CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE – "The Legion"
A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
We all went to the hearing together, Me, Mick, Eliot, Josef and Sarah. It wasn't a happy trip, and we barely spoke a word the whole way to Century City. Mick was driving my new SUV—he wanted me to have a big, safe vehicle for the baby, and it was nice to have something roomy enough for us all to ride in together.
It was a cold, foggy night, so I was all bundled up in my winter coat and boots, and had wrapped Eliot in so many blankets that he'd probably get hot. We put him in his stroller and we all walked together down the aisles set up between folding chairs.
Mick kissed me good-bye as he and Josef left to go sit with the others who had been summoned. I watched them walk to their fate, heads held high, shoulders squared, and thought again how empty my life would be without my husband. A baby was wonderful, but Mick! He was my other half, my equal, my tender but passionate lover, my "true north," and, for a very long time, my very best and dearest friend in the whole world. Losing him would be to lose such a huge part of myself that I wondered if I could ever put the pieces back together again.
As other people arrived and the place began to fill up, I was glad we'd come early so we could sit near the front, allowing us to see everything pretty well—and, being human, we could hear what would be said, since there would be no microphones. I saw Ben sitting over on the opposite side of the seating sections, on an aisle, maybe for a quick getaway. Sarah and I held hands as the proceedings began.
A very tall, very virile-looking man walked out onto the platform and put his hands on the podium. He was about six feet six or seven inches tall, and he was muscular under his simple tan suede tunic, worn over a dark-colored tight cotton shirt that seemed to emphasize his enormous biceps. He wore black pants that were made of a clingy fabric which didn't leave much to the imagination! They were tucked into high black leather boots worn over his huge feet. The whole ensemble looked both foreign and terribly expensive. He was strikingly blonde, his hair parted down the middle of his head and pulled back into a long pony tail held with a leather thong. His features were sharp and symmetrical, his eyes a light piercing blue, and I thought that if I had ever wondered what a Viking looked like, he was it. He had an accent as he addressed the crowd, telling us his name was, what else, Erik, and he was from the World Tribunal of the Vampire International Association.
"I have been asked to oversee these proceedings, since there has been a change in the Legion Elders recently in your Vampire Nation here in Los Angeles, California. There are serious charges to deal with tonight, as well as many commendations to be handed out to vampires who have been instrumental in helping the Vampire Community."
My stomach lurched when he mentioned the serious charges. I could see Dr. Mineo sitting next to Guillermo and wondered if they were here for commendations or condemnation! I was such a bundle of nerves! Eliot, thank goodness, was sound asleep! I was so shaky I didn't even trust myself to take him out of the stroller!
"Commendations first." He stood watching as several men came out carrying what appeared to be curved swords which were shiny even in the dim light, and they looked to me a whole lot like the thing Mick had hidden in a box somewhere, an implement used to cut the heads off of vampires. This did nothing to calm me down!
Erik called out several names, one-by-one, including "Luke Mineo," and these vampires came happily to the podium to receive commendations for their fine service to the vampire community, from cleaners to club owners and on and on. I watched as our doctor shook Erik's hand.
"Dr. Mineo has served the vampire community well by treating the unusual cases some vampires present to him with confidentiality and caring. We want to thank you, Doctor, so please accept this little token of our appreciation. He, like others before him, received one of the fancy weapons, and he left the stage and went to sit with his family. After our doctor, Guillermo was called to receive accolades for all of the services he provided to the vampire community, from making available a non-violent source of much-needed blood to watching out for the stray vampire who showed up now and then in the morgue by accident! He took his present and sat down by his girlfriend.
The commendations went on for a while. Virginia Dare was interesting—she was a columnist for the LA Times, and treated the vampire news stories with care and discretion. Logan received high marks for helping the Vampire Community track and trace needed information, and special mention was made about his help with the Emma Monaghan incident. He grinned broadly and shook Erik's hand, then did a little bow to the audience, causing cheers and clapping. After the presents were all handed out, I got very jittery and reached again for Sarah's hand.
Erik turned from good-natured to serious now. Of course!
"Unfortunately, we always have problems to deal with at the time of our yearly Tribunal." He called out a name I wasn't familiar with—it was a homeless vampire who was known to target children. I saw Mick sit up straight, and guessed he knew this man.
"Since we have no evidence that you have ever turned or killed a child, which would be an offense punishable by death, you are hereby sentenced to banishment. You must leave the Los Angeles area within twenty-four hours, and should you ever return, you will pay for that foolishness with your life. Wherever you go you will be watched, and should you not change your ways, your life will be called in. Do you understand?"
The man was shaking, and nodded.
"Depart, and do not return!" Erik said in a booming voice.
The next two were called up together. Again, Mick seemed to be at attention. I could only see the back of his head, but he knew who these two stupid-looking vampires were as well!
"For kidnapping and imprisoning fellow vampires, holding them without a warrant, and nearly killing one of them due to neglect, you are sentenced to death by fire." Erik was silent, and so was the crowd. It seemed the light-hearted times were over, and he hadn't yet gotten to Mick and Josef. I was trying hard not to tremble with fear. The next man brought out was a very sickly looking vampire in a wrinkled suit and tie. He was sentenced to the same fate for masterminding the scheme the two idiots had been involved in. It didn't take much thought to figure out that they all were responsible for kidnapping Mick and Josef. Inwardly I was glad they would die. They really had almost killed my husband!
