Past Midnight

"It's not a big deal."

"Char, I'm not saying it to be a killjoy, I'm saying it because you might actually get yourself killed!"

Charlie looked at her best friend with a long-suffering sigh. "Libby, I swear, nothing is going to happen. I'll be back by curfew, I swear. I'm just going to meet Tommy at the club for a bit and then-"

"That's the problem!" Libby hollered. "Does your dad even know you're still seeing Tommy? He'd flip."

Char rushed toward her and clapped her hand over her friends mouth. "Shhhhh! My dad will hear you!"

"Good. Maybe he can talk you out of this," she hissed.

"Why don't you come with me?"

"Because I'm not stupid. And my parents would chain me up and throw away the key."

Charlie gave her friend a wink before hopping across the room and climbing out the window, her heels clutched in her hand. "See you later."

"Be back before curfew or I swear I'll send him after you!" Libby hollered out the window as her friend jumped down onto the pavement.

She grinned brightly as she walked down the busy LA streets and faded into the crowds.

It had been almost twenty years since the war had ended. Twenty years since the shifters and their existence had come out into the open and created mass panic.

When both sides had finally had enough of the bloodshed, the world governments and the leaders of the shifters came to an agreement.

Live among each other. No prejudices or inequality or illegal testing. Just people and shifters living their lives, completely obedient to the laws and governments of the land.

The only hangup?

Curfew.

Between the hours of midnight and six a.m. - shifters ruled the world.

Charlie pulled at her mini skirt as she strolled up to the front door. She gave the bouncer a bright, pretty smile and flashed her big, hazel eyes. "Hey there, Joey."

"Well, well, if it isn't Charlie Baker. Where you been?" he crooned.

She shrugged. "Here and there." She looked past the door with a curious stare. "I'm meeting Tommy."

"Yeah, he's inside," he said as he stepped aside to let her through.

"Thanks, Joe," she hollered as she passed him, the music from inside already pouring into her ears.

She walked through the club, ignoring the crowds on the dance floor gyrating and thrusting against eachother to the beat of the music, until she came upon one of the VIP lounges. She gave the guard a pretty smile and walked through, waving happily when she caught Thomas' eye. He ran a hand through his slicked back dark hair and walked toward her.

"Hey baby!" he yelled over the music as he pulled her into his arms and placed a sultry kiss on her lips.

"It's busy tonight!" she yelled back.

"More business, more money for the old man," he winked as he lead her over to the table. "Gentleman, this is my girl, Charlotte."

"Charlotte, honey," an old man crooned in the darkness of the corner booth, "What are you doing in a place like this?"

Charlie laughed as she scooted in beside him. "Same reason as you, Frank."

Frank chuckled and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Does your father know you're here?"

"What do you think?" she shot back.

"Thank heaven I never had a daughter," he exclaimed. "She would have been just like you and would have been the death of me. I'm surprised your father hasn't died of a coronary yet."

"What he doesn't know won't kill him, right?" she winked before grabbing Thomas' hand. "How about you tell your son to take me dancing, hmm?"

"Son, the girl wants to dance," Frank hollered, waving his hand dismissively when she pecked a kiss to his cheek.

Thomas pulled her to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her, swaying seductively to the music. "I don't know how the hell you charmed him like that. He doesn't like anybody, not even me."

"I have my secrets," she whispered into his ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her body pressed against his.

"Don't I know it," he laughed before pressing a kiss to her neck.

They danced for hours, swaying and jumping and moving to the beat of the music. She loved it, loved the feel of the sweat beading on her neck, the movement of the music, the feel of Tommy's hands on her body. She pressed a kiss to Tommy's lips, laughing as he spun them around before setting her down once more, his arms still wrapped around her waist.

Suddenly they were jolted forward as someone slammed into Charlie's back. She fell with a gasp, hitting the floor hard.

"What the hell is your problem?" she heard Tommy yell.

"Get outta the way, tiny man," an angry voice returned.

"You better apologize to my girl," Tommy boomed.

Charlie took a deep breath and was surprised when a hand reached down to help her up. She took it and stood slowly. "Thanks," she replied softly.

"You okay?"

She looked up with surprise to realize it wasn't Tommy that had helped her up. Before her stood a tall, dark man. He was handsome, the flashing lights of the club playing off the sharp muscular features of his face. His hand was warm and calloused, as if he worked with his hands - but his clothes were designer, expensive. He stared at her intently with his bright blue eyes, barely moving as he took her in.

"I'm... I'm fine," she stuttered, finally pulling her hand from his, her eyes staying glued firmly to his gaze, sending a wave of warmth through her that she'd never felt before.

