Beth dropped her keys and purse on the table. She had just finished a story for BuzzWire. It was a long day and she had gotten about three hours of sleep with in the past two days. She decided to go ahead and take a warm shower to distress.
When she got out she got on a pair of her, now ex-boyfriends, pajama pants and an over sized sweat shirt. She sat down in the couch and stared at the black TV screen.
At first it was an annoying buzzing but it slowly turned into her cell phone ringing. She slowly opened her eyes to see her cell phone vibrating off the table. Jumping to her feet she rushed over to it just it time to catch it. She looked to see who it was. It was Mick! She smiled.
"Hello?" she asked eagerly trying to make it sound as if she just answered the phone with out looking to see who it was.
"Hi. It's Mick." He said with a hint of a laugh in his voice.
"Well duh. I know who I it is." She smacked her self over her comment. "How are you? We haven't talked in weeks!"
"It's only been a week. I just got back from a case." He was hopeful she wouldn't ask what he did. He had some unresolved issues with his case and was still looking for two vampires that had escaped form the explosion in Boston. He had been looking for a little girl no older than 7 who was taken by a cult of vampires. Mick had been sent to find her. When he did there was an explosion. He got out safely with the girl but so did two other vamps. Mick wanted to go after them but he wasn't able to. He returned they girl and came back to L.A.
"So what were you doing?" Beth sounded curious.
"I was on a case like I said. I was searching for a young girl." That was hopefully as far as he would have to go to explain it.
"Oh ok." She was a little hurt by the way he spoke. "So do you want to meet some where?" He thought. "Well I have to go to Josef's house later or actually right about now. If you want to you can meet me there." He really wanted to pick her up but he wanted to talk to Josef first.
"Ya that sounds good, but first I have to go pick up a new story report from BuzzWire so meet you there later." She was happy she was being invited. Josef still scared her but if Mick was going then that was fine.
"Ok well got to run. I'm heading to his place." He smiled.
"Ok bye. See you when I get there." She was excited.
Mick was walking down the alley next to Josef's condo. It was a nice place but even for a vampire it was a tad creepy. He passed a few trashcans two dark figures walked out from around the corner and were walking quickly toward him. He thought about turning and walking the other way but he was a vamp he could take on anything. He stopped a few feet away from them and smiled. He realized they were the ones who escaped.
"So you finally decided to show. Took you two blood suckers long enough." He was trying to see if he would get the upper hand until he smelled silver.
"Vamps can't have silver. Why aren't you two dead by now?" His smile left his face. A look of fear crossed it but only for a second.
"We were never vamps. We were the handy men as you could say." The one with his hand behind his back smiled as he could see the surprise of his words sink in. Mick walked closer, till he could see straight into their eyes.
"Fine then killing you won't be that hard then." Mick smiled once more but it quickly disappeared when a sharp needle entered his neck. He could feel a strange tingling sensation cross his chest and slowly take over his whole body. He fell to his knees in pain. Silver had entered his blood stream. He could see every thing slow down. Cold swept into him. He looked up at the one who stabbed him was laughing and through the needle down the alley.
"Now lets see how long it will take a vampire to die silver poising." He smiled down at Mick who was breathing heavily.
"Why not kill….me quickly?" Mick all most whispered.
"Well lets see, I don't want to." He looked at the other guys. "Lets kick him around some, watch the vamp squirm. Like the little vermin he is?"
Mick tried to crawl away but one guy took a sharp pole and stabbed Mick in the leg. He cried out in pain. The guy pulled it out. Again Mick tried to crawl away but again he was stabbed in the leg just above the other wound.
"Please stop. Why are you dong this?" Mick was almost to the point of crying but he was a vamp who could over come anything.
"You took the sacred girl from us so now we will kill you." The leader of the three man group said.
"So you're going to kill me over it?" Mick asked with a look of twisted pain on his face.
"Yes and watch you slowly die." He smiled and kicked Mick in the face. The others pulled him to his feet and pinned him to the wall. The leader punched him repeatedly in the stomach.
"Hello?" A man walked down the alley. "Hey drop him or I'll shoot!"
Mick looked up from his gaze on the ground. He was face to face with a homeless man. The man looked at Mick and smiled. Mick fell forward. The man caught him and Mick could feel the guy lay him down.
