diamond in the rough

Time: 9PM | Location: Ballroom

Of course she had heard of her old time friend coming to town, the one she had helped during the Prohibition. He helped keep her safe (okay, that was an overstatement, she could keep her damn self safe) and she kept his establishment from crumbling from rot and mold. They went back, oh, a century. 

Charlie wasn’t huge on keeping track of the goings-on in town, but since returning this last time she tried to be more in-the-know, because it seemed she and Grey would be here for awhile. It had been over six months since Silas had come to Lethe, according to town records, and she had only seen him a handful of times. She was determined to change that tonight.

She left the arm of her lover, dodging the eyes of a dark-eyed ex, and scampered to the ivory-skinned Silas Maric. Despite vampires having keen senses of hearing and smell, she tapped his shoulder lightly, pretending to be a stranger. “Guess who?” she asked, smiling. When he turned around, she enveloped the taller in a tight hug. “My dear, how tall you’ve grown!” she joked, stepping back in her black heels as her red, silky dress kissed her ankles. “You owe me a date,” Charlie complained dramatically, and grabbed his wrist to pull him along. She waved at the person he was talking to and dragged him outside into the crisp, spring air. 

“I usually pay people twice as much as I asked back in the day, you know that?” she giggled, dragging the sleeve of his jacket with her towards the gardens. “I think you owe me an adventure, wouldn’t you say? Grey would rather sit on a cold hard bench than run in a haunted maze with his one and only soulmate!”

Time: 7:30PM | Location: Open Bar

It became that time of night when Charlie’s appetite became a problem. She tried to eat on schedule, around the same time daily, so her stomach knew when to expect its bloody meal. And it was a half hour late. 

She leaned against the counter, waiting for her order of AB blood to arrive in its glimmering glass. As she looked around the tight bar--it was a small room, but thankfully most people had gotten their first or second drinks by now, so it was rather vacant, thank God--she spotted a friendly face. Many people were friendly in Lethe, yet many more were still strangers. Ms Leclaire was the former, not just a kind companion but a real friend that was there whenever needed. The two vampires didn’t have to talk day in and day out to remain close, the mutual trust was kept whether they went weeks or even months between sitting down and having a chat.

“Here here, I’ll pay for it,” Charlie whispered under her breath, turning her head towards the vampire but was still out of her peripheral vision. There was no need to keep it hush, it was just a drink and no one was eavesdropping, but you could never know in a town of supernaturals. Charlie smiled at her friend, eager to have some communication that was more than Grey’s grumpy ass. That was a lie, she loved him to death, in death, but sometimes a girl’s night out was just what the doctor ordered. 

“In exchange for a story, about your students. What shenanigans are they getting up to, now?” she asked, nodding at the bartender as he put the two champagne glasses in front of the women. The thick, maroon blood was a beautiful sight as Charlie’s stomach almost made a grumbling noise. She was lucky it couldn’t, because then it would happen much too often for her liking. She reached for her wallet which was stuffed in her bra to pay. “Don’t tell me, I know your flavor,” she laughed. “O... shit, positive or negative?” She put a bill on the table and, before the bartender could open his mouth, shook her head to indicate that no change was necessary. She heard horror stories of servers barely making enough money and having to survive on tips to get by, so Charlie was sympathetic and had enough moola to go around. “What are you having them read now? I made it through your last list of recommendations, I’ll need a few more pretty damn soon.”

