Title: Stand by Me
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairing: Mick/Beth
Spoilers: through 1x08, 12:04 AM
Summery: "It's an interesting feeling; not caring whether you live or die." Sequel to Through the Years and Watching Over You.
AN: and now for the finish!
Chapter 6: A Momentary Thing
"Happiness is a momentary thing, there is no Happily Ever After. All that you can do is grab hold of what happiness is given to you and hope it will carry you through the pain ahead. The only comfort you have is that pain is a momentary thing as well. Good Things and Bad Things both have endings--and beginnings"
Beth slumped in her bindings, defeated and succumbing to the numbing fear she had been fighting back. She was going to die here, just when she had finally found the one person she'd always loved--her Guardian Angel. She was going to die, leaving Mick to mourn and Josh to hate what he'd done when he finally returned to himself. She'd never really given much thought to dying before. Sure the thought had crossed her mind more than a few times since Mick reappeared in her life but with Mick it had always been more about living then dying.
Now it was about dying; she was going to die. Beth felt a strange sort of numbness to the idea, like she couldn't quite bring herself to care as she watch Josh pace and mutter with slurred words through listless eyes. There was no point now. Wasn't there? Some prickle of feeling penetrated the numbness. Was this really how she was ready to go out? So what if the Calvary wasn't riding in? Was she completely useless? Forget it, she wasn't going to give up that easily. She was going to be her own damn Calvary and maybe then she could ride in and save Mick for a change. So there! The thought caused a mental giggle…okay so maybe the hysteria wasn't completely gone.
Beth concentrated on trying to work her wrists loose. If she could get the sleeves out from under the ropes she might just be able too. She was dimly aware of Josh speaking but she focused on inching the fabric out as she painstakingly pulled up the sleeves. Her wrists cramped from the awkward position but she ignored it. Just a little bit further…there! Beth managed to wriggle out of the ropes and dodge to the right, knocking a surprised Josh to the floor. She made a B-line for where she assumed the door was only to run smack into a very unhappy vampire.
She would have fallen had Mick not reacted in that disconcertingly fast manner of his and pulled her tight against his chest.
"Beth?" he asked, nuzzling at her hair as if trying to make sure it was really her, the vampire obviously close to the surface.
She wanted to dance for joy or possibly break down and cry. Since neither option seemed feasible at the moment she settled for making a rather miffed sounding comment into Mick's shirt. "I was coming to saveyou."
Mick looked at her askance for a moment before turning his attention to Josh. The DA was sitting up and looking around in utter confusion.
"Mick? Beth? What am I doing here?" his voice sounded raspy but un-slurred.
Beth turned to look at him, a difficult endeavor seeing as Mick refused to let go of her.
"Josh, are you okay?" Beth asked, having settled for just turning her head. The drug had been wearing off.
"I'm not sure? Why are we here?" He replied.
"What do you remember?" Mick asked not about to let Beth any closer until he was certain Josh was completely himself again.
Josh frowned, rubbing at his neck and rising unsteadily to his feet. "I was on my way home from the restaurant where…" he trailed off. "Nothing after that." His legs were shaky at best but his eyes were unclouded.
Mick started to reply then abruptly stiffened. "There's someone else here." He looked at Beth. "Stay here but keep and eye on him, we don't know if it's completely worn off or not yet." Mick ordered softly, releasing her and moving rapidly towards the exit.
Beth snorted and waited all of five seconds before following him. Stay, yeah right, that wasn't happening.
"Let go of me!" a woman hissed as Mick pulled her from her hiding place outside the door and knocking a syringe from her hand.She was small and pixie-like with short, dark hair and dark frantic eyes. Her gaze landed on Beth and she hissed again. "You should be dead!"
Mick tightened his grip and shot Beth a disapproving look as she bent to pick up the syringe.
"I think we found our suspect." Mick remarked.
Beth nodded, feeling sort of light headed as the bubble of fear broke. Beth watched the woman struggling in Mick's grip with pity. She was very clearly insane, her eyes darting this way and that like a feral animal in a cage.
"We're going to get you some help," Beth said gently, as the wailing sirens announced the arrival of the police.
They quickly took charge of the situation as Beth patiently recounted the days events, leaning heavily against Mick. The adrenaline was gone and utter exhaustion was smoothly taking it's place. She watched as the cops placed the woman into a cruiser and talked to a horrified looking Josh. It seemed so staged and anti-climatic somehow as if she were only a distant observer to the whole situation.
"Can we go home now?" she asked tiredly. She was curious to hear his side of the story but decided it could wait until morning.
