Almost Happily Ever After

Chapter One
Beth lay nestled in Mick's arms, a sheen of sweat covering them both as the tingles of their recent pleasure faded away slowly. The weeks since he had declared his love had been the most amazing of his 85 years – and not just because of the hot sex, he thought to himself.

The unmistakable veil of love has descended over their firm friendship and only seemed to be growing stronger each passing day. That's not to say they didn't have their disagreements – Beth was remaining stubbornly unmovable on her career, and Mick was increasingly worried about her dangerous investigations for Talbot – not to mention Talbot himself. He was, he admitted to himself at least, being a little unreasonable. After all, it was Beth's strong will and penchant for getting into danger while doggedly pursuing the truth that had caused him to fall in love with her in the first place. But now he finally had her in his arms, damned if he was going to lose her now. He was all too aware of her frail mortality.

"I can hear the cogs turning, Mick," Beth muttered in a sleepy tone, "What are you thinking about?"

She knew him so well! "Just how much I love you, that's all," he replied. Well, it was a partial truth.

"Hrmph," she mumbled into his chest as she fell into a satisfied sleep.

I love her so much, I don't know what I'd do if I lost her, he thought as he automatically squeezed her closer to his chest. But it was this glow of new love which made what he had to say to her even harder.

"Hey!" Beth said, awake suddenly and struggling to move in Mick's vampire embrace. "Breathing is important! You may not need to but I do!"

"Oh," he said absentmindedly, loosening his vice-like grip around her, "Sorry!"

Beth rolled her eyes at him. "What IS it Mick?" she shot again – half amused, half annoyed. He so obviously had something on his mind it may as well be lit up in neon on his forehead.

Mick paused before answering. The phrasing of his next sentence was going to be important. After a moment he decided to go with simple honesty.

"I have to go and get her, Beth."

All sleepiness gone, Beth sat bolt upright in bed like she'd been stung by a bee on the behind. "What are you talking about?" she snapped, knowing full well what he was getting at.

"Coraline," he replied in a resigned tone.

"WHY?" Beth squeaked.

"You know why."

Damn Mick and his over-developed sense of morality! Beth thought to herself. Why couldn't I have one of those bastard boyfriends who don't give a crap about anyone but themselves?

"You don't owe her anything!" Beth countered, temper flaring.

"I know. But she was my wife," he said simply. "She gave up her life, allowed herself to be staked to save me. I can't leave her to whatever they are dong to her …" Mick's voice trailed off as he remembered the evil emanating from Lance. He shuddered to think what was happening to Coraline. Even his worst enemy didn't deserve the fate she was facing at the hands of her own brother.

Beth folded her arms and glared at him. "She betrayed you! In the worst possible way! On your wedding night!"

"That's true, but if I leave her to die, I'm no better than she is. Tell me, why do you love me?" he asked, unfolding her arms and taking her hands in his.

Beth stubbornly looked away, knowing where this was leading.

"OK, let me put it another way," Mick continued. "Could you love a man who could stand by while a woman he used to care about was being tortured or worse?"

Damn, Beth thought. She was being painted into a corner with his annoying logic!

"How can I be sure that's why you're going?" Beth whispered, knowing he was right but unable to allay her own fears. "How do I know it's not because you still …" her voice trailed off.

Mick gently gathered her in his arms. "You're worried I still love her?"

Beth nodded into his chest.

Mick hugged her close, feeling his emotions well up. "I promise you, as long as we live, you will never have to doubt how much I love you. Never," he said firmly. "Before you, I never even knew love could be like this! When I think about that fucked-up, freak show of a marriage I had, I want to laugh it's so insane!"

He lifted her chin and looked in her blue eyes. "You, Beth. You are what I have been looking for my whole life. Mortal or immortal. Until the end of time, Beth, it's you and me. I swear."

Beth blinked away her tears. She loved him so much! Even more because of the type of man he showed her he was every day. Even more, she grudgingly admitted to herself, because of what he had to do now.

She grudgingly nodded. "I love you too. And I understand why you have to do this."

Mick planted a kiss on her soft lips before nuzzling her neck and breathing in her sweet scent. He felt the stirrings of passion not long ago sated but reluctantly extracted himself from her tangled sheets and picked up his clothing.

"You're going NOW?" Beth asked, alarmed.

"Not yet. I have some research to do. I have no idea where to start to find her," he replied.

Beth watched as he quickly dressed, gave her a lingering kiss goodbye and left her apartment.

Well, she thought to herself. If he thought she was taking this lying down he had another think coming! She was not losing Mick on a futile and dangerous act of chivalry! She had lost Josh, she had lost Maureen, she was not losing him too! She got up and found her clothes in a tangle on the floor. She was going to need help, and she knew exactly who to go to to get it …