[closed - Charlotte]

When she had moved into his apartment upstairs, Joel had returned the keys to his sister -- both his and Spencer's -- knowing she would appreciate the privacy. He's so used to just being able to walk in, though, that when he arrives at the store to pick her up that day, he simply walks up the stairs, turns the knob and pushes against the apartment door with his shoulder, only to remember at the last second that it's locked. That he doesn't live here anymore. Beyond that door is an apartment he'd still recognize, but it isn't his. His most important things are gone, all his books and his music, his stereo system and any personal items. They've been replaced by things that belong to Charlotte and the place doesn't feel like his anymore. Which it shouldn't. It's not.

"Sorry," he calls, rapping his knuckles against the door. It's just been home for such a long time that even now, even though he loves living at the house with Spencer, even though he doesn't think he'd ever be able to come back to the apartment, it's just so familiar to him. This is where he spent nearly every single night from the time he was twenty-one, this is still home in a lot of ways.

"Charlie, come on," he says, leaning against the wall to wait for her. "I can't leave Spencer alone with mom and dad forever, they'll drive him crazy."

But he's looking forward to this all the same. Since she's moved back, he hasn't had a lot of time to spend with her just by himself. He'd been busy and then he'd been trying to keep his distance from her so that the demon wouldn't hurt her, but that's done. It's gone, it's been banished, and now all he wants is to spend some time with his sister.