Here is the fourth installment in the series

[x]Story: Keep Me Safe
[x]Chapter Title: My Angel with Fangs
[x]Rating: PG
[x]Characters: Beth Turner, OC - Annie (Beth's best friend, also in part 2), OC - Meredith (Beth's mother, also in part 1)
[x]Words: 4144
[x]Summary: Set when Beth is 18 years old and faces a conundrum, her locket doesn't go with her prom dress, so she needs to move on from the locket, but to what???
[x]Disclaimer: Not my toys, im just borrowing them =D






18-year-old Beth turner was currently living every girls dream; she was out shopping for her senior prom dress. She had tried on several dressed but none jumped out at her as being ‘the one’. Her mother, Meredith, had told her that they would find one soon, but Beth was beginning to have doubts.

Meredith didn’t know what colour or style Beth was looking for, and Beth had only given her one condition, “it has to go with my locket” apart from that it seemed anything was a possibility.

So as they entered what had to be the tenth shop for the day, Meredith started on one side of the shop, and Beth on the other, both pulling out random dresses to show the other. There were a lot of “ooh’s” and “ahh’s”, and even some “ewws” but not a stunned silence, until Meredith pulled out a midnight blue dress, she held it up to show Beth and Beth knew immediately, without even trying the dress on, that that was the one for her.

It was a full-length gown with a corset like bodice that tied up at the back, and came up at the front in a sweat heart neckline.

Beth immediately grabbed the dress and rushed off to the changing rooms, leaving her mothers chuckles in her wake.

As Beth stepped into the changing room and removed her clothes she couldn’t take her eyes off the dress, it was stunning, she carefully put it on and then called her mother in to tie up the back.

Taking a deep breath Beth ran her hands over the material before looking up into the full length mirror before her, when she did she felt her stomach fall and flutter at the same time.

The dress fitted perfectly, as she twirled it looked like the bodice was painted on before flaring out slightly, the dress could only have been made for her.

There was just one problem; the locket didn’t go with it. It was all wrong, it was too chunky, and long, the neckline of the dress required a higher more choker like necklace, and Beth’s locked was the opposite of that.

Tears formed in Beth’s eyes as she realised that she had found the perfect dress but couldn’t have it, she couldn’t bare parting with her locket for even a night. Wiping at her eyes she sniffled slightly before preparing to ask her mother to untie the dress for her.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Let me have a look” Meredith said before having her breath taken away as Beth stepped from behind the changing room curtain and out into the larger changing room area.

Meredith’s eyes went wide, her daughter was a vision of beauty, she motioned with her finger the Beth to turn around, and she did, and Meredith admired as Beth spun around on her heel twice.

“That looks stunning Beth” Meredith said softly.

“I know” Beth said before sniffling once more, as another tear fell from her eyes.

“What’s wrong hunny?” Meredith asked, confused by her daughters emotion.

“This” Beth said before raising the locket, which was clutched tightly in her fist, and letting it dangle from her fingers on its silver chain, “it doesn’t go with the dress” Beth said before sniffling once more.

“Let me see” Meredith spoke softly, watching as Beth raised her hands to replace the locket around her neck.

As Beth dropped her hands and the locket fell to its natural resting place, Meredith hated to admit, but Beth was right, the locket just didn’t go with that dress. She didn’t want to say anything, but apparently the look on her face was more then enough proof for Beth that she felt the same way.

“I told you” Beth said sniffling again before turning to look at herself in the mirror.

“Hunny I’m sure we can figure something out, could you just have your locket in your bag?” Meredith asked, immediately going into problem solving mode, not wanting to leave the shop without the dress Beth was currently wearing.

“Maybe, but I want it with me” Beth said sniffling once more.

“It will be with you if it’s in your bag” Meredith said before reaching into her own bag and grabbing a tissue before handing it to Beth.

“Yeah, but not all the time” Beth sniffled before blowing her nose.

“But it will be close” Meredith continued, wanting to ease her daughters fears.

“It’s just that it’s an important night, and I want it with me, because without him I never would have made it to my prom mum” Beth said beginning to get more emotional.

Meredith had to hold her own tears in check at her daughters’ confession.

