Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

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Kelly
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Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by Kelly »

Disclaimer: I own no rrecognizable characters, sets, etc.
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Mick, Beth, Josef, Simone, OC's
Warning: Mild suggestive content


Note: This was my Gala entry, so it has a Halloween theme.


Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble



Had it really been four years? Four years! The idea was unfathomable to Mick. Four years ago to the day, on Halloween night, he had stood next to Beth as she had given birth to the twins. Despite Mick’s abnormally long life, he had never before witnessed anything like it. He had gazed on, fascinated at the miracle before his eyes.

In retrospect, however, Beth took pleasure in disagreeing with him and always brought up the fact that he couldn’t imagine such agony. He would always let her win the argument, but inside he couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, and being shot, stabbed, and broadsided by a speeding vehicle was fun,” he would think jokingly to himself.

Neither of them, however, could deny that the twins, Eliot and Olivia, had brought more joy to their lives than they had ever imagined possible. The first time Mick had held them, one in each arm, the synchronous beating of their little hearts against his chest, had been the most amazing moment of his life. Even though his few brief months as a human had already faded into a memory, he had never felt more completely alive than at that moment. Looking into their faces and seeing glimpses of his own likeness had been a moment beyond description. Nothing he had ever experienced could compare to the emotion he had felt as he stared into the newborns’ peaceful faces and saw his own eyes, blue and shining, staring back at him. Beth, of course, was right there with Mick through it all, half laughing and half crying at the sight before her. She had never seen Mick so happy, so complete, and she felt exactly the same.

Every day since then, they gave thanks for their little family, and Mick took great comfort in knowing that every time he walked through the front door, their grinning faces and laughing cries of “Daddy!” were always there to greet him.

“Daddy…” Mick thought to himself with an incredulous smile. That was a sound he never thought he would ever hear. Even after four years, he was still in a state of disbelief that this was not just some wonderful dream. However, all he needed was to gaze into their faces for the assurance he needed. In them, he recognized so much of Beth and himself. Eliot, who more closely resembled Beth, had her soft blonde hair and gentle features. However, he was more like Mick in disposition, as he was generally very thoughtful and soft-spoken. Olivia, on the other hand, had inherited Mick’s dark curls but was as fiery and inquisitive as her mother. The two were so different; they barely seemed like siblings, let alone twins. However, they shared one noticeable feature: the most piercing, deep-blue eyes Mick had ever seen.

After over fifty years, Mick had finally ceased to hate what he was, and it was all thanks to his little family. This curse that he had spent so long despising had actually given him the greatest gift he could imagine. This gift was not his eternal life, but something else—something he hadn’t expected to find—love. His abnormally long youth had given him his life with Beth and the twins. Remembering the years he had spent worrying about entirely losing his humanity, Mick couldn’t help but smile, because he now realized that that was impossible. Even though he possessed the physical body of an immortal, he felt more alive now than he had felt while he was still human. Beth and the twins had given him life…they were his life. And they were his soul.

Tonight was a very special night; not only were the twins celebrating the “momentous occasion” of turning four, but this would be their first time trick or treating. And Mick could hardly wait. He had waited over fifty years to experience life as a father, and he was enjoying every minute of it. “You’ll spoil them,” Beth would say. He probably would, but it didn’t stop him. In his eyes, nothing was too much for the two little lives that had given his so much. The twins, however, had already learned that Mick was the one to go to when there was something they wanted.

So here he sat waiting. It was already getting dark outside, but the twins still weren’t ready. Beth had herded them upstairs over an hour ago to get their costumes on, but he hadn’t heard from them since, except for the usual raucous of little racing feet and high-pitched giggling. And then, of course, there was the occasional “Hey!” or “That’s mine!” These, in turn, were always closely followed by a “MOM!” Everything, however, had been quiet upstairs for about ten minutes, so he had to wonder what shenanigans those two were getting themselves into. Whatever it was, they had better not let Beth find them.

“How’s it going up there?” Mick called up the steps.

“It’s…coming,” came Beth’s muffled response, “just give us two minutes.” Mick couldn’t hold back a sigh, as he remembered the night the twins had been born. “Just give us two minutes,” Beth had said then too, and the twins hadn’t been born for another three hours.

Finally, however, after ten minutes, Beth appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

“’bout time,” Mick grumbled, faking exasperation while concealing a smile.

“Honestly, Mick,” Beth teased, “you’d think you’d have gained some patience in ninety years.”

Mick replied silently by rolling his eyes playfully, “So are they ready now? It’s nearly six.”

