“We should really get going,” James suggested as he looked at the time on his pocket watch. He had been trying to get Nick motivated for the past half hour otherwise they were going to be late for Charlotte’s court appearance. 

“I don’t want to go,” Nick said dryly, moving a biscuit around the plate in front of him.

James cringed and ran a hand across his long brown hair, “You really should, it’s going to look bad if you don’t go.”

“It’s going to look bad?” Nick laughed bitterly, “It’s going to look bad if I don’t show up at the court house today to see my wife stand trial for a slew of unjust charges? I think it may have started to look bad around the time that she paraded about dressed like a man and made a complete fool out of me.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” James reasoned with his friend, knowing he had been going through a tough time, “In fact, it would be better if you didn’t say anything. At least go to find out what is going to happen. Worst case scenario he sends her to a work house for six months because of the mockery she’s made of the whole town, but should that happen you should be there.”

“You’re right,” Nick sighed. 

The whole situation with Charlotte had become somewhat of a nuisance. The day that she had been caught was the last time he’d seen her because Stuart Jameson had declared that there was a high risk that Charlotte would run so she was being kept under the watchful eye of the magistrate’s wife in the town jail, which he knew was just a ploy to make her look guiltier. The man had gone way too far with his accusations but the only people who seemed to feel that way were Nick and James. As soon as people in the town caught wind of what Charlotte had been up to they were furious. Nick thought for sure they’d show up at the courthouse with pitchforks demanding that she be hung for her crimes. The men were offended that a woman had the audacity (and the skill) to trick them for so long and the women were angry that it wasn’t them who had tried it first. Their rage had just been fuelled by Charlotte’s declaration of innocence, and now Jameson could very well charge her with murder should he desire and people would support him every step of the way whether there was evidence or not. It was a twisted system where one man was police, judge, and jury for an entire town. 

One of the reasons Nick was so hesitant to go to the courthouse was that he felt partially responsible. At first he felt that way because it had been he who encouraged Charlotte to achieve her goals, but then as the rumours started and things began to unfold he was far guiltier. When Sue was arrested she was immediately taken to a workhouse in London where she and the other members of her group were being held. They had demanded she give them the whereabouts of the group’s leader, and the names of other members. Sue, to avoid any further pressure from the police gave them the only name she was willing to, but unfortunately it happened to be Charlotte’s. She told the police that a girl masquerading as a man had been a supporter and member of the League and that she was attending classes at Cambridge. She also told them how Charlotte had managed to get into the school, which is what brought him into the whole mess.

The police immediately notified the Dean, who pulled the two files (Nick’s and Charles’) and found them to be absolutely identical. The school was so impressed with Charles Russell’s credentials that they never thought they could belong to anyone else. After all, the copies were so perfect; one would think a professional counterfeiter had done them. In fact, when one of the professors (a self proclaimed expert in forgeries) had taken a look at them he was about to suggest that instead of taking her to court they should give Charlotte a job because he’d never seen copies so good. 

Nick wasn’t sure whether or not Charlotte was aware of who gave her up, but he felt sorry for her that she put all of her trust in a woman that would so easily turn around and stab her in the back. All of those facts were to be presented as evidence against Charlotte, and Nick knew that had he never found out about the diaphragm or if he had just left well enough alone then they wouldn’t be in the mess they were in. He wanted to hate Charlotte, and his outward appearance portrayed that but inside he wanted to tell her he still loved her, just forget about everything that had happened and move on. 

“We need to go,” Jason stressed, pulling on Nick’s arm.

The two of them walked briskly down the street towards the town hall that doubled as a courthouse when the opportunity arose. Nick was truly surprised at how many people had showed up to watch and he knew that none of them were there to support his wife. They all gave him looks as he entered and headed towards the two seats that had been specifically saved for him. Stuart Jameson had asked him to attend and had asked him to speak on Charlotte’s behalf but he wanted to do neither. In fact, he still wasn’t completely sure why he was even there. 

“Everyone come to order!” 

Nick looked up to the neatly dressed man at the front of the room who he recognized as Stuart Jameson’s assistant. He yelled until finally everyone settled down and was quiet while Jameson and Charlotte entered the room. 

