The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

User avatar
darkstarrising
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:25 am

The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by darkstarrising »

Dearest Readers,

This is my answer to the challenge for a Moonlight Crossover story, challenge 140. Originally, this was supposed to be a relatively short story, but the muse cackled wickedly and off we went. For me the challenge (initially) was getting inside the head of a character I wasn't overly sympathetic with and change that perception. Chapter 1 comprises what was that original story. The subsequent eight chapters provide the fallout from the events in Chapter 1 as well as a means for the muse to have a little fun.

I hope you enjoy.

The usual disclaimers apply. I mean no copyright infringement on any of the characters described herein. This is all for fun, nothing more.

The Long Journey Home

Chapter 1

It’s 1 am , and still no takers.

Dejected, the young woman slid slowly off the bar stool and called it a night. Along with her prospects, the drug-induced euphoria had all but evaporated, leaving her head pounding and her heart aching. Shoving her way through the crowds, she finally escaped the club’s din to the relative quiet of an LA street. There, darkness would hide who she really was.

Nobody.

After a night of dancing and doing lines, the thirty-something blonde felt disheveled and more than a little out of it. In the club’s smoky haze, no one could see that her clothes were last year’s chic, her shoes mere knockoffs of fashion’s current darling. Even so, she could ill-afford her secondhand outfit let alone the white powder she’d inhaled.

The people she encountered grew fewer as she made her way up the street. Tonight she'd felt old, at least by clubbing standards, and dreadfully lonely. The female crowd was definitely getting younger and prettier; she doubted any of them bore the emotional scars she did at their age. Sexy, toned, tanned and willing, these women wouldn’t be going home alone.

Kauhale

Her home, her island paradise, was forever lost.

The club’s pulsating rhythm faded the further she walked, the combination of coke and ridiculously high heels making her progress halting and unsteady. Still, it had been worth a shot. She’d have done almost anything to have someone hold her and tell her that they cared, even if they didn’t. Relationships, like everything else in LA, were superficial and fleeting. Sure, there were a few so-called friends, but she yearned for the people who once loved her.

Ohana

The word was almost as forgotten as the feeling.

Tears threatened, but they were quickly brushed away. No child should lose a mother as she had, so suddenly and violently. The woman who kissed a child’s fears away and cured all her troubles with a loving smile had vanished in a horrific instant. Never again would she feel her mother’s gentle touch, nor hear her soothing voice.

One would think her father would have kept his children all the closer, yet he’d pushed them away with no explanation. Perhaps it was his way of dealing with his own grief, but it only worsened his children’s, at least hers. God only knew what her brother felt; what little she remembered of his last call hadn’t given her much to go on. As for her father, she hadn’t seen him since he sent her away.

And now she never would.

She’d been stunned by the news of her father’s death, even more violent than her mother’s. How could one family bear so much tragedy? Yet shock never gave way to the grief she’d felt for her mother so long ago, bleeding instead into resentment and anger. He was the one who sent her away, for God’s sake, ripping her from any remaining family and the only home she’d ever known. Coupled with the loss of her mother, that was the damage she would never recover from and the injury she’d never forgive.

Never.

Preoccupied, the young woman never registered another’s presence. Faster than she thought possible, she found herself a dark alley, pushed roughly up against the side of a building. Her attacker was incredibly strong, sneering at her futile attempts to break free. For a warm September night, she found herself shivering in his grasp.

“Wha….what do you want? Please, take … anything…..my purse…just don’t hurt me!”

Icy fingers brushed tendrils of hair from her neck. “First things first….”

It must have been the coke; for an instant, her attacker’s eyes seemed to glow. As his face drew near, she closed her eyes and prayed to a God that had long ago abandoned her for help.

Please, I don’t want to die!! Not like this!!

After that, things were a blur. Someone must have heard her cries and come to her rescue. Once her captor’s grip released, she fell near senseless to the ground. A struggle ensued, the sounds more frightening than the impossible images before her eyes.

Abruptly, the struggle ended and the figure of a tall, dark haired man emerged from the shadows. The last thing she heard before being overcome was a familiar voice reassuring her.