“I’m sure we can think of something Beth, but believe me, this dress is the one, you will be the bell of the ball” Meredith said smiling slightly.

“It really is gorgeous isn’t it?” Beth asked smiling slightly before taking another twirl.

“Yes, you are” Meredith replied.

“Maybe the locket will be fine in my bag” Beth said, taking strength from the proud look on her mothers face.

“Maybe, and if not, I’m sure we can figure something else out” Meredith said smiling once more.

“Ok” Beth said, standing tall and eyeing her mother over her shoulder in the mirror.

“Ok?” Meredith asked, not daring to hope that Beth had decided she wanted this dress.

“This one, I want this one” Beth said grinning from ear to ear.

Meredith let out a little squeal before taking Beth in her arms and laughing slightly.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Beth lay on her bed with her stuffed vampire in her hands, she was thinking long and hard about possible ways to have her locket with her for her senior prom, so far she had come up with one other possibility then having it in her bag, taking the photos out and having them on her person somehow, but she shot that idea down fairly fast.

“What do you think I should do?” Beth asked the vampire sitting on her chest looking at her with his ever-the-same cute expression.

“Right” Beth said chuckling and rolling her eyes to herself.

Beth was interrupted from her musings by a knock at her door, “come in” she yelled without moving.

“Annie is on the phone,” Meredith said entering the room with the cordless phone in hand.

“Thanks” Beth said before sitting up and grabbing the handed phone.

“Hey Annie” Beth said before resuming her earlier position on her bed.

“So, did you get a dress?” Annie all but yelled into the phone on the other end.

Beth let out a chuckle, this had been a nightly occurrence ever since Annie had found her own dress, she was almost as excited to see what Beth would be wearing, as Beth was herself.

“Yes Annie, I did” Beth said grinning as her eyes drifted to the front of her wardrobe, where her dress hung encased in protective plastic.

“Really? Oh my god, tell me everything about it, what colour is it? Where did you get it? How much was it? Tell me” Annie said all in one breath.

“Whoa, calm down tiger” Beth said chuckling at Annie’s eagerness.

“Firstly, its dark blue, almost black except when the light catches it you see its blue, I got it from Ravish, it was, I don’t actually know how much, mum wouldn’t let me look at the prices, and its full length, with like a corset type bodice” Beth said grinning from ear to ear as she heard Annie gasp as she revealed the information.

“We are going to look so hot,” Annie, declared.

“Yes, yes we are” Beth replied chuckling.

“Did you get Brett’s corsage too?” Annie asked

“Not yet, but I have bigger fish to fry then that right now” Beth said, flipping over to her stomach, taking the vampire with her.

“Really? Do tell” Annie said, interested in what Beth had going on.

“You know how the only thing my dress absolutely had to do was go with my locket?” Beth asked.

“Yeah, you only drilled that into my head like ten times” Annie laughed.

“Well, it doesn't” Beth said letting out a laugh at the irony.

“What doesn't what?” Annie asked, confused.

“The dress, doesn't go with my locket” Beth said slowly, amused at her friend’s blonde moment.

“Oh, well that’s not good” Annie said, knowing how important Beth’s locket was to her, and why.

“No” Beth confirmed.

“So, what you gonna do about it?” Annie asked.

“No idea, what I need is some way to have either the locket or the photos with me at all times, impossible to loose, and basically impossible for others to see, well unless I want them to, which I don’t, if you can think of something that does all that then I may just have to marry you” Beth spoke jokingly.

“I guess we are getting married then,” Annie said triumphantly after a moments thought.

“Really?” Beth said sitting bolt upright in her bed, knocking the vampire to the floor in her haste.

“Yes” Annie said chuckling, having heard the commotion of Beth sitting up.

“Do tell” Beth all but begged into the phone.

“You’re mother is going to kill me for putting this idea in your head” Annie said, deciding that maybe it wasn’t the best idea to tell Beth.

“I’m sure she won’t, but I might if you don’t tell me what it is” Beth replied quickly.

“Well, um, this is only like as a joke, but it does do everything you want, but yeah as I said, this is a joke” Annie said back-pedalling fast trying to cover her tracks if Beth did decide to be insane and do what she was about to suggest, because she didn’t want the blame to fall on her when Meredith found out.

