Title: Stand by Me

Genre: Romance

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Pairing: Mick/Beth

Spoilers: through 1x08, 12:04 AM

Summery: "It's an interesting feeling; not caring whether you live or die." Sequel to Through the Years and Watching Over You.

AN: I want to say that I am supremely sorry about the lateness of this update. I recently lost my mother and so christmastime was extremely hard and me and it took me a while to get back on track. I hope you except this update with my extreme apologies...

Ch: 4 Chance

"How much of our lives our governed by chance? Is that missed bus just a statistic probability or part of a larger design that could some how shape your entire future? What is fate and what is coincidence? Every decision we will ever make will effect everything else in a ripple pattern spreading out and when you combine that with the situations that arise in life it can be impossible to predict exactly what can happen."

It would turn out to be the date that wasn't meant to be. Sure dinner had started off well enough. Mick had taken her to a nice restaurant downtown and the warm-nervous feeling the first date produced was a feeling Beth fully intended to savor. Beth talked about work as they waited for their drinks to arrive and Mick listened intently in a way that Josh never had. It had all the makings of a great first date--and it was probably that thought that jinxed it. Although the sound of someone screaming "you whore" at the top of their lungs and the sound of gun shots were enough to put a damper on almost any situation.

Mick's reaction was instantaneous. Almost as soon as the first shot was fired, Beth found herself pinned to the ground by a very protective vampire determined to put himself between her and any bullets that may happen to fly her way. Beth on the other hand was trying to process how she gone from chatting with Mick across the table to underneath him on the floor.

Her sudden arrival on the floor had disoriented her and the screaming coming from every direction was doing nothing to help reorient her. While she hadseen some of the blindingly fast movements Mick could make this was the first time she had been the recipient of one and it seemed her brain, not to mention her stomach, need time to catch up with the rest of her.

"Beth," Mick whispered urgently, "are you alright?"

She blinked up at him. "What's going on?" She whispered back.

"There's a guy with a gun by the door. Shot a waiter and a woman at a table across the room. Both are wounded badly, but no one is dead." Mick replied.

"Can you get to the guy?" Beth asked, knowing Mick was calculating exactly that.

"If I can get around behind him," Mick replied, voice tense. "Beth, stay down."

She just nodded. Getting shot wasn't high on her list of thing to do today and she wasn't as bulletproof as her new boyfriend.

Mick gave her a hard look, eyes reaffirming his command for her to stay put, before shifting into a crouch. Beth could finally get a clear look at the shooter. He was in his early thirties with mousy brown hair and too-large gray eyes. He was waving an old-style revolver around and ranting about something that Beth couldn't make out over the screams and whimpers of the other patrons though she had a feeling that Mick could. The man paid no attention to Mick or anyone else, his wild eyes focused on the bleeding woman across the room.

Beth felt around for her cell phone and surreptitiously dialed 911 as she watched Mick carefully maneuver his way behind the shooter. By the time the ranting gunman realized Mick was there it was too late. In another of those impossible-to-follow movements of his, he had the man disarmed and pinned to the floor, both arms twisted up behind him.

Beth sat up and moved to the downed waiter who was closest to her and saw that a few other able-minded people had gone to check on the woman. The waiter had a gunshot wound through his lower left abdomen just above his hip. Beth quickly removed his apron and used to bunched up material to help put pressure on his wound as some half-forgotten first-aid class had instructed her.

"It's going to be alright, help is on the way." she said encouragingly, a fact the approaching sirens gave testament to.

The waiter stared up at her with glassy eyes--already slipping into shock. He didn't look any older then eighteen, Beth noted, just a kid in the wrong place at the wrong time. A surge of anger toward the man Mick held pinned to the floor gripped her. What made him think he had the right to do something like this? Beth shook the feeling aside and continued to try and talk to the waiter to keep him from slipping further into shock.

An EMT finally pulled Beth away and she stood back to allow the paramedics to work on the boy. She turned to find Mick handing the shooter over to the cops. She made her way over to him as he relayed the chain of events to Carl who was looking distinctly unhappy.

