What Are You, Mick St. John? [ch. 14] PG13

[NocturneInCMoll]

Beta: As usual, much thanks goes to the ever-awesome Barb, Bank1115—she’s fantastic.

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.


What Are You, Mick St. John?—Chapter 14

“Josh knows?!” Beth gasped.

Carl swallowed. “Well, I’ve been reporting to him throughout the investigation. He was also suspicious of Mick that night. No offense, Mick.”

Mick sighed. “None taken. You were just doing your due diligence.”

Carl nodded in gratitude, then hastened to assure the vampires, “But to my knowledge, unless he or either of the lab rats also almost got eaten tonight, they haven’t figured out your secret.”

“Yet,” Josef spat.

“Josef,” Mick broke in, “we’d better get on damage control.”

“It’d be easier and safer just to kill them all.”

Beth and Carl gasped simultaneously.

“You can’t just go around killing everyone, Josef. That’s suspicious in itself,” Mick said. “What if we somehow find a way to destroy all the evidence? And/or come up with some plausible explanation for it all, that Carl here can pass on.”

“I’ll do anything,” Carl said quickly.

“Anything?” Josef cocked an eyebrow.

“Well…” Carl amended nervously, “…within reason?”

“Good,” Josef nodded firmly. “You may at times be forced to bend the rules you adhere to as an officer of the law, but it’s all in the interest of keeping world peace, so use that to help you sleep at night. —Blondie?”

Beth’s head snapped up. “What?” she startled, wide-eyed.

“Mr. Lindsey? You know him best.”

“I’ve kept it from him so far,” Beth swallowed, “even though I hate lying to him. But I think he knows I’m not telling him everything, and it’s probably made him more suspicious.”

“Well, keep it up—don’t tell him everything. Next time he tries to ask you something, take off his shirt—or yours. Guys like it when a woman takes initiative.”

“Ugh,” Beth rolled her eyes, then asked, “—What…happens…if Josh does find out somehow?”

“Then he dies,” Josef said harshly. “—Well, maybe,” he hastily amended. “If there’s the opportunity, he’ll get a hearing—like you did the other night, Beth, and you are tonight, Lieutenant. Believe it or not, vampires can be reasonable.”

A snort came from the side of the room and Mick suddenly broke into a coughing fit. Josef narrowed his eyes at him.

“Um,” Carl began, “what would happen if a human found out, and...didn’t take it well…at first?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if they said something they regretted later?

“Are you speaking for yourself?”

“No!” Carl said quickly. “Just…hypothetically.”

“—Whether you’re human or vampire, you can’t threaten to expose the vampire community and then say, ‘I’m sorry! I take it back!’—it just doesn’t work like that. We take the risk of exposure very seriously.”

Carl’s jaw twitched. He could see Beth chewing on her lip out of the corner of his eye.

“We have to—or we’d be extinct. If you guys can’t handle that…then we have a serious problem. So,” Josef leaned forward his eyes burning into Beth’s and then Carl’s, “—Can you handle it?”

Carl nodded slowly and noticed with relief that Beth did the same.

There was a moment of silence before Carl spoke. “What happens to…anyone…who makes threats?”

“Traitorous vampires are staked or shackled with silver and put to death by flame-thrower, or sometimes by beheading. Humans, we take our time with.” Josef flashed a fangy grin.

Carl shuddered.

“Well, I think that’s a good note to end on for tonight,” Josef said, leaning back in his chair. “Mick, our little human chums must be exhausted, particularly Mr. Cochinita Pibil, here.” At Carl’s startled look, he added sternly, “—Yes, you positively reek of them, Lieutenant! Don’t you eat anything else?!”

While Carl’s mouth was still flapping noiselessly, Josef addressed Mick again. “Buddy, why don’t you take them home and then return here? We have some things to discuss.”

Mick nodded. “Come on, Carl, Beth.”

Beth smiled slightly at Josef, who responded with a smirk and a, “’Night, Buzzwire.”

“Good night—er, good day—um…goodbye, Mr. Kostan,” Carl bowed slightly to the elder vampire.

“Josef is fine, Lieutenant,” Josef grinned. “I’ve had four centuries’ worth of formalities—enough to excuse them as I please.” He watched as Carl’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, then held out a card to him. “This is a number to my private line—emergencies only, you understand. Everything else goes through my secretary.”

Carl took the card. “Thank you—but perhaps you should specify what qualifies for emergencies? I’m only familiar with the 9-1-1 kind.”

“Anything involving the potential or imminent exposure of vampires. Or any very serious personal trouble—like you are about to be arrested for tampering with evidence, or find yourself severely outnumbered in a bar fight, things like that—we take care of our friends,” Josef emphasized the last term.

Carl nodded. Phew—friends. That’s a good sign…I think? “Understood. Do you want my number?”

