AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Well… this is my first Moonlight fic. ^^; I can't help it, I've been in love with the show for a very long time, but this is the first time I've actually gotten around to writing a fic about it. ^^; This fic was inspired by a co-authored Zoids vampire fic titled Crimson Retribution, and it gave me just the little push I needed to write this fic. Also, Silvanelf's fic, Renaissance gave me the inspiration and 'kick in the rear' to start writing this fic. ^^And, catching "The Mortal Cure" episode gave me a great idea!! ^^ Considering Mick's been turned into a human, he wants to experience every aspect of being mortal again. But… 'every aspect' might not be the same as 'every positive aspect'. ^^; You'll see what I mean in a minute. Also, this is NOT a slash fic or anything of the sort. This can be viewed as a slight friendship fic between Mick and Josef, because I just love the friendship between those two. :P Anyway, here's chapter 1- Contagion!! (I'm sure that probably worries some of you ^^;)
Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own Moonlight sadly, or any of its wonderful characters. I only own this fic, this storyline and plot, and all that fine stuff. Besides, if I owned Moonlight, there'd be a season two! ^^
Note- this fic is AU in the sense that what's going to happen in this fic, doesn't happen in the show. I'm sure you all know what AU means, so I probably just made myself look like an idiot. -_- But, this fic takes place during/after "The Mortal Cure", after Mick has been turned human and has started to enjoy the finer parts of being human. And, I realize that my description on Mick's apartment might not be accurate, and that probably some other info about the series might be incorrect, but cut me some slack. I only just caught the tail end of a Moonlight episode in the last two months and the other information I got from the only sources I could find and might not be all that credible, so my fic may not be exactly precise. Go easy on me alright? The focus on the fic is about the characters and plot, not the miscellaneous info being exactly right, k? ^^;
.:Chapter 1- Contagion:.
The warm light of the sun filtered in through the windows of Mick St. John's apartment, reaching the former vampire's sleeping form. It had been a week since he had become mortal again, thanks to the cure Coraline had given him, and he had been enjoying every minute of it. He had risen with the sun and stayed awake as long as he could, not wanting to waste a minute of his new-found mortality. He didn't miss his previous vampiric existence in the slightest, except for maybe spending time with his best friend Josef, whom he hadn't seen or spoken too since he had become mortal. He hadn't told his friend that he had become human yet, not because he didn't trust him; he trusted Josef with his life, but because he knew Josef might just get a little too… excited… and he didn't want to tempt disaster so soon.
After a few minutes of the sun shining on his face, Mick's eyes fluttered open, blinking tiredly. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, which were now a warm, human hazel; brighter and warmer now that he was mortal and enjoying himself. He glanced over at the clock on the table beside the bed he had recently purchased to accommodate his temporary human existence. It read 7:30. '… I should probably get up… don't want to waste any time…' Mick thought, stretching his arms and yawning. For the first time in fifty years, fangs were absent from his mouth, and he was very glad about that.
Mick slid out of bed, wearing a pair of black and grey night clothes. He got up and walked to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and combing his hair. After he finished he looked in the mirror for a minute. Since he had become human, his appearance had changed drastically. His eyes were bright and warm, not cold like they had been since his turning. His skin had lost its ghastly pallor, and was now slightly blushed from the human blood in his veins and lightly tanned from his time in the light of the sun. He no longer had the fangs, and his eyes were no longer cold; the calling cards of vampires. He was happy to be rid of them, and to be mortal.
Turning off the light, Mick walked out of the bathroom and made his way to his kitchen. He stopped and looked out the window, watching the sun as it peeked over the Los Angeles skyline. Had he been a vampire, the sun would have been assaulting his sensitive eyes, but since he was not, he gazed at it with a sense of awe. A few minutes later his stomach growled, reminding him why he had come downstairs in the first place. The remote to the television was sitting on the counter, and he pointed it at the TV and hit the power button. It came on a moment later, a reporter explaining a crime that had happened during the night. Mick turned and walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator. Searching for a moment, Mick pulled out a can of soda and opened it, taking a few drinks. Decades without a taste made the fizzy drink that much sweeter.
