Author: Cat Moon
Rating: PG, just because.
Disclaimer: Nothing Moonlight is mine, and I make no profit.
Summary: Recently I began a personal challenge to watch each episode and write a short story based on something that inspired me. I haven’t exactly done one a week like I intended, but here finally is the first one. In NSTAV, I was struck by how familiar Mick seemed to be with concepts like pranic energy when he was talking to the professor in his office. He’s obviously well read, considering his eclectic book collection. I started wondering at a possible reason for his particular interest in certain topics…
PS: I was stalled on this for awhile, but then Josef Muse took over and of course everything came together perfectly.
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Midnight at the Los Angeles Public Library
by Cat Moon
Los Angeles, late 1950’s.
“I had a feeling I’d find you here.”
Josef appraised the poor excuse for a vampire in front of him, shaking his head. He’d tried to tell Coraline, but of course she never listened to anyone. She did whatever she wanted, even if it meant crossing her powerful family and risking their retribution. It had never ended well in the past, she bore a brand on her shoulder as witness to that, but it didn’t seem to matter. Like Josef, when she wanted something she insisted on getting it – only in his case the desire included a healthy dose of common sense and survival instinct. Love. Josef sneered to himself. That emotion never did anything good for anyone. A decision based on that was a fool’s choice. It seemed, like those before her, Coraline had to learn that lesson the hard way too.
Mick was looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights. A very mussed deer, his dirty, wrinkled white shirt hanging out of his pants and his hair desperately in need of a comb. There were some splatters of blood here and there, evidence of an earlier meal. “Did Coraline send you here?” he asked.
Josef scoffed. “Coraline doesn’t make me do anything, buddy. I’m not the one she leads around by a ring through the nose.”
“Screw you,” Mick growled, showing a bit of spunk that surprised Josef.
“Sorry, I don’t know you well enough,” he quipped back. He kicked at the pile of the books scattered on the floor in front of Mick. They surrounded him like leaves on a breezy autumn day, open pages glowing in the light of the full moon that was pouring down from the window above.
“If you just came here to taunt me, you can go get your fun somewhere else, I’m not playing.” Mick clutched one of the books against his chest as if it was a shield.
Josef shook his head again. “What do you expect to find here?” He nodded to the eclectic collection of titles. Pranic energy and the vampire: origin theories. Vampiric demi-gods of Mesopotamia. Complete Guide to the Supernatural. “A way back?”
Mick started guiltily. “Maybe some answers.”
Josef gave a bark of laughter. “Well you won’t find them here!” He waved his hand to encompass the tomes. “Rubbish. All of it.”
Mick said nothing. His face revealed his strong stubborn streak, and a generous helping of distrust. That was another plus in his favor. He would come to trust Josef one day, but he’d never be privy to all of the elder vamp’s knowledge. Everyone had their secrets, especially vampires. Regrettably, Mick’s distrust had been hard won. Still, it would serve him well if he kept it.
“I want to understand what’s happened to me,” Mick admitted with surprising honesty.
“You want to understand through the eyes of a human,” Josef told him. “You aren’t one anymore.”
“Oh? And how do I understand ‘as a vampire’?”
“You be one. There’s no way back, Mick,” he said almost gently. “You can only go forward.”
“And if I don’t want to?”
Coraline had told Josef about Mick’s begging her to kill him right after the turning. She always asked him for advice, but never with the intention of actually taking it. He should have ratted her out to the cleaners for letting a fledgling get away from her and run around the city unsupervised. That was years ago though, and whether Mick wanted to admit it or not, Coraline was right. He didn’t want that. If he really had wanted death, he wouldn’t have made it past the first few years. His survival instinct was strong. Maybe, just maybe, if he had the right influences and gave up his impossible dream of becoming human again, he might make a halfway decent vampire after all. Only time would tell.
“Come back to my place with me, I’ve got a nice sharp sword that I can cut your head off with if you want,” Josef responded dryly. “Unless you prefer a flamethrower? We’ll have to contact the Cleaner about that, it’s not my style.”
Mick glared at him. “You’re a real wise ass, aren’t you?” he asked rhetorically.
“You’ll get used to it.” When the ghost of a smile haunted Mick’s lips, he knew he’d won this round. “Shall I leave you to your books then? Or are you ready to stop ‘studying’ for the night? If you make yourself more presentable, I might consider bringing you to the club with me.”
“Why?” Mick asked curiously.
“Coraline tries to keep you all to herself,” he said brusquely. “You need to be around your own kind more.”
“Why should you care?”
Children. Always with the questions. Everything was why, why, why. Truth was, Josef wasn’t sure himself. There were a million reasons why Mick St. John should never have been turned; Coraline’s friends and acquaintances even had a bet going on how long he’d last. Of course, if Josef was to keep close tabs on Mick, he could hedge his bets… Telling himself that was his only reason, Josef shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess you’ll have to come along to find out.”
Perhaps the chick was ready to leave the nest and fly on his own, or maybe he was just tired of desperately searching for answers in the books. Whichever it was, Mick got slowly to his feet, leaving them behind for the night. Josef knew he’d be back; he’d probably read every book on supernatural topics that the library had before it was over. But that would be balanced with real life experience, if Josef had anything to say about it.
Just maybe, all bets were off.
The end.
5/31/09
Next one, hmm... I'd better consult with Josef and get back to you. 
