章節 508: Stop blaming

"I'm backk!!!" said Joy as she excitedly ran into the living room to meet everyone.

"Hello mommy, hello daddy, hello aunt Lulu, hello uncle Michael." said Joy as she greeted everyone with smiles.

"Oh hello my darling." said Natasha as she smiled and she picked her up. She could not lie that with everything that was going on, she had forgotten that Joy had yet to return from school.

"Hello princess." said Dom as he smiled.

"Hi guys..." said Nine as he walked into the living room, his brows furrowed when he saw that everyone was here, standing around ominously, it was clear that something serious had happened.

"Hi Nine." said Lulu as she smiled.

"Hi Nine, why did you guys come back so late?" asked Natasha as it was two hours later than when Joy usually returned from school.

"Well because we started school late today, we had to stay an extra hour or two so we could finish our work for the day." explained Joy quickly as she played with her mother's hair.

"Ahhh I see..." said Natasha as she smiled.

"Yes, and I have homework today mommy." said Joy as she smiled.

"I can help you with your homework later princess." said Dom as he smiled.

"No daddy, I can do it myself." said Joy as she turned to look at her father, her body language suggesting that Natasha put her down, so she did.

"I am going to do it right now, see you soon everyone." said Joy as she giggled and ran out the living room and up the stairs.

Natasha shook her head as she laughed and Nine turned to look at all of them.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Well somehow mom found out about the elevator incident." said Dom as Nine gasped.

"No." he said in disbelief.

"Yes, and boy was she livid, thankfully, Natasha managed to calm her down, or else my bags would be packed and ready to go." said Lulu in relief.

"But how did she find out though?" asked Nine.

"That's exactly what we're all wondering as well, because I doubt that any of us said anything." said Michael as he shook his head.

"The matter is already settled, but we still have to know how she found out." said Dom as in the same moment Charlie burst through the front door running looking for them.

"Guys... guys." he called, searching for them until he finally found them all in the living room.

"Charlie what's the matter with you?" asked Nine as he looked at Charlie who was panting as he caught his breath.

He looked like he had ran a marathon. Which for Charlie was highly unlikely.

"Gi..ve..me...a...mo...me...nt." he said, his tone breathless.

"Michael, I've been calling you all morning!" he declared strongly as he finally caught his breath.

"Yes, I know and I've been deliberately avoiding you, I don't have time for your nonsense." replied Michael in irritation.

"Was Aunt here?" asked Charlie as Dom narrowed his eyes at him.

"Yes..." he replied, his tone questioning.

"Why do you ask?" asked Nine as Charlie chuckled sheepishly.

"Well I may or may not have been the one that told her..." he said as he chuckled in fear.

"Charlie!" they all said in a mix of disappointment, realization and clarity.

"Wait, wait, wait, before you blame me, I didn't do it on purpose, I was talking with her like usual, and then she asked how work was, and it slipped, I didn't know that she didn't know." he said as he quickly explained himself.

"No one told me anything? How was I supposed to know that it was to be kept a secret?" he asked.

"That's exactly why we didn't tell you anything, so you wouldn't open your big mouth and say it." said Michael as the others agreed.

"Wait... is that why you've been calling me all morning?" asked Michael in realization as Charlie nodded.

"Yes, I was trying to warn you that she was on her way and that I messed up, but you didn't pick up." said Charlie.

"Classic Charlie, you and your big mouth, you just can't keep shut can you?" asked Nine in annoyance as they all mummured.

"Alright, that's enough, everyone stop blaming Charlie, even though the way he broke the news was not the best, we shouldn't have been hiding anything in the first place. The blame is on all of us for agreeing to hide this information in the first place." said Natasha.

"Thank you Natasha!" said Charlie in relief that someone was finally on his side.

"Natasha's right guys, we're wrong for hiding something like that, anyway, that's all over and done with, it's old news." said Lulu as she agreed with Natasha.

"Whatever, but Charlie is always prone to opening that big mouth of his." said Michael with a shake of his head.

"And that's exactly why you shouldn't be upset with him, let's be honest, if anyone was going to spill the beans it would be Charlie." said Natasha as a unanimous 'Hmmm' rang in the room, even Charlie himself agreed with that.

"Great, glad that we've settled this, now is everyone staying for lunch or not?" Natasha as she smiled.

"I'm staying." said Michael.

"I could eat." said Nine.

"I'm starving seriously, running that much made me hungry." said Charlie as Nine rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Alright then, Alfred should be done with lunch in a moment." said Natasha as she smiled.

"I have to go back to the office right now, I've spent more time here than I intended to, I'll see you guys later." said Dom as he walked out of the living room.

"Later Dom." replied Michael as Charlie walked to the kitchen.

...

Lulu was in her room when she suddenly had an idea of where she could go. She hurriedly got out of bed and rushed down the stairs.

"Lulu where are you going? Dinner is almost ready." said Natasha as she had just walked out of the living room.

"I'm not hungry, I'll eat later, I'm going to see Benjamin, don't wait up for me." said Lulu as she smiled and ran out the front door as Natasha smiled.

"Lulu, where are you rushing to?" asked Dom as Lulu rushed past by him, he had just arrived home.

"I'm going to see Benjamin." she replied as she stopped.

"At this time? It's getting dark already." said Dom in worry.

"Oh hush Dom, it's not like I'm going out, I'm just going to the backyard, I'll be back soon, so don't wait up, and don't try to call me, I left my phone in my room so you can't bother me." said Lulu as Dom sighed and took a deep breath.

"Alright fine, but if you're not back home by 11pm you'll hear a knock at the door." he said as Lulu chuckled.

"Classic Dom, whatever I'll be home by 10:59." she replied cheekily.

"Any minute past 11 and you're grounded." he said as Lulu laughed and ran away as he laughed and shook his head.

Lulu walked past the garden as she finally stopped in front of Benjamin's apartment as she knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

She knocked again as she could hear some messy sounds of things being knocked over coming from inside.

"Coming." said Benjamin as she knocked again and he finally opened the door.

He froze when he saw that it was Lulu. He could not lie, he thought that she would never want to see him again.

"Well hello to you too, gosh." Lulu said as she laughed at his frozen stupor. He still did not say anything so Lulu was beginning to wonder if he was alright.

"Can I come in or don't you want me in your house?" she asked as Benjamin snapped back into his senses.

"Of course, of course, come in." he said as he moved aside.

"Thank you." she said as she sat down on the couch.

"Hey my laptop." said Lulu in surprise as she saw her laptop on the couch.

"Yes... you left it here." he said as he sat down on another couch.

"I didn't even remember that I left it here." said Lulu as she laughed and looked at Benjamin.

"What's up with you? Why do you look so terrible?" she asked, Benjamin's hair was a mess, his eyes were red and he just looked very untidy at the moment.

"I was sleeping when you knocked." he replied.

"Ahh I see." she said as she put her laptop down on the coffee table. She just noticed that his living room was also a mess, which was odd, he usually left things very neat and very tidy.

"Yes... how are you?" he asked as he felt bad, he was supposed to be the one to ask her how she felt, and yet she was the one asking him.

"I am wonderful, you can't imagine how happy I feel right now." said Lulu as she smiled excitedly.