Home (A/N: Tying up loose ends lovelies. This was hard, because I didn't truly want it to be over. Sigh.)

The next evening she was surprised at how much happier she was, how much lighter she felt.

She walked into the living room practically skipping.

Her mood fell instantly as she saw Rebekah's brown hair over the couch.

"So we assume he wants you back?" Rebekah asked calmly.

Charlie nodded.

"You remember the second question that we asked you?"

Charlie was drawing a complete blank. She shook her head 'no.'

"We asked if you were done with Josef. Now we don't really mind if you want to use him for sex, we hear that is quite enjoyable. But you can't have a relationship with him."

"Why?" Charlie whispered in shock.

"Because you'd both be on the vampire council, and that is what we call a conflict of interest. Your choice," Rebekah concluded and let herself out the front door.

After sitting in shock for another long moment, Charlie decided it was high time to call Beth.

The phone rang twice before Beth picked it up.

"You know how you promised to come over with a bottle of Jack, Jim or Jose? How soon can you get here?" Charlie asked.

Beth simply said, "Gimme 20."

In seventeen and a half minutes, Beth ran in, out of breath and threw herself on the couch.

She sat back as Charlie began to explain, "Yesterday, Josef told me he loved me, and wanted me back. I should thank you for that, by the way. He said he didn't even consider it until you yelled at him. Which you have my permission to do on a regular basis since it seemed to have a satisfactory outcome, but I digress. So of course I want to. But this job, cleaning, I'm good at it, and I'm doing something tangible for the safety of the secret and all that jazz, but they insist I can't have both."

"So it's Josef or your job," Beth paraphrased. "What are you gonna do?" she asked.

"I really like my job, I mean as much as you can after only a week, but I'm a wreck without Josef. What would you do?" Charlie asked.

"What did I do, you mean. I didn't always work for the DA," Beth said simply.

Charlie just looked at her pointedly until she continued.

"I was a reporter, and when I realized that I couldn't be and not be putting Mick in danger, I quit. The decision was that easy, and I just had to follow through. Just like you will have to live with whatever decision you make," Beth said softly.

"It's really a no brainer. I guess I just wanted to talk it over with somebody so I knew I wasn't being flippant," Charlie said.

"I don't think so. I mean, I've seen what being away from him does to you," Beth replied.

"Thanks a lot," Charlie said sarcastically.

"No, I mean you put on a brave face, but you're miserable without him," Beth argued.

"Yeah I am."

"Then I think you've made your decision," Beth said quietly.

When Beth left, Charlie grabbed her leather getups and drove to Taryn's house.

After two knocks, an annoyed Taryn opened the door.

Charlie held out her uniforms. "I'm going back to him," she said simply.

Taryn smirked, "Of course you are. Who would pass on that fine piece of vamp?"

Charlie just laughed, "I guess you're right."

Taryn looked at the leather and said with a wicked smirk, "Oh keep 'em. If we need help, we're still calling you. Rebekah can put that in her pipe and smoke it. Besides, if what we hear about Josef's lovemaking prowess is true, you were gonna be too tired to work full time anyway."

Charlie was speechless, she just threw her arms around Taryn tightly.

Taryn looked around the outside of the house before she hugged Charlie back. "No one knows I hug. Got that?"

Charlie walked back to her car laughing, and said, "Don't wait for a massacre to call me. Who knows maybe we can go shopping for some leather sometime."

Almost as soon as she got home, the door opened again.

Marshall bounded into the room, "So, Rob Zombie or Hitchcock tonight?" he asked holding a dvd in each hand.

She grabbed both and nodded toward the couch indicating that he should sit down.

Marshall got serious immediately.

She decided not to draw it out, "Josef asked me to come back, and I am going to say yes."

"That's good right? It's what you've been hoping for?" Marshall asked confused.

"Yeah," Charlie replied biting her lip.

"Wait, you're not saying we can't hang out anymore?" he asked shocked.

"No, but I'll be living with him, I'm assuming, and so it'll be at his house. I'm just trying to be sensitive of his feelings."

"I wish someone would be sensitive of mine," he mumbled.

"Marshall," Charlie began pleading, "Don't be like that! You know I'd never have survived without you and Beth!"

"I'm sorry," he said. "That wasn't fair. And I am happy for you."

"So movie night at Josef's?" she asked tentatively.

"Woohoo," he replied, spinning his index finger sarcastically. "Better invite Beth and Mick... there's safety in numbers," he grinned.

That night, Josef walked into his house and spent the next couple of hours as he generally did, when there was a knock on the door followed by the door handle turning and the door sliding open. He was in the kitchen, but he knew it had to be Charlie or Mick, because they were the only people he knew closely enough for them to consider knocking and then just opening the door. He smiled, walking toward the door, hoping it was her.

He wasn't disappointed. In half a century, he hadn't seen anything as beautiful as Charlie walking toward him.

She sat down on the couch without a word, and he moved to sit next to her, but far enough away that he could angle himself to look at her face.

"I want to try, but I have a few requests," she began.

Josef simply nodded, knowing he would be hard pressed to refuse her anything.

"I want to stay friends with Marshall. He's a good guy," she waited for him to agree or disagree.

Josef just nodded, "I am the reason you know him, I suppose I can't be angry."

"I'm prepared to compromise, and only see him if Beth is around as well," she said biting her lip.

"That would make me feel better," Josef smirked.

"And in return, I want you to continue to drink bottled blood. You don't like the idea of my mouth on anyone else, you can't begrudge me the same feelings," she continued resolutely.

"Done," he replied simply. "What else?"

"Nothing. I love you. As long as you love me too, we can deal with all the rest as it comes. Do you love me?" she asked, her eyes down.

"How can you even ask?" he murmured, pulling her to him. He took her face in his hands, ever so gently, and began to cover it with kisses. "I love you," he said, punctuating every word with a kiss to her eyes, then her temple, then her cheek.

At his words, she impatiently grabbed him by the hair and tugged his mouth to hers. She nipped at his lip with her teeth.

Growling gently, he pulled her into his arms and carried her up to the bed they'd shared. As the door shut with a satisfying click, he carried her over to the bed. And for hours, with every touch he promised her his love for eternity.

Home by Eli Young Band

I've never known a love
My soul was searching for
Now I look into that great big blue
And feel nothing I've felt before
I belong

So I'll shake some hands
And chase that calling star
I'm gonna drive so fast
I can only drive so far
I'm gonna lay my bricks
And park my car
I'm gonna sow my seeds somewhere
But home is where you are
Oh, it's where you are