“Uh huh,” Beth replied and then leaned over to whisper, “they’re waiting to surprise you,” before waving him off to a chair with its back to the stairway. Mick sat down but not before glancing over his shoulder to see Beth motioning upstairs for the twins to come down.

Feigning ignorance, Mick pretended to read the book he had swiped off a shelf as he crossed the room moments before. While he didn’t let on, Mick could distinctly make out the faint shuffle of their little feet as they crept towards him. Suddenly, two pairs of tiny hands grabbed his shoulders, and Mick allowed a sharp gasp to escape his lips, as he faked surprise at this “unexpected” attack. His reaction immediately caused them to erupt into giggles and tumble clumsily into his lap.

“Gotcha, Daddy! Yeah, we gotcha!” they squealed in unison.

“Yes, you got me,” Mick smiled, “Now let me get a look at you two.” At that he held them at arm’s length, and could not refrain from smiling at what he saw. Before him were the two most adorable vampires he had ever seen. They were both dressed in black with black, silk capes with red collars draped over their shoulders. Their usual ruddy complexions were paled with white powder and Eliot’s blonde hair was slicked straight back. In their mouths, they showed off their pretend fangs proudly.

“Well, look at you,” Mick chuckled and hugged them tightly.

“Yeah, look at us! Look at us!” they giggled and jumped from Mick’s lap and began dancing and laughing gleefully around the room.

“So what do you think?” Beth asked mischievously, as she sat down on the arm of Mick’s chair and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“They look great…a little stereotypical though, don’t you think?” Mick teased.

“Yeah,” Beth agreed and chuckled, “But what can I say? They wanted to be like their daddy…and the costume store was all out of vampire P.I.s”

Mick didn’t reply, just pulled her into his lap and kissed her lovingly. Beth, however, pulled away when she remembered that they had an audience.

“What’s the matter?” Mick asked, and Beth motioned towards the two inquisitive faces watching them.

“Ah,” Mick observed and waved for the twins to come over. Then he leaned down and whispered something in their ears—something that made them take off running and laughing.

“What’d you tell them?” Beth asked suspiciously.

“Doesn’t matter,” Mick replied and kissed her again, deeper and more passionately than before.

“So, where’s your costume?” Mick asked when their kiss finally broke, “you told me that you bought one.”

“Oh,” Beth responded with a wicked grin, “My costume is for later.”


Trick or treating was nothing like what Mick had expected. It was definitely much different than he remembered it, or maybe it was just his different perspective. Honestly, he couldn’t imagine how Beth was remaining so calm. He was anything but. The twins were everywhere—racing from house to house at a speed that could rival his own. In his excited anticipation of this night, the thought of losing track of them had never once crossed his mind. But now, it was all he could think about. The worst was when they would join a group of other children, and Mick would momentarily lose sight of them in the swirl of taffeta princess gowns, shining metal suits of armor, fuzzy kitten costumes, and rubber goblin masks.

“Calm down, Mick,” Beth would laugh, “you’re being ridiculous. Whatever happened to your perpetual coolness?”

Mick had to chuckle at that, “You’re right. I’m just being paranoid.”

Just then, the twins came racing up to them, their plastic pumpkins overflowing with sweets and bouncing with every step.

“Can we? Please, can we?!” they pleaded insistently, nearly out of breath from the excitement.

“Wait a second. Can you what?” Beth asked, smiling at their enthusiasm. However, she was also highly suspicious.

“A spook house,” Olivia piped up.

At the same time, Eliot pointed across the street towards a large, dark house obscured by billows of artificial fog, “Look!”

“We want to see the monsters…please take us!” Olivia added, taking charge.

“Oh, I don’t think so, sweetsie,” Beth replied, “You two are a little young. Haunted houses are meant for big kids.”

“But we are big kids…we’re four,” Olivia insisted, and both she and Eliot raised themselves on their tiptoes, so they appeared taller. Their innocence tugged at her heart, but she remained firm.

“I’m so sorry, honey,” she responded gently, “maybe next year.” She couldn’t help thinking how much she sounded like her own mother; she couldn’t stand saying no to them, when they looked so adorable. What happened next was not unexpected in the least; Olivia skipped over towards Mick, dragging Eliot along by the hand, and threw her little arms around his legs. Clinging tightly, she gazed up into his face and a soft, pleading, “Daddy?” escaped her lips. That was all it took…Mick was a lost cause.

“Come on, Beth,” Mick spoke on the twins’ behalf, “what can it hurt?”

