Chapter Two

The air crisp and fresh that morning, Charlotte has just woken up to an empty room and starts to cry. Across the hall Phil and Christian awake from their slumber to hear the little baby, Christian sighs and rolls out of bed, throwing on a dressing gown he walks to the bedroom.

"Jenny?" He whispers as he opens the door but is shocked to find the bed has been made and no one is in sight. "Phil!" He shouts.

They search frantically around the house for any sign of her. But with no luck Christian walks back into the bedroom and picks Charlotte up to calm her, as he walks away, he notices the little envelope that fell onto the floor, he bends down and picks it up with his free hand. Charlotte Louise Hert, to be open on her 21st birthday.

Christian and Phil brought Charlotte up from the day she came into their lives, just like her mother begged of them. At first they felt the pressure as they knew nothing about babies, they had only figured out how to look after themselves and now a little life is dependent on them. And just like her mother had predicted, Charlotte grew into a beautiful young child, and when she started dancing, Charlotte knew since she first tried on those ballet slippers that she wanted to be a dancer, as she grew, her elegance grew with her. Her confidence shining through. Her smile captivating as it brightens the room complimenting her sparkly blue eyes, her hair golden and long that Christian usually plaits or ties in a bun for her.

But soon enough that beautiful bubbly young child grew up into a teenager, during those years she mixed in with all different types of youngsters her age. Phil and Christian were worried she would mix with the wrong crowd, but she made one friend, Oliver Benjamin Knight. He lives within the town along with his mother, who works in a clothes shop. Oliver and Charlotte became the best of friends and were stuck at the hip, the men couldn't be happier that she had made a true friend who kept her on a straight path. But she didn't know that he was her protector.

Charlotte has very fond memories of her mother, her foster fathers' told her as she grew up that her mother was a brave woman but had her too young as she wanted to explore the world. But every now and again a package or letter would come for Charlotte from her mother telling her which country she was in and what adventure she had been on this time. Charlotte was desperate to meet her mother, she begged her foster fathers' to let her go out and see her, but they refused as she was not ready. But as Charlotte turned sixteen her world shattered.

She remembers the doorbell ringing, chiming throughout the house and towards the study where she was reading, the way she threw the book without saving the chapter, the cold wood flooring under her feet as she ran towards the stairs. But stopping when Christian opens the door, the smile she wore so bright, soon faded. Standing in the doorway was a man in a uniform, his expression placid and unreadable. He looks at Christian and then see's Charlotte at the bottom of the stairs in her jeans and Stereophonic's t-shirt, her hair up in a bun and blue eyes shining, piercing into his soul.

"How can I help you sir?" Christian asks.

"I'm sorry to bother you on Christmas Eve, but unfortunately we have some news for you Mr Baker, concerning a Miss Jennifer Hert." The man speaks, Charlotte feels her heart leap into her throat hearing her mothers name.

"Is something wrong?" Christian asks.

"May I please speak with you and your husband alone please?"

"Please do come in, the living room is just through there." Christian points towards the double doors that lead to the living room, that is perfectly decorated with a Christmas tree and lots of tinsel. The man nods and walks inside.

"Anything that concerns my mum I have a right to hear." Charlotte speaks up.

The two men stop and stare at her, Christian pinches the bridge of his nose before closing the front door and showing the man inside. Once the officer is inside he closes the glass double doors and walks over to her. His expression is confused and worried.

"Sweetheart can you go up to your room please?" Christian asks. Charlotte looks at him with worry.

"Why can't I join?"

"Just please baby, and can you get Phil for me please. I'll be up soon." Charlotte opens her mouth to protest, but she knows better than to argue, she sighs in defeat before walking up the stairs, her body shaking with worry if her family are in trouble, she knocks on her fathers' bedroom door and enters. Phil is sitting on his bed just finishing wrapping a present. She leans against the door post, the wood feeling cold against her bare arm.

"Christian wants you downstairs." She says quietly. Phil looks at her from his round glasses, raising his eyebrows. "There's a man in a police uniform in our living room."

"Thank you Char, I'll be back soon." He gets up from his bed and walks over towards the door, he turns to Charlotte. "No peeking at your presents madam." He smiles and walks downstairs. Charlotte retreats back to the study and picks up the book she had previously thrown in excitement, taking her place on the window ledge decorated with pillows and a throw before being transported to her fictional world.

Shortly after there came a knock on the study door. Charlotte puts the book down to see Phil and Christian standing in the doorway, both their faces red and puffy and slightly wet. Charlotte's face falls as she starts to worry.

"What is it?" She asks. Phil sits in front of her and Christian takes his place beside her.

"That was a police officer from the town, he had some news come in from London."

"About my mum??" She looks between the two. Christian doesn't look at her as he is too scared to cry in front of her. Phil takes Charlotte's hand.

"Yes, I don't know how you are going to take this." He pauses. "A member of the public found her body in an alleyway in Soho, she was attacked and left. I'm so sorry Charlotte, it was nothing they could do." His body shakes from the sobs that are erupting. Christian remains silent and places a hand on her shoulder gently rubbing it.

"What do you mean? She's in America that was what she was told me in her last letter." Charlotte protested. Her body feeling heavy.

"She came back early, she was lined up for a job interview up in The Shard, but she never showed up." Christian finally speak. Charlotte closes her eyes letting a tear fall through her eyelashes. Phil puts a hand on her knee and strokes gently, she rests one hand on his and another on Christian's. "Her bag was thrown about, it looked like somebody was looking for something but she wasn't willing to give it to them."

"How did she die?" Charlotte asks closing her eyes, waiting for the blow.

"We don't really-"

"Just tell me." She cuts Christian off, her voice bitter and cold.

"Her throat was slit. They left her to bleed to death." Christian sobs. A tear rolls down Charlotte's cheek, her throat tightening.

"I know it's hard to understand sweetheart." Phil pushed. "And we feel your pain, she was a very good friend of ours. Is there anything we can do to try make it better for you?"

Charlotte looks away from them both and out of the window, the garden is covered in snow and more snow was falling. It looks peaceful, but the storm in Charlotte's heart was raging, tearing her apart and drowning her.

"I just want to be left alone. Please." She says. The men look at each other before nodding, Phil strokes Charlotte's knee before giving her a kiss on the forehead. Christian kisses the back of her hand before moving to kiss her hair, breathing in deeply.

"She loved you so much Charlotte, please do not forget that." And they both depart from the study. They gently close the door but not before Dusk - their husky pup, comes racing in skidding along the wood flooring. He jumps up on the window ledge and sits in front of her. She strokes his grey fur before bringing her knees up to her chest, tears rolling down her cheeks dripping off her chin, staining her t-shirt, her sobs shaking her body. Dusk moves closer to her and lays by her feet. She pulls the pup onto her lap and holds him close, he reaches high to lick her salty tears from her face. She always thought that someday, her mother and her would be reunited and sharing stories. But now that has been taken away from her. She closes her eyes.

But all she can see is a dark dirty alleyway in London, her mothers body, her vibrant blonde hair cascading around her, lying on blood soaked snow.

Someday never came.

Author's Note

Please let me know what you think! Any grammar problems please do write them down.