Other vampires were sentenced to banishment, death by fire, hours of community service to be spent with the Legion, or, for an unlucky few, sentenced to hours helping the cleaners do their work. None looked happy, but the ones who escaped death looked relieved.
Sarah and I waited in silence squeezing hands as vampire after vampire was called to appear before Erik, to be sentenced. Mick and Josef still sat there until they were the only two left. After what seemed like an eternity, they at last called were called up together. I didn't know what to make of that—was it a good thing or a bad thing? The only other two who had been charged together were the stupid ones, and they were going to die! My heart sank and my stomach rolled over.
Erik began his speech. "I have called you together because you were both involved recently with Coraline DuVall, who would also be appearing before me tonight, but she has been eliminated very recently by one of you, as I understand the events of the past week." Both Mick and Josef remained still as statues. "Were she here, I'm sure she would want to speak on her own behalf. Because she is not here, her brother will answer to her charges. Lance?"
Lance walked onto the stage, tall, dignified and swaggering, wearing a slight smirk on his face. I shuddered with fear. Coraline's brother! 'OH, GOD!' I pleaded inside my head, shooting a prayer to heaven. 'Please help them! Please!'
Erik spoke again. "We have serious charges to bring up now, so everyone quiet down." I hadn't even noticed that the crowd had begun murmuring when Lance appeared, and it sounded like a very loud swarm of bees, which continued as Lance took his place on the stage, just to the left of Erik. They quieted right down when Erik smacked his hand on the podium. He looked at the two men facing the charges and spoke evenly.
"Josef Kostan. You are a great benefactor and benevolent contributor of money and business savvy to causes both human and vampire. For that we are grateful, even though it does put you in the news way too often for comfort. You generally keep a watch on the vampire population and take care of issues which need to be remedied with swift, decisive action, and this we commend. However, we also know that you have been responsible for the elimination of many members of the vampire population, and not all have clearly been in violation of any Legion rules. How do you answer this charge?"
"I assure you, I do not eliminate anyone without just cause."
"Just cause in your own mind, Mr. Kostan. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, but caution you to be careful when eliminating other members of the Vampire Nation. Our code of conduct states that we do not take a life without severe provocation or good cause. I would appreciate very much your adherence to this rule."
"Of course."
Now, Mr. Kostan, of late, you seem to have become very sympathetic to all things human, which does not please us. We are Vampires! We must always remember this! Josef, is it true that you now cohabitate with a human woman whom you once tried to turn unsuccessfully?
Josef was a statue. "That is true."
"And this relationship, as I understand it, was the reason behind a very public attempt on your life, where your office was blown up in a manner which should have killed you--but you survived. I congratulate you on your survival, of course, but you must understand--we in the Vampire Nation cannot risk such exposure to the media. You must understand the danger this may have posed to all vampires."
"I do understand. This situation was handled and will never again be a problem." Erik merely nodded and went on.
"Josef Kostan, is it true that you have even accepted the "Cure" from Coraline Du Vall?"
"That is also true."
"Ms. Du Vall has handed this Cure out at random without permission to do so, and without thinking of the consequences of her actions! I warn anyone who is approached for any reason by someone offering a Cure for vampirism to not take it! It is strictly forbidden! Perhaps this is news to most of you, but I am telling you this to save you from being reprimanded, although we have increased our security to the point where this Cure should never again be offered to the general population." This provoked only a small buzz in the crowd.
"Mr. Kostan, were you aware that taking the Cure from anyone other than one of the Legion of Elders is strictly forbidden?"
"I'm sorry, sir, I was not aware that the Cure was forbidden to the Vampire Nation. I did know that it was originally made to protect vampires from being killed. That is all I knew."
"And knowing the Cure was for the sole purpose of masking vampirism during a 'cleansing,' of sorts, I must ask you: Did you feel you had a good reason to take the Cure? Was your life as a vampire somehow threatened to exposure?"
Josef cleared his throat. "No, it was not. This compound was offered to me, and I took it. I saw no harm in being temporarily human, since I knew I would revert to being a vampire again."
"Ah! And you are a vampire now!"
"Yes, I am."
"So this 'mortal cure' wore off?"
"It would have worn off, yes. I needed to return to my nonhuman state and was turned back into a vampire before the cure wore off."
"HAH!" Erik looked out at the crowd. "You see? Being human is not all some of you think it to be! Vampires are far superior to humans, is that not correct, Mr. Kostan?"
"In many ways, yes."
"Who turned you back into a vampire, Mr. Kostan?"
"My friend, Mick St. John."
"Very interesting. But you are no longer human."
"No, and I will never be human again."
Sarah squeezed my hand and wiped both of her eyes with her other hand.
"What you state is the truth. You will never again be human." He faced the crowd to explain. "All of the Cure has been found and will be kept locked and sealed so this kind of mistake will never happen again." He paused, raised an eyebrow at the audience to emphasis, then continued.
