Rated: G
Length: This is a two-shot
Characters: Robert Fordham, Mick, Beth
A/N: This is for the Unfinished Business challenge. Many thanks to PNWgal and Moonlighter for the idea bouncing and feedback.
I could never do this alone. The Photograph on the Wall - Part 2
Beth walked into the living room carrying a cup of coffee for her and a glass of wine which she handed to Mick who was sitting on the couch. She sat down beside him and took a sip of her steaming drink.
“You’ve been awfully quiet this evening. Everything alright?”
Mick put his free arm around her shoulders and pulled her in tightly to his side. “Robert Fordham came to see me today.”
“Robert For…you mean Jacob’s father?” Mick nodded. “What did he want?”
“First, he wanted to give me a picture that Jacob had colored for me; it’s hanging on the file cabinets in my office.”
“That’s sweet! I’ll look at it the next time I stand up,” Beth said. “And second?”
Mick let out a heavy sigh. “He brought me the World War II company picture from his upstairs hallway. The one where I’m standing next to Ray.”
Beth let out a small gasp. “And? What did he say about it?”
“He believed that I was the one in the picture. And that Lilah was in love with me. And he was worried that Ray might not be his father.”
Beth’s hand was shaking as she set her cup down before she dropped it. “How in the world did he jump to all those conclusions?”
Mick removed his arm from around Beth and stood up from the couch. He walked over to his fireplace and stood staring at the flames. Then he told Beth all about the letter from Lilah that Robert found, the brick wall, wanting a DNA test… all of it.
“So I took a swab from his cheek and told him I would take it to the lab along with a sample from me.” He hung his head. “After he left, I took the BioAnalysis report that we already had done, made a copy and changed the dates to next week. I’ll drop it off at his house then. When he realizes that Ray is really his father, hopefully he’ll forget about all the other stuff.”
Beth rose from the couch, walked to Mick and put her arms around him from behind. “You’re thinking about that letter from Lilah, aren’t you?” She felt Mick’s shoulders sag. “It’s okay, Mick. Every person that comes into our lives affects us in some manner. They shape who we become; make us who we are today.” She turned Mick around to face her and held his face between her hands. “You loved her, and now you know she loved you. She wrote that note to unburden her heart, to tell you she loved you and to tell you goodbye so she could devote herself to Ray and her family. But you were always with her in some small way.” Mick closed his eyes as Beth kissed him gently on the lips. “She helped to make you the person I fell in love with.” Mick put his arms around Beth and pulled her in close for a very tight hug.
“You are amazing,” he whispered. “And I love you.”
MLMLMLML
“Mick, please come in,” Robert said, opening the door of his home. Mick could sense how nervous he was.
“Mick!” Jacob yelled and came towards him at a run. Mick scooped him up into a hug.
“Hey there Jacob, how are you buddy?”
“I’m doing great! You should see the fort I built in my backyard!”
“He’ll come see it in a few minutes,” Robert said as Mick set Jacob back on his feet. “You run along out back while we talk and we’ll come out soon.”
“Okay, Dad!” Jacob answered and ran toward the back of the house. Soon they heard a door slam.
“How is he doing?” Mick asked as Robert led them into the living room to sit down.
“It’s amazing. He’s like a new kid. He’s sleeping well and doesn’t line his toys up across his doorway anymore.”
“Glad to hear it,” Mick said. He could tell Robert was anxious to hear about the DNA test results so Mick didn’t delay any longer. He reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out the envelope from BioAnalysis. “I picked up a copy for you and one for me on my way over,” he lied. “Here. I think you’ll be happy about the results.”
Robert took the envelope from Mick and stared at it for a few seconds. Then with a big breath and shaking hands, he opened it and quickly read the lab report. He looked up at Mick with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. “No match. No match to you or your grandfather. My dad is really my dad.”
Mick clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. “Yes, Ray is really your dad. Always was, always will be.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much. This is such… I’m so relieved. And happy.” He suddenly jumped up and took an envelope out of a drawer. “This is for you.” Mick took the envelope and looked inside. He recognized the letter from Lilah. The letter to him. “I thought you might like to have it.”
Mick was at a loss for words. “Are you sure?” He finally managed to say.
