Ghosts of the Past IV

Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight. I do take a moment to play with it whenever I feel like it.

This chapter is a look into Mick's mind as he tries to deal with his own ghost from his past.

Chapter 4

Mick lay on his side, one hand propping his head up as he gazed down at a sleeping Beth. She was on her side, facing him with a small smile on her lips and her hair fanned out on the pillow behind her. He reached out to touch her cheek but hesitated, fearing that he would wake her.

Once again his inner voice began to nag at him, asking how he deserved to have Beth in his life. How could he have earned this happiness? Monsters should not be loved, that only happened in fairy tales. Coraline had stolen his life and turned him into a creature of the night but Beth still loved him and hadn't turned away. Kira had repeatedly told him that being a vampire did not make him a monster but he still found it all difficult to accept. His emotions were turned inside out trying to make sense of it.

Feeling agitated and not wanting to disturb the angel asleep beside him, Mick slid out of bed and slipped into a pair of pajama pants. He left the room and headed downstairs with his restless thoughts. Beth had brought up Coraline this evening and now in the darkness his ex-wife's memory was unwilling to let go of him. Was she truly his ex? When he set fire to the house where he rescued Beth as a child, he believed he had killed her, thus ending their marriage. But she hadn't died and he wasn't sure if that meant the marriage was intact. How did one manage a divorce when neither party looked like they had aged since the vows were taken, fifty six years ago? In his mind their marriage was over but he had no idea how Coraline now viewed it. They had not discussed it when she had given him the Cure and now she was gone.

At the bottom of the stairs he contemplated heading to the kitchen for some blood but changed his mind and disappeared into his office. Yes, Coraline was gone, he had seen Lance stake her and carry her away. While he had not heard from her, Mick had no doubt that she was still alive. He was positive of that and he did know where she had been taken.

Moving swiftly to his desk, his fingers searched under the middle drawer to remove the key taped there. He grinned sheepishly, knowing his hiding place was not very original and if she really wanted to, Beth would find it. He hoped she hadn't but he was fully aware of how inquisitive she was. Going to one of his file cabinets, he unlocked the bottom drawer, pulling it open. There was only one folder in the drawer and he hesitated before touching it.

Finally he reached in, withdrawing it and then sat down placing it on the desk, eying it as if it was dusted with silver. Once Josef had re-turned him and he was assured of Beth's safety, Mick had done some checking into where Lance had taken Coraline. While he felt no longer connected to her, she had been his wife and he felt he owed her to know what had become of her. He wasn't sure if it was guilt or curiosity that made him search, but search he did.

Records told him that the morning after his confrontation with Lance, a private jet had left LAX and headed to France. The jet was owned by Royal Enterprises and searching revealed that the family Duvall owned it. Mick found it amusing that their egos could not resist demanding that the world recognize their bloodline. He had then turned to Logan for further digging and his computer geek came through as best he could. Among the information that Logan dug up, he discovered a photo from the Paris airport showing Coraline being escorted through security with Lance gripping her arm.

Flipping open the folder, Mick moved all the papers aside to find the photo. Staring at it, he studied Coraline's face, looking for new information. While it was clear that she was no longer staked; she didn't look happy either. But the more he studied the photo the more he could see she wasn't afraid, only resigned. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Mick once more questioned the events of that night. Why had Coraline given him the Cure? Why did she stop Lance from killing him? Was that an act of love and self sacrifice or were her actions just another attempt to make him owe her? She had known the Cure would not last, so did she hope that his gratitude would keep him indebted to her? Was her surrender to Lance a gesture to save his life or just a way to be sure he'd still be alive when she returned for him?

Mick realized that scenario required a great deal of manipulation but Coraline was a master of that art. Her return after twenty two years of playing dead and posing as Morgan Vincent to get close to Beth and him only proved how very devious she was. Angrily he shoved everything back into the file folder and closed it. He didn't want to be thinking about Coraline. After Beth had been put in danger and he had begged Josef to turn him back into a vampire, Mick had noticed that his connection to his ex-wife and original sire had weakened. That alone felt more like a divorce decree than anything else he could have done. Beth was his here and now…..she was the one whose love had reached inside him and touched places he thought could never be reached again.

