Letting Me Love You (In Between 5 and 6, PG13)

[Shadow]

OHHHHHHHHH SHADOW!!!!!!!!!!!

This one, this In Between, is just precious and wonderful! The whole first half of it is soooo perfectly in keeping and in character with his beautific smile after that kiss... still my favorite kiss in the series. I love how you portrayed him so similarly to a smitten human young kid... cause that is exactly how his face looked in that scene. This follows that scene seamlessly, utterly seamlessly.

The little hint of further insight into Elaine is wonderful. I am totally wrapped up into that side story in this series... and hang on every little bit of her story that you give us!

The poignancy of his dreams of Lilah and their "family" is just heart rending and emotional and lovely.

I totally giggled at the Logan bits... "vampspam". You are beyond clever.

And then his wishful, erotic AND romantic Beth-dream, interrupted by Josef to begin our next ep, just the perfect ending to what had been a perfectly begun, perfectly continued, and perfectly rendered chapter in your story!

I am SO enjoying this series!

Aww Grace, you are so going to motivate me to get to that next chapter .... That is such an amazing comment.
The look on Mick's face at the end of A.D. is just priceless .... he did look like a smitten kid right then (no brooding vampire in that expression) so I tried to let that spill over into this story.
Sorry there was only the tiniest snippet of Elaine in this chapter - but I'm planning a whole lot for her in the next one. I'm glad that little bit could grab your interest!
Whew, and what a relief that this is fitting in for you with the episodes - "seamless" sounds very nice indeed! Thank you so much.

[Shadow]

This is my favorite "in between" so far Shadow. Maybe it's because we are getting deeper into how Mick and Beth really feel about each other. Their relationship has always captured my romantic side, and you are writing that so well. This chapter almost made me tear up. Thank you.

Thank you aolver, that is so nice! This part of the series always seemed especially romantic to me as this is where Mick and Beth are first really falling in love, and it's before all those extra complications, such as Coraline, start to appear. It's nice to finally reach the part where they are getting so close to each other!

[allegrita]

Oh, Shadow, this one just made my heart go all mushy. I love the end of AD... the kiss, the shocked "bye", and then the next kiss... (and Mick, if he were honest, would admit that that SECOND kiss was not an accident!). Mick's delighted, lovestruck smile at the end of that episode is so completely joyful. Of course he's walking on air. But of course, after he came down from the high, he'd think about that poor vamp who died... and pity him, thinking of the hell of being forever sixteen, forever caught in the horror of adolescence. And that leads to a whole succession of ruminations.

I'm glad you brought Lilah's story in at this point. Mick was obviously in love with her, much moreso than he ever admitted to Beth. And it makes a lot of sense that he loved her long before he and Ray want to war together. It works very well that his thoughts of the poor teen vamp would move to his own teenage love for Lilah... and also to his turning of Elaine, and of course, back to Beth when she was little.

I love the little snippet you've given us of Elaine's story here. What could possibly have brought Mick to turn a kid--especially after his experience with Beth?! I can't wait to learn more about it.

The dream is perfect, too. I love the way you describe the difference between the dreams Mick has when sleeping warm and sleeping cold. Poor Mick! Josef's hammering on the lid of the freezer would blast that beautiful, wishful, sexy, romantic dream away, but I can imagine that there would definitely have been evidence of it... and that would explain why Josef covered Mick up so quickly in the beginning of B.C.

Grace is right--it's seamless, again... beautifully imagined, perfectly written. I just love this series. Thank you so much for thinking of doing it, and for doing it so well.

