First, this chapter harps back to 'Oceans are Timeless' the 3rd chapter of 'Love is an Irresistible Desire' but you don't have to read it to understand what happens here.

Second, This shows a key transformation in Mick's character, because up until this point he has been holding back in many areas of his life…but it doesn't mean Mick is totally 'cured' it takes lifetimes to build character, it cannot all be changed by one decision.

Enjoy!!!

Ocean's Are Timeless-II

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."

-Carl Jung

Mick made his way down the ramp towards the deserted airport. Josef followed close on his heels, talking, actually more like ordering, on his cell phone. Mick always thought it was depressing to arrive at the airport in the middle of the night and Josef's voice reverberating off the walls gave him chills.

Mick hated flying; he could never understand how Josef found it so appealing since he had three-quarters of his life thinking it an impossible feat for man to achieve. They headed towards the parking structure and Josef's car.

Mick relished the warm wind whipping through his hair as they rode, top down, away from the airport. He looked at the city, something he hadn't done in many years and realized how run down some of the old neighborhoods had really become.

"Turn left," Mick said, suddenly.

Josef turned the car and then asked, "Why?"

Mick didn't say anything; rather he looked forward with anticipation. Josef steered the car down the street, trusting Mick to guide him where ever it was he wanted to go. Josef was perplexed because he had never seen Mick this anxious. Mick was practically bouncing in his seat.

Josef looked back at the road and finally realized where he was headed. He smiled knowingly, but asked anyways, "Do you want me to keep driving straight into the ocean, or should I turn?"

Mick gave him a sideways glare, which clearly said Pull over and park, stupid. Josef chuckled lightly and pulled over. Mick took one brief moment to look out over the moonlit beach with the waves crashing against the sand before he stood up to leap over the car door.

"Mick!" Josef called after him. "What are we doing here?"

"I said I hadn't been to the ocean in a while, this seemed like the right time…" Mick trailed off giving Josef a wolfish grin and then headed to where the waves were washing over the sand.

Josef knew what that smile meant, but he had seen something he was sure Mick had missed. The world had changed since the last time they had been to the beach and not far from where they were parked was a group of beach bums, huddled around a campfire. The sound of a guitar being strummed floated on the wind.

Josef knew Mick wasn't an exhibitionist and Josef wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize losing Mick, not when he had just got him back. Josef jumped from the car and followed Mick. He was trying to devise a way to get Mick back to the car and into the house where no one could see them.

Josef stopped about a hundred yards up the shore from where Mick stood. He watched the younger vampire look out over the waves and remembered what he'd told him all those years ago on their first visit to the ocean. "Don't fight it, Mick. Let the waves carry you."

As Josef looked at Mick he realized that for once, Mick wasn't fighting it. He was going with the flow. Josef's breath caught. Mick was finally coming to terms with himself and the world. The irony that the ocean was the setting for the scene was not lost on him, since his very own acceptance of 'the monster within' came from the ocean.

The guitar music stopped and sudden silence crept into Josef's heart and soul. The utter peace of the moment nearly brought him to tears. Mick had accepted Josef…he had accepted the vampire…he had accepted himself.

The guitar started up again. Josef could tell it had been passed to a different player since the melody that swirled around him was more fluid than before. It wasn't a song he'd ever heard but the soft notes were perfect; just rhythm and feelings.

Josef jogged the small distance between himself and Mick. He gently grasped Mick's hand and spun him around into a dancer's embrace. Mick was surprised, but he let Josef lead his feet across the wet sand in graceful sweeps.

Josef locked eyes with Mick and they continued to spin to the moonlight to the soft melody. Their eyes said more than they ever could in any language known to man. It had taken 53 years to get here and there was nothing, nothing, that could make it more fitting then for them to be standing on their beach dancing like there was no one else in the world.

When the song stopped and the guitar was passed on, Mick came to a halt. He leaned in and kissed Josef, tenderly. Josef smiled and pulled back before the kiss could deepen into something more. Mick looked down at Josef with questioning eyes.

Josef just smiled back. "I love you, Mick."

Mick swallowed. Josef had never said that to him, not directly at least. He couldn't think of a damn thing to say that would tell Josef how he felt, so he pulled Josef's body across the short space that separated them and kissed him with all the passion he could muster.

Josef kissed back, knowing Mick had no words to express the moment because he was fresh out comments himself. Mick's hand traveled down Josef's body to cup his ass, pulling tighter against himself. Josef felt Mick's erection and pulled back, backing up from Mick.

Josef took a steadying breath and then said, "As much as I would like to continue this, and I would, we should really get out of here."

"Why?" Mick eyes were full of confusion and a little pain from Josef's rejection.

"Because I want to fill you with every ounce of my being until we both pass out from pleasure and I don't want to be discreet." Mick still looked confused, so Josef continued, "We have an audience." Josef motioned over Mick's shoulder to the beach bums, who still seemed unaware of their presence, but Josef was pretty sure that Mick's screams would bring them away from their campfire.

Mick turned to see the campfire and looked back at Josef, an understanding in his eyes then they bleed to their vampire blue. "Okay, we have that new freezer to break in anyways."