The wonderful shows Moonlight and Veronica Mars are owned by companies and people other than me. They are just places I go to play.
This is a Moonlight / Veronica Mars crossover. The series starts with Who Are You? This installment follows the last one The Fountain of Youth.
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Mick watches as Beth quickly gets in to the heavily armored Humvee. He smiles as he knows how much she dislikes the large gas guzzlers but he and Keith discussed it and the decision was made for Keith to rent one of the type used primarily for visiting dignitaries and rap stars. They would just add it to their expense account to keep it off the hunter's radar that Mick was picking up the tab. It's a shame they couldn't have just used the one Josef has in his stable of cars, but again they didn't want Beth connected to anything that could be traced back to the vampires. It might give it away that Beth isn't the unhappy lover she appears to be. The Humvee seems like over kill unless you consider that there is no guarantee that the hunters won't try to stop her and her guards along the road once they leave the zoo and make their way to Josef's estate. Elliot might decide that despite the blackmail threats she had invoked with her pictures and reports to send to the vampires and the government that they could take her with the intent to make her tell where the reports were before they could be mailed. Mick tells Veronica to return to the florist who they had gotten the van from. They would return it and then drive to Josef's. Mick doesn't like not following Beth, but he knows if anyone is watching they will instantly know something is amiss if they see the same van from the zoo following the Humvee and everything they set in place with this morning's meeting will be for nothing.
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Logan resists the urge to pace the room, waiting for Veronica. He knows that she is as safe as can be expected as long as she's with Mick. He just needs to see her and make sure she is alright. He eyes Derrick across the room talking to Frank. He knows he got under Derrick's skin earlier when he mentioned Veronica living with Mick's family in the guest house but now that he thinks about it, maybe it was stupid to give him a warning of the preparations so he could think of a way to change her mind. He wishes the hunters were in Europe so Derrick would have to go there to fight them. Not knowing what else to do he approaches Sydney. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
She watches him warily for a moment. "I guess, as long as you're not still angry about how I messed things up for you."
Logan shakes his head. "No, I'm not angry but...you could do me a favor."
She tilts her head and looks at him questioningly. "How?"
He hesitates and motions for her to follow him.
She shrugs and motions for him to lead on.
Logan and Sydney's leaving isn't lost on Josef or Gabriel as they watch the pair go through the door to the terrace. Josef wonders if the desire that Logan has managed to bank for Veronica has finally made its self so unbearable that he is willing to turn to someone else. Josef turns to follow his son but stops as he looks down as he sees Gabriel's hand on his arm. Gabriel shakes his head. "No. They have gone round and round for years. It's time for them to find a way to break the patterns of destruction between them or kill this thing once and for all. If he doesn't find a way to learn from his mistakes, then at least she should be happy with someone else."
Josef swallows. "I hate you right now."
Gabriel snorts. "No, you hate that I'm right."
Josef nods slowly, his pained eyes watch the door where he's sure his son is about to do something he will regret.
From his corner of the room Derrick watches the same sight and smiles. He's tempted to text Veronica and see how far away she and Mick are but something tells him it's best to stay clear and let things unfold on their own. With any luck Logan won't need any help shooting himself in the foot.
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In the end Cynthia decided she would take matters into her own hands. She is determined to see if she can reason with Mick, Josef and their families and see if she can find a way for Coraline to be set free. Coraline didn't like it but what choice did she have since she wasn't going to be able to stop her once Cynthia steps outside the shed. Coraline, of course, was still held there by Vanessa's power. Cynthia hesitates as she raises her knuckle to the door to knock. She's done a lot of things for Coraline over their long lives but she just doesn't know how she's going to get her clear of this latest mess. She sighs. In for a penny, in for a pound. It's never been easy to be Coraline's friend but they've been drawn and bound to each other for so long she's not sure she would know other way. It's not always been so perilous to be friends with Coraline, only since Mick came along has she had to do things that could cost her so much.
Coraline isn't the only one with regrets where Mick is concerned. If only Cynthia had been here in Los Angeles in the beginning, back when Coraline first met Mick, Cynthia would have seen what Coraline could not, that he was trouble to be avoided. It wasn't even that he was human, it was that he was a human who had an underlying strength that Coraline was drawn to, at her own peril. He was not the first such man that Coraline had tangled with, her desire to break such men was legendary. The problem was that this time when Mick bottomed out, and was about to break, he found an inner strength, even he probably didn't know he had and it was shown to him by a small unlikely blond girl child. Things had gone progressively downhill from that day forward.
Cynthia sighs and knocks at the door.
Sarah glances around on her way back from checking on the few humans left about the estate. She remembers that Robert is with Emily and Shannon so she moves to open the door, wondering who it could be. She knows neither Beth nor Mick would feel like they had to knock.
Josef scowls as he senses Cynthia approaching the house. Vanessa looks at him questioningly and he snorts. "That's right, you haven't met Coraline's closest friend and enabler, Cynthia. I'll be back in a minute. It's not hard to guess why she's here."