“Yes,” Robert said with confidence. “It’s as much a part of your family history as it is mine. And I don’t want Jacob to find it someday and wonder where he really came from, like I did. I’ve reread it several times and I finally understand. I always knew the story about my dad being declared dead when he was really in a coma without any dog tags. And how he came back and surprised everyone. But I never thought about what my mother would have gone through all that time, thinking he had been killed. Now I understand that she needed someone to cry with and to hold on to. And apparently your grandfather was not only my dad’s best friend, but he was a friend to my mother when she needed one. And I’m grateful for that.”
Mick swallowed the lump in his throat and stood up to shake Robert’s hand. “Thank you. It means a lot to me to have this piece of family history. More than I can say.”
“You know,” Robert said as they began to walk slowly toward the back of the house. “They say that every person who comes into our lives helps to shape the person we become in the future.” Mick stopped in his tracks and stared at Robert. “And I’m glad that the Fordhams and St. Johns crossed paths. Back then, and now.”
“I am too, Robert,” Mick said sincerely. “Now, let’s go see Jacob’s fort.”
MLMLMLML
When Beth heard the familiar tap--ta-tap-tap-tap she didn’t need vampire senses to know who was at her door. She opened it wide to let Mick in.
“Hey,” she said. “How did it go with Robert?”
“Hey, yourself,” Mick said as he entered and Beth shut the door behind him. He turned to face her. “It went well. Jacob ran and jumped up into my arms!”
“Aww…” Beth said with a smile.
“Robert said he’s doing great now. Sleeping well and everything. Jacob wanted me to go into the backyard to see the fort he had made.”
“That’s good news. I’m glad he’s doing okay. But what about Robert? What happened with that?” Beth asked as they made their way over to Beth’s sofa and sat down.
“He was very happy to find out there was no DNA match and that Ray was really his father. I could feel the weight just lift from him. I don’t think he’ll bring up any of that other stuff again.”
“Even better news!” Beth exclaimed.
Mick stopped smiling and turned very serious. “And,” he paused as he reached into his coat pocket. “He gave me Lilah’s letter. To keep.”
It took Beth by surprise. “To keep?” she asked, looking at the letter. “Why?”
“Robert said it was part of my family history too and he wanted me to have it so that Jacob wouldn’t find it someday and start wondering the same things he had.” Mick looked down at the letter in his hand, and then up at Beth. “I want you to read it.”
“Are you sure?” Beth asked even as she reached for the letter. Mick nodded so she opened it carefully and read it to herself. “That’s a lovely letter, Mick,” she said softly as she folded it back up and handed it to him.
“This, this isn’t going to cause a problem between us, is it?” he asked without looking at her.
Beth put her hand around Mick’s neck and pulled him closer so she could kiss his cheek. “Of course not, Mick. There was a time in your life when you loved Lilah. There was a time in my life when I loved Josh. Those rivers of tears carried us to each other. All that matters is us, right here, right now.”
Hearing her repeat his own words back to him made Mick look at Beth and smile. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” Mick asked, pulling her close.
“I never tire of hearing it.”
“I love you. Thank you for…for not… you know. For not being jealous or freaking out about all this.”
“I love you too. And there’s no sense in being jealous of a ghost,” she added. Mick looked down at the letter again and nodded.
“You know, Robert said the same thing you did. That the people we meet in our lives make us who we are today,” Mick said.
“I knew there was a reason I liked him,” Beth replied with a grin, lightening the mood. Mick smiled and kissed her.
“Okay, I need to grab some freezer time,” he said as he stood up and pulled Beth to her feet as well. “But I’ll come back over tonight, alright?”
“I’ll be waiting,” Beth said and kissed him goodbye at the door.
MLMLMLML
When Mick entered his loft he went straight to his office and took out the photo album that held Lilah’s picture. Taking the letter out of his pocket he read it one more time, then folded it back up and carefully tucked it behind Lilah’s picture. He stared at it for a minute, then kissed his fingertips and placed them gently on her face. He closed the album, put it away, and headed upstairs to his freezer.
The End
Maybe, knowing that Robert and Beth hold no grudges toward him will help Mick forgive himself for falling in love with Lilah. I hope so. 
