Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Moonlight, anything that occurs in this fanfic from the show, or any of its characters. Believe me, if I did…I'd be a Jason Alexandwich right now. I do, however, own this plot and any characters I decide to throw in. Yayz!

Josef arrived about fifteen minutes later with a cooler full of packaged blood. He went around to the three vampires in the room, passing out packages of the crimson liquid.

"Here." He said as he passed two packages to Mick. "Drink these."

"I'm fine, Josef." Mick reassured him, trying to hand back the blood. Josef shook his head and pushed the blood back toward Mick.

"No, you're not. You're exhausted. And starving. I can sense it from a mile away. You need to keep your strength up."

Mick nodded and relented, tearing into one of the packages with his teeth. He drank deeply, realizing for the first time how hungry he actually was. He felt immensely better as the blood made its way through his body.

Next, Josef made his way over to Rory, handing her two packages of blood as well. Rory accepted them gratefully and drank ravenously. Then Josef turned to Dante, handing him three packages of blood.

"Trust me…you'll need all of it. You've got to replenish the blood you lost during the turning. And Dante," Josef said with a grin as he turned to walk away, "welcome to the fold."

"Thanks." Said Dante simply, nodding at Josef and tearing into one of the blood bags in his hands. He vamped out and downed it hungrily, before tearing into the next one.

Josef put the cooler down on the ground and handed Beth a blanket he'd had draped over his arm. Beth smiled and accepted the blanket, wrapping it tightly around herself.

"Thanks, Josef." She said, hugging him. Josef looked shocked for a moment at the display of affection, but quickly recovered and returned the gesture.

"Anytime, Beth." He said.

MLMLMLML

About ten minutes after Josef's arrival, the Cleaner showed up. She looked around at the numerous bodies scattered about the room and looked over at Mick.

"This is quite the body count, Mick." She said, a slightly amused smile playing on her lips. "I must admit, I was surprised to get your call…Mick St. John never needs a cleanup job done." Mick shrugged.

"They picked the wrong vamps to mess with…"

"Indeed." She said. She then turned to her team and began shouting out instructions, which they followed immediately, gathering up the bodies and beginning to clear them away.

Mick walked over to where Beth was being examined by the doctor Josef had hired specifically to attend to Beth. He stood beside the gurney she'd been brought and listened as the doctor summarized her injuries.

"Well, Miss Turner…you have a fractured ankle, several contusions and lacerations, primarily to the face and hands, severe lacerations to the wrists, and a slight concussion from the looks of things. We'll put a cast on that leg, bandage you up, give you a tetanus shot and a dose of painkillers, and you should be alright."

"That's good to hear." Mick said, smiling warmly at Beth and kissing her on top of the head. Beth smiled.

"Yeah…although I'm not too sure about the needle…" She grinned. Mick just chuckled.

"I'm sure you'll live through it."

MLMLMLML

While Mick and Beth were busy talking to the doctor, and Josef was busy ordering people around, Rory approached Dante and wrapped her arms around him. She wasn't used to being unable to hear his heartbeat…it would no doubt take her a while to become accustomed to it. Dante pressed his face into her hair, inhaling deeply. Somehow, he could sense some apprehension in her, and he knew why.

"Rory…" He said. Her face was buried in his chest. He could smell something distinctly salty and hear her breathing change. He knew she must be crying. "Rory, please look at me?"

He heard a quiet sniffle and looked into her red, swollen eyes. He gave her a smile and placed a hand on the side of her face, using his thumb to wipe away a few stray tears.

"Rory…I don't regret it. I don't feel like I'm cursed…I've wanted this all along."

"Dante…you've barely even experienced it." Rory argued. Dante gave her a squeeze.

"As long as we're together…we'll make it through. The good and the bad." He replied. He felt Rory's apprehension ease and she gave him a weak smile. "Come on…" He continued, taking both of her hands in his. "Let's get out of here…let's go home."

"Home sounds like a wonderful idea." Rory agreed, allowing him to lead her away and up through the elevator shaft.