"Thank you for helping me." Mick whispered. He could hear a reply but it was so faint and distant. His body went numb.
"Hey Josef have you seen Mick?" Beth was worried and she didn't care if he knew.
"No. He hasn't shown up yet." Josef noted how Beth sounded and knew that Mick hadn't contacted anyone sense he talked to him.
"Ok well I'm almost to your house. Mick invited me if you don't mind?" Beth said in a kind of telling him voice.
"Ok I'll be outside."
"Ok bye" she hung up.
Josef stepped outside. His eyes widened as he saw blood, laced with silver, slowly flow in a small stream to a drain. He jumped down the stairs and rushed over to the alley. He followed the blood trail over to a blanket soaked with blood. He took in a deep breath and could immediately tell that it was Mick's blood. He quickly pulled the blanket off the blood covered Mick. Josef almost started to cry but instead he slowly but carefully picked Mick up and started to carry him to his condo
Beth was turning the corner when she saw blood drops down the sidewalk. She looked up to see Josef walking up the stairs with Mick in his arms. She rushed over to Josef and saw Mick limp in his arms.
"W-what h-happened to him?" Beth could feel tears well up in her eyes. She put a hand on Mick's head. She was in love with him and now he was hanging on by a thread.
"Help me get him in side and clean him up. We need to get blood in his system before he dies." Josef had a stern look on his face. She could tell that he was worried about him.
"We need to flush out the silver in his blood, but it shouldn't take that long because of his blood loss." Josef had a low tone.
"Ok take him to the tube and I'll fill it with ice and water. He did that at the hotel." Beth had started crying. Josef looked at her with, strangely, comforting eyes. She smiled slightly and looked away. She guessed it was comforting because that was the way Mick looked at her. Josef pushed his way through the doors to the bathroom. He slowly placed Mick in the tube and propped him up on the side. He turned on the cold water.
"I need you to wash his wounds." Josef had a completely changed look on his face. It was now in a twist of worry and fear.
"Don't worry he'll be fine. Just go get the blood he needs and I'll take care of his injuries." Beth smiled at Josef to reassure him everything would be ok.
"Okay I will be right back." He rushed out the door.
"Mick please, please do something to let me know you're alive. Please." Beth poured the ice cold water over his head and neck and chest. He moved his mouth trying to say something but nothing came out. Beth grabbed his head and put it against her cheek.
"Mick say it again." She asked.
"I-I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear. He started to shaking uncontrollably.
She held him tight and whispered back…
"It's ok. It wasn't your fault." She clamped her hands on his shoulders and held him down as he started to jolt violently and she yelled for Josef. She could hear him racing up the stairs. He flew through the door with several bags of blood, a cord, and needle.
"Help please!!!!" Beth pleaded with fear in her voice.
"Ok hold him down and hold his arm out so I can get the needle in his arm so I can get the blood started into his system." Josef held Mick's arm down tight and stuck the needle in and started the blood flowing into him.
"Hopefully this will hit soon."
Josef watched as Mick stopped jolting. He gave the bag to Beth.
"Hold it, but be careful. I am going to pick him up and move him to the guest room." Josef looked at Mick and picked him up carefully. Mick made a sound but Josef disregarded it. Beth carefully walked beside Josef. She glanced at his face and could see that he wanted to cry. She looked down at Mick and she to wanted to cry but she didn't.
Josef set Mick on the bed and left Beth to change him. Beth blushed all the way through. She walked down stairs to the kitchen. She saw Josef staring at his pictures. He had one of Mick and him, at night, at a beach. Mick was smiling. Josef was, as usual, hanging on to a girl and kissing. She felt a warm tear fall down her cheek.
Josef looked up and saw Beth staring and crying. She looked away.
"Are you ok?" Josef asked quietly. He walked over to Beth. He put a hand on her back and looked at her.
"Ya I'll be fine. I….I just love him and mow I'm not sure if he will make it." She turned to face him and put her head against his chest She cried and shook while she sobbed. She couldn't believe she had just told Josef her secrete. Yet strangely she was okay with it.
"I understand. He was going to….." Josef paused and looked away. He had almost given away why Mick had come to visit.
