Chapter Text
Kendra almost choked on a sip of beer with laughter when she suddenly saw in her mind the image of Charlie Hudson lying on his sofa in his pyjamas; checking his mailbox for the hundredth time that night, dramatically lip-syncing
"Hard to be sure
Sometimes I feel so insecure
And loves so distant and obscure
Remains the cure
All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself
Anymore" like Bridget Jones once did.
Charlie gave her an odd look but continued undeterred with his litany "... She could just be gone one day, you know?"
Kendra nodded understandingly and tried at the same time not to laugh at Charlie's whining tone. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to look serious.
Charlie and Rex had shown up at her caravan over an hour ago. Whilst Rexy seemed to be having an odd conversation with her current protégé, a lynx, the humans were sitting under her pavilion, each with a bottle of beer in hand, and now the real reason for the surprise visit became clear to her.
Charlie Hudson was madly in love with his smart and pretty colleague who had just received a job offer on another continent.
She watched him as he tore the label on his now empty bottle piece by piece into small shreds. His handsome features were tense today, his bright blue eyes seemed to have lost their glow altogether.
Kendra sighed. There was a time when she had secretly wished that something could become of them. However, he had always been closed off to her, so she quickly had realized that her friends with benefits thing would peter out sooner or later. She hadn't been bitter when it finally happened. After all, she loved her life in the midst of nature, which Charlie certainly didn't. She would certainly not have been ready to give this up for him, if he had asked her at all.
Charlie just hadn't come to visit anymore at some point, and when he finally returned one day to ask for help in the case with the missing photographer, and she met Sarah, she already had a vague guess as to what might be the reason for his lack of visits.
She had seen the two of them again some time later in another case; when she went to look for Charlie in the forest with Sarah, she had known that the two were meant for each other. Admittedly, she had been surprised to hear that neither of them had dared to take the first step by now.
Kendra sighed and pushed another bottle of beer towards her friend. "So what are you gonna do about that?"
"Huh?" Charlie looked up as if he had just remembered that he wasn't alone. He seemed to be seriously considering her question for a while. Finally, he shrugged. "There's nothing I can do."
Kendra snorted, "You can't be serious? The love of your life is right under your nose and you would just let her go?" She stopped his attempt to object with a gruff gesture. "Don't you tell me now you are just friends." Charlie closed his mouth and looked like a schoolchild who had just been reprimanded by his teacher. "Man up and get your girl already!" Kendra leaned back in her chair and took a long swig from her beer bottle.
Charlie opened and closed his mouth without a sound coming out a few times like a goldfish gasping for air. Kendra watched him silently. Apparently, he needed another nudge, which she was only too happy to deliver. "Hopefully you are aware that Sarah cares a lot about you? You know, back when we set out to look for you in the woods, she didn't have to come with us. She might as well have left the search to me and the search team. But she accompanied me without hesitation. Hell, even if I had wanted to, I wouldn't have gotten rid of her. Sarah wouldn't have hesitated to go all alone just to get you back, city boy."
His transfigured grin, a mixture of affection and pride, and the dreamy look that appeared in his eyes spoke volumes.
"Oh boy, you got it bad." Kendra chuckled and shook her head in exasperation.
The mention of Sarah's name had obviously piqued Rex's interest, because now he trotted over and sat in front of Kendra, his head cocked to the side attentively, and waved his tail happily.
"Plus, and that's certainly not unimportant, Rexy loves Sarah and Sarah loves Rexy. You can tell she's perfect for you, don't you?"
Rex barked in agreement and gave Charlie a look that couldn't have been more reproachful. You see, I've been telling you that for ages!
Kendra giggled and ruffled Rex's fur. "I know, I know, you are a smart boy. You understood that a long time ago."
Charlie gave her a wry smile. He wasn't offended in the least. In fact, she was absolutely right! "I know Sarah is perfect. Even if that's not the point. Rather, that is precisely the problem." He decided to put the cards on the table. "Sarah is my best friend. What if I'm wrong and she doesn't feel about me the way I feel about her? Then it could ruin our friendship once and for all if I tell her what's going on."
Kendra shook her head in exasperation and frowned at him. "Oh, and to be silent forever and probably watch her move thousands of miles away is the better alternative? I can totally see you sitting at home old and gray, and still ruminating about Sarah Truong, the one who got away." She leaned forward, put her hands on his knees and spoke imploringly to him. "Charlie, don't be stupid. You finally have the chance to be really happy again. Get it at last!"
Her little speech touched Charlie and he let her words sink before he finally put his beer bottle to one side and straightened up. "You're right, Kendra. All right, I'll tell her."
Kendra clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Well, that's my boy! You, my friend, are going to woo her!"
"Let's hope so," Charlie grinned, the old glow back in his blue eyes. "But ... how do I do that?"
"That's easy," Kendra patted his knee reassuringly, "Underneath every tough, independent exterior, there is a girl who wants to be swept off her feet, treated like she is the world's most precious gem. If you keep that in mind and with a little help from your friends, this will be a breeze."
Rex barked in agreement and put his paw next to Kendra's hand on Charlie's knee.
Charlie smiled at Rex; then raised an eyebrow. "With the help of my friends?" He shook his head; "Kendra, I don't know, Jesse and Joe don't know anything about the whole thing ..."
Kendra threw her head back and laughed uproariously. "Oh trust me, they both know." She winked at him, "You two are so obvious; and everyone around you will be more than happy when your URST is finally resolved."