"We must also assume you are responsible for the deaths of Coraline Du Vall, and her friend, Cynthia Xavier Davis, since you have been identified as the person who called to have a cleanup last week. Am I correct in that assumption?"
Josef was suddenly angry—we could see the change in his posture. Apparently the calls to the Cleaner were anonymous to everyone but the Legion! No wonder he was mad!
"Assume what you will! I would never kill a vampire if my own life or the life of another vampire were not in serious jeopardy!"
Erik gave him a nod. "Well spoken, Sir. A justifiable killing is better for you." He turned to Lance. "This charge against Mr. Kostan also is related to charges against your sister. Are you ready to hear the charges and speak for Miss Du Vall?"
Lance nodded. "I am."
"Coraline Du Vall, were she here, would face many very serious charges, the worst of which would be her escape from the Tribunal prison in Paris. This crime alone would carry the death penalty. Have you anything to say to this charge?"
He looked at Lance, who merely shook his head and said "No. I am as surprised as anyone that she was able to accomplish this feat."
Erik proceeded. "Miss Du Vall would also be charged with stealing the Cure from the Tribunal safe in Paris, and then handing it out to the general vampire population as she alone saw fit. This charge would also be punishable by death. Have you anything to say on your sister's behalf regarding this serious allegation?"
Again Lance shook his head, saying decisively, "No, except that her goal was to try to find a renewable source for the Cure."
"And was this done with permission from the International Tribunal?"
"No, she took it upon herself to seek a permanent cure. I do not know her reason for this, but suspect it had to do with her ex-husband, Mr. St. John."
"She also nearly used up the entire stock of this compound in her endeavors to make more, plus, as you have stated, she was seeking to find a cure that would be permanent, and she did this without the knowledge or permission from the International Tribunal."
Lance nodded. "This is true."
"It's very fortunate, Lance, that you found her before she had squandered the entire stock of the compound!"
"Yes. I knew I must find her and the Cure before it was completely depleted, never to be found again."
"Very well. For these serious charges, we find her guilty and would sentence her to death. Do you agree with this verdict?"
Lance nodded. "Yes, that would be the appropriate dispensation of justice."
Erik looked at Josef, then at Lance. "Do you hold Mr. Kostan responsible for your sister's demise? He has stated it happened when he was defending himself against her."
"Coraline would have died by fire tonight anyway. I hold no animosity toward Mr. Kostan. Frankly, I must say I would have done as he did were she trying to kill me, and I have no doubt she would have killed him and Mr. St. John if she could have."
Erik looked at Josef. "This is most generous of the victim's brother to say this. We will assume you killed Miss Davis and Miss Du Vall in a fight for your life. Would that be a correct assumption?"
"Yes it would."
"Josef, for your indiscretions, we do hold you responsible; however, balanced against your good deeds, this reprimand will be very lenient. We therefore offer you a choice: First: One year in Copenhagen serving a term with the International Association under the auspices of the World Tribunal, offering us your help in matters pertaining to business and money. We could use a businessman like yourself, and we hope you will choose this option, which must seem to be punishment to you, but is actually a great honor! We do realize this option will no doubt cause you some hardship with the running of your own business matters here, so we are willing to give you a short time to get your affairs in order. Understand that you would have no contact with anyone outside of the Tribunal for the one year term you would serve there."
Josef blanched, then nodded, but remained silent.
"Mr. Kostan, do you have any questions about this first disciplinary option?"
Josef seemed speechless. "No. but you're right--I would need time here to wrap some things up."
"Of course. And as I have said, we fervently hope you will choose this option. However, due to your present involvement with a human, we do offer you one other option."
Josef looked at Erik, waiting for the alternative reprimand, hoping it would allow him to stay in the L.A. area rather than having to leave for an entire year!
"The second option, Mr. Kostan, is to re-join the mortal coil." Erik stated this succinctly and Josef's eyes popped wide open.
A gasp went up from the spectators, and I gasped as well! What was he talking about? The crowd was now roaring, and Erik had to pound on the podium with his hand once more, quieting everyone at once. He addressed the crowd. "Yes, this is an entirely new punishment. For an explanation of option two, Lance will speak." Erik stepped away from the podium, and Lance stepped up to it, placing his hands on either side of the stand.
"I hear you all uttering your surprise at the suggestion of rejoining the mortal coil, but I tell you, it is now possible. For the present, this new compound will be used only as a punishment. You see, my sister, Coraline, was heavily invested in finding out how to make this Cure permanent. It seems as though some of us actually want to grow old and die! Fools!" He laughed haughtily, then continued.
"With much money invested in research, our partners in France have finally come up with a compound which is not mortal, but which we believe will cure vampirism permanently. From all testing we have done on volunteers in Europe, it seems to simply turn a vampire back to the human state he or she was in when turned, so anyone who was turned at the point of death as a human would not want this compound! This permanent Cure IS a death sentence! For some who were turned at the point of human death, it would be an immediate death sentence; for others, a delayed death sentence, but you understand that mortality has its limitations.