“Oh, no need,” Josef said with a dark smile. “I already have it.” With that, he spun his chair around so its back was to the door again.

Carl recognized he was dismissed. He hurried out after Mick and Beth.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Mick pulled over to the side of the road that ran next to the Sacred Angels lot where Carl had left his car. Since the top was down, Carl hopped out over the side of the car. “I’ve always wanted to do that…”

Mick flashed him an easy grin. “Why do you think I got a convertible? I hate doors, apparently.”

Carl smiled in response, then let it fade. “Thanks, Mick…for everything.” He extended his hand and Mick shook it.

“We’ll be in touch, Carl. Tomorrow—or later today, I guess. Until then, if you talk to anyone who had been part of the investigation, just act normal, tell them you haven’t made any progress if they ask—we don’t want them to think something’s up.”

Carl nodded and looked nervously in the direction of his car, which was on the other side of the lot closer to the hospital, then slowly scanned the area. When he looked back to the Benz, he found he had been caught out.

“Would you like me to walk you to your car?” Mick inquired with an innocent expression. Beth sank down slightly in her seat, pressing a hand to her mouth.

Great. Now they’re laughing at me. Might as well roll with it—I feel perfectly ridiculous anyway. “You don’t know of any other rogue vampires operating in the area, do you?”

Mick rose slightly in his seat and made a show of sniffing the air. “No vampires currently in the area.”

Carl breathed slightly easier. “Good to know—thanks.”

“Bye, Carl,” Beth smiled at him.

“Goodbye, Beth; Mick.”

Carl walked to his car, shaking his head. Vampires…how did I miss that?!


To be continued…

[mitzie]

Oh, I really hope Carl can keep the secret. I like Carl! Loved the snarky interrogation!! I love this story and can't wait for more!!!!

mitzie

[RangerCM]

Carl walked to his car, shaking his head. Vampires…how did I miss that?!

This whole chapter was great, but that last line had me choking on my coffee.

[NocturneInCMoll]

Thanks so much, Mitz & Ranger!

Mitzie--I think Carl can keep the secret...but other people are out of his control, aren't they?

Ranger, glad you liked that last line, though I'm amused that you find it so amusing (or at least that's why I assume you were choking on your coffee).

Next chapter is written and back from my beta, but I'll be waiting a few days to post it because I'm not done the one after it. So it'll be Friday, or Saturday at the latest. But Josh will be in it!

[wollstonecraft61]

My God, I'm glad I'm not Carl! Josef scares the wee out of me in print...I wouldn't want to be there! Great job, Noc. Keep supplying my fanfic habit!

[NocturneInCMoll]

Tee hee. I'm sure Josef will be happy to know he scared somebody, Woll! Thanks for reading and enjoying.

[redwinter101]

Lovely to see that Carl still held his own with Josef. And I loved that you didn't make Josef too cuddly either .

Next time he tries to ask you something, take off his shirt—or yours.

Priceless.

Mick flashed him an easy grin. “Why do you think I got a convertible? I hate doors, apparently.”

And even at moments of tension, Mick has that easy humour. Lovely.

And now Beth knows that Josh knows but didn't let on to her that he knows and that he knows that she knows but he doesn't know that Carl knows nor that Carl told Beth that he knows. Phew!!!!

As usual, I can't wait for the next chapter.

Red

[coco]

Just got to tell you how much I'm loving Carl
Love the Josef snark too
Can't wait for more

[NocturneInCMoll]

Thanks so much, Red & Coco! Glad you're loving Carl--and Josef! Josh will appear in the next chapter, which I'll try to get up on Friday before the board goes down. Or maybe I'll do it Thursday because the board is going down. We'll see.

[wpgrace]

ADORABLE chapter.... every character was just adorable here... a little comic relief, Josef style, with a real warning thrown in...

This was incredibly fun to read... and loved Mick's snort. I can see Mick snorting at Josef's BS....

[NocturneInCMoll]

Tee hee, thanks so much, WP! Glad you liked. I'm certainly not going to complain that you think my characters adorable and fun! I'm glad I partially rewrote this chapter (along with 13) to make sure there was a nice balance of comic relief and serious warnings--and BS snorts.

Next chapter up...tonight! It's time for Josh to do something...

[MSJ_sunglasses]

Great chapter! So the tribe has another friend

[NocturneInCMoll]

Thanks, MSJ! They sure do...

[Catmoon]

I love Josef's conversations with Carl in this. And Carl being taken to see a vampire "elder" and having no idea who it was -- Priceless.

[NocturneInCMoll]

Tee hee, thanks, Catmoon. Yeah, with all that happened, Carl kind of forgot about Josef. Even now knowing what he does, that vampires don't physically age, it probably just didn't occur to him that the vampire elder could be him.

And I always have fun writing conversations with Josef.