A few words, first.

"Actually Gwen," started Charlie, just as they found a parking space. "Do you mind to go on ahead? I need to ask Addie a possibly NDA-oriented question or two."

Gwen pouted and huffed a little at first, given it was her car, but quickly relented if it was something for their sensitive new friend. "Sure, Chichi. I can go ahead and take a load up to the apartment." Addie didn't give a single, let alone a second thought to handing her apartment key to Gwen, staring off into space as anxiety began to build again, curling her toes in her new shoes.

Her eyes loosely followed Gwen as she strode toward her apartment building door, frighteningly aware of Charlie still sitting in the back seat. She dared not look back at him, not even in the mirror. He mentioned the NDA, and that meant... questions about her position. Questions she couldn't answer.

"Addie... you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I wanted to remind you." How in the world did he make himself sound a thousand miles away and right in her ear at the same time? It sent shivers up her spine. "Our agreement with Encephalon forbids us from talking to people who are not involved with the Project. We're technically allowed to be totally open with each other. You recited that stupid disclaimer they fed us... I know what it's like to hide behind those words. You don't have to hide from me, if you're alright with trusting me a little."

"Charlie, I..." She swallowed. Don't cry, don't cry, do not cry. You've wasted enough time with tears and aching pity. Just talk to him like an adult, you spoiled child. "I do trust you. You've been nothing but... but so kind to me."

"I'm not trying to buy your trust, Addie." A sting of guilt strikes her heart again. Is that what it sounded like?

"What's your question? I'll answer, if I can."

"You said before that your procedure went wrong, but not what." His tone was firmer, more business-like. Scary. Please be gentle. "Is... what happened in the mall... is that it? I'd never dare judge you if that's what you want to be—"

Addie cuts in sharply. "It's not. I didn't want it, I don't want this, thi-this... this stupid thing, I didn't want it!" Her tiny hands pounded her knees, sadness sizzling as anger churned to the surface. "I just wanted to be a girl! A normal girl, with normal parts, not this... not some freak!"

Charlie's hands were raised warily, worried that Addie was getting too loud, but there was no stopping her now that the ball was rolling. Addie's words were a long overdue violent explosion, pouring out of her like molten lava. She'd been holding it all in for so long... of course she was bound to erupt at first opportunity.

"And they blamed me for it! They told me I messed up their system, playing with both boy and girl settings! What kind of heartless drivel is that?! I never made it this big, not in my wildest dreams! Who would want this?! They didn't even try to apologize, they just started shoving gag orders and paperwork in my face. And the hands, the tests... oh, god...

I hate Encephalon. I hate the Take Two Project. I did not do this to myself! I don't want this!" Rather than buckle to sobs again, Addie lets out a hellish shriek of suppressed fury, fighting off some imaginary assailant.

Charlie sat in stunned silence, eyes wide, astonished. When Addie finally started to cool off, still huffing hard, he croaked out a surprisingly meek few words.

"Feel better now...?"

Addie panted and sniffled, roughly shoving the wetness off her face with her sleeve. "Mhmm..."

"I agree with you, entirely. TTP fucking sucks. They fucked us both over, but... at least we have each other now, right? We can vent all we want, and there's fuck-all they can do to stop us."

The small girl wheeled around, hair spinning as she stared back at Charlie, red-faced and distraught. That angry, predatory smile didn't suit her face at all. "Fuck the Take Two Project."

Instead of acknowledging the tug at his heart, Charlie grinned back, reaching out to give the vindictive little lady a fist bump. "Fuck the Take Two Project!"

The words finally out into the world, the two beautiful yet scorned victims of TTP broke into a fit of hearty laughter. God, why did it have to feel so good to let that out? Someone to commiserate with, to spout her sinful vitriol with... forgiveness was definitely better than permission in this case.

Addie's laughter erupted into a shrill scream as Gwen smacked her face into the window, peering inside with a very flattened expression.

"Whut'choo laughin' bout?! Ah thought this meetin' wuz serious bidness!!"

Three voices made a lovely chorus of youthful, irreverent laughter. Addie's sides hurt. No more holding feelings back.

Even if the walls hadn't been cracked and chipped, there was no way the smell of sizzling fish was going to stay contained. Addie didn't know any of her neighbors, but hopefully they didn't mind the scent of a homecooked dinner steaming through her itty bitty oven.

"Oh my gooooood, Addiiiiiiie!" Gwen squealed, mashing her face into a pillow to stifle herself for a moment. "That smells so many kinds of awesome! I'm gonna die before it's finiiiished! Couldn't you fry it instead of bake it?"

"Mm, I could," Addie hummed with a falsely demure smirk, "but it wouldn't taste the same. The extra oil and heat would probably ruin the spices." The childish whines coming from her squirmy friend on the couch made Addie giggle a bit. It came a little easier, now. "I think you'll survive. Just a few minutes more."

"Don't worry, Addie, she does the same thing back at Mom's. Fatass wants no cook, only food."

Gwen gave her brother a hard raspberry. "My fat ass is perfect, thank you very much." While Charlie snickered, Gwen's expression snapped into some kind of realization, suddenly cooling into something flush and... embarrassed?

"Sis? You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, good. T'ain't nothin', Chichi." Yeah, sure it was. Gwen was a terrible liar, but getting her to admit it was impossible.

"I have never heard siblings talk so much about someone's butt before..." chirped Addie, cutting into the moment of silence.

