Recoil Chapter 9.1

[MoonShadow]

Episode: Loosely based after Sonata
Pairing: The whole gang
Rating: PG13 Occasional language
Spoilers: I wish it had a spoiler
Beta Thank You: Morbius
Summary: Nothing happens by chance, beware of coincidences


CBS & Paramount owns Moonlight, No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 9.1
After I wrote Chapter 10 I realized that this piece needed to be written. Hence the Chapter 9.1
By Moonshadow


Beth moved to the couch, then to the bed. She sat on her favorite chair and from there she sat on the bedroom floor. With a sigh she tossed the paperback aside and wandered back into the living room. Standing there, with hands on hips, tears filled her eyes. Tossing on her white jacket Beth knotted the belt fiercely and grabbed her keys.

Tapping lightly on the door she pushed it open slowly, “Are you up?”

A soft rustle of sheets and the gentle waft of lilac perfume greeted her before the welcoming voice, “Of course Elizabeth, come in. Don’t stand in the hallway like a stranger. How is my favorite granddaughter?”

With a genuine laugh Beth replied to their personal joke. “You mean your only granddaughter Nana?”

“Well yes, I would mean you.” The thin timeworn arms wrapped Beth in their embrace. A petal pink mohair shawl slipped from Nana’s shoulders releasing another whisper of Beth’s favorite smell in the whole world, lilacs and Nana. Her sigh slipped out before she could stop it.

“Oh my dearest Elizabeth, Are you alright?”

“Oh Nana,” tears threatened to overwhelm her, I’m”

“Elizabeth, would you open the blinds a bit?”

Beth’s smile was wobbly and she was thankful for the time to compose herself. Trust Nana. She always knows how to smooth down the rough spots.” Beth spun the plastic rod to open slats and reached to pull the
beaded chain.

“Tell me about him.”

Beth’s hand shook and paused in midair, “Nana, how did you know? How do you always know?”

“My sweetest Elizabeth.” The aged hands absently stroked the fringe of the shawl, “After you were taken and your mother asked me to move out here to help take care of you; I watched you like a hawk. At first it was from fear, we were so afraid that whoever it was that took you would come after you again. Then, I watched you out of fear that you would be scarred forever by the experience. Then as you grew up, I guess, I was just old and lonely. So, I watched you to keep my mind occupied.”

Beth wiped away the tear that escaped before she turned to drag a chair close to the bedside. To sit near her Nana, the only one who could always make everything right.

Wrinkled hands wrapped about the supple ones. Waiting for Beth to regain her composure Nana smiled softly and patted Beth’s hands.

“Nana,” it was all the farther Beth could get as her tear choked throat closed again.

“You never mourned like a woman whose heart was broken. After Joshua’s death your sorrow was like a woman who’d lost a dear friend and was angry at the loss.” She rubbed Beth’s back gently, “There is a huge difference Elizabeth. Huge, sweetheart.”

“I met him before Josh,” Beth paused to breath, “Before Josh got killed.” Beth stumbled over the words.

“When did you fall in love with him?”

Beth covered her face with her free hand, embarrassed and ashamed. “Honestly Nana, I, I don’t know. It’s just… It’s complicated.” She searched for the words, failed and sat missing the slight intake of breath.

Nana’s cheeks pinked as her memories rushed back. “Elizabeth. Please don’t tell me that this young man is either married or a priest.”

Beth’s laugh was genuine, “No, Nana, he’s not married. He’s… divorced and he’s not a priest.” The half truth soured as she said it. “But, he is catholic.”

Nana’s calm had returned, “So why is it complicated?”

“He’s just so, I don’t know, old fashioned. He asked me to marry him.”

Nana’s laugh surprised Beth, “Smart boy.” She interrupted with a smile, “and you told him no. Smart girl.”

Beth shook her head in confusion, “Why on earth did you say that?”