Beth pulled away and looked at him with questioning eyes.
"He was going to… what?" She looked at him. Her heart fluttered.
"It's not my place to say. I'm sorry." Josef looked her in the eyes. She watched his eyes widen as he stared past her up the stairs. She spun around to see. Mick was clutching his side. He was leaning on the rail going down the stairs. Beth ran up the stairs and put his arm around her shoulders. She put hers around his waist.
"Thank you." Mick said in a low voice.
"Your welcome. How do you feel?" Beth walked him down the rest of the stairs and sat him on the couch.
"My ribs are killing me. My neck is on fire and the crap was beat out of me. Other than that I'm fine."
Mick leaned back and closed his eyes. Beth sat down next to him. Josef took a seat across from them. Josef looked at Mick then Beth. He could see how much she loved Mick. Mick loved her back so much that he was going to propose to her later that night. Mick was coming to Josef's condo to get his permeation. Josef looked at Mick with a intense stair. Mick could feel his stair and looked up at Josef. He smiled as Josef slowly raised one eye brow and looked at Beth.
"So,umm, Beth what are your plans for later tonight?" Josef smiled slightly as he asked her.
Beth's heart jumped and Josef laughed as he saw her expression.
"Umm I wasn't planning on doing anything." She looked at Mick who was smiling at her.
"Well I have planed a wonderful night for us both." Mick looked at Josef and solely got up. Beth stood and put a hand in his hand. Josef got up and walked over to then. He put a hand on Mick's shoulder and looked his strait in the eyes. Mick smiled and nodded in understanding. Beth looked at both of them and they looked at her.
"What? Why are you two looking at me that way?" She looked at them.
"You'll know after tonight." Mick pulled Beth into a hug. She snuggled closer to him. She breathed in deeply. She smiled as the comforting smell of Old Spice filled her nose. She loved that smell. She pulled away slightly but just enough to be able to see his kind of pale face in a wide grin. She smiled back.
"Well are we ready to go?" Josef had Beth and Mick's coat in hand.
Beth smiled and put her coat on. Mick did the same.
"So where are we going?" Beth asked as they stepped outside.
"You'll see but first have to close your eyes." Mick smiled and grabbed her hand. She closed her eyes and could feel her self speed up a little. She slightly opened her eyes but as she did Mick looked back.
"Keep your eyes closed." Mick smiled once more.
"Okay, okay." Beth shut them tightly. She giggled. She could feel her self slow and then stop. She felt someone brush her left shoulder and sweep her hand upward.
"Mick?" She smiled and looked in the direction she thought her arm was.
"Wow you like him so much yet you can't tell his touch." Josef laughed and let go of her hand. It was caught lower than it had been.
"Okay, are you ready?" Mick's voice sounded like he was ready to cry. His hand was cold against hers. She could feel her heart flutter and her stomach turned. She heard Mick chuckle because he could tell that she was nervous.
"Yes, I'm ready?" Beth smiled and felt like she was going to pass out.
"Ok open your eyes!" Mick looked up at her face and saw her eyes widen as she took in the sights.
"Oh my…oh my gosh!!!!" She looked around and realized she was in Paris. She then realized her hand was still in someone hand. She looked down and met Mick's gaze. She felt her face drain of color.
"Beth Turner, will you take this ring and marry me?" Mick's eyes filled with happiness and tears. He was looking straight into her eyes. His eyes glistening with the lights.
"Y-y-y-yes!!!!!!" Beth fell to her knees and threw her arms around him. She couldn't believe it but it was true.
"I love you so very much." Mick whispered into her ear.
"I love you too." She felt warm tears stream down her face.
"Well now that that's over can we go enjoy Paris now that we're here?" Josef's voice interrupted the crying.
Beth pulled back and let Mick put the ring on her finger. She leaned forward and lip locked him. Mick pulled away and lifted her to her feet. He then got up.
"Lets go enjoy our selves." He grabbed her by the hand and they walked to the Ifel Tower.
"OK now we have to plan the wedding." Beth looked at Josef who smiled and walked off.
Mick pulled Beth into the elevator. Once at the top the got out and went to the edge.
"I love you." Mick pulled her closer to him.
"I love you too." Beth leaned closer an they kissed.
Forever together.