Disclaimer: I do not own Moonlight. But I do carry it around in my heart and mind all the time.
Thank you for your kind reviews. I had some time to ready another chapter so I will not wait any longer to post it. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 8
After a few hours of shopping, Beth sat in a booth in a small restaurant and happily took a bite out of her sandwich. Kira watched her enjoy her meal as she sat sipping a glass of wine. The shopping trip had been successful and the two women had had great fun. Beth had a great eye for fashion and her suggestions had been very helpful.
"I did not realize I was so hungry," Beth confessed, after swallowing quickly. She giggled. "My second meal with a vampire today. Mick took me to breakfast this morning. Are you sure it doesn't bother you to watch me eat?" she asked curiously in a hushed voice.
"It's been a long time since I tasted food Beth, I'm fine," Kira said with a smile. "However, walking past a bakery still stirs old memories."
"I'm not sure I would want to give up food," Beth commented.
Kira nodded in understanding. She glanced around, pleased to observe that most of the tables around them were empty. No one was listening to their conversation.
"I want to apologize for Josef's behavior the other night. I know he made you uncomfortable when he suggested that Mick bite you," Kira said slowly. "Josef forgets himself at times. For as long as I've known Mick; Josef has been cajoling, teasing and scolding Mick to behave like a true vampire. He succeeded briefly in the 70s but that all slipped away a few years later." She paused and watched while Beth connected the dots. The young woman's eyes widened.
"You mean because of me?" she whispered.
"I mean because of Coraline," Kira corrected. "Her actions that night changed things. I am not telling tales when I say that she had a way of stepping in and reminding Mick of everything he hated about being a vampire. Her actions in taking you just made it worse. She only thinks of her wants and needs. Mick is better since Josef re-turned him but it was unfair of Josef to tease the two of you about Mick feeding off of you," she concluded.
"I will say there were some strange, almost pleasant feelings when Mick drank but there was mostly discomfort and some pain," Beth said, trying to explain her reaction to Josef's suggestion. "Mick almost died rather than drink from either me or Leni. I don't think he wants to drink from me again."
"Oh I think he wants to and that is what scares him," Kira chuckled. "It is a vampire's nature to prefer fresh blood. We have no choice in what we must consume to survive but we do have the ability to make it pleasant for those who donate. I am so sorry that your experience was uncomfortable."
"Is there a risk of turning someone when you feed on them?" Beth asked with interest, voicing one of her greatest concerns. "How dangerous is feeding to the human?"
"If the vampire is a responsible one then there is no danger to the human. We do not take more than is necessary. A normal feeding is not much different than if you donated to the Red Cross," Kira answered warmly. "To turn someone is a much more serious situation and the human must be brought very near death. We need the person we wish to turn to ingest some of our blood to complete the transition. It cannot occur any other way," she assured her.
"So just drinking from someone will not do it?" Beth clarified.
"No, our ranks would grow much too rapidly if that were the case. There is no need to kill our food sources and only the very sloppy or uncaring would kill just to feed. Don't worry, it is very rare to accidently turn someone," Kira confirmed.
Beth felt a knot inside her loosen a little as she leaned back against the back of the booth. Her worries of being accidently turned melted away but she was not finished with her questions.
"Do you use freshies a lot? Man, that term seems strange. How do you find them?" she asked.
"I drink fresh occasionally. It really does taste better. You met Eric and there are companies who recruit willing donors." She grinned and winked. "Very discreetly of course. As I told you the other night, we compensate our donors handsomely to keep our secret."
"I would think it would take a lot of humans to keep you fed. We can't donate everyday to the Red Cross and stay healthy. Doesn't that many people knowing put your secret at risk?" Beth questioned.
"We do not need a lot of blood on a daily basis. We can go a long time on one normal feeding. Often we take less, sort of like sipping on water for humans. It is not the same as the amount of food you need to fuel your body. And there are many sources we can get our blood from. Mick is not the only vamp to drink morgue blood. Guillermo has a profitable business going for him," Kira informed her.
Beth laughed and felt a bit of pressure ease off her shoulders.
"I like Guillermo," she confessed. Then her eyes widened. "Does he supply your club too?"
"Beth, I do not divulge my blood sources," Kira said with a twinkle in her eye. "It is not as easy to supply a club as you might think. I never buy blood that is taken from unwilling donors. Believe it or not, I sell far more liquor than blood. Most vamps come looking for something other than blood from my club."
"If you can't consume food, how are you able to drink liquor?" Beth commented, looking at Kira's glass of wine.
"I've never studied physiology so I really don't know," Kira admitted looking at her glass. "I guess the alcohol does not upset our system. We can taste it somewhat but it doesn't make us drunk the same as humans."
"Sounds like a perk to me," Beth stated, looking at her own glass of wine.
