Disclaimer: Don't own…if I did, we'd have a second season already.
A/N – this is Mick's POV of the balcony scene at the end of 12:04. Mick's POV soon to come.
12:04: Somehow, I Always Felt Safe
Mick pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number that he was more than happy to call.
"Hello?"
"It's Mick St. John," before he could say anything else the woman on the other line interrupted him.
"Mick, what a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"
"I need a clean up at my place. Morgan Shepherd."
"Shepherd? The guy that was executed a few days ago?"
"Yeah, the same guy. He was turned right before his execution," he explained.
"Very well, I'll have my team over there in less than five."
"Thanks," he said, hanging up.
Dialing Beth's cell phone, he walked away from the decapitated body of Shepherd.
"Mick, are you alright?" Beth asked when she answered, sounding frantic.
"I'm fine. Shepherd's dead."
He heard a sigh of relief and her relay the message to Audrey.
"Oh, thank God!" he heard her say, breathless.
"Can we come back up?"
"Not yet, it's not the best of ideas. Shepherd's still in front of the elevator. I have someone coming to take care of it," he told her. "It'll be best if you stay downstairs for now. I'll call you in a few minutes and you can come back up."
"Ok, thanks, Mick."
When Mick hung up, he saw the elevator door open and the Cleaner step out, and around the dead body.
"Mick," she greeted. "How have you been?"
"Pretty well, thanks. Yourself?"
"Busy, but good," she said, as her team stepped out behind her. "Glad that this guy is finally dead." She looked at the dead body with a disgusted look. "I guess human executions aren't what they used to be." As her team went to work, she moved over to Mick.
"Well, if he hadn't been turned before his execution, it would have gone fine. But now, we know for sure that he's gone." As her team started the clean up, she asked about the events of the night, Mick told her about going to Drake's house, being attacked by Shepherd, and then coming back to find Beth and Audrey in trouble.
"You've had an eventful night, Mick, have you fed since this happened?" she asked.
Mick shook his head. "No, Audrey's here, so I haven't been able to."
The Cleaner nodded. "Well, while we finish this up here, why don't you go feed before both of the ladies come back up?"
Mick smiled slightly. "Thanks, I appreciate it." Mick walked around the cleaning crew and walked back into his apartment. He looked around and knew that he had some cleaning to do. So, he first went to his hidden fridge and took out some blood and poured himself a glass. He vamped out as the blood touched his lips, but he forced the vampire face to change back to his familiar human one. After satisfying his hunger and feeling his aching muscles stop aching, he quickly cleaned up the mess than Shepherd had made. He remembered how he had Beth in his grasps, about to kill her, he had never been more relieved to have made it back to his apartment.
He shook his head of his thoughts and quickly picked up the pieces before the Cleaner finished so that when Beth and Audrey got back inside, it would look as if nothing had happened.
He had just finished placing his books back in their shelves when the Cleaner knocked on the door. He used his vamp speed to get the door for her. When he opened it she smiled.
"All done, Mick. And don't worry about the bill, it's on the house. I haven't been happier to see a vamp without his head in a long time. That man was as bad as they come."
Mick nodded. "Yes, yes he was. And thank you."
She smiled and nodded. "I guess that I can't say to give me a call, even if it's not for a cleanup, can I?"
Mick looked at her, knowing what she meant, but pretending to be confused. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean, Mick St. John, and don't play innocent, it doesn't work on me. I was walking about your blond reporter."
Deciding not to say anything, he just looked at her. She smiled and nodded.
"See you around, Mick."
She walked down the hall and with her crew, took the elevator downstairs. Mick took a deep breath. She had called Beth his blond reporter. He knew that he had feelings for Beth, and he didn't know what to do. He didn't want her to get hurt, but could he let her go?
Pulling out his phone he gave Beth the all clear to come back up. He went back inside, propping the door open so that the two women wouldn't have to knock. He quickly made a run through to make sure that everything that should be hidden, was. When he was satisfied, he went upstairs to see if he had a blanket, he was sure that Audrey, if not Beth as well, would want to sleep.
He quickly found a blanket and was about to try and find another when he heard the door slide open, signaling the arrival of Beth and Audrey. Deciding to try and find another blanket later, he went back downstairs. He immediately saw that Audrey had been crying and he smelled the lingering salt of her tears. Her heartbeat was a little above normal, but nothing to be concerned about. Mick smiled gently at the young woman and said, "Here, I'm sure you're both exhausted."
"Thank you, Mick. I'll take the couch, you go on to sleep, I'll be fine," Audrey told him and Beth.
Mick shared a smile with Beth. "Alright. Beth, I'll find you a blanket too, just give me a minute."
Beth shook her head. "I'm fine. I'll just sit up for a while."