"Get your filthy mutt hands off her," Tommy hissed from behind her.

She spun around to her boyfriend. "He was just helping me up, Tommy. He-" She stopped as she turned back and realized he was gone. Disappeared in a flash.

"Where'd he go?" she muttered.

"Good riddance," Tommy snapped before cupping her cheeks in his hands. "Are you hurt?"

"No. What happened?"

"That idiot over there got a little too wasted and practically ran right into us," he replied, nodding to where the man that had hit them was walking out the door.

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes widening when the man behind him turned back and met her eyes once more - his blue eyes burning into her with intensity. He nodded slightly before walking through the door and out into the night.

Tommy through his arm around her shoulder. "Enough fun for tonight. Let's get you home before curfew."

"I have time," she replied absently, completely unaware of what time it was.

"Curfew is in thirty minutes, baby. Your pops will never forgive me if he finds out I kept you out too late."

"He doesn't know I'm here," she shot back.

"Where does he think you are?"

"In my room. My stepmom convinced him to ground me for sneaking out at night."

"You're seventeen," Tommy laughed loudly. "You can't be grounded."

"According to dad, until we graduate next month, I very much can be grounded. So don't tell him I was here tonight."

"You're crazy," he chuffed. "Come on, let's get you home."

One month later, Charlie stood beside her stepmother and stepsister as her father's coffin was lowered into the ground. She wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks in never-ending streams.

He'd been killed in a car accident, taken down by a drunk driver that ran him off the road and straight into a tree.

She was supposed to graduate high school tomorrow.

And he wouldn't be there.

He wouldn't be there for any of her big life moments. Graduation, wedding, grandchildren.

She walked through the rest of the day in a haze, going through the motions as the funeral ended and everyone left.

Tommy walked to her side and took her hand. "What can I do for you?" he asked softly.

She just shook her head. "He's gone... I don't... I don't know what to do..."

Libby touched her shoulder on her other side. "Let's go home, hmm?"

As they walked up to her home, she could hear her stepmother wailing through the open windows. She clenched her jaw, bracing herself for a spectacle.

"I'll see you later," she said to her friends before climbing the steps.

"We'll come with you," Tommy replied, following her up.

"No," she replied quietly. "I just need to lie down..."

"We'll stop by later then," Libby said as she grabbed Tommy's arm and forced him to follow her.

She walked into the house, the expensive furnishings feeling pointless and empty now that her father was gone.

"Mother wants you," Isabella, her stepsister, spat as she walked by.

Charlie sighed and walked into the parlor where her stepmother was sprawled on a settee, sobbing fake crocodile tears.

"Oh, Charlotte, this is just so awful," Shawna, her stepmother, sobbed.

"Yes..." she replied coldly.

"Your father was such a good man. I was always telling him to be careful," she cried, wiping dramatically at her face. "How could he just leave us here alone?"

"I can't imagine he died on purpose," Charlie replied stiffly.

Shawna looked at her with disdain. "Yes, well... I wanted to speak to you. Now that your father is gone, things will be different around here. We're going to spruce the place up a bit. The decor is so drab. And you, you will need to help with the upkeep and do your share of the chores. I don't want standards falling."

"Upkeep? Chores?" Charlie laughed. "Why would I do tWhere's the staff?"

"Oh, now that your father is gone, we can't afford to keep a full staff. I've let go of everyone except the cook."

"I'm not going to be your maid. Find some other-"

"Oh, dear," Shawna interrupted. "You see... in his will, your father left everything to me. Including you."

"I have a trust.. and I-"

"A trust you cannot access until you're twenty five." She stood from her seat and straightened her dress. A coldness shone in her eyes, one that Charlie had never seen. "The house, the money, everything, it's all mine. You want to stay in this house and have a roof over your head, you play by my rules."

"And what are those rules?" she grumbled.

"Do everything I tell you and I won't throw you out. Believe me, dear, the world is harsh to a sheltered little rich girl with nowhere to go."

"I'll go with Libby then."

"Her family is already struggling. You want to add to that burden?" Shawna hummed.

Charlie turned to her stepmother, her heart breaking as she realized her life was over. She had nowhere to go.

"Why?" she asked softly.

Her stepmother moved toward her slowly. "Because you are spoiled. You spend your days clubbing with that good-for-nothing boyfriend of yours or playing daddy's little princess. It's time you learned about the real world."

Shawna waved a hand dismissively. "There's a list of duties on your bed. I want them done daily." She took her seat again and sipped her wine. "Goodnight, dear. This will all work out so nicely."