Harris raised a brow impressed by what she was telling him. He was a lot of thing’s but he was never in the business of hurting a woman ever in any way. He applauded her for being the type to take justice in such a way. “ Sounds like fun. Some people deserve what’s coming to them, besides what would they say if the guy was a real piece of shit? Council throws you out on your ass for doing what the police department isn’t?” God he almost sounded like an upstanding citizen, he really needed to play up this angle if he was gonna lay low in town. “If you see them, I’m sure they’ll inform you who they are. Rock and Roll didn’t happen when I was turned. More of a Bonnie and Clyde than all that. Everyone had to find a way to get by in the Depression. And if you get shot in the chest tryin’ to survive that it helps if one of the loves of your life is a vampire. “

“It was the time of my life,” she lied. It was rather lonely, working alone. Her life didn’t actually begin until she met Greyson, but he didn’t need to know the sappy details. Especially if he wouldn’t spill the beans on his lovers. “Ah I see. Robbers? Banks? I suppose it is none of my business, but don’t worry, my lips are sealed. I don’t have anyone to tell, anyways. Just a bunch of old timers and my partner, really. Jesus I need to make more friends.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you. I’ll have to keep in touch with you and your posse. I’m sure they’re lovelier than you; women usually are.” Like Penny, Charlie usually favored women over men. Charlie looked at her photograph, twirled it in her fingers, and smiled at the friendly man. 

“ Wow we are definitely strangers cause you would probably say different after a while” Harris replied unable to contain his amusement. To the vampire everything in the world was open for his own amusement. He was the type to find the humor in everything and as a result it meant nothing actually affected him in a negative, not sense he shut down every other emotion. “ Oh well now, old news or not it’s still a story and it sounds like it’s a good one” Harris replied shrugging his shoulders. He was a chaotic being and it was hard having to be on better behavior, so he liked hearing any story that was intriguing. He had to know whether or not this town was filled with duds. 

“Just the two, but we’ve been together a long time.” He explained holding up his hand where the wedding band sat.   They weren’t married but he felt like they were. He knew they were his ride or die’s and he didn’t want anyone else even if he was a merciless flirt with anyone with two legs. “ Oh I don’t go out givin the names and information on them” Harris explained. He was a bit of an idiot but they were on the run and he was protective. He didn’t go out spreading thing’s about the women in his life. “Yeah don’t go jumping them it might not go well. One of them is. “ 

Charlie smirked at the man. “I killed men for cheating on their lovers, for touching a woman where his hand didn’t belong, and even plain old drunkards. If he had a violent streak, he was my lunch. But no, I don’t do that anymore. Don’t tell, okay? The council doesn’t know.” She laughed it off. That was ages ago though, and she thought some people in town had done worse things than her anyway. Murder was simple, there were much worse ways to torture others than drinking their blood. “Okay, no names, I can dig it. Confidentiality. You owe me something though, a story of your own. I don’t care what it is, but I love me some juicy details. ‘Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll’ as it goes. Oh, and blood.”

“Thank you darlin, you’re quite a head turner yourself” Harris smirked glancing back at the woman. He was a flirt. He did it with everyone regardless of who they were because he usually got what he wanted by being so social. He was however, incredibly faithful to his girlfriends and intended to be for eternity, so it was always just flirting and nothing more. “That sounds like a story over a few drinks to hear. Who would ever want to quit that? I’ve been around a while. I’ve heard a lot of songs. “ He chuckled. “  You could probably bust someone’s face if you swung that thing hard enough? You ever try?” He replied eyeing  the camera again. “ Yeah why the fuck not. Harris, Charlie my dear. I’m new. Just moved here with my girlfriends”  He replied shrugging his shoulder with nonchalance, He did admit though, there was a fun sort of satisfaction at telling people he was in a polyamory relationship and seeing their face.

“Then your memory’s still sharp! Good to know that brain’s cogs are still well-oiled,” she said with a little patronizing bite in her voice, on purpose of course. Not out of meanness, Charlie didn’t see herself as mean, just to see what he would do. She did like her men riled up, after all. But Grey knew how to calm himself down just for her and give her what she wanted. “What story would that be? ‘I don’t do that anymore’? Well sure if you’re buyin’.” She grinned when he accepted the photograph idea, and positioned herself next to him. Her arm outstretched and a great big smile upon her face, she took the picture of the two of them, and when the camera spat the photo out she took it and placed the white border between her lips as she shoved a hand in her jeans pocket to look for a pen.