MLMLMLML

Dante and Rory arrived back at their apartment at around three-thirty in the morning. It had only been three and a half hours since Rory's ordeal at the warehouse had begun; yet as she looked around her apartment, she couldn't help but feel as though it had been longer. She felt as though she'd been gone for days…when in reality, she had left her apartment at about eight that evening. And she felt like somehow everything had changed. She had changed. Her apartment seemed so different now…

"…Rory?" She had been snapped out of her reverie when she had heard her name. She looked up quickly to see Dante staring at her, a worried expression on his face.

"Sorry…what?" She asked, slightly confused.

"I asked if you were okay…" Dante replied, "but you seemed really far away or something."

"Oh…yeah, I'm fine." She reassured him, looking him straight in the eye. "It's just tonight…everything that's happened…it just seems like everything's changed."

"Yeah," Dante agreed, "but it's definitely changed for the better."

Rory nodded. "You're probably right."

"Of course I'm right." Dante said with a grin. He walked over to her, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her passionately, hungrily. She reciprocated with surprising force. Dante had always sensed that she'd been holding back, but now that he was no longer human, she had no reason to. And she didn't.

Grinning, Dante pulled away from Rory, pressing his forehead against hers. She smiled back at him. Their love had always been a strong one; they'd both known it all along. But now…now they shared a connection far deeper than any bond they'd shared before. They shared a blood connection…an unbreakable bond between sire and fledgling. A bond that only strengthened the love they already had for each other.

"Come on…" Dante said, pulling her down the small hallway and into their bedroom. He grinned at her as he pulled her into another passionate kiss, tearing off what was left of her shirt. Rory responded by tearing off his own shredded, bloodstained one. He broke the kiss once more, grinning as he stripped off the rest of his clothes with lightning speed and climbed into the freezer. Rory simply stood where she was.

"What are you waiting for?" Dante asked, a mischievous grin on his face. Rory just looked at him, unable to put what she was feeling into words. Finally, she opted to say the first words that came to mind.

"I'm waiting on the world to change."

A look of realization crossed Dante's face as he remembered that day. He smiled lovingly and said, "You could end up waiting an eternity."

Rory smiled, fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she said, "As long as I get to spend it waiting with you."

With that, she stripped off the rest of her own clothes and joined him in the freezer.

She kissed him passionately, lying on top of him, before he rolled her underneath him. His auburn locks hung down in Rory's face as he looked meaningfully at her with his emerald eyes.

"I love you, Rory. More than you'll ever know."

"I love you too, Dante."

Dante brought his lips crashing down on hers and thrust, entering her. She gave a moan as he did so, arching up into him. He began to move slowly, establishing a steady rhythm with her. He pulled away and looked into her eyes as they moved together. Rory's eyes clouded over, becoming the vampire's milky white. Dante's did the same. As they began to move faster, the excitement building in both of them, Dante sank his fangs into Rory's neck, adding to the mounting pleasure. Rory sank her own fangs into Dante. Finally, they both climaxed together.

Pulling apart, Rory and Dante rolled onto their sides, so that they lay facing each other. The freezer was a rather large one, so if they both lay on their sides, two vampires could fit quite comfortably. As they lay staring into each other's eyes, Dante brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Rory's face. She smiled and moved closer to him, snuggling into his body and wrapping her arms around him. Dante wrapped his arms protectively around her, burying his face in her beautiful black hair, taking in her scent. They both lay like that, savouring this perfect moment, until exhaustion overtook them and they fell asleep, wrapped safely in the comfort of each other's arms.

MLMLMLML

It was going on four o'clock in the morning when Mick carried Beth into their apartment. Beth had insisted that, with the help of her crutches, she could make it on her own, but Mick, being the gentleman he was, had insisted on carrying her. Beth was extremely exhausted, so she'd decided against arguing.

Mick carried her through the door, laying her gently on the couch before hurrying to close the door behind him. He was about to walk back to Beth when she spoke, stopping him in his tracks.

