Author's note: Remember the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indy faced the swordsmen and shot him, rather than have a long, drawn-out battle. That's kinda my take on writing action scenes, as this next part clearly illustrates. I hope you don't mind.

Carrie

"What brings you home again, Carissa?" asked Lance, as I stood in silent shock. "Nothing to say to me after all of these years?"

My thoughts finally focused enough for me to send them to his mind. What is there to say? I am here again, as are you. But even after two centuries, you're still relegated to a house in the village. So I guess things haven't changed that much since I've been gone.

He laughed. "I'd almost forgotten the unique experience of communicating with you. It's a very sensual experience, having you in my brain. Almost as sensual as when you had me in your body."

He was advancing on me slowly, and my hand tightened on the handle of the machete I held. In the closeness of the corridor opening, there wasn't enough clearance for me to swing the blade. I continued allowing him to back me up further into the widening passageway. I could tell he was enjoying the hunt, feeling the power of his apparent domination, savoring the thought of using me again.

What you did to me was totally forgettable, I must say, in light of my husband's prowess. A real man doesn't have to force a woman. But then, you haven't been a real man in…well, ever.

I could feel as well as see his anger, as his face changed from the vaguely creepy to the macabre. He had backed me toward a stone pillar, and he shoved me roughly against it. Had I been mortal, it would have killed me instantly. His hands moved to my breasts, squeezing them cruelly, and I turned my head away from the one black eye that had haunted me these long years. But I was no longer the pampered, weak, disabled girl he had sired. So when my knee came up hard into his groin and the point of the machete suddenly appeared at his throat, I was rewarded with his genuine surprise. He fell back involuntarily, but Lance was a very old, very powerful vampire, and I couldn't let myself forget that, even for a moment.

Now, he was no longer toying with me. Fangs extended, he purposefully moved toward me.

"Be careful, little girl. Seeking vengeance has a way of turning our own swords onto ourselves."

I'm not here to avenge myself. Meeting you again is just a happy coincidence. No, first, I'm going to kill you, then your spoiled little sister. You've both plagued this world long enough, I'd say.

He laughed, the personification of pure Evil. "Big words for such a small—"

I wasn't one to draw things out. Daryl sometimes teased me for being almost painfully quick and efficient in most all things. He would have had a good laugh now, as I swung my blade with deadly

accuracy, efficiently removing Lance's vile head from his body. Slowly, I lowered my shaking hand and tried to focus on putting the machete back into its scabbard without stabbing myself. I stared at my decapitated sire, in disbelief of what I had done. Then, for the first time in years, I fell to my knees and cried like the child I used to be.

The four of us continued to move forward through the passageway, Josef taking the lead, then Daryl, then Beth and I, she having to take things easy in her weakened condition. I knew she hated slowing everyone down, so I had offered to carry her. She just gave me her liberated woman expression and plodded on. The passageway was dark and monotonous, but pleasantly cool for us vampires. Beth now wore my jacket for warmth, the sleeves hanging well past her wrists. The corridor was just making a turn when Daryl stopped suddenly, sniffing the air.

"Carrie!" He exclaimed, and brushed past Josef in a dead run. Josef, with more energy than I'd seen him use in some time, took off after him. I looked down at Beth, and she shrugged. "Go!" she cried. I gave her the lantern. Then, I followed my friends.

We didn't have far to run. The sight that greeted me overwhelmed me with relief. Daryl and Carrie were both kneeling on the floor in a passionate embrace, and Josef was gingerly toeing the headless body of Coraline's brother, Lance. I went to stand beside him. The sickly sweet odor of old vampire blood filled the air.

"Well, that's three down, three more to go," said Josef dryly.

We looked back at Daryl and Carrie. He was gently wiping away her tears. I'd never seen Carrie cry, but if anything, it made her even more beautiful. I wondered why killing Lance would move anyone to tears; he had been a ruthless bastard. Her thoughts must have been singularly directed to Daryl and he drew back "listening" a moment, then took her in his arms again.

The scene was suddenly bathed in warm lamp light, and Beth stopped before us, taking everything in. She joined me and I took her hand.

