"The Choice"

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Beth stood in the darkened alley, completely and utterly stunned, nearly staggering before she was able to steady herself once more. She noticed it was curious that she felt no immediate pain. But her analytical mind processed the facts as she knew them. She had heard the gunshots; she smelled something like copper or some sort of metal, and she felt a hot warmth flood downward toward her right foot. She found it funny that the same foot felt wet. 'Must've stepped in a puddle…' she mused.

It was at that moment her thoughts were interrupted. She then felt the original impact, inexplicably delayed—followed by the searing, burning sensation of the bullet ripping through her flesh. Damn. Everything seemed jumbled, and out of order. Her inquisitive nature found enough of a foothold in reality to note that the delay was oddly interesting.

Beth's eyes grew wide in disbelief, still not believing the accumulating evidence that she had, indeed, been shot. Her logical mind knew she should at least try to put pressure on the fiery wound, but her arm was seemingly paralyzed; her hand was numb, and her fingers unwilling. But then another impression filled her awareness. It was the oppressive feeling of a humid and cold dampness that now permeated her senses. This remnant of the rainy night seemed to fill her very bones with a foreign icy chill.

Though these observations took mere seconds, it felt like hours. It was then she looked up again—searching for Mick. She needed Mick. He would help her; be there for her, just like he always had been.

Mick and Josef were nearly done dispatching the final wave of attackers. The night was punctuated by impacting fists, grunts and groans, clattering trashcans, cracking bones and the occasional terrified scream that went abruptly silent.

The sources of those imperiled voices had been a small group of seven gang members who had been but a minor part of a Buzzwire story Beth had been working on. She had ran into Mick unexpectedly that night, where else but the morgue, and mentioned she was off to finish up investigating a final detail on her current story so that she could get it online as soon as possible. She had hoped to get it up that night.

For some unknown cause, Mick had been wary of her plans. Something about it all just didn't feel right and though he was supposed to meet with Josef, he opted to offer to shadow Beth, instead… just to be sure everything was okay. He'd called Josef, asked him to meet them, and then they could leave from there as soon as Beth finished up.

Josef had not been terribly pleased to have to alter his plans, just as Beth had predicted, but Mick would not be convinced to just let her go alone. She was a little annoyed. He wasn't her father, after all, but it would be easier to just go along and get this over and done with.

Thus, it was how they all happened to converge in this one moment and place. 'I guess sometimes bad things happen for no reason at all,' she thought, and if it had to happen to her, she was glad she wasn't alone.

Occupied by their concluding fight, neither Josef nor Mick were at that moment aware that Beth had been shot in the ambush. The instant shots were fired, they both immediately went on the offensive. Josef himself had been hit in the initial barrage of bullets, but his vampiric healing capability quickly kicked in, followed immediately thereafter by his exploding rage. How dare someone—a gang member no less, shoot him was infuriating. He launched himself at his shooter, seizing him and wrenching him upward to a nearby fire escape. His prey's broken body came to rest in a completely unnatural position, and moved no more.

Mick jumped into the melee, engaging three of the gang before Josef pitched another gang member's limp body into the group, knocking down two of the three. One of those two rose again, pulling a knife on a grinning Josef. "Look at that Mick… he thinks he's going to draw blood," he mocked. As Mick continued with the remaining attackers, Josef took a step forward, his face instantaneously transformed. His eyes paled and his once innocuous smile became sinisterly transformed by the emergence of his fangs. His voice lowered "I'm the only one bringing blood tonight, pal. I can promise you that."

In a swift motion, he seized the knife, plunged it into the man's chest and snapped the neck of the last living attacker. Josef enjoyed the brief, incredulous fear in the young man's face. Before the attacker had even hit the ground, Josef made a quick survey about them for any last hidden attackers.

It was then that Mick looked back, also assessing the scene in the dark alley. He fully expected to see Beth peeking out from behind the cover of a nearby dumpster. Instead, he saw her, a disbelieving look upon her pale face, her hand grasping the dumpster for support. It was just at that moment that she collapsed hard to her knees.

"Beth!" Mick was instantly by her side, gently easing her body upon the warm, damp asphalt, kneeling down beside her. "Oh, Beth!" He surveyed her quickly, looking for all wounds. There was just the one to her leg. Josef was instantly at his side. "Beth, Beth….," Mick pleaded, panting, as he reached toward her, pressing down on the ragged hole in her bloody jeans. It was like Josh all over again. Mick knew instinctively that it had hit the femoral artery… there was just too much blood for it to be anything else. Just like Josh.