"Mick?"

"Yeah?" He asked, sensing the fear that had crept into her voice.

"Can you make sure the door's locked?"

"Of course." Mick replied, turning back to the door and engaging the locking mechanisms. He turned and walked over to where she lay on the couch. He sat on the coffee table, stroking her head with his hand. He could feel the tension in her body ease at this touch. He became lost in his thoughts as he sat stroking her head.

"Beth…" He said quietly, guilt flooding through him. "I'm sorry…that I didn't protect you. That you went through everything you went through tonight."

"Mick…" Beth replied, reaching a hand up and laying it on the side of his face. "What happened tonight wasn't your fault, okay? You had no way of predicting what would happen. And you can't be with me all the time, and you can't protect me from everything-"

"But I should." He cut in. "I should be able to protect you all the time…from everything."

"Mick," Beth said with a laugh, "you're not Superman. Sometimes things happen that are beyond your control…even if you happen to be a vampire."

"But I almost lost you tonight…again." He said. She knew he was referring to at least one of the numerous previous attempts on her life, although she wasn't entirely sure as to which one.

They fell into silence again as Mick was once again lost in his thoughts. Mick though long and hard about Dante, of how Dante had been dying, and of how Rory was forced to make the decision about whether or not to turn him. Seeing this scenario unfold had made Mick think about Beth's mortality. It forced him to face the reality of losing her. He had realized then and there how utterly lost and broken he would be if he ever lost Beth. He also realized that he couldn't bear to watch Beth grow old and die, to slip away from him before his very eyes. But at the same time, he couldn't curse her with immortality. He was torn between selfishly wanting to keep her with him forever and letting her live out her life as a normal human being.

Little did Mick know that Beth had done a lot of thinking on the matter herself.

"Beth…" Mick began. He decided that it was time they discussed this matter. He had known for a long time that this conversation was coming, but he'd never even dreamed that he'd be the one to bring it up…or that he'd even consider it for that matter. In the end, though, he knew that it was her decision to make. And it was about time they'd made it. "I've been doing a lot of thinking…about everything…and I think it's time we discuss the subject of turning. You told me once that it was your decision to make…and you're right. But before you make the decision-"

"I want it." Beth said quickly, her eyed filled with raw determination as she stared at Mick. Mick sighed.

"Beth, don't do that. I want you to think about this…and I mean really think about this. I don't want you to rush into it, because once it's done…you can't go back."

"Mick, I have thought this through…I've thought about it every day since this relationship began. I've explored every possible avenue of how it could turn out. I've considered everything I would have to sacrifice and everything I would gain. In the end, though, no matter which direction I take my thoughts, I always come to one conclusion…that I'll be with you. No matter what, no matter how things turn out…as long as I'm with you, it'll be worth it. I'm ready, Mick…ready to spend eternity with you."

Mick looked up from the spot on the floor he'd been staring at and into her face. He was somewhat startled by the determined look in her eyes as she stared at him intently. He sighed. He was still unsure about this…still conflicted. He rose, turning to look out the window.

"Beth…maybe I shouldn't. I mean, when I saved you from Coraline all those years ago, the last thing I ever wanted was for you to become a vampire. I wanted to protect you from all of this, not drag you down into it. If I were to turn you now…I would be breaking a promise to myself. My efforts to protect you from all this would be in vain."

He looked at her, sadness in his eyes. Beth could tell that he was clearly tormented by his inner struggle. She sighed. She had to make him see…

"Mick." She said quietly, sitting up and gesturing for him to sit down beside her. Mick indulged her and sat down beside her on the sofa. She raised a hand and lay it gently on the side of is face. Mick closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "You efforts were never in vain. You saved me as a child, protected me all these years, so that I could have the opportunity to make the decision for myself. And I choose this, Mick. I choose you."