"Thank God," she whispered looking at the reunited couple. I brought her hand to my lips.

"Yes," I agreed.

"I hate to break this up," said Josef, "but I'd wholeheartedly like to get the hell out of Dodge—I mean, Versailles. The rest of the Brady Bunch might be arriving soon, and I'd love a drink before that happens."

Daryl and Carrie got to their feet. Thank you all for coming. But you didn't have to do that. I can take care of myself.

"I can see that," I said, indicating Lance's corpse.

I've only just begun. Next on my list is Coraline.

All eyes focused on me. This would be tricky. "She's staked and waiting down the passageway," I said carefully. "I'll head back and get her."

Carrie moved to follow me, but Daryl held her back. "This isn't your fight, love," he said to his wife. "It's mine. And I'm giving it up."

What? Why? After she left you to die. After she took no responsibility—

His big hands seemed to swallow her shoulders. "I'm glad it turned out the way it did, aren't you? If Coraline had taken me in, I never would have met you. I would have had to contend with her selfishness and her mind games. Would you have wanted that for me?" He paused and looked at me with new sympathy. "Would you have wanted that for anyone?"

She looked at me, and I saw pity there. True, I used to be a pitiful case, before I'd gotten away from the train wreck that was Coraline. I hope I was beyond pitiful now, I thought wryly.

Well why didn't you kill her, Mick? If anyone deserves the honor of beheading that bitch, it certainly goes to you.

I tried to tell myself my recent actions were entirely selfish, but if I were being totally honest, I knew I'd kept her alive for more reasons than just the cure. "There's something valuable I want from her," I said, which was true at least. "I need her alive to get it."

I could tell she didn't understand, and I didn't blame her. But that cure meant I could have a semi-normal life with Beth. Carrie and Daryl would have each other forever. The idea of the long, lonely years ahead after Beth died of old age loomed in my mind daily. Time was passing, and I wanted to be a part of it, not above it.

"Daryl can explain it to you while I go get her."

"I'll go with you," said Josef. I nodded gratefully.

"Wait here, Beth," I said meaningfully.

She held up her palm. "Don't worry, I'll be right here." I smiled and kissed her cheek, and Josef and I went back into the darkness.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that Coraline was gone. We were definitely in the right place. There was the chair, and the two dead vamps lay as we left them. It was a little hard to detect over recently spilled vamp blood, but we both caught the scent of an additional ancient presence. Another of Coraline's countless brothers.

"No Viking funeral for these guys, I guess," said Josef. "What now, Mick?" It was another sign of Josef's loyalty to me that he was allowing me to direct our path. He'd spared Coraline for me, and hadn't even said I told you so this time.

"We go home. I can't risk losing Beth in this family feud."

He pulled out his phone and called his jet pilot, directing him to be ready for us, plus one more. As we walked back to the others, Josef threw a companionable arm around my shoulders.

"You know what, Mick, I hate to say I told—" So much for loyal friendships.

"Then, don't, Josef." I shrugged his arm off and walked ahead alone, annoyed at his low chuckling.

The five of us sat again in the nearby gazebo out of the rain, waiting patiently for the new limo to arrive that Josef had called—from a different service. As for the dead driver in the other car, Josef called the inn and the vampire innkeeper directed him to the local French cleaner. That business taken care of, Josef went to stand beneath a tree, smoking a Cuban cigar and staring back at the palace, lost in thought. We all realized another vamp was in our midst at the same time he stepped from behind a large hedge and stood before Josef. Coraline's brother, Jules. We gripped our respective weapons.

"Josef," said Jules amiably, "I see you are enjoying your visit to Versailles."

Josef smirked, calmly blowing a smoke ring. "Yes, although not everyone has been so welcoming. This is doing nothing to help French-American relations."

Jules laughed, his dark eyes dancing. "Oui. But you have done me a favor, mon ami. I never thought to attain the level of head of the family. The fourth son usually has little hope of rising that high. I've waited three hundred years for this, so for that, I thank you."

"So, can we leave here in peace? I assume you found your lovely sister."

