Thanks for all your wonderful comments: D

Remember: This takes place after "Fever" so nothing after that has happened yet.

Chapter 10

Mick felt lethargy pulling at him but he fought it, half afraid to close his eyes and have everything disappear. The natural high of making love was fading, replaced by a calm he couldn't remember feeling before. Beth was still beneath him, totally boneless, and her soft, rhythmic breathing told him she was near sleep too.

Holding her closer, he gently rolled them over until Beth was comfortably resting on his chest. She snuggled closer but otherwise didn't stir, and Mick let out a content sigh. She felt good atop him, almost as good as she'd felt under him. Mick smiled at the memory and felt his body stir. He wondered how Beth would feel if he woke her up for round two.

Brushing a hair from her face, he'd just decided she looked too peaceful to wake when he heard the unmistakable click of his front door opening. Shit. Not now. Please not now. He tried to quietly slide out from under her but Beth tightened her hold.

"Where do you think you're going?" Beth mumbled, still half asleep and not ready to lose her pillow.

"Josef's here."

"What? Where?" Beth shrieked, reaching blindly beside her for something to cover up with. Finding nothing, she hugged herself more tightly to him and hid her head on his chest.

Despite the interruption, Mick chuckled, noting the beautiful red tint that was flushing her skin now. "Relax. He's downstairs. And that's where he'll stay if he knows what's good for him."

"Oh." Beth lifted up to smile at him, fresh embarrassment staining her cheeks. "Sorry. Who's Josef?"

"A friend. And a pain in the ass with really rotten timing."

"Is he…"

Mick smiled as she trailed off. "Yeah, he's a vamp."

"How do you know he's here?" He smiled and quirked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, right. Stupid question. Does that mean he knows we're up here, you and me…together?" Beth's eyes widened at the thought. She was an adult, more than old enough to be doing such things, but right now she felt more like a teenager who'd been busted by daddy.

She wasn't reassured when Mick nodded. "Probably, which means I should get down there before he decides to come up. Josef can have a…" he paused, fumbling for the right description, "twisted sense of humor sometimes."

He slid from the bed and reached for his jeans, trying to ignore the tempting picture before him. Damn, he hated Josef for dragging him away from this. "Let me get rid of him. You stay here. I'm not done with you yet." Not bothering with boxers, Mick finished pulling on his jeans, leaving them undone. He looked at Beth again and saw the mischievous glint in her eyes. "I mean it, Beth. Don't move. I want to find you right here, just like this, waiting for me when I get back. Okay? I promise I'll be quick, even if I have to throw him out."

Beth nodded and he leaned down for a quick kiss, which she immediately deepened. He let her pull him back down to the bed as the kiss quickly spiraled out of control, both of them forgetting everything but the moment. Beth's hands slid down his chiseled abs and lower, his unsnapped jeans proving no obstacle to her exploration.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mick registered the slight creak of the stairs and pulled away from Beth with a harsh curse. Beth blinked at him, surprised by the sudden loss of contact. Breathing heavily, Mick jumped from the bed and backed away. He needed to put space between them before he lost himself again and got caught bare-assed. "Hold that thought, honey. I have to go kill Josef."

With that, he stalked out the door, closing it tightly behind him.

Mick came down the hall and found Josef waiting at the top of the stairs. When he spotted Mick, he pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning on. "Finally! I was wondering if I'd have to come in and get you. She must be…"

"Shut up, Josef." Mick cut him off, pushing him roughly towards the stairs. Josef didn't stumble. Instead, he laughed at his friend's obvious bad mood.

"Testy, testy," he tsked. "You really have been on bagged blood too long if this is what the real stuff does to you."

"I haven't had any 'real stuff.' This is all your winning personality. Now leave."

Josef smirked. "Ah, I see. I interrupted feeding time. Don't let me stop you." He gestured back down the hall.

Mick crossed his arms and let out an exasperated breath, realizing it wasn't going to be as easy to get rid of Josef as he wanted. "Is there some reason you're here or did you just want to annoy me?"

"Believe me, there was a reason. My perfect timing is just an unforeseeable bonus, although it certainly makes things more interesting."

Mick heard Beth stir in the bedroom and silently cursed her reporter's curiosity. He should have known she wouldn't stay put. Unless he hurried, she was going to come face to face with Josef, and that was the last thing he wanted. He looked down the hall, picturing her sliding naked from the bed to gather the clothes that were strewn around the room. Damn, he wanted to be in there for that.