Just as Mick turned to find something to eat, the phone rang. He picked it up and read the ID. He smiled when he recognized Beth's number flash across the phone's ID. He pushed the connect button and held the phone to his ear. "Good morning Beth." Mick greeted her, leaning back against the counter.
"Good morning Mick." Beth returned the greeting, "I hate to tell you this, but something came up at work. I'm not going to be able to get free until late…" she sighed, knowing Mick had wanted to spend the day with her. Mick frowned, but he knew if Beth missed too much work, someone would get suspicious.
"I understand Beth. Don't worry, I'll stay out of trouble and find something to get in to…" he replied, though he really didn't have a clue as to what he was going to do.
"Alright Mick, I hope you have fun enjoying being alive." Beth replied, choosing her words carefully due to being at work, "I'll catch up with you tomorrow, promise."
"I'll keep you too it. You better get back to work; I don't want you getting yourself in trouble." Mick joked slightly, "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Beth."
"Goodbye Mick." Beth replied, before they both hit the disconnect buttons on their phones. Mick sighed and leaned his head back slightly, the phone remaining in his hands. 'Well… there goes my day…' he mused in his head, '… I'm tempted to call Josef… but I'm not sure if I want to chance it just yet… I know I can trust him, but I'm still getting used to being human, and I don't want to do or say the wrong thing around him…' he pondered, looking down at his phone idly, tossing it up and down slightly in his hands.
As if responding to his thoughts, a story came on the news. "… and don't forget, today at the beach is the annual Jazz Festival, to raise money for the local Children's Hospital! If you have time, stop by and listen to some good music and partake in some of the festivities, after all it's for a good cause!! In other news, another case of the Sonora virus has been reported in a beachside suburb…" Mick stopped listening; focusing on the story he had just heard.
"A jazz festival…" he mused aloud, "… seeing as I have no other way to spend my day, it might be fun to go take a walk around and hear some music…" he couldn't help but smile slightly at the notion. It would surely bring back memories, not to mention have a good time. Mick walked back upstairs to get ready, having decided a day at the festival would be a good chance to listen to some music and enjoy himself without his vampire senses and limitations getting in the way. He took a shower and got dressed, wearing a simple white shirt and pants.
After half an hour he was ready, and walked back down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, he reached to grab his keys, when his cell caught his eye. He picked up his cell phone and glanced at the screen. One New Message. Mick bit his lip, opening the message. As he suspected, it was from Josef.
You haven't come over in a while. Everything alright? Call sometime –Josef
Mick sighed, before he put the phone in his pocket, not even texting him back. 'It's too soon… I'm sure that if he knew, he'd want to come and see me, or invite me over. I don't want to tempt him. He knows I don't really like it when he has his freshies around, so if I go over there while human he might be tempted to…' his thoughts trailed off, not wanting to think of what could happen. He knew if anything did end up happening, it wouldn't have been Josef's fault. He was human now, and technically he was food. And he didn't want to put either himself or Josef in that situation.
Picking up his keys, Mick started towards the door. He didn't bother turning off the TV, wanting to get to the festival. The reporter on the news was still rambling on about the Sonora virus outbreak, not that he cared. He left his apartment and walked to the elevator, which took him down to ground level. When the elevator doors opened, he withdrew his keys and started towards where he had parked his car, wanting to get to the festival before it got too hot. Even though he wasn't a vampire any longer, it didn't mean he was going to sit out in the hot sun for a few hours when he didn't need too.
Mick pulled his car into a parking area near the beach. It was only around nine o'clock, though as he had expected the traffic had been bad, this was Los Angeles after all. Despite no longer being a vampire, he pulled out his sunglasses and put them on out of habit. Besides, the bright sun would probably hurt his eyes even though he was human anyway. He made sure he had his wallet and his cell phone before he climbed out of his car. Shutting the door behind him, he adjusted his sunglasses and looked over towards where the festival was.
A large group of people had gathered on the beach, near some temporary stages that had been erected for the event. Mick could see three bands playing, but he was sure there were probably more not on the stages. He leaned back against his car and crossed his arms over his chest, and couldn't help but smile. This was going to be a fun day…
Josef sighed, leaning back against his couch, his cell phone in his hand. It was nearly sunset now, and still there was no sign of his best friend Mick. He was concerned by his friend's lack of contact with him, and was starting to wonder if something had happened to him, especially considering both Lance and Coraline were somewhere in the city. 'I can't leave Mick alone for a second, now can I?' Josef thought, sighing outwardly. The vampire glanced down at his cell phone, fingering some of the buttons absentmindedly. He had sent his friend a text late last night, and he still hadn't responded. That concerned him, since Mick rarely was without his phone for that length of time.
