Beth's Treasure Box (G) - Challenge #179: Twelve

[MickLifeCrisis]

Disclaimer: I don't own Moonlight or any of its characters
Rated: G
A/N: For the 12 Year challenge


Beth’s Treasure Box


“Bye, Nana! Thanks for the roller blades!” Beth waved as her grandmother walked out the door and down the walk.

“Whew,” her mother said as she shut the door. “The last guest. That was quite the birthday dinner! Now help me clean up the kitchen and maybe you can have a second piece of cake.” Her mother smiled, giving her daughter a wink.

Beth finished drying and put the last dish away in the cupboard while her mother cut two small pieces of cake and carried them to the kitchen table. She sat down and Beth joined her, digging right into her cake.

“Well, how does it feel to be twelve years old now?”

“Okay,” Beth said as she put another forkful of chocolate cake into her mouth. “But I’d rather be thirteen. Then I’d be a teenager!” Beth wiped up the last of the frosting from her plate with her finger and stuck it in her mouth.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t be in such a hurry to grow up,” her mother replied with a tiny sigh.

Beth picked up their plates and carried them to the sink. “Can I try out my roller blades tomorrow?”

“Of course you can! But promise me that you will always wear the protective gear that Nana gave you, too. Every time.”

Beth nodded. “Yes, I will. Now I’m going to take my presents up to my room.”

“And play with that Aladdin hand-held electronic game, I bet!” she said with a laugh as she watched Beth gather up her things. “I’ll be up shortly to say goodnight.”

“Mom, I’m twelve now! You don’t have to tuck me in like I’m a little kid,” Beth said as she headed towards the stairs.

Her mother winced, but thankfully Beth had turned away. She swallowed quickly and then went to her only child, the one she almost lost just eight short years ago. “Hey,” she said softly, putting a hand on Beth’s shoulder. Beth paused and turned around. “Remember what I said about not growing up too fast.” She kissed Beth’s forehead. Beth looked into her mother’s eyes, and then gave her quick kiss on the cheek.

Up in her room Beth put her skates and the mesh bag of gear on the floor in a corner. She walked over to her dresser, pushed aside a Barbie doll and set down the cosmetic bag her mother had given her. All that talk about not growing up too fast and she gives me some make-up! I’ll never figure out mothers, Beth thought to herself. It was only some hair clips, eye shadow, pale lipstick and glitter nail polish, but she couldn’t wait to wear them to school!

Grabbing her new Aladdin electronic game, she headed for her bed and stopped short. There was a wrapped present propped up against Mr. Bunny, her favorite stuffed animal that she still slept with. She immediately ran to her window and looked out. He's been here! He brought me a present! She searched the darkness for several minutes, but saw nothing, so she turned away and went over to the bed. She sat down and picked up the gift. It had the shape and the feel of a book.

Beth was around six or seven years old when she first became aware, through glimpses now and then, of a presence. Oddly enough, she never feared this “someone.” He made her feel safe, and so she came to think of him as her guardian angel. She used to think it was the man who rescued her when she had been taken, but then decided that wasn’t possible. Otherwise, he would have certainly shown himself to her and talked to her, right? She told her mother about him once early on, but she became so alarmed that Beth never mentioned him again. Every so often, she would find a small token or gift left on her bed, and she knew instinctively it was from him. She never mentioned these to her mother either, and kept them hidden in a shoebox in the back of her closet.

Now, she looked at the gift in her hands and began to unwrap it. She tried to think when the last time was that he had left her something. It must have been well over a year ago, she thought. The older I get, the less often he seems to leave things.

A diary! Complete with a lock and key. She had never had a diary before, but liked the idea of writing down her thoughts, hopes and secrets. She looked at the cover and laughed. On the cover was the Pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. She opened it and a slip of paper fell out. He had never written her a note before and she was so excited! She picked it up and read, “Remember you have a super power. An inner strength to do anything you put your mind to, and to become anything you want to be. Happy 12th Birthday!”

Beth held the note close to her heart, and whispered a thank you out loud, wishing somehow he could hear her. Then she grabbed a pen, opened her new diary to the first page, and wrote, “Today was my best birthday ever!”


MLMLMLML


“Hello, sweetheart! Thanks for coming to help.”

“Hi, Mom,” Beth said, giving her mother a hug. She stood back and looked her in the eye. “Are you sure you want to do this? You really want to move?”

“Yes, honey, it’s time. You’re hardly ever home so I don’t need the space and frankly, I don’t want to take care of the yard anymore. I’m ready for a condo.”

“You could hire a landscaping company, you know.”

“Beth. We’ve been over this. I’m moving to the condo and that’s that. Now, here are some boxes and trash bags. Go start in your room.” She gave Beth a playful shove towards the stairs.

Beth walked into her childhood bedroom with the empty boxes and bags. She set them down and looked around. Nothing had changed since she had left for college, and she’d been out on her own for two years since graduating. Posters were still on the walls; stuffed animals still sat on her twin-sized bed; the bulletin board was still full of snapshots; clothes, now out of style, still hung in the closet. She sighed and got to work.

Forty-five minutes later Beth had boxed up books to take to her apartment and had a trash bag full of stuff to throw out. She decided to tackle her closet next. The clothes went into a bag to be donated. She kept some of the shoes and got rid of the rest. She reached up and took down a shoebox from the back of the top shelf, then gasped when she realized what it was.

