Welcome to my first story at MLA. A response to the Moonlight Crossover Challenge. An idea with Walking Dead just had to come out, and I was wonderfully assisted and beta'd by lovely Allegrita. Thank you so much lovely. 
Calms the nerves and presses 'submit' Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
PG-13
Waiting It Out.
A Moonlight / Walking Dead Crossover.
A Moonlight / Walking Dead Crossover.
So here I am. Another night on top of the Braly Building, corner of Fourth and Spring. Josef has me out looking out for them again. Downtown is my old stomping grounds, so he usually sends me here. ‘We have to know their movements, Mick. And would you forgive yourself if there was a human out there…lost?’ Heh. Kind of selfless when he wants to be, the old guy. Like we don’t both know the reason he’s got me out here is to look for fresh blood.
Man, it’s been such a long time. A long time without my old freezer. A long time without the fresh – well, kind of fresh – smell of the beach. We never go there now. They seem to move towards the ocean. Maybe it’s the movement that draws them. All these lifeless, soulless bodies. And when they get there? It’s where they stay. That terrible rocking from side to side until something else draws their attention. Scent, light, could be anything. I don’t wanna get into their heads.
I remember the first time Guillermo did an autopsy on one of ‘em. Josef and the Vampire Council had moved us all to a compound in the San Gabriels, overlooking La Cañada. High ground, out of the city. None of us knew what a great setup they had out here in case of, uh, evacuation. But Casa Vampiro (Josef’s name) is our home now. G has his own lab in the basement. (I know. Talk about a cliche.) He uses it now for donations. But before, just a couple of times, the Council wanted the ‘Walkers’ investigated. What had happened to the world? Why, all of a sudden, did the dead start walking? Killing? Ironic, I know. And it wasn’t a question that was easily answered. There was no live blood left in them. Just a thick, evil smelling liquid. The stench of it hung over the lab for a week, despite everything the Cleaners tried. Tests done, it was clear that it was something viral, but we didn’t have the equipment to develop a treatment or vaccine. Our only option was to save as many humans as we could. Offer them safe haven in exchange for, well, for services rendered.
I know I was lucky that the night it happened I was with Beth at her place. I hadn’t been asleep. I’d been watching her closed eyes as she dreamed. Her eyelids trembling as her mind ran through the events of the day. It’s not something I’ll ever get tired of doing. I’d heard a couple of noises outside, but I didn’t pay much attention until the thunk against the door woke her up. Eyes wide, she grabbed my arm and levered herself up onto her elbows. Watching me wordlessly as I slipped from her grasp and moved to the door. I squinted through the pebbled glass, catching a whiff of something on the air and seeing a man's shape. Someone that looked like Mr. Collins from Apartment 4 across the hall. Strange. Mr. Collins had died the week before. And there it was. That rocking motion as he stared into space through the window.
Like a fool I opened the door. I’ll never forget my first scent of them. Heh. You’d think a Vampire would smell bad, but hey. Personal hygiene is a must to us. This was somethin’ else. Earth meets death, meets decomposition. Never something I’d recommend. And he was coming toward me. Bloodshoot eyes, yellow irises, mouth gaping. Close the door, Mick. Close the door. Thankful for Vamp speed, I slammed it shut. And there was that thunk again, misshapen fingers against the window. This time along with a moaning, a snarling. I remember looking again through the panes of glass, bringing him into close focus. What the hell was going on? Stepping back as he pushed his face towards me... growling, inhaling, and then coughing as the smell invaded my senses.
By now Beth was out of bed. ‘Mick, who’s out there?’
I turned towards her, trying to think of how to say it. My fingertips resting against the wood of the frame as I looked into her open face, still half frowning through sleep. ‘Mr. Collins. I don’t know how, but it’s him.’
Beth’s furrows deepened as she tried to take it in. ‘But…’
‘I know. Stay away from the door.’ Already I’d moved back, away from the repetitive drumming against it. Grabbing Beth by the arm, I took her back into the bedroom, holding her up when she lost her footing at the speed I was going. Depositing her on the bed, I said, ‘I’m calling Josef. See if he’s heard anything.’ I moved to the window as I spoke, punching the speed-dial, then drawing back the curtain and looking down into the street below.
Josef picked up in an instant. ‘I swear, Mick, if you’re going to keep turning off your cell, I’m going to have a microchip fitted. Where the hell are you?’
‘I’m at Beth’s. Josef, there’s a dead man trying to break in.’
‘Is Beth with you? Is she okay?’
‘Yeah, she’s with me.’
‘Thank God. Look, whatever you do, don’t let any of them touch her. Just stay inside. The Cleaners are on their way. Tell Beth to pack light.’
That was all he’d tell me. I asked him what was going on, had he seen anything, but he said he’d explain everything when we got there.
And then we waited, throwing a few of Beth’s things into a bag and watching people run down the street outside, cars hurtling by at breakneck speed. Where were they going?
When the Cleaners came, they dispatched Mr. Collins, again. Something to do with severing the brainstem. I learned that pretty quick. And they bundled us into the back of their van.
A couple of hours later we were in the mountains. I could hear traffic all around us until we turned off Highway 2 onto a private road to what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. Shows what I know.
When we finally got in to see Josef, he told us what he knew. It was a pretty big shock. For a while, Beth was stunned. The thought of everyone she knew maybe not making it. Well, it took her some time to process it all. She stuck close by me those first few days, weeks even. So many Vampires. Unknown, predatory. Well, I was scared too. There was a lot of wrangling to be done at the start.
All Vampires had been asked to bring their ‘companions’ safely with them. Trying to keep the catering in house, so to speak. But we all knew there wouldn’t be enough for all of us. Rotations were set up. Feeding fresh was banned. Man, did that cause problems in the beginning. And then the patrols started. Looking for survivors. Tracking the Walkers’ movements… we needed to stay one step ahead. Survival of the fittest, according to the Council. And now… we’ve kind of settled into a routine with it all.
So, tonight that’s where you find me. Up on the roof again, taking my turn. I’ll watch them until dawn, look out for anyone who’s still out there. And in the morning, the Cleaners will pick me up and take me back to the compound. The one good thing about spending the night out here with them? I get to choose my feed when I get back. Pack F29R, also known as Beth Turner. But who’d have thought our Vampire senses would ever have been used for this? The undead watching the undead. All that time I hated what I’d become. This kind of puts it all into perspective, you know? It’s like Josef says. ‘Mick, we were here before they came, we’ll be here long after they’re gone.’
Only time will tell, I guess. But I hope so. I really do.
And what a great idea for a crossover! Your line about the undead watching the undead is brilliant, so very Mick... and leave it to him to use this horrible situation as a means for reexamining his own views of what it really is to be a monster.
which is tons scarier than graphic descriptions of what the zombies are actually doing. 
You are a true storyteller, and I hope you will write lots more Moonlight tales to entertain us. 
Thank you. 