Nick avoided her stare, not wanting to catch eyes with her because he knew he wouldn’t be able to not be sympathetic. She looked clean and fed and was dressed in a plain black dress so Nick knew that it was given to her by someone, and she was being forced to wear it since she would never own a colour as offensive as black. 

They asked her questions about what she did, how she did it, what people helped her, and why she thought she would get away with it. Nick didn’t listen to the answers because the hint of fear in Charlotte’s normally confident voice sent shivers down his spine. He wanted to leave more and more because his defences were being broken. 

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Jameson asked, glaring down at Charlotte as if she were as small as an ant, ready to be squashed.

Charlotte took a deep breath and glanced over at Nick quickly before turning to face the magistrate, “I think it would be best if at this point I said no more. I answered your questions as truthfully as I possibly could and now I think I’ve done enough talking. Besides, the only person I want to defend myself to won’t believe me anyway.”

All eyes immediately turned to Nick, including Stuart Jameson’s, “Mr. Carter, would you like to make a statement on your wife’s behalf? After all, you were a victim in all of this as well; this should be your moment to give us your recommendation.”

“Don’t say anything,” James whispered, afraid of what was going to come out of Nick’s mouth as he watched the wheels turn in his friend’s head. 

Nick stood, standing straight and tall, making him seem more secure as he stood in front of almost the entire town. At first he was going to take James’ advice, not say anything, and leave the decision up to everyone else. Then his plan had been to tell them to cart her away so he didn’t have to feel so guilty any longer, but he wasn’t sure that was the right thing either. He wasn’t sure what was right at all. He was at a crossroads between whether he should condemn Charlotte for her lies or forgive her, or maybe something in between. 

“Well?” Jameson prodded, anxious to hear what Nick had to say since he was sure the young man would side with the rest of them since he’d been made a fool of as well.

Nick breathed deeply and addressed everyone, “I’m very sorry that you’re all so upset right now because of my wife’s actions. I understand that she crossed the line, and maybe trusted the wrong types of people, but I somehow see that in her naivety she thought that this wouldn’t affect anyone but herself and as we can all see today that assumption was wrong. Many of you are hurt, and offended, and I know exactly how you feel because I’m right there with you. I want so badly to stand in front of you today and tell you that my wife deserves all the harsh words and treatment that she’s been given so far but I can’t. I’m sure every one of you at one point in your life has had a dream to one day accomplish something that you could be proud of. For me it is…rather, was, to become an archaeologist. For some people it’s to paint, or write a symphony, be a doctor, or raise a family, but like it or not, we all have dreams and sometimes they can lead us astray. We can be blinded by our desires to the point that we would lie and deceive for them, but in the end we’re only human beings and all we have is each other. All I can offer you today is one simple thing; just one thing can make this all go away and prevent any more heartache. No more lies, no more embarrassment, gone will be the shame on the town, and gone will we be.”

James groaned and ran a hand over his face, knowing that Nick should have never opened his mouth because in his attempts to save Charlotte from her broken dreams he’d just broken his own. 

Nick turned to the front to face the magistrate, and Charlotte before beginning again, “My recommendation to you Sir is that you let us leave. Let me take my wife and our things and never come back here again. You said you wanted to make an example and I think you’ve made a fine one. People now know that embarrassing this town can result in a prison sentence and endless amounts of ridicule from everyone else. People aren’t going to try it again because now they know it won’t work. Just please, let us go and a few months from now you won’t even remember our names.”

Charlotte sobbed at his words, touched in ways she could not even begin to describe. He had thrown everything away for her, he’d saved her, and after everything that she’d done to him since the moment they’d connected. She was never going to be able to repay her debt to him. 

Stuart Jameson on the other hand was less than pleased with Nick’s speech. He wanted the husband to side with him so he could send Charlotte off to a workhouse and show the people how dangerous it was to try and toy with Stuart Jameson! He was seething, and glared at the lanky blonde before addressing the courtroom.

“I’ll leave it up to you,” he declared, “It’s you people here who were betrayed, and now it’s in your hands to decide her fate. Those who approve of Mr. Carter’s recommendation say aye!” 

