Twists of Fate - Chapter 5 (PG-13)

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francis
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Twists of Fate - Chapter 5 (PG-13)

Post by francis »

Betaed by redwinter101.
Disclaimer: I don't own Josh, or Beth, or Mick, or anything in this fic, but I like to play with them, so bear with me.

Beth is panicked, Josh has questions. And who is the stranger at Mick's apartment?
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link from chapter 4 1/2: viewtopic.php?f=75&t=543
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When Carl called Josh early in the morning it wasn’t to tell him what happened, but to ask if Beth was with him. She wasn’t. Josh was worried sick already and this was the first news he’d had. He ended up shouting at Carl that he needed to know what had happened. So Carl gave him the basics: that Beth shot LeeJay, that he was dead, that she walked away from the scene, and that she seemed to be in some kind of shock.

„How could you let her just walk away?“ Josh fumed.

He grabbed his jacket and ran every red light to reach the warehouse as soon as possible. On the way he tried to get Beth on her cellphone, but it was off. Half way there he slammed on the brakes and changed directions. He decided to go to her apartment first.

But she wasn’t there. Where was the next logical place to search for her? Josh called Carl and asked if Mick was still there. He was told that Mick left even before Beth did. Josh knew the address and pulled his Chevy back onto the street.

As he rounded the corner of Pershing Square he saw a woman running across the square. He grabbed a parking spot and ran towards her. It was Beth, and she was clearly out of it. When she realized it was Josh she ran into his arms, dry heaving, sobbing breathlessly. He embraced her tightly and whispered soothing nonsense to her, holding her to keep her from falling. Determined to get her home, he took her to his car, helped her in, fastened her seatbelt and set off. She needed the comfort of home.

They didn’t talk. She had stopped sobbing, but shivered and stared through the side window at the empty streets.

At her apartment, he reversed his movements to get her out of the car. She complied meekly, not moving on her own.

He took her inside and sat her down on the couch. Talking all the time about nothing special he made tea, took off her shoes and jacket, put a blanket over her shoulders, put the hot cup into her hands. She was paralyzed, unresponsive.

„Everything will be alright, Beth. It’s okay. You did the right thing, shooting LeeJay. Julia will be alright. She’s tough. You saved her, you and Mick.“

At that, she tensed up. Josh knelt down in front of her, taking her cold hands into his. „What’s up? Is everything okay with Mick? He wasn’t hurt, was he?“

„No, I don’t think so, not really,“ she told him in a small voice.

„You saved his life, didn’t you?“

„I guess.“

„Then what are you so worried about? Everything will be okay, won’t it?“

She hesitated. There was something she was keeping to herself, something that scared her.

When he had found her at her apartment a week ago, after she was kidnapped and rescued, she talked about it. It helped. So he tried to get her to open up. „Did you see Mick afterwards?“

„After what?“

„After you saved Julia.“

„Yes.“

„So, why did you run away?“

She didn’t answer. A long silence stretched out between them. The tea steamed in her cup, but she didn’t drink.

She looked up at him, pleading, „Josh, please. I can’t talk about this now.“

„I understand, honey. Shall I draw you a bath?“

She nodded.

Josh prepared a hot bath for her, lit the scented candle she loved, took out some towels and went back to the living room to tell her it was ready.

„Josh?“ she asked, her voice small and halting.

„What is it, baby? You can tell me anything.“

„Would you leave, please? I need to be alone for a while.“

Josh was stunned. But then again, this was how she always dealt with her problems. She ignored them, tried to sort them out alone. She would probably have more nightmares now, more sleepless hours that would stress her out. But there was nothing he could do.

„Okay, honey. Go, take your bath, and then try to sleep. Call me when you need anything, okay?“

She nodded, looking towards her bathroom with longing. He picked up his keys from the counter and left.

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There was no way he would let this drop. This was more than just shock from killing Spaulding. She was far too resilient to be so devastated about this. She had been working hard to become a crime reporter, and no story, no matter how terrible, ever fazed her. That’s why it bothered him so much that she walked away from the crime scene instead of giving a statement to the police, or calling her colleagues to get a good picture. Her instincts were shot. Josh wasn’t always in tune with her, but this was so atypical that he really was worried.