I realize this is cause for alarm for most of you, but as I have said, this compound is heavily guarded and will not be available to the general vampire population at any time. I assure you, this choice, Mr. Kostan, must be taken very seriously, for once you are human, you will begin to age and die, as humans do, and there will be no possibility of ever returning to life as a vampire. We have even found this Cure to be very effective at preventing a human from being turned, so, it may be used at some point in the future as a sort of 'inoculation against turning,' if you will. Do you understand what I am saying, Mr. Kostan?"
"Yes—I understand that this is a permanent reversal of vampirism."
"Very good. Now I give the proceedings back to Erik."
Erik thanked Lance and took over again. "Mr. Kostan. As Lance explained, you must be very sure of your choice. Neither option will be revocable once your choice is made. So—Tell me which you choose: One year in Copenhagen? Or forever rejoining the mortal coil?
I could see the agony in Mick's face as he watched his friend decide. When at last Josef spoke, it was without any hint of hesitation or regret. "I will serve my year in Copenhagen, with the understanding that at the end of this term, I will be allowed to return to my life here without any repercussions."
"Very well, Mr. Kostan. I feel this is a good choice for you, and we will certainly appreciate having you in our offices abroad. We will allow you one week to tie up your loose ends here, and then you will be escorted to Copenhagen where you will live for a period of one year without contact with anyone outside of the Tribunal. Are we agreed?"
"Agreed."
"Very well. You may leave."
Mick looked stricken. A year of not seeing his dear friend and mentor! I could see the agony on his face, mixed with the fear for what was coming to him! Sarah was crying next to me, and I found myself in tears as well. But now it was Mick's turn, and I dreaded what was coming.
Erik addressed my husband as the last order of business. "Mick St. John. Private Investigator! Once married to Coraline Du Vall. We have no proof that you were involved in her recent demise, along with her friend, but we cannot help but wonder. We are fairly certain that the two ladies kidnapped your wife a few weeks ago."
Mick only nodded.
"The charges we were going to levy against your ex-wife would have been serious enough for her to be sentenced to death, but she also turned you without asking permission of either yourself or her family, and that is not tolerated in the Vampire Nation, as you well know. We know that she killed her lover, Hank Mottola. His body was traced back to the garbage shoot in her apartment building, and for the crime of exposing a vampire body to the mortals without calling in the Cleaner to handle the matter in such a way as to prevent exposure, she would, again, be sentenced to death. I understand she has caused many problems for you, and for any harm she may have caused your wife and child, I am truly sorry."
He paused, and Mick stood still as a statue.
"We also appreciate your efforts to keep the Vampire Nation undercover. We know you have tracked the sire of a rogue vampire and have taken care of matters which have threatened to expose us to the human community. More recently you arranged for disposal of Hank Mottola's body before he was discovered by the mortals. You were even instrumental in taking charge of the Emma Monaghan dilemma for us. For that we commend you." Josef began clapping, and many others joined in, giving Mick a little boost of confidence. I was sure he was as terrified as I was.
"However, for putting yourself in the spotlight and allowing photographers to catch you on film in various activities which would expose you as a vampire, being hit by a car and walking away, unsuccessfully trying to kill one Lee Jay Spalding, thus allowing him to discover what you are--this is a very serious breach of our secrecy. You have risked exposing the Vampire Community through your carelessness, Mr. St. John. As you know well, this is a very serious charge."
My stomach sank.
"There is a dossier on you which I have seen. In it are photographs and written affidavits of your behavior which threatens our anonymity. As you know, keeping ourselves under the human radar is always of the utmost importance."
"Yes. I understand."
"Finally, we have discovered that you are married to a mortal woman, and that you have somehow used our Cure to become the parent of a human child."
Again there was a gasp and a lot of murmuring in the crowd. This was unheard of in the Vampire community, and it caused an uproar. Erik had to pound the podium again.
"What do you say to this charge?"
"I have no defense, Sir. I was offered the cure by my ex-wife as a small token of her willingness to try to right a wrong done to me so many years ago."
"When she turned you?"
"Yes. I never wanted to be a vampire. I had no idea SHE was a vampire! I have lived my life regretting being a vampire until I met my current wife, Beth. She alone has helped me to come to terms with what I am, and the child was a fortunate accident resulting from my days as a human, and we consider our son to be a great, though unexpected, gift."
"Ah. So you are thrilled to be the vampire husband and father of a human wife and child?"
"Yes. A vampire is what I am, and human is what they are. So be it. I've made peace with this situation, and we only ask that I may somehow be able to stay with them."
"Ah, yes. I'm sure they need you." He looked out at the crowd, and you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone wondered what would happen to Mick. He had put the Vampire Nation at risk by exposure, and this was one of their most serious charges. In Emma Monaghan's case, it was treason and punishable by death. I prayed Mick's charges would be much less severe.
"Your offenses are serious, yet you have done your community as much good as you have done them harm. I am willing to be lenient with you, as I was with your friend Josef."
I exhaled the breath I had been holding in. It sounded as though he wasn't going to sentence Mick to death, and that's all I cared about! The thought of him leaving me for a year was horrible, but as long as he wasn't sentenced to be burned, I could live with it!
