Title: Contagious

Theme: Sick

Pairings: Josef x Ginny

Summary: Taking place days before the events in Dark Celebration, Josef finds himself in a bit of a pickle and looking for a way out. Ginny is stuck to deal with her head cold. What could the two ever have in common?

"JOSEF!"

He was going to die.

Josef was torn between absolute laughter or fearing for his life. Byron and Jacques were after his head. To be fair though, he had no idea that Byron and Jacques were going to be busting into the room.

How was he supposed to know that Byron wouldn't bother knocking? Or that he'd lose his balance and spill all the glitter everywhere? Or that Josh had "accidentally" spilled glue all over the two of them already?

Or better yet, that Josh and Travis would blame him at the last minute. Man, those little twerps were going to get it later.

The two Carpathians were right on his tail and they were hell bent on revenge. Josef had no choice but to do what any sane person would have done at that moment; he fled.

He couldn't change shape well, but he sure as hell could run and that's exactly what he did. He dove out the back door and into the woods, using whatever small tricks he could to throw them off. But it was useless, as he circled back towards a house currently in use for the holiday. Raven had insisted on throwing a Christmas party and many Carpathians had flocked to the mountains for it.

Byron and Jacques were going to catch him and he was going to be in so much trouble. They'd probably break all his CDs, or worse!

Force him to do all the dishes after the Christmas party.

Didn't they know what dish soap did to his hands hands?

"Youcan'thideforever.Comeandbeaman.Showyourself,Josef," Byron called, vindictively.

Josef shuddered at the words, crouching beside the cottage. He could practically see the terrible gleam in his uncle's eyes. It was only a matter of time before they caught him and…and…

Shhtuck.

A wad of snow fell onto his head, making Josef nearly jump out of his skin. He yelped, spinning around, expecting Byron or Jacques to be swinging a sword for his head. Instead, he found himself face to face with big eyes and a messy head. Wearing nothing but a thin nightgown covered in butterflies, a red nosed girl peered at him almost sheepishly.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there." The girl sniffled, coughing into her fist.

Josef relaxed just a bit. It was just a little girl. She couldn't have been more than ten or eleven at most. Her skin seemed lightly tanned, but ashened. She was sick, Josef realized with a slight stir of surprise. Having been born Carpathian, seeing an ill person was something new to him.

"Its fine," he assured her, dusting the snow off his head. "You just hit me with one big snowball and scared the heck out of me, but that's okay. Shouldn't you be sleeping? I don't think sick little girls are supposed to wander around in their jammies."

The girl puffed at her cheeks at him, her ears reddening just a bit. "At least, I'm not the one creeping around outside windows."

"I'm not creeping," Josef snorted, "I'm on the run."

"Did you do something bad?"

"Uh…something like that," Josef cringed, glancing over his shoulder. "I was framed."

The girl frowned skeptically, "Aren't you, Josef? Colby says you're a prankster."

"So my reputation precedes me!" Josef threw her a big ol' wolfish grin. He reached to grab part of the window still. The girl backed up quickly, dropping backwards onto a bed. "But I didn't do it this time. I promise. Mind if I come in?"

The girl crossed her arms firmly. "Rafael wouldn't like for me to invite a stranger in."

"Then what's your name?"

"Ginny," she eyed him up and down.

"Well hi there, Ginny," Josef gave a little wave. "I'm Josef. See? We're not strangers. We're friends. Now can I come in?"

"Friends…" Ginny looked surprised. Her skeptical look melted away to be left with an almost shy smile. "Alright…but only if you're my friend, Josef."

He liked the way she said that. The way she seemed to curl a bit of possessive hint to the word 'friend'.

Josef grinned broadly, and lifted himself inside. He kicked the snow off his shoes as he wiggled inside, flopping to the ground rather ungracefully. Ginny broke into laughter at his antics, peering down at him from her bed.

"Hey now," Josef threw her a playful glare. "You're not supposed to laugh at a guy who climbs through your window."

"Sorry, but I don't normally have boys doing that sort of thing," Ginny laughed, but the sound was interrupted as she broke into a fitful of coughs.

"I find that hard to believe," Josef rolled his eyes.

Josef's playfulness dissolved into worry as she hunched over coughing more violently and until her face was flushed red. He got to his feet and leaned over her, gently rubbing her back and pushing the hair out of her face.

"Hey now, breathe. I can't have you keel over on me. I don't want anyone to think I'm a murderer."

Ginny made a noise that was a cross between a cough and a laugh.

"You really are sick, aren't you? Here. Lay back on your pillows and breathe." Josef reached for her pillows, helping stack them until she was comfortable. Her hair was sprawled around her and she looked so tired. "Maybe I should go."

"No," Ginny coughed softly, clearing her throat. She latched onto his wrist with pleading eyes. "Please don't. Colby and Rafael are gone and Paul doesn't want to get sick so he won't come see me."

"You're here alone?" Josef couldn't help but horrified at such a thing. While he couldn't ever recall being sick, he knew that few times he had gotten injured his parents had instantly been there. "Where's your parents?"