The only place to go was Mick St. John. Again.

The sun was just above the horizon when he arrived back at Pershing Square. Josh entered the lobby and asked the concierge for Mick’s office. He was told that there was a separate entrance at the side of the building. There was even a small brass plate, „Mick St. John, Private Investigator“. He wondered how St. John could afford the penthouse.

As Josh stepped out of the elevator he stood in a marvelous doorway. An intricate design that doubled as a window threw patterns of shadows over the floor to his right. The walls were divided by subtle square columns and in between hung large-scale modern portraits.

A steel door, then a small alcove to his left, and he stood in front of the glass door that led to the office. He knocked.

No answer. He knocked again.

The door was opened by a young man, around twenty-five, who made an ostentatious gesture of welcome, but blocked the doorway.

„Who are you?“ Josh demanded.

„Oh, just a friend of Mick’s. He’s not here. He’s gone for the day, had some things to attend to. And you are?“

„Josh Lindsey. I work at the D.A.’s office. Mick was involved in a case that I have some pressing questions about. You sure he isn’t here?“

„He just left, I’m on my way, so you will have to leave, too.“ The man pretty much shoved Josh out of the doorway back into the hall. Josh didn’t even get a chance to see what kind of office the P.I. had.

Josh had no option but to head to the elevator in lockstep with the stranger. The man was impeccably dressed in a sharp suit, shirt and matching tie. He wore his outfit with an ease that spoke of wealth and refinement. And the suit looked a lot more expensive than the one Josh was wearing himself.

Josh felt the eyes of the man bore into his back. He was uncomfortable suddenly, and hot.

They reached the ground and exited the private entrance.

„You never told me your name.“ Josh tried again.

„I didn’t, did I?“ the young man smirked. He activated his car keys. Josh was curious what kind of car this friend of Mick’s would have, and was astonished to see a ruby red ferrari at the curb. The man jogged across the street, jumped into the driver’s seat with ease and started the car.

„See ya around,“ he smiled jovially, and drove off at breakneck speed.

Second time today that fate unmistakably showed him that he wouldn’t get anywhere with his questions. First Beth, now this stranger. Stumped, Josh walked the short distance to his own 2003 Chevy and drove home. There was nothing else he could do.

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link to chapter 6: viewtopic.php?f=75&t=545&p=2712#p2712
Last edited by francis on Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Raven
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Re: Twists of Fate - Chapter 5 (PG-13)

Post by Raven »

I enjoyed this update, francis. Beth was in shock...vampires are real. Instead of clinging to Josh and...reality, she chooses to be alone. To me that shows how much Josh probably doesn't mean as much to her as she thinks he does and also, that she's not afraid of Mick. Regardless that he's a vampire, knowledge of which has rocked her reality to the core, she's...protecting him and she's not afraid of him. The connection that solidifies when he eventually feeds from her is amazingly strong already.
It obviously didn't cross Josh's mind, but wouldn't it have been funny as hell if he thought Josef was Mick's rich boyfriend? Hence the expensive digs. That would have certainly given Mick carte blanche with Beth as far as Josh was concerned. :lol:
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jen
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Re: Twists of Fate - Chapter 5 (PG-13)

Post by jen »

Lovely, Francis.

I love the way you show Beth's complexity in this situation. She stayed in the car, but wasn't entirely happy about it. She was afraid, but she protected Mick even when she had to kill a genuine monster to do it.

She is shaken by what she learns, and then she deals with it--on her own.

This is very telling. Josh is a sweetie, but he is not the man for Beth. Good old supportive Josh seemingly would do anything for Beth, but as cute as he is, sometimes that is not enough.

Wonderful job of adding detail and depth to the story!

Off to read more!

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Re: Twists of Fate - Chapter 5 (PG-13)

Post by jen »

Francis, this is just wonderful!!!! What I don't understand is how the last comment on this fabulous story was when I was last here.

What is up with that???????

Unbelievable!

This fits in so perfectly, and your descriptions are wonderful. I can see the scenes.

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Re: Twists of Fate - Chapter 5 (PG-13)

Post by cassysj »

Poor Josh, his whole world was turned upside down by Mick's revelation and he didn't even know what it was.
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