"Oh, lots of people talk about mine. I was voted 'best Freshman piece of ass' when I started college."

"That's what happens when you fool around so much," jabbed Charlie. Gwen was unphased.

"Hey, it was only a few guys! 'Sides, I do what I want, who I want." Even with a grin, Gwen's cheeks were a fiery red, something tugging at her mind and making her nibble her lip. "I just lucked out and fooled around with the guys folks listen to. Doesn't mean I'll let just anyone have a piece, but how could I turn down such a sterling reputation?"

"Well deserved. It's very nice."

...Did Addie just say that? Given her light bulb complexion and refusal to make eye contact, sources pointed to Yes. Even Gwen sputtered a little, glowing right along with her.

"Um... th-thanks, Addie. Kinda suckerpunched me, didn't ya?" She tried to laugh, but those words struck something that got her a bit shook. "You got a pretty cutie booty yourself. I'd give you a solid ten outta ten on the cute scale."

"Well, most of me..."

...

Ding!

"AAAAAA, IS IT DONE?!"

Addie dodged a full body collision with Gwen only by the grace of a half second head start, standing from the couch to go check the oven. Gwen blinked in surprised, now awkwardly flopped across the whole loveseat. Charlie's chest bounced with a silenced chuckle.

~

Even with her mouth crammed full with orgasm-inducing food, Gwen couldn't keep herself quiet.

"Ohmigawd, Addie, jush.... Ermagerrrrrd!"

"Chew and swallow you savage," griped Charlie, washing his latest bite down with a swig of water.

"Ah caaaaan't, Ah wanna tashte 'dish forevaaaaa!"

Charlie hardly had a leg to stand on. His muscles quaked, fighting the desire to shovel more into his gullet. The need to savor the heavenly flavors was winning out, but only just. Addie didn't know what to do with such... vocal praise, so she focused on her own plate. Her posture was very reserved, only moving out enough to get a small fork-full at a time, chewing in little, measured bites. Was it really worth so much hooplah?

Gwen swallowed hard, panting. Food is not more important than air! "Seriously Addie, where did you learn to cook like this? This is five-star stuff!"

"I-It's just fish and citrus."

"It is NOT 'just' anything! Me squeezing a lemon over a dry-ass salmon plank from the steakhouse downtown is 'just fish and citrus.' This is soooo different."

"Well... cooking's all about balance, right?" Gwen's blank expression told Addie plenty, so she just continued. "It has to be savory, but some spice and sharpness can bring out the flavor better. Lemon goes well with salmon because the acidity makes it taste sharp and more vibrant." The siblings nodded. It sounded right, as far as they knew. "So a few chilis and herbs just... make sense, I guess? I don't think about it much. I've just been cooking with Mom for years. I don't even know if she uses a recipe book."

"Is your Mom some kind of secret superstar chef?" Charlie grinned when Addie's modest smile joined in.

"Not that I know of, just... just a Mom of three boys. She learned lots of tricks to get everyone to eat good food. Zeke used to eat nothing but dinosaur chicken nuggets."

"Aww..." Gwen patted Addie's shoulder, giving her a heartfelt smile. "She's lucky to have a child like you. She'll see that eventually."

It stung a little, but the sentiment beat out the memories for once. Sharing a dinner with such lovely people was keeping Addie's heart nice and toasty warm. When Gwen's hand lingered a bit longer than expected on Addie's shoulder, she placed her own on top of it, catching her in a gaze. Raising an eyebrow, Charlie cleared his throat, trying and failing not to grin.

"Do I need to give you two a minute?" Both girls broke away from each other, flushing red again. Charlie expected that of Addie, the hopeless little lesbo, but he looked quite puzzled at Gwen. Last he checked, his sister was straight, on top of not being the lovey-dovey type. She sure was acting funny...

"Shaddup, Chichi, I was tryin' to be supportive."

"Yes, don't be rude."

With both girls replying with such stiff, feigned composure, Charlie had to laugh. "Almost feels like I have a little sister now."

"H-Hey, don't go replacing me! Brah, how could you!" While the siblings snickered at each other, Addie looked positively touched, eyes big and twinkling.

"That's so sweet, Charlie. I certainly enjoy the liveliness of your relationship with Gwen, but I'm not sure I really fit in quite the same way."

Charlie's turn to blush. Gwen lapped up his embarrassment, leaning forward with a shamelessly smug grin. "I mean, I was just... y'know, was playing around. No need to take me so seriously. Still, I think it's pretty cool that we've gotten so close so quickly."

"Yeah!" chimed Gwen. "It's like we've been friends for years, catching up after a long trip. You're just that charming, cutie-booty."

Addie's face brightened again, but she smiled. "If you say so. Sounds like you're trying to butter me up to cook for you again."

"I am absolutely doing that. Doesn't mean it's not true, but you've gone and spoiled me. Everything's gonna taste like sand after this."

A delicate windchime of tittering giggles slipped from Addie's sweet lips. "Well, I have a lot of making up to do, so I suppose I have ****. I'll cook as many times as you two want. I think I missed it."

"Speaking of catching up..." Charlie's guilt pulsed off his face, catching Addie's attention. "Back at the last store we went to..."

...

"You bought me _HOW MUCH?! CHARLIE!**!**"- - - - - -

_

Spookity here. I have contracted COVID and will not be updating any stories this week. I will post updates after I recover, which hopefully won't be very long. Best wishes to you all until I return.

See you soon.