He shook his head to clear it and noticed Josef also staring down the hall. Knowing where his own thoughts had gone, Mick didn't like it. He shoved Josef again, taking him off guard this time. Josef stumbled down the first two steps before bracing himself against the wall.

"What the hell was that for?"

"I saw you."

"Saw me what? I can't see through walls, Mick. I know Blondie's really gotten to you, that is why I'm here, after all. But jeez, get a grip."

"First of all, her name is Beth. You know that. And what the hell do you mean she's why you're here? If you're going to tell me to take care of her again…" Josef held up a hand to stop him.

"Relax. I still think it's stupid to trust a human reporter but, hey, it's you're funeral. Just don't drag the rest of the tribe down with you." Mick opened his mouth to defend himself and Beth but Josef cut him off again. "Actually, I was coming here to help you…and her, if you can believe that. Ryder heard about her little disappearing act. I couldn't care less, of course, except it would be one less loose end for me to worry about if someone had whacked her. But then I remembered I'd have to deal with your brooding for another fifty years, so I dragged myself down here."

"Such a humanitarian. Thank you for your concern Josef, now leave."

"You could be a little more appreciative, you know. It's not like I want to be here. How was I supposed to know she was just enjoying a little vamp treat? That surveillance tape looked bad and we know she's got a knack for pissing people off, yours truly included. But if I'm bothering you so much…." Josef turned and strolled down the steps, leaving Mick staring after him. Mick heard the bedroom door open and made a split-second decision. Racing down the steps, he caught up with Josef at the bottom.

"Wait. You saw the tape?"

"Yeah. Ryder hacked in and, before you ask, he already made you a copy. There's not much to see though, just shadows. I have him working on enhancing it right now." Josef pulled the DVD from his jacket and handed it to a grateful Mick.

"Thanks, man." Mick scrubbed a hand over his face, looking suddenly tired as he walked Josef to the door. It didn't sound like the surveillance was going to be much help and he hated not knowing who was after Beth. He heard her nearing the stairs and knew he had to make this quick. "Look, can you do one more favor for me?"

Josef raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Jeez, you do one nice thing and people think you're Mother Theresa."

"Josef," Mick warned, annoyed again. "Just have Ryder keep his ears open, and see if he can find any connections to her past reports. Have him check into anyone who's been released from jail recently."

"You haven't done that yet? Some super-sleuth vamp P.I. you are." Josef smirked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're finally letting your inner vamp out to play a little. It's about damn time. Way past time, if you ask me." They reached the door and Josef stopped. "Actually, I think Blondie might be growing on me, although if you tell anyone, I'll deny it. I figure anyone who can get you to mainline twice in one month deserves a little respect. God knows I've been trying long enough."

"Yeah, about that," Mick darted a cautious glance towards the stairs, hearing Beth hit the top step. He hurried on, needing the older vamp's opinion but not wanting Beth to overhear. "I didn't drink from her. Not this time."

"Ah, so I really did interrupt." Josef smiled mischievously, delighting once more at his perfect timing.

"No. Well, yes, but that's not what I meant." Mick dropped his voice even lower. "I didn't need her blood, Josef."

"You mean…" Josef trailed off, staring at him in disbelief when he nodded. "But, that's impossible. Vampires have to bite. That's why we can't just pick up any human off the street. You know that."

"I know. It doesn't make sense, but I thought maybe you'd heard of it before. Maybe it was just a fluke but, either way, I have to know."

"So, try it again. It's the only way you'll know for sure." Josef knew Mick wouldn't like his suggestion, so he quickly continued. "Look, I can try to check into it discretely, but I doubt I'll come up with anything. It's not the kind of information that would get recorded."

Josef opened the door and paused, hearing Beth hit the bottom of the stairs. In a mere whisper, he laid out the truth he knew Mick would spend the next year hiding from if he could. "Whether you like it or not, this is something you're going to have to find out for yourself. If you're vamp enough." He left Mick standing in the doorway, a mix of anger and fear etched on his face, and Josef shook his head as he walked to the elevator. He only hoped that Beth could talk some sense into him, because he didn't want to deal with Mick-the-miserable-bastard again.