Life After Death? Char/Dark/Cobie if he wants to help pack ;)

Charlotte tugged Arsen along the winding brick path towards her home, wondering how long it would be until Cobalt came to get her she tried not to look him in the face and definitely not looking at her surroundings. Torn strips of cloth waved from the trees a dark hue of black seemed to hang around in the air and a sense of forboding filled the air as they approached the creaking house.

Taking a deep breath Charlotte placed her hand on the creaking door and shoved it open running with Arsens hand in her own up the stairs ignoring the screams and rattles from the room where the wealth was confined too.

She pulled him into her room and shut the door wedging it with a chair so nobody could get in. Her room was green with slightly flaking paint but most if the walls were obscured by paintings so it wasn't that bad.

"Welcome to Silent Close."

He followed Char his feet dragging behind him as they made their way to her house. He didn't care what it looked like, hell he'd live on the streets if he could but he couldn't, not with Falcon still around.

He glanced over his shoulder making sure no one was following them, his fist clenched by his side ready just incase. "You sure this is okay?" He asked his eyes still looking around.

"I don't want to get in the way or anything. I can find somewhere else."

Cobalt apparated at the end of the drive and slowly made his way up the path to the front doors of Charlotte's family home. With a sigh he shook his head. Just the appearance of the place let him know that it was not a place that a child should live in. Pushing the door open, he raised an eyebrow at the comotion caused by what he guessed was a wraith. Ignoring the sounds he walked up the stairs slowly, wand in his right hand and Charlotte's knife in the left,

"Hey Char, I'm here." he looked around the dusty, creaky, house, "Not exactly a summer home."

"Oh hush Dark. I'll be staying here with you until you're safe again I promise I won't leave you..."

Charlotte squeezed Arsens hand and walked over to her bed where she flung herself down on the worn comfortable mattress and folded her hands behind her head staring at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help more...I'm so sorry..."

She muttered her eyes misting up, when she heard Cobalt outside walking up the stairs Charlotte got up carefully out if the bed, removed the chair from behind the door knob and yanked him into her room before closing the door and replacing the chair.

"Hey Dad...um...you know cause you love me?"

Charlotte asked, her nervousness at being in her house obvious.

"No i didn't mean that. I'm not going to stop you from doing your plans if you have any. I'll be fine on my own promise. I just need some place to stay for a while. At least until i can get back to Italy." He smiled weakly going to sit by the window to look out at the view.

"No don't talk like that. There was nothing anyone could do okay. It was my fault not yours okay." He frowned taking her in his arms but stepping away at the sound of Cobalts feet to return back to the window.

"Hello Professor." He nodded then turned to look out the window.

Charlottes heart tugged wildly, he was going back to Italy? Shed lost him and now he was leaving her via choice? She bit her lip and looked up at Dark with hurt in her eyes.

"You don't want to stay with me? You want to leave me...?"

She turned away from both of them Arsen because she just couldn't look at him and Cobalt because she didn't want him to kill Arsen for making her upset.

"I understand."

Charlotte opened a door to her wardrobe and took out a large wooden suitcase beginning to fill it with her clothes.

He frowned. "No... i didn't mean it like that." He said turning away from the window to look at her. He glanced down at the floor choosing his words carefully. "I just meant... i have a house there. I don't want to get in the way Char you obviously have plans." He explained wanting to hold her but he wanted to get back onto Cobalt's good side for Char's sake.

"I'd never leave you not unless you sent me away." He frowned pushing his hands into his pockets.

Biting her lip Charlotte held back tears and nodded slowly still not looking at either of the men in the room instead taking a pair of paint splattered dungarees and placing them in her suitcase.

"Ok Dark...I was going to ask Cobalt to postpone our plans for you but since you aren't bothered I won't."

Still refusing to meet Arsens gaze Charlotte moved towards her desk taking out a few books and placing them into the suitcase.

"Oh how rude of me...I forgot to ask if you wanted anything to drink...do you want anything?"

Charlotte asked in a voice barely a whisper

Cobalt sighed a little and gave Charlotte a little hug,

"It's alright Charlotte. I've not got a lot planned for while." he smiled warmly at her, "Just getting you to find your way around a bakery."

