Charlie had heard about this happening, but she had always thought that it was a myth. She didn't think that it ever really happened to anyone, she just thought that it was some cheesy fairy tale. This sort of thing definitely was not supposed to happen in real life.

She scrubbed and scrubbed at her wrist, desperately willing the ink to go away even though she knew that it was hopeless.

At first it had just been a faint pattern, so light that she couldn't even tell for sure that it had been writing. Like it hadn't been definitive, as if it had been written in pencil and able to change. But now, now it was written very clearly in thick, dark letters that covered her wrist.

Charlie could feel tears forming in her eyes and forced herself to push them back as she finally gave up and stopped scrubbing at her raw, red skin.

"Charlie, are you alright in there?" Miles' voice came through the doorway.

She took a deep breath before turning and opening the door.

"What happened?" He asked as soon as he saw the look on her face.

Charlie wordlessly held up her wrist in response.

Miles stared at the red flesh that was only accented by the name inked upon it. CONNOR BENNETT.

"What, you got drunk and got Mini-Monroe's name tattooed on your wrist to match the real-Monroe branding on the other one?" Miles questioned with an amused smirk, which quickly fell when Charlie didn't smile in response.

"I didn't get a tattoo," Charlie responded. "It started showing up over a week ago, but you could barely see it. You couldn't tell what was written. But now... You've heard the stories, Miles. I don't want my fate to be Mini-Monroe."

That wasn't exactly true. That was what really scared Charlie, the fact that she had already been struggling to push away her feelings that had been developing for Connor. What if she really was destined to be with Connor? What if he turned into what his father had used to be?

"Well you said that this thing faded in, maybe it'll fade back out eventually," Miles suggested.

"We both know that's not how it works, Miles," she responded with a tear still shimmering in her eye.

"I know, I just thought that the appropriate thing to do in this situation was to lie to you," Miles told her with a faint smile. "Here, take my jacket so that you can cover it up."

"Thanks," Charlie said with a weak smile as she pulled her uncle's too big leather jacket on.

She looked in the mirror and was relieved to see that, although it clearly did not fit right, it did hang low enough to cover the mark on her wrist. In fact, the sleeves went all the way down to her knuckles.

"Looking good, kid," Miles commented, causing Charlie to laugh a little. "Come on, we've got to head out."

By noon, the Mathesons and the two Monroes had already been walking for hours with the sun beating down on them. It was an especially hot day and the midday sun was up in full effect.

"I don't know how you're wearing Miles' jacket right now, Charlie," Bass commented. "I can barely keep my shirt on."

Miles shot Bass a glare. Bass didn't understand why he was being glared at and shot his friend back a confused look that only caused Miles to roll his eyes and look away.

"He's right, it is pretty hot out," Connor agreed with a grin. "Maybe you should take your shirt off, Charlie."

" Shut. Up." Charlie responded through gritted teeth without even turning to look back at him.

Bass was right; it was way too hot for this jacket. She was practically passing out from heat stroke, but there was absolutely no way that she was taking it off and showing off her new marking.

"Ooh, someone's more short-tempered than usual," Connor commented as he picked up his pace to walk next to her. "That's okay, I like my women hot."

Rachel and Bass simultaneously turned to shoot Connor 'Are you kidding me?' looks, while Miles shot Charlie a look that was a cross between sympathetic and amused.

"Fine. If you're not going to take your shirt off, then I'll just have to take off mine," Connor continued. "Just try not to drool too much, you're probably already dehydrated."

Charlie tried to keep ignoring him as she continued to look straight ahead instead of turning to see if he had really taken his shirt off or not. That didn't last very long though, since less than thirty seconds passed before she heard Bass's angry voice coming from behind them.

"What the hell is that?"

Charlie quickly looked down to make sure that her mark was still covered up before she heard Monroe speaking again.

"Connor, what the hell is that on your wrist?" He insisted.

Charlie stopped walking and turned in horror.

"What, this?" Connor asked his father innocently as he held up his wrist and smirked over at Charlie. "That would be Charlie Matheson's name. Charlotte Matheson, to be exact... Funny, isn't there a story about what it means when someone's name appears on your wrist? ...What does that mean again, Charlie?"

Charlie quickly turned away from him and started walking again, this time at a faster pace. Connor quickly moved to catch up to her, causing the rest of the group to follow suit.

"Oh please tell me that she isn't wearing that jacket to cover up the fact that his name is on her wrist," Bass begged to no one in particular. "Connor, please tell me that you got drunk and stupid and tattooed her name on your wrist out of moronic desperation."

For once Connor was silent.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Bass complained. "You two aren't seriously soulmates."

"Shut up, Bass!" Miles said, this time out loud. "For once in your life can you realize that this isn't about you?"

Charlie was beyond sweating and it had become abundantly clear that there was no point in even trying to hide her mark. The only way that she would convince them that she didn't have one would be if she could show them that her wrists were unmarked and there was no way that could happen, at least not anymore. There was no point in making herself sweat until she passed out if they were going to find out either way.

She braced herself before she slowly removed Miles' jacket and tossed it back over to him. As she moved to put her arm back down, Connor reached out and lightly grabbed it to stop her.

A tilted smirk formed on his lips as he commented, "So you do have one too."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Charlie questioned, ripping her arm out of his grasp, not that it took very much effort when he wasn't resisting her action.

"Because I've had mine since the day I met you. And while I've been trying to cover mine up, you've been walking around in a belly-shirt perfectly mark-free," he told her.

There had been a few times where he had thought that he'd seen something during the last week, but when it had been too light and hadn't looked like letters he had just assumed that it was dirt.

"You've had yours since the first day?" Charlie asked, studying his face in confusion. "Then why did mine just show up now?"

"I don't know, maybe it only shows up when you subconsciously realize who it is," Connor replied. "I'm going to kiss you now. So if you're planning on stopping me, I'd prefer if you told me now instead of hitting me and messing up my face afterwards."

As Charlie's thoughts struggled to catch up to his words, he leaned forward and brought his lips to hers. All of her thoughts came to a screeching halt as their lips met.

The kiss didn't last long. Connor wasn't trying to prove anything with that kiss, he didn't need to. The marks on their wrists were proof enough and he didn't need a big make-out scene now. He just wanted to give her the gentle nudge that she needed to admit to herself that their markings were right. That there was something real there.

Charlie's mind didn't start functioning again until Connor had already started walking again as if nothing had happened. Or at least that's how it appeared to Charlie who couldn't see the giant grin set on his lips.

"You coming, Charlie?"

A/N: Please read and review! This story is dedicated to connormonroeismyking (Steph-Schell on here) who requested the ficlet that became this first chapter. :)