Moonlight, the Next Chapter: Darkness

Chapter 8

Duet

Author's note: Chalk it up to holiday hangover, but I posted a chapter I was working on out-of-sequence. When I realized what I'd done, I was going crazy so I stayed up late to finish & edit this chapter. Duet is now in its appropriate place and you have the chapter a little early to read! Turmoil will be back in its appropriate place very soon...So sorry, readers! I hope this interlude with Mick and Beth alone will make up for it...

Intro Song: Friday I'm in Love, Phoebe Bridgers

Beth slowly traced her finger up and down Mick's torso, unconsciously following the line of the incision from his surgery - a line that had disappeared everywhere but in her mind. Her head was pillowed on Mick's shoulder, their naked bodies entwined as they basked in the afterglow of heated intercourse. The couple's first sex after a prolonged period of abstinence had been...

"Intense. That was intense," she said quietly.

Mick stiffened. Had he been too aggressive? He'd warred with himself all during their...mating. It felt like mating. That feeling of claiming a mate was one he didn't particularly welcome. Surely a byproduct of being a vampire, those instincts threatened to overwhelm him at any moment when he had sex with Beth. Somehow, he'd managed to keep himself in check - he'd thought - even as he lost himself in the taste and scent and feel of the woman in his arms.

"Too intense?" he asked hesitantly, worry apparent in his voice.

Beth immediately understood the question's genesis and raised her head to look her vampire lover in the eye. "It was fine. More than fine. It was perfect," she said with emphasis. "I've never had sex like this. With anyone. And I like it, so stop worrying, you aren't going to hurt me."

"I could."

"No. You couldn't. I mean, I know that theoretically you could, but you'd never let yourself. I don't worry about that - and you shouldn't either."

One of us needs to. Mick didn't put this thought into words. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and allowed his hand to drift down and come to rest on her rounded hip. It had been intense love-making, but why not? It had been three long, difficult weeks since they'd had sex, going back to the night before he took the ill-fated trip with Carl Davis to San Diego and out into the desert.

The past week at the penthouse had been the hardest. It had been bad enough at Temecula, but there, at least, they were rarely alone and not sleeping together. At home, however, being in such close proximity, alone together, had become agonizing to him - and, he suspected, to Beth as well. Even though each had been careful not to have any prolonged contact, it seemed like they were constantly bumping into each other. As he continued to improve physically, this particular restriction had become harder and harder to live with.

Mick had found himself making excuses not to be together in the same room, afraid that he would lose his self-control. Lose my mind is more like it. Maybe now, things could get back to normal - or whatever passed for normal in their lives.

Not wanting to darken the mood, he tried to inject a lighter tone. "I'd say mind-blowing."

"What?" Beth asked drowsily. She was still moving her hand over him, craving that touch, but the repetitive motion, together with the relaxation that inevitably followed strenuous sex, was making her sleepy.

"Mind-blowing. Sex with you. You said intense, I say mind-blowing." He hugged her to him, the hand on her hip sliding down to caress her buttocks.

"Mmmm. Semantics."

Her fingertips traced that invisible line down between his pectorals again, over his flat abdomen, following the fine hairs, and then pausing at his navel, as if trying to decide which direction to take. He'd been sliced open from hip to hip from the combination of bullets and scalpel. Left or right? Without thinking, her hand started back up.

Reaching over with his free hand to grab the wandering fingers, Mick brought them to his lips. Gently, he sucked on her forefinger, drawing it into his mouth and wringing a moan from its owner. His grip on her rear tightened as she moved against him. He could feel himself stirring again, hardening against her leg.

The vampire inhaled her scent. Beth smelled like sunshine, as always, something that was a wonderment to him. Her underlying fragrance to him now, however, was lust and sex. Pulling her finger back out of his mouth, he rested it on his lips as he spoke.

"Want to take this upstairs? I mean, we do have that nice, big bed." They hadn't made it past the couch in their urgency to be with one another.

"Definitely," she breathed against his shoulder, her normally pale face flushed with excitement.

Mick picked Beth up - and then almost dropped her as the sound system abruptly blared out from hidden speakers. Vamping suddenly, he cast around for whatever threat had caused the cacophony of noise, his eyes blue-white and wild. His hold on the young woman in his arms constricted involuntarily until she gasped in pain.

"Mick, you're hur-" Beth stopped herself before she uttered the word. He would be devastated if she disclosed that he had caused her pain. Instead, she bellowed, "Put me down! I can't hear myself think!"

Her voice brought Mick back from the desert, where the unexpected noise had transported him. He shook his head as he eased her to the ground, getting himself back under control with difficulty. What the hell was wrong with him?

