* 3: Raindrops On Roses *



The rain was falling slightly, coming and going throughout the day. Christina slopped through the mud soaked earth as she followed the trail into the almost hidden cemetary. The ten foot fencing and gate that surrounded the cemetary was covered with ivy and the rarest wisteria which gave it an almost an antique, secret garden look.

It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for. She had been there hundreds of times for the last five years. The calming sensation rushed over her as she joined the land of the dead. Coming to the cemetary was the only place where she could think and collect her thoughts as she spilled her feelings out to him.

She smiled slightly as she neeled down and looked at the headstone for a second. Dead flowers and dirty and old fake ones adorned the base of the marble stone. She quickly removed the dead and wilted flowers as she added her fresh red rose to the bleak backdrop.

Her long fingernails traced the name that was engraved in the glossy marble as the rain travelled down over it like a waterfall. A sigh left her parted lips as a rain drop glistened down her porceline cheek.

"I can't stay too long today." she said softly to him yet to no one in particular. "This rain doesn't seem to be letting up. Last thing I need to is to be getting sick."

She paused a moment and changed the subject. "I think snow is coming soon. I can feel it in my bones."

There was a break of silence until a new voice was heard behind her. "Now, you know even better than me that it never snows here."

Christina stood up quickly and looked behind her. "How did you know I was here?"

JC stepped forward slightly. "You were a half hour late to work. I got worried and came looking for you. I followed you here."

"You followed me?" she replied quickly.

JC didn't reply to her statement but continued with his own. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I uh," she turned to look back behind her and bit her lower lip. "I'm just visiting someone I know."

"Who are you visiting?" JC tried to look around her but she stepped in front of him.

"You know what? Can we just go?" she sighed again. "I forgot that I had to work so can you take me?"

"What are you trying to hide from me?" JC suddenly became defensive.

"Nothing you need to know about." she snapped back.

"Is it an ex-boyfriend or something?" he continued to try to look behind her.

"Uggh, no!" she huffed as she shook her head.

As she took her attention off of him, he pushed her slighly and the stone was in his sight. She looked to the ground as he stared at the name on it.

"Kirkpatrick?" he said outloud. "Well I guess that does rule out boyfriend, or unless it was a husband."

"God, Jace! He is my brother!" she exclaimed as she turned towards the gate.

JC looked at the stone one more time before chasing after her. "What is the big deal, Christina? Why couldn't you just tell me?"

"Because." she continued to walk quickly down the path.

"Because why?"

"Because I didn't think it was everyone's business to know." she continued without looking at him.

JC jumped in front of her, making her stop. "I'm not everyone. Why don't you trust me enough to tell me things?"

"I do trust you, Jace." she said softly.

"Then what's the big deal?" he looked into her sullen eyes.

"I just wasn't ready. I've only ever talked about him with Maddie and Jack. It's just hard for me to open up."

JC took her hand in his and they continued walking towards his granite colored Xterra. "C'mon, let's go to my house."

"What about the club?"

JC smiled lightly as he gave her a quick kiss upon her lips. "Don't worry about it. You can make it up another night."

"Are you gonna close?" she asked as they got into the truck.

"I'll go back down when it's time to." he replied as he pulled out onto the road.

Christina sighed as she looked at herself. "Uggh, my clothes are soaked."

"That's okay." he smiled as he looked at her. "I can put them in the dryer at my house."

"Well, then what would I wear?"

JC grinned as he answered. "Me?"

Christina smiled for the first time in awhile.



**



After the clothes were put in the dryer, Christina ended up in one of JC's oversized shirts for a romantic dinner, only to have it taken off again after they found themselves in his bed. The lights were off, giving the candles the only flickering light for the night. The lightning flashed and the thunder boomed in the distance, making Christina huddle herself closer to JC's warm body.

In the silence of the moment, Christina finally spilled her heart out to him. "Chris was my twin brother."

JC kissed the top of her head so that she knew he was listening. With her face in his chest, she breathed him in for a moment before continuing.

"It was the last time it snowed here, about five years ago. It was Valentine's Day. He left Maddie's house early because of the sudden, unexpected weather."

"Maddie?" JC questioned.

Christina paused for a moment and continued. "All he had to do was go across town to my parent's house. He would of made it if it wasn't for the tractor trailer."

The thunder cracked above them making Christina jump once again. After a couple seconds she calmed down and continued.

"They kept him alive for two days. In the end there was nothing left to do." she sighed and sniffed lightly. "It felt like my world fell down. I don't think I got out of bed for a week."

"You don't have to keep going. I understand." he said as she looked up to him. "I'm sorry for being a jerk earlier."

"It's okay. I should have opened up to you sooner. It's just hard to talk about sometimes."

JC looked deep into her eyes and kissed her lips softly. "I need to go close the club. Wait for me?"

