The Gift (PG) Challenge 138 4/15/12
Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:00 pm
Hi all 
What follows is my answer to the challenge to 'fill in' some of the blanks about what Mick did in his six days of being human. One thing that bothered me in the series was how Coraline was effectively written off with Mick's simple line of 'it was never meant to be'. Somehow, I think there was more to it.....
The Gift
Day two of being human started out like day one, with just a couple of twists.
I still hurt and look like hell. One other thing? If I’m going to be human, I really have to get a bed. Maybe Beth can sleep on this couch, but I can’t. Landing on the floor in the middle of the night got that point painfully across.
Twice.
Sleeping in the middle of the great room? Not a great idea, something I again learned the hard way. It’s just not private enough, especially if you’re thinking about someone special. On my second day of being human, the sun wasn’t up yet, but something else was.
“Dreaming of Beth, are we?”
Like I said, not private enough. My eyes opened to find Josef’s face inches from my own.
“Jesus!!!” Next thing I know, I’m on the floor, again, trying to preserve what little dignity I have left. It wasn’t working.
“Not likely. ” Josef muttered as he surveyed the sorry mess of my human self and the rancid remnants of my first real meal in decades.
“So, this is why you haven’t been over for cocktails. Gorging yourself on…this…this….what is this anyway?” His disgusted expression told me what he thought of day old take-out. I’m surprised he could stand the smell.
“It’s called food, Josef. You know, the stuff humans eat. Anyway, shouldn’t you be hitting the freezer? It’s almost sunrise. ” I flopped back onto the couch, balling the blanket in my lap. It only made matters worse.
“I will, but unlike yourself, I won’t be ‘up’ all night.” It was all Josef could do to keep a straight face as he watched the blanket slowly collapse along with my ego.
“So, are you going to tell me why you’re here or not?”
“Only if you tell me why you’re black and blue and human all over.”
“In a word - Lance.”
“And here I was, worried that you’d thrown yourself on the proverbial pyre over Beth’s rejection or that Coraline had thrown you on a real one. You know, payback. But taking on Lance? What the hell were you thinking?”
“I couldn’t just stand by and let him take her!!”
“Take who?”
“Coraline. She stole the cure from Lance and he wanted it back.”
“Coraline gave you the cure? Why? I’d have bet anything she wanted nothing more than to sink her fangs in you. Again.”
“No! Coraline’s changed. She’s tired of being a vampire. She said that maybe love couldn’t exist without mortality.”
I could tell Josef wasn’t buying it. In his mind, people like Coraline didn’t change. Before two nights ago I’d have agreed with him.
“Coraline gave me the cure because she wanted to make amends, Josef. She gave me back my life because she’s the one who took it.”
“And you jumped at the chance, never thinking about the consequences.”
“Like what?”
“Like getting your human ass kicked by a pissed off, powerful vampire. Don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you still alive?”
“Because Coraline offered to go with Lance if he left me alone.”
I could see my friend’s skepticism turn to surprise, and trust me, Josef doesn’t surprise easily.
“Where are they now?”
“My guess? Back in whatever hole Lance crawled out of. Speaking of consequences, he told Coraline there’d be some for stealing the compound. Maybe we should…”
“No!” Josef’s eyes flashed as he spun on me. “I told you once before to leave this alone. I’m telling you again, and this time, you’re going to listen!”
“You didn’t see Coraline’s eyes, Josef! She was terrified ….”
“She should be.” Sorrow replaced anger as Josef tried to reason with me. “Look, Mick, I know these…. people, Coraline’s family. They’re old-time vamps; arrogant, proud, rigid in their rules and ways. Anyone who breaks those rules will have to pay the price. Even Coraline.”
On top of everything else, I was starting to feel sick. “What are they going to do to her, Josef?”
My friend shrugged. “For stealing the cure….”
“That and for turning me…Lance said Coraline brought me into their bloodline without permission.”
Josef turned away from me, his silence telling.