Mick awaited his sentence. "For your punishment, I will offer you a choice as well: Two years working for the International Administration in Copenhagen. We can use a mind such as yours for solving some of the more troubling issues that plague us from time-to-time, and it seems we are always on the hunt for missing vampires. Most recently, we looked exhaustively for your ex-wife, whom you managed to find, which leads me to think that during your two-year term with us, we could solve many cases of missing vampires. We understand you are extremely good at your job."
"Thank you." It was said very softly. I knew Mick must be dying inside at the thought of leaving for two years with no contact with us!
I looked at him, and Mick looked stricken. I was crying openly, thinking that Eliot wouldn't have a father for two years! How could I manage? Still, he would come back to us, and I prayed a quick prayer of thanks for his life being spared.
"We offer you a second option as well, Mr. St. John. As you just heard, we have perfected the Cure, and should you decide not to come to Copenhagen with us, we would offer you the alternative of rejoining the mortal coil. We would give you one week to get your affairs in order, and then you would report to our local offices where this new compound would be administered. From that point on, you would no longer be a vampire, but you would be totally human, and, as with all humans, you would begin the aging process which, you understand, is essentially a death sentence. I would urge you to think about this very seriously before you make your decision."
Mick had a look on his face I hadn't seen before. He was struggling with his two choices, and yet there was an undercurrent of something else in his body language which even I couldn't interpret. I prayed for him to make the right decision while Erik allowed him a few minutes to think about these serious options. Nobody in the entire assembly said a word. Soon his time was up.
"Mr. St. John. You must now decide—which do you choose—Immortality and service to the Tribunal? Or humanity? Do you understand these options?"
Mick was silent, looking straight ahead, and nodded.
Everyone in the crowd, including me, held their collective breaths. Just then Eliot let out a loud howl, and Mick turned to face us, concern on his face. I picked up the baby who continued to cry. I tried to settle him down, but couldn't, and the more I tried, it seemed, the more upset he got.
I heard Mick address Erik while Eliot screamed in my ear.
"May I ask my wife and child to come up here to be with me when I tell you my decision?" Mick asked the Master of Ceremonies, who looked more intrigued than angry.
"It is a most unusual request, Mr. St. John, but I will grant it. It seems as though your family is upset. I quite understand."
Mick motioned for me to come up onto the platform, howling baby and all. I managed to get up the steps, even though my knees were shaking, and was glad to feel Mick take my hand to steady me. He then took the baby into his arms, cooing and shushing, and singing softly into his tiny ear. Erik watched him, spellbound, and shook my hand, introducing himself like a gentleman. I shook back and told him I was Beth, and the baby was Eliot Michael.
He watched father and son interact, as did the rest of the crowd, and Eliot quieted down in his father's arms.
Mick then took my hand in his, looking at me, searching my eyes, finding nothing but love and reassurance there through my tears. Whichever way he chose, he knew I would support him, and he knew I would wait an eternity for him, so two years wouldn't be so unimaginable. He nodded at me and squeezed my hand very hard, turning back to Erik as he heard him speak.
"What is your choice, Mr. St. John?"
Mick's hold on my hand remained firm as he answered with a steady voice. "I choose to rejoin the mortal coil."
A great gasp came up out of the crowd and people were talking loudly—so loudly that Erik had to smack the podium with his hand once more, which made them silent in an instant.
Erik looked at both of us, then at the baby in Mick's arms, and I saw in his eyes both sympathy and understanding. "I think you have made the right choice. In one week, this sentence will be carried out. Go now in peace to ready yourself for humanity once again." I reached over to shake his hand once more, and he whispered to us, using a voice register too low for me to understand, but Mick nodded and shook his hand as well. Then we left the stage.
"This Tribunal is now dismissed. We will reconvene in January of 2010. All of you may now leave. Those of you wishing to stay for the executions, walk to the back lot. They will be done momentarily."
He turned and left, and we got out of there as quickly as possible. We were all silent on the drive home. This night's events were simply too emotional to discuss. Josef leaving us for an entire year, and Mick becoming human again. We all needed to process what had just happened.
At home, I fed Eliot and we put him in his cradle, then we got into the shower, where we let the hot water soothe and untangle our nerves. Mick washed my hair, and I washed his. Ministering to one another was one way we could speak without words. After we dried off, we headed for bed, where we kissed and held each other, our legs entwined, our breathing unsteady with unspent emotion. Lying on Mick's chest I began to cry. It wasn't that I was necessarily sad, or even happy, for that matter, I was unsettled about the huge change coming up, yet I was also simply relieved to have Mick here with me, and I had to let go of the anxiety that had kept me in bondage for so long. I felt the steadiness of his hand on my head as I cried tears of very mixed emotions. He was silent, and I doubted he knew what to say to me. Hell, I didn't know what to think! This was so unexpected! Yet, Mick was here in bed with me, and I concentrated on that. I could have lost him tonight, but God and the Universe seemed to be giving us our chance to remain a family after all.
--
"Josef! I can't believe you have to leave me for a year!" Sarah was beside herself with grief.
"I know, Sarah, it hurts me too. Honey—I just got you back!" He pulled her close to him and held her while her tears wet his shirt. "You don't wish I'd chosen to be human, do you?"
"Oh, honey! I don't care if you choose to be a monkey! I'd still love you!"
