8. Compline (nine p.m.) - PG

[AussieJo]

Lovely Red.
Our darling Mick, opening up to his 'ordinary' life.
I could see it too, Beth scowling, Mick's calming influence, their sudden, impulsive move to the balcony/roof.
It was beautiful.
Now we can read the series complete.

[redwinter101]

Luxe, your comment made me SO happy, because it was that lightness I was really going for. Throughout the show, there were so many moments when Mick was funny and light and playful and I'd hate to lose that memory. I also liked the idea of Mick and Beth having reached the point where they can argue like normal people and it's not the end of the world.

seamus, thank you. Delighted you liked it.

PNWgal, thank you, sweetie. I write lots of stuff about Mick and home - because I think it encapsulates all that he's lost (the people, the places, the dreams, the hopes) and the thought of finding it again, somehow, squeezes my heart. I've said it before, but I'll say it again - if ever someone deserved a little happiness, however normal and mundane it may seem, it's Mick. And I'm so delighted that so many of you could picture Mick dancing in the rain.

toria, oh you're so welcome! I'm sorry you had a bad day, but I'm delighted this cheered you up.

francis, Wouldn't it be a lovely ending? Happy, peaceful, together. I hope you come back for a re-read - but that you don't have to have a crappy day to do so.

AussieJo, funny you should say that, because once this was finished, I went back and read the series through in one go (not something I often do) to see how it worked. I certainly hit some variety... Thanks so much for reading and commenting - you're a doll, as always.

Red

[Shadow]

I'm a little sad ... seeing the last of this wonderful series.
But what a lovely way to end! Such a simple, ordinary moment, which must be so heavenly for Mick.
I particularly loved his description of an ordinary day. Mick hasn't had much opportunity for "ordinary" over the years - it's no wonder he decided to make a celebration out of it!
And I loved the image of the the two of them getting drenched in that downpour....

[allegrita]

Oh, Red...

What a perfect ending to this series. I see this as an alternate universe to Homecoming... in which Mick and Beth find happiness in the FoS as a couple, just the two of them. Beth joining Mick in that environment, and making it her own, in a way...

I love this as the culmination of your series, which has featured such deep themes. Not to say that this isn't a deep theme, because it is. It's maybe the deepest theme of all, in a way... the theme of finding joy in the mundane, of appreciating the small things because you've lived a life where those small things aren't available to you. Mick is so mature here. He's learned so many valuable lessons. And the very fact that he's with the woman he loves, living a relatively normal life, is enough to make him serenely happy.... well, I'm happy right along with him.

And Mick twirling in the rain? You've made my year, honey. You've made my year. And Beth's too.

[redwinter101]

Shadow, what can I say? I'm a sucker for a happy ending (most of the time).

alle, bless you, honey - I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

Red

[fairytoes]

I'll keep this short... I. Absolutely. Loved. It.

Thank you for this wonderful story Red.

[redwinter101]

for fairytoes. Thanks so much.

Red

[Moonlighter]

Okay, so I'm not that far behind on this one!

What an extraordinary ending to your Divine Series, Red! Mick and Beth, happy at home as an ordinary couple, just as it should be. And how wonderful Beth must feel after her crappy day to come home to a man who can hear her out, sympathize, and then literally wash away all those worries and cares in a cleansing rainstorm. Absolutely dreamy!!

And since you know how much I adore Mick, you know this just brought a big ole lump to my throat as I imagined it:

Mick tilted his face up to the sky, eyes closed, arms stretched wide, twirling a circle, his smile deep and warm. Cooled by the rain, cares forgotten, Beth stared as he moved, lost in his own rhythm. Her breath caught in the surging ache at the back of her throat and she moved to him, hands reaching, halting his dance of delight, pulling him to her, resting her head against his chest.

100% glorious.

Okay, so Red -- as we conclude this wonderful series, does this mean the brainstorming starts for a new series to develop? I don't know how useful I would be, but if you're looking for some new material, I'd be more than happy to help. But thank you so much for this!

[redwinter101]

100% glorious.

Thank you so much, honey. That's lovely.

And PNW -- girl, you know I love you, but I couldn't help wonder if this was a subtle nudge:

She turned in his arms, pressing over him, filling the space between, "When did you get so smart?"

LOL!! Because if it isn't a subtle nudge from Red, then it's a from me!!

Okay so colour me confused. I have no idea what this has to do with PNW (I went back and re-read her comments but I'm at a loss) and I promise I'm not nudging anyone about anything.

Okay, so Red -- as we conclude this wonderful series, does this mean the brainstorming starts for a new series to develop? I don't know how useful I would be, but if you're looking for some new material, I'd be more than happy to help. But thank you so much for this!

I see you've found 24 - and there's another whole series, Knowledge is Power, that was written after this - but if there's ever anything you think of for a story, please, please, please do drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do. 'K?

Red

[Moonlighter]

And PNW -- girl, you know I love you, but I couldn't help wonder if this was a subtle nudge:

She turned in his arms, pressing over him, filling the space between, "When did you get so smart?"

LOL!! Because if it isn't a subtle nudge from Red, then it's a from me!!

Okay so colour me confused. I have no idea what this has to do with PNW (I went back and re-read her comments but I'm at a loss) and I promise I'm not nudging anyone about anything.

OOPS! Please disregard that comment -- wrong author!!! I'm following PNW's Losing Beth and confused that with Starbuckjunkie's The Space Between -- so never mind!! (*Moonlighter wanders off to refer to her fanfic index again...*)

[jen]

This popped back up to the top of Active Topics so I read it again.

Glorious is a great word for it.

The deeply satisfying nature of an ordinary day; the joy of the familiar; and the delight of choosing to be together--all combine here into a splendid conclusion to the series.

This time through, I was struck by the almost musical feel to this--Beth, swept up in reacting to the negatives she encounters in her day, and Mick, patiently enduring and relishing the ordinaryness of everything--are perfect counterpoints for each other.

The description of the cooling thunderstorm and Mick's dance on the roof were lovely.

Thanks again!

Jenna

[redwinter101]

How lovely! Thanks, jen.

Red

[jen]

So lovely.

I would gush about it for a couple of paragraphs but I was gushing about it back less than two months ago and I have to ration the gushing.

Don't exactly know why.

Mick has gained the perspective over his 85+ years to appreciate sum of all the little details the day presented--a good day. He had seen enough pain to tell the difference.

The moment when the rain came was lovely on so many levels--the end of the oppresive heat and humidity, the charge in the atmosphere was released and the world washed clean, if only for a moment.

A lovely moment. {And it seems I managed to gush for a couple of paragraphs again. Hopeless.}

Thank you.

Jenna

[redwinter101]

Oh gush away to your heart's content, honey. Gush, gush, gush.

Red

[loveyoumick]

This was wonderful to read. The first time months ago, and now again. I find myself coming back to this, sometimes, just when I'm spending too much time thinking about the pain Mick endured since his turning. Then, I remember this story, where you give Mick the ability to be in peace with himself, because now he sees clearly how beautiful his life has become, thanks to his love for Beth and their "ordinary " days, and I come here to be comforted that now, whatever parallel universe they're living in, he's ok. Thank you Red.