A/N: Here's No. 11. I know that these ones are short but I just wrote one that is 2,699 words long so far. I would like to thank all my reviewers and celebrate that I now(before this chapter) have more reviews than chapters lol.
This one is for Anna.St.James, xosummerxo, moonjat54, and xxthefreakishauthor, who reviewed last chapter.
On with the story!
They walked slowly down the corridor of the LA County morgue. Mick was two paces ahead of Natalie and Beth. He hated this part, showing grieving family and friends their worst nightmare; a loved one's body. He glanced behind him at Natalie. She stood tall, her chin up, not a tear in her eye. Beth was walking beside her, her gaze fixed on the path ahead of her.
They turned around a corner and Mick stopped them.
"Are you sure you're ready for this? It's not too late to turn back," he questioned. Natalie to a deep breath and glanced at the door in front of them.
"Yes, I'm ready, well as ready as anyone ever could be for something like this," she smiled weakly. Natalie was like a pillar of strength. She had cried a little when she had first heard about Jacqueline, but now there wasn't a trace of pain or distress about her. She nodded to confirm her words and they continued on through the door.
"Guillermo," Mick said as they entered the freezer room. There were a few more bodies in the room than there had been earlier, but Jacqueline's body wasn't there.
"Mick, what can I do for you?" Guillermo greeted. He wiped his hands on a towel and held it out for Mick. Mick shook it.
"This is Natalie Constantine, she's Jacqueline Hertford's employer, she's here to identify the body," Mick introduced her. Guillermo stared at Natalie for a moment.
"This way then," he said and led them into the autopsy room. Beth lagged behind as Natalie followed Guillermo into the next room. Mick noticed Beth standing in the freezer room and stopped.
"You ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, I've just never really…..I don't know if I can go in there, it's stupid I know but it scares me. I might wait here," she replied. Mick smiled softly at her.
"Ok, we won't be long," with that he went in the same direction as Guillermo and Natalie.
"I have to warn you, this isn't pretty," Guillermo warned Natalie before he pulled back the clean white sheet that had been placed over the body after the autopsy. Natalie didn't even flinch at the sight or the smell. She gazed down at the face and sighed.
"I'm so, so sorry Jackie, I couldn't protect you," she said softy to the body. Mick put his hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention.
"Is it….." he couldn't finish the question, but Natalie knew what he meant.
"Yes, it is her, Jacqueline Hertford. I can't believe it's her, but it is, I'd recognise that face anywhere," she replied sadly. She looked down at Jacqueline's body before nodding to Guillermo that she has seen enough. She thanked him then turned and left the room.
"Was it….." Beth began when she saw Natalie and Mick return. She had been waiting in the corridor for them.
"Yes," Natalie replied.
"I'm sorry," Beth expressed her sympathy. Together they walked out of the morgue, all silent. No one knew what to say. Beth and Mick never knew Jacqueline, so they didn't know what to say to Natalie to comfort her, and Natalie didn't feel comfortable talking about Jacqueline.
They climbed into Mick's car and drove silently back to Mick's apartment.
Once inside Beth and Natalie sat on the couch while Mick went into the kitchen. He poured a glass of blood and downed it in one. He poured another and did the same. It was four in the afternoon and he was exhausted. He filled his glass again and leaned against the sink. He stared at the red liquid in his glass, not really seeing it, but thinking about everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours.
He heard Natalie get up from the couch and walk into the kitchen. He looked up at her and saw her gentle smile.
"You got any more of that?" she asked, gesturing to his drink. He nodded and grabbed a second glass and a bottle of blood. He set the items on the table. "Thanks," she said before pouring herself a glass.
"What the….." Beth started when she saw Natalie down the glass of blood. "I thought……you're….."
"I'm a vampire," Natalie replied calmly, laughing at Beth's expression.
"You are?" Beth asked, confused. "But you smelled human…"
"I know. I practised for a long time to perfect that ability; it really comes in handy, especially when people all over want you dead," Natalie briefly explained as she poured herself another glass. Beth nodded slowly, letting it all sink in.
"Well, I should probably head home, I don't want Josh to worry," Beth said as she stood up. "Plus I'm really quite tired," she yawned and stretched. She grabbed her handbag and coat and headed for the door.
"Go on," Natalie quietly urged Mick.
"What?" he whispered back.
"Don't play ignorant with me, I can smell your desire from each other from here, go to her, drive her home," she replied nudging him in the side. He looked over to Beth and placed his glass in the sink as he walked over to the door.
"I'll drive you home," he said as he grabbed his coat off the rack.
"Thanks," Beth smiled. Mick opened the door and held it while she left. He smiled at Natalie as he followed Beth out of the apartment. Natalie smiled back and watched as they left. When she heard the elevator doors open and close she felt the tears come. She tried to push them away, but no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn't leave.
She felt the first tear slip from her eye and brushed it away. That one was followed by another and another until they were streaming down her cheeks. A sob left her body and she slid down the bench until she was sitting on the floor. The glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor, but she didn't care. She pulled her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around them. She rocked herself slowly as she cried, her mind filled with regrets from her past, and the dangers of her future.