When it Rains

Over the next week, Charlie and Josef fell into a companionable routine. While he was at work, she studied or read or ambled about the estate, at night of course. And when he was at home, they became inseparable. Not that living with him was easy, but sharing his blood had given her some insight into his character. It was easier knowing he meant well, he just hadn't had to look after someone in so long.

She wondered idly sometimes if he resented her for it. She walked a tightrope. Becoming deeply entrenched in his life, all the while knowing that he still holds her at arms length.

The most obvious of these moments was their fourth night together. He led her into his room to feed, and she saw how his eyes darted to a painting on the wall. She snuck over later to read the inscription: Sara Whitley. Such a juxtaposition, Josef willingly gave her his lifeblood, but would share no part of himself. He rarely asks of her past. Only when she stares off into space, does he seem curious.

At the end of their first week together, she was in the living room with a book, as he was coming into the house.

"Mick, I don't care what unsavory characters you have to enlist. I want you to find her sire. He's wasting good air a week too long," Josef said in a hushed, angry tone, and flipped the phone shut.

"Hi," Charlie said, to make sure he knew she was in the room.

"Karl says he had an errand to run for you. Something from the apartment? It's here," Josef said offhand to Charlie, making no attempt to hide his sudden change of subject.

Charlie jumped up without a word and ran to Karl, who was guarding the front door. She threw her arms around him before he could protest and shrieked, "Thank you!" before running upstairs.

"What is it?" Josef called after her, amused by her display, and Karl's surprise.

"Something I never should have left in the first place!" she shouted over her shoulder.

Josef looked at Karl quizzically. Karl simply shrugged and walked away smiling.

Now if asked, Josef would have said he was above common snooping. In this case however, the curiosity was killing him, figuratively of course.

He walked silently upstairs to her door. He heard her humming gently. For about a second, or as long as it took her to open the door, and say, "You trained me better than you're giving me credit for," with a smirk.

"Okay, you are never evasive. I was curious," Josef admitted.

"What? I can't have a secret? You sure as hell do," she said with surprising vehemence.

He was momentarily taken aback. "I didn't know there was anything you wanted to hear about," he said honestly.

"We're living together. I'm closer to you than I've ever been to anyone. But you keep pulling away from me," Charlie accused.

"What do you want to know?" he asked simply. "Ask me anything."

"Fine," she said defiantly. "Tell me about the painting in your room. Tell me about Sara."

If she'd thought it was impossible for Josef to be any paler, she'd been wrong. And for a silent moment, he was white as a sheet.

He sat down heavily on her bed. "I loved her," he began simply. "I wish I could say I was young and stupid, but I was 350, and I loved her. When she knew what I was, she all but demanded that I change her. She knew it was the only way for us to stay together. But something went terribly wrong. She's in a coma to this day."

Charlie was silent for a moment before saying, "God, Josef, I'm sorry. Here, let me show you." She reached under the bed, opened a case and pulled out a blonde colored Martin acoustic guitar.

"Do you actually play it?" Josef asked with a sad smile. "Or do you just carry it around to pick up chicks?"

"Why can't it be a little of both?" Charlie asked pouting.

"Play me something," Josef implored with sad, blue eyes.

"Any requests?" she asked lightly.

"It doesn't matter."

"So much pressure," she joked. "Okay, the only thing I can think of is Dimebag... It's a song by Cross Canadian Ragweed about Dimebag Darrell, you know, from Pantera?"

At his blank stare, she continued, "I'll play a verse, and something else will come to me."

He nodded his assent and she began strumming and singing softly.

Dimebag Darrell
God bless that man
Ripped from us
By the Devil's hand
The only thing
In his plan
Was love and Rock and Roll
A cowboy from Hell
On a twisted trail
Swept away where the wild winds will
Truth is you can never tell
When it's your time to go

Bad news travels faster
Than any good news that you hear
Just one more dark disaster
Makes you wonder why we're here

"Something slower, Charlie," Josef said, scooting closer to her.

Slowly she began again, playing a song that she thought of in conjunction with their relationship and the confusing, bruising emotions she felt whenever she thought of Josef.

(When It Rains by Eli Young Band) (A/N: Look it up on youtube. It is amazing, but Charlie'd play it slower.)

Give me skies of black and blue, the way you make me feel
Give me skies of green and red, cold winds that make you reel
Storms are growing deep within, of hurt and loss and pride
It's good to see the world in pain, when I take a walk outside

When it rains, I don't mind being lonely
I cry right along with the sky
When it rains, I don't pretend to be happy
I don't even have to try
When it rains, some people get down
They're sporting a frown, so I fit right in
Yeah the sun may brighten your day
but if I had my way
I'd take the rain

Josef was hyper aware of her as she sang. He noticed the exact moment her skin went from smooth to covered in goosebumps. On the word lonely. He wondered if she was missing someone too. He had seen no evidence of a lost love, but then some people hid it well, he was case and point for that argument.

She placed the guitar back in its case and nudged it under the bed with her foot. She was close to tears as she said, "I'm sorry. I was out of line. I should never have forced you to tell me about Sara." Her voice broke as she said 'Sara.'

Josef pulled her close in his arms and said, "No. Don't apologize for being honest. And you're right anyway. There are things you have a right to know about your sire. Or step-sire I guess, Mick came up with that one a while back," Josef said, trying to ease the tension before pulling her into his arms.

A/N: When it Rains was the inspiration for this chapter. I'm currently working on the next chapter, which I think will use a Cross Canadian Ragweed song as the main catalyst. So basically I'm gonna flip flop between these two artists until I run out of material and am forced to go back to the original outline which consisted of only Eli Young Band songs. :) Both bands are amazing and if my words have any pull, you should check them out. Both are Country/southern Rock bands. Eli Young is very Lonestar, but better, and CCR is more rock and just happens to be the best live band EVER! Just a suggestion. ;)