Mick opened his eyes and looked yet again into her watery blue ones. They were almost pleading, but there was still a hint of the raw determination he had seen earlier. He realised that there was no way he would be able to change his mind. He was also startled to find that there was a large part of him that didn't want to change her mind. He brought a hand up and placed it on top of Beth's, which was still resting on his cheek. He smiled.

"Okay."

Beth looked surprised. She had expected more of a fight. "You mean you'll actually do it? You'll really turn me?"

"Yes." Mick said with a smile. There was still a part of him that highly objected this decision, but he was tired of fighting this. He knew that, deep down, he wanted this as much as she did. He wanted to keep her with him for all of eternity. There was no way he could have watched her grow old and die. He could never face the prospect of losing her. "Provided that you're sure you want it, of course."

Beth smiled. "I'm definitely sure I want this."

Mick nodded. He lifted her gently into his lap, never breaking eye contact. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and taking in her scent. He sat there hugging her to him for a few moments, listening to the gentle beat of her heart. After a few moments, he released his grip on her, allowing her to pull away and look at him in his face.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Beth?" He asked her.

"Yes, Mick. I'm positive."

Mick nodded again and allowed himself to vamp out. He looked intently into Beth's eyes and saw only anticipation. He could sense that she was completely at ease, that she trusted him immensely. He relaxed himself and pushed some of her golden hair behind her ears.

"I love you, Beth. More than anything." He said, staring intently into her eyes. Beth looked back into his with the same intense stare.

"I love you too Mick."

With that, Mick pulled her close to him once more. Beth wrapped her arms around his neck, bracing herself. Mick hesitated only a moment before he sank his fangs into the soft, creamy flesh of her neck. He felt Beth's body tense as he bit down, but she relaxed immediately as Mick drank. She allowed herself to be swept away by the pure, riveting pleasure that spread through her.

Mick drank, savouring the sweet taste of Beth's blood. He could feel her strength draining, feel her grip on him loosen. After a few moments, Mick stopped, pulling away to look at her.

"This is it, Beth. The point of no return. If I go any further, there's no turning back. This is your last chance to back out of this."

Beth felt a little light-headed from blood loss, but she was still very much coherent. "No. I want this, Mick. I don't want to turn back."

Mick nodded silently in understanding and, pulling her close to him once more, Mick finished the process of draining her. As soon as she went limp in his arms, Mick pulled away, laying her gently across his lap. He bit into his own wrist, pouring the blood that escaped the wound into Beth's mouth. It disappeared down her throat, and after he was positive she'd gotten enough of his blood, he licked the excess from the wound on his wrist, allowing it to heal instantly. With that, he gently lifted Beth off of his lap, laid her on the couch, and set about making preparations for when she awoke.

Several minutes passed and Beth showed no signs of waking. After ten minutes, Mick began to get slightly worried. After twenty he was panicking. Thirty minutes slowly ticked by, and Mick was beyond panicked. He was hysterical. He had no idea what was wrong…why Beth wasn't waking up. Had he done something wrong? Had he inadvertently overlooked some detail that was crucial to the process of a turning? Mick had learned from Josef once that any newly turned vampire would wake up in less that twenty minutes after they'd ingested the blood of their sire. It had been nearly forty-five since he'd drained Beth and fed her his own blood, yet she still hadn't even moved. Hot tears began to fall down Mick's face as he paced frantically. What if he'd done something wrong and Beth had fallen into a coma? What if she became like Sara? A half-living corpse that would never awaken…an eternal Sleeping Beauty? The idea drove him insane. He couldn't bear the thought that he'd done something wrong and now Beth would end up suffering for his mistakes. Or worse. What if he'd accidentally killed her?

In a frenzied state, Mick picked up his phone and was about to call Josef when he heard the most wonderful sound he'd ever heard come from right behind him. He turned to see Beth, who had just taken in a deep, gasping breath, open her eyes and sit bolt upright.

