A Single Moment

It's funny how sometimes life can come down to a single moment; that one instance of perfect clarity when you realize what's truly important. All the other things possessions, connections; all the things you thought made you what you are fall away and your life is distilled down its most basic elements. It's in that moment you discover what you value most; the one thing you would give everything and anything to hang onto. Some people call this kind of event a personal epiphany. When mine came, I learned what I've suspected all along; the one thing I could never live without was Beth.

I'd been in San Diego for two days running down leads on my current case, the search for a bank executive who'd run off with his mistress and most of the employee pension fund. The bank's insurance company hired me to find him and the leads were looking promising. I headed back to LA to check in with them, grab a little freezer time, and if I was lucky, have breakfast with Beth before I headed out on the chase again. Even though we'd talked earlier that night I considered going by to see her, but it was late and I knew she had work the next day.

For weeks since that night we first made love, I'd been fighting my other side, trying to give her the space and freedom she was used to. Beth thought vampire relationships were based on sex and blood but that's only a small part of it. That's why most of our kind try to keep their relationships casual, never getting serious about anyone. When you're turned everything is stronger especially your baser emotions. That includes the instinct to possess your mate and keep them close. Unfortunately, the longer they were denied, the stronger they became.

It was exactly those emotions that motivated Josef to keep Sarah alive for 50 years before she woke up. It was also what made Jackson willing to die rather than live on without Emma. But those emotions can have a darker side; Coraline was a perfect example. I just never understood how powerful they could be until that night I learned the hard way.

I'd just turned on the current segment of Buzz Wire and went to pour a healthy dose of my favorite plasma drink when it happened. Even though Beth was no longer working there, I tuned in every now and then to catch a segment. I hadn't lied when I said it was entertaining. That was when the story came on.

"…Apartment building fully engulfed as the fire rages out of control. Firefighters are on the scene. No word yet on any casualties." But it was the image on the computer that made me drop the glass in my hand. The building on fire was Beth's.

I sprinted out of my apartment moving faster than I can ever remember my mind racing as I went. I didn't think vampires could have panic attacks but it sure felt like I was having one now. I'd been worried for Beth before but this was the first time I'd ever been genuinely afraid. In all the other times she'd been in danger I never doubted that I'd save her. Whether I was human or vampire I always took it for granted that I'd get there in time. Failure simply wasn't an option. She was my Beth and no one was taking her away from me.

But this time it was different. This was fire; something as lethal to vampires as it was to humans. Silver hurts like hell but it won't kill you right away. Put a match to a vamp though and we go up like dry leaves. This was one enemy I couldn't break or drive a stake through. If it had taken my Beth, I might as well walk into the flames myself.

I ran the whole way to her place, jumping and twisting over objects in my path. I don't know how I made it there in one piece but I did. I hadn't even tried to use the car. It would have only slowed me down. The second I arrived I began frantically sniffing the air, hoping for some vague sense of her but the huge fire blocked my efforts. Beth's scent has always been amazingly unique to me; fresh yet fragrant like summer flowers after a rainstorm. Since our first hug, it never failed to reach out and wrap around me like a gentle breeze especially when we made love. I knew it intimately now. I could track Beth by scent alone even if I were blindfolded in a snowstorm.

The scene was a chaotic mess. The building blazed as the police struggled to keep the crowd back while the firemen fought to contain it. Between the smoke, the crowd and the roar of the fire, my senses were on overload. I grabbed a nearby fireman and tried to make him hear me but there was just too much noise. My inner vampire was ready to come out howling and start tossing bodies to look for her when the wind shifted and I caught a familiar scent. In a flash, I was at her side by the ambulance.

She was soaking wet and barefoot, clad in one of those tiny silken camisole and micro shorts things she was so fond of. It was covered with dirt and soot until the color was undiscernible. Her hair and face were liberally streaked as well but she'd never looked more beautiful! She was wearing an oxygen mask and coughing hard but managed to mouth "Mick" at the sight of me. They'd wrapped her in one of those foil blankets; she was still shaking so hard it was making noise. Throwing it aside, I yanked off my duster and wrapped her in it as I pulled her to me. She seemed to have the same idea because she wound her hands into the fabric of my shirt and hung on for dear life. Vampires don't have any real warmth, but I could hold her tight until the shaking stopped.

I know we must have looked strange then. Beth, wrapped in my enormous coat, the mask still on her face and a death grip on my shirt, me holding her close against my chest, my face buried deeply in her hair to hide the signs of the vampire that had finally emerged. Neither of us spoke but we didn't need to. We both just hung on, knowing all too well how close we'd come to losing each other. It hadn't been about vampires or humans this time, just two lovers who almost lost what really mattered most.

After some time, her shivering stopped, and I regained a semblance of self-control. When her breathing eased, they took off the mask. Though, the paramedics wanted to take her to the hospital as a precaution; she refused with her typical stubbornness. Once they realized they'd have to pry her out of my arms, they relented and I promised to take her to a doctor if she grew worse.

She still hadn't said much and all I managed around the lump in my throat was to croak a few words. "I'm here, BETH." But I knew it was enough. Lifting her face, she looked at me with those liquid blue eyes and burrowed harder into my chest like she was trying to climb inside my skin. The cab ride home was a blur. The only thing I could think about was that I had my Beth safe in my arms. By the time we got back to my place, she was drooping, her strength spent at last. I carried her inside and headed straight for the bathroom, needing to get her warm and wash away the offending smells of the fire from her precious curves. I'd held her in the shower that night she'd taken the black crystal. Yet, I'd still been a gentleman; only drying and dressing her.

Tonight's shower would be a different experience because the arms that held her and the hands that caressed her now belonged to her lover. I turned on the shower as hot as I dared and stripped us both quickly. I could no longer hold back my fangs or keep the silver from my eyes as my inner vampire emerged full force. She wasn't in danger and I didn't need to feed but my protective instincts would no longer be denied. My Beth opened her eyes then and saw my face yet there wasn't any sign of fear from her. Instead, she relaxed into my body, trusting me and giving herself completely over to my care. I cradled her tenderly, resting her against me as I cleansed away the evidence of her trauma. As my hands glided lightly over her silken skin and hair, I couldn't help feeling as if I were washing away some of my own pain as well.

I took my time drying her, taking extra care with her hair and pausing occasionally to rub warmth back into her slight form. She was warm from the shower of course, but I didn't want to risk her catching a chill. I didn't bother dressing myself, but eased her into one of my silk shirts. I actually hated leaving her downstairs but the pull out was the only bed and my freezer took up most of the master suite. By now Beth was almost asleep. I poured her a shot of brandy and coaxed her into drinking it. I know modern doctors discourage giving alcohol, but I knew it would help her to sleep. I sped through opening and making the bed and soon had her safely tucked in. By the time her head hit the pillow, Beth was completely gone but I couldn't bring myself to leave her right now. Sleep on, sweet Beth. You're home now and I'll never let you go. I'm here, Beth. I'll always be here. Forever.