Expecting no one to comply he motioned to his assistant but slowly people in the room started shouting out aye and raising their hands as if Nick Carter had just put a spell over all of them with his words. His mouth dropped and he did a quick glance around the space, seeing that almost every single person had agreed to Nick’s conditions. He absolutely couldn’t believe it! A moment ago these people had been asking for her head and now they were going to let her leave? They weren’t supposed to change their minds!

“I cannot believe this,” Jameson voiced, shaking his head, “How can you look past this girl’s offences? You all know I could easily overturn your decision but I am a fair and honest man, good to all of you so I’ll uphold it. Mr. Carter you and your wife have until tomorrow morning to pack your things, tie up loose ends and be on a train out of here.”

Nick let out the deep breath he’d been holding, astonished that the magistrate had gone with the public’s decision. He knew the only reason he didn’t was because he couldn’t afford to been seen as the type of man who would go against what they wanted. That would make everyone in town feel vulnerable, and not trust him. The moment people were released from the courtroom he bolted out of there as fast as he could, heading towards their flat so they could pack and get the hell out of there. 

“I can’t believe you just did that!” James yelled, catching up to him as he walked briskly down the sidewalk, “What about school?”

Nick rolled his eyes and sighed, “They were going to expel me anyway! Professor Flaherty told me in confidence that he attended a meeting where they’d decided that I was a stain on the name of the school and that as soon as the whole thing had settled down with Charlotte they were going to ask me to leave.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” James questioned, surprised that his friend would keep that away from him.

Nick stopped on the side of the road and looked at James apologetically, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know if I was going to just go or wait until they made me. I kind of made my decision on the spot when I was in there. I figured I might as well go out in style.”

James grinned and brushed his dark hair back, “I’m going to miss you. My life definitely has been more interesting.”

“You’re telling me,” Nick chuckled and they began their walk again.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Charlotte?” James wondered, eyeing the newly released girl walking far behind them down the street, “She looks kind of sad back there.”

“She knows where we live,” Nick replied stiffly and kept walking, not even looking back to see if Charlotte was following. 

James gave Nick a questioning glance, as they reached the flat, “I’m getting the feeling that your decision didn’t include reconciliation?”

“You see that woman over there?” Nick asked, pointing to Charlotte, as she walked with her head down, slowly meandering up the street, “I don’t know her, so there’s nothing for us to reconcile. I did her a favour that was all.”

“I understand,” James nodded, “I guess this is goodbye then?”

“I’ll write,” Nick assured him, and they shook hands before James headed towards his own home and Nick went up to grab their stuff. He had already packed everything because no matter what happened he had planned on leaving. He told James he wasn’t sure what his decision was going to be but in reality he knew he couldn’t stay. He didn’t want any more embarrassment and staying there was only going to be harder than leaving would be. They didn’t have much, only clothes and a few trinkets, but Nick was sure to pack everything Charlotte had ever given him into her cases because he wasn’t interested in any of it anymore. 

He had settled with Mrs. Figs, and said goodbye to anyone who mattered to him, so it was time to leave. Nick had made it halfway down the stairs with the cases before Charlotte caught up to him. He didn’t say much to her, just handed her the two suitcases with her things and motioned to the door. 

“We’re leaving already?” she asked, surprised that Nick had managed to get everything packed so quickly.

“Why wait until morning?” he reiterated, making a beeline for the door. He wanted to get to the train station as soon as possible so they wouldn’t miss the afternoon train. They’d have to make an extra connection for leaving in the middle of the day but Nick had been anticipating it. If they waited and missed the midday train then he would have to go back later on and he wasn’t about to wait, not after everything he’d been through. 

Charlotte was quiet through their walk, ignoring the stares of people as they walked quickly down the street with suitcases in hand. She was afraid to talk to Nick since he still seemed very upset with her (with good reason). It was like he couldn’t stand to be there anymore the way he walked with such determination, and she didn’t blame him. She didn’t know what he’d experienced while she was gone but she wanted to leave more than anything in the world. It was an understatement to say that she’d learned her lesson. Now though, she had paid the price of her selfishness and was ready to show Nick that she really loved him. 

She waited patiently at the train station as Nick got their tickets and she looked forward to seeing her family and just hiding away for a while. 

