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Ben woke up face down on his bed. How the hell did I get in here? Rolling over on his back he reached over and turned on his bedside lamp. Scrubbing his hands down his face he sat up. 6pm… damn, I slept all day… but at least I didn't dream.

Feeling better than he had in days, he showered quickly and dressed. He stood phone in one hand and Katherine's number in the other. Dialing quickly before he lost his nerve, he flipped her card between his fingers as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Katherine… it's Ben."

"Well, hey, Ben."

"Are you free for a drink tonight?"

"I'd like that… Why don't you meet me at Moxie's in about 20 minutes, its right around the corner from my place and I'm headed in that direction."

Ben couldn't help but grin, "Sounds good, I'll see you in 20 minutes."

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Katherine was already nursing her scotch when Ben walked in. "Starting without me," he smiled playfully and motioned for the waitress. Taking his seat the waitress walked up smiling, "Corona, please," he requested. As the waitress walked away Katherine smiled, "I thought you were a martini man," she teased.

Ben chuckled and shook his head. "I think it's time for me to lay off of those a bit," he grinned sheepishly. She smiled warmly, "I take it there has been a lot going on at the DA's office lately." Ben nodded to the waitress as she handed him his drink.

"With what happened to ADA Lindsey and then me stepping into the job, things have been going non-stop." Katherine tilted her head to the side studying him, "Something must have changed though, you look a bit less stress then the last time we met," she observed. Ben stopped just as he brought his beer to his lips, "Well, I actually got some sleep for a change."

Katherine continued to study him over the top of her glass as she sipped her drink. She wanted to get to know him better. It had been a long time a man, vamp or human, had stirred her like this. Ben brought her out of her reverie. "So how long have you known Mick?" he asked innocently. She looked down and smiled as she played with the rim of her glass. "Oh about twelve years or so," she answered looking up to gauge his reaction. Ben's eyes widened in shock. "Really, so you've known him since just after high school?" Katherine lean forward folding her hands in front of her, "No, Ben, I'm not as young as I look."

Ben took another swig of his beer studying her. She didn't seem the type for plastic surgery. As realization dawn he looked away his jaw clenching. Katherine sighed, "Ben, look at me, please."

Ben sat back arms folded firmly across his chest. "So what now use your vamp allure to get me to go back to your place for a "bite"," he spat snapping his teeth. Katherine shook her head, "No! Of course not! Look, Ben, I like you and I am not going to hide who I am. Being a vampire is part of who I am but it is not all I am."

Ben softened a bit but was still not completely convinced. "So what you are like, Mick?" Katherine smiled, "If you mean I have a high moral code yes. If you are asking if I feed directly from humans not normally but I do drink freshly donated blood, not the bagged stuff Mick drinks."

Ben was now playing with the label on his Corona. "So what you don't use you vamp allure?" he looked up to see her reaction. Katherine tilted her head and smiled slightly, "Not on the guys I want to date." Ben chuckled and gave her a lop sided grin, "Well that's good to know," he said clearing his throat. Katherine reached forward and gently placed her hand on top of his. "Look Ben, Mick told me you've put in a difficult position with everything that's going on. It is not a position that you should have been put in."

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Walking into Josef's Beverly Hills home, for whatever reason, felt entirely wrong to Beth. It wasn't a matter of feeling welcome, she always felt like a guest when she was here, but now, after everything, she felt like a captive, a pawn, a stranger.

The only person she felt close to was Oscar. No, not like a boyfriend and not like how she felt with Mick, her Guardian Angel. She snorted at the very word, what had she been protected against lately.

Oscar sensed her sudden change. He touched her shoulder, tilting his head down and raising an eyebrow.

"I thought we agreed you're okay?" Beth gave a week smile and nodded her head, shoving her hands in her coat.

"I'm okay… I'll be okay…" Oscar gave a wink and turned his attentions to Simone who was coming down Josef's stairs to greet them.