Sarah looks at her hand and smiles as suddenly, as if by magic Josef's hand appears to cover hers. "I'll never get used to how fast you move." she tells him with a smile.
"I had to get here quickly to stop you from opening the door. Cynthia is on the other side and I don't trust her." He can tell from the look on Sarah's face that she's not happy with his decision.
"If she's Coraline's friend and wants Vanessa to set her free, it doesn't seem likely that she will make things worse by hurting me and further angering you and Vanessa." Sarah tells him with some bit of sarcasm.
Josef nods. "I'm sure you're right but, I'm unable to risk you by not being near you when that door opens."
Sarah face softens feeling his love batter at her anger. "Alright...then you can stand here and I still get to open the door. That way you're on hand if she does something duplicitous."
Josef knows that without a fight it's the best he's likely to get. Wordlessly he nods.
To Cynthia's surprise a redheaded woman, not Robert answers the door, and behind her is Josef trying somewhat unsuccessfully to hide a scowl. Cynthia smiles looking from one to the other. The defiant look on Sarah's face and the worry on Josef's isn't lost on her. She shakes her head and begins to laugh, not able to stop herself at the sight of Josef in such a predicament. Obviously the two had a disagreement over Sarah answering the door.
Josef silently glares at Cynthia and then sees a smile slip its way across Sarah's lips and he lets out a low growl, angry at their making light of his concern. Sarah hears the anger in his utterance and turns to him, cupping his face in her hands. "I love you but you worry far too much. You said yourself, you knew who it was at the door and she isn't much of a threat."
Josef traces a finder gently down the side of Sarah's cheek. "Only because she wants Coraline's freedom and she knows harming you will get her more trouble than she already has. Do not misunderstand me, if it were to her advantage she would kill you." he lets his hand drop as Sarah moves into the circle of his arms. She turns to Cynthia as Josef wraps a protective arm around her.
Cynthia looks at him more than a little surprised. "Josef, have I ever threatened anyone under your protection, have I ever given you reason to think that I would harm someone so dear to you?"
"No, but you have never had so much on the line. If you are at my door, you must have spoken to Coraline and you know that Vanessa and Finn mean to kill her. I know how desperate you are."
Cynthia square her shoulders. "I want to talk to them. I want a chance to plead Coraline's case."
Sarah shakes her head. "Good luck with that."
Everyone in the room turns, waiting for Josef to introduce the woman. Josef turns to Vanessa and Finn who are grouped together, they had been deep in conversation with Gabriel. "None of you have met Cynthia. She is Coraline's oldest and closest friend."
Vanessa eyes Cynthia. Finn steps forward eyes narrowing. "Why are you here?"
Cynthia feels a blast of power and stammers. "I..." She straightens and steadies herself. "I want to see if there is a way I can get Coraline out of here, take her home to Europe alive. She's sure that you want to kill her no matter what Mick decides."
Finn nods. "Well, at least she's not stupid."
"Coraline is correct. Mick may wish to set her free but neither Finn, nor I are prepared to trust Shannon's safety to Coraline's assurances that she will stay in Europe and never set foot in this country again." Vanessa tells her.
Cynthia looks puzzled at Vanessa. "Who is Shannon?"
"Mick and Beth's daughter." Finn tells her. "She is almost of the age Beth was when Coraline kidnapped her. We will not under any circumstances take the chance that Coraline will take her revenge out on their child. She is the light of too many eyes."
Vanessa nods. "We have sworn to protect her. Soon her mother will be mine and once she is turned Shannon will truly be of my family."
"And as Mick's grandfather" Finn growls. "She is already part of my clan. Vanessa and I..." Finn stops and his gaze sweeps the room, "And the rest of us, have all sworn to make sure Shannon grows up safe."
Cynthia looks at them all dumbfounded for a moment. "So, it's true, there are children...more than just Josef's son." She shakes her head to clear it. "This has nothing to do with Coraline. She will not harm Mick's daughter. What happened with Beth was an aberration, Coraline can be a terror but even she doesn't harm children. She has never hurt a child before or since. She was just a little out of her head back then. She doesn't hurt children." Cynthia repeats.
Josef snorts. "Only because it's not a real treat to torture anyone so fragile. What fun can it be when the captive can die so easily?"
Cynthia shakes her head. "That's not true. The only person that has ever brought that level of monster out in Coraline is Mick. I...I don't know what it is about him, but when she is away from him, even when she is in a wicked mood she never goes to the extremes she does when she's around Mick. Josef, you know they were always toxic when they were together."
Beth enters the room. She's followed by Keith and Leo. The room becomes silent and everyone is watching her, all of them she supposes but she can feel eyes on her so she knows it's not just about the humans coming into the room. It's about her. She stops when she sees Finn and Vanessa. She reads their faces, and body language and realizes she's brought the two men into the middle of something that they can't be a part of. She's not absolutely sure what is going on but she knows this is vampire business at its worst. She also has a hunch that it has to do with more than the hunters. She can see the rage in Finn's face and few things anger him to this degree.