Lost in his thoughts, Mick was yanked back to the present when he heard Beth call his name, followed by the sound of her footsteps on the floor above. Hurriedly he grabbed the folder, deposited it back in the lower drawer and locked it. He deftly taped the key back into place and headed for the office door as Beth reached the lower steps.

"Mick…are you down here?" she asked again, her voice soft and concerned.

"I'm here Beth," he answered as he reached the doorway.

"I woke up and you were gone," she said pulling an ivory silk robe tighter around her body. "I checked the freezer first," she admitted guiltily.

Mick couldn't help grinning slightly as he remembered the first time Beth went looking for him and found him in his freezer. Her fascination had been so strong that she stood staring through the clear lid until he awakened. She had blushed furiously and attempted to explain how she was worried about him. Mick had thought he never had found her more delightful.

"I guess I'm just not used to sleeping in a bed," Mick shrugged. "I find the blankets restricting."

Beth descended the last few steps, a smile playing on her lips and stood before him. She ran her hands up his chest.

"Poor Mick, is the bed too hot for my vampire?" she murmured.

Mick clasped her wrists in his hands and smiled as he vamped slightly, showing only fangs.

"That must be because of the human furnace that is sleeping with me," he growled softly. He retracted his fangs and released her wrists to wrap his arms around her. "I'm sorry for deserting you; I'm really not used to sleeping on a mattress. And I like holding you while you sleep."

"I do understand Mick," Beth said soothingly as she rested her cheek against his chest. "I just felt a little lost to wake and find you were gone. I thought you went to your freezer, why are you down here? Is there some problem?"

"I thought I was the PI in this relationship," he chuckled as he stroked her hair. "What is with all the questions?"

"You forget I'm an investigator too Mr. St. John. Questions are my life," she giggled, tipping her head back to look up at him.

"I should have stayed in the shadows that night when you walked through the fountain. What was I thinking?" Mick sighed but Beth could see the teasing light in his eyes. He had no sooner spoken than his lips were on hers, proving that he had no regrets about their meeting.

Beth's arms slipped around his neck and pressed against him, savoring the kiss. She knew that Mick still questioned if their relationship was safe for her and he had considerable doubts whether this would work. She suspected there was more than the heat of the bed making Mick restless tonight. The expression on his face at the mention of Coraline had disturbed him earlier. She guessed Coraline still was a ghost that could haunt their time together.

"You should get back to bed and sleep," Mick murmured as their lips parted. "I hate that being with me completely messes with your hours when you have to work days."

"Tomorrow is Saturday," Beth protested.

"That is beside the point," Mick scolded as he lifted her into his arms. "You can't be up all night on weekends and expect to do your job on Monday morning. I need you sharp when working with Talbot otherwise he'll blame me if you fall asleep on the job." He swiftly carried her up the stairs to the bedroom and deposited her gently on the bed.

"Are you going to your freezer?" Beth asked still clinging to his neck. "Can't you stay a while?"

"I won't leave you yet," Mick assured her as he knelt on the bed and leaned over her. "I'm going to make sure you are asleep before I seek subzero sleep." He leaned down to kiss her and then moved across her to lie down on the bed beside her.

"You take such good care of me," Beth said and snuggled close to him. Mick drew the blankets up to cover her as he remained on top of them. He carefully slipped one arm under her shoulders until her head rested on his chest.

"I like watching over you," he whispered against her hair. "Now sleep, I'll stay until you are getting some proper rest. Tomorrow night I will meet you at Dusk to Dawn after I handle that matter I told you about earlier. It shouldn't take me too long to prove that the night security is ripping off the boutique owner. Kira said she has missed you lately."

"Sounds like a plan," Beth answered quietly and yawned. "I missed her too." It was so comfortable to be held by him, she felt so safe. Her breath blew softly across Mick's chest and he smiled in the darkness.

Mick kissed the top of her head and rested his head against the pillow. It was wonderful to be here having a normal conversation with the woman he loved. If he closed his eyes he could almost imagine he was human and this was just regular nighttime pillow talk. It was something he had never experienced with Coraline, not even when she played human with him before his turning.

In annoyance Mick banished thoughts of his ex-wife from his mind. She would not tarnish his time with Beth, he would not permit that. With his free hand he lightly stroked Beth's cheek as he heard her heart slow to a steady beat, telling him she had slipped back into sleep. He felt content.

End chapter.

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