Fracture of Lies

Evilous

Disclaimer: Usual disclaimer, I don't own Moonlight. I do however own my original characters, hehe so I guess I do own something.

Chapter 1: Nightmares

It's been a month, a month since Beth had been offered a job by the new ADA Ben Talbot. Things had been business as usual with Mick and Beth. she continued to work off camera at Buzzwire doing more investigating than actual reporting which suited her just fine, although she found it harder to tolerate the growing level of sleaze.

Her last story had left her with more than a good juicy story, it left her nightmares. A serial arsonist who went from simply burning old buildings to trapping young women inside and letting them burn alive. Beth thought herself a strong woman but somehow this case managed to stir up old memories. The night Mick first saved her, when he burned his ex, her kidnapper, to death. All she could see in her dream was her would be step mother lunging to the window shrieking in pain as the fire consumed all around her.

Mick would come into the room the second he felt her fear. He would take her into his arms and rock her until she calmed down, some nights when he could manage it he would not go to his freezer at all. Tonight was just like any other; he could feel her distress and rushed to her side, telling her she was okay and that he was right there with her.

Beth woke up clutching on to Mick like she had when she was only a child. Mick continued to hold her caressing her blonde locks.

"It's okay baby. I'm here."

Beth just feeling the safety of his embrace, calming her racing mind.

"Mick I can't live like this. I can't live with these nightmares, afraid to go to sleep."

"What can I do for you? Anything you need."

"I never had nightmares after you rescued me, why now?"

"I don't know. Maybe you blocked it out. You were only a child. Seeing the burned women probably unlocked them."

Beth sat up in the bed; Mick did the same leaning against the head board pulling her back to his chest. Beth rested her head on his shoulder and he took his right hand and threaded with her left, his other hand stroking her back and shoulder softly.

"Mick," she whispered quietly.

"Yes baby."

"Tell me about her...about that night."

Mick's hand stopped mid stroke.

"Beth..."

"I need to know Mick. I have so many questions about her."

Mick released a heavy sigh, "What do you want to know?"

Beth had so many questions about his and Coraline's relationship, about her kidnapping and now she was about to get answers.

"You...how did you meet her?"

"I was a musician playing at a party she was throwing." Beth was silent hoping he would continue without her asking him to, Mick took her hint and continued. "She was the sexiest thing there and she knew it, she knew how to work a room so that all eyes were on her. She came to request a song, started flirting," Mick couldn't help but smile. "I thought I was the luckiest guy there. After everyone was gone I stuck around."

"What happened from there? I mean how long did you date before you were married?"

"Dating Coraline was...a trip. She ran hot and cold. One minute she was all over me, the next she was blowing me off for another man."

"Why did you keep going back?"

"She was a drug. I knew she was trouble, I should have stayed away the first night she blew me off but I was drawn back. I was lost to her; I lost my control when she was concerned."

"Why did she agree to marry you?"

Mick laughed, "I don't know. I was completely in love, I asked and she said yes. I didn't want to waste any time and let her go cold on me again. I thought once she married me things would be different."

"Then she turned you on your wedding night." Beth began to stroke his chest.

"Yeah, we were on again off again for years. Every time I thought I had broken free she would pull me back."

"So before you chased her around, then she started chasing you?"

"I never thought of it like that."

"So then she kidnapped me," Beth was ready to finish this.



"She took you, I tracked her down. She wanted us to be a family. She knew one of the reasons I hated her was for taking away my chance at a family. I guess she thought that she could give me one in her own twisted way."

"I came for you; I told her I wouldn't let her hurt you. We fought."

"I remember the fight; biting and clawing at each other...thinking about it now it was almost sexual."

"It was, for us. Our relationship was one of sex, I hated her but couldn't help but feel draw to her, more so after the turning than before. After the turning we were connected, she was my sire, my teacher. We could heal, we could hurt the other and nothing would last...it was rough."

"Oh," Beth couldn't stop the words before they left her lips. "Do you still feel a connection to her?"

"She's dead Beth. I couldn't let her hurt an innocent child; I staked her to the ground and took you in my arms. I threw a lantern down on my way out. I knew she would never stop trying to get me back; I couldn't let her hurt anyone else. I knew the only way to end it would be for her to die."

"I saw her you know, after, when you were carrying me away. I saw her banging on the windows as the fire closed in around her."

Mick squeezed her tighter to his chest taking in the feel of her. "I wish you hadn't."

"Am I am bad person?"

"No! Why would you think that?"

"Because I'm glad she's dead. I'm glad she is gone, not just because she kidnapped me but for what she did to you." So I don't have to compete with that.

"You are not a bad person. You are a kind and caring person, never let yourself think otherwise."

To Be Continued...