A/N: another installment. Woot! And I was just informed by a lovely reviewer that new episodes of moonlight are starting april 11th! (cue the hallelujah chorus). Now, without further ado…

Beth woke with a start, her heart racing. She had the distinct feeling that something had just gone horribly wrong.

Relax, she told herself, relax. It was probably just a bad dream. Taking a few deep breaths, she turned over to see if Mick was awake.

The moment she realized his side of the bed was empty, she knew that whatever had woken her up hadn't been a dream. When it came to Mick, Beth sometimes felt like she had a sixth sense. And she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he hadn't just gone to the bathroom or back to his apartment. He was gone. Getting up, she slid into a robe and walked out into the living room, a part of her still clinging to the hope that he hadn't really left – that maybe she would find him in the kitchen making a pot of coffee. But he wasn't there.

Beth's eyes traveled to the coffee table and she saw an envelope lying there, her name scrawled across it in what she knew to be Mick's handwriting. Sitting down on the couch, she picked it up and opened it. Inside she found a letter that brought her to tears.

…So I'm going. By the time you wake up I don't know where I'll be. Maybe halfway around the world, maybe just in the next state…but I'll be gone.

…You always called me your guardian angel, but what I don't think you realize is that you're my angel. You've saved me Beth, in so many more ways than you could ever know.

"I love you," she whispered, reading the last words aloud.

It seemed impossible that Mick had really left. She understood him well enough to know that he meant what he said about not stopping until he found the cure – until he felt like he finally deserved her. But she just couldn't believe he was really gone. Didn't he know what this would do to her? Didn't he know by now that she loved him no matter what?

Of course he knows that, said a voice inside her head, He knows that just as certainly as you know he can't love himself the way he is. You know he needs to love himself again Beth, as much for his own sake as for yours. And imagine the pain of watching you grow old and die. He loves you too much to see that happen while he remains untouched.

Beth took a shaky breath and wiped the tears away from her eyes. Crying wouldn't help anything. It was obvious to her what she had to do – she had to find Mick. He had to have known when he was writing that letter that she would never obey his request not to go after him. What kind of woman did he think she was?

The only problem was that, as Mick had pointed out, not even he knew where he was going. And if he didn't know, then how hell would she? Of course, Beth reasoned, he could have been lying. There was a chance he knew exactly where he was going but understood that if he told her, she would follow.

"Okay," she said to herself, "who would know where Mick went. Who's the person he would call…"

It came to her almost instantly. Josef. If Mick had decided to tell anyone what he was up to, it would've been Josef. Beth wasn't exactly his biggest fan, but he was the only person she could think of who might be able to help. Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed his number.

"Hello?" came a tired sounding voice after a few rings.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you up?" Beth didn't really feel the least bit sorry.

"Yeah, you did…who is this?"

"It's Beth. Um, Beth Turner."

"Yeah thanks, I got that. What can I do for you?" the question was followed by a yawn.

"Do you know where Mick is?"

"What'd you mean?"

"I mean he was with me last night and now he's gone. He left a note saying he went to look for The Cure. Do you know where he went?"

The question was met with silence on the other end. Beth couldn't tell if that was good or bad.

"He told me he might go," Josef finally said, more to himself than to her, "I thought he was crazy. I thought he was only saying that because he knew his time as a human was running out."

"Yeah," Beth said quietly.

It was true. About a week ago Mick had told her the taste of food was starting to diminish. He was starting to feel sick when he went out in daylight. His time was obviously limited – but Beth had assumed he would just accept it. A stupid thought, now that she considered it more. When had she ever known Mick to just accept something that he wanted to change?

"Beth? Hey, are you listening to me?"

Josef's voice pulled her out of her reverie, "Sorry, what?"

"I asked you if Mick is still human. Do you know?"

"He is. Or at least, he was yesterday. Not for much longer though."

"Well good. At least he probably won't get killed then."

Beth rolled her eyes, "Thanks Josef, that's a very comforting thought."

"Hey, I'm just looking on the bright side."

"Yeah, well, it would be great if you could just tell me if you know where he is."

"Okay, all right. Touchy. He never actually told me where he would go, but my guess would be France. That's where The Cure originated. If I were you I'd get myself to Paris, and from there maybe somewhere around Versailles."

"Okay. Thanks Josef."

"Anytime kid. But just," Josef paused for a moment, "Just be careful. If anything happens to you I'll be stuck dealing with 'depressed Mick', and that's just no fun."

Beth gave a small laugh, "I'll be careful, I promise."

After she hung up the phone, Beth called LAX and got herself one ticket to Paris. She wasn't sure how she would ever find Mick, but she knew that she had to try. She couldn't lose him – one lost love was enough for a lifetime. Beth got up and found her suitcase, allowing herself to remember the night Mick had finally told her how he felt…

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They sat quietly in Mick's apartment, both with untouched glasses of wine in front of them. Beth had known this would be awkward. She hadn't seen Mick in the month since Josh's funeral. She knew that he was human, and a part of her felt guilty for not being with him to share that, to go out to dinner and take walks in the sun – all of the things that she took for granted. But she had been afraid. She still was really, but she knew that she couldn't avoid him forever. She didn't want to.

"I just," she started, clearing her throat, "I just want to apologize for avoiding you for so long. I didn't want to be around you because I was afraid of what might happen. I thought I would hate myself if we…," she swallowed, "I guess I felt guilty."

"Beth you have no reason to feel that way," Mick said immediately.

"No, I do," she replied, "Mick, all I could think about this past month – these past three months actually, is you. And then Josh passed away and I just felt like the most horrible person in the world. I felt like somehow my wanting you had lead to his death. Like it was my fault."

Mick stood up and walked over to where she was standing at the counter, "Hey," he said, turning her face toward him, "What happened was not your fault. Do you understand?"

Beth looked into his eyes and nodded. Somehow hearing him say it made her feel better, like maybe it was true. This wasn't her fault.

She realized that Mick's hand was still on her face, and he was looking at her in that way of his. That way that told her he wanted her just as much as she wanted him, but something was holding him back.

"Mick," she said quietly, putting her hand on top of his, "It's okay."

Pulling her close to him, Mick took a deep breath and prepared himself to say those words he was so afraid of – words that meant nothing would be the same between them again.

"I love you Beth," he whispered.

She pulled away and looked up at him, "Do you mean that?"

"Yes. I love everything about you. I have for so long. You must have known that."

"I hoped that," Beth replied with a smile, "I love you too Mick."

Softly, gently, he leaned in and kissed her. Beth couldn't ever remember being kissed this way – not even by Josh. It was sweet and slow, as though he wanted to savor the taste of her for as long as he was allowed.

And Beth thought that maybe, in that moment, things would work out. Didn't love conquer all?

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Love conquered all. Those were the words Beth found herself repeating in her head as she waited for her flight to board. She knew the phrase was ridiculous and clichéd, but she couldn't help it. Love was the only way she could explain how it was she thought she could just fly off to Paris and find Mick in a sea of millions of people when she didn't even know for a fact that he was there.

But he would be. Beth could almost feel it. She would find him there, somehow. And once she did, if he still wanted to find The Cure, she would help him look. That was all there was to it.

Because Beth Turner was in love with Mick St. John, and she wasn't going to lose him.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it – please review!