[Shadow]

I am just loving all of this. Mick's giddiness at Beth's kiss in the parking lot and that beautiful smile he had at the end. AD is my most favorite ML episode because of that first kiss as you can see from my banner. That man is such a tortured soul but Beth is giving him hope that he can be loved equally as a man and a vampire. She only sees one person and not two separate beings like Mick sees himself. Wow loved seeing his dreams too, he's already so in love with her but I don't think he's even realized how much yet to himself. Damn Josef for showing up.
Every time you mention Elaine I want more. I'm just dying to know what her story is. Why, why would Mick turn a seventeen year old girl? she had to be dying for him to do something like that.
This was wonderful and you truly capture Mick perfectly in your story. I'm really anxious to see his thoughts when Beth came to his place high on BC and wanted him to Join her. I honestly thought (hoped ) that he was going to go for it in that episode, but alas he was the true gentleman that he is. Thanks Shadow

I am not surprised that AD is your favorite episode, considering that gorgeous banner of yours! I love what you said about Beth seeing only one person in Mick, not two separate beings - that sums up her attitude toward him so well, and is so different (at this time) from the way he sees himself.
It is so nice that you want to see more of Elaine! Since she's mine, that means a great deal. (It's also a good thing because I have a lot more in mind for her in this story - and there should be a large part for her in the next chapter.) Thank you SO much for the wonderful comment.

[Shadow]

I agree, this first kiss is my favorite. It is so innocent, yet full of promise. And the look on Mick's face is priceless and so sweet, what with that look of surprise ("she likes me, she really likes me"), then that sweet little smile. (This is where Alex's acting talents shine; he can express so much in just these types of mannerisms. It's what made me fall helplessly in love with him. )

ahh, you sum up the end of AD so perfectly .... TOTAL agreement here ....

The other thing that really struck me was the pure contrast between AD's ending and the ending of Fever. It was like we got to see the very essence of sadness in Mick's face at the end of Fever, and just one episode later he was showing us the essence of joy. Both perfectly portrayed, of course.

[Shadow]

Oh, Shadow, this one just made my heart go all mushy. I love the end of AD... the kiss, the shocked "bye", and then the next kiss... (and Mick, if he were honest, would admit that that SECOND kiss was not an accident!). Mick's delighted, lovestruck smile at the end of that episode is so completely joyful. Of course he's walking on air. But of course, after he came down from the high, he'd think about that poor vamp who died... and pity him, thinking of the hell of being forever sixteen, forever caught in the horror of adolescence. And that leads to a whole succession of ruminations.

I'm glad you brought Lilah's story in at this point. Mick was obviously in love with her, much moreso than he ever admitted to Beth. And it makes a lot of sense that he loved her long before he and Ray want to war together. It works very well that his thoughts of the poor teen vamp would move to his own teenage love for Lilah... and also to his turning of Elaine, and of course, back to Beth when she was little.

I love the little snippet you've given us of Elaine's story here. What could possibly have brought Mick to turn a kid--especially after his experience with Beth?! I can't wait to learn more about it.

The dream is perfect, too. I love the way you describe the difference between the dreams Mick has when sleeping warm and sleeping cold. Poor Mick! Josef's hammering on the lid of the freezer would blast that beautiful, wishful, sexy, romantic dream away, but I can imagine that there would definitely have been evidence of it... and that would explain why Josef covered Mick up so quickly in the beginning of B.C.

Grace is right--it's seamless, again... beautifully imagined, perfectly written. I just love this series. Thank you so much for thinking of doing it, and for doing it so well.

Allegrita, I'm really glad you liked the bit of Lilah's story . . . I always thought Mick must have loved her from afar for a long time, because of his reaction in WLB when Lilah kissed Ray goodbye. It was nice to be able to slip that in, where it could lead to other things. I love that you want to see more of Elaine, too! I'll try not to be so stingy with her story in the next chapter.

How wonderful what you said about Mick's dream . . .
(and it really did seem logical considering Josef's expression and rapid towel deployment in BC. )

Thank you for calling this seamless, too ....it does my heart good! I SO appreciate the amazing comment!!!

[redwinter101]

I loved this so much, Shadow. Your description of Mick's reaction to the parking lot kiss is beautiful and touching - I love how he keeps repeating, "She kissed me!" throughout. He really can't quite believe it. And I loved the train of thought and memory that moment set off - lost loves, past warmth and care, all the things he's missed for so long. There is such a strong sense of re-awakening here - it's incredibly poignant.