"Oui to both. And I guarantee she won't trouble you again. Lance and Henri were far too indulgent of her. And next time you are in Paris, I hope you will look me up. There is still a great supply here of wine, women, etcetera, etcetera…"

He looked over at Carrie, tension emanating from her every pore. "Carissa, it is truly good to see you again. No hard feelings, I assure you. I must say I never liked the way you were treated. If you should choose to return here, I promise to make it up to you."

I hope I never see you or your family again. No hard feelings, of course.

He smiled warmly, for an old, evil vampire. "Of course. I'll bid you all adieu, and bon voyage." He nodded to all of us, then disappeared back into the foliage.

We all looked at each other in surprise. Carrie turned to Daryl, embracing him in obvious relief.

"Maybe there is something to your 'civilized approach' theory," I said to Josef, joining him under the tree. He reached into his inside coat pocket and offered me a cigar, which I took gratefully, clipping the end with his cigar cutter and lighting it with his proffered engraved lighter. We stood there, two civilized vampires enjoying a smoke.

"It still might have been fun to kick his ass," replied Josef. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, I think Jules owed me money. Or maybe I owed him. Hmmm…now I remember why I left Paris. It was quite civilized of him not to mention that."

I looked over to find Daryl standing beside us. Josef handed him a cigar too, and I watched as Daryl used the lethal dagger from his pocket to cut one end, then light it with his own lighter. I smiled at his resourcefulness.

"I just want to thank you guys for coming with me." He laughed ruefully. "Although, as you can tell, she really didn't need us much."

We all looked to where the women were softly talking in the gazebo, or, rather, Beth was talking and pausing to listen periodically. They were the picture of two extremes: Beth, blonde and all-American, Carrie, dark and exotically beautiful. There was the unspoken agreement that we all would die for either one of them. And we had come close to that on more than one occasion.

"She certainly is no shrinking violet," said Josef, smiling fondly. "You lucked out in the wife department, Morgan. Why, if I were to find a woman of that caliber--"

"You'd what, Josef?" I asked.

"I'd take her right out to dinner," he finished happily. Daryl and I shared a laugh, puffing at our cigars. Daryl looked down at his feet, as if preparing himself, then looked directly into my eyes.

"Mick, I've been doing some thinking. I get that you tried to save my life by turning me. You were too new a vampire to realize what you were doing, and couldn't have known that that wouldn't have been what I wanted."

"I'm sorry Daryl, I didn't mean--"

"No, let me finish. It's like I said to Carrie--things worked out like they were supposed to. Had Coraline instructed me, I would have been a totally different person. A totally different kind of vampire. I wouldn't have Carrie in my life. You and I would have had a completely different relationship, maybe one based on resentment, or more of a sire-son relationship. That wouldn't have been cool. It would have been hell having to do your bidding all the time," he finished wryly.

I smiled at the thought of Daryl as my minion. "I don't know. It might have been cool for me."

"Well, what I'm trying to say, Mick, is that I'd like to try to put this behind us. It might not come easily, or all at once, but I'd like to try."

I couldn't believe he was forgiving me. I felt my eyes water a little, and had to look away, blinking rapidly. He reached out his huge hand to me then, and I took it, gripping it with all my strength, a ritual we had always had. He squeezed back with a power that nearly brought me to my knees. As usual, it was painfully clear who was stronger.

"Okay, I give," I grunted.

He let go with a laugh. "Nice try, though."

I was saved further humiliation by the arrival of the limo. We helped the ladies in, joined them, then sped off back toward the Paris airport. I sank back into the comfortable leather seat, holding Beth's warm hand in mine, feeling happier than I had in days.

As we lifted off, I saw Beth looking longingly out the window at the sight of the distant Eifel Tower, still half-shrouded in mist and fog.

"So much for my grand trip to Paris," she muttered to herself.

"We'll come back some day, under much more romantic circumstances," I promised.

"Really?" her mood brightened. "Because there's so much I'd love to see and do in Paris. With you."

