When Rosie entered the Red Dragon Inn that morning, it was unusually empty. She was alone, save for one brilliantly blue hued customer lounging in a booth. For all Rosie knew, the customer was asleep in there and didn't give it another thought.

So when she reached into the cooler and heard a creak that was not the cooler's lid, she glanced to the door. Her hand stopped mid-reach as her mouth set into an angry line. Bottle of water finally grabbed, Rosie stands to her full height of 4' 8" and squares her shoulders. Cap twisted off of th water bottle and hurled into the trash can.

"Anybody ever tell you that a bar is a horrible place for an infant?"

Yes, it was Charlotte. In her arms was Elena. After the evening before's fiasco, she wanted nothnig more to do with either of them. They were dead in her heart now and that's how it would remain.

Charlotte had moved towards the bar and settled onto a barstool a few away from where Rosie would finally perch herself.

"That's why I bring her in the day. No one is drunk this time of morning, Rosie."

"Yea, that's why you brought her here two nights ago, two nights after her birth as a matter of fact." A short pause. "But I digress... she's your child."

And so it would go on for a few minutes. Rosie's face remained cold, her voice like ice as she berated Charlotte about how Charlotte was raising her child. Charlotte grew tired of it rapidly and cut Rosie off.

"Listen, can we cut the mindless bickering and talk about why you're really upset at me? Please?"

Down to the nitty gritty, is that how she wanted it? Rosie was more than happy to oblige with a long winded response.

"Well, let's see. You've shown that you're not a very good mother by bringing Elena here. To a person who just lost a baby of her own, that's enough to make one angry. And then there's the fact that you kept hidden from me the truth about Dakota. Hmm... sounds to me like you're not the friend you claimed you were."

Her voice had remained calm during her diatribe, she had the entire night to mull over things and she'd come to a single conclusion. Her life was very good right now and going so much better. She'd had Dean to thank for that and she wouldn't look back. It was straight sailing into the sunset for Rosie and Dean. So when she smiles after taking a sip of her drink, there's a good reason for it.

Rosie's comments about Elena struck a nerve in Charlotte and the tone of her voice was edged with anger.

"Elena is not the subject at hand. Leave me to raise my own children as I deem best." A slight pause as she reigned in her emotions and spoke again. ""And as for Dakota...I can only apologize and beg you to listen to the true story. I know you are a just, kind, and understanding person Rosie. At least hear me out."

Rosie wasn't quite eady to listen yet. She had a couple of things to get out before turning full attention to listening.

" You know, as far as Dakota's concerned. I'm over that. They could have been picking daisies and jumping rope for all I care. It's the fact that I went out of my mind with worry and nobody bothered to tell me where he was. I didn't care, even then, if he was out screwing somebody as long as he was safe."

Now she turned her full attention to what Charlotte had to say. Not another word uttered until the baby toting lady would finish what she had to say.

"I do not condone what he did in any way, and I'll have you know that I was pissed at him. But I didn't know until the day of that big fight, Rosie. I had gone downstairs to check on Cassie, because she's normally awake at that time. When I opened the door, that's when I found Dakota too. They were both fully clothed and on top of the covers. I didn't wake them. I just waited upstairs for whoever came up first. Which was Dakota. At first, Rosie, I couldn't even look at him. Ohh I was so angry. I yelled at him. When he finally got around to explaining things to me, I realized what you did. That he was a wandering soul and couldn't be tied down. Again, I do not condone this in any way. Anyways, he was rather ashamed of himself and asked me not to tell you. He said he had screwed up and he would tell you himself. He deserved that much. I told him I wouldn't say anything. Rosie, you have to believe me. I thought he told you! I did!"

Charlotte's voice cracked as she attempted to hold back the tears. Rosie's folded arms and stony gaze had been indication enough that the friendship, at this point, was beyond repair.

"They didn't do anything. In fact, Cassie probably saved his life. He told me that he was going to go find some heroine...and other junk. Said he ran into Cassie and she convinced him to just go hang out and have some beers. That's it!"

A few moments of silence. Rosie continued her stare at Charlotte. Charlotte was fighting to save a friendship and it was a one sided battle. Rosie's heart had already turned to stone.

"And, I am not lying about this when I say that Brian knew. You're already upset with me, so why would i continue to lie? I told him by the fountain, Rosie. I did!"

An inaudible sigh escapes Rosie's lips and she speaks quietly. She's heard enough and knows that Charlotte is telling the story from her heart and is telling the truth as she knows it. The next words were spoken softly, a mere whisper.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Dakota's gone. At least I finally get some peace of mind to know he was safe, for at least that one night. And as for Brian, whether you told him or not, it would have been second hand information and he wouldn't tell me something he couldn't substantiate. So that's between the two of you. Charlotte, after the miscarriage and him being gone again, when I came to visit you, you should have said something. But you didn't. Therein lies our trouble. I cannot trust you."

For the next few minutes, Charlotte pled with Rosie to understand. Charlotte hadn't told Rosie because she was keeping her word to her friend, Dakota. She would have said something to Rosie but timing was a terrible thing.

All Rosie knew was that Charlotte had chosen Dakota's friendship over hers. She reiterates her feelings in an icy tone.

"How can I trust you, Charlotte? I had to find out from a gossip column and a friend where he was. You kept your word to Dakota, in doing so, you shattered our friendship into a million pieces."

Charlotte kept insisting that she thought Dakota would have told Rosie. After listening to it for a good five minutes Rosie raises her hand to quiet Charlotte.

"And as for after the fight, I was just about unconscious for two days. When I finally was strong enough to stand, he'd been gone for a day and a half. So, no, he never got the chance then either, did he?
If you'd had come seen me, you'd have known that too."


Rosie was barely listening anymore. Her mouth a set line, her arms folded over her chest. She sat like a stone. Her eyes usually bright with a lust for life were a dull shade of green. Her jaw was set stubbornly. Then Charlotte said something about the past month benig such a soap opera for her. That did it. Pity party, hardly.

"This month has been nothing but a soap opera for you? Sister, you have your baby. Where's mine? Dean has been the only one to keep me sane. And he would never do to me or put me through what Dakota did." A short pause, then the clincher that would finally open Charlotte's eyes that the friendship was truly over. "Charlotte, you adopted the boy. You had Elena. You have Lucy and Cassie and Alain to come back to. You've got enough support for your little pity parties. You certainly don't need me anymore."

Rosie reiterated that she could no longer trust Cassie nor Charlotte ever again. So, realizing this was it, Charlotte throws a last parting shot.

"Then you're not as big a person as I thought you were, Rosie."

Rosie was human, she had her faults. Perhaps she had hardened her heart too soon. But with that remark, it stiffened her resolve and she steps away from the bar, heading towards the door. "Goodbye, Charlotte."

Charlotte's reply may have only been a whisper, but it'd ring in Rosie's ears for a long time. "Bye."