Kennedy, Victoria's beau, simply because she needed the money to save Ramblings. Phillip sighed from his spot by the fireplace, running his finger over the dust.
"It's my fault. I should've committed highway robbery to get that tax money for you," Phillip sighed.
"I couldn't have let you do anything like that. Besides, it's done now," Charlotte said. A teasing smile appeared on the man's lips.
"Yes, it's done now. You wouldn't let me lift a finger to help you but you'd sell yourself in marriage to a man you didn't love."
Charlotte looked away, brushing back her black hair.
"At least, Charlotte, you won't have to worry about my failures anymore."
Charlotte finally gave an expression: alarm.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I'm going to Quantico with Melly. I've accepted a management position in a bank."
"You can't do that!"
"Oh?" Phillip asked.
Charlotte sighed, thinking up a lie. "Phillip, I was counting on you to help with my lumber business in Atlanta. Phillip...Phillip, I counted on you!"
"Oh, Charlotte I wouldn't do you any good. What do I know about lumber?"
"About as much as you know about banking."
Phillip shook his head. "I won't let you do me any more kindnesses, Charlotte."
"Well, over time, you could gradually buy the business and make it your own-"
Phillip shook his head. Just as he was turning away, Charlotte began to feign sobbing. Quite loudly at that. Melanie came running at the sound of the tears.
"Charlotte!What's wrong?" Melanie ran and wrapped the girl in her arms.
"Oh, Melly! Phillip's so mean and hateful!"
Melanie looked up at Phillip.
"What have you done?" she demanded. Phillip stared, shocked like a deer in the headlights.
"She asked me to go to Atlanta with her to help start a lumber business."
"I counted on him and he won't lift a finger to help me!"
"Phillip, why, how unchivalrous of you. Why, just think, if it wasn't for her Gustave might've died on Coney! And we wouldn't have him today...and I think of her plowing and picking cotton just to put food in her mouth, I could just...Oh my darling!" Melanie squeezed her almost-sister into a tight embrace, rubbing her back as Charlotte continued the false sobbing.
"Alright, Melly...I'll go to Atlanta."
Melanie smiled, and pulled Charlotte closer.
"I can't fight you both..."
**************************************************************************************************************
"Maybe once or twice more, Melly, until this calms down."
Melanie sipped her tea. "I want it straight, did it help India at all?"
"Well,"the mayor scratched his bald head,"nothing that awful has come up-"
"That awful? What's going on."
He sighed,"Melanie, of course they are going to be some that get angry and hard-headedly pick up their pitch forks."
Melanie sucked in a breath. "You mean..."
"They're hunting her."
Melanie nodded, wiping her eyes.
"I don't think you should speak again, Melly," Charlie said from his place at his father's desk.
"If it's helping Indie-"
"But what if it's not?! What if you end up like her?!"
"Then at least I've tried!" Melanie screamed.
"Inside voice, Melanie," Dresella crooned. Melanie sunk back into the love seat.
"Yes, mother."
"I agree with Charlie, Mayor. This is dangerous." Melanie looked up at Hotchner. He didn't smile at her, even when she smiled back. She sunk into her chair again.
"While we are all here," Dresella began,"we all need to have conversation. I think we should sell Ardely."
Melanie stared. "Sell Ardely?You...you can't do that!Charlie and I own Ardely."
"I think it's for the best, Melanie."
Melanie looked at her brother, shocked.
"You can't make me leave! I won't!"
"What's here for you, Melanie? Besides pain and memories?"
"My father! You just want me to forget he exists! You want to sell Ardely? Sell it to me! I make a pretty good pay check from the government that I don't deserve."
"Melanie, we are doing this for you-"
"No, mother. You're doing this for you!"
"Melanie-"Charlie began. "This is for the best."
"Charlie, shut up!"
"Melanie, we are all worried about you. Do it. For me."
"Why should I help you?" she cried. "You walk around here...you ask me to join the BAU because you want to save people you've never even met and not once did you think to use your psychology to save me!
All of my life I've depended on you! How do you think that feels? Wallowing around with nothing better than to cry for myself? Scrounging for scraps of pity to pick up and longing to kick up my heels." Spencer had never seen Melanie sneer like that.
"Melanie...please..."
"It's not like I could talk any sense into you! You're just mom's puppet! You'll do whatever she says! I'm not selling Ardely! I'm not-"
"THAT-IS-ENOUGH!" Melanie turned to her mother, who had risen and slowly stalked across the room.
"Mother...I-" Melanie was promptly cut off with a smack to the face. She yelped and fell.
