Moonlightaholics

So touching and heartwarming. What a delightful look back at Mick watching over Beth. It ties in so nicely with the show, when she states how she always felt safe-because he was watching over her. Thank you for this sentimental piece!

Fleur de Lisa wrote:So touching and heartwarming. What a delightful look back at Mick watching over Beth. It ties in so nicely with the show, when she states how she always felt safe-because he was watching over her. Thank you for this sentimental piece!

Fleur,

You're so welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Even as a young child, Beth is single minded. You can feel her willing it to snow so that she can make a present for her angel.

darkstarrising wrote:

Fleur de Lisa wrote:So touching and heartwarming. What a delightful look back at Mick watching over Beth. It ties in so nicely with the show, when she states how she always felt safe-because he was watching over her. Thank you for this sentimental piece!

Fleur,

You're so welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Even as a young child, Beth is single minded. You can feel her willing it to snow so that she can make a present for her angel.

I know!! I adored that you wrote her as so capable and in almost 'reporter mode' at such a young age.

dsr, this is a lovely and special story. What a beautiful glimpse into the time after Mick rescued Beth, when she was still little enough that he could maybe risk letting her see him sometimes, to reassure her that he was watching over her.

You captured the simplicity of a child's thinking, along with the seeds of Beth's reporter's curiosity and determination. I also liked the way you showed the loving concern of her mom. As a mother myself, I can only imagine the battles that poor woman must have fought with herself, trying to find a balance between making sure her daughter was safe and being overprotective. It's a testament to Beth's mom that she grew into such a courageous, gallant adult. She could so easily have been a mouse after what she went through. And I love, love, love the Christmas tree with the angel on top...

I grew up in California, and I remember vividly the few times it snowed when I was a little girl. Snow in a place that almost never sees snow is really magical, and that makes the gift Beth left for her angel even more special. I had a huge lump in my throat the whole time I read your story--and like Lilly, I gave up and let the tears fall when I read Mick's response to Beth's gift.

I agree with your comment--I think that the faith of Beth and her mom in his goodness helped Mick to be a good man. Not that he didn't want to be one before... but their trust in him, their belief, would have given him additional strength to live up to their expectations.

This is a beautiful story--a gift to all of us, and I thank you.

allegrita wrote:dsr, this is a lovely and special story. What a beautiful glimpse into the time after Mick rescued Beth, when she was still little enough that he could maybe risk letting her see him sometimes, to reassure her that he was watching over her.

You captured the simplicity of a child's thinking, along with the seeds of Beth's reporter's curiosity and determination. I also liked the way you showed the loving concern of her mom. As a mother myself, I can only imagine the battles that poor woman must have fought with herself, trying to find a balance between making sure her daughter was safe and being overprotective. It's a testament to Beth's mom that she grew into such a courageous, gallant adult. She could so easily have been a mouse after what she went through. And I love, love, love the Christmas tree with the angel on top...

I grew up in California, and I remember vividly the few times it snowed when I was a little girl. Snow in a place that almost never sees snow is really magical, and that makes the gift Beth left for her angel even more special. I had a huge lump in my throat the whole time I read your story--and like Lilly, I gave up and let the tears fall when I read Mick's response to Beth's gift.

I agree with your comment--I think that the faith of Beth and her mom in his goodness helped Mick to be a good man. Not that he didn't want to be one before... but their trust in him, their belief, would have given him additional strength to live up to their expectations.

This is a beautiful story--a gift to all of us, and I thank you.

alle,

thank you so much and you're very welcome I think you're right that Mick allowing a glimpse or two of himself might help the young child feel more secure.

I had hoped that the child's simplicity would come across. She knew what she wanted to do, so it had to snow, it just had to. Her poor mother did walk a fine line between being over protective and not, but she also had to deal with a very precocious and inquisitive child. How many times have you had a conversation with a child in which with every answer you give, you get 'why? in reply?' Beth's strength and determination might very well have made her mother a very tired woman.