“Hey, it’s OK. You’re safe now.”

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

“Mary? Can you hear me?”

The young woman stirred as gentle fingers stroked her cheek, awakening a cherished childhood memory.

Mom?

“It’s OK, Mary. No one is going to hurt you.”

Mary finally managed to open her eyes, finding herself laying on a sofa, covered by a light blanket. A blonde woman about her age was hovering over her, concern etched on her beautiful face. There was something familiar about the woman, but Mary couldn’t quite place her.

“Who…who are you? Where am I?”

“My name is Beth and you’re in my home. How are you feeling, Mary?”

“Shitty.” The follow-up to the young woman’s reply was more wary. “Hey, how do you know my name?”

“I went through your purse and found your driver’s license. I hope you don’t mind; I was trying to find some contact information, but your cell is dead. Do you have any family in the area I can call?”

Mary shook her head, immediately regretting it.

Beth’s concern deepened. “Mick said you hit your head when you fell. Do you want to go to the emergency room?”

And have them find all that coke in my system? No way, lady. I’ve got enough trouble.

“No! I’ll …I’ll be fine, but I’d kill for some coffee.” Mary sat up slowly, closing her eyes, hoping the room would soon stop spinning. “Who’s Mick?”

“My husband. He found you in the alley and brought you here.” Beth left momentarily, returning with a steaming mug. “Here, let this cool a bit. Can you tell me what happened?”

Clutching the mug, Mary tried to put all the blurry pieces together. “I remember being at a club for most of the night, you know, just hanging out. I left after midnight, but I don’t remember exactly when.”

“Were you with someone when you left?”

“No…I was alone…just walking.”

“Where were you going?”

“Home, eventually, but I needed to get some air. Hey, what’s with all the questions, anyway?”

Beth smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I used to be a reporter for Buzzwire. Old habits die hard, I guess.”

“Buzzwire? I know you! You’re Beth Turner!”

“Guilty as charged, although now it’s Beth St. John.” Beth paused for a moment, worried about her next line of questioning. “Mary, I know this is painful, but can you tell me anything about your attacker?”

“Not much except that he was strong, really strong.”

“Anything else?”

“Honestly? Not really. It was pretty dark and I was scared shitless.”

Not to mention just a little wasted.

“Wait, when he touched me, he felt kinda cold.” Mary shivered at the memory.

Beth nodded, encouraging her guest to continue. So far, it seemed as if Mary hadn’t seen enough to endanger the community.

“I remember struggling and when I couldn’t get away, I just closed my eyes.” Mary shrugged. “After that, it’s all a blur.”

“Good thing Mick was in the area. He heard a scuffle in the alley and when he saw you were in trouble, he tried to help.”

Good thing he was hunting a rogue or you’d be in the morgue right now.

“Seriously? A Good Samaritan in LA?” As soon as she uttered those words, Mary regretted them. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I guess I’m still a little shaky. If your husband hadn’t stopped that guy….” Mary’s voice dropped to a whisper “I thought he was going to kill me.”

“Hey, it’s over. You don’t have to talk about it anymore.”

Mary took a sip of the coffee, grateful for its warmth. Maybe she was in shock or maybe Beth liked her home icy, but Mary still felt chilled. “Where’s Mick now? I’d like to thank him.”

“He’ll be here shortly. He’s making sure your attacker is dealt with.”

Mary choked. “O shit!! Did he go to the cops?”

“You say that as if it were a bad thing.”

“It’s just…I got picked up a few weeks back for a drug DUI. I swore I’d kick the habit and the judge fined me and put me on probation. If they find I was using tonight….”

“Ah, I see. You’d go to jail. To answer your question, no, Mick didn’t involve the police.”

“Then how…."

“Let’s just say that Mick knows some people who’ll deal with this guy…I promise you, he won’t be bothering you or anyone else ever again.”

And by now he’s nothing but ashes…

“Wow! Your husband must be something else.”

Beth couldn’t help but smile. “He most certainly is. Besides being a wonderful husband, he’s a private investigator. Hence, the ‘connections’.”

“You’re so lucky….to have someone who loves you so much.” Mary’s face fell. “I wish I had someone who cared for me like that.”

