Just Us Chapter 12
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters from the show. I just miss them.
The difficult, dangerous and complicated wasn't going to just go away.
This chapter is just fluff for all my fellow Mick/Beth tragics out there. It's spontaneous and rough but I wanted to post it today - Valentines Day. I will probably delete it when I post the next chapter.
Josef's talk with Beth next up.
Penni ;)
Mick arrived at Beth's apartment at the appointed time and found her getting ready to make her dinner. The kitchen counter was covered in all sorts of ingredients which she was busy chopping while a pot of water was boiling away on the stove.
"Hey."
Mick stood at the counter across from Beth, leaned over to kiss her then sat down on the stool to watch her. Who knew that Beth Turner was a domestic goddess? She certainly looked the part in his opinion and it was surprisingly arousing.
Beth noticed the look on his face.
"Didn't know that I could cook did you?"
"It's never really come up."
"Here, make yourself useful." Beth gathered up the herbs that she had just chopped and dumped them with some olive oil into a mortar. She pushed the mortar and pestle across the counter towards Mick.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Mick picked up the pestle looking it over then looked back at Beth waiting for instructions. "It looks like a deadly weapon."
Beth laughed taking the pestle from him and gave him a quick demonstration. She let him take over and watched him for a few moments before adding some pasta to the pot of boiling water.
Beth turned around in time to see him sniffing the vibrant green ingredients after which he screwed up his nose. The pungent smell of the basil, coriander and garlic assaulted his vamp sense of smell. The parmesan cheese that Beth just retrieved from the fridge just added to the heady aroma.
"Are you going to eat this?" Apart from the smell he thought that it looked anything but appetising.
"Yes I am and it tastes delicious. If you had ventured further than the local fast food drive thru when you were mortal you may have gotten to try it."
Mick blanched at the memory. He had tried every type of take out food he could get his hands on that night and suffered for it for the next few days. If Beth had been around then maybe she would have cooked this dinner for him. If only.
"I'll take your word for it." He pushed the mortar away with a finger like it's contents was some kind of toxic waste.
While Beth finished up in the kitchen Mick walked over to the couch to sit down when he noticed Beth had left her laptop open on the coffee table.
"Are you working a new case?"
"Not exactly, just a little research." Beth cursed herself for leaving the laptop there for him to see but then realised that she wasn't keeping it a secret from him. He would find out anyway and she wanted him to tell her about Barrett.
Quid pro quo.
"Anything I can help you with?" Mick was curious but he didn't want to rifle through her stuff.
Beth walked over with a bottle of red and handed it to Mick for him to open. She went back to the kitchen for the glasses and her dinner.
She came back to sit down next to him and ate her pasta licking her lips and teasing him about how good it tasted while he sat smiling at her drinking his wine. After a few bites she put the bowl on the coffee table. It was hard to talk and eat at the same time and maintain any sense of decorum.
"I just started this today so I haven't got very far yet. Hey, you never told me what you found out about Barrett?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary, the guy is pretty impressive judging by his resume. Why do you ask?"
"When we first met him he mentioned that I would be working closely with him but I haven't spent that much time with him at all. He has backed off big time, it's almost like he has been warned off by someone."
Mick knew what she was fishing for. "You mean Josef?"
"Exactly, you told me that Josef wasn't worried about him. Is that why?"
Mick sighed. "Beth, Christopher Barrett is….."
Beth interrupted him. "He's a vampire?"
"No he isn't but he works for some."
"Good or bad?"
Cops and robbers, good guys or bad guys. Things were not always that simple, that black and white. Didn't he hover in the grey that was in between sometimes? Didn't she?
Mick smiled. "He is still alive so I guess that means that Josef decided he was with the good guys. Is that what you are researching?"
"Um no. I want to find out more about Talbot." Beth waited for him to tell her yet again that there was no need for her to worry about Talbot.
"Josef would have had Ryder look into Talbot's background as soon as he came into town. He doesn't take any chances with people he doesn't know. If Talbot was any kind of threat we would already know about it."
Mick pulled Beth over to him wrapping her in his arms.
"Okay if you say so."
"Come on finish your dinner. We did have a date tonight so let's go have some fun. We can stop at the beach on the way to Josef's place and make out."
The grin on his face and the look in his eyes took all other thoughts out of her head.A date with Mick that involved making out on a moonlit beach. How could she possibly say no?
"Okay, but we are taking a blanket this time. The sand gets everywhere."
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They were putting off heading back to the car. It meant going back to reality. They had taken a walk along the beach. It was beautiful night. The stars were shining. It was perfect.
The promised make out session lived up to their expectations. Mick would never get tired of kissing Beth; she was as responsive to his touch, his kisses, as he was to hers. They would wait till they got home to take it further. Beth had made it clear that she didn't want to go to see Josef reeking of sex. Mick didn't have the heart to tell her that it was a little late for that.
It wasn't a fumbled quickie in the back seat of a car or a one night stand. It wasn't an arranged pre paid coupling with a stranger or a dirty little secret. It certainly wasn't some violent blood and sex episode that left him feeling empty and worthless. This was different, this was magical. They lay together in their euphoric state, holding each other close. It was heaven and for once in his life he was content.
He wished he could tell her every thought, dream and fantasy that he had about her since that night at the fountain but it wouldn't be fair. She wasn't his then. She was now and he remembered and wanted her to know that she had made those dreams come true. Every touch held back, every kiss denied, every I love you left unsaid was being checked off some imaginary list he had been keeping for months now.
"Beth." Mick murmured against her neck sending shivers down her spine.
She was wrapped in his arms safely locked away from the rest of the world and she didn't want to leave. Ever. Her eyes closed as she listened to the ocean in the darkness. She could hardly respond she was so lost in the moment.
"Beth."
God she loved how he said her name. "Mmmmm."
"We have to go unless…"
"Unless what?"
"I could call Josef and tell him we aren't coming."
Beth sighed knowing that their wonderful date was over.
"No, it's okay. Let's go and see what he wants. The sooner we do the sooner we can go home."
They packed up their belongings and started the long walk hand in hand back to the car.
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