Title : 20 Questions

This fan fic is in response to the Thanksgiving challenge and is set after ep "Arrested Development" and before ep "12:04".

"Macy's parade, misc parade, big snoopy... " Josef clicked through the channels on the TV not staying more than a moment on any one in particular. Finally he turned it off. "What is this fascination humans have with Thanksgiving anyway?" Mick was sitting calmly watching his friend rant on .. one of Josef's favorite activities it seemed... "Oh you know pilgrims, Indians, big feast... It's a holiday. Did you come over to my place just to complain or is there some other purpose to your visit? " Josef didn't notice Mick's question and kept on his tirade unaffected.

"Can't believe that story made it into the history books. Are humans still that gullible to buy into that or is it just an excuse to bring the wheels of capitalism to a shrieking halt ? Do you know how impossible it is to get any real business done today? Every office shut down, voice mails full and people off stuffing their face rather than their wallets. It's disgraceful." The centuries old vampire paced back and forth in his tirade against the injustices of the American lifestyle on his net worth.

Josef halted when they heard a knock on the door, and Mick got up and walked across the room, puzzled as to who would be visiting him today. He wasn't expecting anyone. One glance at the monitor and his heart jumped into his throat. Beth. When he finally opened the door, she was smiling nervously. "Beth?" The question of why was she here was in the one word greeting he gave.

"Mick... I wanted to stop by and bring you some blood pudding." Mick hadn't noticed till then that she was carrying something. "I found the recipe online." Beth nervously continued "I know you said you don't eat food but, er, maybe since this dish, ah...", She was quickly losing what little nerve she had left. Only now did she looked up at Mick's face. He was obviously puzzled. The more she talked, the more pronounced his confusion became. When Beth opened her mouth, she couldn't help but stutter: "this seemed like such a good idea this morning but now I'm thinking not so much? " She stopped, glancing back at her feet, hoping he would say something to rescue her from this increasingly awkward moment.

"Don't leave the lovely lady standing out there in the hall, Mick. Where are your manners my boy." Josef came around to stand beside Mick at the door. Seeing him, Beth now wished she could disappear. Mick had company. She already felt foolish, now she felt she was an intruder! I will never do anything like this ever... ever ... EVER again, the words kept echoing in her mind.

Mick seemed to snap out of the trance that had captured him when he first opened the door.

"Of course... Beth, please come in... you remember Josef? Josef I know you remember Beth..." The men parted so that Beth could come inside.

"From the case with the missing escort. Nice to meet you again. " She caught herself just in time as she almost said 'case with the teen vampire killer'. Turning toward Mick, Beth kept Josef in her peripheral view as there was just something about the glint in his eyes the first time they met that unnerved her. "I'm sorry I didn't know you had company… I should have called first."

"Beth It's OK… and I wouldn't exactly call Josef 'company'." Mick smirked.

"That hurts… wait no it doesn't." Josef retaliated.

"So you're old friends? " Beth interjected.

Josef grinned like the Cheshire cat himself. When you're a 400 year old vampire 'old friend' can take on a whole another dimension. Mick watched the cat and mouse game begin with amusement. Beth's last encounter with Josef ended with her not knowing if he was undead or not. Would she know by the end of this visit? She was dying to find out.

"Mick hasn't told you all about me? Why now I'm hurt." Although calculating better described him a the moment.

"No, in fact he has not even mentioned how you two happen to know each other. Care to regale me with the details? " She smiled at Josef, hoping he would not know that she was fishing for clues. She hoped her reporter skills were up to this latest challenge.

Uh oh – Mick wasn't so sure he wanted Beth to know the story of how he met Josef just yet. True she knews I'm a vampire, but everyone has something from their past they want to leave there and the longer the past the more tidbits of things to stay there and this is definitely one of them. Josef however was delighted with the turn the conversation had taken.

Hoping a diversion would derail the conversation, Mick asked if Beth would like to put her dish in the refrigerator. She wasn't going to be dissuaded that easily. She handed the food to him, "Thank You, Mick" Obviously implying he was to take to the kitchen for her which would leave her and Josef alone to talk so that she could gather more information on the elusive Mick St. John. Josef had just won the prize for the most wanted on her interview list.

As Mick stood there with the casserole dish, he scrambled for a second try, "I'm surprised to you see you today…. Would have thought you would be having Thanksgiving with your family or Josh. " Her face fell at her boyfriend's name being mentioned.

"Later… we're going to his parents this evening for dinner, but that is not for a few hours yet." Beth noticed that Mick was still holding on to the dish. "That really shouldn't be left out much longer." With an inward sigh and a warning glare to Josef, Mick made his way to the kitchen.

