Disclaimer: I don't own Moonlight. Right now I only own Philippe.

This still ended up being long. And I'm thrilled I have such smart readers. I can't pull anything over on you. It's why I don't try to write cliffies. I hope you like this. I love your reviews.

Chapter 6

Josef glared at Mick and then sighed.

"You sure don't want to take no for an answer."

"Not in this situation. Josef, you can't expect me to accept "because I said so" this time. This is too important. Don't leave me in the dark, "Mick argued.

"Okay my friend. I'll talk about the family. You may not be happy I did," Josef told him. He got up to pace. Mick sat back expectantly.

"I was in France when they were turned. Life at court was delightfully decadent. Philippe and I were friends, almost like brothers," Josef said, thinking back.

"Were?" Mick questioned. He noticed the look of regret that crossed Josef's face.

"Yea, were. We were close until Coraline decided she didn't like sharing me," Josef said pointedly.

It took a few minutes for what he said to sink in. Mick looked at Josef in surprise. The older vampire gave him an embarrassed grin.

"Sorry buddy. You think she was spectacular in the 1950s, you should have seen her in the 1780s. She was mind blowing." Josef rolled his eyes. "She couldn't stand to share my attentions, not even with her brother. And then it blew up as it often does with Coraline. Her sire did not take kindly to it and I paid a big price." He looked a little lost as he finished.

"Josef, I'm confused," Mick said. "When Coraline introduced me to you she acted as if you were old friends. She never let on that you'd been involved or that you parted badly."

"That's Coraline. A lot of time had passed by then. And also by then she had a new obsession."

"Meaning me," Mick stated.

"That's right my boy. In her own twisted way I believe Coraline loves you. At least as much as she's able."

Mick leaned forward in his seat and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't know how to respond to this information.

"I see guilt raising its ugly head," Josef chided. "Mick let it go. You love Beth and Coraline has always been a train wreck. She does things only for her gain. I suspect surrendering to Lance wasn't as terrifying as you thought."

"No," Mick said shaking his head. "I saw her. She was terrified of where she was going."

"And you were pretty badly beaten. I'm sure she didn't want to go back. I'm positive her punishment was or is not pleasant. But she knew she'd survive," Josef told him. "Trust me Mick; our concern is not what Coraline intended, but what Philippe wants. He always adored Coraline."

"I can take care of myself. It's his interest in Beth that worries me."

"Yes, speaking of which, when were you going to mention the rare blood type? It's the same as Coraline's isn't it?"

Mick nodded.

"Isn't that a wonderful coincidence?" Josef asked with raised eyebrows. "Philippe won't be leaving anytime soon."

"So what do I do?"

"We, try to convince him to leave. And we try to deflect their sire's interest from this. We don't want him coming here. Believe me."

Josef returned to his chair behind his desk. He could tell how frustrated Mick was.

"And Mick, drop the idea of the cure."

Mick looked at him with a touch of anger in his eyes.

"The cure you told me didn't exist?"

"It doesn't. It's not a cure. It is a short term way around detection. And Philippe is right, it was never meant to be permanent."

Another thought dawned on Mick. He stood and leaned on the desk staring down at Josef.

"You knew Morgan was Coraline all along."

"I tried to tell her to go away. I hated what she was doing to you. I thought she had died in the fire. I believed you and she didn't let me know she survived. I first saw her in your office."

"And you didn't see fit to tell me about the compound," Mick said in disappointment.

"I didn't want your hopes up. I didn't know what game she was playing. I wanted you to believe she was a human look alike and I wanted her to get out of town," Josef explained. "I didn't want you tied up in knots over this." He looked at his friend pleadingly. "Mick, there is no cure. Give it up. Don't bring Lance down on you."

"You don't know if it could be made permanent."

"No!" Josef shouted coming to his feet. "Mick, no. No cure. You are a vampire. Learn to live with it."

Mick opened his mouth and then shut it. He shook his head in frustration. Arguing further would serve no purpose. Josef would continue to be Josef. Paranoid and forever keeping secrets were the way his friend operated. And he knew that included the way he dealt with him.

"I think I'm going to go now," Mick said. "This is something we will not agree on."

"Take Blondie out to dinner," Josef ordered. "Just because you don't eat doesn't mean she doesn't."