Emmett paused, his eyes flashing dangerously as he looked at her, his eyes darting to the slushie in her hand. “A truce only for the day,” he said warily. “I’m too tired to be a dick I guess. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be tomorrow. I probably will.” He took it and took a drink, rolling his eyes at the cootie comment. “Suppose that’s a fair point.” He handed it back easily. “While we’re being nice, how have you been?”

“‘Too tired’ isn’t the phrase I’d use.” Soft, maybe, but that had a negative connotation. “You were always a lover, not a fighter. I’m sorry I made you rage the other day.” More like weeks ago, but who was counting? 

She licked her lips as if tasting the remains of the slushie, and looked up at Emmett adoringly. “I own a home here. I made it before I met you. I don’t know what all I told you about Lethe back when I turned you, but we were together for awhile before... Well.” She took a sip then, and passed it back to Emmett. “It got termites, but its back to normal now. It was a hectic couple of weeks when I first got back into town, what with that and seeing you, other friendly or not-so-friendly faces. But this is my home. And I hope it can be yours, too. Whether or not that includes me in your life.” 

She was tempted to put a hand on his arm, but refrained from doing so because their relationship was still so delicate. She wanted him to know she was in it for the long haul, not to use him or whatever he thought of her. She still loved him.

“This almost sounds like an elaborate ruse to just get a picture of me. Now what is it, planning on murdering me later or you just like my face? Cause let me tell you darlin’ you’re a little late on the murder” Harris smirked as he shook his head. There was a lot of information to process in those few moments but thankfully his own brain was running a mile at a minute. “Does he? Sounds like the guy should sue over a  song” He chuckled “ And does it work? Cause I mean a little sparkle isn’t gonna fuck up a day that bad”

Mack smiled at her and nodded slowly. “Charlie,” she said to try it out. It seemed a little strange, to call her old professor that, but it worked oddly enough. “Yeah, that would be wonderful.” She followed the older woman into the house, chuckling a little as she repeated Charle’s words in her head. “I guess I always did have a question. I’m tempted to ask you a thousand right now even. I had no idea you were supernatural.”

“My partner’s a lamia so he eats normal food, I hope he won’t miss anything,” she chuckled at the thought of Grey going berserk because the last of the poptarts were eaten, or something. “Feel free to help yourself to the fridge, it makes no matter to me,” she continued, sitting on a barstool. She took a piece of paper from a pile on the counter (they had a wireless printer that Greyson could use to print recipes if he wanted) and wrote down her information for the girl. “And I can write up a letter of recommendation for you sometime this week, if you like. You were memorable. It’s not everyday you realize your student is half werewolf half fae--the worst and the best blood, mind you. Not that I’d... yeah. There were sometimes when the fae half was stronger and I’d be distracted in class, but you were never in harm’s way, I promise you. And you aren’t here, either, Mack.”

“She’s six,” Mal answered with a smile. It was still dizzying to be able to talk about her, to not keep her buried inside with her grief. “Mallory,” she said with a laugh. “I wish it was as cool as Maleficent.” She smiled at the woman, her expression shifting with the new information a little. M.I.T. That was fascinating. Maybe because for most of her life Mal had been holed up in one small town after another, even if she was able to travel now. “We were actually split until recently. Not for… Usual reasons. I was in a fucked up pack and… I got pregnant, and my boyfriend is a fae and it never would be accepted so I hid it and sent them both away when she was born. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever see them again until he walked into my cafe.”

Charlie grinned warmly at the other. “Do you always overshare? I’m kidding, it’s appreciated. No better way to get to know another than by honesty, no? Well, I’m glad you got him back, if that is what you want. I wish the best for you.” She found herself softening at the other woman who was like a genuine soul. So much heartache had made her kind, not hard. It was admirable, even if Charlie’s own past was starkly different. “I’d ask what your specials are but I’m a vampire and only consume blood. I assume you haven’t gone to culinary school about vampiric ichor cuisine.” 