Mick nodded. "Alright. I'll leave you girls to talk." He then walked upstairs, without looking back. He had to get out and get some air in the waning hours of darkness. He walked up the stairs to the concrete balcony that overlooked the city and sighed. All he could do was think about the woman that was downstairs with Audrey. He didn't feel that he had the right to feel what he did for Beth. What did he feel for her? He still wasn't sure. But he couldn't hurt her, couldn't put her in that kind of danger; he had spent too many years trying to keep her safe.
Suddenly he heard the light taps of feet on the stairs to his right and smelled Beth. He felt her hesitation, but she only stopped for a moment before walking over to him. Something was going on, and he didn't know what it was. When she stopped next to him, he decided to keep the conversation light.
"How is she?"
"Sleeping," Beth informed him, leaning against the barrier that protected them from falling.
"What did you tell her?" he asked, knowing that the answer she would give would determine so many things.
"As long as Shepherd's gone for good, she doesn't need an explanation," she paused. "But I do."
"I know you saved me when I was a little girl."
He was stunned. How could she know? He hadn't told her. Nothing happened today that could have brought back the memories, clearly. It only left one explanation: she had seen the file.
He closed his eyes against the pain that he felt. He knew what was going on now, and his stomach felt as if a rock had been placed in the useless organ. He swallowed against the lump that had formed in his throat.
"I think you've known for a while."
"Maybe I have."
He paused, wondering if he should ask the question that would tell if she had found the file or not. He decided that he needed to know, even if it meant the end of their friendship. "What else do you know?"
She took a moment to answer. "That he had to kill a woman he cared about."
Mick raised his head, swallowed hard, and nodded jerkily. It didn't matter that he had been prepared to hear those words come out of her mouth, they still stung. He didn't know what she would do now, but he knew that no matter how long it would be, the events of that night would haunt him. Coralline had been his wife, and sire, both bonds were strong, but nothing could compare the bond between sire and fledgling. And he hated her for it.
"Maybe he would have done that anyway," he said, trying to keep the tears that had filled his eyes from falling.
"Maybe, but that night he did it to save me."
Mick turned to her, tried to speak, but ended up having to try again. "How was I suppose to tell you?" he asked, worried what would happen now.
"Why did you hide it?" she asked. The sound of the file hitting the wall resounded in his ears. "Make it think it was my imagination?"
He instinctively reached for the file, but didn't touch it. She must hate me. "You have every right to be angry."
"I'm not angry," she told him. He looked up confused, and saw her smile, which only confused him more until she said, "I found my guardian angel."
Mick laughed at the term. He was no angel. A demonic angel, maybe, but vampires never made good angels. He stayed silent as she smiled and wiped the tears that had fallen.
"I just wished – I just wish he'd talk to me."
He nodded and smirked ironically. "First I murder my wife, then I stalk you, it just gets better and better, huh?" he said, wiping away his own tears.
"No," she said with a smile. "I could have lived my life in fear. But somehow I always felt safe."
Just then the sun came over the horizon and the light lit up the area around them. Mick had to shield his eyes from the sun's harmful rays; he hadn't meant to be out there long enough for the sun to rise. But he had to get out of the sun soon, the morning rays were some of the worst for vampires, the noon rays being the absolute worst.
"And now I know why."
Mick looked at her with a feeling in the pit of his stomach, knowing that he had to turn her away again. "Now you know why it can never work."
He should have known that it wouldn't be that easy. "All I know is, since I met you, I've stopped using the word 'never'."
Mick watched as she looked back at the sun and stepped closer. He felt her hand in his, blocking the sun from his face, and she leaned in closer. He closed his eyes and heard her erratic heartbeat, nervous but excited. He felt her lips touch his cheek and he instinctively leaned into the touch. He took the moment to relish in the fact that she didn't hate him, but was kissing him instead. But when she pulled away, he knew that he had to leave. He couldn't endanger her like this anymore. He opened his eyes when she stepped away.
Looking at her once, he stepped back, looking down. He looked up again, but couldn't hold the gaze that spoke of hope and love. He walked away, his heart breaking as he did. He kept going, feeling her eyes on his back the entire way to the stairs and until he was out of sight, but he could tell that she was still looking at the spot where he had left.
Knowing that he couldn't see her without it being detrimental to both of them, Mick made his way, quietly, down the stairs and opened the grey door. He quickly walked in and closed it, hoping that Beth wouldn't decide to try and find him and knock some sense into him, literally. And now she would know that he couldn't hurt her, even if he wanted to, so she would use that to her advantage. He locked the door, feeling a bit safer. The last thing he wanted was for her to walk in while he was sleeping and find him in his freezer. It was one of the last things that made him a vampire that Beth had yet to see.
And he was going to keep it that way. For as long as possible at least.
He stripped and climbed into the freezer, hating that he had to use it even more as he heard Beth walk down the stairs and down to Audrey. He wondered if she would wake the young woman and leave, but knowing Beth, she would sleep in the armchair and wait for Audrey to wake up.
