Disclaimer: Same as always, I don't own them, just like to have fun with them.
Somebody To Love - Chapter 3
The phone woke him a little after midday. The staff knew never to disturb him before dusk, unless it was an absolute emergency. Finishing the call, he ordered his plane on standby and his housekeeper to pack a bag.
Josef felt the tightening in his chest as he grabbed a few personal items, stuffing them into his briefcase. No words of comfort were forthcoming and even with a house full of hired help; Josef had never felt more alone. Fifty years of waiting, silently hoping for her recovery was about to come to an end and the reality of the situation was almost unbearable.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and his butler stepped into the room.
"Mr Kostan, Beth Turner is here to see you".
"Show her in." he ordered.
He could hear her heels making their way across the marble floors, growing louder the closer she came. When she rounded the corner, she saw the look on Josef's face and immediately knew something was wrong.
"Josef, what's wrong?" frozen to the spot, waiting for him to answer.
"I'm sorry Beth; I don't have time to talk. I have to go out of town for a few days." He hadn't made eye contact with her since she entered the room. Preferring to keep himself busy in an effort to hide what he was truly feeling.
"What is it? Is it Mick? Is he alright?" and she too began to panic. Josef's head snapped around and he was suddenly only inches from her face.
"For Christ sake Beth, give it a rest, OK. Not everything revolves around you and your Knight in Shining Amour!"
Beth was clearly taken aback by his harsh tone, which only fuelled her curiosity. She knew something wasn't right. She was about to begin firing questions when they were interrupted again by Josef's butler.
"Excuse me Sir, the plane is cleared to leave for New York in an hour, the cars out front whenever you're ready." He didn't wait to be dismissed. He'd worked for Josef for many years, and knew when to make himself scarce.
"New York?" she mumbled, confused. Once she connected the dots, she walked over to Josef blocking his path.
"Josef, is it Sarah?" He nodded slightly as picked up his keys and glasses and moved to the door.
"Let me come with you?" Beth asked.
He stopped immediately and turned to face her, confused by her request.
"What? Why?"
"Because I want to help you."
"You can't help me." he snapped.
"Then for company."
"I don't need company."
"Jesus Josef!" she had finally reached her limit and raised her arms in frustration.
The silence was awkward, for both of them. Beth knew he was a private man and she was positive not many people knew about Sarah. With Mick out of town, she felt she should at least try to help.
He took a moment to think through her request. He was surprised she'd even offered and in truth, a little relieved.
"How soon can you pack?" looking her straight in the eye.
"10 minutes."
He nodded. "Fine, let's go" as he gestured her to the door. As she was about to pass him, he whispered "You know, you're kind of pushy."
"Yeah, I've heard that," pretending to be confused.
Two hours later, they were in the air. Josef had barely spoken since take off. He sat quietly, looking out the window and Beth didn't press for any details.
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Beth out of the corner of his eye, walking over to him with a glass, her face contorted by its contents. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"You know, usually you wait until after you've been turned to drink blood".
"Funny. You look like you need this," offering him the glass.
"I'm not hungry" he said, shaking his head and turning back to the window.
"Josef, I don't know what's going on, but you need to be strong enough to deal with it, good or bad," her voice was soft and comforting as she again offered him the glass, this time a little closer to his nose.
He caught the scent and the vampire made his presence known. His fangs dropped and his eyes glazed. As he took the glass, Beth was a little unsure where to put herself and stepped away. Josef caught her hand, pulling her down to the seat beside him.
"It's OK. You don't have to go".
She watched intently as Josef downed the contents in steady gulps. He closed his eyes and rested his head back to let it take effect. Beth watched as his whole body instantly relaxed and a small growl of appreciation rumbled from his chest. Hearing this, Beth's pulse quickened which didn't go unnoticed by Josef.
"Steady there Blondie, unless you want to be dessert? opening one eye slightly to look at her.
She was a little surprised herself. Mick was always guarded around her, never keen to share this part of himself. Her reporter nature kicked in and her mind flooded with questions. As if Josef could sense her thoughts he watched her closely and waited.
"Questions?" He asked, bracing himself for the onslaught.
"About a million, but now's not the time". She gave him a soft smile and gently touched his hand as she stood and made her way back to her seat.
"Beth?"
She swung around to face him again "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about earlier."
"I understand Josef. It's OK."
Josef watched as she made herself comfortable, grabbing her book to settle in for the rest of the flight.
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As the limo came to a stop, Beth recognized the familiar townhouse she had been in only a few months prior. The front door automatically opened and they were greeted by the same house keeper. No words were spoken, only a nod between employer to employee.
"Please fix Miss Turner something to eat and show her to her room" as he made his way to the stairs, not even looking back.
"Yes Sir" she replied as Beth followed her to the kitchen.
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As Josef approached Sarah's room, he took a deep unnecessary breath to steady himself. As the door opened, he was taken back by the smell of decay and stale blood. He took in her appearance, her skin grey and clammy, nails yellow and she had lost weight. She was a mere shadow of the woman that had captured his heart all those years ago. Her nurse stood next to Josef, trying to offer some sort of explanation.
"I don't know what to tell you Mr. Kostan. She was fine two days ago, but last night… well, it's almost like her body just shut down."
Josef understood only too well. He had watched countless people die, many at his own hands, and there comes a point when your body simply decides to let go and stop the fight. He heard the door close behind him, realizing he was alone, again. He took off his jacket and laid it carefully on the end on the bed, and climbed next to Sarah to say his goodbye.
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The mood in the kitchen was somber. The staff each lost in their own thoughts. Beth felt like she was intruding on their grief and excused herself to her room. What seemed like a short time later, ended up being looked at her watch, 3am. She must have fallen asleep. She wondered if Josef was alright so made her way down to the sitting room.
The room was quiet and cold as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, the street light offering some assistance as it reflected through the window. Beth barely made out Josef's figure sitting on the couch. She hesitated on whether or not to go in. The pain of losing Josh still weighed heavily on her as she remembered the first few days being a blur of emotions. Mick had come to see her that night, and as unwelcome as it was, it did offer some solace that she wasn't totally alone. She wished Mick was here for Josef now.
Beth walked slowly towards him, ready for him to tell her to leave, but he said nothing. As she sat down, she saw the glimmer of tears creeping down his face and her heart broke for him as the first tiny sob escaped his lips. As he buried his face in his hands, Beth quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down to rest his head on her lap. She held her friend tight as he mourned his loss. Fifty years of emotions he kept to himself, poured out of him, unable to hold it in anymore.
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