“Oh, well, if it was Grey…” She said, faltering a little. “He’s a good person, even to werewolf hybrids, yes.” There were only a couple people in town that she trusted to near blindness and Grey was one of them, if he let someone in then he trusted them. She mulled it over silently, but in the event that she turned out to be lying, she’d rather keep an eye on her. “I wasn’t here for all the damages, it happened last year, when everyone was hyped up on their magic overcharge juice or however the council explained that conundrum,” Morgan explained after her thoughtful pause, rolling her eyes. She hadn’t been there, she couldn’t judge, but… Well, she could judge them for leaving it as a ruin till she came back in December. “Mostly aesthetic stuff at first, but there was some structural damage that had to be repaired and they ended up ripping up a good portion of the walls to fix them. The west wing is… a mess, they haven’t told me when its going to be usable again.” She crossed her arms, only able to repeat verbatim some of the things that the workers had told her about it. “Does this mean you knew Lettie? She was my… Well, many times grandmother.” 

“Poor baby, why was it left unattended for so long? If this was over a year ago it should be almost done by now. Just slow business in Lethe, is it?” she asked, inspecting the building. She pulled her phone out and made a new document titled Greyson’s Inn and wrote down notes on what to do to enforce the structural integrity. “That’s a bummer,” she tutted. Charlie’s eyes narrowed at the name and she thought about the woman, then nodded. “Yes, I remember her. We weren’t close because I came and went as I pleased, we didn’t form that bond, but we were acquainted, Violet and I. I believe we bonded over the stigma regarding liches and vampires, which is stupid because we’re supposed to be avoiding negative stigmas altogether by coming here.” She led the girl outside as she continued typing things into her phone. “I don’t mind helping you deal with the contractors, since I understand the lingo. What was your name again? I’m Charlie.” Charlie was a businesswoman, plainly put. She could compartmentalize and work hard, so she extended her right hand to shake. If Greyson felt some camaraderie for this girl, she should do the same. It wasn’t normal for him to have a friend and her to not like them, for he was the curmudgeon in their relationship.

“How would you know that Greyson and I aren’t already best friends? We grab coffee every week and sit there to talk shit about you,” Elyas made up on the spot. He shook his head and chuckled at her other excuse. “That’s my work number. Don’t call it if you’re just going to ask me out to lunch.” A smile of triumph graced his face, head tilted up as if he had just won a bloodless battle. “That’s what makes you so special. You’re a vampire who’s radiating life and not death,” he kept pushing it. “Top five?” he exclaimed, placing his hand over his heart as if it wasn’t enough. “Not even the top three? I see my worth to you,” he pressed on with his teasing, his sad facial expressions exaggerated to fulfill the theatrics of the dynamics between them. Elyas waved his hand to dismiss the topic, wanting to minimize the severity of it. “No one needs to be stepped on. It was just unexpected reunions… Like this one!”

Grey couldn’t stop himself from laughing gruffly. She was right; she was smiling. It was one of his favorite things- seeing her smile while she yelled at him. It was warm and affectionate, yet still, let him get under her skin enough to make her fly off the handle at least a little. “Fine, fine. You pick the house sitters then. That’s fair enough, I suppose,” he replied, taking up the tone of someone who might actually be bothered by it, which he wasn’t of course. “Wonderful,” he told her genuinely, snaking an arm around her waist carefully. “I was with Dom for a bit while she traveled around, then she said she was coming back here and I decided to follow like the stalker dad I am. Figured I hadn’t been to Lethe in a long while.” It was only to Charlie that he would admit the amount of care that he had for several of the younger supernaturals around here, such as Dom and Morgan. Typically, it was something that he would want to keep hidden away, so as to not show any weakness. But with Charlie it was different. She wouldn’t use it against him, she would never mock his ability to love. He was lucky that he had been able to find someone who was so vastly, unlike his mother. He pulled her closer carefully, brushing his lips over hers. “I think I want a warmer greeting than all the yelling, you know.”