"Because you insist, child, and I find you to often have the voice of your father, we won't sell Ardely...for now. Let me walk you out, Darling."
"Thank you, Dresella. Charlie. Melanie."
Melanie's mother left with Mayor Barly.
"Did you mean all that?" Charlie asked.
Melanie looked away when she nodded stiffly, her eyes still filled with rage.
She started rising on her own, but then Charlie grasped her waist and straightened her up. Melly gasped.
"Come outside with me. Before it gets too hot."
Melanie followed Charlie into the field where they used to play as children. Melanie laid down in the grass, letting it tickle her face. Charlie laid down opposite her, so that only their hair was touching.
"You've been wanting to ask me something," Charlie sighed, taking a gold strand between his fingers. Melanie nodded.
"I've been trying to figure out what you did after I left for college, why suddenly when I returned you hated me so much. Why you snapped out of college and made me join the BAU. I got to thinking...well, when you volunteered to watch over me at the public speaking and when we mentioned India the other night...and today when you mentioned her...."
Charlie swallowed. "Yes?"
"...You love her."
"Maybe once or twice more, Melly, until this calms down."
Melanie sipped her tea. "I want it straight, did it help India at all?"
"Well,"the mayor scratched his bald head,"nothing that awful has come up-"
"That awful? What's going on."
He sighed,"Melanie, of course they are going to be some that get angry and hard-headedly pick up their pitch forks."
Melanie sucked in a breath. "You mean..."
"They're hunting her."
Melanie nodded, wiping her eyes.
"I don't think you should speak again, Melly," Charlie said from his place at his father's desk.
"If it's helping Indie-"
"But what if it's not?! What if you end up like her?!"
"Then at least I've tried!" Melanie screamed.
"Inside voice, Melanie," Dresella crooned. Melanie sunk back into the love seat.
"Yes, mother."
"I agree with Charlie, Mayor. This is dangerous." Melanie looked up at Hotchner. He didn't smile at her, even when she smiled back. She sunk into her chair again.
"While we are all here," Dresella began,"we all need to have conversation. I think we should sell Ardely."
Melanie stared. "Sell Ardely?You...you can't do that!Charlie and I own Ardely."
"I think it's for the best, Melanie."
Melanie looked at her brother, shocked.
"You can't make me leave! I won't!"
"What's here for you, Melanie? Besides pain and memories?"
"My father! You just want me to forget he exists! You want to sell Ardely? Sell it to me! I make a pretty good pay check from the government that I don't deserve."
"Melanie, we are doing this for you-"
"No, mother. You're doing this for you!"
"Melanie-"Charlie began. "This is for the best."
"Charlie, shut up!"
"Melanie, we are all worried about you. Do it. For me."
"Why should I help you?" she cried. "You walk around here...you ask me to join the BAU because you want to save people you've never even met and not once did you think to use your psychology to save me!
All of my life I've depended on you! How do you think that feels? Wallowing around with nothing better than to cry for myself? Scrounging for scraps of pity to pick up and longing to kick up my heels." Spencer had never seen Melanie sneer like that.
"Melanie...please..."
"It's not like I could talk any sense into you! You're just mom's puppet! You'll do whatever she says! I'm not selling Ardely! I'm not-"
"THAT-IS-ENOUGH!" Melanie turned to her mother, who had risen and slowly stalked across the room.
"Mother...I-" Melanie was promptly cut off with a smack to the face. She yelped and fell.
"Because you insist, child, and I find you to often have the voice of your father, we won't sell Ardely...for now. Let me walk you out, Darling."
"Thank you, Dresella. Charlie. Melanie."
Melanie's mother left with Mayor Barly.
"Did you mean all that?" Charlie asked.
Melanie looked away when she nodded stiffly, her eyes still filled with rage.
She started rising on her own, but then Charlie grasped her waist and straightened her up. Melly gasped.
"Come outside with me. Before it gets too hot."
Melanie followed Charlie into the field where they used to play as children. Melanie laid down in the grass, letting it tickle her face. Charlie laid down opposite her, so that only their hair was touching.
"You've been wanting to ask me something," Charlie sighed, taking a gold strand between his fingers. Melanie nodded.
"I've been trying to figure out what you did after I left for college, why suddenly when I returned you hated me so much. Why you snapped out of college and made me join the BAU. I got to thinking...well, when you volunteered to watch over me at the public speaking and when we mentioned India the other night...and today when you mentioned her...."
Charlie swallowed. "Yes?"
"...You love her."
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