His dream is both passionate and tender - but the overriding feeling for me was an aching wistfulness:

She took his face in her hands, and ever so slowly he turned back to her. He would let her see the monster. But she didn’t believe he was one. She didn’t believe it, all the way down into her soul, and she didn’t care that he had changed into the vampire. She loved him the same either way. She traced his fangs with her fingertips, lightly kissed the corners of his pale eyes, then kissed his mouth just as deeply as she had before. The vampire never cried, but now he felt tears in his cold eyes . . . he heard a breath of a whisper as she broke the kiss . . . “Come here, Mick. . .” Her voice echoed softly in his mind, breaking through all of his barriers, casting them aside. She shifted beneath him, putting a hand to the back of his head to press his face against her throat, then moved both hands to his hips to guide him to her. Her blood pulsed against his mouth, just under her warm skin, and he remembered the sweet rich taste of it.

“Oh God,” he whispered. “Beth –"

It brought a tear to my eye.



Red

[lorig]

That was perfect! I wonder why Elain would be bothered by Mick's closeness to Beth...interesting...

I loved the dream sequence!!

[Shadow]

I loved this so much, Shadow. Your description of Mick's reaction to the parking lot kiss is beautiful and touching - I love how he keeps repeating, "She kissed me!" throughout. He really can't quite believe it. And I loved the train of thought and memory that moment set off - lost loves, past warmth and care, all the things he's missed for so long. There is such a strong sense of re-awakening here - it's incredibly poignant.

His dream is both passionate and tender - but the overriding feeling for me was an aching wistfulness:

She took his face in her hands, and ever so slowly he turned back to her. He would let her see the monster. But she didn’t believe he was one. She didn’t believe it, all the way down into her soul, and she didn’t care that he had changed into the vampire. She loved him the same either way. She traced his fangs with her fingertips, lightly kissed the corners of his pale eyes, then kissed his mouth just as deeply as she had before. The vampire never cried, but now he felt tears in his cold eyes . . . he heard a breath of a whisper as she broke the kiss . . . “Come here, Mick. . .” Her voice echoed softly in his mind, breaking through all of his barriers, casting them aside. She shifted beneath him, putting a hand to the back of his head to press his face against her throat, then moved both hands to his hips to guide him to her. Her blood pulsed against his mouth, just under her warm skin, and he remembered the sweet rich taste of it.

“Oh God,” he whispered. “Beth –"

It brought a tear to my eye.



Red

Thank you so much, Red. That smile showed a side of Mick we had never seen before, and it did seem like a re-awakening to me. It was nice to let Mick get so obsessive about something happy for a change.....

Loved how you felt about the dream ... that describes just what I felt when putting it down, too.

[Shadow]

That was perfect! I wonder why Elain would be bothered by Mick's closeness to Beth...interesting...

I loved the dream sequence!!

Thank you lorig!
Mick thinks it will be hard for Elaine to see him happy with Beth, when Elaine's human relationship turned out so badly ...
but we'll see if he's right about that ...
Glad you liked that dream sequence!

[jen]

All of us have favorite scenes and moments in the series, and the end of Arrested Development with Mick and Beth in the parking lot was a definite favorite of mine. It was a turning point when Beth kissed him twice and he smiled with surprise and delight.

You have so beautifully captured that in words.

Brava!!!

[MoonlitRose]

Shadow,

While seamless has been mentioned by so may others in their responses here to your story, it is absolutely the perfect descriptor for your "in between"!

Thank you for filling in this gap in the episodes, and I'm looking forward to your continuation!

[Sparrow]

This looks awesome! I'm going to start at the beginning and read!!

[Shadow]

All of us have favorite scenes and moments in the series, and the end of Arrested Development with Mick and Beth in the parking lot was a definite favorite of mine. It was a turning point when Beth kissed him twice and he smiled with surprise and delight.

You have so beautifully captured that in words.

Brava!!!

It's a big favorite of mine too, mostly because of that smile ... like seeing a whole different side of Mick we'd never seen before.
Thank you!

[Shadow]

Shadow,

While seamless has been mentioned by so may others in their responses here to your story, it is absolutely the perfect descriptor for your "in between"!

Thank you for filling in this gap in the episodes, and I'm looking forward to your continuation!

Thanks so much, MoonlitRose! It's very nice that you find seamless to be a good descriptor here ...it's high praise for a transition story like this.