"You must have leaned on the remote when you picked me up," Beth sputtered as she fished the offending electronic wand out of the couch cushion where it had become wedged during their frantic love-making. Wheeling, she pointed it at the stereo to turn the sound back down.

Dropping the remote, the young woman touched Mick's arm, guessing correctly that the shaken vampire needed grounding. He was here, with her. "Now we can at least hear each other again!" When he looked at her with bewildered eyes, she realized he needed more. Casually, as if nothing had happened, she added, "I think I'll get another drink before we go upstairs. Want one?"

"Um, yeah. Scotch would be good. Thank you." Mick's voice was thick and he cleared his throat with effort. He could feel his fangs retract, the sensation, as always, making his gums itch. "I could get them for us."

"You made me dinner," she pointed out, welcoming the signs of Mick coming back to her. His eyes were now their normal warm, blue-tinted hazel and his fangs had disappeared. "Let me make myself useful," she teased, turning away from him to busy her with pouring fresh drinks - and hide her worried look.

She didn't fool him for an instant.

"Beth."

"Hmm?" Her tongue was caught between her teeth as she poured precise amounts of the expensive scotch into the heavy crystal glasses.

"Look at me."

With a sigh, she put down the bottle and pivoted, resting one hip against the black granite counter on the island. Crossing her arms across her bare breasts, she frowned up at the vampire. "What is it? I'd like to get this show on the road, I'm freezing!" Her lighthearted tone belied her concern as she studied him.

Mick reached out and pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms. "I'll keep you warm, he said, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Look, I know it doesn't seem like it sometimes, but I'm fine," he asserted.

"Mmmm-hmm," Beth responded noncommittally, burying her face in his chest and rubbing her cheek against the soft hair there. I could stand like this forever...

"I am fine," he insisted. "I'm just worried about you."

Beth raised her face to look at him. "Me?! I'm not the one going around, almost being killed!"

"No, but you're with me." Gently, he touched one finger to her upper arm where bruises were already forming on her pale skin - bruises he'd caused when he'd grasped her unthinkingly. If he truly loved her, how could he be with this woman when he was a danger to her? I'm a selfish bastard. "Like I said, I'm...worried."

Shaking his hand off impatiently, Beth glared up at him. "This? Oh, please. This was an accident, Mick. I had worse than this from that creep I dated in college for a couple of weeks. I'm sure you saw that. Knowing you, I'll bet you were watching!"

"Actually…" He looked away evasively.

"Don't say it!" Beth stared, her mouth open. "You ran the guy off?!"

"Well, first I beat him up..."

She sighed theatrically. "And here I thought I was such a strong modern woman that I was able to get rid of him."

"I'm sure that had something to do with it." The corner of Mick's mouth twitched in amusement.

It hadn't been funny at the time.

When the actual abuse had occurred, he hadn't been around, which was the only reason the bastard was even still alive. However, Mick had seen the bruises on Beth's wrists after a date with the jerk on one of his periodic checks on her. He'd quickly put two and two together and started shadowing her even more closely, ready to step in if necessary.

The following weekend, it had become necessary. The two had fought heatedly over his attempts to control Beth. The young man...what was his name? Greg? had shoved her hard against a wall and she'd furiously ordered him to leave and not come near her again.

Stalking off angrily, hands thrust in the pockets of his coat, he had seemed to give up. At least that's what Beth had thought as she'd congratulated herself on getting rid of him. Mick's acute vampire hearing, however, had picked up the asshole's angry muttering, and knew Greg was planning on coming back. Coming back and doing much worse than grabbing Beth's arms and pushing her.

He wouldn't allow that to happen.

Mick had wanted to kill him. Slowly, painfully drain the life from him. Someone that spineless and cowardly, who would abuse someone smaller and weaker, someone as precious as Beth... The creep didn't deserve to live. But he hadn't wanted any taint of his vampirism on her life - at least, no more than already existed from her exposure to Coraline and him - so he'd settled for beating the young man to within an inch of his life, permanently rearranging his handsome features into something less than flattering.

As the punk lay on the ground, choking and gagging on his own blood, Mick had grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up until their noses were almost touching.

"If you ever," he gritted through clenched teeth, keeping the vampire inside in check through sheer force of will, "come near Beth Turner again, I'll kill you. And I'll be watching. Do you understand me?" He shook the man's limp body.

"Ye- Yes! I won't!"

Blood had splattered on Mick's face as it sprayed from the man's shattered mouth. He'd ignored it.

"If you come near her anytime. Anywhere. For the rest of your life. I promise you, you're a dead man. That's a promise, not a threat. Got it?" His voice was a low, threatening growl and his eyes had glowed dangerously as the terrified man had nodded vigorously.

