On Ice [part 4/4] PG13

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NocturneInCMoll
Logan's WoW nemesis
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On Ice [part 4/4] PG13

Post by NocturneInCMoll »

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


On Ice — Part 4

Josef used his remote entry key to let him and Beth into Mick’s penthouse and headed straight for the bar to pour himself a stiff drink, which he downed in one shot.

“Where is he?” Beth asked softly, broken.

“I put him in his freezer.” Josef threw himself onto the couch. “Upstairs, gray door.” Beth nodded once and dragged herself towards the stairs.

Josef couldn’t go up there right now. Not again. Not yet. He couldn’t see his best friend lying there as if he were about to wake up—like Sarah. Not when he wouldn’t wake up—like Sarah. He’d turned others—why couldn’t he seem to turn anyone he loved? He’d killed his girl and his best friend. He’d killed them—and not in the good way.

“I killed my girl and my best friend,” Josef murmured out loud, his face crumpling in grief. He kept his eyes clamped shut, not wanting to look at anything that would remind him of Mick or of the turning gone wrong—but his nose that betrayed him.

“I can still smell him, it’s like he’s still here...” He heard Beth upstairs, struggling to lift the heavy freezer lid.

Wait a minute—it wasn’t human Mick he smelled, it was vampire Mick. His brow furrowed. But Mick had been a human the last few days—the vampire smell should be stale by now.

Upstairs, Beth screamed. Josef’s eyes snapped open and he jumped straight up off the couch, ready to bolt to her side.

Which he would have done, had Mick St. John not been standing right in front of him.

He froze. Beth rushed to the top of the stairs. “Josef, it’s empty! He’s not in his—”

Josef and Mick looked up at her.

“Mick?!” She gasped in disbelief and took a couple steps down the stairs. “Is it really you?”

“It’s me, I’m okay. I’m a vampire again, but I’m okay,” Mick smiled. He stretched out his hand to her. She ran down the rest of the stairs.

But instead of running into Mick’s open arms, Beth charged straight at Josef. “You! You said he was dead!” she shrieked, slapping his face and pounding his chest with her fists. “Was this your idea of a sick joke?! I thought he was gone—forever!”

Josef, mouth still hanging open in shock, allowed her tirade, letting her hit and yell at him, until Mick came up behind her and pulled her off.

“Shh, Beth,” Mick soothed her and held her close. Josef just stood there, mouth gaping.

“I thought he—I thought you—you were in a coma, Mick! Like Sarah. I thought you weren’t going to wake up,” Josef stuttered.

Beth looked up at Mick. Mick shrugged.

“I don’t know what happened, man. I woke up in my freezer about 10 minutes ago and you were gone. I had no idea how I’d ended up in there, but I saw the weapons missing and figured you’d gone to take on Anders in my stead. So I went after you. But when I drove out of the parking garage, I saw your Ferrari parked on the street. I ran back up, and here you are.

“My only theory is that the cure must have delayed my regaining consciousness somehow after you re-turned me. Coraline only changed back into a vampire when she was dying as a human—I’d probably have bounced back faster had you just snapped my neck or something.”

Beth burrowed deeper into Mick’s embrace. “I’m just so glad you’re alive,” she whispered tearfully as he kissed her hair.

Josef just stood there, shaking his head in disbelief. “All that for nothing!”

“Pardon, Josef?” Mick raised an eyebrow.

“If I had waited two more hours, you could have gone and rescued Beth and that pansy, Talbot, while I sat on my ass and sipped a fine vintage, but nooooooo—you had to make me think you were comatose, and while I was off taking on three vamps at once and rescuing YOUR humans, you were tucked into your freezer, all nice and cold and having a pleasant little nap!”

Mick grinned. “Oh come on, are you saying you didn’t have the least bit of fun?”

“Well…” Josef shrugged nonchalantly, but Mick could see the corners of his mouth struggling not to turn up. “It would have been more fun if you were there,” he said so quietly even Mick’s ears almost didn’t pick it up.

“Oh, so you did care when you thought I was in a permanent coma. Because from your little speech just now, I wasn’t sure,” Mick teased, taking the rare opportunity to force Josef to display some serious emotions.

“I…expressed regrets.” Josef poked a speck of dust on the wall.

“He cried.” Beth cut in in a loud whisper.

Josef glared at her. “So did you. But thanks. Thanks for that.”

She grinned wickedly, then scowled back at him. “That was for making me think he was dead,” she hissed.

Josef rolled his eyes. “What, the hitting and the yelling wasn’t enough revenge for you? And didn’t we just go over this? I really thought he was dead, essentially. And, as you seem to be so conveniently forgetting, I was grieving, too—but no, that doesn’t seem to matter to you, even after I rushed off to save your little human ass and ruined a perfectly good Armani suit in the process.” He brushed invisible dirt off his suit jacket and groused, “That’s the last time I rescue you, Blondie, whether Mick’s alive, dead, or undead.”

Beth grabbed Josef’s hand and kissed him on the cheek.

Mick was grinning at the two of them. “Josef, you cried over me? Really?”

Josef rolled his eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“I cried over you too, man, that time I thought you were dead.” He smiled at Josef and enveloped him in a masculine hug. “Thanks for re-turning me, brother. And for rescuing my Beth.” He pulled back and clapped Josef on the shoulder. “I’ll buy you a new suit.”

“Yeah, you will,” Josef grumbled. But he then smiled at his friend. “I’m glad you’re not dead dead, Mick.”

“Believe it or not,” Mick said, “me too.”

“…Because otherwise, who would we tell about Talbot?!”


Le end.
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francis
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Re: On Ice [part 4/4] PG13

Post by francis »

Now the grief is finally taking. Sniff.
I just knew you would keep Mick alive, I just knew it.
Still bawled.
And of course Josef would turn this around and snark at Mick for making him dirty his hands. Bwahahahaha!
Fine end. Thank you for this story. A real roller coaster.
NocturneInCMoll
Logan's WoW nemesis
Posts: 987
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:27 pm
Location: British Columbia

Re: On Ice [part 4/4] PG13

Post by NocturneInCMoll »

Sorry to make you bawl, Francis, but that was my goal--that and making you laugh as well. Glad you enjoyed the rollercoaster! :)

Thank you for your lovely comments.
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allegrita
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Re: On Ice [part 4/4] PG13

Post by allegrita »

Nocturne, I loved this story! I apologize for not leaving comments in the earlier chapters, I was just whizzing through them because I couldn't wait to find out what happened. This is really well done, and an excellent "what if" concept. You have a great Josef snark...it's not easy to capture his voice properly, and you really did. And you've managed to make Talbot into a sympathetic character, which isn't easy either.

Thanks!
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NocturneInCMoll
Logan's WoW nemesis
Posts: 987
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 8:27 pm
Location: British Columbia

Re: On Ice [part 4/4] PG13

Post by NocturneInCMoll »

Thank you so much, Allegrita! No need to apologize for not leaving comments on the other chapters, I do that too when I'm reading completed stories :oops: I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I always seem to be doing what-ifs. There's also a brief sequel to this, and all I can say is, "Oh, Josef" and "Poor Talbot." ;)
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