Per Diem: Peek 3 - Gifts (PG-13)

[GuardianAngel]

Thanks go out to rijane for beta-ing and to PNWgal for all her help as well. They've done what they could with me. I'll share a secret: I get a bit lazy when it comes to revisions.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I don't own them, never have, never will. Bummer, I know.


Gifts


The darkness that once used to feel cold, ominous, now felt soothing. How could it not with Mick’s hard length pressed against her back. The dark would never dare hurt her with him at her side. No. Now it played quiet witness to the love they shared. The love they made. Like it had tonight.

Her lips melted into a contented smile. Who would have guessed that I’d be lying here, in love with the man, no, the vampire who saved me as a child. My Guardian Angel.

“You know, you smell like sunshine when you smile like that.”

Beth laughed. “Like what? You can’t see me.” She craned her neck to glance behind her.

“Just like that.” He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth.

Beth adjusted her head on Mick’s shoulder, wiggled in closer and pulled his arm up under hers. Her skin, sliding against the sheets, created a soft, lazy whoosh. He settled his cheek against her hair, inhaling her and tightened his hold around her. I can’t believe she’s actually here. With me. Mine.

“So, birthday girl, did you enjoy the evening? Did you like your present?”

Beth brought the back of her hand up and held it out so she could look at the dainty replica of Mick’s ring that graced her finger.

“I love it. It’s beautiful.” She ran light, reverent fingers over the white gold filigree and could feel his grin against her ear. She tried to ignore the niggling at the back of her mind. But it was like a dog scratching at the door. His gift opened that door and let the mongrel in. He rubbed his hand along her ribcage, his thumb grazing the underside of her breast. Her skin flushed. His grin grew and he nipped her.

Beth pulled at his hand, grasping it with both of hers and played with his fingers. She fit her palm against his and measured their difference, his easily dwarfing hers. Mick laced his fingers through hers and curled them, trapping her hand in unity. Beth pulled them in to lie against her heart. She didn't want to disturb the moment but the mongrel was growling.

“Twenty eight.” She sighed.

Mick snorted. “You say it like it’s old.”

“I’m on my way to thirty. I’ll be middle aged before you know it.” Her tone was light but Mick could feel the worry that weighed the words down. He ran his lips over the skin of her shoulder, savoring it, and waited for her to continue.

Beth had not meant to bring any of this up. She didn't want to ruin the moment. Mick had been on a high all day, enjoying her birthday even more than she had. These thoughts had no place today. They had no place here. But she couldn't free herself of them; they'd become a nagging buzz that wouldn't be pacified. No matter how she tried to escape it, she was another year older. The ring she wore, a gift symbolizing a love she desperately wanted, was now an albatross.

"Do you think I look any older?" Again, the tone was light but Mick wasn't stupid, he knew a loaded question when he heard one.

"Nah. Don't taste any older either." He punctuated each word with a quick kiss that lead him to the back of her shoulder.

The downy brush of his lashes on the back of her arm caused Beth to shiver. God, he's so beautiful. Young and beautiful. Forever. She closed her eyes to relieve the sudden sting and swallowed a stillborn sob. Stop it. Just stop it! This is not the time. Don't do this now. Enjoy the moment.

Mick gently pulled her onto her back and leaned over her, cocooning her. Ever the guardian, he sought to protect her, but this time he couldn't. He couldn't protect her from her own grief.

"Beth, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and forced a smile. "Nothing." An unsteady hand brushed a dark lock across his forehead; the faint moonlight catching on her present. She snapped her arm down.

"Funny. Nothing doesn't usually upset you." His thumb ran over her quivering bottom lip.

Her eyes on his chin, Beth took a deep breath and blurted, "You're always going to be....like this." At his frown of confusion she added, "Hot."

He'd have laughed - her unexpected declaration really was funny. Except, God help him, he knew where this was going.

"Beth."

"No, Mick. I'm twenty eight. TWENTY EIGHT!"

He couldn't help but smile. "And I'm 86."

"Not really." She shook her head. His gut clenched as her tears pooled and spilt over, glistening stripes of misery. "You're thirty." Her voice broke. "And you always will be."

At a loss for words, Mick rested his brow on hers. He didn't want to have this conversation. Not ever. But as Beth had once told him, he may have forever, but she didn't.

"I didn't want to think about this, Mick. But I don't want to get old while you stay young. I want to always be enough for you."

He couldn't believe that's what she was worried about. "Beth, I love you. I'll always love you."

"I know." The rest came out between gulps and gasps as she began to sob. "But not like this. Not really. You'll still be young and...and....sexy and I'll be.....old. You won't want me anymore." Mick felt helpless, incompetent in the face of her anguish. He didn't have an answer and thought he'd have more time to come up with one.

Mick clasped her heaving body to his, murmuring soothing nonsense in her ear, against her hair. He knew there was nothing he could say to make her believe that he would always desire her; just hope that he would have the chance to prove it to her in the coming years. He closed his mind to any further thought of Beth aging and held her until her crying slowed to an occasional sniffle and shudder. Finally, she loosened their embrace and turned to lie beside the vampire, head resting on his upper arm. Her fingers traced over the arm still hugging her midriff.

"Better?" Mick asked as he gave her temple a light kiss.

Beth gave him a half-hearted smile. "A little. You know, I'm never going to enjoy another birthday ever again."

