Hello to all you kind readers following this fic! Let me just say that I am extremely sorry for taking so long to update; it's just been one crazy week at school! As always, thanks to everyone who left reviews and I hope you continue to do so! Enjoy! The last chapter will come within the next few days; that's a promise!

Disclaimer: Moonlight and characters don't belong to me; I'm simply a fan having fun with the characters.

"Beth, I can't thank you enough," Anna exclaimed, eyes shining. She was pacing the room, rocking Gilly to sleep, but she couldn't stop beaming at Beth, who was seated on the couch.

Beth smiled half-heartedly. "Really, Anna, it's no big deal. I'm happy to have been able to help."

She noticed Beth's lack of enthusiasm and stopped pacing. "Oh Beth, I'm sorry if it seems I'm overdoing it on the gratitude. It's just… well, I can't even begin to describe how grateful and relieved I am." She came and sat beside Beth. "Before all this, I sometimes wished it was a little quieter around here but these last two weeks… I almost went crazy in the silence. You saw how I laughed before, when Gilly started crying; I kept imagining the sound of her crying in the silence and when I finally heard it for real, I just couldn't believe how beautiful it sounded." She laughed quietly and cradled Gilly closer. "I don't think I'll ever wish for quiet again."

"Oh no, Anna, I'm not begrudging you your joy. You have every right to be happy. I'm happy for you, I am… I just can't stop worrying about Mick."

"I thought you said he would be here soon…"

"I did, but Mick… he has a tendency to attract trouble."

Anna sat up straighter. "That's right; you told me he was going to make sure that whoever took Gilly never has the chance to hurt someone else. So it wasn't Shane?"

"No, Anna, it wasn't. I'm sorry."

"That's okay." She smiled brightly but Beth could see she was disappointed. "We've learned to cope, right baby girl?" She kissed Gilly's forehead and stood. "I'll be right back; I think it's time I let Gilly sleep in her own bed. You want anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Beth watched as she shifted Gilly to her shoulder and disappeared from the room. She wished she had told the truth about Shane but Mick had been clear—under no circumstances was she to tell Anna the truth. It would only hurt her and for no good reason. Beth had argued that Anna deserved the truth but Mick had countered by saying that even if she knew the truth, it wouldn't change anything because it couldn't change the fact that Shane was a vampire and she, a mortal and that had been that.

To Beth's chagrin, the seconds seemed to tick by loudly and slowly in the newfound stillness. She kept glancing down at the cell phone in her slightly moist palm, willing it to ring. What was taking him so long? They had speculated that Shane couldn't have strayed far but since they didn't know for sure, Mick had cautioned her against expecting him too soon. Still, she couldn't help but get the feeling that something was wrong, off. She told herself she was being absurd and paranoid. Her worries were unfounded. But her brain refused to rest and raced from one possibility to another. What if Shane was stronger than they had given him credit for? Or what if he was able to take Mick by surprise? Worse, what if Shane had backup that they had failed to anticipate? Beth knew it was bad idea but she thought back to the desert incident. It had been the first time she had realized that Mick wasn't invincible and that his life was as fragile as hers. She remembered the shock and dismay she felt when she had seen his condition. Leni had warned her otherwise, but until that point, she had thought that "alive" was synonymous to "okay".

Beth shuddered; the memory of how close she had come to losing him never failed to chill him. She felt the sudden urge to see him, to hear his voice—anything to assure her that he was alive. Without thinking, Beth lifted her hand and watched with unseeing eyes as her thumb flew rapidly across her cell phone screen, the motion of finding Mick's number so familiar that it had become second nature. She held the phone up to her ear and waited as the call went through. She listened to the other line ring with growing impatience and finally, she felt her hopes rise as the ringing broke off, indicating that her call had been picked up. She was greeted briefly by Mick's voice then by a machine-recorded female voice. Her heart plummeted. She had been redirected to voicemail.

Mick rested a hand on the handle of the car door, debating over whether or not he should go in. He peered at himself critically in the rearview mirror, trying to gauge how presentable he looked. His face was fine; the few minor cuts he had gotten had healed long before and the only sign that anything had been amiss was his slightly matted hair. But beyond his neck and shoulders, his chest and lower body were a mess, mostly due to the rumpled appearance of his clothes. Unconsciously, he reached up and touched a spot on his left chest exposed by the hole in his shirt. As soon as his finger made contact with the torn fabric, he decided he couldn't go in. There would be too many questions asked. Questions that were better left unanswered, at least where Anna was concerned.

He patted his pockets and after locating his phone, he pulled it out and dialed Beth. She picked up immediately and Mick wondered if she had been waiting for his call. He immediately felt ashamed for not calling earlier.

"Mick, where gave you been?" she demanded without greeting. "I called you before!"

"I know and I'm sorry. I was in no position to answer but I should have called back. I'm outside now. Can you come out? I'll drive you home."

"Why don't you come in?"

"My appearance would raise too many questions," he replied in a tone that implied that he would say no more.

There was a pause, then a sigh. "Fine. But what do you want me to tell Anna?"

"Tell her I'll come by tomorrow."

"Okay…" Her voice trailed off and she paused again. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I am now," he told her soothingly, sensing that she had wanted to ask that all along.

"And did you take care of—"

"Yes."

"I'm glad."

"Me too."

"I'll see you in a few?"

"See you in a few," he confirmed.