Josef moves quickly to intercept the three humans. "Beth, Shannon is upstairs with Robert and Emily in the freshie's wing. Take Keith and Leo and go see her."
Beth quirks an eye at him, a smile sketches across her lips. Josef would never suggest she take human men into the freshie's wing, even with the girls gone, unless he wanted the three of them gone from the room quite badly. "I think," she glances at Cynthia and it suddenly dawns on her who the woman is. "That I will stay for a moment."
Sarah steps forward. Her instincts tell her that Beth needs to be a part of this decision. "I will take Keith and Leo to the kitchen. Chef can make them something to eat."
Keith eyes Beth and starts to object.
Beth smiles at him. "Go with Sarah." she tells him quietly. "You can't be a part of this...it's too vampire."
"But you're not a vampire." Keith says in a rush.
"Right now, for this, I'm close enough." Beth replies. "Now go with Sarah. It's for the best."
Keith studies her for a moment. Then nods to her once. "Alright." and the two men leave the study.
Beth moves towards her greatest protector in the room, Finn. She touches his arm. "Mick told me Coraline is in the potting shed."
Finn nods never taking his eyes off Cynthia. "Aye, and this one is here to try and get us to free her." he spits the words out.
Beth nods. "I thought you were going to let Mick decide what to do about Coraline? That's what he told me."
Finn shakes his head slowly but it's Vanessa who answers her question. "We have decided that Mick is too soft hearted to make that decision. We aren't willing to risk Shannon's life by letting Coraline live."
Beth scowls. "Mick wouldn't risk Shannon's life by allowing Coraline to go free if he thought she was a threat."
Vanessa nods. "I know, but I also know that Coraline has a history of convincing him she's changed. You can't deny that."
"No, you're right about that." She sighs. To this day Beth clearly remembers the fear from what Coraline had done to her when she had taken her. She would not wish that on any child, let alone her own. She looks at Vanessa and nods. "If you believe she is a threat to Shannon, then yes, by all means kill her."
Cynthia lets out a hiss.
Finn smiles grimly. "That's my girl."
Beth turns. "I trust the two of you with my life and with Shannon's. I will leave you to do what you think is best. If you think she needs killing then so be it, but remember Mick will more than likely not thank you for taking this decision out of his hands."
Finn snorts. "I can live with that."
Josef smiles grimly from his place at his desk as he silently agreeing with Beth.
Gabriel watches not being able to imagine what could possibly save Coraline from his sister and Finn. He knows them better than most anyone and neither is in a forgiving mood.
Cynthia can see that this is an uphill battle but she continues on anyway. "If you'll just let her leave I know I can get her back home and she has given her word to not come back. Coraline is at heart a good person. Keep her away from Mick and she's no worse than any of our people."
Vanessa snorts in disgust. "That's not saying a hell of a lot. Do you know what I've had to do to insure that the children in this world are safe from our people?" What Vanessa was force to do to Warren still haunts her. "Do you?" she says through gritted teeth. "On top of that I have no faith that what you say about Coraline is true. I have never seen nor heard anyone but you claim her as anything but a cold hearted bitch."
Cynthia is at a loss. Hearing the vehemence in the words from these two vampires has shaken her belief that she could get Coraline out of this trouble but she has to try. "You don't know her; she has good in her heart."
Vanessa smiles coldly. "Would you bet your life on it?"
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Keith looks up from his sandwich as Beth enters the kitchen. "Are they going to kill her?" He quietly asks her. He thinks he already knows the answer and for some reason he's not sure he's really comfortable with the fact that he's willing to look away from what is going on in the other room.
Beth shakes her head. "No, not Cynthia..."
"But someone." Leo counters.
Beth nods. "Looks like it, but remember Vanessa is head of their ruling body, she is about as much law and justice as they allow." She sighs. "They live in a violent world, where their enemies don't play by any rules that can be adjusted for the human equivalent. I trust that Vanessa will do the right thing, I have to, she will be my sire."
Leo brushes the crumbs from his hands over his plate. "I'm being paid to guard you and take orders from you and Mick. I think it's better if I just leave the rest to the vampires."
Keith nods. "Other than looking out for Veronica, if she needs it, I have to agree."
Beth smiles. "Mick will always look out for Veronica when it comes to the vampire stuff, that way you can do what you've always done." she smiles at him. "You can be her father."
Keith smiles as he stands. "Why don't we escort you to see your daughter?"
Beth nods. "Yes, and once it's safe we'll all go down to the guest house."
"Is that the separate house we passed on the way up the driveway?" Leo asks.
Beth nods. "Yes, and there is plenty of room for all of us, especially since you two don't need freezers."
"Freezers?" Leo asks
"Ah, yea. Didn't Ashley explain how vampires sleep?" Beth asks
Leo looks a little embarrassed. "Ah we didn't do much sleeping."
Beth laughs. "They sleep in freezers. The cold revives them somehow and keeps them from deteriorating. Come on. I want to find my baby."
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Done de done done doneā¦.
