From the Case Files of Mick St.John: Wrong Turn (coco)PG-13

[Moonlighter]

Wow. Just...wow. I mean WOW. This was pretty much 100% awesome. I loved the noir feel you ladies created here, and every scene, every action was just perfectly described, and all from that one pause after that one question. Fantastic. Very nice job, ladies.

I loved Mick's no-nonsense reason for turning Marcin and how he knew he didn't have time to deliberate his decision. He had to save his brother, despite everything else he felt. And then the way you wrote how he knew just how Marcin felt after being turned against his will was so Mick. I feel Mick would have done the same thing as Marcin had Beth's case not come along.

I have to say that I loved the Coraline line too -- but wouldn't that fight scene have taken place after this tale? Rescuing Baby Beth was the case after Borkowski's, right? But I'm sure Mick had had many fights with Coraline prior to this, but we can only draw the visual from the fight scene we witnessed on the show, so we know the level of violence she could incur. Or they both could incur, really.

Man, I would love to see some more of those case files fleshed out like this one. Again, ladies, just a fantastic job you two did here!

[AussieJo]

Loved it!
Clever, clever Ladies.
Thank you for giving your talents for our reading pleasure.

[Moonlighter]

Okay, I tried to hold back from asking this, but it keeps popping up in the back of my mind. When Josef first met with Marcin after the rescue and when he was able to dispense his vampire justice on Charpentier, was he still .... naked? That image is burning in my brain and until someone fills me in otherwise ......................

[librarian_7]

Moonlighter,

Ummm, yeah, pretty much. things were moving pretty fast, and I don't believe he'd had time to hunt up a pair of pants.

Now, had this been on network TV, I expect he either wouldn't have been completely naked to begin with, or Mick would have managed to throw him a pair of sweats or something.

Lucky

[jen]

Fabulous collaboration.

Wonderful fic.

Love the ambiance created here. The character of Marcin had such depth. The ending was terribly sad, yet it felt right for him.

Thank you!

Jenna

[MickLifeCrisis]

I had not read this before, Lucky (and Coco) and once I started I could not stop. As usual, I could see this all play out in my mind from your wonderful descriptions. This was an amazing story!

Wow. This is so painful in more ways than one. There's the pain of being a washed up P.I. with no purpose in life. There's the pain of having to flee from the house, the pain of knowing Josef is tortured, the pain of many wounds. The pain of having to make a decision, the pain of knowing it was a mistake. The pain of letting the fledgling go.

ITA with francis here. Perfectly said.

Great story!

My favourite line is: "I regret a lot of things in my life. Dragging that cowering human, the one who’d watched them torture my friend, over to be a meal for Josef, isn’t one of them."

Just one question: What did Marcin want from Josef in the first place?

I, too, would like to read more case files...

Thanks for the fun I've had reading this! Kade

I was wondering this as well, but didn't see an answer. Did I miss something in the story?

Mick said that Marcin was dead either way and I think that was a valid rationalization to him to turn Marcin so he could save Josef. I think it also may have made it easier for Mick to accept Marcin's decision not to go on as a vampire.

So glad this was bumped and I found it!

[librarian_7]

I think I had in mind that Marcin was looking for Josef for some assistance in getting started in a new country. Not a handout, but possibly a job, or a recommendation.

I'm so glad you found this one, MLC. It's one of my favorites among my works, and I always love to see people reading it. coco's ideas and help with it were invaluable, and it was a great experience.

Lucky

[Shadow]

This is one of those stories I've been meaning to read for ages ... and I'm awfully glad that I finally have tonight! The sheer flavor of the writing is wonderful; it reminds me very strongly of the style of Trevor's original novel. The setting was perfect, at this time right before little Beth's case when Mick's life was so very different ... and it was quite brilliant to choose the name from the file folder just in front of hers in that cabinet. Since they weren't alphabetized, it only makes sense that those files were in date order. The back story of Marcin's grandfather and his relationship with Josef was really interesting - it must have been pretty special if Marcin's father was, as I suspect, named for Josef. And what a fantastic explanation for that look on Mick's face in Sonata - obviously he had turned someone sometime, but given his sensibilities it was hard to imagine why. This is really a fantastic explanation of that. The only way to save Josef, Marcin dying anyway ... of course he'd do it, in spite of realizing that he was doing to Marcin what Coraline had done to him. I like the way he feels remorse, but not regret. Interesting how the two cases that most changed Mick's life came back to back, with those very ordinary file folders resting against each other in the cabinet.....

[librarian_7]

I've always thought that Mick must've been sort of primed for a change, at the time of Beth's abduction. And it made sense to me, at least, that the last case before Beth's would have been a life changing one, in some sense.

Here's something funny--after I spotted that name on the file folder, and eventually used it in the story, I found out one time while skimming down a complete "cast and crew" list on IMDB, that there was a Marcin Borkowski who is listed as a "key set production assistant." So...he's a real guy!

Lucky

[Shadow]

there was a Marcin Borkowski who is listed as a "key set production assistant." So...he's a real guy!

That was a great find, Lucky! That explains how they came up with such an interesting name, too ....and, not that we could really see much in there, but I wonder if the rest of the files in that cabinet were named for crew members....

[librarian_7]

It was such an unusual name, I was sort of hoping it had been planted for use in a season 2 ep, or something. Evidently not!

Gives you a bit of an insight into how tv works!

Lucky

[jen]

Lucky and Coco

Came by for another reread and I totally agree that it would have made an amazing episode! You have launched out into largely unexplored waters here and the voyage is not one to be missed!

Mick here reminds me of the Mick in the original pilot. Darker, grittier and in ways less perpetually cool. Your writing here is amazing. It has the feeling of being worked on carefully, and rewritten. There are no useless words. Everything vividly paints the story for us and it all plays out in our minds.

I ache for Marcin. He is a positive, but ultimately tragic character. In a sense, how can it be any other way for a fledgling turned by Mick at that time in his life. I am somewhat surprised that Josef did not intervene, but Josef is Josef and he does what he does.

Was thinking about this earlier today and wanted to (a) read it again and (b) see it back at the top of Active Topics.

Thank you!

Jenna

[allegrita]

Lucky and coco, I'm back to re-read this wonderful story again, and I'm blown away once again by the sheer force of it. If this is the memory that rippled across Mick's face in Sonata... no wonder he didn't want to answer Beth's question. Mick has many regrets, and this terrible, but necessary turning must be high on the list...

My heart aches for Marcin, who came to America filled with hope. And for Mick, who saved his friend at the cost of a piece of his soul. Interestingly, as much physical pain and injury as he endured, I think Josef definitely came out best of the three--because this was the type of "game" he was used to. And the winning of such a brutal game is all the sweeter...

I wonder what would have happened to Mick if Beth's mother hadn't knocked on his door... but I'm very glad we don't have to find out.

[librarian_7]

jen and alle,

Thank you for the comments! This a personal favorite for me, and it's always just wonderful to see that people still read it!

Lucky

[jen]

Lucky

From time to time. I think we all search out Moonlight classics like this one.

The ambiance is so rich, and your OC so fabulously well developed the reader is swept into the story afresh each and every time (Well, I am, anyway).

Thank you!

Jenna