She sat up slightly and looked back to him. "Well, you can take me with you and you can drop me off at my apartment."

"You don't want to stay here?" he questioned.

"Well, I didn't know if you were offering, even though I do love your big townhouse compared to my little dinky apartment."

"So, what are you saying? You want to live here?" he smiled.

She rubbed her hand along his rock solid chest and abs and smiled back at the thought of being with him every night. "That's a big decision to make so I'm not saying anything. You let me know what you want."

JC licked his lips as she teased him. "We can talk about this tomorrow. For now, you stay and tuck yourself in and watch some tv. I'll be back soon."

"What could possibly be on at one in the morning?" she said as she reached for the remote to the big screen tv in the bedroom.

"You'd be surprised." he smirked and walked out the room.

An hour later Christina was drifting off to sleep when she was awakened by all the noise JC was making downstairs. She slowly got up and used the bathroom in the room when she realized JC was upstairs and getting ready for bed.

"How is everything at the club?" she sleepishly walked out the bathroom.

"Everything is good. Hardly anyone was there with the rain an all." he said as he pulled off his jeans.

"So, who was there?" she asked curiously.

"Well, the usuals. Maddie, Jack and Maddie's brother Justin."

"Justin?" she repeated. "That's unusual. He's usually sipping champagne at his fiancee's mansion this time of night."

"Yeah, but I didn't ask any questions." he smiled as he got under the sheets.

"Any of your fanclub?" she asked as she sat down beside him.

"Why do you think I have a fanclub?"

Christina sighed as her jealousy enraged her. "Because you have like five girls that follow you around everywhere and don't say that it's not true."

"Okay, okay, geez. What do you want me to do? Become ugly and unattractive?"

She grinned at his oblivious statement. "Of course not. I just don't like everyone hangin' on you when they all know we are together now."

"Then let them hang. I know who I'm hangin' on." he smiled and kissed her passionately.

She broke away quickly, her curiousity not yet answered. "So, you didn't tell me who else was there."

"Uggh, woman! You don't give up."

"I won't until you tell me." she stood up, turned the tv off and walked around to the other side of the bed.

"Courtney was there but that's all." he confessed.

"Figures. She was probably all over you like a cheap suit."

JC ignored her comment and just grinned. "Here, I almost forgot to give you this." he added as he handed her a single red rose.

"That's sweet." she smiled. "It's all wet."

"Yeah, sorry, I had it in the rain."

"Thank you."

JC patted the bed beside him, wanting her to join him quickly. "Blow out that candle will ya?"

Christina turned around and walked to the dresser. The candle on top was the only one left flickering. The others ran out of wax hours ago. She looked back at him and they smiled at each other as she leaned over and blew out the candle leaving them both in the dark.



**



"So, Jace said you were here last night?" Christina asked Maddie the next night at the club.

"Yep, Justin joined me for once. It was a miracle."

"I heard." she paused. "I wanted to ask you, were you here when Courtney was still here?"

Maddie snickered. "Unfortunately. I stayed until Jace left. She left a couple minutes before he locked up."

"Was she all over him?" she asked quickly, wanting answers.

Maddie looked around trying not to be obvious. "Uh huh."

"That's what I thought. I could smell her on him. It made me sick." she sighed.

"Don't worry, Chris. He didn't do anything. He had to pry her off of himself and then he practically kicked her out."

"Maddie, you called me Chris." she looked away.

"Well, talking about Chris, I've got a bone to pick with you!" Maddie exclaimed as she finished off her drink.
"What?" she stuttered.

"JC told me that he found you down at the cemetary yesterday."

Christina looked back at her as she served a beer to a customer. "Yeah? You know I always go down there."

"He also said he heard your conversation you were having with him."

"Yeah, I know." she sighed.

"What's with the snow thing, Christina? I can't believe you would even think of it." she shook her head.

"I know, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said it. I just felt it. When I was there I just sensed it. It was strange, really." she said truthfully.

"We haven't had snow since then. As far as I'm concerned, I don't ever want it again." she paused. "Only bad things happen when it snows here."

She looked down to her feet before another customer grabbed her attention. "I know."

"I gotta go. I'll be back later." Maddie got up quickly and left. Courtney almost knocked her over on her way in.

"Do you want one?" Courtney asked as she walked up to her with two single roses in her hand.

"Uh, no." Christina said as she stared at them intently.

"That's okay. I only give them out to the guys that show me a good time, if ya know what I mean?" she smirked.

"I guess." Christina swallowed hard.

"What the hell, you can have one anyway." she handed one to her. "I don't need two. I already got what I wanted." she smirked again and walked away.

Christina looked down at the flower in her hand. It was a single red rose, still adorned with the previous night's fresh rain drops.

* 4: Faithfully *

Christina Main