"Good." The vampire had dropped his victim abruptly, the man's head bouncing off the pavement with a dull thud as he'd stepped over him and stalked off without a backward glance. He'd maintained a close watch on Beth for weeks afterward, but she never saw or heard from her assailant again. He'd investigated the following week and confirmed that the low life had given up his lease and moved out of his apartment. He was gone, out of her life. He wouldn't hurt her again.

Am I any better?

As he ran his hand lightly up and down her arm over the forming bruises, he couldn't be sure. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. For now. "Ready to go upstairs?"

"Definitely!"

Mick followed Beth upstairs, admiring the swish of her hips as she climbed, carefully holding the heavy glasses of scotch out in front of her.

Beth had long been known by her friends as somewhat of a klutz, a reputation dating back to an unfortunate accident in college during a brief stint as a waitress - a reputation she'd endeavoured to overcome ever since. However, she could count on Marissa or Alison to invariably dredge up that memory just when she thought it was behind her. The top of the stairs were almost within reach when she tripped over a rung, staggering awkwardly as she attempted to juggle the glasses.

"Dammit!" she exclaimed as Mick lunged forward to grab her by the elbows and rescue the drinks - and save his human lover from face-planting.

"How about if I help you? I wouldn't want you to spill those drinks on someone..." His voice was filled with amusement.

Beth sighed dejectedly and turned around to face him, almost eye-level with the much-taller vampire as she stood on the rung above him. "You know about Pazzo's, don't you?"

"Yep." Mick struggled to keep a straight face as he scooped her up into his arms.

"It wasn't my fault, you know!" Beth was pink-cheeked with embarrassment as she steadied the glasses in her hands. "I slipped on a puddle of beer no one had bothered to clean up!"

"Uh-huh," he responded, striding down the hall and nudging open the bedroom door with one shoulder.

"You weren't actually...there...were you?" Beth's eyes widened with horror at the thought as Mick deposited her on her feet next to the bed.

"Uh-huh," he said again, prying the glasses of scotch out of the mortified young woman's hands and placing them gently on one of the nightstands.

"Oh no," she moaned, "So you saw me-"

"Deposit a full pitcher of beer on that poor guy's head? Yep," he responded cheerfully. Cocking an eyebrow in her direction, he added, "Or, were you referring to your falling into that puddle of beer immediately after that?" His lips twitched as he worked to rein in his laughter at the memory.

"Oh god."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that just what the guy said when you dumped the beer on him?" Mick couldn't suppress the grin that spread across his face.

Beth punched him on the shoulder, a small, naked fireball. "You enjoyed that!"

"Hey! As I recall, everyone in the restaurant enjoyed it! I seem to remember lots of cheering, and clapping, and..."

"I'm blocking that entire episode out," she moaned, burying her face in her hands. Her innate curiosity overcame her embarrassment, however and she spread her fingers to peak up at him. "Why were you there that night, anyway?"

"That was the week after you broke things off with that jerk who manhandled you." The images of a vulnerable, college-age Beth were as vivid to him as if they had just occurred the day before. He reached out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I watched you more closely for a while to make sure he didn't come back."

"You really were my guardian angel, weren't you?" Beth said softly, her eyes glowing with love for the tortured soul in front of her. She drifted into his arms, pressing her naked body against his. How does one repay that level of loyalty and love? You can't, her conscience whispered.

"I wish I'd known you then." Beth rested her face on his bare chest again, inhaling deeply. She may not have vampire senses, but she'd know Mick's scent anywhere.

"I might have frightened you," the vampire said into her hair, resting his head against hers and tightening his arms around her small form. When he had thought he would never be able to see or touch her again, she had rescued him. She'd pulled him back when he was drowning in pain on that cold, hard table in Josef's kitchen. When you were dying... He wanted nothing more now than to kiss her, touch her, love her…

"Never." Beth reached up to weave her fingers into the curls that gathered at the nape of his neck and rub his head lovingly. "You will always be my guardian angel, Mick. I love you." Her breasts rubbed against him as she raised herself on tiptoes to brush his lips with hers.

"Let's go to bed," Mick said huskily. He wanted her. God, he wanted her. His hands brushed the hair back from her much-loved face, lingering on her cheeks as he began, "Beth, I- ." His throat tightened. He wanted to thank her for loving him, for saving him - again - but the words suddenly wouldn't come.

Beth understood. She pulled the tall man's head down to hers and whispered her love into his ear.

Wordlessly, Mick picked her up and deposited her gently in the middle of the bed, leaning over to kiss her before straightening and handing her the scotch she'd poured for herself. Throwing himself down on the bed, he tucked an arm around her and pulled the cover up over both of them. Enjoying a sense of peace he hadn't felt in a long time, he leaned back against the headboard with a grateful sigh.

