Many, many thanks go out to allegrita for reading through this, cleaning up the mess, letting me bounce ideas off her and just generally being a great cheerleader.
Usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing by my own OC's
NEW PATHS
“Mick. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“I know, Belle...I know I shouldn’t have come to the house, but I had to talk to someone. I have to talk to you.”
“If Mr. Kostan finds out...he’s really pissed at you. If he finds out you were here, he’ll fire me. I can’t go back to the rotation, Mick...it’s taken me so long for Mr. Kostan to see my potential.”
“I know...that’s why I asked you to meet me at the back entrance. Don’t worry, Belle - I’ll take the heat from Josef if he gets wind of my visit. Please, I...I gotta talk to you. I gotta explain why I did what I did. I tried explaining it to Josef, but he just didn’t get it.”
“Alright, alright! Here, come inside - someone might see you and it’s starting to rain.”
“Thanks, Belle.”
“Come along. We can talk in my quarters upstairs.”
“Uhhhh...I don’t think that’s such a great idea…”
“I promise I won’t take advantage of you, Mick.”
“You makin’ fun of me, Belle?”
“I am, and I’ll keep it up if it keeps that smile on your face. Now, come on...you’re perfectly safe in my rooms and no one will bother us. It’s been a slow night at the house, and most of the girls are in bed. Watch that last step - it squeaks.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Come in, Mick...sit down. Would you like a drink?”
“Naw, I’m good. Belle...I don’t know where to start.”
“Well, you can start by telling me why you’ve decided to incur the wrath of Josef Kostan and break the heart of every freshie in L.A. by going off the vein. Mick, you know you’re too young to drink morgue blood...it’s not good for you.”
“Yeah, yeah...Josef makes sure I still get it fresh. I just don’t drink straight from the source anymore. I can’t. It’s...it’s not right, not for me anymore.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“I’m not sure I do anymore either, Belle. But holding that little girl I saved, looking into those big blue eyes, knowing what could have happened to her...I hate that my world touched something so innocent. A monster took her and a monster saved her.”
“You’re not a monster, Mick. You know that.”
“Do I? What I know is that my world and that little girl’s world will never collide again. I’m making damn sure of it.”
“What do you mean, you’re ‘making sure’? Mick, what are you doing??”
“I’m not doing anything! I just...watch her. Protect her.”
“Mick, that’s a dangerous game you’re playing. What if you’re seen? If Mr. Kostan finds out...”
“Josef won’t find out, and she never sees me. I keep to the shadows.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’m a P.I., Belle.”
“Just...be careful.”
“I will, Belle, I promise. This is something I have to do. She saved me.”
“From what?”
“From myself.”
I would love to learn more about Mick's relationship with Belle. They are obviously old friends, and she seems to have a real soft spot for him. (Not that any of us could appreciate that...) 
not to mention trying to tease him out of his dark mood. But she understands him, and realizes that he's hit some sort of turning point here. And she respects his decision, though she doesn't really understand it. She's the kind of friend Mick needs right now. I'm glad she's there for him. 
Poor Mick needed that.
Thanks for giving this a bump, Carol, and thank every one of you that read and commented!