“Men are rarely serious about marriage on their first offer, dear. They’re just testing the water.

Beth laughed and snuggled deeper into the comfort of being here with her Nana. “He’s very old fashioned. He wants to take care of me.”

Now it was Nana’s turn to shake her head, “And just why is that so wrong?”

“Nana, I’ve been on my own for years now. You and mom always taught me to stand on my own two feet. Let me see, I think you said, “You don’t need a man to be complete” You and mom were right and I’ve done just that.”

“Yes you have.” Nana sighed and leaned back against the raised bed. “Elizabeth, listen to me, when a woman marries, she changes. A part of her heart leaves and takes up a different charge. When she carries a new life within her body she craves the protection and comfort of the one she loves.” She paused, “how do they say it these days; we’re hard wired that way sweetheart. She tapped her snow white curls, “No amount of women’s lib can change that. So this man has been honest with you. Elizabeth, he’s evidentially speaking from his heart, he wants to cherish you and love you.” Blue eyes met blues eyes, “What else is wrong with him?”

Beth smiled and rolled her eyes, “I’m just worried it’s too soon. We’re really just getting to know each other.”

Nana sighed and smiled looked out the window and rubbed Beth’s hand. “Elizabeth, you will never know each other. Your grandfather and I had 23 years together before he died. Every year on our anniversary we had a lovely little ritual. We’d toast each other, make a wish and share one new thing that we’d learned about each other that year”

“You never told me that before.”

“When you marry you will discover new things about each other every day. The hard part was picking out just one thing to share. That’s one of the special parts of a real marriage. It’s alive. It grows and changes all the time. Why do you think the vows say, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer? Sweetie, those words were picked to express not the outside changes, they were picked to describe a good living relationship.”

Beth stirred without realizing it. Nana’s words prickled her conscience. She and Mick would never have a family and he certainly wasn’t living. They sat in a comfortable silence each contemplating private memories watching the clouds laze through a clear blue sky.

“So, are you pregnant?”

“Nana! No, no I’m not pregnant.” Beth blushed at the question.

“Well, how long did you say you’d known this young man?”

“A few months” sort of Nana. How do I tell you he’s known me my whole life?

“I’m curious, why would it be a surprise if he asked you to marry him. What caused him to feel that he needed to ask you now?”

“He might have to move.”

“Why?”

“He might have to Nana, not everyone gets to live in sunny southern California” Beth smiled and leaned into Nana.

“Then he wants to take you with him. He wants you to be part of his life; to wake up with you, to watch you carry his child, to grow old with him. What part of that is wrong?” Nana looked at Beth quizzically, “What part of that surprised you?”

“It wasn’t that Nana, it was… well,” Beth was flustered. Half truths to Nana were wrong and ate at her. “I don’t know. It’s just so soon after Josh. I’m not sure I’m ready to make that kind of commitment.”

“Elizabeth, I think you feel guilty. Don’t look at me like that young lady. Roll your eyes and bat those baby blues at someone who doesn’t know you like I do. You were seeing him while you and Joshua were an item.”

“Nana!” Beth blushed furiously.

“Oh Elizabeth, you already said you’d known him for several months” She smiled at the guilty and panicked look on her granddaughters face. “He must be quite a catch to have beaten out Joshua.”

“We just have this connection. We make a good team.”

The wrinkles around the soft blue eyes deepened into smile lines and the trembling hand brushed a lock of hair from Beth’s face tucking it behind her ear. They both smiled at the familiar gesture.

Cupping the gnarled hand to her cheek Beth added, “Talking with you always makes me feel better.”At least it used to. Oh Nana, what am I going to do?

“My sweet girl, I’m always glad to listen.”

“I wish Mom were here. I miss her.”

“So do I Elizabeth, so do I. When do I get to meet this mystery man? If our family is going to include a new member, I’d like to know what his name is, what he’s like.”

“Uhm, well soon Nana. I promise.”