Beth looked around the room, taking in every minute detail. Her vision was incredibly sharp now, and it was as though thick, blurry lenses had been removed from her eyes. She looked down at her hands. The bruises and lacerations that ad been there less than an hour before had disappeared completely, leaving perfect, flawless skin. She sniffed the air, realizing that she could distinguish a wide variety of scents she'd never noticed before. She inhaled deeply. She could smell Mick, although his scent had changed somehow. It was magnified a thousand times, despite the fact that he was standing halfway across the room. There was also something different about it. She assumed that this must be the scent that distinguished vampires from normal human beings. She closed her eyes, realizing for the first time that she could feel everything. The fabric of her clothing on her skin was heavier somehow, and she could distinguish every individual thread. She realized that the cast on her foot was incredibly uncomfortable…it felt like sandpaper on her delicate skin. And it was incredibly hot and extremely itchy. She looked up at Mick, a look of wonder and amazement gracing her features. She smiled at him.

"I feel incredible, Mick." She frowned when she realized he was upset. She could feel it radiating off of him. And she could smell the salt of fresh tears, and see his red, swollen eyes. "Mick…what's wrong?"

Mick smiled. "Nothing. Everything's fine. I just got scared for a minute there…I thought that maybe you wouldn't wake up."

"Why?" Beth asked, confused. "How long was I out?"

"Nearly an hour." Mick said, offering a weak smile.

"Wow," Beth said, raising a hand to her forehead. She suddenly looked into his face, an excited expression on her face. "I feel amazing, though. It's like the time I took the Black Crystal…only a million times stronger. I can see everything, hear everything, smell everything…Mick, I can feel everything!"

Mick smiled at the look of pure joy that crossed her face. He handed her one of the glasses of blood he'd poured in anticipation of her awakening.

"Here. Drink this…you need it to replace the blood you lost during the turning."

Beth took the glass and sniffed the crimson liquid. As a human, blood had only ever smelled like copper. As a vampire, Beth was surprised to find that it contained a variety of scents. It smelled slightly sweet, with a hint of salt. It was the most appetizing thing she'd ever smelled. She began to drink, downing the glass quickly. She looked intently at the glass, as though willing it to refill itself. She was still hungry. Mick laughed at this and handed her another glass. She drank this glass more slowly, savouring the wonderful mixture of flavours contained within the blood.

After four glasses of blood, Beth finally found herself to be full. Mick sat down beside her on the couch, and she curled into him, snuggling up close. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity. Mick was slightly bothered by the fact that he could no longer hear Beth's heartbeat. He had become accustomed to it…had become used to its constant presence in the background. But he knew that he would become accustomed to life without it soon enough. He smiled and wrapped his arms even more tightly around her, revelling in her. He'd been afraid he'd lost her. Now, now that she had awoken, now that she was a vampire…he'd never have to worry about losing her again. He felt an intense sense of peace wash over him at this comforting thought.

"Mick?" Beth asked after a while, interrupting the peaceful silence that had fallen over both of them.

"Hmm?" Mick answered, stroking her soft, golden hair absent-mindedly.

"Now that I'm a vampire…now that my injuries have fully healed…can I please take this cast off? It's a huge pain in the ass, and it's driving me fucking insane!"

Mick laughed. He'd forgotten about the cast on her foot, and he had no doubt that it was extremely uncomfortable.

"Sure." He said with a chuckle. He went to a nearby closet and dug through it until he found his toolbox. From his toolbox he removed a small handsaw and slowly, carefully began to saw through the plaster. After fifteen minutes, the cast was only cut a portion of the way through. Beth groaned impatiently.

"Here! Let me do it!" She said, grabbing the saw from Mick and sawing madly at the cast. Within five minutes, she'd sawed her way through the remainder of the cast and ripped it off. Mick laughed. Typically Beth. Impatient as hell. But he knew he wouldn't want her any other way.

