Moonlightaholics

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: This little scene dictated itself to me today, so I wrote it down. It's a response to Champagne Challenge #152, Giving Thanks, but it was inspired as well by HotMicks' amazing comic book adventure, Moonlight Comics: Paris, which everyone must go read, right now!! Don't worry, I'll wait.

I want to thank Lilly for giving me really excellent advice, and helping me improve this greatly from the original draft I sent her today.

Warning--this may seem like the beginning of a multichapter, but it's not. I'm not saying it will never be continued, but I have no plans at this point to continue it, and no idea how it might turn out if I do continue it. So if you don't like open-ended stories, you might not find this one very satisfying.


Thanksgiving, 2008

Beth sighed and pushed the turkey and dressing around on her plate, then looked up at Mick. “I’ve been thinking.”

Mick had been staring at the fire, cradling a glass of whiskey. He blinked and focused on Beth. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Beth put her fork down and picked up her wineglass, looking into its ruby depths. Without raising her eyes, she said, “You have to go.”

Mick frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Coraline. You have to try to help her, Mick.”

Mick’s eyebrows shot up. “Coraline? The woman who stalked you, kidnapped you? The woman you staked? What brings this on?”

“Look, Mick…I know it’s been eating away at you for months. Wondering what happened to her. Feeling guilty, because she sacrificed herself to save you. Well, she may be the evil ex, but she’s your sire too. And she gave you the cure…”

Mick took a big swallow of scotch and set the glass down on the table. “It has not been eating away at me.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Yes, it has. And it’s time for you to do something about it.”

Mick got up and walked over to the window. He stood there, silently, for a long time, and Beth could see his eyes glistening in the stripes of city light that came through the blinds. He took a breath, started to speak, and then let out a long sigh, shaking his head.

Beth pushed back her chair and stood up. “I know you, Mick. You’re not the kind of guy to just let them take her away. If you were, I wouldn’t love you so much.” She put her hand up to her mouth. “You need to go. At least find out what happened to her.”

Mick turned toward her, his face stricken. “I don’t mean to dwell on it, Beth. It’s just that—”

She shook her head. “I know. I know. We’ve both been trying for six months to have a real life together, Mick. But she’s always there, in the background. If you’re not thinking about her, I am. How can we celebrate Thanksgiving in comfort here, when she could be…” Beth’s voice trailed off, and she turned away.

Mick walked to her, enveloping her from behind in a tight hug. He bent his head and inhaled the scent of her, and Beth leaned against him, turning her head slightly. Nuzzling the soft skin of her neck, he whispered, his voice very low and rough, “Beth, if I go… I don’t know what I’ll find.”

She nodded, hugging his arms tightly against her body. “I know that. And I was thinking… maybe I could come with you. Help you somehow.”

Mick kissed her hair. “I wouldn’t put you in that kind of danger.”

Beth turned around in his arms and looked up into his face. “I’d rather be there with you, know what you were up against, than stay here. And after all, they broke into your place before. What makes you think I’d be any safer here, without your protection, than doing research in France?” She pulled his head down and pressed her forehead to his. “And we do make a good team, you know.”

Mick smiled into her blue eyes. “Yeah, we do. But I don’t know, Beth. This could be suicide.”

Beth tilted her head and kissed him tenderly. “I’d rather die with you than live without you, Mick.”

Mick closed his eyes, his lips moving softly on hers. His hands came up to cup her cheeks as they kissed silently, comforting each other without words.

He gave her one last, long kiss and then hugged her tightly again, cradling her face against his chest. “I’m not gonna say no. But I won’t say yes, either. And I think the first step, either way, is to call Josef. He knows more about Coraline’s family than he let on. And if we’re going to go on a fact-finding mission, it’s time to get him to talk.”

Beth hugged him hard around the waist, and then let go, stepping away from him, suddenly all business. “Okay. Then let’s give him a call and see what he has to say.”

Mick looked at her, a slightly bemused smile on his face. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Beth wrinkled her nose at him. “I’ve gotta be, to keep up with you. So call, already.” She picked up her wineglass and took a sip.

Grinning, Mick picked up his glass and clinked it with hers, and then reached for his phone. “Josef’s never gonna believe this,” he said.
<>

Your story touches on one of the biggest unaddressed questions of the series, alle:

Beth pushed back her chair and stood up. “I know you, Mick. You’re not the kind of guy to just let them take her away. If you were, I wouldn’t love you so much.” She put her hand up to her mouth. “You need to go. At least find out what happened to her.”

Beth's right - Mick would never have just let the matter go. He'd have wanted to find out what happened to Coraline. Maybe he goes or maybe Josef talks him out of it, but he would at least have tried.

Beth realizes that she and Mick will never have a life together until the elephant in the room is addressed. Loved how you had her bring this up instead of Mick and that she volunteered to help him as well.

This fits them. Though at first I hadn't thought of Beth going along. But that fits, too.

Very good, Alle! I could picture it all in my mind. And who knows? Maybe Josef will decide to go with them!

Thanks for posting!

Mick would never be able to "forget" Coraline. He would eventually have to find out what happened to her one way or the other. Beth would eventually realize that.

I know you said, no plans to extend this, but I'm asking nicely. Please tuck this away in the back of your mind, so that inspiration can nudge it forward sometime!

And of course Beth is going...what else would you expect, Mick? That she'd stay in the car???

Season 2...

