Missing (Josef/Coraline/Mick; G) 2009

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Tam
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Missing (Josef/Coraline/Mick; G) 2009

Post by Tam »

Rating : G
Spoilers : Ep 1-2 of Moonlight, season 1
Summary : Character Musing- After Mick has ‘killed’ Coraline and brought Beth home safely, he goes to Josef to confess what he’s done. Josef’s POV on Coraline’s passing.
First posted : ff.net, June 2009

Disclaimer : The characters are not mine, no money is being made and no infringement is intended.
Missing


Mick was finally asleep; wiped out by a heavy mix of blood and alcohol. He was downstairs in Josef's cellar, in the spare freezer Josef kept for Mick especially in case he needed a place to sleep after a fight with Coraline. With a pang of regret, Josef realised this had been their last fight- Mick had killed his wife. They had talked about it all night. What Mick would do now, where he would go. He didn't want to stay in Coraline's house, and without needing to think, Josef had offered to take him in. But Mick wanted a place of his own, somewhere down town. He didn't want to live with another vampire again. And maybe, Josef thought, that would be good for him, to finally live alone after 33 years, to have somewhere to go that was entirely his, where he made the rules. Perhaps, now that Coraline was gone, he could finally come to terms with this life.

Coraline was gone. Josef still couldn't wrap his mind around it. He had known her for such a long time. He closed his eyes, and saw her face, as clearly as he saw it the very first time, in New York, almost 150 years ago. She had smiled at him from across the room at a fund raiser for the Union Army. She was surrounded by men, mortal men, who could not detect her secret, though Josef had recognised it as soon as he came in. For her it was the same, and she had thrown him a look that seemed to promise much, if he didn't expose her. It was clear that the only funds she was trying raise were her own, and the men around her were only too eager to apply. He humoured her that night, and let her weave her spell. She was charming, enticing, and very attractive- but he had already heard of her and her brothers, even from across the ocean, and he knew she was bad news. She had come to the States to break away from all that, to leave her family and her past behind, but her reputation clung to her like the brand on her shoulder.

Over the years, they kept running into each other- they moved in the same circles. If either of them needed an alibi or a partner to keep up appearances, they looked to each other, though it was never more than that: appearances. They were too much alike, both secretive and highly protective of their personal space and their freedom. Josef didn't trust her, disapproved of her choices, her passions- Coraline often accused him of being emotionless and narrow-minded.

And yet, they kept their own version of a friendship, a pact that had its uses for the both of them. He thought of the different roles they had played to blend in with society.

"This is my ward, Miss Coraline."

"Have you met my little sister, Cora?"

"I would like to introduce you to my wife, Coraline."


He thought of a party in the early twenties, when a pair of soft, slender arms had wrapped around him from behind unexpectedly- or as unexpected as any vampire could sneak up on another; he had smelled her presence and recognised her scent as soon as she came in the room.
"There you are, darling," Coraline said affectively. They hadn't seen each other in years.
"Yes, here I am, my dear," Josef replied, covering her gloved hand with his own and lifting it to his lips. Fill me in, who am I? he asked her, lowering his voice to an audio level beyond human hearing, his lips brushing the inside of her wrist, kissing her pulse. Jealous husband, Coraline replied softly. Josef immediately pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Where have you been, baby?" he asked loudly, and some of the men in his company talked among themselves. He smirked at them before turning back to Coraline.
What's this about? he asked quietly, whispering in her ear like a lover, his voice still in vampire frequency. Two o'clock, she thinks I stole her husband, Coraline replied, her hands brushing down the lapels of his jacket affectionately. And did you? Josef countered. At that, Coraline just beamed him a smile and looked up to him with her big brown eyes, all innocence and secrets. Josef spun her around in a hug, positioning himself so that he could look at the scorned woman. She was very young and sullen-looking, but pretty, in her own way.
Do you think she might want to steal me back? he asked, keeping his eyes on her.
It would make everyone happy, I think, Coraline replied, and Josef smiled, his eyes glittering. Yes, his arrangement with Coraline was mutually beneficial.

But now she was gone forever. Even if things had been tense between them after she had turned Mick - a man who should have never been made a vampire, in Josef's initial opinion - he would miss her. Things were never dull around her, and her little schemes and games had always been a welcome distraction from work and the tedious ennui of eternal life. He poured himself another drink and raised his glass in a quiet salute, trying to banish the horror of her last moments, burning to death with a stake in her heart, and trying, very hard, not to blame Mick for it.
Last edited by Tam on Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
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francis
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Re: Missing (Josef/Coraline/Mick; G) 2009

Post by francis »

I like this very much. There is so much backstory that Mick doesn't even know. I understand that Josef never shares much of his former life with Mick. The relationship of Josef and Coraline was complicated, and I think Josef might have been taking care of Mick out of a feeling of guilt, for not having stopped Coraline from turning him. Whatever the start, they have a bond now that even Coraline's death didn't sever. Great story.
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wollstonecraft61
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Re: Missing (Josef/Coraline/Mick; G) 2009

Post by wollstonecraft61 »

Wow, Tam, this piece is powerful. I like the relationship you posit between Josef and Coraline. It explains a lot. Very plausible.
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Re: Missing (Josef/Coraline/Mick; G) 2009

Post by wpgrace »

:hankie: :hankie:

Poignant... :sigh:
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Re: Missing (Josef/Coraline/Mick; G) 2009

Post by allegrita »

Ooh, I like this very much! Yes, I always thought Josef would have had his own memories and regrets where Coraline was concerned. And the relationship you posit here makes a lot of sense.

I loved this line:
...her reputation clung to her like the brand on her shoulder.
And this is a wonderful comparison of their personalities:
They were too much alike, both secretive and highly protective of their personal space and their freedom. Josef didn't trust her, disapproved of her choices, her passions- Coraline often accused him of being emotionless and narrow-minded.
And yet he mourns her passing, and lets that emotionless facade slip a little, thinking of the horrible manner of that passing. The last sentence is just wonderful, and says a great deal about Josef's true nature, and the nature of his relationship with Mick.
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Re: Missing (Josef/Coraline/Mick; G) 2009

Post by Tam »

allegrita wrote:And yet he mourns her passing, and lets that emotionless facade slip a little
Yes, because that's exactly what it is- a façade. Josef's not emotionless at all.

:blushing: thanks for your compliments!
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