"Sarah, sweetheart. I do love you too."
"Will you show me how much?"
He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. "Of course I will! If you like, I'll show you all night long!"
She nestled her head into the space between his neck and shoulders and wondered how she would ever get through an entire year without him!
--
Mick was unsettled when he heard Beth begin to cry and wondered if she might be mourning the end of their life as they knew it. Would she still love him as a human when she had fallen in love with him as a vampire? After several minutes, he felt he needed to ask.
"Honey, tell me what you're thinking."
"I'm just glad you're here, Mick. I've been so worried for so long that they'd take you away from me! It's all stress, and maybe some baby blues as well."
He kissed her hair and the delicious spot on her neck. He began to wonder how it would feel to be with her when he was human? What would change? What would stay the same? Anything? Everything? He was riddled with worry about their future.
"I know—you were thinking we'd have forever, Beth, and now all I can offer you is a lifetime. Are you terribly upset?" He watched her raise her head so he could see her eyes in the dark as she contemplated her life with a man who would be very different from the man she had married. Could they make the adjustment? Could she? He got a little panicked. "Beth?"
"Maybe I am upset, Mick! I can't imagine us growing old right now, since I've thought for a while now that we'd be here for hundreds of years—probably more! At first immortality scared me, but then I thought—why wouldn't I want forever if I could spend it with you? So, now I have to re-think that, and to make the adjustment from forever to a matter of years, well, it's hard for me to contemplate right now."
Mick was silent, holding her, thinking the same thing. If forever wasn't long enough, how could a mere lifetime ever be long enough?
His voice had a catch when he spoke: "So you believe I chose wrong."
"I can't say that. You had to do what you felt was right, and I'm sure leaving your new baby for two years was something you didn't want, but Mick! It's so—fatal!"
"You know me so well," he said, smoothing her hair while gazing at her through eyes of pure love with a little bit of worry thrown in. "You know it wouldn't only be leaving the baby for two years that would kill me, though! I've told you how badly I ache for you when we're apart! I need you like I've never needed anything or anyone ever before! You're air to me! You're life! How could I leave you for two years?" His eyes were swimming with emotion "The answer is--I couldn't! I can't Beth."
He pulled her over on top of him and held her very tightly. He felt her hugging him back. Her voice was soft and trembling. "I understand, but I can't help mourning all of the years we'll never have together!"
He kissed her mouth as he held her head with one hand, then pulled back and sighed deeply. "Immortality was never something that was ours, Beth. It happened to me through circumstances I couldn't control. If it hadn't happened, I'd be close to the end of my life now, so I think it happened because I was supposed to find you, Beth. Do you know how rare it is to find a love like ours?"
"I know, Mick! I think you're absolutely right—we had to find each other! And honey, I couldn't imagine two years without you either! But mortality! We'll be parted by death now, Mick!"
"And that's part of life, as you once told me." He was fingering my hair, remembering. "You said it wasn't you who was afraid of losing people, it was me—I was afraid of loss, and you thought I didn't want to get involved with you because I'd have to watch you die someday."
She remembered the words spoken to him on the roof after the Anders incident when he'd had to return to his vampire state to save her life. "I guess I did say that."
"Did you mean it? Beth? Back then it was me who struggled with loving a mortal, but now—it's you who are struggling with the same thing! I know about loss, and you were right back then—it IS a part of life!"
She looked into his eyes, and hers were swimming again with unshed tears. "I meant it! But when I said that to you, I didn't know how much I'd love you someday! You can't hold against me what I didn't yet know!" The tears overflowed and ran down her cheeks.
He wiped her tears with his fingers, gently, tenderly, understanding her and cherishing her.
"Beth--thinking back to standing before Erik on that stage tonight, with the two options before me, trying to imagine each scenario, I played them through in my mind. Honestly, at first I was thinking that maybe I should leave you and Eliot for two years, and when I came home, I could turn you, and we'd go on forever."
Beth stayed still, her head on his chest, closing her eyes while trying to picture that scenario, but not being able to clearly envision herself as a vampire, and opening her eyes in surprise.
Mick continued, "Then I thought about coming home to my wife and child who would both be like strangers. My baby boy, my dream for so long! My impossible dream! Beth--he wouldn't even know me by the time I came home! He'd be two years old, and he'd probably be afraid of me! I'd miss his first word, his first steps! I'd miss his first hug and kiss! I'd miss hearing him say "daddy" and hold his little arms out for me so I'd pick him up! I'd miss hearing him laugh and smile for the first time! When I thought of that, I couldn't imagine coming home to him as a stranger after I've been his daddy for nine months! Beth—I couldn't leave Eliot any more than I could leave you!"
Beth ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed his forehead, which was drawn in misery. "I know, Mick. I guess if I think about it the other way around, there's no way I'd ever leave you and Eliot either. We're together now, for better or for worse, and that's the right choice for us. You chose right, Mick."
He exhaled loudly. "I needed you to say that! Oh, Beth, I love you both so much! When I was trying to convince myself that I could leave you, I could feel that aching in my bones, and just then I heard Eliot cry, and it was suddenly all so clear to me. I couldn't go. No phone calls! Not to hear you or touch you. Not to know how my boy is growing. Not to even know if you're safe and well! I realized I couldn't bear that. I'll never let us be apart again."
