Two days and a night earlier.

"So how's the little woman? You two having loads of human fun playing house? Seen your waistline expand recently?" Josef couldn't help himself. He missed Mick and it was making him cranky. "You two lovebirds run off to Vegas yet? Hey, if you see Elvis, say hi for me and tell him he owes me a new Cadillac."

Josef listened, disgusted. There was just no way he could stand to hear any more. How the mighty have tumbled.

"Yeah, yeah. What can I do for you? Oh, you're back on cases again. That's more like it so what's this about?

No, I did not kill this woman, Maureen of Buzzwire, but I did speak to her once on the phone to deny any wrong doing. My publicist, however, got a trip to Bangkok." That was their newest euphemism for the tar pits. "Free of charge, less his standard 3%, of course. Look, I'm on the boards of a lot of charities. Oprah and I are tight. We co-chaired this one but no one's accusing her of malfeasance. What's up with that? Why is it always the vampire blamed? Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Yeah, I miss "Seinfeld", too. Man, what I really miss is going out to the clubs the way we used to do, but while you're human, I guess that one's out, too, huh? Oh, right, sure, she's really gonna want to go hang out at a fang bar, listening to jazz while everyone's sucking on freshies around her.

Well, I may just do that. As a matter of fact, I have several very attractive humans just clamoring for me but I draw the line at attachment ... yeah, that old commitment thing.

Listen, if you need anything else, Buddy, don't hesitate. I'll be here nursing my virgin bloody Mary."

Later, Josef got the call from Guillermo.

Mick was in pretty bad shape but intent on doing something really stupid. How like him. Beth had been kidnapped along with her new boss, ADA Ben Talbott, Josh Lindsey's replacement and Guillermo had located the vamp. A reconstructive surgeon, no less. And blood trafficker on the side.

Damn, his money had been on the politician. Man, he was O for 2 on this betting business. So unlike him to be this wrong. But he wasn't wrong about Mick, who was about to get himself killed going after the plastics doc.

"Mick, what do you think you're doing? You always did have more courage than brains, my friend."

"You should come with me!"

He'd had to get downright nasty - physical - to prove his point. Josef didn't like what he was seeing in Mick's eyes.

"Oh, no, you don't, Mick. You're human again. It's what you've always wanted. I can't ..."

But in the end, he had.

Josef had done it ... sunk his fangs in and then let Mick drink from his wrist.

He had done it because Mick's life - human or otherwise - would be over if he lost his precious Beth. Who was he to get in the way of true love?

Plus he got his best buddy back. But for both of them, something had fundamentally changed. For Mick, it was a new comfort level but for Josef, he was feeling emotions he neither liked ... nor trusted.