Mick carefully picked her up and carried her to the familiar green Mercedes.
"I'm never going to get to pick my car up," she complained as Mick belted her in.
"Close your eyes, Beth. You'll be home soon" Mick replied softly, brushing some of her tangled hair out of her face.
"kay," she obeyed with a yawn, "but you really have to get a bed because I'm not going to sleep on your couch forever."
"What?" Mick made a kind of strangled noise in the back of his throat.
Beth opened one eye to find him staring at her incredulously. "A bed," she repeated. "I can't very well sleep with you in your freezer now can I?"
"What about your bed?" Mick asked very slowly.
"We could move that in I suppose," Beth agreed sleepily, closing her eyes and deciding the matter was settled.
Mick made another funny-sounding choking noise. "What happened to taking things slow?" he managed finally.
Beth shrugged, already more then half-way asleep. "I told you I'm notoriously un-fond of slow."
Mick let out a shaky breath. "We'll talk about it in the morning, Beth."
She nodded and drifted the rest of the way into sleep. Mick shook his head with a smile and started the car. Only Beth would make up her mind to move in with him while half-asleep after being kidnapped. Although Mick had to admit he wasn't exactly adverse to the idea, it would be a big adjustment to co-habiting with a human--especially one as strong-willed as Beth. He looked at the sleeping woman in his passenger seat, her blond hair in disarray and looking tiny curled into his shirt. Well he could adjust. It would be worth it to be with her.
She stirred as he tucked her into to couch, much like the first time before she had even known what he was.
"Mick?" she asked, reaching out for him in the dark.
"I'm here," he replied quietly. "Go back to sleep."
Beth settled back. "I love you," she murmured.
Mick placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you too, Beth" he whispered back.
"I'm gonna have to write you another card." she muttered.
"Just try to put the capitals in the right places this time."
"Shut up," she complained as she drifted back off.
Mick smiled, Beth really was one of a kind.
Beth woke once again on Mick's couch and smiled as the smell of coffee pulled her into full awareness. She opened her eyes and sat up.
"No pancakes this time?" she called out to Mick's back.
"Yeah, because that went well last time." Mick replied, turning.
Beth rubbed at her eyes. "What time is it?"
"A little past four in the afternoon. You slept most of the day." Mick said, bringing over the coffee.
Beth accepted it gratefully. "Think the past few days caught up with me all at once. So what happened? Josh said you got arrested."
"They didn't exactly have any evidence to hold me and your cameraman Steve swore to seeing Josh's car when he dropped you off. I called Josef as soon as I was out and Ryder got a fix on your cell phone." Mick answered. "The rest you know."
Beth nodded. "Remind me to thank Steve. What do you think will happen with Josh? I mean he was drugged it wasn't really his fault and I wasn't hurt."
"The police are likely to see it the same way. They have the real culprit to deal with anyway."
"Did you find out who she is?" Beth asked, mentally lining up her story.
"Caroline Dervish, thirty-five years old. Works as a chemist for some large pharmaceutical company. Her husband left her for her assistant." Mick replied.
Beth shot him a questioning look.
"Lt. Davis called while you were asleep." He explained.
Beth smiled, sipping at her coffee. "I was worried you really were omnipotent there for a moment."
Mick laughed, " alas no." He sobered slightly. "Beth, about what you said last night..."
"Do you want me to move in?" she asked calmly.
"So you do remember?"
"Mostly," she replied. "I was exhausted and slightly hysterical when I said it but I like the idea."
He smiled. "So do I, but, it will be an adjustment for both of us."
"All relationships are." Beth pointed out sagely. "And as for the human-vampire thing we'll just deal with it as it comes."
Mick nodded and sat down close to her, letting Beth curl into his chest. "One thing at a time he agreed."
Beth grinned evilly. "Besides I have much better odds of ambushing you naked if I live here."
"On second thought--keep your apartment."
"Forget it! You're stuck with me Mister."
"If there is one thing I've learned through this is that nothing is ever certain, there is always the chance at happiness. No matter what the ticking clock on our relationship has in store for the future, I've resolved to be happy now and hold fast to the faith that love can see us through it all. After all isn't that the what love is all about? Finding someone to stand by you through all those Momentary Things, Good and Bad alike?"
AN: and there be the end! wow look at that would you I actually finished something...hmmmm wonder of wonders. I have an new Moonlight story already sketched out too. I want to write a Turned Beth story next so watch for that...
Please review as always, let me know you still love me dispite my upredictable updates...