The older vampire was worried for his friend. He was tempted to call Beth and ask if she'd seen Mick recently, but since he wasn't exactly fond of the human he wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Besides, she was probably reporting something anyway. '… something's up with Mick… it's been a week and he hasn't even called… I hope Lance didn't get a hold of him, or Coraline…' Josef couldn't help but growl at the thought of the female vampire. She had been a thorn in he and Mick's sides ever since the night she turned Mick without his consent. And now that she had reappeared, in human form no less, Mick had been swept up in a desperate search to recover his humanity. A futile search in Josef's opinion, but apparently that was a fact lost on his younger counterpart.
Reaching over and grabbing the remote, Josef flipped on his television. The news came on, showing a reporter in one of the seaside suburbs. "Yet another case of the Sonora virus has been confirmed here. The infected person has been taken to the hospital, and although the virus is in a later stage, is expected to survive thanks to a shot of penicillin. Two other people, however, have died from the virus this week alone…" Josef watched the story with idle interest, not really caring, but not really bored enough to flip the channel, "… the symptoms include fever, shaking, weakness, coughing up blood, the skin being cold to the touch, glazing to the eyes, paling of the skin, lack of appetite, light headedness and collapsing. This is a very dangerous virus, though if detected early can be stopped thanks to either a penicillin shot or lots of rest and care. In other news, another home invasion on the west side has been linked to the dangerous MS-13 gang…"
Josef sighed and got up, walking over into his kitchen. He glanced at the clock, which read 8:45 PM. The older vampire leaned against his kitchen counter, glancing down at his cell phone blankly. He pressed a few buttons, opening his schedule. Nothing was scheduled for the rest of the day, or night. And now with his freshies having gone home, he decided to try and raise Mick. He called Mick's cell on speed dial, bringing the phone up to his ear. It rang once, twice, three times, and then went to voice mail. Josef sighed again, before leaving a message. "Mick, where are you? You haven't called or anything in nearly a week. You've got me worried. Call me back when you get this." Josef left a message, ending the call after he finished. He looked down at the phone, exhaling loudly, not even realizing he had been holding his breath. He didn't like this, at all. Mick always kept in touch. Something had to be wrong…
Mick had left the Jazz Festival an hour earlier, and was back in his apartment. He was standing in the kitchen, drinking a glass of cold water. He felt… strange- warm, slightly dizzy and light headed. He figured he had just overheated from spending the day in the hot sun when he wasn't accustomed to it. After all he had avoided the sun for the last fifty years, so being in its light without the searing pain of it burning his skin was a new experience.
'… did I eat something bad? I feel terrible…' Mick pondered, feeling a strange tightening in his chest, 'No… if it had been something I ate, my stomach would be upset… and wouldn't be affecting my lungs…' he determined. But, that realization didn't make him feel any better. Instead, it concerned him. Very much so.
A sudden realization dawned on Mick. "Oh no… what if I'm sick?" he asked himself, before he groaned at the thought. 'I am human again… and humans get sick…' he thought, sighing outwardly. The last thing he needed was to get sick. Especially if it turned out to be that virus that was spreading around the city, then he'd be in serious trouble. The only 'cure' for it, if it was in an advanced stage, was a shot of penicillin. Unfortunately, he was one of the few people who were allergic to penicillin. The only other way to fight off the virus was rest and a lot of care and watching over.
"I just hope that's not what I have…" Mick mused to himself, sighing loudly, 'The virus is supposed to be highly contagious… if I have it, Beth wouldn't be able to help me get back my strength; I don't want her to get sick too…' he finished in his mind, '… the only other option would be Josef but… a vampire watching over a sick and weakened human? That will end badly…' he sighed outwardly. He just hoped his lungs were just getting accustomed to breathing constantly all the time…
An hour went by, and Mick's condition deteriorated drastically. He had paled and his eyes had glazed over, and for a while Mick had been in a panic, thinking the cure had worn off so soon. But, when he realized he still lacked the fangs, he knew that wasn't the case, which left only one alternative… he was sick. The former vampire had laid down on the couch, trying to stop his spinning vision. He felt lightheaded and weak, and his lungs had tightened further, making breathing difficult. Mick hadn't been sick in nearly half a century, and therefore had forgotten just how miserable it was.