“We are going home, right?” she asked as Nick walked out of the station, tucking the tickets into his jacket pocket. He didn’t say anything, just nodded and Charlotte got the feeling that he was hiding something. She of course had no place to accuse him of such but he was definitely saying a lot less than he knew. 

The train was on time, and they boarded quickly, stowing their things away in the baggage compartment. Charlotte found their seats while Nick had their tickets checked and it seemed like mere seconds had passed before they were on their way. It felt like it had only been a few hours since she was pleaded for her freedom and now there they were sitting on a train headed home and Charlotte was petrified to even look at her husband let alone speak to him. 

“Do you believe what you said?” she finally spoke up, looking out the window of the train, “That in the end I’m only a human being blinded by my desires?”

Nick was surprised to hear her speak and looking over, watching her for a brief moment as she gazed out the glass, “Of course I believe it, I said it. That certainly can’t be your excuse though. Just because I believe you were possessed by your own greed, doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you for it. I only see how and why it all happened. I told those people to let us leave, not to grant you absolution for your actions.”

Charlotte’s chin quivered and she fought to remain her composure, “Things were getting better though weren’t they? Before all of this happened I felt like we were really fixing things.”

“I really tried Charlotte,” Nick admitted with a sigh, “I don’t know how but I dug down deep to forgive you for everything that happened around New Year’s and I also thought things were getting better. I was feeling better about you, about us…about me. When this thing with the school happened though, I lost it. I honestly don’t know you. The person you’ve been with me since the summer is not the real you. It was the person you were pretending to be so you didn’t get caught being someone else. It’s confusing to even think about. I’m starting to forget who I am though. I feel like I’m just an appendage to you. People see you and everything you’ve done then I’m just there on the side being helpless. That’s not the type of person I want to be. Right now I can’t be that person with you.”

“What are you saying?” she asked, wiping away a stray tear while fearing for the very worst.

Nick took a good long look at her; from her pretty green eyes to her long brown hair she was the picture of beauty. What man would possibly want to turn down a lifetime spent with her? He wished he could use leaving as a fresh start for their marriage but he felt like he was losing his mind, and it was time to reassure himself of who he was. He wasn’t the heartless, angry person she’d made him become.

“I’m not getting off with you,” Nick finally admitted, “When the train stops for the connection you’ll be going on home without me.”

“What?” Charlotte gasped, “But…where will you go?”

“I can’t tell you that,” he told her with a tinge of sadness in his tone. He did have a heart and he didn’t want to upset her, “I need to do this for me. I’ve lost everything I thought I ever had. You following your dream cost me mine. I need time to recuperate because right now I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you, and I do want to.”

“What about me?” Charlotte whispered through her tears.

“I’m sorry, but you never thought about me for a second when you started all of this. You can go home, and I’m sure you’ll find something to occupy your time.”

Charlotte so badly wanted to tell him it wasn’t fair, stomp her feet and throw a fit but she knew that he was absolutely right. In the grand scheme of things she hadn’t thought about what was going to happen to him, and now he was giving her the same treatment. She should just be thankful that he saved her so she was able to be sitting on that train on her way home. 

“Can I please write to you?” she asked politely.

Nick chuckled, “That’s what got us into this mess in the first place. I think it would be best if we didn’t write.”

“How will I know where you are, and what you’re doing and whether or not you’re okay?” Charlotte demanded to know, not liking the mystery that Nick was leaving. 

“You won’t. Maybe I’ll write my mother and she can tell you, but maybe I won’t,” he shrugged.

Charlotte nodded reluctantly, “When are you coming back?”

“I might never come back,” Nick admitted to her, not knowing at all what the future had in store for him. 

“I’ll have to wait for you forever then,” Charlotte swore, putting her hand over her heart so he knew she was serious. 

“Hopefully it won’t have to be that long,” Nick told her honestly then leaned over to gently kiss her forehead, not wanting to say goodbye since he wasn’t sure at that point whether he would ever care to see her again, or whether he would have gotten over the whole mess in a short time. Either way he was looking forward to the new stage in his life, and prayed that Charlotte made the best of her time while he was gone.