Hello all my awesome readers, and fellow lovers of all things Moonlight.

One note to a reviewer: Horizon77: This note is addressing what you said because I don't want readers to start thinking that there are going to be big consequences for Beth telling the Cleaner about wanting to be turned. I see the Cleaner as a discreet woman, who would keep Beth's confession private, and not tell anyone, not even Mick. So the conversation was simply that, a conversation. It wasn't setting up anything else, except to emphasize how seriously Beth is thinking about being turned. Sorry, if that's not what you wanted. But i'm sticking to my outline. : P

And gurlwriter: yeah I know the sad news. No more new moonlight after this week! waaaaa!!! But don't worry, I've got another story planned for after i finish this one, which will probably make The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship seem short. I'll be posting info about it, on the very last chapter of this story. Hopefully fanfiction can help us get through the Great Moonlight Draught!

Moving on…Got a little treat for you readers…yeah, I'm freaking nervous posting this. : S Even with all the positive feedback I've gotten for my other scene, I still am very new to this kind of writing, and still anxious about sharing it with others. So please be gentle, and remember that I am VERY new to these types of scenes. : S

I think I may rate this update NC-17 to be on the safe side. I think I may have gotten a little smutty (blushes furiously).

(squeaky voice) Enjoy!

Reunited

Beth was curled up on the king size bed typing away on her laptop in the master bedroom. She was alone now in the apartment. The Cleaner had left soon after their conversation to get a few hours of rest in her freezer, before her team arrived at seven. She had made sure Beth knew how and when to give transfusions to both Mick and Josef. Beth was confident in herself. She had already helped Mick before, and it was easy for her to remember what to do the second time round.

She had recently just given Josef another transfusion. The vampire had startled her slightly by finally showing some signs of life. As Beth had inserted the needle into his arm, he had jerked slightly and thrown his head to the side, a sigh of cold breath escaping from his lips. Beth had almost dropped the syringe in her surprise. She had quickly finished injecting the blood, pulling the needle from his vein. She had thought that perhaps Josef might be waking up, but beyond that one reaction, Josef hadn't stirred again. He had returned to the still, frozen unconsciousness. Beth had closed the lid, and returned to the master bedroom.

She had pulled out her cell phone, and dialed work. Mo had answered before the first ring had even finished.

"Beth, hun, where are you? Don't tell me you stayed out all night again."

"'Fraid so. But I've got more content for the story. I was thinking of working on it at home today? I'll come in later this week, if that's all right."

"Fine by me, I guess. Just as long as you get the scoop in soon. This story is on fire since the Johnson homicide, but we need fresh information to keep it burning."

"I know, Mo. I've got some stuff—not sure if it's connected yet to the case, but I'm looking into it."

"All right. Keep up the good work." Mo hung up.

Beth had hung up, a little irritated. She knew Mo wasn't as heartless as she sounded, but sometimes, sometimes her boss really came across as putting the story above human lives. Discussing the Johnson homicide so causally—a little girl had died, violently murdered for goodness sake, and all Mo appeared to care about was the number of viewers. Beth knew that that wasn't true, she knew Mo well enough to know that Mo felt just as bad as anyone that people had been killed, but boy, sometimes her boss…

Beth had left Mick's apartment briefly and had retrieved her laptop from under her front seat in her car. It seemed like ages ago when she had driven over to Mick's place, ready to go check out 1345 Gardner Ave with him. Now, almost 24 hours later, she was busy typing away on her story, twisting the facts as needed to hide vampire involvement.

It was around 3:30 in the afternoon. Beth had been typing straight for the past half hour or so. She decided to take a break and check on Mick. She shut her laptop, and placed it on the little shelf underneath the top of the bedside table. It would be safe there. She rose and stretched, and then padded over to the spare freezer.

She looked down. Her heart skipped a beat. Mick looked fine…he looked fine. He looked healed. Beth threw open the lid in excitement. Her hand softly stroked the side of Mick's face—no bruises, no cuts. His skin was smooth as ever. Hesitatingly, she picked up his hand that Damien had crushed under his boot heel. She curled the fingers back and forth—the bones were no longer broken, they bent and straightened perfectly in line. Beth's heart pounded with happiness. It looked like the price extracted was wearing off. Mick's healing abilities had returned full force. "48 hours at the latest," the Cleaner had told her. Well, she was right. Happily, Beth traced a finger across Mick's chest, outlining his now healed ribs.

