The Time We Are Given (G) Challenge #154 A New Life

[MickLifeCrisis]

Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight, any of its characters or dialogue.
Rated G
This is for the New Year, New Life challenge #154. Unbetaed.


The Time We Are Given


“Beth? Beth, are you in there?”

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Marissa.”

“Hi. Come in.”

“Thanks. Here, I brought you some soup.”

“Oh! Thank you. It really wasn’t necessary, you know. I’m okay.”

“Well, I called your office and they said you hadn’t been back to work yet. I thought maybe you could use some company. Is it okay if I move these pillows and blankets?”

“Oh gosh, here let me take those. Go ahead and sit down. I haven’t been sleeping much. Kind of spend a lot of time curled up on the couch.”

“I figured. I take it that means you really aren’t okay. At least, not yet.”

“I’m… I’m okay.”

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to you after the funeral.”

“Oh, there’s the tea kettle. I had just put it on when you knocked. Would you like a cup?”

“I don’t want to be any trouble.”

“Marissa. It’s hot water and a tea bag. Pouring two cups is no more difficult than pouring one.”

“Then yes, I’ll take a cup. Thank you. I am sorry about Josh. It must have been terrible for you. You know, to have been there.”

“Yes, it was. There was still so much I wanted to tell him. I just always figured I would have time. It was my fault, you know.”

“No it wasn’t! How can you think that?”

“He wanted to recuse himself from the case. I told him not to.”

“That doesn’t make it your fault, Beth. Surely you know that.”

“I guess I do, on some level. But it just feels like it is. I should have been able to do more.”

“I heard that you and Mick St. John did as much as you possibly could.”

“Mick. Yes, well…”

“Um, I saw you wearing a diamond ring at the funeral.”

“Yes.”

“But you aren’t wearing it now.”

“No.”

“Was… was it from Josh?”

“It was supposed to be. He was having it made for me, but he didn’t say anyth… he didn’t get a chance to…”

“Oh honey, here’s some Kleenex. I’m sorry; I guess I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No, no… it’s okay. It’s just that I was thinking about what the priest said at the funeral. About life’s finite nature allowing us to love and hurt. And how our time is limited, so we should make the most of the time we are given.”

“And?”

“And, I think… I’m ready for a new life. I was ready before – I just didn’t realize it at the time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that if Josh had proposed to me, I wouldn’t have been able to accept.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, Marissa, I’m not. We’d been growing apart. I was just going through the motions. And I regret not… not getting the chance to tell him the truth.”

“I see. Well, I better be going. You take care now. Call me.”

“Sure. Bye.”

*****

“Mick? Hi. Would you like to meet me for lunch?”


The End.

[francis]

Marissa isn't my favorite person, and it sounded to me as if Beth was more talking to herself than to Marissa. But Beth got to a new path by talking it out, so I guess Marissa has her perks.
I really like this.

[MickLifeCrisis]

Thank you, Francis!

Marrissa isn't my favorite person either and in past fics I have portrayed her in an unflattering light. But it's possible that she really was Beth's friend, and therefore would have wanted to comfort Beth.

OTOH, she could still be the frenemy I always thought, and only came over to view the train wreck and find out about the ring. Or maybe she was looking for some sympathy for herself at "losing" Josh.

Either way, as you said, it helped Beth realize some truths about herself and gave her the push to contact Mick.

[cassysj]

Marissa was trying here but she really didn't know where Beth was coming from but I really did like the story.

[allegrita]

Ooh, the frienemy visits! I love this, and it's really believable in the context of what we knew about Beth, Josh, and Marissa from the show. Nicely done, MLC!

I've always wondered about Marissa. Yes, she did kinda have an eye for Josh, but then again, he was a cutie, who wouldn't look twice at him? And everything she said to Beth on the show was positive, and seemingly in the interest of furthering Beth's and Josh's relationship. In some ways, I think Marissa brought out the worst in Beth-- during conversations with Marissa, Beth tended to say things that she might regret later (like "It's not Josh"). So this conversation is very cool, in my opinion, because it continues that tradition of presenting Marissa in a seemingly positive way. She brings soup, she offers a shoulder, and she immediately focuses on Beth's relationship with Josh. And once again, Beth speaks her mind in a way that might not put her in the best light, so to speak... she immediately tells Marissa, the "head Beth-Josh cheerleader," that she wouldn't have said yes if Josh had proposed.

Maybe Marissa's function in Beth's life is to be Beth's sounding board. Every time Beth talks to her, she seems to come to some interesting conclusions... mostly about Mick.
Whatever Beth's reasons for calling Mick that day, I'm sure glad she did. (I just wish she'd done it a few days earlier... )

[darkstarrising]

Marissa was one of those characters that was too nosy to be a true friend, but still seemed to care for Beth's best interest. Of course Marissa would connect with Beth after Josh's death, but what I really like about this story is that it shows Marissa's ineptness or self-centeredness. She brings soup (good move for a grieving friend), but wants to move the pillows and blankets, making Beth give up her 'nest' and making her feel bad. She brings up all the wrong things, (seeing the diamond ring at the funeral), not in an attempt to comfort Beth, as much as to satisfy her own curiosity.

Nicely done, MLC

[MickLifeCrisis]

Thank you for your comments. All of you are really giving this one some thought! It's almost like a missing scene, isn't it?

[jen]

I love this!!

And I never was as anti Marissa as some. We have all had friends (really more acquaintences) who casually share our lives, enjoying the happy times with us and if we're lucky beimg there to help us through the tough times. To me, this story paints Marissa in that light. I agree too about her being a sounding board. Good for her in not accepting Beth's too quick, 'I'm fine' whrn she needed more.

Nicely done!!!

Jenna

[MickLifeCrisis]

Thanks for sharing your insights, Jenna! I'm glad you liked it!

[BlueEyedMonster]

Great story. Marissa was one of those characters that was never fully explored but she always struck me as the "friend" that tried too hard.

We only saw the anniversary party but I got the feeling these weren't Beth's friends but Josh's that she just picked up when she started their relationship. Melissa was trying too hard to be nice to Beth covering her real feelings for Josh and her disdain of Beth for treating him poorly.

[cassysj]

I really like this one because I didn't like Marissa in the show but this rings true. She is trying

[allegrita]

I like it, too. Maybe Marisa is like a catalyst, chemically speaking. She's the innocuous-seeming thing that gets Beth to react, when she's been in a rut. Beth needs Marissa to kick her in the pants and make a move.

I honestly feel sorry for Marissa. I'm sure she mourned Josh, and wondered how Beth could have reacted the way she did.

[MickLifeCrisis]

Thanks for the reread, Carol and Alle! It gives me a chance to read it again myself.

It would have been interesting to have Marissa as a recurring character. Maybe we would have liked her more if we had seen her in other situations. Then again, maybe not.