Minutes seemed to be hours, and as each second ticked by he felt worse and worse. He was pale as he had been when he was still a vampire, and his eyes had glazed and became cold like they had been for fifty years. Half an hour later, the coughing fits hit. He coughed violently, and during the last few fits, the unmistakable taste of blood filled his mouth. Now that he was human, blood didn't taste the same as it had to him when had been a vampire. Tissues covered the floor around the couch, many red with blood. A stream of the crimson liquid dripped from the corner of his mouth, and covered his hands. He was shaking slightly, and he was starting to panic. He was slowly starting to believe he actually had the Sonora virus, and he knew he needed help.
Mick struggled to get up, managing to get to his feet. He staggered to the kitchen, falling into the counter. He only just managed to catch himself, and held himself up so he wouldn't fall, knowing he probably would be unable to get up. Looking around frantically, he spied his cell phone and grabbed for it. He flipped it open and struggled to dial Josef's number, knowing he'd be the only one that'd be close enough to help him. The phone shook in his hands, but he managed to dial his friend's number.
It rang once, then twice. "Josef… p-please answer…" Mick begged, and by the grace of God he heard the click of Josef opening his phone on the other end.
"Mr. Kostan speaking." Josef answered formally, though Mick had a hard time understanding him as he felt his grip on consciousness slipping slightly. The speed at which the illness had sat in scared even him.
"… J-Josef…" Mick struggled to say, his lungs refusing to function normally.
"Mick? Mick is that you?" Josef replied, the business-liked tone vanishing from his voice, "Mick what's wrong? Are you alright?!"
"N-no… need… h-help…" Mick choked on his own words, coughing up more blood, "… at… a-apartment… g-get here f-fast…" he added quietly, staggering on his feet. His vision was starting to spin and he was seeing double, and he knew that was a bad sign.
"Mick, hold on I'll be right there!" Josef said, clearly concerned and a little panicked. Then again, Mick could just be hearing him wrong.
"… h-hurry…" Mick managed to breathe out, before he groaned as his legs buckled and he collapsed, the phone spinning away from him. He tried to push himself off the ground, but he fell back to the ground.
"Mick?! Mick, answer me! Mick!!" he could faintly hear Josef's voice coming from his phone, but he couldn't reach it. Mick could feel his consciousness start to go, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He groaned weakly, before everything went dark…
Josef was at Mick's apartment building as fast as he could, though the traffic slowed him down. He jumped out of his Ferrari and slammed the door shut, running into the building. Before anyone even knew he was there, he was in the elevator. He pushed the button half a dozen times before the doors closed, trying to seem as calm as possible so not to draw attention to himself. He paced nervously in the elevator, panicked from Mick's urgent phone call. He had never heard Mick like that before, and he was afraid something horrible had happened to his best friend.
The moment the elevator door opened, Josef bolted out and ran to Mick's apartment. He opened the door using a key, and flung it open, looking around frantically for his friend. "Mick?!" he called, trying to locate his friend. Mick!! Where are y-?" Josef froze, sniffing the air. His sense of smell picked up on the scent of blood. Human blood. His eyes flashed to silver, and he could feel his fangs drawing out. Josef shook his head to try and regain focus. Finding Mick was more important that feeding; he could drink later.
"Mick, answer me! Where are you!!" he called out, walking into the apartment. He could hear the television, but a moment later his sensitive hearing picked up on the telltale thumping of a human heart in the kitchen. Once again he was drawn towards it, but he brushed it off, his friend more important.
Josef walked into the living room, and his now-silver eyes alighted on the dozens of bloody tissues littering the floor. He swallowed hard, the delicious scent of the fresh blood filling the air, and combined with the heartbeat in the kitchen; tempted him to find the human it came from and feed. Josef shook his head and turned away, and after a moment his fangs retracted and his eyes returned to their normal color, his inner vampire repressed… for the time being.