“Now I’m really intrigued,” Beth said chuckling nervously.

Beth sat waiting for Annie to finally spit out what was on her mind, and when she did Beth thought that she may in fact marry Annie. It was genius and completely perfect. It would be out of sight, on her at all times, and impossible for her to lose. Beth jumped up with a grin and did a crazy little jig and let out a triumphant scream.

“Ah, Beth?” Annie asked, hearing the commotion and chuckling slightly.

“I love you I love you I love you, but now I must go and start planning, I’ll see you at school tomorrow” Beth said quickly before hanging up on her slack jawed friend and hastily running over to her desk before grabbing out a pencil and a sheet of blank paper.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Annie sat in her room with a shocked look on her face, she hoped that she had not given a permanent solution to a temporary problem to her often hasty friend, who liked to jump first and think later at times.

Annie pressed speed dial two on her mobile again and was slightly amused when Beth picked up, saying only “I love you, thank you, I’m planning it right now, I love you, I’ll see you at school tomorrow oh and I love you” before once more hanging up.

Annie shook her head and chuckled slightly before jumping on her bad and laying face down with her head in her pillows, before letting out a large harrumph and immediately set about figuring out how to convince Beth of how bad an idea her suggestion was.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


“I’m getting it today” Beth said across the lunch table to Annie, who had her head in her textbook, doing some last minute cramming for a test she had after lunch.

“Getting what” Annie mumbled as she turned the page, before turning it back with a grunt.

“You know” Beth said grinning, waiting for realisation to sink in to her friend.

Annie’s head snapped up and her book fell to the table with a loud thud as she looked at Beth with wide eyes.

“You’re not serious?” Annie asked, however the look on Beth’s face told her that her friend was indeed serious.

“This is not good. Not good at all” Annie said shaking her head.

“This is brilliant, and it was your idea after all” Beth said chuckling.

“That’s the point, when your mum finds out, she will kill me, hide my body and I will never be heard of again” Annie said with a completely serious expression on her face.

“Oh relax, she probably wont care, and anyway if she does I’ll tell her it was my idea, so she will kill me not you, feel better about it yet?” Beth asked, chuckling as Annie just sat shaking her head.

“So, are you going to come with me or not?” Beth asked, breaking Annie out of her ravine.

“Me, come with you, to get it?” Annie asked, shock taking its place on her face.

“Yes, you come with me, to get it, after school, today” Beth said, as if speaking to a 5-year-old.

“I suppose I better, just to make sure you don’t end up with something that will make your mother kill both of us” Annie said smiling slightly.

“So do you know what you’re getting yet?” Annie asked, picking up her textbook and re-opening it to her lost page.

“Yep” Beth said before sliding over a piece of paper.

Annie took a look at it before turning it and then turning her head as she closely examined it, “it is kinda cool, I must admit” Annie said softly, hoping Beth wouldn’t hear her.

“I knew you’d come round” Beth said grinning before grabbing back the piece of paper and showing it into her bag as the bell rang.

“I still think this is a really bad idea,” Annie said as the girls quickly picked up their bags and turned to head in opposite directions.

“Well, it was your idea after all” was Beth’s last comment before she laughed and was whisked away with the crowd leaving Annie with her mouth agape and shaking her head.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


As Beth prepared for the needle to break her skin she searched her mind for any doubt that this was what she wanted, she didn’t find any (except on the face of Annie, who was looking on with worry covering her face) so she braced herself for the pain.

But when the needle made its first prick of her skin, there was no pain; there was just a wave of adrenaline that crashed through her body. She tensed as the needle again pierced her skin, she reminded herself to breathe and let out a deep breathe as the needle continued to prick her skin at a blinding speed.

As the tattooist stopped for a moment to remove the excess ink with some paper towel, Beth looked over to Annie, whose hand she was holding tightly.

“Sorry” Beth said laughing, as she loosened her death grip on Annie’s hand.

Annie flexed her hand and pretended to be fatally wounded, to which Beth just chuckled, mid chuckle she stopped as the needle started again, she clenched her teeth and lay her head back on the headrest, trying to control her breathing.

“What’s it feel like?” Annie asked, noting the tense look on Beth’s face.