Beth was beginning to feel slightly intoxicated by the new sensations of being a vampire. She felt powerful, strong…and, for some strange reason, very sexually charged. She suddenly grabbed Mick, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

Mick, caught off guard, hesitated for a split-second, before kissing her back with passion she'd never before experienced. She stood quickly, pulling him up with her. She pulled him upstairs with her super-human speed. She grinned at him, stripping off her clothes with lightning speed, and then stripping off Mick's. Before he even realized what had happened, Mick found himself naked and pinned to the wall by Beth. He laughed and let out a playful growl. Grinning from ear to ear, he turned them both around so that he now had Beth pinned to the wall.

"Now…you really should play nicely with the other vamps." Mick grinned, kissing her. When he pulled away, Beth vamped out, biting into his neck. Mick was enthralled by the wave of pleasure that flooded him. He had forgotten what it was like to be bitten by another vampire.

Mick picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently on it and climbed on top of her, grinning. He vamped out and bit her, enthralling her. It was definitely way better being bit when you were a vamp.

Mick thrust into her, moving slowly and establishing a rhythm with her. Beth bit into Mick, so that they were both feeding from each other. They quickened their pace, the connection established through feeding from each other only adding to the pleasure. Finally, release came for both of them, an explosive wave of pleasure that left both of them seeing stars.

They untangled themselves from one another, lying on their backs and breathing heavily. Beth had never experienced anything quite like that. Everything really was better when you were a vampire.

Mick looked over at Beth, grinning. Beth grinned back. Mick sighed heavily before getting up and gently carrying Beth to the freezer on the other side of the room. Mick was exhausted, after all that had happened that night, and Beth was even more exhausted. The trauma of that night's events, coupled with the turning, had thoroughly exhausted her.

Mick laid Beth gently in his freezer and turned to go and bring his guest freezer into the room.

"Where are you going?" Beth asked as Mick turned to leave the room.

"To get the other freezer." Mick replied, turning to look at her.

"Don't leave…" Beth said. "I thought that maybe you could sleep in here with me tonight."

Mick grinned. "You know that freezer's only meant to hold one person, right? It'll be a pretty tight fit."

"I don't mind." Beth replied, smiling warmly at him. "I want to be close to you. And besides," she said, her grin taking on a mischievous quality, "tonight's the first night I can actually sleep with you, and damnit, I'm not going to let something as trivial as limited freezer space stand in the way of that!"

Mick grinned and, turning off the light on his way, climbed into the freezer with her. They both had to lay on their sides, and it took a moment for them to get themselves situated, but once they had, they were actually quite comfortable. Mick watched Beth as she slowly drifted to sleep, curled up beside him. He had his arms wrapped around her and she held him close, her head buried in his chest. He stroked the back of her head with one hand, feeling the silky smoothness of her hair beneath his fingertips. He had often imagined himself and Beth like this…being able to sleep together, in each other's arms. But he had never actually thought that it would happen. Now, however, as he held her in his arms, he was perfectly content…well, almost. There was still one thing that was bothering him. One thing he had to hear.

"Beth?" He asked, uncertainty evident in his voice.

"Mmm…" Beth mumbled in reply. She was already half-asleep.

"No regrets…right?"

Beth looked up at him with half-open eyes. She smiled at him, warmly and reassuringly.

"No regrets." She promised, snuggling back into his chest and closing her eyes. Mick smiled, now completely content. He closed his eyes and, wrapped in the arms of the woman he loved more than anything on the planet, he drifted off to sleep, praying to god that it wasn't just some wonderful dream…

AN: Alright people. Well, thanks to yet another storm front viciously attacking poor, innocent, defenceless Ontario, I was left with yet another afternoon to write. Although I'm happy that I got the opportunity to get this up and posted, I'm bored out of my mind! I actually WANT to be in school! Which is pretty sad, but…(Shrugs) I can't very well stop the forces of nature that have decided to destroy Ontario. Being Canadian has its perks and its disadvantages. Anyway, so I was able to get this chapter up and written for you lovely readers…and just so you know, the next chapter will be the last one. Hopefully I'll be able to get that one up tonight as well. Well, thanks for reading, and please review!

Love, Cat.