Even though he knew it'd probably end in disaster, the heartbeat coming from the kitchen was proving difficult to ignore for many reasons. One was because he was hungry, and combined with the scent of blood made it very difficult to ignore. And also because he wasn't sure who the human was; he couldn't pick up Beth's scent, so it couldn't be her. And for some reason, the scent wafting from the kitchen smelled oddly familiar, but the vampire couldn't place it.
Josef eventually walked towards the kitchen. As he drew closer, he couldn't stop a low growl from escaping his throat, the scent of blood growing stronger and thicker in the air. His eyes faded to silver and his fangs once again distended, but he managed to control himself. For the moment that is. He entered the kitchen and breathed in slowly, taking in the scent of fresh blood and a weakened human. Another growl escaped him, licking his lips before he managed to shake it off. "Mick?" he called out, walking into the kitchen. A soft groan was his reply.
"… J-Josef…?" a voice weakly answered him, drawing the vampire's attention to his left. His eyes widened when he recognized Mick's form, collapsed on the floor with a small puddle of blood pooling near his mouth. A sniff told him that the blood wasn't from a victim, but from Mick. Josef blinked and looked as if he had been slapped across the face. He took a step back, unable to believe what he was seeing. Mick was human. At the very thought, a low hiss built in his throat, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't fed all day, and there was blood all over the floor. And it smelled delicious.
Josef restrained himself from pouncing on his friend, knowing he could very well kill Mick in his state. He forced himself to look to the side, trying not to focus on the bright crimson blood covering the floor. The sound of Mick pushing himself into a sitting position drew his gaze back, and he saw that he was now leaning back against the cabinets and counter. Josef's silvered eyes immediately focused on the blood that was dripping from Mick's mouth, down his neck… Josef shook his head, tearing his gaze from his now-mortal friend's neck. No matter how tempting it was, he didn't want to even think of hurting his best friend.
"Mick… what happened? Why are you… human?" Josef asked, trying to focus on Mick's eyes instead of the blood all over the kitchen floor and covering his friend's shirt.
"C-Coraline… gave… me it…" Mick breathed but trailed off, unable to finish his sentence and looking over at Josef. His eyes were glazed and lifeless and his skin pale, and if not for his distinctly human scent, Josef might have just mistaken him for still being a vampire. Struggling to keep his urges in check, Josef slowly made his way over to his friend, trying to ignore the inviting scent of blood. He crouched down beside Mick, completely vamped out due to the overwhelming scent of blood coming from Mick. His silver eyes darted between the blood trailing from Mick's mouth, down to his unprotected neck. Mick blinked, seeing his friend's silver eyes and extended fangs.
"Josef…?" Mick asked quietly, seeing how his friend was looking him over. Josef forced himself to meet Mick's gaze, trying to stop himself from lunging at Mick.
"Sorry... it's just a little hard to… control myself…" Josef replied, forcing his fangs back and the silver to leave his eyes. "… what happened to you? Why is there… blood… everywhere?" he questioned, hoping talking would keep himself from pouncing on his best friend. Mick took a minute to respond.
"… went to the… Jazz Festival… when I-I came home… felt sick…" Mick slurred slightly, having a difficult time speaking. Josef's eyes widened slightly.
"This blood is just from being sick?!" Josef nearly shouted, having a hard time understanding how Mick was ill in the first place. 'Oh right… the cure… he's not immune to human illnesses anymore…' he concluded in his mind. Josef thought for a minute, before his eyes widened as he recognized some of the symptoms from the newscast earlier that evening…
Mick had the Sonora virus…
.:End of Chapter 1:.
AN- oh no! Mick managed to catch the Sonora virus!! D: Just a little note, the Sonora virus is something I made up, so don't worry if you haven't heard it. ^^; And, the idea for Mick and Josef texting each other came from Talismen's fic Filling in the Blanks. This isn't going to be a terribly long fic, but I hope you'll all enjoy it!! Keep in mind this is my first Moonlight fic, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway!! I hope I got everyone in character; I haven't seen any full Moonlight episodes recently, so this is mostly from memory. Thanks for reading and please review!! :D
~Ibeyla ^^