"Beth," Carl greeted her when Mick finished. "Did you see what happened too?"

"Not really. Mick tackled me to the floor pretty quickly," she replied, looking sidelong at Mick who, while not touching her, had assumed a rather protective stance.

Carl nodded shortly. "You'll both have to stick around and give formal witness statements," he said before moving off.

Beth turned to face Mick who was watching her with concern.

"You really need to rethink your idea of a first date," she informed him.

He flashed her a half-smile. "I'm out of practice," he replied blandly. "Does this mean I don't get a second one?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her.

"I'll think about it," she murmured into his chest. Adrenaline was quickly giving way to exhaustion and the headache from the morning was making a reappearance. She leaned into his embrace gratefully.

Mick chuckled. "I don't think this date could have possibly gone worse," he commented. "Or not," he reconsidered catching sight of who had just arrived. He dropped his arm from around Beth.

Beth looked up, confused for a moment at the sudden loss of comfort, before she spotted the arrival as well; Josh Lindsey.

Next time we order in, she thought.

Josh was certain now that they were dealing with a serial killer. The drug had no street market, just rumors and the injection sights on all of the suspects apprehended lead him to believe that someone had injected them against their will. Someone out there was turning people into weapons and using them to kill. Josh had been at the latest crime scene when the call about another possible "Justice" related shooting at a restaurant came in. Josh headed over as soon as Lt. Davis confirmed it, his mood bleak.

Josh was already half-way into the restaurant when he noticed them; Beth and Mick St. John, standing closely together and watching him with confusion and caution respectively. Shock was his first reaction then fear when he saw the blood staining Beth's hands and shirt. Forgetting all professionalism and the fact that they were no longer dating, Josh hurried over.

"Beth! Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.

"Huh?" She looked down at herself in surprise as if she hadn't before realized her appearance. "Oh, it's not mine. it's the waiter's," she replied quickly.

Josh let out a relieved breath, confusion now replacing fear. "What are you doing here?" He asked. He doubted she'd be covered in blood if she was only here reporting.

"I was having dinner, or was supposed to anyway," she said, sounding uncomfortable.

"Dinner?" Josh repeated blankly. It was then that his brain finally equated Mick St. John standing closely, and protectively, next to his ex-girlfriend. She'd been having dinner, with Mick. Beth had been on a date with the PI. Josh couldn't even begin to process how that revelation made him feel. Josh hastily backed away, not trusting his words or his temper at the moment. He couldn't afford to deal with this right now, there was a killer on the loose that need his attention first.

Beth opened her mouth as if to say something to stop him but Josh shook his head, he didn't want to hear it. "Don't," he said, "just give your statements and go." He turned away and went to find Lt. Davis.

A third, unobserved, party watched the exchange with interest. It seemed that Deputy DA Lindsey was having some domestic troubles. Such a pity. Still troubles like that could be easily fixed, all that was needed was to give the DA a little nudge in the right direction. The observer smiled, just a little nudge….

"Do you mind if I use your shower?" Beth asked Mick as they entered his apartment.

Mick watched her worriedly, she hadn't said anything on the ride over and she wasn't quite meeting his eyes.

"Of course," he said. "Do you…"

"I remember where it is," she cut him off, blushing faintly.

"Beth," he tried again.

"I just need to get clean, Mick. I'm fine," she said heading upstairs.

But she still didn't look him in the eye. Mick watched her go helplessly. Was she regretting her decision now?

Beth stood under the hot spray feeling extremely guilty. She had never wanted to hurt Josh like that. While she knew she hadn't really done anything wrong she certainly hadn't wanted to rub her new relationship in Josh's face. She probably should have waited a bit after breaking up with Josh, or done it the first time I kissed Mick, but she knew she couldn't. Mick was a vampire, as he so often reminded her, and she knew that put a sort of time limit on any relationship they would have. They both felt the countdown keenly and Beth, now that she'd finally been give the chance to try, hadn't wanted to waste whatever time they had.

