Hey, everyone. I appreciate the reviews I've gotten. Intimate Stranger, as always, thanks for your support and insight. It's been invaluable. Nightcap, I believe Mick would somewhat sexually inexperienced for as you said, because yes, of the era he was brought up in, his religion, and he was presented as naïve in the flashbacks where he first meets Coraline. Netele, the show's made Coraline's history somewhat confusing, this is just my personal take on it, and I altered it a tiny bit. I'm glad you liked it.

LA

Coraline wiped a towel across her sweaty brow, a smile twisting her lips upward. The last two hours she'd been sparring with Mick had been invigorating, flirting with the line of sexual tantalization. She would have loved to play, but contrary to what was popular belief, she could maintain her priorities when the pay off was high enough. She knew Mick was confused and a little hurt that she hadn't taken him to her bed, but he was ever the gentleman, not about to push.

The last few days, she'd been leading him on a journey into his own nature. Their nights were spent on the hunt, feeding in the clubs, surrendering to the pleasure of the feed. At first, he'd been hesitant to indulge, his old inhibitions rising to the surface with a vengeance. But she'd been patient, coaxing him to action, and eventually, unburdened by hauntings from the past, he'd given in. And he'd liked it.

Now, she was training him. He had some good moves, but he lacked true aggression. He fought like a human with fangs, and she needed to change that, and she was changing that. She could kick his ass, but he had spirit, and he was proving a good challenge. He still had a long way to go.

"So, how was I coach?" he asked lightly, trying to keep his eyes from her sweaty body, concealed only by a pair of skimpy shorts and sports bra. She noted his reaction through his baggy sweats, trying to suppress an answering shudder.

"Perfect," she all but purred, attempting to keep the sensuality out of her tone, and not quite succeeding. "That's to say, you're making progress already, Mick. Just let the predator out to play, have fun with what you are."

"Before…before this happened, I don't think I had enough fun."

"You didn't," she told him blandly. "Maybe you were running for Sainthood 2008." Then she burst into laughter at his perplexed look. A few minutes later she patted his cheek affectionately. "Darling, there's no such thing as enough fun. Now, go and shower." The words were hard to enunciate clearly. Every time he took a shower, it got more difficult not to just join him, to claim that glorious body that was achingly familiar, that she was so empty inside without.

"No, ladies first," Mick gallantly offered, swallowing hard.

"I'm not afraid of you taking up all the hot water, Mick," Coraline teased. Vampires could tolerate hot water, but cold water was what soothed them, what they were drawn to. Unlike humans, the cold could also sexually excite vampires. "Take your time."

Mick started to go upstairs, then turned, a strange glint in his eyes. Slowly, deliberately, he headed her way, only stopping when they were a breath away from each other. He raised his hand, bringing it to tenderly caress the side of her face. Almost against her better judgment, she arched into his hand, savoring the contact. She started to let her eyes flutter shut to better relish the sensation, but was too bewitched by that fascinating face to deprive herself.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered. Coraline didn't know of many women that didn't like to hear they were beautiful. She didn't mind it exactly, but the compliment had a hallow ring these days. Yes, she was beautiful, she was sexy, she packed a punch, and she'd heard it a million times before. Blah, blah, blah.

"So, you're beautiful. One of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. So what? There's nothing uglier than a black heart. Mick had hurled those words at her once. She'd scoffed at him, mocked him as a sentimental fool, but he'd hit his target, even if she hadn't let him know. In the end, good looks and charisma were just tools, and only as useful as the results they got a person.

He thought she was beautiful now. And when his memory came back, they could be back to square one, so he could wax poetic until the werewolves came home about her looks, and did it really matter?

"Lame, huh? I bet guys tell you that all the time. Gee, I must stand out." He looked embarrassed, and started to pull away.

She gripped his arm, gently tugging him back into her personal space. "That wasn't lame, and you do stand out…big time. You always have." Leave it to Mick St. John to stand out because he was just a regular, nice guy. There was something extraordinary about his normalcy, a normalcy he'd somehow kept after 55 years of immortality.

"You stand out, too. And not just because you're beautiful, Coraline. Okay, yeah, you're a knock-out, but it's a lot more than that."

