Chapter Thirty
The letter was mailed the day Jack was brought home and for a week not a word was heard...
Miranda danced into the kitchen, Jack in her arms. She hummed, pausing at the fridge to read the note.
Got a case. Will pick Zo but on the way home. Love you, Mick.
"Daddy's should be getting sissy soon," Miranda cooed, at the baby in her arms. "What should we do till they get home?"
Jack started squeaking, beginning his newborn cries.
"Yeah, I'm hungry too." Cradling him on one arm, she started making a bottle. When she bounced and hummed to him, he stopped crying somewhat.
Just as she tested the milk on the inside of her wrist, the door bell buzzer went off. Her blood ran cold when she saw the monitor.
"Open the door, Miranda," Michael called through the door. "I'd hate to have to break it."
Even though she doubted his ability to do so, she didn't want to see him try. Placing the bottle tip into Jack's mouth, to silence his cries, Miranda opened the door.
"'Ello, darling," Michael said, as she opened the door and let him past. She shut the door slowly, praying Mick would be home soon. It was nearly three in the afternoon and he should be picking up Zoe anytime and then they'd both be home. She hated her daughter being mixed up in the mess but she needed her husband. Michael reminded her to much of a snake.
"May I see him?" Michael broke her mental rant. He was holding out his hands for Jack.
She didn't want him anywhere near her baby, let alone to hold him.
"I swear I will not harm him, Miranda," Michael offered, noticing her hesitation.
Grinding her teeth, she used one hand to force his arms into the proper position, before settling Jack in. She didn't let go of the bottle, until Michael's hand wrapped around her fingers, supporting it.
Michael looked over the child in his arms. "He doesn't look very unusual."
"What did you expect, horns?"
"He has fangs?"
"We not know until he has teeth."
"Any vampire features?"
Miranda shook her head but added, "He drinks a mix of formula and blood. That's why it's pink." She waved at the bottle in his hand.
"Growth differences?"
"Yes," Miranda nodded. "Jonathan is checking in regular. It's about three times faster than normal children. If our guess-a-mates are correct, when Zoe is fully mature, say 20, he'll look about 18. He'll surpass her at some points but eventually, it should even out."
"You'll have to tell her."
"When she's ready," Miranda wrapped her arms around herself in a self-hug.
"His name?"
The door opened, and Mick, with Zoe at his side, answered. "Jack."
"Jack St. John," Michael said, looked down at the tiny creature in his arms. "How quaint."
Zoe looked up at the visitor. "Mommy?"
Miranda turned, moving to her daughter, while Mick kept an eye on Michael. Kneeling, Miranda whispered, "What, baby?"
"I don't like him. Make him go away." She wrapped her arms around Miranda's neck, her legs around her waist.
"I know baby," Miranda hugged her daughter close, petting her hair. "We don't like him either."
Mick set Zoe's bag on the counter, passing his wife as she stood up holding their daughter, to be closer to the monster holding his son. "We were wondering if you would come."
"You know they call the postal system 'snail-mail' for a reason," Michael noticed the bottle was empty and gently took it from the child's mouth.
Mick took the bottle, handing it to Miranda to threw it into the sink.
"He needs to be burped," Mick held out his arms, more than relieved when Michael gave no protest to handing over the child.
Gently patting Jack's tiny back, he felt Miranda place a cloth over his shoulder.
"You are so cute," Michael said, watching them, his head cocked to the side almost like a dog. "One little happy family."
"You say it like it's a bad thing," Miranda said, shifting Zoe higher on her hip.
"It is," Michael's eyes narrowed. "You are trying to playing house but they are pawns to move about as you wish. They are humans, or at least mostly human. They could mean the end of us."
"There are humans about us," Mick growled.
"They are different."
"What are you saying?" Miranda hissed.
Michael held his hands up in surrender. "Nothing more than perhaps you should be very careful. If they were to ever speak of us, if Jack was ever to be found…I think you understand…"
Miranda and Mick nodded.
"I'll see myself out." In a blink, Michael was gone and the apartment door clicked shut.
"What now?" Miranda whispered, in the silence left behind.
Mick turned to her. "We live our lives." He offered her a smile.
Mustering a smile, Miranda set Zoe down. "Honey, why don't you go run your stuff upstairs, I'll make you a snack."
Zoe grabbed her bag and rushed upstairs, while Mick lay the now sleeping Jack down in his little basket, lifting the whole bundle and carrying it to the counter. After making sure it was in the center, away from the edge, Mick turned to his wife, noticing her tense position as she rested against the counter.
"Miranda," he said, putting a hand on the to counter on either side of her hips.
"Hum?" She looked up at him, as if just noticing him.
"I love you."
She smiled, noticing Zoe coming down the stairs behind him. Her eyes moved to the basket on the counter, and back to him. "I love you too."
FIN
This is the end of this one. I have the start of another sequel for this series (giggle), but I don't know that it will ever be finished. It's hard to write fanfiction when your inspiration is cancelled. Anyway, that beings aid, I have also started a perquel for this series, that will start when Mick and Miranda met and go through til just before Miranda returns to Los Angeles. I'm not sure how people will feel about it because some of it (I would say maybe up to half will not including Moonlight characters. The first part while been with Mick, obviously, then filling in the blank including the part when she was with Josef...I don't know when I'll finish it but I may - if people want - post it as I write rather than waiting til it's all written.)