Get In The Car And Drive (POV skips around in this one, because something important is going to happen... Probably just one more chapter lovelies.)

"I suggest you turn Beth, because if you don't I'm going to kill her," Josef said calmly.

"Wait— what?" Mick asked confused.

"She all but demands that I go apologize to Charlie, and yet fails to tell me that Charlie is currently pulling a "Mick" and screwing a human!" Josef said, raising his voice.

"But she's not. Screwing a human, screwing anyone I mean. What are you talking about?" Mick asked.

"I'm talking about how I saw her with a man last night at her apartment!" Josef growled.

Mick started laughing, "Did you see Beth? Cause she was there too."

"Are you certain?" Josef asked calming minutely.

"Picked her up, dropped her off. The guy is Marshall. A freshie that you sent, that she befriended," Mick explained rationally. "Wait, Josef, how did you not smell Beth?"

"I was slightly distracted by the sight of the girl I was planning on declaring myself to cuddled up next to another man," Josef said, resuming growling.

"Payback's a bitch, huh?" Mick replied. (A/N: I know Mick probably wouldn't say bitch, but he's gonna here. hehe)

"What the hell does that mean?" Josef asked growing more aggravated.

"I just think it's just a mite ironic that you are losing it over something that looked less incriminating than what she caught you doing."

"I was just feeding, for the last time!" Josef shouted into the phone.

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is how you're feeling right now. Now double it, and that's what she felt," Mick replied.

"I have to go," Josef said quietly.

"Yeah, I would imagine that you do."

Josef began to drive around her apartment like a stalker. At least five times in the course of a week, and she was never home. Apparently she had ceased needing sleep.

The first week of cleaning, was surprising for Charlie. She had no clue how vamps got themselves into these predicaments. She had never been so glad for her strong stomach. But she found the work easy and it did take her mind off Josef. She barely got home at all. She'd even crashed several nights with Taryn, the blonde cleaner, because she was simply too exhausted to make it home in the sunlight.

It was on the seventh night, however, that Charlie got a real surprise. A routine call, some asshat had started a fight in some dank back alley. And of course, they'd left a corpse or two just lying around. Charlie almost wanted to laugh, hadn't anyone ever taught these vamps to clean up after themselves. Shit, most people learned that in kindergarten.

She and Taryn, the blonde, Adell, the red head, and Rebekah, the brunette, drove to the site in silence. Charlie was the last to get out of the car, and as soon as she did, she wanted to crawl right back in.

Josef stood there, cell phone in hand, glaring at the body. Then the wind shifted and he smelled her, his eyes went to hers like magnets. He didn't even spare a glance for the leather contraption she was wearing.

She dropped her eyes, as he walked over.

"Charlie," he whispered reverently.

"Did you do this?" she asked in a hard voice.

"No, I was on my way to see Mick, and saw the body. I couldn't just leave it here for a human to stumble upon," he explained.

"Well thanks. We appreciate the heads up," Charlie replied flatly.

"Is there any way I could talk to you for a few minutes," he asked.

"I've got a job to do here, Josef," she said.

"Yeah," he cleared his throat, "I didn't know you had gone into this line of work."

"Josef I've really got to go," she said desperately eyeing the girls cleaning up.

"Yeah, I'll just wait, if you don't mind," he said leaning up against a building just a few feet away.

Hell yes, she minded. It was over, love, feelings, mush... it was all over, she just kept repeating to herself.

Taryn eyed her pointedly when she began to help tidy the dark alley. Charlie just looked back levelly, as she had nothing to say. After a half hour or so, the alley was cleaner than it had ever been.

Josef was still waiting, and Taryn said, "We can wait," and gestured toward Josef with her head.

Charlie scowled, and Josef walked over.

"If you are done for the night, I can take Charlie home," Josef said addressing the other girls.

Rebekah nodded silently, and they got in the car and sped off.

"Josef I–" Charlie began.

"Charlie, I need to say something and I need you to let me. That means you have to shut up for a few minutes, if you're able," he said with a smirk.

She frowned but waited for him to continue.

"I don't know what you thought was happening between me and the freshie, but I promise you, I haven't been with anyone since you–"

"Swear on Mercedes, on your favorite car?" she asked.

"May all my cars spontaneously combust," he said crossing his heart with a boyish grin.

"There's more–" he began, before Charlie silenced him, holding up her index finger.

She stared pointedly at his car for a moment, when she turned back he was smirking wryly.

"Continue," she said simply.

"I've been drinking bottled blood since you left. It's easier," he said seriously. "I can barely stand my own house. It's empty. I miss you so much I physically ache. It's unbearable."

He could see her scowl begin to melt away. But there was still a hard, disbelieving look in her eyes, so he went for broke.

"And I love you more than I would have thought possible after what happened with Sara," he concluded letting his breath out in a gust.

"Why?" she asked close to tears. "Why now?"

"Because I didn't realize until you were gone how important you'd become to me. And really even then, I didn't feel like there was any way you could look past what I was," he replied quietly.

"What I am," she said, in confusion.

"I didn't even begin to hope, really, until Beth came into my office screaming at me," he said.

Charlie just covered her face with both hands in shock at Beth's actions.

He gently pulled them from her face, and held them tenderly. "So I need to ask you a question, and I don't want you to answer right away. I want you to think about it. As long as you need, because I have to know that you're certain. I need to know, if you feel like you could feel that way about me. Not necessarily even today," he said hopefully, "just ever. If you could ever love me."

She began to say something, but didn't even get out a syllable before he silenced her with his right index finger.

"Don't say anything tonight. I told you, I can wait for you to think it over." He led her to the car, and opened the door for her. They drove in silence. And when he walked her to her door, he said with a sexy smirk, "I would really love to kiss you, but I don't want to sway your decision."

She nodded mutely and unlocked the door, but she already knew her answer, and she wanted to kiss him, so she leaned forward.

She saw him smile in anticipation, and for a second, she felt like she could fly. That chaste kiss was his promise of how good it could be if she chose him. She couldn't wait for tomorrow.

Get in the Car and Drive by Eli Young Band (It a song about a guy telling a girl he loves her and that if she wants him, he's there for her. Stay tuned for the song that inspired the title of the fic... I figured I should include it somewhere. LOL)

Hello, it's just me
The distance I lost something in between
I've waited forever
For this to get better
She said how can I believe in something
I can't see or feel with my fingers
Yeah, how can I believe

And I said any time you think you wanna be my lover
That's a reason to do what you're thinking of
Any time you think you wanna come on over
Stop asking get in the car and drive
Stop asking get in the car and drive

Easy on the Eyes (I think by Terri Clark. Don't read too much into it lovelies, just a cute song.)

You're easy on the eyes
Hard on the heart
You look so good
But the way things look
Ain't the way they are
Better say goodbye
Before this goes too far
Now I realize
You're easy on the eyes
Hard on the heart