Snow at Christmas where I grew up was rare, but more likely than in California. Even so, when it did snow, it was a happy occasion, at least for the kids. I loved the tree and the angel as well, so much so that I wove this story into one of my multi-fics as a recollection on the part of an adult Beth and Mick.

One of my favorite parts of this story is when the child Beth looks out into the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of her angel. When she doesn't, she whispers 'Merry Christmas', almost so that no one else could hear her, then runs back into the house. She knew that there were presents to be unwrapped and like any other child her age, she couldn't wait to get to them. She didn't know that she had given the greatest gift of all that Christmas.

I am going to do a close reading of your story...don't know if it will reveal anything deep and insightful, but I ADORE "A Snow Angel For Christmas." You do such a lovely job, at both showcasing young Beth, allowing us to glimpse the beginnings of the woman we see on the show, and showcasing Mick and Beth's connection--her guardian angel.

I also love the personality you give Beth's mother...

“Beth, honey, you need to get into bed and go to sleep. Santa doesn’t stop at houses where little girls and boys are still awake.” A six and a half year old Beth Turner sighed, thoroughly convinced that her mother could see and hear through walls. How else could she have known that her daughter was staring out her bedroom window searching the sky?

&

As she stood gazing at the tree, her mother came up behind her. Wrapping her arms around her enthralled daughter, she kissed the top of her blonde head. “Merry Christmas, Beth.”

Without her mom, I think the piece would have felt less real.

It wasn’t Santa, though, that young Beth was looking for. Snowflakes were what she was hoping to see against the cold night sky. Maybe, just maybe, she might see him as well.

This just paints a picture in my mind of Beth, with her nose squished against her window, as she searches out into the night, looking for snow and her angel. Just beautiful dsr. You capture Mick and Beth's connection with so few words.

Beth approached the tree, still captivated by its beauty. Its scent was heavenly and the needles just a little prickly on her fingers. There weren’t a lot of ornaments on the tree, and only a few lights, but ones she remembered from before. Crowning the treetop was something new, though, an angel, all dressed in white, his outstretched arms holding a banner proclaiming his Christmas message:

Peace on earth to men of good will.

To Beth, it was the most magical sight she had ever beheld.

This to me, echoes the fountain scene, where Beth first sees Mick and is drawn to him. The look of wonderment I imagine on Beth's face here as she looks at the tree, must echo I think some of her expression as she asks Mick, "Do I know you?" The angel on the tree, connects the two scenes, Mick is both, the angel that holds her captivated, and makes her feel safe.

“Because it’s easier for them to keep us from harm if they’re not seen. Some children I know might try to outsmart their guardian angels if they could see them. So they remain hidden from view, but always right beside us, just in case we need them.”

Beth pondered her mother’s words for a moment, then shook her head. “Sometimes, mama, guardian angels let you see them.”

Even young, Beth is smart, and stubborn.

It was almost perfect. Her arms had made the angel’s wings and her legs, the angel’s gown. But one thing was missing. Kneeling down beside her angel, Beth traced her finger in the snow, writing words she had carefully learned.

For my angel. Love, Beth.

Satisfied that her snow angel was now perfect, Beth turned toward the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of her other angel. When she didn’t see him, she just said ‘Merry Christmas’ very quietly, then ran back inside.

As the young child and her mother shared the joy of Christmas, a lone figure emerged from the woods and carefully approached the snow angel. He had seen the little girl carefully create her work of art, but couldn’t see what she had written in the snow. When he read her words, he bent his head, marveling at how such a simple gift could touch his heart so. As the snowflakes clinging to his eyelashes melted, they masked his tears. Soon, the snow would be gone, but this Christmas and Beth's gift would remain with him forever.

