Nick and Natalie made it back to the hotel with about 30 minutes to spare. Nick went to his room where he grabbed a bottle of blood for himself and a bottle of water from the fridge for Nat. He returned to Nat's room. She watched him as he opened the bottle and took a sip, grimacing as the taste hit his mouth.
"Does it really taste that bad?' she asked.
"Only after drinking fresh human blood. So what do you think about Mick and Beth?"
"They seem to really care about each other, but I don't know what to think about them. I never really thought about the fact that there might be different species of vampires out there. So tell me about Josef."
"He was a stock broker back when I knew him. A real "go for the throat" type. Of course I didn't know how true that was until just now. I ran into him at a party and after listening to his talk, I decided to let him do some investing for the De Brabant Foundation. Those investments are still earning money. I will have to see if his company does investing, and if they are, if they are accepting clients. Not to change the subject, but let me see the file on the Tejada case." Nick looked at the file for a few minutes, "It says here that witnesses reported a "monster" supposedly where Tejada disappeared from. These people claim that it looked like a man but wasn't. They said that he was looking for Tejada and when the Bartender fired a gun at him, he jumped up and then smashed the bartender's face into the bar. After threatening someone, they told him where Tejada was in the back office. Gunshots were heard and Tejada was never seen or heard from again. Rumors are that he fled back to Mexico to get away from charges. Makes me wonder if Mick wasn't involved somehow. I'll ask him tonight." Nat let out a big yawn, "You look exhausted. Wake me up if your up before me." Nick kissed Nat on the forehead and went to his room.
Beth tossed and turned on Mick's couch. She was dreaming about what happened at the café. Mick heard Beth tossing and turning. When he heard her panicked scream, he ran downstairs and shook her awake.
"Beth. Beth, wake up. What's wrong?"
Beth looked at him with panicked eyes. "Mick your alive! I dreamt that you were killed at the café. You died from the bullet wounds.
"Beth, I'm ok. Bullets won't kill me."
Beth looked down in tears, "Beth what is it?"
"The dream. It was just like what happened with Josh. I couldn't save him and I couldn't save you!" At that point, Beth completely lost it and started to bawl her eyes out. Her sobs quieted after about half and hour.
"You won't lose me. Remember, I'm hard to kill and heal fast. Slide up a bit." Beth slid up a bit and Mick laid her head on his lap. "Now try to get some sleep. I won't go anywhere." Beth closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep knowing that Mick was alive and safe. Mick laid his head back against the couch and closed his eyes as well.
They were both started awake by a knock at the door. Mick walked over to the door and looked at his screen only to see Josef expectantly looking up at him.
"Mick, let me in"
Mick opened the door, "Good morning, Josef. What brings you here?"
"More like afternoon. He stopped and sniffed then looked at the couch. "Good afternoon, Blondie. So how's the couch?"
"Comfy especially with my pillow" She smiled at Mick as he smiled back at her, "How's the freezer?"
"Comfy," Josef replied, not missing the look that passed between the two in front of him.
"I am here to find out what the "Good Detective" had to say, after I left. I did a little digging. It appears his sire is over 2000 years old. An old roman general by the name of Lucian LaCroix. He is considered an elder in the Toronto community. He is very upset that Det. Knight doesn't want to be a vamp anymore. His "friend" and I use that term lightly has been helping him to regain his mortality. She has made a few attempts that were close."
"He told us this last night Josef. You were here for some of it." Beth told him.
"It appears you have a comrade-in-arms, Mick. But there is no permanent cure. Nick's been looking for longer than you have been around. Just be careful. His sire is old and powerful. He has been known to take extreme measures regarding his son. From what my contacts told me, he is very protective of his family and that Nick is his favorite."
"Josef, how did you find this out?" asked Beth.
"I had Ryder do a little digging and it turns out they have a mutual friend who helps to create new identities for Nick's kind. He knows Nick and LaCroix well."
Just then, Beth's phone started to ring. She looked at it and didn't recognize the number, "Hello?"
"Hi Beth, it's Nat. I was wondering if you wanted to grab a cup of coffee this afternoon."
"Sure. We can meet at the same café as last night. I highly doubt that will be problems again. In about two hours?"
"Sounds good to me. I can't wait to have another muffin."
"See you in two hours, then." Beth turned to Mick, "I know that you heard what was said. Figured it would be a good way to get some more info and just have some "girl" talk."
"OK. Just be careful."
"I will. But I do need to go back to my apt. To get some clean clothes and take a shower."
After showering and getting some clean clothes, Beth was waiting for Natalie at the Café.
"Hey, Nat. You and Nick recover from last night?"
"Nick was still sleeping when I left. I left him a note so he wouldn't worry."
"He worries about you a lot, I take it. You're not alone; Mick is always worried about me. Before the "Vampire Murders' I always swore that I saw someone stalking me in the shadows and I know now, it was Mick."