Sitting down on the edge of her bed she carefully opened her box of treasures. From him; her guardian angel. Lying on top was the diary and she picked it up and smiled. Twelve years old. He gave this to me for my twelfth birthday and I was the happiest twelve year-old on the planet! Another twelve years had passed since then; Beth was twenty-four now. She had written in it at least once a week, even if it was just a line or two. The last time was on her eighteenth birthday. Then she locked it and put it away in the shoebox with the other things.

He didn’t leave her little gifts anymore; not since she had graduated from high school. Once or twice at college she sometimes felt the familiar presence and would glance around. She never saw him, but she would smile anyways and keep walking.

She reached over to her nightstand and took the piggy bank that had sat there next to her lamp ever since she could remember. Removing the cork from the bottom, she shook it out over the bedspread. Out came an assortment of coins – and a small key. Unlocking the diary, she began to read: Today was my best birthday ever!

Over the next hour Beth revisited her teenage years. Sometimes laughing; sometimes wiping a tear or two. When she reached the end she found the note that had come with the diary tucked into the back. He had never written her another note, ever. Just that one when she turned twelve. She unfolded it and read it again, nodding. Yes, I can be anything I want to be. I have a feeling I’ll be a great reporter one day. One day soon, I hope. She tucked the note back between the pages, relocked the diary and put it back into the shoebox. She put the key back into the piggy bank with the change, and placed both the box and the bank in with the books she was taking to her apartment. Carrying the carton downstairs, she wondered where he was now; if he was still out there somewhere. What if he comes back to this house and finds a different family here? She put the box into her car. No, I don’t think that would happen. Somehow, he knows. I don’t know how, but he does. She closed her car door and glanced up and down the street. I wonder if I’ll ever see him. Not just a glimpse, but really see him. Meet him, even. Beth laughed at the idea and headed back into the house.


The End.

[allegrita]

Ohhhh, I love this. I can imagine Beth getting little, mysterious gifts during her childhood... nothing big, just little reminders that she was safe and she had a friend out there. But as she got older, of course he'd stop.

Here we see Beth on the cusp of her professional life, picturing herself in "total Amanpour" mode, the intrepid reporter. And pretty soon, she's going to get her wish!

Thank you so much for this wonderful peek into Beth's life before she met Mick again, MLC!

[Catmoon]

Very nice! Beth getting presents and encouragement from her guardian angel. I can imagine the guilt Mick felt over what had happened to her because of him. He does his best to make up for that. It's definitely a good idea that she didn't tell her mother though. The poor woman was traumatized I'm sure, after almost losing her daughter. Thanks for sharing this with us!

[Lilly]

This is just wonderful, MLC! The entire piece made my heart happy.

You've captured the feeling I have always imagined with Mick just out of sight, but Beth still knowing -- and,of course, being Beth, wondering.

And I have to admit, the idea of Mick shopping for a Pink Power Ranger diary just tickled me beyond words.

[aolver]

I have always loved your stories MLC. Thank you again.

[MickLifeCrisis]

And I have to admit, the idea of Mick shopping for a Pink Power Ranger diary just tickled me beyond words.

HAHAHAHA!! I never even thought of that!

Thank you Alle, Lilly, Catmoon and aolver for reading and commenting. I'm so happy you liked it!

I wasn't exactly sure if Mick would risk leaving little gifts for Beth, but I liked the idea and you all seem okay with it, so let's go with that because it's comforting.

[allegrita]

so let's go with that because it's comforting.

Works for me!

[cassysj]

This is so wonderful. I love the idea of Mick giving her little gifts. Very daring to write a note but I think he wanted to impart some encouragement just before childhood ended, when there is still a little belief in magic.

[MickLifeCrisis]

Thanks for reading and commenting, Carol! I'm glad you liked it!

[moonlightlover60]

Love it! Love all your stories. Yes Beth you will get to meet your guardian angel and soon. Thanks MLC

[MickLifeCrisis]

Yes, she'll meet him soon!

Thanks for reading and commenting, MLL60!

[MickLifeCrisis]

This story hasn't been off of my shelf since it was originally posted over 5 years ago. It occurs shortly before Beth meets Mick (or meets him again ) and that sort of ties in with our Moonlightaholics Anniversary, so I'm bumping it. I hadn't read it again in a long time myself! Enjoy!

[allegrita]

Ooh, thanks for bumping this wonderful story, MLC! This is an awesome peek at Beth at two important cusp points in her life-- just before her teens, and just before her career began. I wonder if she majored in journalism in college...? I love to think that Mick dared to leave her a note just that one time. What a treasure it would be to 12-year-ols Beth! And what an encouragement to go off and dare to live a full life despite her early traumas. (Because even though Beth is very good at building boxes in her mind and shoving the scary memories into them, they are still there!) Maybe that's why she dared to wade into a freezing fountain to get her money shot.

[Ella713]

MLC, this was beautiful! I love how you showed her Guardian Angel (aka Mick ) always being with her. I'd like to think that would be exactly what Mick would do.

[MickLifeCrisis]

This is an awesome peek at Beth at two important cusp points in her life-- just before her teens, and just before her career began. I wonder if she majored in journalism in college...?

In my BJ universe, Beth did study journalism in college, and BJ decided to follow in her mother's footsteps. I recall looking up UC campuses, and came up with UC Berkeley because they were known for journalism. (I think. )

Thanks for reading and commenting, Alle and Ella!