"Beth…" Beth turned toward Simone's voice, a genuine smile lighting her face. Simone opened her arms as she approached Beth embracing her in a hug. "God… We've missed. I'VE missed you." Tears stung both Simone and Beth's eyes as the held tight to each other.

"Me too…" Came Beth's choked reply. Simone stepped back and realized just how thin Beth was, how so much different her appearance had become. She was only a ghost resemblance of the woman who had left all those months ago.

"Welcome home…"

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Oscar had been a wary of leaving Beth alone at Josef's but Simone was with her and he wanted to see Carmen. He pulled up to her building and killed the engine. Her car was there, he smirked as got out of the car.

Carmen had just stepped into the shower. She let the ice cold water soothe her. This had been one hell of a week and the continued separation from Oscar was not doing anything for her mood. She was lost in thoughts of Oscar as she began to lather shower gel over her body.

Standing just outside the shower Oscar stripped silently. He pulled the shower door open, the sound of which finally alerted Carmen to his presence. Before Carmen could speak Oscar had pressed against the shower wall. "Oscar," she gasped, "When… how?" She moaned as he placed wet kisses up the column of her neck.

"Talk…later," he breathed into her ear, "right now," he growled, "I… want... you!" Carmen gave a throaty laugh as he lifted her. Her legs automatically going around his waist. In moments he was home and no more words were needed.

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Even as they dried each other they had to keep skin contact. It had been too long apart. Carmen was running the towel up and down Oscar's chest, "Wait a minute…where did you leave Beth?"

Oscar was drying Carmen's hair, he stopped pulling the towel down over her shoulders. "She's at Josef's for now… why?"

Carmen pulled from his embrace, "Shit!"

Oscar looked at her confused, "What's the problem?"

Carmen was already head for her closet to get dressed. He followed behind grabbing his clothes. "We've got to get back over there, he's got a big meeting tonight with all the players in this damn fiasco," she explained as she pulled on a pair of jeans. Oscar growled, Josef should have told him when he got there tonight.

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A half hour later, Carmen pull her Crossfire into Josef's drive, Oscar was out of the car and striding toward the house before Carmen had put the car in park. Carmen shook her head as she got out of the car. Oscar was half way up the stairs when she caught up him. "Thanks for waiting for me," she snarked.

"Hmphf." was his only reply. Carmen just huffed and rolled her eyes. Some things never change. Oscar stopped at the door to the room Beth was staying. He place hand on the knob but thought better and knocked first.

Simone answered the door. "Oscar… Carmen, did something happen?" Oscar shook his head, "No, just checking on Beth."

Simone visibly relaxed, "She's in the shower."

As if on cue Beth walked out of the bathroom. "Oscar…what's wrong!" He just looked at Beth for a moment. She looked like Beth again dressed in jeans and a blue form fitting tee. It would take time for her hair to grow back to the length it had been but bob cut was very becoming and it was blonde again. Beth smirked, "What are you staring at, Oscar?"

Oscar cleared his throat. "Well you did have black hair the last time I saw you."

Beth chuckled, "Yeah well I to feel a little like the old me so Simone helped me lighten it."

Carmen elbowed Oscar. "What?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Hello Beth, I'm Carmen," she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, finally, Carmen." Beth's gaze trained on Oscar again, he was on edge. "What's going on Oscar?"

Running a hand over his bald head he sighed. "Josef's holding a meeting. A summit of sorts with all the key players," he explained.

Beth heart rate spiked and her eyes became round with fear. "Do we need to leave....are we going to run again?"

Oscar stepped forward placing his hands on her shoulders. "For right now we stay."

Beth nodded, "Ok." Oscar squeezed her shoulders as he turned to leave. "Carmen and I will be around keeping an eye on everything, ok," he assured. Beth gave him a watery smile.

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Beth sat next to Simone on the couch that over looked the city of Los Angeles. Freshies swam in the pool before them and Beth couldn't help but frown.

"Is Mick here?" Her voice was still low and shaky.