For a few minutes, they silently sipped their drinks, enjoying the closeness and quiet.

Finally, Beth leaned over the vampire to deposit her almost-empty glass on the nightstand, her breasts drifting across his stomach as she moved. Bending over, she kissed his abdomen, her long hair sliding down to cover her face.

Mick's sudden intake of breath was his only response; he was statue-still as she gradually moved her lips up his chest, to the pulsing hollow at the base of his neck. Her hand, resting on his stomach, felt burning hot to him.

"You taste good," Beth whispered That was what she said, but what she thought was, I was so scared. I thought you were going to die... With an almost imperceptible shake of her head, she brushed the fine hairs on his chest with her fingertips, then slid her hand over his shoulder to run her palm down his arm, entwining her fingers with his when she reached his hand. She would never tire of seeing and feeling a whole Mick St. John. Unhurt. Undamaged. Mostly, she thought as he turned his silver-laced eyes to her.

Mick raised her hand to his mouth, kissing her hand and tracing her fingertips with his tongue. "So do you."

Beth could feel her face heating with the desire that boiled up in her at the touch. To hide it, she asked mischievously, "Are you ready to do something with that hard-on of yours besides propping up the sheets?"

He raised one eyebrow. "What did you have in mind? I thought I was serving a very useful purpose!"

"I have a better idea."

Her hand snaked under the covers to grasp him, stroking him with a feather touch.

"God!" he gasped, tensing at the unexpected touch, his insides warning him that the nature he so dreaded was pushing its way forward. "Beth," he moaned, "wait…"

She looked up at him, her large blue eyes clear and loving. "Why?" She continued to touch him lightly with her fingertips as she leaned on him, kissing the crook of his neck. "I don't want to wait." She straightened, her mouth traveling from shoulder to lips, clinging to his mouth in a deep, sensuous kiss.

He broke away and grabbed her hands, pulling them up to his chest. "Just give me a minute. You have to trust me on this," he pleaded hoarsely.

She rested her hands over his heart, her blonde hair trailing over one shoulder. Quietly, she said, "I do. I just wish you trusted yourself."

Mick looked at her with eyes full of pain. He felt as if the weight of the world was on him. If only he could get through to her. This wasn't about her - or even about them. It was about him and the monster he'd been turned into against his will - a monster he couldn't always control. "If you knew me - really knew me - you'd understand."

Beth grinned. "Mick, of course you have a sketchy side to you. You're a man, aren't you?"

"Not sketchy, Beth!" Mick exploded, pushing himself more upright against the headboard - and away from his human lover. "Not sketchy," he repeated more softly. "I can be dangerous if I lose control - I could hurt you. Really hurt you. And not even realize it. I'd never forgive myself if that happened. You have to understand. I've said this before but you just don't seem to get it."

He studied her bewildered face for a moment before adding sadly, "Or maybe you just don't want to."

Beth hadn't meant to upset him. Far from it. She'd only wanted him to feel loved and accepted for who - and what - he was. To know that she didn't see him as a monster. But instead...

"I always seem to manage to make things worse," she said, defeated, drawing her hands away.

Mick reached out a hand to stroke her hair and flip it back off her shoulder. "No. You don't. You've made my life so much better in so many ways. I'm just... concerned... For you. And, I admit to being a little frustrated. You just have to accept this if we are going to be together." His hazel eyes studied her gravely. Would this headstrong young woman be willing to acknowledge the danger and the need to be cautious? The spirit and will he so loved about her could potentially be the thing that drove them apart. He lifted her chin with one finger and leaned over to kiss her. "You have to, Beth," he said quietly.

She frowned up at him. "You always make things sound so difficult... and after all we've been through, I just want us to be happy."

Her comment wounded the vampire, but he did his best to hide it. "I thought we were happy."

"I am," she amended. "But if you have to keep hiding yourself, denying who you are, how can you be happy with me?" Her blue eyes searched his, desperate to find some sign that he at least understood her. "Maybe you'd be better off with a female vampire where you could really be yourself..." She trailed off unhappily. The very thought was painful.

"That's ridiculous! I don't want to be with some vampire, I want to be with you," he said emphatically. "I'm not hiding, Beth. I'm controlling myself. That's a big difference. And I am happy - happier than I've ever been in my life. I mean that." He bent his head to kiss one ivory shoulder. Picking up her slender arm, he allowed his lips to travel down to the growing purple bruise caused by his accidentally grabbing her earlier. Raising his head, he said, "I will never forgive myself if I hurt you like this again."