"You too seem to care about each other a lot."
"We do, but Mick is careful he doesn't want to risk hurting me. We had a case once where another vamp taunted me with "knowing about vamps but being on the outside and didn't' I want to be on the inside". Mick reacted so strongly to that. He considers himself a monster because of what he is. I don't, I consider him my guardian angel. What about you and Nick?"
"We do, but like Mick, Nick is worried about hurting me. He is very careful. He let out his emotions once but he doesn't know I remember. He thinks I was "whammied" by LaCroix and that he was able to latch onto that. He considers himself a monster as well. When he was younger, he did many things that he regrets and just wants to atone for them. What he doesn't realize is that he is atoning by doing what he does now. He doesn't drink human blood, he drinks animal blood. His sire, LaCroix is always after him to "return" to the fold but he doesn't want to. He has actually staked LaCroix but it didn't work. What are you and Mick gonna do? Nick has talked about moving on within the next 5-10 years. People are going to start to notice that he hasn't aged much. What about you and Mick?"
"I don't know. Mick has been in LA since he was turned. The only person he has kept in contact with was a detective that he worked on the Lee Jay Spaulding case. He went blind so he can't see that Mick hasn't aged. I know that I love Mick and I know that he loves me back. He is very commitment phobic because of his ex-wife."
"Have you ever asked him to bring you across?"
"Bring me across? Oh, you mean turn me? I did once. Of course I was high on Black Crystal and he refused."
"Black Crystal?"
"It was a drug that was made from vampire blood. Lola, another vamp, was incapacitating vamps using silver, draining them of their blood and drying it. She was selling it at a place called "Club Vallis". I to some, and for the sake of the story I was writing about the death of a model, I tried it. According to Mick, it mimicked the affects of vampirism. I took the drug, not knowing what it was, and walked to Mick's. I remember being very hot and him taking me to the shower where we took a cold shower. I asked him to turn me and he refused. I woke up on his couch, with what felt like a massive hangover and feeling very embarrassed. Especially after I realized that I was wearing one of Mick's shirts and he had changed me cause my very revealing dress was wet. You?"
"Once. We had a meteor scare that was actually a ruse so that someone could manipulate the markets. Toronto was hit hard by it. I asked Nick to "bring me across" so that I could survive it. He refused. I went to the local vampire club, "The Raven" and got drunk, started to flirt with a young vampire, Spark, and asked him to do it. Nick's sister, Janette, called him to let him know that I was there but had left. When Spark went to bite me, I changed my mind but he still attacked me. Nick came in and killed him to defend me. I felt like a complete idiot when Nick told me what was going on. So I know how you feel."
"What are we gonna do? We both love guys who think they are monsters, but aren't." asked Beth. She then started to laugh, "Of all the conversations I ever imagined having, this was never one of them. Finally meeting someone who is in the same place that I am never thought that would happen either." Natalie joined her in laughter.
"Same here Beth. Same here. After Nick and go back to Toronto we need to stay in contact. I think that we are only two who would understand what we are feeling."
"I agree, Nat. Maybe Mick and I could…" Beth never got to finish her sentence as her phone started to ring, she looked at the caller id, "It's my boss, Talbot."
"Hello, Ben" Beth was silent for a few seconds, "We are fine Ben. I'm actually having coffee with Dr. Lambert right now. Sure, I can swing by the office no problem. Do you mind if I bring Dr. Lambert? All right, see you in about 30 minutes." Beth hung up and looked at Natalie. "I hope you don't mind. Ben wanted to meet you and Nick. Figured you could explain that Nick only comes out at night. We can take my car. I didn't see yours when I showed up."
"I walked. It's nice to be out in the sun and warmth. Toronto can get so cold this time of the year."
They both finished up their coffee and headed towards the DA building.
"Not a bad looking place to work," Nat commented, "I get stuck in my morgue in the basement."
"I spend a lot of time in the morgue with Mick, for some reason we end up there a lot. The attendant is where Mick buys his blood. He's one too."
They entered the building and pushed the button for the elevator. Once on the proper floor, they headed towards Talbot's Office. Before they could knock, Ben saw Beth and motioned them in with his hand.
"Ben, this is Dr. Natalie Lambert. Nat, this is Ben Talbot, District Attorney."
"Nice to meet you Dr. Lambert, please call me Ben" He extended his hand to shake Natalie's. "Dr. Lambert, did you find everything that you needed for your investigation?"
"Please call me Nat," Natalie shook his hand. "We did. Beth and Mick St. John were extremely helpful. Det. Knight wished he could be here, but due to his sunlight allergy he is forced to stay inside."
"I must apologize for what happened to you and Det. Knight last night. That does not normally happen to our visitors. I have assigned someone to investigate what happened."
