Family Reunion. (challenge #106 with co-author Grace) PG-13
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:05 pm
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original character, Emma, 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.
Characters: Mick; Lance; plus, Coraline; Josef; Emma; and Beth.
Rating: PG-13 for adult themes.
This story is a collaborative effort between Grace & Phee for Champagne Challenge #106. Grace, it's been an honour, and I hope I've done your story justice.
A/N: This story is a mix of canon and AU. In order to create a timeline, I borrowed from my Josef & Emma series. Accordingly, this takes place after Sonata. Mick and Beth are a couple; Josef has just married his fledgling, Emma; Coraline survived and has returned to L.A., (where she gatecrashed the wedding); and Lance DuVall travelled to the U.S. to formally offer the DuVall family’s congratulations to Josef...
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Family Reunion. By Phoenix & wpgrace.
Ten feet from the door, Mick stopped dead in his tracks and inhaled sharply.
Lance DuVall? What the hell?
Mick opened his door and met Lance’s stare head on. The European was wearing a mildly smug expression, yet he remained still and silent. When it became clear that he was waiting for an invitation, Mick stepped aside and motioned for Lance to enter.
Lance barely nodded and strode into Mick’s apartment. He looked around appraisingly, and when the door clicked closed, he murmured, “Thank you, Mick.”
“What do you want, Lance?” Mick’s voice was colder than his freezer.
Lance turned; his cashmere coat swirled elegantly, and he faced Mick with a smile.
“Now, is that any way to greet your brother-in-law?”
Mick’s jaw tightened. His chin jutted forward.
“My sire sent me – as a representative of the family – to formally extend our congratulations to Josef Kostan on the occasion of his marriage.” Lance walked to the sofa and sat down. “Josef’s infant bride is beautiful, isn’t she, Mick? She reminds me of my sister.”
Coraline. Lance has come to talk about Coraline.
Mick walked into the kitchen, selected two glasses and poured himself a scotch.
“Would you like a drink, Lance?”
“No, thank you.”
Mick walked into the living room, sat down opposite Lance, and waited. The older vampire watched with an expression of mild amusement while the younger one nursed his drink.
The sharp scent of the expensive liquor competed with the testosterone that hung thick in the air.
Finally, Lance effected a bored expression and sighed.
The corner of Mick’s mouth twitched.
After all these centuries, Lance is still a spoiled aristocrat.
“Mick, I’m a busy man ... but since I was sent to this backwater, I decided a family reunion was in order ... even though you haven’t been entirely civil on the three previous occasions we’ve met.”
Lance leaned back, stretched his arms out along the back of the sofa, and pinned Mick with a cold stare.
“Are you here to discuss my manners, or is there a point to this visit?”
“Ah, Mick,” Lance smiled slowly. “I’m beginning to see why Josef has kept you as his pet for these last few decades ... you really are quite amusing at times.” He paused and waited for Mick to react to the insult, and was secretly pleased when the younger man refused him the satisfaction. Lance pretended to pick a piece of lint from his coat, and then continued. “The first time we met, you looked me straight in the eye and lied to me. And twice you’ve tried to fight me. Apparently you are either very stupid or very brave. According to Coraline, it’s the latter.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. “Mick, I want to know what your intentions are regarding my sister.”
“Coraline is my ex-wife. I don’t have any ‘intentions’ towards her.”
Lance relaxed and resumed his former position on the sofa.
“I am well aware of your beautiful, blonde paramour – but if you honestly believe that you and Coraline are no longer married, perhaps you are stupid after all.”
Mick stood and glowered at his unwelcome guest.
Lance rolled his eyes and said, “Really, Mick, these little scuffles are growing tiresome.”
Bastard.
Mick clenched his jaw, raised his glass, and pointed to the kitchen, indicating he was going for a refill. When he returned to his chair, he took a deep slug of the scotch and grimaced at the burn.
“I know you’ve seen your wife–”
“Ex-wife.”
“–since she returned to L.A.” Lance continued as if Mick hadn’t interrupted. “But did she tell you what she suffered at the hands of our sire, after she sacrificed herself to save your ungrateful hide? He really made an example of her.” Lance paused, lost in clearly unpleasant memories. He looked into Mick’s eyes. “You know, there were a few times when I feared that he had gone too far, and that even Coraline’s vampiric healing abilities wouldn’t be enough to preserve her beauty – or her life.”
Mick closed his eyes. Bad move. His mind was flooded with images of the terror in Coraline’s eyes as she knelt before her brother – waiting for him to plunge the stake into her heart.
“Coraline spoke of you often during the months our sire held her. She still loves you, Mick.” Lance paused, and Mick wondered if the concept was one the French aristocrat was capable of comprehending. “My sister said – many times – that she was glad you hadn’t risked your life, yet again, to try and rescue her. Even so, as the months wore on, I know she wondered why you made no attempt to rescue her.”
Mick dragged his eyes open – and to his shock, he saw real concern on Lance’s face.
He really does love his sister.
Lance stood, and the immaculate line of his coat fell smoothly into place.
“You’re a confusing man, Mick. You’re really still a fledgling, and yet you went head to head with me when I could have killed you without wrinkling my clothes. You fought as hard as you could to protect Coraline. But in the end, you abandoned her to her fate. Yes, she needed to be taught a lesson ... she deserved it for the way she betrayed us ... even so, more than once I thought that I was about to lose her. One night ... when my sister was too broken to drink, and we both feared it was the end ... she lay curled up, whispering in the darkness, telling me what an honourable man you are. That made me wonder why you didn’t try to find your wife.”
Ex-wife. Coraline is my ex-wife!
Mick closed his eyes, determined to hide the tears that threatened to spill at any moment.
“Mick, you should know that I told my sire what I’d learned about you. I told him that I saw in you the potential to be truly worthy of our bloodline ... eventually ... and I suspect things wouldn’t have been quite so bad for my sister if you’d come to plead on her behalf. Though we’ll never know, will we?”
Mick’s hands tightened into fists. The glass shattered and sliced into his flesh, yet he ignored the pain and the blood. He was only aware of the deafening roar in his ears; the banshee’s cry.
And when at last he opened his eyes to face Lance, Mick realised he was alone.
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Forward to Facing Demons.
And it never made sense to either Grace or me that Mick would risk his life (more than once) to protect Coraline, and then simply desert her. 
Yet as Grace has already mentioned, the two vampires are connected by their relationships with the same woman; they are both alpha-males; and for Mick, (who could intimidate any vamp part from Josef), being beaten up by Lance must have been hard to take. 
Thank YOU, Grace, for teaming up with me to create this glimpse into what might have been...
He has been around long enough to know how to get to people. And I agree, Mick probably was in less pain after Lance beat him senseless. 