Once alone Josef continued, "Where were we? Ah yes the matter of how Mick and I know each other." He looked away with a moment's hesitation and Beth noticed that his smile was a touch too controlled when he looked back. "It was a case actually. I hired Mick to find Deliala, my prize winning german shepard . She had disappeared and I wanted her back." Mick walked in, looking more than a bit tense. He kept silent with a critical eye on Josef. "He found her and we've known each other ever since." Josef was quick to pawn off the story with a nod to Mick. "Probably the dullest case you ever had, right Mick."

Mick relaxed, relieved that he could count on his 'old friend'. He was grateful for Josef's lie… no matter how unconvincing it happened to be.

Since Mick didn't take up the conversation, Josef turned again to Beth. "On to more interesting things like your choice of entrees. Rather Interesting choice – any particular reason for it? " Josef's eyes danced with merriment as he watched her try to decide what to say and more importantly what NOT to say. Josef knew that she was still in the dark so to speak about if he fell in the human or not so human category...is he or is he not? That was the question of the day, one she was determined to have answered before she left.

She hesitated and looked to Mick for help. To the rescue then would it be Beth? Mick nodded and smiled a confirmation to her unspoken question. Yes, Beth, Josef is.

Armed with her new knowledge her demeanor changed, "All things considered I figured Mick would enjoy it more than pumpkin pie seeing as pumpkins don't have any blood. And just how old are you? That is how long ago were you turned? She grinned triumphantly with her new-found information.

"Not fair getting help from the sidelines." Josef chastised Mick - he'd seen the unspoken glance from Mick to Beth, "I've seen a few."

"Decades?" She ventured

"Centuries actually. " He replied. Her already wide eyes widened even more.

"Alas I must leave this charming company, " Josef turned to Beth and kissed her hand, a move that he pulled off very well, probably through many, many years of practice no doubt. He then walked to the door with Mick following to see him out. Just beyond the doorway Josef said low enough so that only Mick could hear, "You really need to turn her or turn her loose. You know that this never works out with humans." Mick closed the door and returned to Beth's side knowing that he couldn't make any decisions today, there was too much at stake for both of them.

"I probably should go as well." she said although she made no move to exit. She searched his eyes, his facial expression, feeling that she was getting better at 'reading' him. She finally spoke up, "You have at least one thing to be thankful for on this day… " She trailed off inviting him to ask.

"Besides you ?" He smiled that special sideways grin which always melted Beth's heart.

She loved that smile yet she wasn't fooled by it, Not getting off that easy Mick..."That I didn't press Josef for the truth. You can tell me.", her voice softened. "I can see you're afraid for me to know whatever it is. Vampires can't be trusted with pets… you told me that remember?" her gentle smile, which always got to Mick as well, was a pardon for the cover up.

"Beth…" his voice was uncertain; he absolutely did not know what to say. Was she really ready to know... was he ready for her to know? His mind drifted back to his first encounter with Josef... It was a case but not quite the way Josef had told it...Deliala wasn't a pet... well not in the canine sort of way. Josef preferred his blood directly from the lovely ladies that surrounded him and Deliala was one of his favorites. Not that Josef would ever admit an emotional tie to a mortal, but she was special and when she disappeared he enlisted Mick's help to find her. Unfortunely by the time Mick had found her the psychopath that had kidnapped her had brutally assaulted her then killed her. For the first time, Mick went after someone with the cold clear intent of killing him not for blood to survive on but only to end the killer's life. That day Mick had crossed the line from monster to murderer. He couldn't bear for Beth to see him as such... she didn't yet remember what had happened when she was four and Mick wanted to bask in that ignorance for as long as it lasted.

"When you're ready, OK?" He wasn't. There was too much she still didin't know about her own past to add this information now.

"OK." He tried to flash a grin but his eyes still held the troubled shadows of the past.

On an impulse, Beth reached up and kissed him on the cheek, a move she had made with more frequency these days. "Happy Thanksgiving" she whispered in his ear.

As Mick shut the door behind her, he leaned on it to steady himself. I DO have a lot to be thankful for. An old friend who keeps my secrets. And Beth… I finally think there's a chance for me to be happy.

He walked to the frig, opened it, and took the lid off of the casserole dish. A strong scent of blood wafted into his super-sensitive nose. But when he looked at what was actually IN the dish, he felt as if he was going to gag. He quickly put the lid back on and shut the frig.

It must have been hard for Beth to make this so-called pudding. And she did it for me. I certainly do have a lot to be thankful for. He smiled, but that does not include the food.