A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

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librarian_7
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A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by librarian_7 »

Episode: Loosely based after Episode 1.12 hopefully, also following the events of Moonshadow’s “Holidays” (with permission)
Pairing: Mick and Beth
Rating: PG13 Occasional language
Spoilers: None really! pure fiction
Beta Thank You: Moonshadow, VASusieQ18
Summary: Nothing happens by chance

A/N: An oldie, but a goodie...and hopefully a nice Valentine for the Mick/Beth shippers out there.



A Delicate Balance


Chapter 2

The office was getting darker, but Mick didn’t move. He’d spent hours last night after seeing Beth to her car, driving around the city he loved, the top down on his convertible, feeling the night breezes, thinking.

What the hell was he doing? Had he lost what was left of his mind? He’d been torn for some time, thinking that he couldn’t decide whether it was better to send Beth away, go back to watching from afar—safer for both of us, he’d thought—and try to regain the precarious peace he’d found in being alone. Was it better to do that, with the sure knowledge that she’d be deeply hurt by what she could only see as his abandonment of her, not to mention what it would do to him? Or would it be better to keep her close, give her what happiness she could find with him, knowing that his own pain would be all the deeper when she eventually left him? He had made a promise to himself, long ago, that if it was needed, he would die for her. Question was, could he live for her?

Mick knew that he could take the pain. He was no great fan of pain, physical or emotional, and he’d had a lot of practice surviving the former and avoiding the latter, these last 50 years. Still, he’d come to no real decision when night fell, and Beth came knocking at his door.

Usually he met her at the door, welcomed her with a smile and a touch. Tonight he pulled out the electronic key, and buzzed her in.

“Mick, what’s wrong? Why are the lights off?” she asked. “Are you all right?”

So natural, her first concern is my well-being. “I’m fine,” he replied, rising from his desk. “Just thinking.”

“Oh. But everything’s okay?”

“Yes.” He felt the need, as he often did these days, to fold her in his arms, to take refuge from the world in her embrace. At first, Mick resisted the impulse. He feared that in his vulnerability, he would awaken the demon sleeping fitfully in its chains. Then he thought, no, that’s not what I’m looking for right now. Comfort, just a little comfort. That’s all. It only took a few steps to close the space between them, and she slipped naturally into her place against his shoulder.

Beth was pleased, if a little surprised. Mick usually seemed to avoid hugs. And she was even more surprised when, after he wrapped himself around her, he dropped his head onto her shoulder. That was truly unusual. They stood quietly for a few minutes, neither wanting to break the contact, the unspoken communion of their hearts. Finally, without moving, Beth spoke. “Tell me what’s wrong, Mick. Whatever it is,”—providing it’s not another one of those “it’ll never work between us” speeches—“we’ll deal with it together.”

“Hey,” he replied, voice muffled against her shoulder, “can’t a vampire just need a hug, once in a while?”

Beth recognized an evasion when she heard one, but she could live with that one. “Hugs,” Beth said, deliberately putting a little tartness in her voice, “are not in short supply around here, Mick St. John.” She tightened her arms a little for emphasis. “All you have to do is reach out.” That got her a short laugh, and maybe she just thought there was a sniff.

Mick stepped back, and in the darkness maybe Beth was imagining a shine of moisture in his eyes. “You look beautiful this evening,” he said.

She smiled at him, knowing he needed to be poked a little when he was in one of his melancholy moods. “As compared to all the other nights?”

The laugh this time actually sounded amused. “That was uncalled for, Beth.”

Beth moved to turn on a few lights. While she was not looking directly at him, she ventured, “Is this about that wedding invitation thing? Because it’s no big deal, you know. I can go by myself. Or skip the whole thing—I haven’t seen Jenny for five years.”

This, Mick thought, is the perfect opportunity to say no. He found he couldn’t do it. He should have known it would be impossible to deny her something she wanted. It seemed like such a trivial, harmless request.

“Would I have to dress up?” he asked. “It’s, uh, it’s been awhile since--” Since 1952, in fact. Not that that was the social event of the season. Sure, Coraline had worn a white lace dress, a veil, the whole nine yards. Mick remembered that very clearly. The ceremony was pretty much blanked out in his mind, overtaken by events that in retrospect were more important.

His mind was snapped back to the present when Beth giggled. “What you normally wear would be just fine, Mr. Perpetual Coolness.”
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by Fleur de Lisa »

Ahhh. Hug the vampire, hug him lots and lots!

