The People in Our Lives (In Between 12 and 13, PG)

[Shadow]

Shadow, a new chapter... YEAH...
It´s amazing. I love your "in betweens". It was great to learn about how would Carl question about what happend to Tejada. It was sure there would be questions. And the explanation why Carl disappeared was so great.

I can´t wait for the next chapter.

hi Cleo . . . yeah, finally a new chapter! It took me way too long to write this one. But I'm hoping to do better with the next few.

I'm really glad you liked the part about Carl and all the questions he had for Mick. In the show I really wondered what had happened to him - nothing was ever even mentioned - so I really wanted to explain that departure.

Thank you!

[redwinter101]

This is so wonderful, Shadow - and there's just so much here. You know (I hope) how much I adore "Rose and Thorn" and "The Other Side of the Mirror" and it's fabulous to see those stories woven into this timeline - it creates a universe that is both entirely canon and also weaves in so many brilliant, original elements.

Esme, the flashbacks to Mick's childhood, the ongoing exploration of his relationship with Elaine (which continues to break my heart in so many ways) and the development of Carl's character and his role in the aftermath of Josh's death - and then, of course, Mick and Beth.

Marvellous, wonderful, beautiful. I'll be back with more comment, I'm sure, as I re-read this many, many times.

Red

[Shadow]

This is so wonderful, Shadow - and there's just so much here. You know (I hope) how much I adore "Rose and Thorn" and "The Other Side of the Mirror" and it's fabulous to see those stories woven into this timeline - it creates a universe that is both entirely canon and also weaves in so many brilliant, original elements.

Esme, the flashbacks to Mick's childhood, the ongoing exploration of his relationship with Elaine (which continues to break my heart in so many ways) and the development of Carl's character and his role in the aftermath of Josh's death - and then, of course, Mick and Beth.

Marvellous, wonderful, beautiful. I'll be back with more comment, I'm sure, as I re-read this many, many times.

Red

Oh, I'm so glad to know that you liked having the old stories woven in here! I'd always wanted the stories to intersect here, so decided to give this a try rather than write a whole different take on this interval. (Although really, that would have been so much easier to do. . . ) I'm ever so glad this approach worked for you.

I also liked getting a chance to do more with Esme -- and she'll be back later on.

So glad you'll be re-reading this one, too! Thanks so much, Red.

[wpgrace]

Enjoying a bit of a re-read... There is just so much delicious, interwoven detail in this one and such delightful intersection of the various stories... Elaine's, Tyler's, Esme's, and of course Mick's prevamp human days with his current post vamp human days. It just all comes together so satisfyingly here.

And am excited to read in your comments that we may get a bit more of Esme...

[Shadow]

Enjoying a bit of a re-read... There is just so much delicious, interwoven detail in this one and such delightful intersection of the various stories... Elaine's, Tyler's, Esme's, and of course Mick's prevamp human days with his current post vamp human days. It just all comes together so satisfyingly here.

And am excited to read in your comments that we may get a bit more of Esme...

Ohh, I'm so glad to know you're re-reading, Grace. And one of the reasons I decided to mesh the stories was because I really, really wanted Esme for a certain scene that will come up later on. So, definitely there will be more for her!

[maggatha3]

It just came to me , I have a spanish ''moonlightaholic'' friend called Esme.. Why haven't I invited her here yet?She would certainly like a moonlight story with her rare name in...

[Shadow]

It just came to me , I have a spanish ''moonlightaholic'' friend called Esme.. Why haven't I invited her here yet?She would certainly like a moonlight story with her rare name in...

How interesting! The name is pretty unusual. That sounds like a perfect match to me!

[maggatha3]

It took me a while to read the last two ones... well , because they are the last so far. But here I go again, with this one, and yeah, it was long as I remembered, but reading it in between , it just felt so satisfactory..

I made lots and lots of notes reading this, it was full of information and emotion, and all the characters involved gave it so much strength. The journey through Carl's mind was overwhelming: it started with my being afraid he would somehow get to Mick and even have him arrested, he seemed so sure, and even wanted to get even for Mick taking Beth from his dead friend, but he was rather easily persuaded by Esme;I really did not hope for him to withdrawn so easily. Oh, and he does seem to agree with Elaine about Beth's feelings - ''grief could take strange forms, especially when guilt lay beneath it'', what a phrase...

Then it was Elaine and Logan, oh , it feels so good to say their names together (what? I am just saying..) and the way they reacted to Mick as if they never really believed it when he had told them he wanted to be human again. Elaine got hurt seeing Mick as a human, and this seemed like a very human reaction to me, she was somehow loosing him. Mick's humanity was revealing to me too, and he is so happy , even more than it felt in the episode : happy that he can face the sun and not hurt, happy that Beth seems to be accepting him again, happy to be human. And, you got him shopping for guitar strings... Oh my god. What a turning point that would be , to see him guitar in his hands again, then I will have seen it all!

