A/N: next chapter up one day later. Woot! And feel free to check out my moonlight oneshots too Now, without further ado, Mick's POV (I'll probably be alternating)…

I watch Beth's car drive away until it turns the corner out of sight. It was strange, that interaction with her. When I was a vampire things were different between us. I would say the connection was stronger, but I see now it was just different. This, a human connection, is something I forgot the feel of. But being with her as a mortal feels a lot like it did when I first met Coraline.

Unfortunately this means I can't lie to myself anymore. I kept thinking the only reason I felt the way I did around Beth was because I saved her when she was younger, because I'm a vampire and all of my senses are so heightened. But that spark – the same one I felt when she kissed me, the one I feel whenever I hold her in my arms – is still there, maybe stronger than ever now that I'm human. I can't help but wonder if she feels it too. She must. It couldn't be so strong for me and mean nothing to her. I shake my head, trying to clear my mind. Her boyfriend, almost fiancé, just died a few days ago. I'm still standing in the cemetery where he was buried. I might be ready for this, but she couldn't be. And I know that a part of her, however small, still blames me for Josh's death.

"Stupid idea you know," it's a few hours later and Josef is sitting on the couch of my apartment, drinking a class of AB-, "Now that you're human you could die any day! Car accident, drowning, gunshot, suffication…and you don't even know how long you'll be this way."

I take a sip from my own drink – Scotch on the rocks. Tastes just as good as I remember, "Yeah, but it's worth it."

"Is it? I never understood you Mick. You get what almost every human dreams of, immortality, and you don't even want it."

"Watching everyone I love die?" I reply, "No thanks. And you know Josef, I really missed food. Don't you ever miss anything about being human?"

Josef shakes his head, "I'm just as happy being a perpetually young multimillionaire thanks," he drains his glass and stands up, "But listen I gotta get going. Big deal to close tomorrow."

I nod, "See you later then," he gives me a smile and is gone in a flash. Okay, so being a vampire did have some advantages.

I finish my glass and pour myself another. When you haven't tasted a good scotch since the 1950s you tend to take advantage of a good thing. On that note, I also haven't been drunk since the night before my wedding. Huh, tonight seems as good a night as any…

Just then there's a knock at my door. Hoping it's nothing that will hold up my recent decision to finish the bottle, I get up and look at the screen on the wall.

Beth.

Of course it would be her. I guess I had half an idea that she would show up here tonight anyway. I don't know why. It was more of a stray hope I guess, but then I'd dreamed about her showing up at my door for a million nights before this. But then, those dreams always involved her leaving Josh, falling into my arms, the two of us…Well, bottom line these little dreams never involved Josh actually being dead. Or her blaming me for it.

I open the door.

"Hi," she says, wiping her eyes in a way I know she hopes I won't notice, "Um, is this a bad time? Because if it is I can just – "

"No," I say, "No it's not a bad time at all. Please, come in."

She looks relieved and walks past me, sliding off her coat. She's changed since the funeral. Jeans and a light blue shirt that brings out her eyes. I hate myself just a little for noticing that.

"Look," she says, "I came here a couple nights ago and we started talking, but then Coraline showed up and we never really finished so I was just hoping we could…"

"Talk?"

"Yeah."

I nod and walk back over to the bar, "Can I get you a drink?"

"What are you having?"

"Scotch on the rocks."

"Yeah," she says, "I'll have one of those."

I pour her one and we sit down on the couch. Is it my imagination, or did she move away from me just a little bit?

"You're still wearing Josh's ring," I remark, hoping it sounds casual enough.

"Oh," she glances down at her hand and twists the ring self-consiously, "Yeah. I guess it's just…I don't know. I feel like I sort of should be wearing it you know? Like, out of respect for him it should be on my finger."

I move closer to her, praying she'll let me. I reach out and take her left hand, studying the ring and feeling an electric shock pulse through my body that has nothing to do with the scotch. I look up and meet her sad eyes with my own. Can she see the want behind them?

"Would you have said yes?" I ask quietly.

"I…" her voice fades, and suddenly everything fades. It's just us, two people – two humans, and I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms and make everything okay.

After what seems like eternity, Beth clears her throat and stands up, "I, I don't know what I would have said," she finishes, pacing slightly and taking a large gulp of her drink.

"You have to know," I reply, "Come on Beth you were with him for a year. You have to know whether or not you would have said yes," I know I'm pushing this, but something in me needs to know.

"Mick, I don't know. Everything's so confusing and complicated and I just… One minute I think I would have said yes because I loved him and we were so perfect together and up until a couple months ago I would have said yes without a second thought, but then," she turns to face me again, "Then you came along. And I didn't know what to think or how to feel, but having you in my life complicated everything, and I know we have something – "

I look away, but I feel her hand on my face as she turns me back to her, "You know we have something," she whispers, allowing herself to trace my features, "Whatever it is, there's a connection between us I haven't felt with anyone else, not even Josh. And that scares me, and that's…that's why I don't know what my answer would have been."

I put my hand on top of hers. The feel of her skin, the smell of perfume on her wrist – just to be able to have this sort of contact without seeing the outline of every vein and catching a sent of blood – was incredible.

"I'm sorry," she says suddenly, withdrawing her hand from underneath mine, "That was…I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about."

"I was so hard on you for what happened to Josh, and now here I am in your apartment the day of his funeral talking about my feelings for you and how I don't know if I could have married him," she gives a small laugh, "I'd definitely call that mixed signals, wouldn't you?"

I smile, "Yeah, yeah I guess so. But I understand what you're feeling Beth, I do."

She eyed me for a moment, "Do you?"

"Yes."

She nodded, more to herself than in acknowledgement to my answer, "Still, I should go."

"Okay."

She hands me back the now half empty glass of scotch and reaches for her coat.

"Beth, wait," I say before I can stop myself.

"Yes?"

"Can I…" can I walk you home, can I stay with you tonight, can I love you...,"Is there anything else you need?"

She considers this for what seems like forever, and I wonder if I've said the wrong thing. I feel sure I have when I see the fresh tears forming.

"Yeah," she says quietly, looking at me with those beautiful blue-green eyes.

And I know what she's going to ask before she says another word. And I don't want her to have to ask for that, ever. She shouldn't need to. And I'm next to her in a second, holding her in my arms and feeling her cry softly into my shoulder.

"You never have to ask me to be there for you Beth," I whisper, smoothing her hair, "you never have to ask me for this, you already have it – you always have."

And I hear her whisper my name, so quietly I may have imagined it. I kiss the top of her head and find myself wishing we could be like this forever. Because having her in my arms, whether I'm human or a vampire, is the best feeling in the world.

A/N: i hope you liked it, reviews would be lovely!