Trying to go to sleep with everything that happened between himself and Beth, not so much the events with Shepherd, was a very difficult task to manage. After about an hour of staring at the top of his freezer, Mick got out, hoping that having some blood would help to get him to sleep. He grabbed some pants and a t-shirt and soundlessly opened the door and went down the top of the stairs. He hoped that both women were asleep so that he wouldn't have to answer any questions, but as he listened, he heard both heartbeats beating slowly, and heard the even breathing of both women, both evidence of them being unconscious. Thankful, he walked down the stairs as quietly as he could. When he got far enough down the stairs, he saw that Audrey was sleeping soundly under the blanket that he had given her.
Then he turned and saw that Beth was indeed sleeping in the armchair, he saw her shiver slightly in her sleep. He shook his head, he forgot that he always kept it cooler in here than normal houses, and went to go find her a blanket. He decided to grab the blood first, so that if either women awoke, he would be in the clear.
Quickly grabbing a dark glass, he slid open the hidden fridge, all the while looking for signs of life from the women in the other room. When neither stirred, he quickly poured a glass and put the blood back. He quickly made his way past the girls and back up the stairs. He let out a breath that he hadn't realized that he was holding when he got back to the safety of the top floor. He shook his head and started drinking from his glass.
As he looked around for the blanket, he thought about what to do with Beth. He wondered if she would want to see him after walking away like he did. He wouldn't blame her. After finding out that he had saved her as a child, followed her since that day, and then walking away when she offered herself to him with that kiss, he couldn't blame her if she walked away too. He didn't want her to, but it was probably for the best, he told himself. But even as he thought it, he could tell that he was lying, trying to make excuses for something that he couldn't hide from.
He cared for Beth, maybe a little too much. He wanted to protect her from everything that could possibly harm her, and that included himself.
Finally finding a blanket, he went back downstairs and stood, looking at Beth for a moment. She looked so peaceful in sleep, though he knew that the armchair probably wasn't as comfortable as a bed would have been, but he didn't have one to offer her. Shaking his head, he put his glass down, and then took the blanket and draped it over her cold form and watched as she smiled slightly and burrowed under the blanket.
A small smile graced his face as he watched her reaction. He sighed and picked up his glass, then went back into the kitchen, draining it as he walked. He hoped that the snack would help him to sleep. He washed the glass out and placed it in the sink for rinsing later. Walking back up the stairs, and into his room, he once again made his way back into his freezer. Once the door was shut, he was thankful when he felt sleep pulling at him, encouraging him into it's dark embrace, and he went willingly.
Too soon, though, he heard footsteps out side his door. It took him a moment to get his bearings, and he heard, "Audrey wants to say goodbye."
He sighed as he recognized Beth's voice, and he opened the top of his freezer and heard her leave the door and go back down stairs. He quickly got out, closed the door, and jumped into the clothes that he had placed on the side of the freezer and was out the door when he heard Beth say, "He's coming."
He walked silently down after her and saw Audrey's smiling face, and sparkling eyes staring up at him. He smiled back, he knew that she would be alright after this.
Mick was watching Beth as Audrey walked toward him and said, "Thank you so much, Mick. You don't know how relieved I am. I didn't even feel this way at the execution. I know he's gone now, he has no more power over my life." She paused, and looked back at Beth. "Beth was right. I can't let Shepherd control me, even in death. I have to block it out." She turned back to him. "I won't ever forget what he did, but he can't hold it over me anymore. And I have you to thank for that."
Mick wondered what it was that they had talked about, although he had a feeling that it was about her kidnapping with the way that Beth was walking. He heard her sigh as she walked away from the two with her belongings in hand.
"It was no problem, I was happy to help," he said, and Audrey closed the distance between them and he hugged her back. "I hope your life is a happy one now."
"It will be, thank you. I'm sorry for waking you, I just wanted to say thanks, and goodbye. I don't know if I'll ever see you again."
"I'm always around," he said vaguely.
Audrey smiled once again and turned around and walked toward Beth, who was standing with her back to him. He watched as Audrey placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Ready?" Beth asked.
Audrey nodded. "Yes, I am. I finally am."
He saw Beth nod and open the door. He watched as Audrey walked out a little ways and look back and wave at him. He smiled and gave her a small wave in return. He wondered if Beth would walk out without looking back at him. But, when Audrey turned the corner, Beth turned around with a longing and sad look in her eyes. He had hurt her, but she wasn't ready to give him up. It wasn't long before she turned and walked after Audrey.
He wanted to go after her, apologize for what he did, or rather, what he didn't do. But his feet were glued to the floor. But when the door closed behind her, he closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't go after her.
He started to move, but instead of walking toward Beth, he walked away and back upstairs to his freezer. He needed to sleep. He would think about Beth and what would happen now, at a later time. He wiped away a stray tear from his cheek and slipped back into the freezer. He had become accustomed to being alone, but he was finding it harder and harder to continue to do so the longer Beth remained in his life.
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I hope I did Mick's POV justice. I really enjoyed this scene and I couldn't just start and stop at where Beth and Mick were together.