His hand rose and covered hers. Beth looked into his face as he opened his eyes. She intertwined her fingers through his, as he blinked, trying to gain his bearings. "Hey," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. It sounded wonderful to Beth's ears.

"Hey." She gave a tremulous smile down at him, barely able to suppress her tears of relief at seeing him awake.

Mick saw her tears. Concern filled his eyes, and as Beth stared into his orbs she could see all of his love for her reflected clearly in the ocean blue depths. "Beth, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I am now," she whispered. She could tell that Mick understood. Slowly, he sat up, and reached a hand out, caressing her cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. Beth closed her eyes, and leaned forward, into his touch.

She heard him move, and a moment later she felt his lips on hers. Her eyes fluttered open long enough for her to place her hand on the back of his head, interlacing her fingers through his hair and pull him closer to her. Mick had one hand on the freezer edge for balance, the other one was still caressing her face as they kissed.

It deepened. Beth felt Mick open his mouth, his tongue darting out, pushing at her lips. She opened her mouth in a small hole, and Mick pushed his tongue through. Her tongue tickled his, and she nibbled at his lower lip. She felt his hand slide up underneath her shirt, and released his head to begin unbuttoning her blouse, allowing him more freedom of movement. His hand cupped her breast, his thumb stroking her skin in pulses with his kiss.

Beth couldn't help herself. She climbed over the freezer side, into the cold air. She sat on his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. She pressed both of her hands to his face, and pulled him forward, pressing his icy cold chest against her body, sending shivers through herself at the feeling. Mick groaned with pleasure. He pulled her blouse completely off, and tossed it aside. He lowered her bra straps so that they slid lose down her shoulders, and tugged the silky material off of Beth's breasts. Her nipples were hard in the cold freezer air. She could see her breath. Mick licked at her breast, while he unclasped her bra, letting it drop from her body.

Beth curled her hands under Mick's arms, and then up his back to rest on his shoulders. She kept pressing him close to her. She needed to feel him, feel his heart beating. She pushed into him, and he cried out. He began to eagerly kiss her neck and nip at her earlobe. With one hand, he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, and slid his fingers down to where it was wet and warm. Beth gasped at his touch, and she arched into his hand. Mick stroked her, and Beth clutched at him. She leaned in and bit down, hard, on his shoulder. Mick jerked and shivered.

"Beth, Beth," he breathed. "We need to get out of the freezer."

"Why?"

"I can't…not in sub-zero…"

Beth pressed herself to him, licking ice crystals off of his chest. Mick moaned, "Beth, please…I'm going insane..."

Beth unwrapped her legs from him. "Okay," she panted. Mick pulled his hand from her and she stood up. She was slightly surprised when he reached forward and pulled her jeans and panties down. Beth stepped out of them, her hands on Mick's shoulders for balance. Once off, they too were thrown aside. Mick leaned forward and kissed her inner thigh. As the sensation of his mouth upon her leg ran through her, Beth threw back her head, mouth open, tightening her grip on Mick's shoulders. She felt something warm run through her fingers, and saw that she had pierced his skin with her nails. Mick was slowly moving up her body with his mouth as he rose to stand next to her. The cold air swirled around them, yet Beth felt like she was on fire.

Mick had reached her breasts, and he sucked lightly at them. Beth could feel the sharp edges of his fangs brushing against her skin. Mick stood tall now, and in a smooth motion, swung himself over the edge of the freezer. He turned and scooped Beth up in his arms, carrying her from the freezer to the bed. Beth wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply as they moved.

He placed her on the bed, and with a predator's growl moved on top of her. His eyes were pale blue, his fangs long. Beth ran a hand down to his privates and whispered, "Let me warm you." Mick cried out at her touch, and lowered his head into her neck, trembling and panting her name, "Beth…Beth."

Beth reveled in the sound. She needed more. She needed to feel Mick move on her, to reassure herself that he was alive. That he was okay. She stroked his burgeoning erection, until he had risen fully in her hand. He was moaning, gasping for air as he shuddered against her.

She pulled her hand away, leaving him on the brink but unsatisfied. She heard him murmur in her ear, "You are cruel…"

She pressed her hips up into his, inviting him to enter her. He slid himself in with one smooth thrust, and Beth's legs were suddenly burning with heat as she felt him pulsing within her. His hands curved around her shoulders, pulling her upper chest off the bed, pressing her body up to his. He held her there. Beth looked into his eyes, and saw that he needed to be close to her as much as she needed to be close to him. They both were being driven by the primal urge to feel their mate, to claim each other, and reassure themselves that both were still alive, still together, still one.