At this point, Beth was now largely incoherent with the blood loss. Her lips were moving, but only sporadic, disjointed sounds emerged. Her blue eyes were wide and fearful. She continued stammering and murmuring words that Mick could not make out. Her chin trembled uncontrollably causing her teeth to click together as a deepening chill invaded her body.

Josef had knelt beside her, placing his folded jacket under her head and smoothing away errant strands of hair away from her face. Beth's eyes rolled back before she was able to force them to blurrily refocus on Mick's face. "S-s-s-sorry," she whispered through pale lips, "I llll-looked out t-t-t-to, too s-s-soon."

Mick assuaged her, "no, you're gonna be fine. It's okay. I promise." Not like Josh.

Her eyelids fluttered—a small tear slipped out and quickly disappeared into her blonde tresses. "S-s-s-so s-sorry…." Her beautiful face contorted in realization. She knew Mick's face was the last she'd see. She remembered all too well what Mick had said the night Josh had died, that if it had been her that he would've done the same thing… that he wouldn't turn her into a monster.

She could feel Mick over her, working on her, much the same way as he had tried to help Josh. He pulled her loose scarf from around her neck and quickly fashioned a tourniquet.

Josef's face was grave. "Mick, she's lost too much…"

"NO!" Mick yelled ferociously, despite a deep inner knowledge that Josef might be right.

His sudden, loud voice caused Beth to jerk suddenly and stir again, groaning slightly. Her breathing was becoming more shallow and gasping. He could sense life fading from her. The smell of Beth's blood overpowered even that of the many men he and Josef had just killed. "She is NOT going to die, Josef! NO! Not like this. I won't let her!"

Josef looked on, sad for his friend, and even sad for Beth. He knew what this human meant to Mick. Though he didn't know her well, she was nice enough. She knew their secret and guarded it fiercely. Josef started to suggest the most obvious of solutions, but he knew Mick had already had the same thought also. He knew Mick had dismissed it instantly, but he decided it needed to be said—out loud.

"Mick you know what to do. The only chance you have….is to…" He stopped for a split second, and then finished with the blunt truth, "The only way to save her is to turn her. You know that."

Mick turned to face him and he was crying. In all the years he had known him, Josef had never seen him like that. Never.

"I can't!" Mick protested vehemently, near sobbing.

"Mick." Josef's voice grew harder but it was not harsh and not without sympathy. It was most like the tone a father would take with his son. "If you don't, she will die—and even if you do it, she may die anyway. Her heartbeat…" he paused for an instant to listen, "…it may already be too late."

"She doesn't want it, Josef. Just like I didn't. I know she doesn't! She'd—she would hate me."
"Did she ever say she'd rather die than be like us?"

Just then, Beth's eyes opened weakly. With great effort, she raised her hand up, a vain attempt to touch his face. He pressed the back of her hand against the rough stubble on his face. Her voice was raspy, "Mick. I love you. Shhh—it's o-okay."

He was confused. 'What's okay? Was she asking for him to turn her? Or was it okay for him to let her go?'

Her voice faded to just below a whisper, and Mick leaned even closer. It wasn't because he couldn't hear her. He was being protective. It was such a tender and private plea that he wanted to shield Josef from it… even though he knew Josef had heard just as well as he had, despite the fact Josef has silently stepped away. Beth nodded, and then smiled. Tears were now freely slipping from her eyes. She then brushed his lips with her fingertips, her eyes closing once again.

NOTE: This is an edited version, changed to incorporate what happened at the the end of the Moonlight season. The original version of this story ended here, and featured the following author note

' I decided I wanted it left it up to the reader to decide in their own minds what decision Beth made and whether or not Mick made the desperate choice to save her from dying a human death…. What happens next is up to your imagination'

Even then, part of me was left wondering if there was more to tell of this story… I knew it was a bit of a copout to leave it like this, because really, most readers are going to want Mick to save her! But it opens up the question of how long this story could be and where it would go (as it was basically written freestyle with no real outline…) Within a few months after writing it, I wondered if it were possible to take it further… and IF you see a chapter following this one, you'll know I finished toying with a second chapter that I felt was worthy to post.

One last note regarding part of the content (in my defense) Both this version and the original had Beth suffer the injury to her femoral artery but yes, that was written before what happened to Josh in the show…so I didn't copy that idea LOL… I decided on that injury not long after the widely publicized murder of the Washington Redskins football player in 2007. One of the original version's reviewers asked if it was really possible to bleed to death so quickly after such an wound. In short, yes it is… that artery is a major one !

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