Chapter 2

Beth had the hostess seat her in the farthest corner of the dimly lit restaurant. She didn't need an audience for what she was preparing to do. Beth hadn't planned on anything in particular to say to Mick tonight. When she had tried to envision the meeting and the inevitable talk she would have to have with the man of her dreams she broke down in tears. She still hung on desperately to the glimmer of hope of him and she becoming what she knew to be fated. Though she also knew that fate only gets you so far. Eventaly someone has to give in to it. And that someone didn't seem to be Mick in the near future. Beth couldn't keep setting herself up with rejection. She was getting pulled down with Mick into the self loathing bullshit because of it.

"No More." Beth muttered. It ends tonight because it has to. She told herself with resolve.

Mick walked through the vestibule and headed towards the hostess station. He asked for Beth Turners table and followed the hostess to the far corner of the restaurant He was anxiously looking for her face. Then he saw her. No matter how many times her eyes had found his it still uttered him speechless. Her blonde hair looked angelic in the candlelight. Her blue eyes alive twinkling with the life in them that was uniquely eth. Something else lingered in her eyes tonight that Mick couldn't place. He let his eyes travel down to her neck. Stopping momentarily to stare at the blood flowing just beneath her creamy complexion. He salivated thinking of her blood in his mouth, that thick coppery warm kiss that only she could give him. Shaking the monster away he allowed himself a glance at her V-neck sweater that hugged her in just the right places. Clinging to her perky breasts as they rose from the fabric. He wanted to trail his tongue down the valley that her breasts created…traveling even further south…He shook the image fro his mind and sat opposite Beth.

"Saw your report." Mick said with a smile.

She looked up in surprise "Oh?" She questioned.

"Yeah." Mick responded. "you didn't seem to be to pleased to be reporting outside a Hollywood mansion." He continued with that smile that made Beth weak in the knees. "Without it concerning murder, or money laundering anyway." He continued with a note of humor in his silken voice. She stared into his eyes with a longing he hadn't seen there before. Then a second too long she answered "Yeah, I felt like a member of the paparazzi tonight, gross." She said laughing nervously.

Mick could tell something was wrong with her. He didn't need his vampire powers, or his P.I. skills to know something was wrong with her.

"Beth" He questioned with delicate care in his voice. "Beth, what's wrong?"

Beth pulled her hands from her lap to the table and nervously began twisting her napkin. Mick took his hands and placed them on top of hers and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"Does this have to do with that hit and run?" Mick questioned her.

She kept her eyes down and shook her head. He put his thumb and forefinger under her chin pushing her gaze to meet his own.

"Tell me what's wrong Beth. Tell me what's wrong and I'll fix it." He gently urged her.

Beth took a deep breath and reveled in the feel of his cold flesh against her hot skin. She enjoyed the sensation for what could defiantly be the last time.

"Oh Mick, I wish you would fix this." Beth started.

"Mick?" Beth asked meekly. "I feel like we have been skirting this issue for months now."

Mick leaned back and put his head in his hands. He knew where this was going.

"I need to know Mick." Beth said with an assertiveness she didn't expect. "Can you ever see a future for us?" She blurted out the last bit. She felt her statement hanging between them. She was beyond mortified…sitting in agonizing silence.

Mick sat there without moving. He slowly looked up and responded slowly and in a calculated way "No Beth I cant envision a future with you and I romantically." He silently cursed himself. Yes Beth everyday when I close the lid to my freezer I imagine you inside it with me. I close my eyes and see you and me together finally, the way I've wanted to be with you for so long.

"Do you mean that?" Beth asked choking back tears.

"Yes Beth." Mick sighed. "I mean it."

Beth couldn't hold back her tears. "Then Mick…" she started "thank you for all you have done for me, but this is where it ends for us."

Mick wanted to throw himself at her feet and beg for her to forgive him. He couldn't let anything happen between them, he just couldn't! It was far to dangerous for her. He would rather deal with his unrequited love for an eternity than to jeopardize his Beth. Mick stood up to take his leave. He made a move to wipe a tear from her perfect face, but thought better of it.

"Find happiness Beth. Live your life to the fullest the way you were meant to live life." Mick told her calmly.

"Maybe I was meant to live it with you Mick! Have you ever though of that? Have you?!" she shouted looking up into his eyes.

He looked at her swollen eyes and smelled the salt water trickling from her eyes and knew he had better turn around and go before he took it all back and kissed the tears from her face.

"Stay safe Beth, please."

When Beth looked up to demand an answer about destiny he was gone. Mick St. John was gone, he was gone from her life forever. She hung her head and sobbed, she sobbed for the love of her life that never loved her back.

Mick sat on his sofa string into his fire pit. His heart had been dead over 50 years but it had never hurt like it did now. He was absentmindedly holding onto his chest feeling what felt like a gaping hole. He hadn't cried since he thought Josef had been murdered, but now here alone in his apartment he let the tears roll down his hard jaw.

He had been lecturing Beth on the dangers of vamp/human relationships for months. Mick couldn't blame Beth for cutting through his shit and coming to the question that had been looming over them since their day in the desert. Here he was an 80 year old man crying hysterically like a teenage girl. He was in WWII, Battle of the Bulge for Christ Sakes!

He wiped his eyes and made his way up to his freezer. Undressing on the way. He had to get out of town for awhile. Before he did something crazy. He was going to have to make a call when he awoke. Even though he was out of Beth's life directly didn't mean he was going to be completely out of it. He would always be there watching out for her. But if he wasn't in town he needed someone to watch for her, the only person he could trust with Beth. Josef.