Mick sighed and turned to face her. "I will. Every single one."

She frowned. "Well, you'll be alone then. Forgive me for not wanting to celebrate the fact that I'm getting old and going to die. Just a blip in the life of Mick. St. John."

Here it was. Their worst fears exposed. Beth's fear was of losing Mick - losing him to her own inevitable physical deterioration and her vanity. That was not Mick's worry. He knew he would love and cherish her to her dying day. Her dying day - there was his fear. Mick did not want to exist in a world where there was no more Beth.

"Don't say that! Don't even THINK it." Grasping Beth by the shoulder, Mick shook her. "You ARE my life, Beth."

Surprised by his response, Beth cupped his face. "For now." She tilted her head and shook it slowly. "It hurts to think that one day I'll just be a forgotten memory."

Mick turned his face away, eyes closed, and swallowed.

"Mick?"

He shook his head. "There's nothing for me without you."

"Then Turn me."

Gazes clashed. Silence stretched on for several seconds, broken only by a soft pant and a heart racing with anticipation. And hope.

Mick brushed his hand across his mouth and began to shake his head.

Beth's heart sank. He was going to say 'no'. Just like he had in the past.

"It doesn't have to be right now, Mick." He stopped shaking his head and she could feel her hope rising. "We could take a whole year to prepare. It could be your gift to me next year when I turn 29. What do you think?" Her breath nearly stopped as she waited for him to answer.

He took his time. Mick's eyes roamed her face. He lifted his hand; his thumb lightly grazed the beauty mark below her bottom lip. A war was being waged in Mick's head. She didn't understand what she was asking, how he cherished her mortality. But she didn't want to age. She didn't want to leave him. He didn't want her to leave him. Against his better judgment, he felt himself considering the unthinkable.

"How about if we take the year to think it over? We'll discuss it and I promise to think about it." His eyes searched hers, looking for understanding. "You know how I feel about being a vampire. It’s not something you can try out. There's no going back once you've been Turned. You have to be sure, Beth."

It wasn't an outright 'no'. Beth knew she had her foot in the door.

Mick nearly fell over when she launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I'm sure. I'm sure."

He sighed as he caught the blonde and listened to the melody of her heart as it beat a joyous rhythm. He didn’t look forward to the choice he had to make; her happiness or her life. For tonight he chose happiness. They had a year to make a final decision. A whole year for him to persuade one very determined woman that she should choose to keep living.

They slid back down onto the pillows, Beth's head resting on his shoulder. Relief made her a bit giddy. She had never wanted to have to make this decision. But now that she had, she realized that there really wasn’t any choice at all. She knew Mick would see it her way. She’d make sure of it.

"You know, as they get older a lot of woman lie and say they're 29. I won't have to." Beth smiled up at Mick and laid her hand over his heart. She wiggled her fingers, twisting her new ring so it caught the waning moonlight. "My mother and father were a year apart in age. I always thought it was perfect."

Mick clasped her hand on his chest and held it tight.

Matching rings glinted together, the shine brighter for their unity.

[coco]

This, for me, is the perfect example of the turning conversation

[Moonlighter]

Beth made a perfectly reasonable request. Not now, but as long as she gets Turned to spend eternity with His Hotness, it's all she needs, right? What a gift!

Another gem, GA. And yeah, I'm 29 and holding...

[wpgrace]

THought I would revisit this one GA... yep, it's still as wonderful as I remembered it to be... I love how realistic their conversation progresses... and how very true to the characters in the show they both are here... he is patient with her, as always... and gets knocked back into himself here and there in the conversation... but she pulls him out again, and doggedly pursues her own agenda.

Gotta believe that she'll get her wish next year... he can be stubborn but she takes the... birthday... cake!

[starbucksjunkie]

This is a gem, GA. So nice to see it over here.

[jen]

GA

This was lovely.

Thank you!

[jen]

GA:

Came back for a reread a month later and it is STILL lovely.

And I still thank you for sharing it with us!

[darkstarrising]

GA,

So glad to see this here...I'm with coco, this is how she'd convince him to consider turning her. And she won't let him off the hook

[Kara]

So hot these two. But I sure hope Mick turns Beth when she's ready.

Great fluff. Thanks.

[jen]

So the topic came up.

And Mick resists the idea (no surprise there) but doesn't refuse her request outright, thinking that a year is a long time.

The guy has lost right there. Beth knows what she wants, and even more, she knows what he wants, too.

I'm one of those who see this as the logical conclusion to the turning issue.

Thank you for writing this!

[Moonlighter]

His gut clenched as her tears pooled and spilt over, glistening stripes of misery. "You're thirty." Her voice broke. "And you always will be."

I'm re-reading this, but was struck by this description this time around. So evocative and so well done, GA, seriously!

[aolver]

I've read this before and loved it, but this time I became emotional. Maybe it's because I've read a lot of fanfic since my first reading. I find I am more emotional about Moonlight and MickBeth than ever. This was beautifully written, and so true to their feelings. Mick is between a rock and a hard place where it comes to their love for each other. How could he realistically continue on without her? Thank you GA.

[jen]

Lovely, lovely Turning conversation.

Thank you!

Jenna

[jen]

[maggatha3]

Well, a girl's birthday can be really upsetting...in Beth's shoes I would be petrified..she found a great way of stating the subject..funny, it always hits me that her name is Turner!!