He looked over at Arsen before extending a hand to shake,

"Arsen it's no secret that we've not been on the best of terms." he glanced at the boy's knee before looking back up, "But I'm her father now and I feel that I should tell you that I want you around my daughter. When she's with you I notice her perk up. If you have to go away to Italy to find yourself then that is fine but I want you to know that you're welcome in our home anytime. I can even teach you how to bake muffins as well."

"Char..." He said moving forwards to meet her but with Cobalt in the room he decided against it. "Char look at me please." He said moving to stand in her eye line. "You know i hate being away from you and i'd stay with you if i could." He mutter barely louder than a whisper.

He shook his head and slowly made his way back over to the window watching two birds flying by. He had no idea what to say to make her feel happier. He turned around to meet Cobalt listening to what he had to say.

He glanced between them both not entirely sure how he felt about that, but she seemed happy until he upset her again so he was happy. He smiled. "You adopted her? Wow that's great Char." He smiled shaking Cobalt hand. "Now you have your own family." He raised an eyebrow. "You want me around? I thought you thought i was bad for Char." He asked then smiled. "Thanks Professor. I don't really want to leave her right now." He smiled. "Muffins?" He laughed. "I'd never have you down as the baking type."

Charlotte turned and looked at Dark in the eyes leaning her head into the hand he placed on her cheek, with a small smile she took in Darks face she never thought she would be able to see him again, alive and she was so happy she could.

"You mean that Cobie? He can stay with us?!"

She grinned and flung her arms around Cobies waist hugging him tightly and giggling as she did so. Charlotte however hard she tried could not imagine Cobalt making muffins.

"Oh I am so happy you two are getting along! No more stabbing that's good!"

Her happy mood was sustained until she heard the loud yelling of the wraiths from downstairs and Charlotte gulped taking her money box from her drawer and packing it.

Cobalt yelped a little as he was almost toppled by the very happy Charlotte, who had attached herself to his waist. He laughed a little,

"Why is everyone so amazed I own a bakery?" he shook his head before shrugging, "It's the family business. I had to know how to bake."

He sighed a little before patting Arsen on the shoulder,

"You're control issues still distress me, especially with the amount of time you spend with my daughter. But what I said back then... well I wasn't in my right state of mind. What I did was wrong, regardless of my intentions." he took a deep breath, "I'm sorry Arsen. I miss-judged you. I can see what Richard sees in you now. You have the potential to be a great man, just as he had. You are going to be strong, have no fear, but to be a great man you must be able to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of the man who stares back at you. With Charlotte helping you, you will achieve that which Richard and I cannot. You will be a great man."

At the groans and screams of the wraith, Cobalt smiled a little and drew the knife Charlotte had given him,

"Ah yes... the wraith." he smirked, "You'll excuse me if I find killing it easier than trying to talk to my daughter's boyfriend on civil terms. It's a dad thing."

Charlotte grinned and hugged Cobalts waist harder than she had done before, looking around her room she began to take all of her paintings from the wall and try to shove them all into the suitcase. Pouting lightly Charlotte but her lip and took the chair away from the door.

"Right, let's go Charlotte."

She muttered to himself before she turned back to Cobalt and Arsen with a look of determination on her face.

"I'm opening the door for you, so you can get it. Ok?"

Not waiting for an answer Charlotte walked out of the room, her heart thudding wildly and making her feel sick with the palpatations running through her body. Creeping down the stairs Charlotte listened to the loud screams and cackles of the Wraith and tears sprung to her eyes.

Stopping dead in front of the oh so familiar door Charlotte gulped again and let the tears continue to fall down her face. Deep scratches lay on the frame, blood dried and crusted inside of it, she remembered that it was from her. The worn wood of the door held more terror to her than anything.

A small hand reached out to the handle but a flash of pain and memory came back to her and she withdrew it. Merely standing there, watching the door, trying not to be sick.

"Hello again."

Charlotte whispered.

He smiled at Cobalt. "I'm trying to get everything under control sir. I promise. I would never intentionally hurt Char. I don't think i could." He frowned sitting on the window ledge with his back against the cool glass.