Thanks from an avid Mick/Beth gal----enjoying the trip down memory lane.
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by coco »

Just lovely Lucky. Give the vamp a hug indeed :hug:
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by mitzie »

Beautiful! :ghug: Love it!!!! :yahoo: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :thud: :notworthy: :rose:

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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by Kelly »

Ahh...lovely chapter! :clapping:
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by Raven »

Mick's honest assessment of his relationship with Beth while he's driving was terrific. Especially loved this...
He had made a promise to himself, long ago, that if it was needed, he would die for her. Question was, could he live for her?
Shades of Epi 1...love this...
And she was even more surprised when, after he wrapped himself around her, he dropped his head onto her shoulder.
Beth is so attuned to Mick's mood in this installment...and she soothingly confronts his unease...
While she was not looking directly at him, she ventured, “Is this about that wedding invitation thing? Because it’s no big deal, you know. I can go by myself.
This chapter was beautiful.
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by redwinter101 »

Let's face it, honestly, who could resist Mick in need of a hug? Only the hardest of hearts.

And I loved that it is the minutiae that become so important at this stage in this (or any) relationship - that level of observation so that his dropping his head to her shoulder assumes such huge significance.

Lovely.

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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by fairytoes »

Well, if Mick needs a hug, all he has to do is ask! I would be on the next plane to see him, and I hate flying! But well, the things you'd do for a special vampire!
Very nice chapter!! Love it!! :ghug: :ghug: :cheering: :cheering:
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by allegrita »

Oh, Mick...you analyze everything so much, and yet it doesn't give you any answers. I love the difference between them here...Beth is a much more basic person than Mick, despite the complexity of her life. And yet Mick is the one seeking the simple remedy--a hug. And oh...I can see him lowering his face to her shoulder. What an enduring image that is. Thank you, show, for that image. And thank you, Lucky, for giving it to us anew.

Tonight it's Beth's turn to sense Mick's mood and try to soothe his fears. Poor girl, she has no idea what a can of worms was contained in that envelope. How could she know why that seemingly simple invitation holds such trauma for him? But I've got to say, Beth's the perfect person to accompany Mick to his first wedding in 50 years.

Off to chapter 3...
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by GuardianAngel »

“Tell me what’s wrong, Mick. Whatever it is,”—providing it’s not another one of those “it’ll never work between us” speeches—“we’ll deal with it together.”
Oh Bob, I SO agree with her. Those speeches made me want to reach through the screen and choke him. I don't know how she resisted from doing him bodily harm.

No, Mick can't deny her much of anything, can he? Love that.

It didn't occur to me in the first chapter that Mick might have an aversion to weddings. Makes sense that he would, huh? He's says its no big deal but I think it is.
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by darkstarrising »

Lucky,

this is a wonderful line, perfectly capturing Mick's dilemma with Beth
He had made a promise to himself, long ago, that if it was needed, he would die for her. Question was, could he live for her?
The former might actually be easier for him, in his current mindset. But Beth won't allow him to draw inward again.
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by Luxe de Luxe »

Mick fussing about what to wear! :rofl2: Now I've heard everything. Your Beth handles him beautifully.
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by lunalux »

Again loved Beth here. Her concern for Mick, understanding the melancholy that is always lurking, and gently kidding him to bring him around.


Mick so in character, the angst ridden vampire we love, before TMC, before FtP, and the one question that really is the only question, Can he live for her? Exactly.

Well done. loved it.
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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by jen »

Ah, Lovely!

Expecially that line, 'Can't a vampire need a hug?'

Fabulous. That was another one of those magical little details that was so unexpected and quite disarming. Alex OLoughlin's Mick was the absolutely sweetest, most charming male lead imaginable and he was a vampire--one of the most universally hated figures in fiction.

This is superb--that stage of being totally comfortable with another person and yet scared to death at their reaction is so classic! Thank you!

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Re: A Delicate Balance chapter 2--PG-13

Post by jen »

Lucky

Love. This. Line.
He feared that in his vulnerability, he would awaken the demon sleeping fitfully in its chains.
In those few words, you sum up one of the major themes of Moonlight. Mick's fear of letting his guard down and allowing himself to relax with Beth, truly love her. He had experienced all too clearly the raw power of the vampire within that could so easily control him.

But the truth is, he is powerfully drawn here, too. They will work it out.

Wonderful chapter.

Thank you.

Jenna

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