“Before or after you tell him yes?” The teasing tone held a slightly hurt tone.

“Nana, I don’t know if I will say yes.”

“Elizabeth, you will say yes. I can see it in your eyes. You make a good team.”

Beth shrugged as her lip trembled “I keep coming back to the complications Nana. I need to know that they aren’t going to tear apart what we have.”

“Did you tell him no?”

“I couldn’t. I told him I needed to think about it.”

“Well, you need to think about what I’ve said. Bring him for a visit, let me meet him. If you’ve said maybe then I better see what he looks like!”

Beth burst out laughing and hugged the older woman tightly. “Alright Nana, I’ll bring him for a visit. Promise me you’ll be nice to him?”

They laughed at yet another family joke

“Your mother would have loved to hear you say that!’

“Was I really that awful?”

“Sweetheart, you were positively horrid to every man your mother dated!”

Beth blushed at the memories and scrunched her face in dismay.

“Between the interview questions and the investigative report you’d write up on every one of them, your poor mother never stood a chance.” As their laughter faded Nana continued, “I don’t think her heart was ever really available anyway.”They hugged and talked of inconsequential things both knowing that Beth’s focus was turned towards the decision ahead of her.

“Bring him for tea next Sunday Elizabeth. I’ll get my hair done and have some extra chairs brought in.”

Beth stood, tugged on the hem of her jacket and smiled. “Alright tea next Sunday, we’ll be here. I’ll bring the cookies.” She pulled the lacy shawl up around the thin shoulders. Nana’s arms are so thin, she’s got so many scars from the needles. What will I do when she’s gone? “Have a good week Nana, I’ll call Saturday and let you know if we can’t come.”

“See that you do, I told you I’m curious to meet this young man. In the mean time, if you find a job call me. I worry about you.”

“I’m doing okay. I’ve have some free lance work here and there. Something will turn up.”

“Like a big fat diamond?”

Beth threw her head back and laughed, “Nana you are impossible.” Their laughter warmed Beth’s heart as she closed the door behind her. Their time together had been bittersweet. There were so many things Beth ached to tell someone, anyone. But who would believe me? I fell in love with this 80 year old vampire and he’s asked me to marry him. We’ll have to go undercover, get new identities and right about there is where someone would call the men in white coats to come get me. Beth looked about carefully before getting into her car.
Now, I have to figure out how to tell Mick. Yes, yes but not right now. She knew he was worried about something involving the Cleaner and Josef. After that episode of craziness with Lola and Coraline, Beth had worried that Josef would convince Mick she as nothing but trouble. Josef worried her, powerful men with powerful secrets made a dangerous combination. That boyish charm of his fooled a lot of people but frankly, it scared the daylights out of her.

Beth drove the long way home. If she was going to visit family today, she might as well stop by her mom’s grave for a visit. She wanted to tell her about Nana and Mick, unemployment, and giving Josh’s ring back to his family. And, she sighed it wasn’t like she had anywhere else to be this afternoon.

[lorig]

I loved Nanna. Very wise woman, even with out knowing the details. I really enjoyed it...

[draco]

Nana is indeed a very lovely character. The hopefully coming visit of Mick should be interesting. I'd really love to see that so I hope it will be possible for them to meet.
Lets see what the next chapter brings

[MoonShadow]

Thank you both for taking the time to comment. I knew that Beth needed someone to turn to for comfort. I created Nana to give Beth someone that she used to confide in and rely on. Things have changed for Beth, and now she wants to reach out to her support system but can't.

I appreciate comments more than you know, they help me write, develop character, and become a better writer. Thank you!

[francis]

This is so lovely. Nanna is a great wise old woman.

[jen]

Another fabulous original character!

Nana is a loving grandmother and a very wise woman, to boot.

I really hope you include that visit when Mick meets her!

[MoonShadow]

Nana was fun to write. I am so glad everyone has enjoyed reading this.