Beth rolled her eyes at him. "You wouldn't forgive yourself if something you cooked gave me heartburn!"

Mick threw back his head and laughed, a deep belly laugh that felt good. "Beth Turner, I love you." He hugged her tightly to him - tightly, but carefully.

She nuzzled into him. "Mick St. John, I love you too - even as neurotic and fretful as you can be, I love you."

"Well, it's our bedroom, but in this one area, it has to be my rules. I care too much about you to risk hurting you." One palm brushed over her nipple, eliciting a gasp of pleasure. His voice was low and sultry but the tone made it clear - the matter was not open to debate.

"Okay," Beth just managed to choke out. "Our bedroom, your rules... for now."

His hands moved from breasts to hips, lifting her easily to deposit her on his lap. He held her firmly as his head moved to suck at her breast. "I'm serious," he murmured before turning his attention to her other breast, his tongue licking at her. "No arguing. Agree?"

Beth couldn't talk, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. All she could do was nod wordlessly and bury her hands in his thick hair to pull him more tightly against her.

Mick opened his mouth to take in more of her, the taste and feel of warm, soft flesh filling his head, the sound of her quickening pulse echoing in his ears. She was so beautiful and he'd been lusting after her for so long now...

Strong hands gripped her hips, angling her into position on top of him as he sat propped against the headboard. Gently, he eased himself inside her, hissing at the feel of heated, slick flesh surrounding him, the dull ache of his erection throbbing.

Beth shuddered, her body reflexively responding.

"No," he whispered against her breast, stilling her with those same hands on her hips. If that hot flesh ground against him, he was lost. "Not yet."

Moving his hand around to the small of her back, he pulled her in tightly against him, so that their noses touched. One hand remained on her back, while the other crooked a forefinger under her chin as he lifted his mouth to brush her lips tenderly with his. Every touch, every caress, was precious. He took nothing for granted. Not anymore.

Their bodies were joined, but still, aching with desire, thrumming with lust.

Mick slid his hands up to encircle her waist, holding her in place, keeping her still around him, stroking her... He could hear her heart, pounding so fast he could even see it beneath the delicate skin under her breast. Her rushing blood sounded like a freight train to his hungry senses. I should have drunk more blood... The reality though, he knew, was that there wasn't enough blood in the world to quench his craving for Beth's.

Her small hands pressed hard against his chest. She, too, could feel the drumbeat of his heart under her hands, the rhythm more rapid with each breath, a welcome reminder that he was alive and well.

Slowly, tentatively, Mick moved beneath her, rotating his hips slightly. When Beth responded, he tightened his grip on her waist. "Not yet," he said again. "I want this to last." Forever.

Beth whimpered, but obeyed, her eyes locked on his. His slow, unhurried movements were maddening. Her whole body seemed to be pulsing and it was delicious agony not to move. She tightened her grip on his chest involuntarily, tugging at the fine hairs, wanting more. "Can I at least kiss you?"

"Shhh," he said with a smile, even as he shook his head. "Just wait." His hands moved her ever so slightly on him, the movement almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Beth let out a small squeak, her body shaking with the effort it took to remain still.

Another tiny movement of his hands, her hips. "You are so beautiful." Mick wanted to erase the outside world, forget the memories of what had happened to him, to them. He embraced the fragile hope that if he lost himself in her... made this go on and on... he could keep the world at bay.

The vampire pushed up again and allowed his hands to wander to her breasts, cupping them gently and lightly touching her with his fingertips. They were satiny smooth and soft... so soft... Mick groaned, gritting his teeth.

His need for her was so great, it felt as if he were choking, but still he kept to the slow, intimate movements that were making Beth close her eyes and lean helplessly against him. Loving the feel of her supple skin against his fingers, he ran his hands up over her shoulders and down her arms to her hands, sensually pushing his fingers between hers.

"I... need... to... move," Beth panted down at him, a sheen of sweat on her face, her tongue caught between her teeth.

"No you don't." One hand traveled up to the back of her neck, resting his fingers lightly there and exerting just enough pressure to bring her face down to his. He kissed her gently at first, then more insistently, his tongue touching her lips, then gliding into her mouth, tasting her. Her sweetness reminded him of the flavor of the honeysuckles he used to chew as a child. How was it that he could savor her when food, itself, was tasteless?

She tried again to move and his hand pressed down on her hip. "Don't. Move." He smiled in spite of himself, his mouth still pressed against hers. His Beth. Always impatient. Always in a hurry.

She disengaged her mouth and slid her lips over his cheek. "You're enjoying this," she breathed into his ear.

"Damn straight," Mick growled, allowing himself to drive up inside her with a little more force.