Oh Alle, I cannot wait for Josef to pick up that phone. I can completely see this scene happening. It's such a perfect glimpse into something that most definitely would have happened. Thank you for sharing ( and storing it away) babes.

Alle -- I was so thrilled yesterday when you told me you had written something for the Challenge!

This is such a moving scene. I can picture Mick and Beth quietly having their first Thanksgiving together as couple. I'm sure he was looking forward to watching her eat. Each of them is acutely aware of how much they have to be grateful for -- and that it is at least in some part due to Coraline. I love the image of them trying -- but Mick is distracted and Beth is busy just pushing food around on her plate. It's a small moment that is symbolic of what their life will be like until they resolve the unfinished business that neither of them has talked about until now.

I think sometimes Mick forgets that they are a team; he's so used to shouldering the burden alone. He's been a "protector" for so long, he probably would never have brought up the subject. He would have equated pursuing Coraline with betraying Beth. But Beth has grown a lot. She realizes that loving Mick is complicated -- not just because he is a vampire but because of who he is at heart. Their long-term happiness depends on finding a balance between her need to feel safe and loved and his sense of honor and justice. Working together -- even if it's just deciding what the first step will be -- is what they are all about.

As I read this, one word kept shouting at me in my head: True. This is true to both characters--Mick because of his humanity, would never be able to just push Coraline out of his mind entirely without knowing what happened to her. Beth, bc she is curious, smart and not without humanity herself. Both of them needing the truth bc there is no true moving forward with their entwined lives until Cora is found and they can all move on.

I would love to see this continue, but I think it's kind of complete in it's incompleteness, if you know what I mean. However they may find Coraline, one thing that is without a doubt true: Mick and Beth will be together.

Thanks for this wonderful look into the next stage of the St John/Turner relationship.

Fleur de Lisa wrote: I would love to see this continue, but I think it's kind of complete in it's incompleteness, if you know what I mean. However they may find Coraline, one thing that is without a doubt true: Mick and Beth will be together.

This. Exactly this. It's not so much where they go from here -- it's that they're going together.

Thank you so much, everyone! Especially, you, Lilly. You always make stories better.

I really believe that Beth is the one who would bring this problem out into the light, because Mick is just so used to silently enduring the sad and frustrating aspects of his existence. It wouldn't occur to him to confide in Beth unless she nudged him.

I also can't imagine Beth being comfortable with the idea of having Mick go off into the unknown. She is curious, and a little jealous (who wouldn't be?) and also afraid of what Mick might encounter. She would much rather be there with him than staying home, waiting for word. And you're exactly right, Lucky--Beth doesn't wait in the car.

Thank you, also, for the encouragement to continue this story. I will definitely keep the possibility open! I think it could be a pretty exciting adventure.

Fabulous!

Totally agree with the comments! Of course Beth would bring this up--not for Coraline, but for Mick. Her participation could be much more critical in that Lance and co. aren't used to humans who won't wait in the car.

Thank you!

Jenna

BooYah!! Now, that's what I'm talking about.

Mick could not possibly dismiss what happened to Coraline. I won't believe otherwise. And I don't for a second think Beth would either. This is who Mick IS! But she's not going to want to wait at home and wonder what's going on. Not her thing.

Mick will make that call and my guess would be that Josef is not surprised. Not. At. All. But he probably won't like the idea.

Thank you, Alle. I love to keep these characters honest. It feels right.

Thanks so much, Jenna and GA! Jenna, that's a very interesting point... are those old-school vamps used to modern humans and their refusal to obey the rules? Beth is a definite loose cannon, as far as the Duvall family is concerned. (Then again, so is Coraline.)

GA, I think you're absolutely right about Josef's reaction to Mick and Beth's proposal. But if they are this determined, I can see him going along with them... you know, to stop them from doing something stupid.

Oh Alle, as you know, I'm so overwhelmed by the fic library here, I'm saving it all up for retirement. But I'm so glad to be made aware of this little gem! And so glad my silly comic inspired you to write it.

All I can say is: *swoon* ( ). Love me some MickBeth emotional growth. You don't know how hard it was to keep her largely out of that comic, 'coz I love her so.

Love the different (more serious) direction you took this. And it all starts with this:

allegrita wrote:"...Feeling guilty, because she sacrificed herself to save you. Well, she may be the evil ex, but she’s your sire too. And she gave you the cure…”

This cuts to Mick's core values, and of course Beth would recognize it.

allegrita wrote:“... But she’s always there, in the background. If you’re not thinking about her, I am. How can we celebrate Thanksgiving in comfort here, when she could be…”

This could also have been stated by Mick.

allegrita wrote:Mick kissed her hair. “I wouldn’t put you in that kind of danger.”

This is what I couldn't get past. Lance freaked the sh*t out of Mick (especially the burning hand), and Josef didn't help demystify their aura any, so there's no way Mick is putting Beth into that kind of unknown situation. Of course, if it had been my version of the story, she wouldn't be in very much danger.

allegrita wrote:“I’m not gonna say no. But I won’t say yes, either. And I think the first step, either way, is to call Josef. He knows more about Coraline’s family than he let on. And if we’re going to go on a fact-finding mission, it’s time to get him to talk.”

I would love to see where you would take this. Josef's involvement introduces so many possibilities. No pressure or anything.

Also love all the little intimate touches you sprinkled throughout. You love their romance like I do.

Thanks so much for sharing this!