Beth awoke early the next morning to the smell of maple syrup, bacon and eggs. Still somewhat sore from the activities of the night before; it took her a moment to set up in the bed. She yawned and stretched, pulling on her aching leg and pelvic muscles. Finally she managed to make her way out into the living area of their suite. There she saw spread before her a vast array of foods. Crepes, chocolat au pain, eggs, bacon, ham, and other French specialties greeted her. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until that moment.

On the sofa reading the newspaper set her beloved Mick. Hearing her footsteps he jerked his head up. "Good morning. Sore?"

Beth blushed slightly, "I little."

"I figured you would be." He stood up and came over to her, "I'm sorry. I may have been too forceful last night. Are you okay?"

"Forceful is okay, if you could make me do that every night", she said and winked.

Mick laughed before explaining to her that he had ordered her everything on the menu from room service. She took a bit of everything from the table and tasted it while Mick read his newspaper. When she was finished she leaned back and rested against the sofa. Mick was watching her, " God, I miss eating food! I used to love coming to France with Coraline when we we're dating and stuffing my face full of crepes."

"How long had you and Coraline dated before you got married?"

"A year and six months. I had to pass Lance's approval of course."

"And did you pass?"

Mick laughed, "If only I had! No he never trusted me, thought I would turn rogue on her and he'd be picking up her mistakes again."

"I'm glad he was wrong", Beth smiled, curling up on the sofa watching Mick's eyes light up. How did she get this lucky?

Mick smiled before he remembered that he was supposed to be on his way to a meeting with friends of Josef's. "I have to be at a meeting with some of Josef's friends here in an hour. I've set up a walking tour of the city for you to partake in today while I'm gone. You'll love it! I've taken it many times myself!"

"I'm not coming with you?"

Mick knew it was coming, "I know you want to Beth but, I think if I got to meet with Lance today, he might see you as a threat. I think he will be more likely to talk to me if I'm alone."

With some extra encouragement Beth agreed to part ways and go on her walking tour. As Beth went to take a warm shower, Mick slipped into a pair of dark jeans, white undershirt and his sports jacket from the day before. He finished his look with white, worn tennis shoes. He quickly scribbled Beth a note of where the walking tour would be meeting at the hotel and the time and silently slipped out of the room. Mick knew if he didn't sneak out while she wasn't looking, she'd follow him for sure. And he couldn't risk Lance getting his greasy paws on her.

The bright Paris sunlight hit his skin and burned his eyes as he left the hotel and made his way for the Ferrari. He quickly shoved on his sunglasses to avoid eye damage. He was glad the stereotype that vampires could only come out at night was a falsity but, that didn't mean that the sun didn't become an issue every once in a while. He was still a night creature after all. He took one street and then another, speeding along with the rushing Parisian traffic of late Friday morning. Finally he spotted his destination, Kostan Enterprises was unsurprisingly buzzing with energy. As he entered the lobby he realized a man and a woman looking anxiously around. Mick made his way to them.

Extending his arm, he greeted them, "Bonjour! Are you Mr. and Mrs. Arnaut?"

"Oui", the woman greeted, "Are you enjoying your stay in our city, Mr. St. John?"

"It's wonderful!"

Mr. and Mrs. Arnaut were French and their accents proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. They were also vampires and close friends of Josef's. They had been turned in Normandy after the Americans stormed the beaches. You could still see a few pre vampire scars on the man and woman's face and hands. No doubt given to them by the Germans at some point during the war. It was a German soldier who turned them after all.

"Shall we go?" Mr. Arnaut asked, gesturing toward the elevator. Mick followed them into the ornate elevator and up to the seventh floor. Meanwhile, Beth followed a group of tourists through the Parisian streets on their way to the Louvre. She had learned that the path started at the Louvre, followed by the Champs Elysees and ended later in the day at the Eiffel Tower. The gaggle of wide-eyed tourists stopped abruptly in front of the Mona Lisa causing Beth, who was lost in thought, to almost run over a smiling couple.

"Sorry" she mumbled as the couple gave her a cautious look. She backed away from them and tried to view the Mona Lisa but she couldn't help but feel empty. Here she was, in the most beautiful city in the world and alone with tourists she didn't even know. God, she wished she had someone to talk to, someone she could confide in besides Mick. Discouraged she made her way from the Louvre and to a coffee shop she had seen nearby. She watched as an old married couple talked silently in French on a park bench across from her. She couldn't help but stare. "Will Mick and I ever grow old like that?" she thought, "Will we ever sit on a park bench and talk when I'm 80?" She wished desperately that they could. She knew there would come a time when she would be an old woman and Mick would still be 30 years old and sexy as ever. "God", she thought, "the sex will be so strange!" She smiled to herself, hoping she'd still have the hot's for him when she was 80.

She jumped as her phone vibrated in her pocket. Picking it up she saw that it was Simone. "What a godsend!" she thought as she answered it. "Bonjour!" she greeted in a horribly obvious American accent.

"Oh, Beth!" Simone laughed, "Don't rub it in!"

Beth laughed, "Don't worry I'm not. I'm so glad you called! What's up?"

"Well, Josef had to leave last night to take care of another body that was found and he's been busy all morning."

"Mick's been busy too." Beth sighed, "I've just been thinking about so much!"

"Beth, what's wrong honey?"

"Haven't you thought about what's going to happen when you're 80 and Josef is still young?"

"All the time! He's joked that I could become his mother when we're in public." She laughed.

"I can't imagine either of us agreeing to that!"

"Well, he's also thought about turning me."

"He thinks he's ready after what happened to Sarah?"

"I don't know. But, I've told him I would wait until he's ready."

"Mick wouldn't even consider turning me."

"Talk to him, Beth. He'll understand. He loves you Beth, more than you know."

"And I love him more than he'll ever know", she said, finding herself staring at the old couple again.

The doorbell to the Parisian mansion tolled hollowly from the inside as Mick and Mr. and Mrs. Arnaut waited for Lance to come to the door. They waited for a few minutes before knocking on the wide oak doors. From inside the scuffling of feet was heard before the door opened to reveal a face Mick thought he'd never see again.