The ending is truly bittersweet. Beth leaves such a sweet, yet simple message for her guardian angel, loving with an innocence the way only a child can. And then we see Mick, outside of Beth's loving family inside enjoying Christmas, standing solitary in the snow, truly touched by Beth's present. He is already deeply connected with her, and she to him. Such a simple expression of affection, but Mick will always treasure it. Truly bittersweet. DSR, you have perfectly captured Mick's personality with this one paragraph I believe.

Just a lovely, lovely story. I'm so glad this fic was chosen for this month's dicussion so I could find it and enjoy it!

gl9,

Your words have truly touched me thank you so much....and I'm so very glad you found my Christmas present to all who love the story of Mick and Beth and their love for each other. Even so long ago, they shared a connection. Beth's statement of love for her angel is that of an innocent child trying to say thank you to someone who brought her safely back home in the only way she could. For Mick, this is a turning point as he comes to realize that this child was able to see past the horror the night she was rescued and see just a kind man. Her gift is one of hope that someday, he can love and be loved again.

Came by for a reread and I'm leaking all over the place, happily.

This is pure Moonlight magic.

And they can't cancel magic...magic lives on.

Thank you, Karen.

That was lovely!

jen wrote:Came by for a reread and I'm leaking all over the place, happily.

This is pure Moonlight magic.

And they can't cancel magic...magic lives on.

Thank you, Karen.

That was lovely!

Jen,

thanks!!! And you're right....they can never cancel the magic of Moonlight. For what it's worth, I made a word cloud of Snow Angel this afternoon.....looks kind of wintery and Christmasy



ETA I managed (finally) to upload the image files.

That's lovely!

Just saw those word clouds for the first time yesterday. They are lovely.

Another thing about this fic, Beth's past from when Mick rescued her as a four year old to the time they met again at the fountain is pretty nebulous. We know nothing majorly tramatic occurred but that is a lot of room to be explored and this lovely little fic is just the tip of the iceberg (hint, hint).

Could Mick and Beth have ever met before? Beth said that he looked familiar, and we just assume that is because she carried a shadow of a memory from the abduction. Still, she didn't have a clear, conscious memory of his face. (she pictured the face of an actor or whoever she had a crush on at the moment).

Just sayin' and shutting up now.

jen wrote:That's lovely!

Just saw those word clouds for the first time yesterday. They are lovely.

Another thing about this fic, Beth's past from when Mick rescued her as a four year old to the time they met again at the fountain is pretty nebulous. We know nothing majorly tramatic occurred but that is a lot of room to be explored and this lovely little fic is just the tip of the iceberg (hint, hint).

Could Mick and Beth have ever met before? Beth said that he looked familiar, and we just assume that is because she carried a shadow of a memory from the abduction. Still, she didn't have a clear, conscious memory of his face. (she pictured the face of an actor or whoever she had a crush on at the moment).

Just sayin' and shutting up now.

jen,

The word clouds are cool, aren't they? I'm doing a couple more, but haven't posted them yet.

Several have explored the possibilities of Beth having glimpsed or encountered Mick before they met again at the fountain. The one that stands out in my mind is Rijane's "See Me"....it's a wonderful fic, but it's not posted here. Maybe someone knows where it is posted. You're right, though, 23 years is a long time and there is plenty of potential there.

Whatever you do, never keep a good idea to yourself....any and all ideas are greatly appreciated.

darkstarrising wrote:The one that stands out in my mind is Rijane's "See Me"....it's a wonderful fic, but it's not posted here. Maybe someone knows where it is posted.

Rijane posts at fanfiction.net, and all of her stories are worth reading.

thanks, francis

norsmyth wrote:Gee dsr, this is the second short story of yours that I've read tonite and once again I'm wiping away tears but this time of joy! Such a sweet gift from little Beth to her guardian angel Mick. And when he bent his head to shed tears, I was joining him. You certainly have a wonderful way of just tugging at our heartstrings esp. with this beautiful Christmas story. Thanks again.

norsmyth,

You're very welcome and I'm glad you enjoyed this story!!