Mick pushed rhythmically into her, building them both to a gradual climax. He had lowered Beth back onto the bed, and now pressed himself down on her. She arched her hips upwards, and wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing at his back with her foot. She was desperate to touch him any way she could. She could feel herself on the edge…

Mick bit down on her breast and the orgasm overtook her. She screamed his name, her breath leaving her in a giant rush. She thrust her hips even harder into him, and she felt him come inside her.

He sucked in a breath as he rode his orgasm. Beth stared in his wide, pale eyes, and threw herself into him, letting him take her away…

Slowly, she regained her senses. Mick was lying on top of her, the power of his orgasm leaving him limp. He had pulled his fangs from her breast, and Beth saw that there was no blood on his mouth. He hadn't drunk her blood—he had just bitten. Beth knew he had restrained himself for her, and she also knew how much control he must have had to exert in order to resist. Warm, thin trails of blood were trickling down her breast, and Mick turned his head, scenting it. He licked the blood from her, sucking very gently on the bite. Not drawing the blood, but just lapping it as it flowed naturally from the wounds. Beth shuddered. His mouth licking at her breast was comforting and pleasurable. She felt safe.

Mick rolled away from her, his breathing ragged. Beth pressed herself against his back, curling her arms around his shoulders, and interweaving her legs through his. Mick reached up, without facing her, and took her hand in his. He ran his thumb delicately over her palm and then leaned forward and softly placed a kiss. Beth buried her face his neck, feeling his pulse. He was alive.

Mick was alive and so was she.

In the other room, where he lay in Mick's freezer, Josef again tossed his head to the side. His eyes were moving rapidly back and forth underneath his lids…his fingers twitched…

Hungry…he was so hungry. All he could hear were heartbeats, all he could think about was blood. His need pulsed through him, drove all other thoughts from his mind. He looked through a red haze at the world. He must have blood…

The sunlight burned against his skin, but he didn't even feel it. All he felt was the consuming hunger, the consuming rage. He came to a house. He could hear three hearts beating away inside.

He leapt to the roof, landing with a loud thump, not even trying to be stealthy. He scuttled over to the edge, and grabbing the gutter, swung down though an upstairs window.

A man was there, shouting downstairs to someone, "Fine hun, did you hear tha—" He was upon him before the man could even realize he was there. With a hiss, he sunk his fangs into the man's neck. The blood flowed over his lips, and he couldn't drink it down fast enough…

A sharp pain exploded in his back. He dropped the man and whirled around. A woman stood, holding a knife—it was dripping with his blood. Her heartbeat was singing to him as it pounded away frantically in her chest. He snarled at her, excited. Her scream echoed in his ears.

She tried to stab him again, but he easily caught her wrist in his crushing grip. He snapped her bone, forcing her to drop the knife. He heard the sound of another heartbeat in the door, and heard a small, fear-stricken voice call to the woman, "Mommy?"

The woman screamed at her daughter to run, but he was too fast. He lunged forward, out of control with blood lust. A child's blood was the most pure, the most delicious. He wanted it…he hadn't tasted a child for so long. The woman threw herself in front of him and he backhanded her violently out of the way. His vision tunneled in on the sobbing child, focusing on her throat.

He saw the little girl's face, and a part of himself that was trapped by the drug screamed for him to stop. Instead, his hands reached out and snapped the girl's neck. The cracking of the bone reverberated through him. He knew her small, scared face would be forever burned in his memory. He pressed her body to his, as his fangs ripped into her throat, draining her…

He had murdered her, murdered a child…and all he could do was watch helplessly, detached from his body, as he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of her precious blood…

Josef movements became more frantic, as he lay trapped in his nightmare, unable to wake from the heart-wrenching dream as he murdered that beautiful little girl again and again—forced to see, forced to relive that terrible moment over and over…

A single tear slid from underneath his closed eye, trickling down his cheek, and splashed to the bottom of the freezer.

Finis

All right, as I said last update, don't expect anything more until Saturday/Sunday. I only updated this today because I managed to barely squeeze in some writing time yesterday. But I've got a lot of schoolwork to get through this week, papers, projects and reading. 'sigh.'

Anywho, hope the first part of that update was fun…I think might go recover from actually posting that in some nice dark hole, where no one can see my bright red face. All you lurkers, please review and let me know if you thought it was good...i am really anxious to see the response to this chapter. : S