Morning dawned in a haze of exhaust fumes and blue skies. It was ironic that he lived so close to the tropics, considering he'd almost died from twelve minutes of sun exposure a couple days ago. If he moved now it would be north. Mick remembered the lonely walk through the streets of New York. The jacket had just been a sop to convention; he had revelled in the wind tunnels, feeling the cold soothe the worst of the hurt. OK, dinner and then he'd have more than enough time to make it over to Bionalysis by ten. He blew out a long sigh and headed downstairs.

Eight-thirty in the morning; he'd gotten four and a half hours sleep. Enough to keep him going till the early afternoon at least. He still needed to be careful, his body was recovering from the huge effort of re-growing layers of charred skin and muscle. Nothing new on BuzzWire. He switched to CNN but sighed when he saw the election coverage; it seemed pretty pointless to make promises with a shelf-life of four years only. Mick switched back to BuzzWire without thinking, scanning the updates over the last few hours. Beth hadn't been out last night, he knew that, so what was he looking for? He turned the TV off and tried to think of something else.

What was it Marco had said? The new Cleaner seems to be a fan of yours. He couldn't help the smug grin; it was so unusual for a Cleaner to be approachable in any way. Of course, this one was new - trained, but only hitting two hundred. Coraline had been a little over two hundred when they'd met. Maybe you had to be of a certain age. He laughed shortly. Ain't that the truth! But it had always been that way. The mothers indulged him even as he took the daughters dancing and parking.

Then shied away from the thoughts. He'd felt guilty about that for almost half a century, what was different this morning? Sex. The initial sting of rejection had lessened, he'd gone back to hoarding the pain inside himself, but his body wasn't ready to starve itself again. Twenty years of watching freshies saunter by, cold showers, twenty years of professionalism and will crumbled under six months of a slow awakening. Undead but not dead. Damn her! He growled softly.

One tentative hand went down to where he could feel himself grow hard. It was like being twelve all over again and learning what his body wanted for the first time. Mick closed his eyes, jaw tightening. Shouldn't give in. A shower could always take care of this. His fingers slipped past the waistband of the pyjamas.

Three minutes later,Mick hunched over his desk, fangs buried into his forearm and shuddered out the pent-up frustration. What a mess. But better, much better. His eyes opened and the world around him stabilized again. Marco had told him of her Turning, that it was as if God had turned his face away, and you went searching and crying for him, but every step closer to what you thought was spiritual was another piece of your soul ripped away. It struck him as a good metaphor for love too - soul ripped away. He stood up slowly and went to get dressed.

--

10:20am
Mick only waited twenty minutes before he walked into the lab. He contemplated calling Beth, but it would just prolong the delay. After fifty-five years, you'd think another lousy twenty minutes or so wouldn't be asking much, but it was. This way, he just took matters into his own hands.

--

11:07
It was only when she opened the door wearing a T-shirt that barely covered her ass that Mick knew something was wrong. Beth had never stood him up before, she was too conscientious as a rule. But the woman in the doorway wasn't imbued with her usual professional poise; she was more flustered than he'd ever seen her before, and he wondered what was wrong. His eyes started at her bare feet and moved up, almost uncomprehendingly.

Beth tugged at the shirt as if she could lengthen it through sheer embarrassment. "What time is it?"

She didn't even know or she didn't care?

The apology was half-garbled, she was so emphatic. The sincerity should have been a consolation, instead Mick found himself puzzled. Fear? Distinct smell of something like fear at least. She's worried? About standing me up? He half-smiled and let go the annoyance. He'd already handed the vial in.

Josh's voice sounded in the background just as Mick opened his mouth to ask if she was alright.

He told himself later that it shouldn't have been a shock, that it shouldn't have felt like a betrayal. But all of a sudden he had a very clear idea of what Beth had meant that night in his apartment when she had turned to him and cried, "How could you?" as Coraline flaunted herself on his staircase. He, of course, had no right to make the same claim.

There was no smug wave this time; Josh didn't seem to notice him. The words 'TAC squad' caught him like a physical blow.

"TAC squad? Somebody needs police protection?" He felt Beth's pulse speed up.

"Yes," she replied finally. "Me."

Of course he came in.

11:14
It wasn't a satisfying explanation, but Josh told him anyway. Sometimes the universe is tricky like that – divergent strands come together at the most ludicrous moments. HEM was back in his life, only this time their target was something infinitely more precious to him.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept an eye on her until the TAC squad gets in place," Josh said.

What else was there to say but yes. He's not asking, he's acknowledging. We both have our own ways of keeping her safe. And of the two of them, Mick was the only one who had already faced HEM down successfully.

11:26
Beth walked tentatively up to Mick as he was finishing a sweep of her bedroom.

Glass window, fire escape outside, metal so you might hear footsteps echo. Can't see in well from across the street - blind angles. He looked out just in case there were any lurkers in the vicinity.

"Thank you for doing this," she said from behind him.

He half-turned, his hand still blocking most of the sunlight streaming in. "Don't go near the windows, keep them covered. Try to avoid casting a shadow against the blinds and curtains. You'll be fine during the day, just be careful at night."