Beth caught her lip with her teeth to stifle the moan that threatened to escape. Okay, two can play at this game, vampire. She traced his ear with her tongue, then shifted to move her lips down to Mick's neck, tasting his skin.

He inhaled raggedly and reached up to bury his hands in her hair and pull her mouth away. "Oh no you don't." With a movement so fast, Beth didn't have time to draw a breath, Mick flipped them over, depositing her on the pillow and positioning himself over her, supported on strong arms. "You are not to be trusted, Miss Turner."

"No, you can trust me," Beth cooed, not yet willing to give up. She made her blue eyes big and round, attempting - and failing - to look innocent.

"Nice try," Mick murmured, torturing both of them by withdrawing until he was barely making contact.

That was too much for Beth.

With unexpected strength, she surprised her lover by abruptly bending her knees and anchoring her legs on his hips, drawing him back to her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him with her whole body. Her mouth next to his ear, she whispered, "Now I have you. You're mine."

I've always been yours. It was his turn to groan as Beth shifted beneath him.

Taking her cue from him, her movements were slow and sensuous as she ground her pelvis against him, pulling him in further, exciting him more.

His brain shut down. The warmth and wetness surrounding him was all he could feel, her arousal all he could smell. Do not vamp, he ordered himself, gritting his teeth. The words ran through his head, stringing together into one long chant. Donotvampdonotvampdonotvamp. His gums itched with the familiar sensation even as his groin throbbed, forcing him to clasp his hands on Beth's slowly undulating hips. "Stop. Just for a minute," he begged.

After all they'd been through together, Beth didn't believe for an instant that Mick would ever harm her, vampire or not. Hadn't he stopped drinking from her when he needed to, even when he was on the brink of death? But until he believed it too… you need to go at his pace.

The eyes that stared at her were several shades lighter than those that had looked down just a few moments before and there was a hunger in them that hadn't been present earlier. In a disconnected corner of her mind, Beth marveled at the speed with which Mick's vampire instincts had taken over.

What must it be like to constantly have to battle against that force? How much strength and force of will would it take to keep that part of you at bay? She could only imagine. Her heart went out to him again.

Beth brought her hands up to his face, her body stilled. "Mick... it's fine. We're fine," she crooned. "I love you."

Tenderly, she stroked his forehead, pushing back hair made wavier by the sweat generated from his superhuman efforts to avoid vamping. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force this before you were ready. I get it. Take all the time you need, I'm right here."

Mick looked down at her gratefully, swallowing hard. His eyes gradually returned to their warm human color.

"Okay?" she asked in a soft voice beneath him, still touching his cheeks.

His response was to slowly drive deeper into her again. As he did, he dropped his head to her breast to lap at the sweat beading there. Salty. She tasted salty and alive. His mouth roamed hungrily over her, licking and kissing.

Beth reached over her head to push her hands against the wood headboard, grateful for its solidness. As he moved slowly within her, she couldn't help choking out, "God, you feel so good..."

"I love you, Beth." The most human he felt was when he was making love to this woman, something he had missed almost as much as the physical pleasure. He wanted this to go on all night, wanted to show her how much he loved her...

He moved his head up to kiss her, seeking out her mouth, his lips moving lightly over hers, barely touching, breathing against her. She whimpered, the sound roaring in his ears, drowning out the beat of her heart. Gradually, Mick parted her lips with his just so he could breathe her air, taste her mouth... The faint echo of scotch was still on her tongue and he sucked it gently, savoring not just scotch, but honey, and wine, and a million other flavors too complex to identify. The effort to be slow and deliberate was becoming overwhelming. Pulling his head back, he studied her, ignoring her soft cry of protest as his mouth left hers.

The vampire's movements gradually grew more insistent. He was panting over her, his arms effortlessly keeping his weight off his lover as he moved. His eyes never left hers, even as they glazed over with lust. He pushed harder, deeper, feeling her muscles tighten around him. Oh god...

Beth felt every move, every twitch. She had made love with Mick enough now to recognize the telltale expression that crept over his face as he approached climax. This was the human Mick's excitement, not the vampire he so dreaded.

The feel of his full weight and body against her was what she craved. Wordlessly, she pulled him down to her again, snaking her arms about his neck and wrapping her legs around his hips again. Her own excitement was so great that she didn't think she could control herself. No, scratch that. She knew she wouldn't be able to. She couldn't wait for him. "Mick," she breathed against his cheek, driving her hips up to meet him, "I have to..."

She didn't finish her sentence - with a sound that was half moan, half cry, Mick buried himself in her scent and feel. Shuddering and gasping, he could feel her muscles tighten and pulse around him as he came inside her. "Beth!" he cried out. His chest rose and fell against her breasts as he gasped for air, caught in the grip of his orgasm. His wavy hair hung in his face, making him look like a teenage boy.