"Hmmm…anything we could get started on now?" I asked, nuzzling her neck, feeling her pulse quicken at my touch. "You know, the French have a certain way of kissing that reminds me of Paris every time."

"Oh?" she asked in mock-innocence. "You mean, like having a mini trip to Paris whenever we want? Do tell."

"Actually, it's better if I show." My mouth came down on hers, and our tongues danced a familiar tango. Knowing we likely had an audience, I reluctantly pulled away after a few blissful minutes.

"By the way," I ventured, remembering a recent thought. "What were you and Josef talking about when I caught you holding hands in the limo?"

I watched suspiciously as she blushed. "Can't a girl have any secrets?"

"Not where Josef is concerned. Did he try something?"

She laughed. "Of course not! He's your friend. Actually, that's really what we talked about. How much he values your friendship." I didn't completely believe that, but I'd let her have her fun. I looked over at the vamp in question, who was having a chess rematch with Daryl. His ears had perked up when he'd heard his name, and I had no doubt he'd been eavesdropping on our conversation. He caught my eye and smiled his Grinchy smile, loving that he'd again managed to get under my skin. Daryl also seemed to be enjoying my display of jealousy and discomfort. I guess that's what friends were for, I thought gladly.

One Month Later

It was nine in the morning, and I lay in my bed beside a deeply sleeping Beth. Visions of the passionate night we'd spent flashed in my mind, and I looked sheepishly at the newest bite mark I'd left her, this time near her right breast. I was about to get up to stumble off to my freezer, when I heard the doorbell ring. Beth didn't even stir.

I pulled on my jeans and hastily made my way downstairs, tugging my t-shirt over my head as I went. A glance at the monitor showed it was a delivery man, carrying a small, brown box. I opened the door.

"Mick St. John?" he inquired.

"Yeah."

"Sign here please." I signed the digital notepad and reached in my pocket for a tip. He handed me the box, wishing me a nice day as he left.

There was no return address on the package, and my own was written in a familiar, flowery script. My suspicions were confirmed when I tore open the outer paper and a handwritten note fell out.

Dear Mick,

I believe I owe you a life.

Coraline

The package was composed of a smaller box within a slightly larger one. There was a lot of packing material and bubble wrap around the smaller box, and I tried to be patient and carefully remove it. The smaller box was metallic, with a sliding lid. I'd seen it before, and my mind quickened in anticipation. I slid open the lid and looked inside at a red, gelatinous compound that I'd seen only once before. The cure. Coraline had sent me the cure. I sat on my couch, stunned at the gesture. This might be all she had left of it. Why had she given it to me?

I looked again at the note. That simple statement meant so many things. She felt remorse. She was trying to make up for turning me. And she was letting me go. She had sired me, but she was admitting at last that my life no longer belonged to her. Maybe now I could finally let her go, too.

I carefully shut the lid of the box, feeling its soft weight. I literally held my life in my hand. What Daryl had said to me a month before in France flashed in my mind. Things had worked out like they'd supposed to. Despite the pain Coraline had caused me, had it not been for her, I never would have met Beth. I would be an old man now, much too old for a woman like Beth. I might even be dead by now--completely dead, I mean. Mortally dead. This cure might not stop me from living forever, but I would feel human as long as the cure held out. I could be human for Beth.

A million new visions of my future came to my mind. Would I be able to father a child with Beth? Would I appear to grow older? Could I still eat an entire Thanksgiving dinner? My God! The possibilities. The uncertainty of it all. Kind of like being human. The joy of it threatened to overwhelm me, and I thought of my Beth, peacefully slumbering upstairs. I couldn't wait to start this new life with her.

I closed my hand tightly around the little box, and the irony of it all struck me. Coraline had sired me. I had sired Daryl. Now, with the cure, I would be the sire of myself.

THE END

P.S. This is likely the last Moonlight story I will write, unless I get a wild inspiration sometime. I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time to read my stories, and most of all, for telling me what you thought. Some day, when I'm a rich and famous author, I will remember all the encouragement you gave me. I'll continue to read all your stories because I will always love Mick, Beth, Josef, and the others, but for now, I must pass the torch to you. Thanks again! Donna