“Fine…you want to take them in. Just know that you’re going to be the one sitting up with them at night to protect them from the Boogey Man.”

Mick chuckled at her sarcasm, “First of all, I’ll be up anyway, if you’ve forgotten. Second, you know as well as I do that they are not frightened of monsters.”

“We’ll see,” Beth observed, and the four of them crossed the street and approached the house. Mick guided the twins inside but halted and turned around when he realized that Beth was not following them.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“Uh uh, you’re on your own on this one, Daddy,” she was teasing, but Mick could sense the warning in her words, “Have fun.”


Mick didn’t know what Beth was so worried about. They had been inside for about fifteen minutes, and the twins were having the time of their lives, dashing enthusiastically from one monstrous exhibit to the next. However, Mick found it slightly unnerving how calmly and cheerfully they reacted to some of the more gruesome sights.

“Hey Daddy?” Olivia asked as they stood before a very realistic werewolf, “Is wolf man real too?”

“No sweetsie, wolf man is not real,” Mick assured her.

By far the twins’ favorite exhibit was a mannequin dressed up as Dracula.

“Look, Daddy!” they both exclaimed when they saw it, and proceeded to
examine it closely.

“You know what, Daddy?” Eliot piped up, “You don’t look the same.”

“Really?” Mick humored them, quite relieved that they didn’t see him as a monster.

“Yeah…” Olivia confirmed Eliot’s observation, “…you need a cape.”


Beth stood outside waiting. They had been inside for nearly twenty-five minutes, and there was no sign of them. She honestly hadn’t predicted that the twins would make five minutes, let alone twenty-five. However, after five more minutes, Mick appeared at the front door, a tear-streaked twin in each arm.

“Aw, Mick,” Beth observed, as she dug around in her purse for some Kleenex, “I told you it was a bad idea.” She then began drying their wet faces and kissed their cheeks, “Are you two okay?”

“Nooo!” they cried out together, “It was going to get us…it wanted to eat us!”

“Oh, you’re fine now,” Beth hugged them and then took Eliot into her arms, “Come on, Mick. I think we should get away from all this scary stuff. It’s too much for them. Besides, we’re supposed to be at Josef’s in a half hour.”

“Okay,” Mick agreed and they began walking down the driveway, “let’s go.”

“So what was it?” Beth asked curiously.

“What was what?” Mick replied.

“What scared them,” she responded.

“Oh,” Mick chuckled, “To be honest, they were thrilled by all the monsters. They were fine—having the time of their lives until…”

“Until?” Beth prompted him.

“Until,” Mick sighed but then began laughing softly, “they caught sight of the family’s German shepherd.”


By the time they arrived at Josef’s the twins were back to their usual bubbly selves. When they walked in, Josef and Simone were there to greet them. Setting the twins on the ground, Mick and Beth watched as Eliot and Olivia raced towards them excitedly.

“Look at us, Uncle Josef! Look at us! We’re vampires…like you and Daddy!” the twins adored Josef, and Mick could tell that the feeling was mutual. Josef doted on the two four-year-olds like a second father, and Mick often worried that his friend’s lavish gifts would spoil them. Nevertheless, whenever they were with Josef, Mick always felt certain that they were in good hands. Josef had never struck Mick as the “fatherly” type, but there was no doubt in his mind that Josef would protect the twins with his life. However, Mick was also quite certain that many of the twins’ mischievous antics could be traced back to “Uncle Josef.”

“Hey squirts,” Josef greeted them and ruffled their hair, “You look like you’re ready for some freshies.”

“Josef!” Mick and Beth shouted in unison.

“Relax guys,” Josef chuckled and then again directed his attention towards the young children, “Come on, you two. There’s a surprise for you in the other room.” Eliot and Olivia scurried after Josef and Simone, who led the way. Mick and Beth followed closely behind, slightly suspicious, and were astounded by what they found: Josef’s parlor was transformed into mystical theater with a raised platform in the middle for a stage.

“What is this, Josef?” Mick asked curiously.

“I hired a magician as their birthday gift. He’s the best in all of LA—no skimping on this special day,” he winked at the twins’ astonished faces.


The show was amazing—even Mick was impressed and enjoyed the show immensely. Normally, his vamp senses could always pick up on what the magician was doing, but this guy was good. Each trick was flawless, leaving Mick as bewildered as the others. The twins, especially, enjoyed the show. Sitting right at the foot of the stage, they remained quietly fixed throughout.