Mick gave him a brief smile and left the room.

Josef sat back down and rubbed his temples. He could hear Mick's car pull out of the driveway.

"He really is a hard vampire to convince, isn't he?"A voice said from the doorway. Josef looked up in annoyance at Philippe's entrance.

"I thought I told you to stay in the freshie's wing while Mick was here?"

"I had my snack, I was curious. I did not let Mick sense me and I stayed out of Ms Turner's sight."

"I don't appreciate your listening in."

"He did not seem too upset to learn of you and Coraline."

Josef sighed. "He doesn't love her anymore. Learning about us just confirmed what he thinks of her. Coraline only represents the cure to him."

"She made a foolish choice in a husband," Philippe said in disgust.

"She made a foolish choice in how she handled him," Josef corrected him. "Mick needed to be seduced into our world. Coraline's rape turning put a huge obstacle in the way Mick sees us. I worked on him; he was coming around to our ways. Their relationship was always volatile but he was embracing his vampirism. Then 22 years ago Coraline kidnaps a child and destroys everything I had accomplished. Mick felt so guilty about being the reason for that child's trauma that he renounced as many of his vampire ways as he could. Your sister created this problem. If she had just left him to me this would have ended differently."

Philippe strolled in and took the seat that Mick had vacated. He gave Josef a knowing look.

"But we've always known that my sister does not like sharing her playthings."

Josef laughed a bitter laugh.

"No, she never has. Philippe, Mick is my friend. One of my very few. I intend to make him a more involved member of the vampire nation. It will take time. He is young. I will not have him harmed," he said very seriously.

"Why bother? He does not seem to merit the effort. Even with your friendship," Philippe said casually.

"He shows great potential. He's smart and resourceful. Mick has helped keep our society from being exposed numerous times. He is valuable to me. And don't underestimate him, he took down Lola."

"I understand, but I'm not the one to convince."

"Yes you are," Josef insisted. "Lance will listen to you and he will listen to Lance."

Philippe looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"You cannot bring yourself to call him by name? Josef, after all these centuries, you are still angry?" he enquired.

"Philippe, he banned me from Europe. From my homeland," Josef said bitterly. "Darius did that. See, I can say his name. It leaves a bad taste on my tongue to say his name. Darius took away what mattered most to me."

Philippe came to his feet and quickly came around the desk. He laid a hand on Josef's shoulder and shook him gently.

"I never believed he enjoyed that. You had angered him so much. Darius had great expectations for you and Coraline. You rejected her, humiliated her and ran off to London with Lola. You knew how he dotes on her. She is his favorite. You insulted him," Philippe pointed out.

"Yea, well what can I say? I've always preferred blondes," Josef grinned. Philippe sighed and seated himself on the edge of the desk.

"Josef, you were his second favorite. It's why he kept you with him so long. It's why he banished you to the Americas instead of taking your head. Coraline begged him to do that for a month after you left," he grinned.

"She only held a grudge a month?"

"After a month she took up with a friend of Lance's who was freshly turned. She had a new plaything and that kept her busy."

"I should feel crushed but somehow I'm not," Josef chuckled. "Has Darius hurt her badly?" he asked becoming serious.

"He let her remain staked for awhile. She became very weak." Philippe looked angry at what his favorite sibling had suffered.

"Is that all?" Josef said in surprise.

"No it's not. He dealt her a much more severe blow. Darius has proclaimed to the entire vampire population that her marriage to St. John is null and void. She has been forbidden to leave Europe. In fact she must remain with him for now," Philippe related.

"Ouch," Josef grimaced. "I guess Mick can really call her his ex now."

"Will he stop looking for the cure? Both Darius and Lance want that to cease."

"I will convince him. It will take time. But that's in my favor for the longer this goes on, the more Beth ages. He will eventually have to face losing her to death or turning her," Josef said with certainty. "Now, I'm tired of this. Shall we go where the entertainment is more delightful? I'm in the mood for cards and some fresh blood."

Philippe smiled.

"I missed that part of you old friend. You have always known how to have a good time. Let's go."

The two vampires left Josef's house to seek a night's revelry.

End chapter.

This just took over me today and I wasn't able to stop. I guess snow shoveling is a good muse. It allows my mind to wander. So am I still thumbs up? Reviews are all I need. Thanks.