In the back of her mind she realized that eventually she would have to make a decision on that score; to let the clock run out or stop it cold and neither choice would be easy on them. So despite her guilt over Josh, she knew she had done the right thing for her and sometimes that was the only choice you could make.

She stepped out of the shower clean of blood and feeling generally better then she had in months. Her jeans were still there but her bloodstained shirt had been replaced by one of Mick's over-large ones. She flushed slightly at the thought of him seeing her in the shower and even more at the memory of the last time she's been in this shower, but there was more heat then embarrassment in the thought now.

She pulled on the clothes and toweled her hair dry as best as she could, making a mental note to bring over a hair dryer if she was going to be showering here occasionally. Hopefully more then occasionally.

She padded down the stairs as quietly as possible but Mick still turned to face her as she descended. He was troubled, his entire posture showed it. She crossed over to him quickly and stood on tip-toe to kiss him. He seemed startled, much like the first time. He pulled back.

"Beth," he began.

"If you say one word about it being too dangerous around you I will smack you,' she said conversationally.

He looked even more startled and unsure. "You--you're not having regrets?"

It was Beth's turn to look confused. "Regrets? Why would I have regrets? It wasn't your fault the restaurant got shot up." She grinned, "unless there's something you're not telling me?"

"I just thought, in the car--you know what? never mind." He shook his head smiling.

He pulled her close, running a hand through her still damp hair. "I'm just glad you're okay."

He was close and comfortable and his fingers in her hair felt wonderful. "I'm definitely okay," she murmured.

He chuckled again and tilted her head up for a kiss. The taste of copper was still there but it wasn't unpleasant in the least. It was gentler then the kiss in his parking the day before but no less intense. She nipped at his lip mischievously and was rewarded by his sharp intake of breath. Mick kissed his way down her neck and Beth threw her head back to give him full access. A tiny part of her wondered if he would bite her, and hoped he would, but he didn't. Instead he kissed his way back up her neck and nibbled at her earlobe, lightly sucking on it. Beth let out a muted whimper as heat pooled in the pit of her stomach. She slid her fingers up his chest to tangle in his dark hair, something she had wanted to do since she met him. He captured her lips again and lightly stroked her tongue with his. Beth drew it into her mouth, sucking gently on it, and startling a groan out of him. She decided she very much liked that sound. Curiously she nipped lightly at his neck and earned another groan.

"Beth," his voice was deep and breathy. She could hear the warning in it but she ignored it.

She sucked hard at the base of his neck. It was probably pretty juvenile but her was hers now damnit and she intended to let everyone know.

"Beth," the word was firmer now and he pulled back looking at her in amused reproach, eyes a few shades lighter then normal. "Slowly remember?"

She pouted, but looked at her mark smugly. "I'm notoriously un-fond of slow," she said.

Mick grinned. "I've noticed, but we need to be careful, I could too easily slip up and hurt you."

Beth wanted to protest that she knew he wouldn't do that but the truth was she still knew too little about vampires and exactly what control they did or didn't have over their natures. While she was fairly sure that Mick wouldn't hurt her badly no matter what, she knew that the smallest slip up could cause him to decide that this couldn't work and that wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," she said, but nodded. "How about a drink then?"

"A drink it is," Mick agreed.

They both needed to cool down for a bit.

Across town Josh got out of his car, finally heading home. As much as he tried to put Beth out of his mind the sight of her with Mick at the restaurant consumed him. It was for that reason that he did not hear the soft footfalls behind him until it was too late. He felt a sharp prick in the back of his neck then the world grayed out.

AN: I noticed that the waiter's wounds are similar to Josh's...huh...i actually wrote that part before friday...oh well.

anyway a bit more on this plot that seems to have sprung up and a little more heat between our favorite couple ) not sure how I feel about that scene because I am in no way expreianced in writing those kinds of thing but I wanted to try...