Even The Fallen May Rise
Chapter 10: Phobia
Chapter Summary: Charity shifted uncomfortably not sure what to 's cold hand propelled Charity towards Doctor Cullen's Mercedes. Dru kissed her gently before opening the door for her. "See you in a few," Dru told her, turning and leaving Charity breathless.
Charity was not looking forward to the hours on a motorcycle, clinging frailly to Dru's frame.
Following Dru out of the house Charity gulped at the sight of the motorcycle, nervousness flooding her body.
Dru noticed.
"Are you alright?" she asked and Charity nodded, but the paleness of her face gave her away.
"No you're not," Dru concluded, glancing from her to the motorcycle. "You're afraid..."
"I'll be fine," Charity mumbled before jumping as Carlisle's voice cut into their conversation.
"She can ride with me if she would like."
Dru glared at him before glancing at Charity's still white face.
She sighed.
"Would you like that il mio amore?" Dru asked.
Charity shifted uncomfortably not sure what to say.
Dru's cold hand propelled Charity towards Doctor Cullen's Mercedes.
Dru kissed her gently before opening the door for her.
"See you in a few," Dru told her, turning and leaving Charity breathless.
Carlisle stood there awkwardly watching Dru walk over to her motorcycle.
Dru wore tight leather pants tucked into knee high combat boots.
Over her white tank top was a dark leather jacket.
She didn't wore a helmet, she didn't need to.
Charity watched her wistfully before sitting in the car and pulling the door closed hesitantly.
She almost reconsidered... then she looked at the motorcycle again.
"Where's Esme?" Charity asked, turning to look at Carlisle, having suddenly noticed her absence.
Carlisle started the car and slowly meandered down the driveway.
"She's worried about Edward, she's staying until after he's told Bella," Carlisle said with a sad expression.
"You don't really want to leave do you?" She asked.
Carlisle sighed.
"I'm going to miss this town," he told her, "And Bella's a nice girl. I understand how Edward feels but..."
Charity nodded.
They sat there in an awkward silence for a while before Carlisle drew in another breath to speak.
"So how did you two meet?"
"Me and Dru?"
"Yes," he glanced at her quickly with a curious expression.
Charity sighed, staring at the Vampiress riding on her motorcycle in front of them.
"The library actually, if you can believe it," Charity began with a small laugh.
"In the fantasy section, I was reading a book about Vampires."
Carlisle let out a small laugh at this and Charity grinned at him.
"What happened?"
"She told me that Vampires were vastly overrated."
"Really?" He said with a smile.
"Yeah," Charity murmured dreamily. "I met her there after school every day for a week.
"We would talk, she'd help me with my homework, and I'd go home."
"I remember the first time I rode on her motorcycle with her... I thought I was going to die!"
"So how did your relationship go from meeting at the library to... this?"
"You have to understand Carlisle, I was a lot younger, just coming into my sexuality and understanding of myself.
"Dru was the first person I'd ever fallen in love with, and I was in love.
"Deeply irrevocably, unconditionally in love with Dru.
"So the second week when she asked me out I said yes."
"And?" He prompted gently.
"Well, after another two weeks of dating her Dru began to notice things..."
"Things?"
"Like my bruises, and how I didn't really want to go home.
"And I started noticing things about her, how she'd never be around when it was sunny, how cold her skin was, how she never ate."
"You figured out she was a vampire?"
"Not at first," Charity said, "I thought maybe she had a sun allergy and of course I just believed she was an albino."
"Makes sense."
"Yes. But one day when I missed school Dru came to find me.
"My... my father, I think she knew he'd been beating me but was waiting for me to confide in her myself.
"Anyways, he'd been particularly ruff on me so I missed school.
"When Dru found me I had a black eye, a broken wrist, and at least two cracked ribs.
"She threatened my father to kill him if he ever touched me again and took me to the hospital.
"When I came to she was there, Dru told me everything about her that night, and we left.
"I haven't looked back since."