"OK." Beth fidgeted slightly in place, waiting for him to finish.

"What happens now?" Mick asked finally, drawing the blinds.

"What?"

"What do you need to get done today?"

Beth shrugged. "Um, nothing. Maureen knows about- this. I'm her main story, sort of. As long as I don't get killed." She laughed nervously for a moment. "So, I'm off till the TAC squad gets here tomorrow."

Mick nodded. "OK. What time does Josh get back?

"I don't know," she said. "He's going out with Carl to arrest Tejada as soon as the warrant comes in, but they're not expecting it till later this evening. Why?"

Mick moved away from the window and nodded towards the living room. "Let's sit down. You look tired," he said, noting her strained features. He claimed the detested couch this time; it was the only piece of furniture that faced away from the window. Beth curled up in a chair opposite him.

"I'm sorry about this morning," she started hesitantly.

"Don't be," he said unemotionally. "It's OK. It's the afternoon I'm worried about."

"I need to sleep," Mick continued, in response to the unasked question she shot at him. "I'm still...recovering from the sunburn."

She nodded and stood up. "You need to go back to your apartment then. I'll grab some things." Beth stopped short at the look on his face. "Oh. Should I not-"

"No," he said quickly, "You should. I'm just amazed I didn't have to argue."

"I've seen what they do to women; I'm not stupid. The most merciful death I could hope for is a quick one with a bullet in my head."

He found himself stalking towards her, eyes fixed on hers. Mick only stopped when she backed up slightly against the armchair. Don't push it, St John.

"Nothing is gonna happen to you, OK?" he said gently, taking her hands in his. "You'll be indoors all day. My place is safe." He grinned slightly as she attempted a disbelieving stare, "OK, maybe not vampire-proof, but unless they're coming after you with anti-ballistic missiles and grenades, you'll be fine.

Beth pulled her hands away and smiled hastily. "It's a good thing I got you around. I'll be right back."

Mick let her go reluctantly. All vampires missed the warmth of human bodies. There was something unbearably erotic about feeling warmth pulsing under your fingers again, and something unbearably tragic too. He'd seen the damage that feral vampires did to their victims - some of it was bloodlust, some of it just untrammeled rage because what they craved so intrinsically could only be experienced second-hand.

"You ready?" he asked as Beth walked back into sight.

--

12:13
The strain finally evaporated as they pulled away from the kerb. He'd hustled her out of the house, all senses on alert, covering her with his body.

Beth let out the breath she had been holding and relaxed against the seat. Mick kept his eyes on the road, but couldn't stop the smile tilting the corners of his lips.

She glared at Mick, half-annoyed and half-amused. Oh I know you know. And I'm pretty sure that you know I know. But do you know if I care whether you know I know you know? Then shook her head admonishingly as his smile widened.

"And what are you grinning about?" she asked, slightly nettled at how easily he could read her.

He smelled the blush before it happened. "You look like you've just made another successful getaway from the scene of a crime." Mick stopped smoothly at the amber light, finally turning to face her.

"I've never committed a crime!" Beth denied hotly. "OK, maybe some breaking and entering, and the occasional masquerade as someone I'm not, but that's all part of my job. And if we're talking criminal offences Mr. 'No, I swear I was born in 1978, Officer'..."

The blush had deepened with her impassioned defence and his mouth watered suddenly, instinctively. Almost as quickly as it had sprung forth, the hunger was beaten into submission by a wave of self-loathing.

Beth looked over and saw his mouth twist, as if he was fighting something. One eyebrow arched smoothly at him and she was delighted to see the ghostly flicker of movement behind his sunglasses - she'd been practicing that gesture for a while now.

"Do you need anything before we get to the apartment?" Mick asked stiffly. Still nothing in the rearview mirror - good

"Food might be nice.

"OK."

--

6:01
Mick came downstairs at twilight to find Beth dozing on the couch. It was a physical relief to move past her and into the kitchen. As a human, he could have pretended that she wasn't there, as a vampire he was all too aware of her.

The cold had eased some of the remnant kinks in his muscles; another two feedings and he'd be good as new. Which was funny because large parts of him would be just that. Beth stirred slightly behind him as he paused before the blood compartment.

Drink or injection? She was waking up, and in spite of everything, he didn't want to feed in front of her. Syringe it is. The A+ pulled reluctantly into the glass barrel. Mick had half the contents emptied into his veins when she woke up, but it was too late to stop now. The syringe clattered slightly as he dropped it back onto the counter and braced himself with a gasp for the rush - fangs extending, eyes flushing, the throbbing sensation of heat.

"Mick?

Two seconds more. Should be sitting down - easier. He groaned as the last of the buzz wore off, and turned just in time to intercept the hand that reached out to him

"Don't ever touch a vampire when they're feeding." It wasn't exactly appropriate as an opening line, given that she didn't know what he was doing, but facts are facts

Beth glanced down and saw the empty vial and the syringe. "Oh," she breathed. "I didn't know. I heard you moan; I thought something was wrong."

"It's OK." He took both instruments over to the sink and rinsed them out.