“Um, weird” Beth replied, trying to figure out how to explain the strange sensation taking part on her hip.

The tattooist listened to see how this one would explain the feeling of getting a tattoo, she had heard a million different explanations, from it being ‘an itching sensation’ to ‘it feels like there is something crawling under my skin’ over her years of tattooing.

“Its like, burning, and itchy, and annoying, but good” Beth surmised, not really giving Annie much of an understanding.

“Right” Annie said smiling.

“You know you could always just get one after me and find out for yourself” Beth said grinning as Annie held up her hands as if physically warding off the suggestion.

“No, no way, firstly needles need to stay as far away from me as possible, secondly my mother would actually kill me” Annie said, leaning in for a closer look as the tattooist leant back to get a clean sheet of paper towel.

“How’s it look?” Beth asked, sitting up slightly but having her view blocked by the tattooists free arm.

“Like you’ve had ink injected into your skin” Annie said, not too encouragingly.

“Funny that” Beth replied rolling her eyes.

As the tattooist went back to work, the girls fell silent, Annie attentively watching the steady hand of the tattooist tracing the stencil on Beth’s skin, and Beth looking around the pictures of tattoo’s on the cubicles walls.

“That looks like it hurts” Annie said a while later, noting the blood that was being wiped away along with access ink.

“A little, no more then a pinch though” Beth said shrugging her shoulders.

“You’re a freak” Annie added, the sight of the blood and the needle making her squeamish.

“Hardly” the tattooist added with a grin.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean” Annie began but the tattooist cut her off.

“Don’t worry, I’m use to it, look at me” she replied, motioning to her full sleeves of tattoos.

“Did they hurt?” Annie asked, looking over the expanse of ink.

“After a while it gets pretty tender, especially under the inner arm, but like I say, pain is temporary, art is forever” she replied as she continued to work on Beth’s tattoo.

“How long did all of that take?” Beth asked, as she wiped the sweat off her forehead, only now noticing the sheen of sweat that had coated her body, born from a mix of fear, adrenaline and slight pain.

“About 10 hours each arm, but not all at once” the tattooist replied before leaning back and inspecting Beth’s tattoo.

“Owww” Annie said with a grossed out look on her face.

“It looks cool” Beth replied, to which Annie immediately responded.

“Don’t even think about it Beth, don’t worry about your mother killing you, I would kill you”

“Oh relax, I’ll be quite happy with this one once its done” Beth replied chuckling.

“Speaking of done” the tattooist spoke, before standing and walking over to the sink.

“You’re done, already?” Beth asked, amazed that her tattoo could already be done in what seemed no longer then 15 minutes.

“Yep, it’s just the outline, so it doesn’t take that much longer then drawing it” she replied as she washed her hands in the sink before grabbing some Vaseline and cling wrap.

“You sure you don’t want any colour?” the tattooist asked, looking over her work.

“Yeah I just want the outline, maybe in the future thought,” she said winking dramatically at Annie who looked none to pleased.

“You want to take a look before I wrap it up?” the tattooist asked, knowing the answer before she had asked the question as Beth jumped up and walked over to the nearest mirror, holding her shirt up.

Beth took a deep breath before looking in the mirror at her right hip, the black lines were slightly raised and a little red around the edges from minor swelling, but apart from that it looked fine. She admired the simplicity of her chosen design and smiled to herself.

Staring back at her was a stick figure angel, unlike any other; this angel had fangs and bat wings.

Beth grinned widely before turning to face the tattooist, “I love it, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, now just let me wrap it up and you’ll be good to go” the tattooist said before smearing the whole tattoo with a generous amount of Vaseline, covering it in cling wrap and taping down the sides.

“Ok, done” she said before returning the tub of Vaseline to the counter.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


“Stop touching it” Annie chastised as she slapped away Beth’s hand from her hip area, “you heard what she said, try not to touch it, and don’t scratch it” Annie said sternly before grabbing the ‘caring for your tattoo’ card and pushing it once again before Beth’s face.

“Yeah yeah yeah, but damn its itchy” Beth said grumbling slightly, looking out the bus window trying to distract herself from the itchiness of her hip.