"So, you'd notice me even if I was a plain Jane?" she asked teasingly, but was genuinely curious.

He twined in his arms around her, pulling her closer in measured increments, giving her time to pull rank and put him in his place. She stayed still, seeing how much initiative Mick would take on his own. "You know, I was reading about Cleopatra on the web this morning," he informed her conversationally.

And that had to do with what exactly? "Not as much fun as porn, but definitely more original," she remarked lightly.

"Seriously. They say she wasn't much to look at in the looks department, but she was one of the most seductive women on the planet. You're like that. If you weren't beautiful, Coraline, men would still notice you, I'd still notice you. You're vibrant, you're fun, you're…captivating." His words wound themselves around her, bringing startling tears to her eyes, ones that spilled down her cheeks.

Leaning forward, Mick kissed them away, trailed his way down to her mouth, easing them into a kiss that had her lips tingling, and her body singing. When they pulled away, his hand was stroking her hair. Before she could recover, he was headed for the shower, a definite spring in his step.

Maybe she shouldn't underestimate him.

Her phone rang and she recognized Josef's number. She wasn't really in the mood to deal with him, he had a way of bringing a person down to earth. Still…she figured if she ignored him, he'd just get pissy. "Hey, Josef."

"How is he?"

"He's actually having the time of his life," she informed him coolly.

"Oh, I bet." She could all but hear the smirk in his voice. "I'm sure you're showing him a real good time. Ah, your everlasting quest to bring Mick to heel."

"Of all people, you should understand," Coraline pointed out, thinking of Sara. Talk about long shots. "He doesn't remember anything yet."

"Enjoy it while you can, Coraline. Don't worry about Beth coming around and bringing up pesky feelings. She'll be in New York at least for another month." Something about the way he said her name got Coraline's attention, and gave her an opening to turn the tables.

"Sniffing around her skirts, are you, Josef?" She heard him suck in his breath in irritation. "Oh, I see how it is. Well, mixing business with pleasure can be fun."

"Use the brain you were born with. I'm just putting my scent on her to keep up appearances," he grumbled.

"That's your story and you keep sticking to it. Josef, I almost wish you could be here." Her voice turned earnest. "He's getting in touch with his inner vampire."

"And it only took 22 years. Well, congratulations. Maybe you can finally undo some of your damage." It was her turn to suck in her breath, but she didn't verbally protest. Josef may have been an asshole at times, but he was usually an insightful asshole. "What gave it away?"

"What, pray tell?" Coraline heard the shower switch on, and sighed. She'd much rather be up there with Mick, exploring that magnificent body, as entertaining as Josef could be.

"How'd you know that something was going on with Beth?"

"Oh, please. Like I don't know you well enough to know when a chick's getting under your skin. Josef, for someone your age, you're not too mysterious. I'm just surprised you're on the phone talking to me and not enjoying Miss Turner's goodies…unless she turned you down flat. She's got a decisive way about her." She made a face, remembering just how decisively Beth made her point.

"She did not turn me down flat," Josef growled. "I was putting my scent on her, and she kind of pitifully whimpered something about stopping and I just decided she was right."

"Things come too easy to you, Josef, that's the story of your life. You snap your fingers and everybody hops. If you can't buy your way in or out of something, you don't bother. Why don't you break with form and actually get off your ass and try putting some effort into something?" Josef had a lazy streak the size of New York running through him, one of his less endearing habits.

"Oh, save it for the self-help book you're not qualified to write," Josef snarked. Then he paused, as if considering. "It'd suit your agenda if Beth hopped into bed with me, you'd use it as ammo when Mick get's his memory back."

"Do what you want, Josef," Coraline told him. This conversation was starting to wear thin. Sometimes Josef acted like they hadn't been through over 140 years of friendship, as though she were some kind of enemy. Yes, she was devious, and was ready to enjoy that quality about herself, but Josef himself could have taught lessons in manipulation. "Your sex life is not on the top of my list of concerns." She disconnected the call, shaking her head.

Well, she'd been right. He'd sent her crashing down to earth, but maybe it was for the best. One false step, and everything could blow up in her face.