Beth could feel every muscle in her body contracting and tingling. She had never felt like this with anyone else, never had orgasms so intense and prolonged. But then, she'd never been in love like this, never been loved like this...

She closed her eyes and concentrated on Mick. His whole body was so tense it felt as if it were made of wire instead of bone and sinew. Gradually, as she lay wrapped around him, she could feel him begin to relax. Their sweat pooled together between them, their breath mingling, as they panted nose to nose, pressed tightly together.

Running the fingertips of one hand down his spine, she could feel the rigid muscles relaxing under her touch. Stroking his back, she paused to knead the muscles at his neck before pushing her fingers up through his hair to massage his scalp.

His head was pillowed on her shoulder and she pressed it even tighter against her. Even though they'd just made love, been as close as two people can be, she couldn't seem to get her fill of him, wanting to touch and stroke and caress... She could feel herself tearing up as she thought again about how close she'd come to losing him. Get a grip on yourself, Beth. With a conscious effort, she regained control.

"You did good, stud," she managed to tease. "You can relax now."

Mick's laugh was muffled against her shoulder. "I don't think I can do anything except relax after that." He raised his head, a worried look coming into his eyes. "Was it- ? Did you- ?"

"If you ask me if I came, I swear, I'm going to slug you!" Beth tugged on his hair until his eyes were level with hers. "That was incredible, even if you did almost kill me by making me wait like that! And if you can't tell whether a woman is having a good time or faking it by the time you're eighty-five years old, there's no hope for you!"

"Okay, okay, sorry." He grinned down at her, leaning up on one elbow. "Can't blame a guy for checking!" Gradually, his smile faded and he touched her cheek tenderly. "Look, I just need to say this. Thank you for saving my life, Beth. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"You're welcome." Beth's eyes shone with unshed tears as she lifted her head to kiss him. "Purely selfish, you know. No Mick, no incredible sex," she quipped around the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, I've noticed how selfish you are," he responded dryly. "Completely self-centered. You would never consider slicing your arm open to feed a dying vampire, for example." He picked up her forearm and tenderly kissed the fresh pink scar there.

The touch sent a tingle through her body. Beth hated looking at the mark - but not for the reasons Mick might have guessed. It had nothing to do with cosmetics. She could barely remember slicing open her arm, but she could clearly recall the panic and anguish she had felt when she realized he was dying in front of her. Even now, it brought a clutch of fear to her heart.

"What's going on, Beth?" Mick couldn't begin to guess what was going on in her head, but his enhanced senses told him she was upset.

Rolling over onto his back on the bed, he drew her to him, tucking one strong arm under her head so that she was resting on his shoulder. He waited while Beth snuggled against him, and then drew the cover over both of their naked bodies again. "Talk to me," he said quietly, stroking her hair.

There was a long silence while she struggled to gather her thoughts. Her hand rested on his chest and she began again to unconsciously trace the line of his long incision, coming to rest on his stomach, her palm flat against him. "I just- I just keep seeing you, the way you were on that table. I hear you in my nightmares. I'm always afraid..." She halted, swallowing hard. One tear leaked down her cheek to splash onto his shoulder. "I'm afraid I'll wake up and find out that you didn't recover. That this is all the dream and I don't have you anymore."

"I'm sorry for putting you through all this, Beth. Maybe-"

"Don't you dare say it." She raised her head to glare angrily at him. "If you say that I shouldn't have met you - or shouldn't be with you - I'll- ."

"Ouch! Hey!" He grabbed at the hand on his stomach. Without realizing it, her fingers had tightened on the fine hairs running from his navel down to his groin.

"Whoops." Beth smiled faintly, relaxing her hand under his. "Sorry. Your fault though!"

"My fault?! How do you figure?"

"Don't even hint at things like that. The whole reason I'm having these nightmares is because I don't know what I'd do without you!" Raising her head, she wiped her cheek and then swiped at his shoulder with her hand to dry it. "And that makes me mad."

"Mad? At me?"

"No, of course not - even though I am still pissed off that you didn't pay attention to me when I warned you about going to the desert. Remember that discussion?" This time, she punched lightly at his shoulder.

"Ow! What's up with you tonight?" When she shook her blond hair against his shoulder, he hugged her to him again and returned to the topic. Vampire senses or not, he didn't understand where her head was at - and he needed to. "So, why are you mad? And at whom?"

"I'm mad at me!" Beth sat up abruptly, placing both hands on his chest. "Look, I've always been independent. Ever since my mom... well, as I'm sure you know, Mr. Guardian Angel-Stalker, I've had to be on my own. I've gotten used to it and I like being independent. Even with Josh-" She paused as memories of her dead boyfriend flashed through her mind. Blood all over her hands from trying to staunch the flow from his wounds... just like with Mick...

