Disclaimer:I do not own Rose Red.

A/N:This is the second chapter! I hope, if you're still reading this, that you like this chappie as much as the last! Oh and if you're reading this because you think a Julian Sands was hot, you should look him up in Tale of a Vampire, and read my fanfic 'When I Needed You Most'. I have also decided to start posting when I'm updating, info, or answering questions through my tumblr. If anyone is interested my UN is lupinistic. Anyway, on with the show! Please review!

Nick Hardaway looked at the young woman in front of him with open admiration. Not that she noticed. No, Charles Reardon was absolutely oblivious to the looks she was getting from the older man. Not that they were unwelcome. In fact, she thought he was hot. And she just so happened to have a weakness for accents. And his was divine.

Charlie was leading him to a nearby bar & grill to answer any questions he may have. Once they came to the door, Nick held it open for her, making her smile and blush as she thanked him. She lead him to a more secluded table in the back of the large crowded room. They both got comfortable before she let out her senses to feel for his gifts.

"So, you're a little bit of everything then?" She said casually. Instead of getting defensive like a lot of people would, he just smirked at her.

"So, you're a lot of everything then?" He countered. Charlie glared at him, before sighing and looking down at her hands. She then looked up at him with a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Nick gave her a contemplative look for a moment, before he decided to ask what he really wanted to know.

"Why do you seem so forlorn about having these gifts?" He looked her over as she slumped back against the booth. She stared up the ceiling for a few moments before looking over at him with a pensive expression.

"I suppose you could say it's because of people like my aunt. People who become so obsessed they forget to care the people that have the abilities. I don't really feel comfortable going to Rose Red, but someone has to take care of my aunt. Only person, besides yourself now, was my grandfather. That's only because he had some of them too." She said smiling. Nick gave her a sad smile as she continued. "Then there's the fact that people start thinking you're some kind of freak because you start freaking out thanks to hearing their voices in your head." Nick smirked at that last bit.

"Yes, I know exactly how that is. Especially since when I was younger I got caught making things move with my mind. At least now you're going to be surrounded by people like yourself." He said. She snorted.

"Yeah I wonder how well that's going to go over. You know she trying to get a 15 year-old autistic girl with abilities to go with us. I have nothing against her, it's that she's so young and she has the abilities I do. I don't care if that house is now a dead cell right now. The minute we set foot on the grounds, it won't be anymore. And it will be dangerous. A kid should not go anywhere near that place." Charlie growled out, the spoon in her water glass starting to spin in irritation. Nick put his hand on her arm in a placating manner. She relaxed, or at least enough for the spoon to stop trying to race the water in her glass. She gave him a grateful smile, before his hand fell away.

"I think you're right. But the most we can do is use our own abilities to keep her safe. And stay alive." The last statement made her cringe. Sadly it was the truth with all the disappearances, it was a very likely prospect that they could die while they were there.

"Yeah I know. Especially since I don't have a chance in Hell of changing her mind on either not going to Rose Red or not taking Annie. Even if I told her about my own abilities and fears. By the way, the current owner of Rose Red, Steve Rimbauer is also a psychic. He just suppresses and denies his abilities." She said casually. This seemed to get Nick's attention.

"Why does he do that?" He asked, clasping his hands in front of him and leaning over the table toward her. Charlie did the same.

"Truthfully? Want my honest opinion?" She asked, and only continued when she go a nod in return. "Well, I think it has to do Rose Red itself. He used to go there when he was younger with his mother. I think he saw something that scared him, and he didn't want to be able to see it again, so he suppresses what makes him able to see these things." Nick nodded in understanding.

"I can't say that I blame him. I know that if I could have figured out how to do it as a child, I would have." Charlie nodded with a smile.

"I think the only time that someone suppresses anything is because they can't handle it. So you could handle your abilities, and whatever consequences they had. Same as me. Or I would have more than likely suppressed mine as well." She said, now looking out over the rest of the bar, before turning back to her table companion. "So, what is it you want to know? About the trip I mean." He smiled, then leaned back in his seat again.

"How many of us are going, and what all can they do." She sighed and leaned back as well, closing her eyes in concentration.

"Well, the two of us, obviously. Then some post cog named Emery Waterman, who has mommy issues from what I could get over the phone. Then Aunt Jay, who has the equipment. Steven Rimbauer who I can't get a read on. A precog named Victor Kandinsky, who has heart disease. Pam Asbury who is a psychometric. Cathy Kramer who is a automatic writer. Now we are just waiting to see if we can get Annie, who will also be coming with her older sister Rachel. If we get the last two it will be ten of us going to what I am going to term, a hell house." Nick was nodding along with each of the names, and gave a grimace at her last statement.

"You very well may be right about that. By the way, how old are you?" That threw Charlie off for a second. He asked that straight out of the blue. He seemed to catch that and just gave her that devious grin, causing her give a small laugh.

"I'm 19. But I'll be 20 on the 24th of June. What about yourself?" She asked while picking up her glass to take a drink. He just smiled and raised an eyebrow in her direction before answering.

"I am 34, and will be 35 in August." He said, looking down at his own drink.(Don't know if that's his real age, and I don't really care either.) She just rolled her eyes as she got a glimpse of his thoughts. Like age made a difference to her. He was hot, was a gentleman, seemed intelligent, and had an amazing accent. What more could she want!? Not that he knew that because she had shields up in her mind. She didn't look at him as she said her next thought.

"It doesn't matter you know." His head snapped up when she said that, but she kept her gaze down.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, but she could tell he already knew exactly what she meant. She smirked and looked up at him.

"The age difference. You're 15 years older than me, big deal. I know that you have a thing for me. You actually think pretty loudly." Nick cringed at that. "And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a thing for you. Plus my dad was 23 years older than my mom. I'd kinda be a hypocrite if I had something to say about it. Dontcha think?" Charlie said with a small smile, which was returned. After a moment she looked up at the clock and gasped. It was already almost midnight. Nick looked as well, before turning back to her.

"Do you need to get going? I didn't realize it was so late." He said. Charlie nodded as she dug through her purse for paper and a pen. She grinned in triumph as she pulled both out of her 'black hole' of a purse. She then wrote down her cell number and handed it to Nick. He gave her a questioning look, to which she rolled her eyes.

"We meet again on Monday but then the actual trip is on Friday after that. So this is so you can call me before then. Now I got to go. It was nice meeting you today Nick. Hope to hear from you." She said with a smile before getting up and heading for the door. Nick watched with a smile all the way.