“Stalker dad,” she grumbled quietly, like a whine, as he held her by the back of the waist. When he pulled her closer she couldn’t help but giggle like a child, for he made her forget her years. He helped Charlie forget the pain she had been through, had caused, all those years ago for centuries. With him, she was just Charlie, not Jigme or any of her fake names used over the years. She had been Rayne when they first met, but shortly after, right before checking in to Lethe, she had changed her name to Charlie. He’d been all for the change, encouraged it. He himself had gone through some name changes too throughout his time, and they both knew how freeing it could be. “Was it about Lethe or was it about me?” she joked, not caring about the truth. 

One thing that was interesting about her relationship with Greyson was they didn’t have to talk daily or even weekly. They could, sometimes they did, but they didn’t have to. They were each other’s rock, and sure if one of them had a difficult time they could reach out and know the other would be there for them, but they didn’t need constant validation. She didn’t fear he would forget her if they didn’t talk for a month as she worked her ass off across the country or overseas. But he was always home. “You calling me cold hearted cause I’m dead? Ouch, lover boy. Strike one.” She smiled and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck as she pressed her lips firmly against his. When she was done, she nestled her head into the crook of his neck. “I just wanted to come home home, but a hotel room would be fine for a few days. As long as I’m with you.”

“She is, thankfully. We even found her mom in town.” Rod laughed heartily and nodded his head. “Alright, that’s fair. That’s fair. Honestly, a lot of dudes could kick my ass and I am aware of that fact. I  am immortal with no survival skills.” It was a great exaggeration but given that it sounded funny, he was, of course, going to say it. It was how he’d made it on Broadway, after all, by being as dramatic as he could possibly be. He handed the photo back to her and said, “Yeah, they relax them and make them feel safe. Typically it helps them open up and talk to me. It also gives them something to do, you know, brushing the horses and stuff. I also run a small theater for them so they can act and have a distraction from everything going on.” He nodded his head as he thought about it. Lethe seemed to fit the bill. It really seemed safe and secure, which wasn’t something you could say about a lot of places.”I agree, completely. I’ve experienced a lot but nowhere near what I can and what I will. It’s pretty fucking cool. But you’re right; Lethe feels really stable. It’ll be good for the whole family and I can see how it’s good for you too.”

Charlie quirked her eyebrow and grinned oh so cheekily. “Immortal you are,” she replied, flirting with his fact of being a fae. She didn’t go so far as to grow out her fangs, but it was more like a Halloween joke, like pretending to gnaw on his arm but not actually meeting skin. “How the hell do horses do it, huh?” she asked. “Is this a physical therapy like you’re reintegrating the children back into society from a heavy medicated procedure, or is it more like mental therapy where you try and handle anxieties? How old are these pupils, may I ask?” Charlie was dramatic as well as with these little children, she knew, but would pay a buck-fifty to see what little ensemble they could perform. “I didn’t say Lethe was good for me, but for you perhaps. Children need that repetition, or so I’ve heard.” 

Mack grinned at her old university professor, surprise shooting through her. She hadn’t ever known her teacher was anything but human at all, and yet apparently… “Professor Engel hi! Oh my god, I had no- I didn’t expect to see you here!”

The truth was that Charlie had always been one of the best teachers that Mack had ever had. The architect knew her stuff and was incredibly competent and capable. Because of it, Mack wouldn’t have been surprised if some students thought she was intimidating, but not Mack. she herself had always found Charlie Engel to be nothing but approachable. 

“Charlie is fine, no one’s called me Professor in years,” she chuckled, realizing her age though that had nothing on the centuries she had under her belt. Her and Grey really were an old married couple by human standards, weren’t they? Soulmates some may say, but she was getting off track. “You used my office hours quite a lot, always had a question bursting from your mind. It made you memorable. If you ever need a letter of recommendation, in Lethe or after, let me know. You now have my address. Actually... Want to come inside for something to eat, drink? I can give you all my contact info, a hard copy.”