"Yes… He's with Josef." Beth's eyes lit up, her heart almost jumped from her chest."Can I see him?" Simone sat down her coffee and shook her head no.

"They ah... They're in the meeting." Simone took Beth's hand and gave a gentle squeeze.

"Its about me, isn't it. I'm home but I'm not home." Beth rose from the couch wrapping her arms around her as she stood before the windows. "All I've thought about, all I've wanted was to come home, be with Mick." Tears again stung her eyes but she fought them back. "Now… Now I'm here and I feel… I feel so alone. I want … I want things to go back. Back before. I want to be happy that Mick loves me. That we finally found each other. Not what this means for this... This Damn tribe!" Her voice filled with anger as she turned to look at Simone.

Simone placed her hands on her knees and pushed up off the couch walking toward Beth, not really sure what to tell her.

"They're trying to work this out, Beth, please believe me." Beth nodded and turned back to the window. A cold shiver ran up her back as she watched the sun begin to set, her arms wrapping around herself, trying to calm the ache that she felt. When, when would she find peace.

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Mick shoved the lid to the guest freezer open and ran a hand through his hair to shake the frost loose. A few brief hours sleep was all he could manage any more; his mind wouldn't rest. If only… he sniffed. No… it couldn't be… His gaze swung to the door and he inhaled, long and deep. "Beth!" His eyes flared wide and he was out of the freezer, dressing in a blur. Beth was home!

Josef turned to the flurry of steps on the stairs and he moved quickly to intercept Mick, raising a hand to stay his forward rush. "Yes, she's here but we need to talk first."

"We can talk after I see Beth." Mick made to push past him but Josef moved with determined grace, waltzing him back.

Mick's eyes flashed a warning before he snarled. "Get out of my way, Josef!"

"NO! You will listen to me!" Josef growled and shoved him back, following to hold him against the wall. "We need to end this today. Duvall will be here shortly and we need to be on the same side of this thing!"

"Fuck Lance!" Mick hissed and they grappled, a flurry of punches and shoves, until their positions were reversed and Mick held Josef, nose to nose, anger making his fanged grimace long and sharp. "You brought Beth back here so you could give her to him, didn't you?" He slammed Josef against the wall. "DIDN'T YOU!!"

"No." The vampire quietly faded from Josef's face and he gripped Mick's wrists, slowly removing his hands from his throat. "We're not giving him Beth but we have to negotiate with him." Mick tried to jerk free but he held him fast, making him listen. "We have to negotiate, Mick. That's how it works, we don't have a choice."

Mick trembled with anger and confusion as he struggled to come to terms with Josef's request and he pulled free to pace away and back. "You negotiate." His face was set and cold, his voice even colder. "If he so much as makes one move towards Beth, Josef, there won't be enough of him left to need a body bag."

"We negotiate." Josef repeated, rolling his shoulders and twitching his tie back in place. "We hear him out, listen to his demands and THEN act accordingly."

"Then you negotiate." Mick's face was hard and uncompromising as he turned away. "But Beth's not going anywhere without me again." He shoved past a startled assistant who had appeared in the doorway and Josef cursed, startling the man even more. "Mr. Kostan, sir? Your-your guest has arrived."

"Perfect!" Josef snapped. "Show Mr. Duvall to the meeting room. I'll be with him shortly."

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Lance stood in Josef's den, his hands clasped together behind his back as he studied the room and the scents around him. When he had first walked into the house, he knew that Beth had returned to Los Angeles. The very thought brought a satisfied smile to his thin lips. St. John was slowly eliminating the Legion threat and now the final piece had returned; and he was determined to leave this meeting with everything he wanted.

Lance turned as a door opened behind him and he gave another smug grin as Josef and Mick stepped in.

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Beth stared at the painting that hung near Josef's den. She was trying to figure out what exactly it meant. She squinted her eyes and mentally tried to imagine the position and then just shook her head. It didn't make any sense at all.