"Thanks Im sorry too, i let my emotions take over but Rich is a great man. I don't really know you so i can't say but he's helped me a lot. And he seems to care for me more than my parents ever did." He sighed then nodded it was kinda awkward speaking with him.

He followed Char out the room staying only a few feet behind ready should she need him. "You don't have to do this Char." He whispered taking her by the hand to spin her around. "Just let Professor Smith handle it. I know how that thing makes you feel." He muttered for her ears only.

Cobalt shrugged his shoulders a little at Arsen,

"I hope Rich helps you find peace with yourself Arsen." he smiled a little, "I would hate for my future son-in-law to be running around on fire half the time."

He held up a hand, Charlotte's knife clutched tightly in it,

"No matter what you hear, don't go down into the cellar." he told them sternly before waving a little with a smirk as he visibly became intangible in front of them, "Be right back."

Three seconds later the screaming started.

Charlotte whimpered and hugged Dark close to her, the sounds of the Wraith making her squeeze fresh tears from her eyes and she tried to stop herself, honest to Merlin why was she so weak? Why couldn't she just open the stupid door it's not hard!

"I...I..."

Was all she could manage before her voice snapped and she buried her head in Dark's shoulder again kissing his neck lightly as Cobalt dissappeared into the cellar.

"Be safe..."

Charlotte whispered to Cobalt and she whimpered again, putting her hands over her ears as she heard louder screaming coming from behind the door.

"I won't be i haven't touched it since... well since before it all happened. I really am trying to stop it." He said.

He tightened his arms around her showing he will always be there for her. "Shh Bella it's okay." He whispered gently brushing back her hair.

"He knows what he's doing. I'm sure he does this kind of thing all the time." He said watching as Cobalt left them to go downstairs. Moments later he pulled her head onto his chest covering one ear and using his hand to cover the other trying to drown out the screaming below.

Cobalt came back up through the floor only a few moments later, still intangible, with what appeared to be a darker layer to his intangible form all the way up his left arm. He smiled and became solid again, revealing that his left arm was soaked in the black blood of something,

"Well that's the end of that." he hugged Charlotte to him with his clean arm, "You'll never have to fear it anymore."

Charlotte tried to distract herself by listening to Darks steady heartbeat and she blushed when he called her Bella, already knowing what it meant she chuckled weakly into his chest.

"Will you stop calling me Bella?"

Nuzzling her head against his chest Charlotte grinned as Cobie came back out of the cellar happy that he was alright but she bit her lip and looked softly at the blood on his hands, hoping this was from the Wraith not him.

"Really? It's gone now?"

He smiled "No sei bella per me il mio angelo." He smirked tightening his hug. "Your beauty is like nothing I've seen before." His Italian accent showing clearly now they were both alone.

He watch as Cobalt returned a smile creeping in his face at the sight of the black blood on his arm. "How do you kill a wraith?" He asked letting Char go so she could hug her father.

Cobalt nodded a little as he began to manually clean the blade of his knife with a piece of cloth,

"Yeah it's gone now." he confirmed, giving her another small hug with his clean arm, "It won't bother you again."

He smirked at Arsen's question before he slowly became intangible,

"Tell me Arsen... what do I resemble right now?"

Arsen thought for a second watching as Cobalt became intangible right before his eyes. "You look like a wraith. Oh i see so you need to be in the same form to touch them?" He said looking over to Char to make sure she was okay now.

Charlotte blushed deeply as Dark complimented her on her beauty, she grinned, feeling for once, a little safer in her old home and she jumped on Cobalt and hugged him quickly getting off once he started to turn intangiable.

"OOOh lookit it's Casper."

She teased pointing at Cobalt before dissolving into laughter. Moving back over to Dark Charlotte slid her hand into his and leant on his shoulder.

"I'm glad to see you two talking, even if it is about killing things."

Cobalt scowled at Charlotte's remark,

"I can pull you into a wall and make to solid again half way through it." he warned with a smirk, "You can be like a painting on the wall."

He chuckled a little and became solid again,

"Not really Arsen." he shrugged, "You can get rid of them while solid. I just like to use this method. A lot faster and a lot more personal."