Beth frowned as he set the sterilizer. "You can't catch anything."

"Force of habit, I guess."

She smiled a little at this. "Neat freak."

There was something she was bursting to ask him, he could sense it. And wanted nothing to do with it just yet. "I'm going to go shower and change. You should call Josh. See if he knows when he'll be back yet."

In a strange quirk of fate, this time Beth watched him climb the stairs. Stop. He's clothed, sort of, mostly, why the fuck doesn't he own a full set of pyjamas? I'm going stir-crazy here. Stop. Call Josh.

She had an answer ready when he came down again. "He's not sure. They're still waiting on the warrant. But there's a surveillance team watching the apartment tonight. They come on duty in about an hour, so you can drop me off and still have your night free.

Is she out of her mind? "Beth, you're much safer here. It's not safe for you to be alone in the house; I'd prefer not to have to stick around to watch the cops watch you."

"I'll be fine. I have your number, and the cops know."

He stared at her in disbelief. "You'd be gone before a cop managed to get his ass off the car seat. You don't have a deadbolt or a good system of locks. You have a fire escape that leads straight to your bedroom window. And you open the door without checking who it is. The apartment is not safe. In fact, it's not safe with Josh there either because you're both targets; he leads them straight to you.

"So, what? I move in with you and you protect me forever?"

They both paused at that. Beth to look shame-faced and Mick to consider the implications of moving far, far away.

She always knew exactly what to say to put him on the defensive. "No. I'll take you back when we have an ETA on Josh getting back. If you need anything I'll be in the office.

"Cases to catch up on?" she asked sarcastically.

"Work, work, work," he called lightly behind him.

--

8:20
She knocked on the connecting door over an hour later. Mick minimized the game of Solitaire quickly.

"Josh called," Beth said, walking past him as he opened the door. "He should be home around eleven or midnight. They've got Tejada; picked him up at his daughter's birthday party apparently."

Mick watched as she sank into a chair on the client's side of the desk. She wasn't going to let him avoid her anymore.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Opening hand to Beth. Whoever apologises first wins an automatic Get-out-of-Jail-free card. "So am I."

"We've done this a lot recently." And shook her head.

He sat back down behind the desk and attempted to inject some levity into the situation. "You're stubborn and pushy, so yeah." It only earned him a glare

"I want to go with you tomorrow - to Bionalysis," she said, the statement pitched more like a question.

"I wasn't going to go till you were set up with the TAC team," he said, confused. "I can wait a couple more hours for the results, Beth."

Beth let out a sigh of exasperation. "No, I want to go with you. I can't help much, but this is important to you. I really didn't mean to miss the appointment today. I just got...caught up."

"You don't have to explain."

She winced at the gentleness. "I do. I feel like I do. And this is so awkward." Her voice was ragged and harsh.

Mick leaned back in his chair and stared at the desk. "We didn't get a few days apart. It happens. It takes time."

She watched his face but - nothing. It was as though he was inhuman. Well...maybe vampires had preternatural self-control to go with everything else that was so bloody superior about them. "Would you prefer to do it alone?"

"And have nobody to hold my hand when I get the results?" He smiled reassuringly.

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Did I do the right thing?" she asked suddenly. "I couldn't let him sacrifice the case for me. Not when - I mean, what could I possibly do to reciprocate that? He's given two years of his life to this case; I've only known him for just over a year."

Careful handling required, his brain was sending alert signals to his mouth.

"Seems to me that he just wants you to be safe. You can reciprocate by staying alive. And yeah, I think you did the right thing. People like Tejada need to taken out of circulation permanently."

The emphasis on the last word made her shiver. "I don't even want to think about what would happen if Tejada pissed off a vampire."

"He did."

She felt the blush begin at her scalp and wash down her neck at his words.

"But we're not vigilantes out to mop up human mistakes, Beth. The whole organisation needs to be taken down," he continued, eyes followed the strands of expanding blood vessels briefly. "The cops and Josh will do their job. So, when did you first find out about the threat?"

Beth looked at him in surprise, "Last night. When Josh got back. You saw him."

He nodded and went for the kill, "When were you going to tell me?"

"I don't know." Beth felt her stomach plummet. "I didn't really - I mean, I didn't get a chance to think about things." She shifted uncomfortably, knowing he had smelled what had happened. "We argued about it. It was a long night."

It was a conversation within a conversation suddenly. Mick started first.

Was it good? "I'm sorry you had a rough night."

It wasn't the same. "It was OK - once I made him see reason."

It'll never be the same again. "It's good you were able to work things out finally."

I wanted him. It's been so long since I wanted him. "Josh knows what he's doing. He knows the case inside-out, and I couldn't let this monster beat the system."

Don't play this game with me, please. "I'm intrigued by your definition of monster."

I remember; I remember, Mick. But I wanted him. "Drinking blood doesn't make you a monster."

You nearly passed out from pleasure when I bit into you. Maybe you like the monster. "So you keep telling me."

This is why it can never work. "You'd believe me if you just stopped hating yourself long enough to listen."

"Come on," Mick said, rising. "Let's get you fed and then I'll take you home."