“We have to go after her, Josef! I can’t just sit back and let them destroy her!!”
“You can and you will! You go after her now, you’ll both end up a pile of ash.”
Human or vampire, I can be stubborn, but Josef shut down any further protest. “I once told you that you had to stop carrying Coraline, that you can’t let the past keep you from moving forward. If you won’t listen to me, listen to her.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You wouldn’t. You’re too young. Unlike myself, some vamps do get tired of eternity, and maybe Coraline has joined their ranks. If so, giving you the one thing you want most and leaving with Lance is her way of letting you go. She’s given you a gift, Mick, not just to be human again, but the chance to love again. Don’t blow it. Let Coraline go. Make peace with Beth. And if you’re ‘up’ to it, do something more, before it’s too late.”
Dawn was breaking, Josef’s cue to leave. “While you may not understand or agree with Coraline’s decision, you have to respect it. Who knows? Maybe she’ll change her mind, do her penance and return to the fold. Maybe she’ll come to understand something I finally did; mortal or immortal, love makes no distinction.”
Later, as I stood on the balcony, relishing the warmth of the LA sun, I knew Josef was right. Coraline was my past, one filled with passion, love and loss. Beth is my future, one filled with promise and uncertainty. How long will I stay human? No idea. All I know is Coraline’s gift was an act of love I could finally accept and without it, any future with Beth would never be possible.
What follows is my answer to the challenge to 'fill in' some of the blanks about what Mick did in his six days of being human. One thing that bothered me in the series was how Coraline was effectively written off with Mick's simple line of 'it was never meant to be'. Somehow, I think there was more to it.....
The Gift
Day two of being human started out like day one, with just a couple of twists.
I still hurt and look like hell. One other thing? If I’m going to be human, I really have to get a bed. Maybe Beth can sleep on this couch, but I can’t. Landing on the floor in the middle of the night got that point painfully across.
Twice.
Sleeping in the middle of the great room? Not a great idea, something I again learned the hard way. It’s just not private enough, especially if you’re thinking about someone special. On my second day of being human, the sun wasn’t up yet, but something else was.
“Dreaming of Beth, are we?”
Like I said, not private enough. My eyes opened to find Josef’s face inches from my own.
“Jesus!!!” Next thing I know, I’m on the floor, again, trying to preserve what little dignity I have left. It wasn’t working.
“Not likely. ” Josef muttered as he surveyed the sorry mess of my human self and the rancid remnants of my first real meal in decades.
“So, this is why you haven’t been over for cocktails. Gorging yourself on…this…this….what is this anyway?” His disgusted expression told me what he thought of day old take-out. I’m surprised he could stand the smell.
“It’s called food, Josef. You know, the stuff humans eat. Anyway, shouldn’t you be hitting the freezer? It’s almost sunrise. ” I flopped back onto the couch, balling the blanket in my lap. It only made matters worse.
“I will, but unlike yourself, I won’t be ‘up’ all night.” It was all Josef could do to keep a straight face as he watched the blanket slowly collapse along with my ego.
“So, are you going to tell me why you’re here or not?”
“Only if you tell me why you’re black and blue and human all over.”
“In a word - Lance.”
“And here I was, worried that you’d thrown yourself on the proverbial pyre over Beth’s rejection or that Coraline had thrown you on a real one. You know, payback. But taking on Lance? What the hell were you thinking?”
“I couldn’t just stand by and let him take her!!”
“Take who?”
“Coraline. She stole the cure from Lance and he wanted it back.”
“Coraline gave you the cure? Why? I’d have bet anything she wanted nothing more than to sink her fangs in you. Again.”
“No! Coraline’s changed. She’s tired of being a vampire. She said that maybe love couldn’t exist without mortality.”
I could tell Josef wasn’t buying it. In his mind, people like Coraline didn’t change. Before two nights ago I’d have agreed with him.
“Coraline gave me the cure because she wanted to make amends, Josef. She gave me back my life because she’s the one who took it.”
“And you jumped at the chance, never thinking about the consequences.”