"Don't worry about it. Nick and I are fine. It can happen anywhere. Nick, Det. Knight, could probably tell you some stories. Please don't go to any additional trouble. Nick and I do not think badly of your city. I would not hesitate to come back and visit for pleasure."
"Glad to here you think that of our city. If you have any other questions, please call me directly. Here is my card.' Ben would have continued but his phone rang, "Excuse me, I need to take this."
Beth and Nat left his office, "He seems nice enough, "commented Nat, "but this investigation has me worried. What if someone says that they saw Nick and Mick get shot. We should talk to the guys about it."
"I agree. You want to meet at Mick's place at sundown? I'll pick up some food to leave at Mick's so we can have some food to eat. If it makes Nick feel better, Mick's blood comes from the morgue, so no one died for it." Beth paused, "Never mind I said that."
"Nick feels guilty drinking human blood, it's his preferred food. Maybe I will just have Nick bring his own "refreshment"."
"Is there a difference?"
"Human makes vamps stronger in all ways, Nick's so old he can exist on animal but it doesn't taste very good and he is not at his full strength." Nat paused a moment, " You know, Mick reminds me Nick in so many ways"
"I was just thinking the same thing. At lease now we have someone we can talk to about this stuff. No one else would understand and a shrink would think we were nuts!"
"I know, if the shrink survived. After all, we both know that the key the survival is secrecy. What do you know of Josef?"
"Not much. He is Mick's best friend. He knew Mick from before Coraline. He is considered by many to be a "renegade" by the financial community. But they wonder how he knows the market so well for being so "young". He is about 400 years old. He is one of the elders here in LA. Would do anything for a friend, not that he has many. Other than that, not much." Beth's phone rang and she looked at it, "It's Mick Hi Mick. What's up?" she listened for a few seconds, "No, I am still with Dr. Lambert, we just left the DA's office. He wanted to meet Nat and Nick. We will be over soon." She hung up with Mick. "Can you leave a message with Nick to meet us at Mick'? He has something he wants to show us?"
Nat picked up her cell phone and dialed Nick's. "Hey Nick, I figured that I would get your voice mail. Mick says he has something to show us, and want us to meet him at his place. I am still with Beth. We just left the DA's office. He wanted to meet us both but I told him that you couldn't come out during the day. The sun should be down within the next 30 minutes. Do you want me to come and get you? Mick's carport is covered. If you ride covered up you should be ok. Beth, can you drive me to our hotel, I need to get Nick?
"Sure, no problem. You remember how to get to Mick's or do you want to follow me?"
"We will follow you".
"Great, did you bring clothes for going out with you? If so, bring them. All depending on Mick has to say, I was thinking that we could go out and enjoy some of the nightlife. Show you some good parts of LA. If you want, you and could go to beach sometime as well. I haven't been since Mick was mortal."
"Nick and I did bring some non-work clothes and I did bring a swimsuit Maybe we could go tonight? I have always loved the moonlight reflecting off the water."
"Me too."
"I will need to swing by my apt to grab some clothes and my suit as well. Do you want me to give you directions to Mick's instead. It's pretty easy from your hotel. Or do you want to follow me to my apt?"
"Why don't you swing by before we go to the hotel."
"Ok" they pulled into Beth's parking lot. Beth unlocked her front door, "Welcome, please excuse the mess, I wasn't expecting company." Beth ran into her room and grabbed some clothes and her bathing suit. When she came out, she found Nat looking at the picture of Mick at the beach. "That was when Mick had the cure. We spent the afternoon at the beach. I cherish that day. I just wish it had lasted longer. I feel horrible that he gave up mortality to save me from the doctor."
"Maybe someday there will be a permanent cure. Or maybe he will "turn" you. Hopefully he will see how much you care for him and see that you want to spend the rest of your life with him."
"Would be nice. Same for you, Nat. Alright, we need to get going here or we are going to be late."
Beth dropped of Nat at the door to her hotel and waited for her and Nick to show up. She saw their car pull out of the underground garage and pulled into traffic in front of them. They followed her to Mick's place. Beth watched amused as Nick crawled out of the trunk.
He looked at her and smiled, "the only place to hide out from the sun. We didn't grab a blanket from the room."
After a brief elevator ride, they approached Mick's door. Beth knocked and found it already cracked for them.
"I'm in the office," they heard Mick callout.
They walked into his office to find pictures all over the place, "Mick what's going on?"
"I realized something earlier, I was going through some of my files and looking at the pictures from them and realized something," Mick laid out the pictures in front of them, "Notice anything about these?"
Nick stared at the photos, "These two are from last night but I recognize them all. If you look at each picture there is at least one person from each picture in the other ones."
Beth looked at the pictures, "Do you think they are all related? Seven Degrees of Separation and all that."
Nick picked up one picture with a shocked look on his face. Nat noticed and looked at the picture as well. "Nick isn't that LaCroix?"