“What about your family?”

“My mother died years ago and my brother Steve is God knows where at any given time. And now….” Tears glistened in the young woman’s eyes. “My father was murdered and nobody will tell me why!!”

Beth sat down next to Mary, pulling her into a gentle embrace. That simple act of kindness was all it took for Mary to let go of all of her hurt and frustration.

A half hour and many tissues later, Mary felt better than she had in years. Still, she wondered how she could bare her soul to a total stranger like that. “You must think I’m crazy dumping all my problems on you.”

“No, you’re just a little lost right now. Believe me, I know how that feels. My dad left when I was a little girl and for the longest time, it was just me and Mom. When she died a few years ago, I felt like there was no one who cared about me.”

Except my guardian angel.

Mary nodded. “That’s exactly how I feel.”

“But you have a brother, Steve, you said his name was? He’s probably feeling a little lost right now, too. Why don’t you reach out to him. Maybe you can help each other.”

Mary scoffed. “Steve need help? Not likely. He’s a Navy SEAL. Mr. Frikkin’ Invincible.”

“Tough, yes, invincible, no. Your brother is a human being, with feelings just like yours. He’s probably just as good at hiding them as you’ve been.”

“I wouldn’t know….I haven’t seen him in years.”

“Don’t you think it’s about time, then?”

Mary looked away. “Now may not be the best time. He’s probably still mad at me for blowing off Dad’s funeral.”

That admission gave Beth pause; this young woman was in a more pain than she’d thought. “Why did you?”

“I…I just couldn’t go back home to Hawaii, not like this. One of the last times I saw my brother was at our mother’s funeral. A day later, I’m a thirteen year old girl on a plane heading for the mainland, alone, scared and crying. That’s something I still haven’t forgiven Dad for.”

Beth took Mary’s hands in hers. “I’ll say it again; don’t you think it’s about time, to forgive him I mean? How can you move on if you don’t? Seriously, what’s it going to take – a sign from God?”

The young woman sat quietly for a few moments. While Beth giving the advice, she could hear her mother saying almost the same thing. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time to let go of the past and reach out to Steve.” Mary grinned. “As for that sign from God, I wouldn’t hold my breath. With my luck, it’ll be a lightning bolt.”

“You’ll call your brother, then?”

Before Mary could answer, Beth turned to see that her husband had returned. Mick walked over to where the two women were sitting and kissed his wife. He then turned his attention to their guest, giving her a lopsided smile. “How are you feeling, Mary?”

For what seemed an eternity, Mary could only stare at the dark haired man standing in front of her.

Mick’s smile faded, worried that the woman had seen too much in the alley and was afraid of him. Beth’s subtle head shake, however, indicated that wasn’t the case. Crouching down, Mick searched Mary’s face, trying to understand why she looked so stunned. “Hey, you OK?”

“Can’t be…” Mary whispered as she reached out to touch Mick, then pulled her hand back, embarrassed. “Yeah…I’m sorry… it’s just…..”

Now Beth was getting concerned. “What is it, Mary?”

“That sign from God? He’s ….it’s here. As soon as I get home, I’m calling Steve.”
darkstarrising
Love – the universal language, the story of Moonlight
View My Fanfic Index

Image

Thanks to the talented and generous Phoenix for my beautiful banner!
User avatar
allegrita
Moonlightaholic Admin
Posts: 45960
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:22 am
Location: Snuggled under the brown afghan, watching the fire

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by allegrita »

Oh my gosh! I LOVE this! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: I'm so glad you've decided to do a story to humanize Mary Ann, because I have an awful time identifying with her. Maybe after reading your story, I'll be more sympathetic to her.

This would have been a great one-shot, but if the muse decided to take this idea and run with it, I am totally along for the thrill ride. And yay, Mick and Beth are married! :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:
Image
User avatar
r1015bill
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 8856
Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:15 pm

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by r1015bill »

ditto on Alle's comments!

We really don't know much about Mary Ann. It's kind of sad that a lot of detail was in the deleted scenes from the pilot.

I liked the section where Mary Ann reaches out to touch Mick, thinking of Steve, and then she realizes her mistake.