“Like what?”
“Like getting your human ass kicked by a pissed off, powerful vampire. Don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you still alive?”
“Because Coraline offered to go with Lance if he left me alone.”
I could see my friend’s skepticism turn to surprise, and trust me, Josef doesn’t surprise easily.
“Where are they now?”
“My guess? Back in whatever hole Lance crawled out of. Speaking of consequences, he told Coraline there’d be some for stealing the compound. Maybe we should…”
“No!” Josef’s eyes flashed as he spun on me. “I told you once before to leave this alone. I’m telling you again, and this time, you’re going to listen!”
“You didn’t see Coraline’s eyes, Josef! She was terrified ….”
“She should be.” Sorrow replaced anger as Josef tried to reason with me. “Look, Mick, I know these…. people, Coraline’s family. They’re old-time vamps; arrogant, proud, rigid in their rules and ways. Anyone who breaks those rules will have to pay the price. Even Coraline.”
On top of everything else, I was starting to feel sick. “What are they going to do to her, Josef?”
My friend shrugged. “For stealing the cure….”
“That and for turning me…Lance said Coraline brought me into their bloodline without permission.”
Josef turned away from me, his silence telling.
“We have to go after her, Josef! I can’t just sit back and let them destroy her!!”
“You can and you will! You go after her now, you’ll both end up a pile of ash.”
Human or vampire, I can be stubborn, but Josef shut down any further protest. “I once told you that you had to stop carrying Coraline, that you can’t let the past keep you from moving forward. If you won’t listen to me, listen to her.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You wouldn’t. You’re too young. Unlike myself, some vamps do get tired of eternity, and maybe Coraline has joined their ranks. If so, giving you the one thing you want most and leaving with Lance is her way of letting you go. She’s given you a gift, Mick, not just to be human again, but the chance to love again. Don’t blow it. Let Coraline go. Make peace with Beth. And if you’re ‘up’ to it, do something more, before it’s too late.”
Dawn was breaking, Josef’s cue to leave. “While you may not understand or agree with Coraline’s decision, you have to respect it. Who knows? Maybe she’ll change her mind, do her penance and return to the fold. Maybe she’ll come to understand something I finally did; mortal or immortal, love makes no distinction.”
Later, as I stood on the balcony, relishing the warmth of the LA sun, I knew Josef was right. Coraline was my past, one filled with passion, love and loss. Beth is my future, one filled with promise and uncertainty. How long will I stay human? No idea. All I know is Coraline’s gift was an act of love I could finally accept and without it, any future with Beth would never be possible.
Wonderful answer to the challenge, dsr. 
You moved us seamlessly from the ridiculous to the sublime, and tied up a lot of loose ends in the process. 
I can see this whole scene playing out. I love the way that humanity turned our neat-freak, ascetic vamp into a bit of a slob. 
The scene at the beginning of FtP showed every surface of the kitchen covered with food--loaves of bread, succulent fruit, wine, orange juice, coffee... a feast at his fingertips. I think Mick reveled in all that deliciousness, his for the taking... and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he started his "mortal slobbishness" by neglecting to throw out that huge lot of takeout that he gorged on the first night. And it's perfectly in character that Josef would let himself in and discover the embarrassing evidence that Mick was dreaming about Beth. 
What perfect fodder for Josef's needling. But, as we've seen elsewhere (and that's what makes this scene so believable), Josef and Mick can go in an instant from teasing banter to deep and meaningful communication. They've been there for each other time and time again, and this is one of the times that Mick needs Josef's wisdom and clear sight. He needs to accept the gift that Coraline gave him--the sacrifice that she made for him. Not just temporary mortality, but freedom from harassment by her family, and the chance to find love again. 
Because, "like they say, life is short." 
I had a little fun with this one
That's the point that Josef was trying to get Mick to see - that if he didn't take advantage of Coraline's gift, everything she did would be in vain. If nothing else, Josef knows how to appeal to Mick's sense of guilt.