"Sometimes art… is just art." Beth turned to look at Oscar as he spoke and she grinned, shaking her head. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. Mick. Her heart began to pound. Simone said he was already in the meeting. There was no thought, she just went straight to him, paying no attention to the others gathered in Josef's den. Her heart skipped, throbbing painfully as she looked at him and he returned her gaze, cold and indifferent. Something was wrong.

"Mick…?" Her uncertainty was audible to all the vampires in the room, including Lance. Oscar stepped in besides her, closing the door behind him, his arms were crossed and his jaw was set. This was a fight he wouldn't miss for the world.

Mick only turned slightly to Beth, he could smell her fear and heart ache. But he had a bigger task, keeping her here with him, where she belonged and finding away of making Lance leave her alone for good.

Lance only acknowledged Beth slightly, but the added tension and the incentive of her fear brought a cold smile to his haughty face. Putting St. John in his place would be an added pleasure. He watched as Mick quickly crossed the room, smiling insolently as they stood face to face.

"We meet again, St. John. Are you going to give me what I want?" Lance shot a leering glance toward Beth and a shiver ran up her back. This can't be happening. Oscar's reassuring hand came to rest on her shoulder and she stepped back. Oscar wouldn't let him take her. The exchange didn't go unnoticed by Mick and he stepped in front of Lance, blocking his view of Beth completely.

"Give you what you want? What you want is a human being and the woman I love. I'm not giving her to you. The only person she is going with is me, home."

Josef pushed off his desk and moved toward Lance and Mick. "Beth isn't going anywhere Lance. She stays here. However, to keep the blood pure… Mick will promise not to turn her. If her blood becomes necessary, we'll have it." They both turned to look at him and Mick glared. "Josef!"

"Agreed." Lance gave a sneering grin back to Mick and then again looked at Josef.

"She doesn't leave this city, unless I know about it. I'll be seeing you both, St. John." Lance pushed past Mick, glaring at Oscar as he passed. Without a backwards glance, he was gone.

"Well, that went… well." Josef's gave a little smile as he looked from Mick to Beth. "I think you're safe for the time being, Beth. He thinks he's won this round."

"And you used Beth for a bargaining chip!" Mick snapped and he paced in agitation. "Duvall offers a little help to stop the culling and you promise to keep Beth for him? I'm telling you right now, Lance Duvall will NEVER have Beth."

"We negotiated more time, Mick." Josef retorted. "Time for us to figure out the next step in this battle. Duvall is powerful. If he thinks Beth is secure, he'll leave her alone and we can concentrate on stopping the Legion."

"What do you mean we?" Mick moved to Beth's side, putting his arm around her. "You haven't exactly been clear on what you're doing to stop anything. If Lance knows Beth is back, it won't be long until the Legion does, too."

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"You look extra ordinary beautiful in that dress, Coraline, my dear." Gianni held her hand lightly as he lifted it to his lips.

"It's not couture, but it will do. You've changed since I've seen you last." They stood by the windows of the executive lounge at LAX sipping cocktails as cool jazz plays over the sound system. Runway lights glowed blue through the darkly tinted glass with the occasional red or green splashed among them.

"For the better," Gianni chuckled, "I consider, operating on stunted human senses to be a near death experience." He touched his finger to his head "Knowledge trumps ideology."

"And loyalty is not without its price. I've brought you a parting gift." She hands him a small gift bag which he quickly empties.

"An engraved cigarette case, how counter-revolutionary, now that no one smokes." Gianni touches the case to his lips, inhaling gently. The compound is within. "For you, I know how much you adore Hermes."

The weighted shoulder satchel is lifted gently from its nest of tissue paper. Coraline calculates the weight; it's good to have liquid assets again. They stand and exchange an air kiss. "Our business is, as usual, profitable mon ami," she knows Gianni has added a margin for himself. "Cynthia confirms the workability your delivery system. Bon chance."

"Bonne chance, Cheri"

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