"Beth?" Mick picked up one hand and kissed the palm, holding it tightly to him. "Are you okay?"

I'm anything but okay. But she wasn't going to admit that. To Mick, she responded, "I'm fine. What I started to say was that even with Josh, I still felt completely independent. If he'd decided to end things with me and walked away, I'd have been all right. But..." She hesitated and made a face, as if the words coming out of her mouth were distasteful to her. "But I don't feel that way with you. I feel like I need you. And that scares me and makes me mad at myself." She lay back down and buried her face in his side. It was a hard confession for her to make.

Mick's throat tightened. Not trusting himself to speak, he put a finger under her chin to raise her face to his, kissing her lovingly. Her eyes were closed and the face that had been flushed with ecstasy under him just a few minutes before, now looked sad and worried.

"Look at me, Beth."

The young woman opened her eyes to meet his gaze, his hazel eyes glittering with intensity. And silver.

"I'm fine; we're going to be fine. And I would never ask you to give up your independence or make you do something you don't want to do."

You already have, said that small voice she hated. To be fair, going back to work for Talbot had been more Josef's idea than Mick's. Moving in here, however... That was another situation altogether. Coming to the penthouse had been all Mick's doing. If he'd extended the invitation because he wanted to live with her, it would be different. But doing so just in order for her to be safe... Well, if her moving in for that reason wasn't being dependent, she didn't know what was. Beth choked back the retort that threatened to spill out. This wasn't the time for that particular discussion.

The vampire sensed that there was more. "Beth, listen to me. I'll do whatever you want to do, but I need..." He kissed her again, his lips parting hers for a long embrace. Reluctantly, he finally broke away. Now, he was the one struggling with his emotions. "I need you too. You might think you couldn't get along without me, but you're strong, stronger than anyone I know. You would survive. I'm the one who would be lost. If you need to leave, though, I understand – hell, I should be encouraging you to. This life is dangerous insanity. I know that. I would understand if you don't want to be part of it. And you never lied – you warned me from the very beginning that you weren't sure you could do this."

Beth was frustrated that she couldn't seem to find the right words to make him understand. It wasn't about vampire versus human. It was about loving someone and having the threat of their being taken away always hanging over you. And knowing that would destroy you, too. She sat up, wrapping her arms around bent knees, not looking at him.

"It's not vampires that bother me, Mick. I would feel the same way if I were in love with you as a human. It just scares me to need anyone as much as I do you."

And what about me? I have to watch you grow old and die! His heart ached at the thought his mind was screaming, but he didn't say it. It wouldn't be fair to her. "So," he said instead, working hard to keep his voice steady, "how would you handle this if I were human?"

Beth considered the question, startled. "I hadn't thought about that," she confessed, looking over her bare shoulder at him.

"Maybe that would be a good place to start." He reached out to stroke her long blonde hair. "If being with a vampire - and all that that entails - doesn't bother you, let's just focus on us. I have a dangerous job. And we're just a couple in love, trying to work things out. Right?"

She nodded wordlessly.

He leaned in to kiss that bare shoulder, savoring her taste. "Okay, then. You decide how you want that to go and I won't fight you on it - as long as I can be sure you're safe," he amended quickly. "If you want to move back to your place, just let me put in the kind of security that will keep you safe there. That's all I want." There was a long pause, then he added, "No, that's not true. I want to build a future together, I want to live with you. I love having you here. But if that doesn't work for you, we'll change it."

Beth felt her spirits lift. Just talking about it didn't solve things - and it certainly didn't make her less fearful for Mick's safety - but it was a start. She smiled tentatively. "Can I get back to you on this?"

"Anytime. I'm always here."

"Except for when you're off gallivanting around in the desert with Carl Davis, getting shot!" Beth's smile widened to a grin to take the sting off the words. "One thing I do know for sure..."

"What's that?"

"I'd like another drink, please. A scotch."

Mick guffawed. "I'm afraid I've created a scotch monster. Coming right up."

As he sprang up and headed for the stairs, Beth watched him go, his naked form graceful and powerful. He has no idea how beautiful he is, she thought. Or how wrong he could be – he can't guarantee that he'll always be here. The desert proved that.

In his absence, she allowed tears to flow silently, taking the edge off her emotions. Much of this felt foreign to her - she just wasn't sure how to handle these feelings of need and was one thing, however, that was becoming abundantly clear to her...

The idea of any life without Mick St. John in it was quickly becoming unbearable.

End Song: All Night, Beyonce