An Esme, what a magical figure. She is so much like Mick , fighting for decades to help humans and make up for what she is- and probably has done. Her brain and clever reaction actually got Mick out of trouble with the police, but she is also sensitive. '' I can feel her healing him''- How come everybody sees how perfect they are for each other- Mick and Beth- and they still doubt themselves? Two so shocking things about her though...her Sire and blood brothers made her feed on her own family? How can anyone live through such an ordeal..Plus, she knew Tyler? How, and in what way? It seems he was letting her know details of his life, were they blood brothers, lovers, friends?.. Questions, questions...

Oh, you're good, Shadow, you're good! And now, how am I supposed to spend my nights? You tell me! I will be right here hoping, forever.. my Sire

[Shadow]

Hi Maggatha! So great to see you here at the latest chapter! I'm really glad you liked the journey through Carl's mind; it was a bit of a change using his viewpoint. And his thoughts on grief . . . yeah, I thought he would have the same idea as Elaine, both of them having so much experience of it -- Carl's being less personal perhaps, but he would surely have seen many grieving people, through his job.

Then it was Elaine and Logan, oh , it feels so good to say their names together (what? I am just saying..)

It was indeed fun to finally put Logan and Elaine in the same room together!

An Esme, what a magical figure. She is so much like Mick , fighting for decades to help humans and make up for what she is- and probably has done. Her brain and clever reaction actually got Mick out of trouble with the police, but she is also sensitive. '' I can feel her healing him''- How come everybody sees how perfect they are for each other- Mick and Beth- and they still doubt themselves? Two so shocking things about her though...her Sire and blood brothers made her feed on her own family? How can anyone live through such an ordeal..Plus, she knew Tyler? How, and in what way? It seems he was letting her know details of his life, were they blood brothers, lovers, friends?.. Questions, questions...

I'm so delighted that you've liked Esme! A magical figure . . . what a lovely way to describe her. Loved that you had so many questions about her . . . and there will be some answers coming up, though probably not in the next chapter . . .

And now, how am I supposed to spend my nights? You tell me! I will be right here hoping, forever.. my Sire

I guess I'd better really get moving on that next chapter, to help you out here! But in the meantime I'll bet you can find some Moonlighaholic way to fill those nights, little fledgling . . .

[redwinter101]

Another wonderful re-read. Esme, Elaine, Tyler - all fitting together with the wonderfully touching scenes between Mick and Beth and the links to your other amazing stories.

This really is amazing.



Red

[Shadow]

Another wonderful re-read. Esme, Elaine, Tyler - all fitting together with the wonderfully touching scenes between Mick and Beth and the links to your other amazing stories.

This was certainly the chapter where I was most concerned about whether it would fit in with the rest . . .
It is marvelous to know that it did!

[Marigold]

Shadow, this was fantastic!

I love all the things you included in this chapter: Carl and Mick's 'visit' at the cafe, the earthquake, the follow-up on Tejada's death, Josef's visit to Mick, ... It was so nice to hear more about Mick's time as a human. It is a good thing Mick put food in his freezer.

I really like Esme and Tangent. It is so nice that she has been able to have relationships with her dogs. Tangent is a great front for her - she can use her vampire abilities to help people without anyone suspecting a thing. I'm so curious as to the connection between her and Tyler.

Logan and Mick are in a tricky spot regarding Kevin's laptop. They're trying to protect Elaine, but she deserves to see everything.

Thanks for explaining where Carl disappeared to. I've always wondered what happened to him.

It is so nice that Mick went to San Francisco to see Rosie. She had forgiven him, but he needed to forgive himself. I really hope Rosie is able to reconnect with Rosemary.

Thank you! I am really enjoying this story! Once I finish all the "In Between" stories, I will definitely read "Rose and Thorn" and "The Other Side of the Mirror."

[Shadow]

Marigold, I had to wait till April 2nd to answer . . . otherwise I would have been ing too much to write anything coherent!

I'm so happy that you like Esme and Tangent. It was interesting to imagine a vampire who had found a way to have dogs at her side, by overcoming some pretty strong instincts from both sides.
And there will be lots more about Esme's connection with Tyler coming up later on.

I always wondered just what had happened to Carl, too. One of those things that seemed to need an explanation!

I'm so glad you're interested in Rosie, too.

And it's so great you're planning to read those other stories! Thanks so very much!!