“It serves you right” Annie said chuckling as Beth tried to scratch her tattoo from the inside by squirming and doing mini crunches in her seat.

“Your idea” Beth reminded Annie with a chuckle.

“Which I said numerous times was a bad one” Annie replied quickly, much to Beth’s amusement.

“Well I like it, now he’s with me wherever I go, and I can’t lose him,” Beth said smiling as she lifted her shirt to once more inspect her new ink.

“Yeah well, wait till your mum finds out, it wont seem like such a good idea then” Annie said before standing and hitting the ‘stop’ button on the nearest isle seat.

“Ahuh, I’ll call you later” Beth said as the bus came up to Annie’s stop and Annie slid out of her seat.

“You better” Annie replied with a wave before jumping off the bus, leaving a beaming Beth squirming in her seat.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Over the next two weeks Meredith tried to broach the subject of Beth’s locket with her daughter, but each time Beth just smiled and said it was taken care of, and didn’t give any further information. Meredith was simply happy Beth had sorted something out so she didn’t dig any deeper into the resolving on the problem then that.

Now she stood waiting patiently outside Beth’s door waiting to be summoned in to tie up the back of her daughters dress.

“Ok mum” Beth said from behind the door, Meredith opened the door and was immediately given further instructions.

“Don’t look, just tie it up and then leave, I want to surprise you” Beth said quickly.

Meredith chuckled and resisted asking Beth how she was meant to do up the back of her dress without looking, instead deciding to give her already stressed daughter a break. Meredith quickly tied up the dress and then left the room to return to the living room, where she patiently waited for Beth to make her arrival.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Beth turned to look at herself in the mirror. She had her hair and make-up professionally done, her hair was swept up in a mass of curls with a few ringlets dropping down to frame her face, and give the updo a ‘messy’ appearance and her makeup was natural but with dark blue smoky eyes. She had chosen simple silver jewellery that complimented her dress, and a clutch purse for her make-up, money and phone.

Smiling slightly Beth placed her hand on her right hip, over her tattoo and took a moment to say a silent thankyou to whoever it was that had rescued her and given her the opportunity to go to her senior formal.

Not wanting to let tears ruin her make-up, Beth quickly brought herself back to the moment, and reasoned that her mother was probably walking holes in the living room carpet, so she decided to put her out of her misery.

Exiting her room Beth switched off the light before making her way down the hall and speaking, “close your eyes” she instructed, before waiting a moment to give Meredith time to do so.

Beth took a deep breath before stepping out into the centre of the room and facing her mother, “ok, open” Beth said smiling.

Meredith opened her eyes and tears immediately sprang to life behind her eyes, Beth twirled and Meredith’s smile was nearly larger then her daughters as she took in the beauty before her.

“You look beautiful,” Meredith said softly before standing.

“Thank you” Beth said blushing and smiling.

“That dress really is stunning” Meredith said as Beth swished from side to side.

“I know” Beth said grinning.

“So, is your locket in your bag?” Meredith asked, once more digging for information.

“No” Beth replied as she noted the limo pull up outside the front of her house, and her date for the night, Brett, exiting the rear door.

“No?” Meredith asked, confused.

“No” Beth replied with a cheeky smirk before making her way to the door and opening it before Brett had to knock.

“Are you going to tell me how you solved the problem then?” Meredith asked, wondering why Beth was smirking.

“I didn’t solve it, Annie did” Beth said grinning, knowing Annie would kill her for dobbing her in.

“And how was that?” Meredith asked as she walked over to the door and held it open as Beth greeted Brett with a kiss on the cheek.

“She told me to get a tattoo,” Beth said before giggling and quickly racing off down the driveway with Brett in toe, leaving Meredith stunned with her mouth agape.

---END---

AN - The tattoo is basically just a stick figure, with a halo, fangs and bat wings =P

Comments really make my day, i'd love to know what you thought =D And yes the tattoo will play a major part in future parts =P






The parts of this story may not be posted in chronological order, but i will let you know when all are set and what not =P

ALL PARTS - In Chronological order:
Out with the old, In with the new Beth is 4 years old
Cause and Effect Beth is 9 years old
Too old for this Beth is 16 years old
My Angel with Fangs (This part) Beth is 18 years old