“You two look wiped,” Josef observed after the show ended. However, his observation was not directed at the twins; they were as hyper as ever, dancing around and giggling. Instead, it was directed at Mick and Beth. “Rough day?”

“You could say that,” Mick responded.

“I tell you what…why don’t you let the twins stay the night? You guys look like you could use the break,” Josef suggested.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Beth responded cautiously.

“It’ll be fine…and Simone would love it,” Josef was being persistent.

“Well…” Beth was still unsure.

“Come on, Be…” Mick began but was cut off by Beth.

“You don’t get a say in this one, Mick,” she interrupted, but her tone was teasing, “not after the haunted house.” She thought for another minute, but hesitantly agreed to Josef’s offer.


The house was quiet, empty without the twins. Beth had nearly forgotten what it was like to be alone in the house with Mick, so when he kissed her right out in the open, she resisted as usual.

“What’s the matter?” Mick asked although he knew the answer, “You’re forgetting that we’re alone.”

“How is it that you make that sound dirty?” Beth teased, and Mick leaned down and kissed her. The kiss left her breathless; however, she no longer felt tired.”

“Come on,” Mick took her hand and led her towards their room where he continued kissing her all over. Her mouth, her neck, her wrists—his lips left her skin tingling wherever they touched. Mick tried to pull her over towards the bed, but she resisted.

“Wait here,” she left a lingering kiss on his lips before heading for the closet. She emerged seconds later with a lacy, black witch hat atop her head and a white bag in her hand. “I told you that my costume was for later,” she said, her tone sultry. Moving back to Mick, she straddled his lap and kissed him again. However, she quickly broke their kiss; reaching into the bag she had brought with her, she drew out a silky, black cape, identical to those the twins had worn except for its larger size. She fastened it around his shoulders but was surprised to see Mick trying to contain his laughter.

“What’s the matter?” she asked innocently.

“They said I needed a cape,” Mick laughed and proceeded to explain what the twins had said to him while inside the haunted house.

“They did have a good time today, didn’t they?” Beth observed with a giggle.

“Yeah,” Mick agreed and then added with a wicked grin, “You know, I still have some of the compound. Care for any more?”

“Mick!” Beth squealed playfully and pushed him back onto the bed, “Don’t even think about it.”

Mick leaned upwards and silenced her with a kiss, long and passionate.

“So…Mick,” Beth teased, still breathless, “It’s Halloween night. Now where’s my vampire?”

At her words, Mick allowed his eyes to glaze over and his fangs to descend.

“Ah,” Beth spoke softly, “found him.”



Happy Halloween
Last edited by Kelly on Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Fleur de Lisa
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble

Post by Fleur de Lisa »

Adore this!! Love seeing them both so happy and their lives so full. :rose:
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Kelly
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble

Post by Kelly »

Fleur de Lisa wrote:Adore this!! Love seeing them both so happy and their lives so full. :rose:
I'm so glad you liked it, Lisa! :hug: I have to admit, this one was particularly fun to write.
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by jmc »

:champs: Positively :champs: effervescent :champs: !!


:reading: Thank you for such a happy story.
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by cassysj »

That was very cute and sweet!
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by Kara »

Oh this was filled with adorable St. John moments. :hearts: :hug: :smooch: :flowers: :cloud9: But uncle Josef's crack....

“Hey squirts,” Josef greeted them and ruffled their hair, “You look like you’re ready for some freshies.”

Priceless. :rolling: :yahoo: :hyper2:

Great story. Thank you. :clapping: :clapping: :notworthy: :hearts: Now, will there be another set of twins coming? :giggle: :heart: :wave:
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by allegrita »

This is very cute! It looks like the kids wore Mommy and Daddy out... but somehow they got their energy back when they were alone. :hearts: What a nice gift from Uncle Josef.

Hey, which twin's "Toil" and which one's "Trouble"? :snicker:
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by francis »

They are Toil and Trouble all right! I still love this story. Especially the ending. Great line, Beth!
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by maggatha3 »

Kelly, you write them so great together...they have a wonderful life, and kids? Well, it is great that his life is not as dark anymore as it used to be..don't know if this is going to last however..
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Re: Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble (PG-13)

Post by jen »

Kelly

This is fabulous. So very warm and happy.

Love seeing Mick and Beth together, getting the family that they wanted an Beth got a little boy to name Elliott.

The kids being so 'in the know' didn't seem to bother Josef at all. What happened to Mr. Paranoia?

Absolutely delightful! Thank you!

Jenna

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