Mick pulled her up to his lips and kissed her passionately and sweetly feeling her returning the same as they both began to let reason settle upon them, in each other's arms, realizing that this was the end of so many things, but most of all, it was the end of the fear of being apart again—at least for a long, long lifetime.
When they stopped kissing, she looked him straight in the eyes and asked the million dollar question.
"So it was worth giving up eternity to be with us for two years?"
"Yes." He said without hesitation and sighed, smiling through tears that were not tears of regret, but tears of relief. "As I stood up there having to decide, all of my dreams flashed through my head, the ones I told you about, and I could see us so clearly, Beth!"
"What did you see?" she whispered against his chin , her head on his chest.
"Our family! The dreams I've been having lately! We must have had at least three kids running around, and I think you were pregnant again, and I was so happy! We were all playing and laughing in a yard with a big tree that had a tire swing hanging from the lower branch, and we had one of those things in the yard that kids climb on and slide down, and we even had a dog! Beth, a vampire doesn't have a dog! And I knew that in all of my dreams, I was always human, and this dream was being handed to me by Erik. He thought he was giving me a punishment, but actually, he was giving me what I've been wanting for so long—more than fifty years of wanting." He desperately hoped she could see his vision, even though the dreams were his, not hers.
"Mick, I get it. This is what you've wanted for your whole life, and now you'll finally have it. We'll grow old together after we've raised our children—we'll rock our grandbabies, and if we're truly the lucky ones, we'll live to be 100 like in the song!"
He kissed her forehead, so relieved that she could see it too, unfolding as he did. She sighed, resigned but also content. "So you get your dream, Mick, and I get to be in that dream. Thank you. I can't imagine growing old with anyone but you."
She rose up and kissed him again, pressing her body against his in a forbidden way that felt so natural and so good that they finally had to stop before it went too far. He couldn't risk hurting her. They both groaned in frustration. Then Beth thought to ask him what Erik had said to him on the stage as they were leaving.
"I couldn't hear it, but I know you did—so it was meant only for us, not for the assembly?"
"Yeah. I guess so. What did he say to me? He said that if he were in my position, with such a beautiful family, he'd have made the same decision. He said that sometimes love is more precious when it faces mortality."
"Wow. That's kind of like what Coraline said to you."
"Yes, and it's what the pastor said at Josh's funeral too."
--
Toward dawn, Mick reluctantly went to sleep in his freezer while I fed and changed the baby and went back to sleep myself. In my dreams I was alone and terrified, searching for something, not knowing what, and not finding it, so I sat down and cried, all by myself in the dark, feeling sick and miserable. Then off in the distance I saw someone moving toward me, and as the figure drew closer, I saw that it was Mick. He was much older than thirty—maybe sixty or so, but he still stood straight and tall; he was very handsome, with just a little gray in his hair. He smiled at me with such love in his beautiful eyes, and I felt my heart race just looking at him. Momentarily he was surrounded by other people who walked up from behind him and gathered all around him, young adults, children and babies. Some of them looked like me, some like Mick, others I didn't recognize, but I knew they were all family. Mick motioned me to come to him, so I walked over and he embraced me. "Welcome home, Beth," he said, and my heart burst with love for all of them. It seemed that in our lives, DNA had made a family after all, and they welcomed me into Mick's dream.
--
One week. One week to tie up loose ends, one week to say good-bye to our friend Josef, one week to say good-bye to immortality and say hello to the mortal coil. While I had only been willing to join the Vampire Nation for a relatively short time, Mick had been part of it for more than fifty years, and even though he'd hated it for most of those years, he had come to enjoy certain benefits of membership. Now he had to think of his life without his super powers of sight, scent, supersonic hearing and superhuman strength, besides the obvious advantage of not being killed by ordinary means! He had to accept that this would now be his life, one of a vulnerable human being instead of a being immune to the common cold and more lethal dangers. I watched over the next week as he worked through the changes he'd have to make in his life. I was glad he'd at least had the six days to experience being mortal, which gave him more insight into what he was facing.
"I never thought I'd look back at my life as a vampire and wonder if I'd miss it, but I do. I wonder."
"I can understand that, Mick. You'll have to adjust to our ways now. Being mortal will definitely change your life! Have you thought about how it will affect your work? You seem to rely heavily on your unique vampire abilities to solve cases—what will it be like to be a PI when you're human?"
"Yeah, good question. I decided long ago to be a PI to try to pay back a debt I thought I owed. Now, I'll be back to being human, and I feel my debt has been paid off, so I'm thinking of giving up the investigating. To be honest? I don't think I can do my job without my vampire abilities."
"Well, you said you don't have to work—you can retire."
"I could." He said it, but I could see wheels spinning.
"What, Mick?" I sat down next to him on the bed and put my hand over his.
He looked slightly embarrassed.
"What? Tell me!"
"Um, actually I was thinking after I'm human, maybe I should call that woman back about the modeling."
"Oh really!" I was surprised, but then, when I really gave it some thought, why not? He was gorgeous! I couldn't think of a man who would make a better model!