"In heaven," Ginny sniffled and fumbled for a tissue to blow her red nose. "But Colby—she's my sister and her husband, Rafael takes good care of Paul and I."

Josef nodded slowly, gently taking a seat on the edge of her bed. He scrunched up his nose at the sight of her snotty tissue, but didn't comment. Instead he summoned the basket from across the room for her to toss it away. She blinked, a bit taken back, but didn't comment.

"I lost my parents when I was baby," Josef offered, smiling gently. "But I have Eleanor and Vlad. They're my parents now and I love them very much. They wouldn't leave me alone if I was sick like you."

"I just have a cold," Ginny defended rather weakly. "I don't do well in the cold. It's never cold in Texas or on the ranch."

"I forget that humans are so much more fragile."

Ginny nudged him sharply with her foot. "Hey!"

Josef poked her cheek with his finger. "Well you are."

"Am not!"

"Are too," Josef rolled his eyes. "Do you always argue with your elders?"

"Only when they're wrong," Ginny coughed. "You're a pain. Maybe I should have left you out there to get punished."

"But then you'd be all alone," Josef waved his hand at her. "Come on, admit it, Ginny. You're having fun."

To that, Ginny couldn't deny. She huffed and tried to look annoyed, but she couldn't deny that he was right. Colby and Rafael had gone off and Paul was supposed to watch over her. But Paul didn't want to be sick, so unless he was bringing her soup, Ginny was stuck all alone in a new place and unable to explore.

"I want to go outside," Ginny looked sadly at the window. "It's so boring being inside all day. I wish I wasn't sick. I really do. I've never got to see snow before and I want to see all the animals. But Colby won't let me out until I'm not sick anymore."

"You could get worse if you don't listen to her," Josef pointed out. He laid backwards on her mattress, folding his arms behind his head without a care in the world. "But when you get better, I can take you out. I know all the great places to see things. I might even be able to introduce you to a wolf or two."

"Could you?" Ginny sat up.

Josef tsked. "Not if you don't rest and get better, I won't."

She flopped back against her pillows, but rather than sulking she looked excited. Josef watched the way her eyes lit up and the way she nibbled on her thumb to contain her excitement. It was adorable, Josef realized.

The tranquil moment was ruined by a sharp knock on Ginny's door. Josef sat up instantly. Ginny watched in surprise as he rolled off the bed and forced his way under her bed, hissing.

"Shhh! I'm not here."

The door opened as Colby peeked inside. Ginny jerked her head from the floor and tried to smile at her sister and not think about the teenage boy already wedged tightly under her bed. It was like something out of one of the sitcoms that Colby used to scoff at.

"You really shouldn't leave the window open," Colby shook her head and waved her hand, shutting the window instantly. "I know how much you want to go outside, Ginny. But not until you're better."

"Yes, Colby." Ginny mentally wished her sister would hurry up and leave.

But no…

Colby had to tuck the covers around her and gently smooth Ginny's hair back. All the while, Ginny was mentally doing her best not to draw attention to the tip of a shoe just barely sticking out from under her bed.

"You're back early," Ginny spoke softly, "I thought Rafael and you were going to meet with some people."

"We were," Colby sighed. "But it seems that prankster, Josef struck again and Byron and Jacques went off to find him. You haven't seen him, have you?"

He'shidingundermybed, Ginny suppressed that thought and smiled happily. Under the bed she was sure that Josef was probably sweating bullets knowing that he could be found at any moment.

"I've been sitting in here under lock and cage," Ginny whined. "What do you think, Colby?"

"Alright, alright. Point made," Colby raised her hands and laughed, winking at her. "Just get some rest, Ginny."

Ginny sulked back into her pillows until Colby shut the door behind her, pondering if she was perhaps underestimating her sister again. The bed shifted as Josef crawled out, a big triumphant grin on his face.

"I really owe you one," He offered her a high five, which she took gladly. "You really saved my neck there. Byron and Jacques won't bother to look for me here for a while. Or at least until all the glitter washes off."

Ginny laughed, shaking her head. "You promised to take me out. Don't forget."

Josef laughed and nudged her chin with his knuckles. "Don't you worry. I don't forget promises I make to pretty girls."

Ginny flushed and swatted his hands away. "You're terrible!"

"You'll get used to it," Josef flopped onto the mattress beside her. "I'm contagious."

"Funny," Ginny coughed as she smacked him with her pillow. "So am I."

A/N: So I wanted to try a new pairing that is a little off and not at all canon. I know there's a some years between the two of them, but I couldn't resist giving Josef a playful teasing moment. I kind of have that feeling of both Ginny and Josef having that craving for friends, so I couldn't help doing a small meeting between them.

Special thanks to everyone who reviews. Reviews make me smile and encourage me to post despite having loads of homework. (Bleh to Spanish in college, man. Learning a language is only 33 classes is hard!)

But yes, small amount of complaining aside, I felt drawn to a bit of a Ginny and Josef piece. I also fell somewhere in love with this coupling and did two more written pieces that I'm editing-slash-debating on posting. I mostly write by whatever comes to mind, so I'm thinking on it.

What do you think? Should I?