Kira nodded; then asked a question of her own that had been on her mind for a while.
"Beth, may I ask why you were so angry when Mick tasted Simone's blood?"
Beth smiled self-consciously. She remembered how she had angrily told Kira about that the night of Emma's escape and death. She knew she had over-reacted.
"Mick made such a big deal out his not drinking from humans, he had sidestepped my questions about freshies and then I walked into his place to find him sucking on Simone's wrist. She seemed to be enjoying it and he acted so guilty that I thought he was enjoying it too," Beth answered. She hesitated and then continued. "After he drank my blood in the desert, he acted as if he hated the idea of tasting my blood and I thought he didn't like how I tasted."
"Oh Beth…..no," Kira contradicted. She reached out to touch Beth's wrist with the two puncture scars. "I know I said I would not tell tales behind Mick's back but I am not revealing any secrets when I say that your blood's taste is not the issue here. Of that I am sure."
Beth blinked in surprise. "It isn't?"
"Goodness no," Kira told her. "Now I have not discussed this with Mick so I am only guessing but knowing Mick as I do I can figure that he feels that you do not want to be bitten and he does have an aversion to feeding fresh. I think that this is a subject that the two of you need to talk about openly and honestly. But let me warn you that if you bring it up, be sure you honestly know how you feel about being bitten. It is never wise to tempt a vampire," Kira smiled, taking the edge off her words.
"So this is more Micks' hang up and not about me?" Beth stated.
"That is my guess. And let me say again, it is only a guess," Kira replied firmly. "It is difficult to resist blood willingly offered and it takes supreme control to not drink. You all ready know that Mick hates being a vampire so you should not be surprised that he resists everything associated with it. But even he can't fight his nature forever and he has relaxed somewhat since Josef re-turned him. I wish he would realize how much good he could do if he just accepted what he is," she added.
"Vampire does not equal monster," Beth murmured softly.
"Exactly!" Kira agreed happily. "Thank you my friend for saying that. We really aren't that different from you humans, except for our diet," she finished with a little laugh.
"I can't deny that I am intrigued," Beth admitted. "There is so much mystery that surrounds you. I have to admit that I felt so incredible when I took some of Lola's Black Crystal."
"You did what?" Kira exclaimed in surprise. Josef had told her about Lola's last visit to LA, what she had done to the some of the vampire's in the city and how Mick had dealt with her. But it appeared he had left a few details out in the telling and she did not know of Beth's little experiment.
"I took some of the Black Crystal that Lola produced. I had gotten it at Club Valis and sampled some. It was an incredible high. I went to Mick's and tried to seduce him and then I actually begged him to turn me," Beth confessed blushing deeply.
"Oh dear," Kira chuckled in spite of herself. She ran one hand over her face, trying to hide her smile. "Oh I wish I could have seen Mick's face."
"He was totally shocked and flustered," Beth answered, her own smile taking over her face. "He hustled me into a cold shower and then let me sleep it off on his couch."
"The shower….." Kira said teasingly. "Why Beth, you saucy little minx you."
We were both fully dressed," the blonde quickly asserted. "Mick took care of me."
"I am sure he did," Kira grinned. "That was very dangerous to take that drug. Josef did tell me that some humans died from it."
"She taunted me by saying that I could experience what it felt like to be you without being turned. I couldn't resist," Beth said feeling a bit ashamed that she had given in to the temptation. "And for a while it was amazing."
"I think I understand. Thank goodness that she is gone and that is over."
Beth felt a small twinge of guilt that would not let her admit to the fact that the vial of Black Crystal was still in her dresser drawer. She had not even told Mick that she still had the drug. Even knowing the danger, she could not bring herself to throw it away.
"So Mick sobered you up and resisted your seduction attempts," Kira said with a glint in her eye. She could not wait to tease Mick about this.
"He behaved like a perfect gentleman," Beth responded.
Kira smiled in satisfaction as she heard that. She had no doubt that Mick would not allow himself to give in to Beth's pleas. She admired the control that he had exhibited and was impressed. He had a willing, over-excited Beth in his arms and he had resisted her advances. He had grown a lot from when she had first met him.
She clearly remembered the young vampire she had met in 1960. Mick had been desperate to find validation for his existence and she had been happy to help him find his way. She was proud of the strong vampire he had become. It was clear that the human sitting across from her was also instrumental in Mick making peace with what he was. She hoped that she could help Mick and Beth find a way to be together and make it work.
"That is our Mick, isn't it?" Kira said to Beth's comment.
End chapter.
So the girls had the first of their talks. I am giving my take on the vampire mythology as I see it from what I learned from the show and then filling in the blanks. I make not claims of having all the answers but this is what makes sense to me. Thank you for reading, please share your thoughts.