Fandom: The Royal Tenenbaums
Title: Used to Be
Rated: PG13
Notes: I don't even know if I like this, but I wanted to write a Chas and Margot one. I don't know if this is the relationship they were intended to have, but since I don't think the movie directly contradicts it, I think it has plausibility.
Archive: can also be found at my RT Archive, which I hope you others will consider posting your stories at as well... http://www.lame-obsessions.net/tenenbaum/efiction

She rose an eyebrow at him, flicking her cigarette absentmindedly with her thumb. “You're late.’

“I know,’ Chas said, smiling at her and taking a seat across the table from her. “I'm sorry.’

“Whatever,’ she said, looking around and pushing her hair out of her eyes. “What was it you wanted?’

“Just thought we'd have lunch together,’ he said, casting his eyes down and not really looking at the menu. “We used to do that, you know.’

She snorted slightly through her nose. “Hardly something we've done in a long time, Chas.’

He nodded, looking at her. “Is that your way of saying it's not something you want to do? Cause we could just call it off now and I'll go pick up my sons…’

“Okay,’ she said with a sigh, leaning forward and putting out her cigarette. “Sorry. I was just surprised, Chas.’

He shook his head, shutting his menu with a quiet snap. “Say it now, Margot. If you don't want to be here, say it now.’

She took a deep breath, picking at a piece of the table cloth and looking towards the door. “I want to be here, Chas. It's fine.’

He nodded again, gritting his teeth as the waiter came over and took their order, not looking at his sister again until the waiter left. Taking a deep breath he shrugged off his aggravations and looked at her. “Is the divorce finalized yet?’

She shrugged. “It's just a formality. We're divorced in all the ways it matters, but the court system's slow.’

He nodded, rubbing a finger over his nose. “And Eli?’

She looked at him sharply. “What about Eli?’

He shrugged. “It's pretty clear that's why you and Raleigh parted, Margot. I'm just asking if…’

“If we're still fucking,’ she asked sharply, glaring at him.

“Jesus, Margot,’ he said, sitting back. “That's not what I was asking.’

“Eli and I haven't spoken since he got back from rehab,’ she said quietly. She looked at him, raising her chin defiantly. “And anyway, it's none of your business.’

“No, I guess it's not,’ he said, shaking his head. “I'm not Richie after all.’

Her eyes widened and her expression froze. “What does that mean?’

He laughed, shaking his head. “Nothing.’

“No,’ she ground out, her teeth gritting. “What does that *mean*?’

He frowned at her. “It means you've never talked to me about anything, Margot,’ he said softly. “It's always been Richie.’ She narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze sweeping over his face for signs of something he couldn't place. “That's all I meant, Margot.’

“Since when have you cared,’ she asked, reaching in her pocket and pulling out her cigarettes.

“I thought you quit,’ he asked, glancing at her half full pack.

“Things change,’ she said quickly, her gaze not wavering. “Since when have you cared who I talked to?’

“You're my sister,’ he answered.

She snorted. “Adopted.’

He rolled his eyes, nodding. “You know, the only person that ever mattered to was you.’

She looked away, rolling her eyes. “I was reminded at every turn, Chas.’

“Not by me,’ he said quietly, shaking his head at her. “Not by me, not by mother, and not by Richie.’

“Whatever,’ she said in a bored tone, looking at him again. “So what is this about,’ she asked, waving her hand between the two of them. “Is this part of your get back in touch with the roots campaign?’

His eyebrows drew together. “My what campaign?’

“Yeah,’ she said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Your get back in touch with yor roots thing that you're doing these days. Richie… Royal… which I never got by the way,’ she said, rolling her eyes. “Royal treated you just as badly as he did me…’

“Yeah, well, it's not something you have to get,’ Chas said evenly, taking the napkin from the table and placing it in his lap. “He's dead now.’

Her eyes lowered slightly as she chewed on her lip for a moment. “Anyway, I still didn't understand how you could forget what he…’

“I didn't forget,’ Chas said, making sure to keep his tone level despite the anger he felt rising in his chest. “People change, Margot. People fuck up, and they regret it.’

She laughed, looking pitifully at him. “He regretted it? Is that what he told you?’

“He didn't have to,’ Chas said, glaring at her. “He treated my sons the way he should have treated me… that was worth more than any declaration.’

She took a languid draw on her cigarette, watching as the smoke slowly filtered out of her mouth and dissipated into the air. “How are Uzi and Ari,’ she asked softly. “I haven't seen them since…’

“Don't do that,’ he said, shaking his head and laughing slightly.

She frowned at him. “Do what?’

“Make small talk about my sons,’ he said quietly. “It's not like you care anyway, is it?’

“I care,’ she said, her brow furrowing. “They're my nephews…’

“Then why didn't you come to their birthday party,’ he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “Mother said you had a prior engagement… I thought it was really great the way you got her to deliver your regrets instead of sending them yourself.’

She frowned at him, pursing her lips together. “I had a signing to go to…’

He laughed, nodding. “That you knew about ahead of time, I'm sure.’

“It slipped my mind, Chas,’ she said, her voice rising almost imperceptibly. “I said I was sorry.’

“No,’ he said, shaking his head. “Mother said you were sorry. You said nothing.’

She sighed, looking down at her hands. “You're the one who invited me here, Chas. If you just wanted to attack me why not do it in private?’

“Because I didn't invite you to attack you,’ he hissed out, leaning over the table closer to her. “But you make it near impossible to talk to you without…’

“Without what,' she asked, challenging him with a look. “Without what?’

“You know something,’ Chas said, leaning back and placing the napkin back on the table. “If there's something I know about, it's self-isolation. The more of a victim you see yourself as, the more of one you make yourself.’

“I don't see myself as a victim,’ she said quietly.

He nodded, smirking at her. “Right.’

“I don't!’

He shrugged. “You're a cold hearted bitch, Margot. I don't know when you became one, probably around the same time you started treating me like I was the one to blame for Royal always choosing Richie… but that's what you are. A cold hearted bitch.’

“Fuck you,’ she hissed, her eyes filling with tears. “I never treated you like that.’

He nodded. “You did.’

“I did not.’

He shook his head. “You really have a warped view on everything, you know that?’

“You stopped talking to *me*, Chas,’ she said. “You moved out and…’

“You think it started when I moved out,' he asked incredulously. “It used to be me and you, Margot. Me and you against them. We used to be close.’

“Yeah,’ she said, nodding. “And then you met Rachael and…’

“No,’ he said, placing his hands face down on the table. “No, you and I drifted long before I met Rachael. You went off and disappeared for wherever or whatever, and you came back and cut me out of your life.’ He shook his head at her, licking his lips. “Probably before then, actually. Probably since you and Richie ran off together.’

“That's not true,’ she said, looking down at the table cloth.

“Fine,’ he said, looking over at the waiter as he brought their food over. “I'm sorry,’ he said to the waiter. “Why don't you eat that if you're hungry, I've lost my appetite.’ He looked at Margot, reaching into his pocket. “We'll still pay for it,’ he said, placing two $20's on the table.

“You're leaving now,’ she whispered, leaning closer to him.

“What's the point in staying,’ he said, standing up and pushing his chair in. “If you're half as disinterested in knowing me as you appear to be… why should I even bother?’

“You can forgive Royal, but not me,’ she asked him as he started to leave, biting her lip.

He shrugged, nodding. “Royal put forth the effort, Margot. I get the feeling you don't much feel like being bothered by it, so why should I?’

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