"Now I see YOU thinking, and you think it's really a stupid idea, don't you?"
He was picking at some nonexistent lint on the blanket, fiddling so he wouldn't have to look at me. I squeezed his hand. "Honestly, Mick, you'd be the best looking model in the world. I'd want to buy anything you wore. I think you should find out if this is for real, and if it is—go for it!"
"Are you sure?" He seemed excited by the idea—I could see it in his eyes and the little smile he couldn't help.
"Absolutely! Can I come along to see this woman too? I mean, not that I don't trust you to know she's on the up & up, but I'd like to meet her. See her for myself."
He laughed shyly. "I'll tell her I'm bringing my agent along."
"Great idea!" We smiled and held hands. It was something we could look forward to after his turning back—something good.
--
Since Josef had to leave soon, we arranged to have the baby's baptism in a few days, and we also met with the priest who wanted to interview us before he agreed to bless our marriage. This was a promise we had made to each other before our first marriage, and we now felt it was time to make good on that promise. We each went to confession, and laughed afterward when we found out we had each confessed to the problem of loving our spouse too much! No wonder the priest laughed when I said that! Mick had seen him first! We agreed we were both hopeless, and we wanted to keep it that way!
Saturday night we went to church together as a family. Afterward, Josef and Julia came into the church and stood up as the godparents for Eliot, then stood as witnesses to our vows. This time we weren't nervous at all as we held hands and repeated the words which now included our promise to love one another until death parted us. Mick then surprised me by singing a very special song to me—"I Will Be Here," by Steven Curtis Chapman. With his beautiful voice singing those words right to me as he looked into my eyes and his fingers played his guitar, well, I almost melted on the spot. I seriously doubt there was a dry eye within a mile of the place. He really got me on that one!
Afterward, we all went to dinner together. I had been very surprised to see Ben at the church, and at dinner I got to talk to him. He was with Julia! While she was off chatting with Mick, I asked him about his life. He didn't seem sad anymore, and I was happy to watch him smiling for a change.
"Well, the really funny thing is that I met Julia at Mick's birthday party last November!"
"You were there with Simone! But I remember that you seemed sad, and I don't see that in you now."
"No, you don't. I met her that night and we talked for a while. The next day we met for coffee, and we ended up talking for about eight hours, through lunch and dinner. After that, we've pretty much never been apart."
"Wow! How did Simone take that?"
"Oh, she was fine. Actually, we were breaking up when we came to the birthday party. She never wants to have children, and for me, that was a deal-breaker. She really wants to find a nice vampire to date! I couldn't be what she wanted, so it wasn't meant to be, but Julia, well, she's a very special person. I'm very much in love with her."
Just then, Julia came over and sat down next to Ben. She gave him a radiant smile, then said, "That was really lovely, Beth. I just thanked Mick for asking me to be a godmother and witness for you both, so I'll thank you as well. You're very lucky! I'm not sure I've ever seen two people more in love with each other than you and Mick! That song! I thought I'd have to wring out my dress from all the tears falling on it!"
Ben gave her a look and she smiled. "Maybe Mick would sing that song for our wedding?"
My eyes popped open. "What? You two are. . ."
Julia held her hand out, and she had a block of ice on her ring finger that sparkled so brightly I could see it reflected in her eyes! She giggled and tucked an arm under Ben's and they clasped hands. I was flabbergasted!
"Well! Congratulations! You two are going to be very happy! I can see it in both of your eyes!"
It was true. They looked like lovebirds, but also looked like two old souls destined for each other who were now happy to finally be together. How nice! I smiled at Ben, who was smiling at me with a genuinely happy look.
"I guess I had to meet you to find Julia! That's how it seems to me!" He looked at her and smiled.
She looked up at him with adoring eyes. "And I'm so glad you found me!"
"Hey! Happy to help out! Be sure to invite us to the wedding!" They both nodded with stars in their eyes.
--
The day came when we had to say a tearful good-bye to Josef. He told Sarah she could stay in his place or have us help her find one of her own. He made arrangements for her to have enough money to live very comfortably, but she was beside herself that her Josef had to leave her so soon after they were reunited. I wondered if either of them would be able to withstand yet another separation—the first one for Sarah, who cried very hard in Josef's arms as they parted, the second for Josef. Only time would tell.
As we hugged him one more time, and as he kissed Eliot on the cheek, looking at him with eyes full of longing and affection, he told us that for our anniversary, he had arranged to fly us to Mexico again, with Eliot this time, and we could stay in the house as long as we wished.
That night, we were sad and full of warring emotions. Mick held me close to him and I tried to soak him into my memory, because this man I held was the only Mick I had ever really known. Tomorrow he would become a human, and I clung to his cool vampire body, so silent and so strong, trying to imagine being married to a mortal man, but I couldn't.
--
Fanfiction readers note: I cannot post the link to the song Mick sang to Beth on this site, so I hope you will go to YouTube and find it! It's wonderful, and sounds like Mick! The lyrics are overlaid on pictures of Mick and Beth walking the beach! :-) Type in the following tags: "mytokar" and "Will Be Here" and if necessary, "music video." Let me know if you think this is Mick's song!
--suzee