Looking forward to more.
jen
Cleaner
Posts: 6411
Joined: Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:11 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by jen »

DSR

This is wonderful!!!

At first I had no idea who Mary was, but once a few clues about a brother named Steve and Hawaii came up, everything fell into place.

Fabulous start. Looking forward to seeing where this is going.

Thank you!

Jenna

:hearts: :flowers: :hearts: :flowers:
Mick and Beth--two of the lovely faces of Moonlight
Image
Beautiful banner by the Fabulous Phoenix
User avatar
AussieJo
Logan's WoW nemesis
Posts: 994
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2009 2:48 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by AussieJo »

Wonderful! I like Mary and will really enjoy her backstory, DSR! She deserves to have one as well as Steve.
User avatar
maggatha3
Ancient
Posts: 4853
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:06 am
Location: Βack to Greece....
Contact:

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by maggatha3 »

Amazing beginning,dsr!! Can't wait for the next update. :clapping:
-It never ends well...
-Never?
Image
Gorgeous avatar by our talented Lilly .
Banner by the amazing friend Hot Micks!!! .
User avatar
darkstarrising
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:25 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by darkstarrising »

allegrita wrote:Oh my gosh! I LOVE this! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: I'm so glad you've decided to do a story to humanize Mary Ann, because I have an awful time identifying with her. Maybe after reading your story, I'll be more sympathetic to her.

This would have been a great one-shot, but if the muse decided to take this idea and run with it, I am totally along for the thrill ride. And yay, Mick and Beth are married! :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:
Thanks, alle :hug: You and I share the same difficulty with Mary Ann. What we saw of her in the series was something of a needy individual, one getting into trouble, but ultimately someone who just didn't understand what happened to her once happy family. That's what I tried to work with - someone too young at the time to understand the family tragedy that happened and had no one to help her until she met Beth. I hope by the end of this little jaunt, you'll feel better about her.
r1015bill wrote:ditto on Alle's comments!

We really don't know much about Mary Ann. It's kind of sad that a lot of detail was in the deleted scenes from the pilot.

I liked the section where Mary Ann reaches out to touch Mick, thinking of Steve, and then she realizes her mistake.

Looking forward to more.
Thanks, Rhonda :hug: I wish they'd left that scene in the pilot because it did provide an awful lot about Mary in a short time, but it also set the stage for the estranged brother and sister to reconnect. It also provided a touching scene at the elder McGarrett's funeral where HPD is there in force and in uniform with their backs to Chin who is standing on the sidelines.

There's a reason Mary Ann didn't touch Mick at the end of the chapter.. :whistle:
jen wrote:DSR

This is wonderful!!!

At first I had no idea who Mary was, but once a few clues about a brother named Steve and Hawaii came up, everything fell into place.

Fabulous start. Looking forward to seeing where this is going.

Thank you!

Jenna

:hearts: :flowers: :hearts: :flowers:
Thanks, Jenna :hug: I purposely didn't tell people in the lead in to the chapter that this was a ML / H50 crossover. Mary Ann could be any number of people who have suffered the loss of a loved on and were never able to fully move on. As the story progresses, you'll see that she's not the only one touched by tragedy.

I should mention that while this story starts off somewhat sadly, the muse has a wicked sense of humor, and on occasion, several of the characters fall victim to it. :devil:
AussieJo wrote:Wonderful! I like Mary and will really enjoy her backstory, DSR! She deserves to have one as well as Steve.
Thanks, AussieJo :hug: I thought so, too, even though I initially wasn't overly sympathetic with her. That's why I wanted to write this, to give some reason why she appeared so lost.
maggatha3 wrote:Amazing beginning,dsr!! Can't wait for the next update. :clapping:
Thanks, maggatha3 :hug: Glad you like it!! Next chapter will be up tomorrow!!
darkstarrising
Love – the universal language, the story of Moonlight
View My Fanfic Index

Image

Thanks to the talented and generous Phoenix for my beautiful banner!
User avatar
francis
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 11556
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:45 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by francis »

Oh my, you got Mary into the ML world and it fits perfectly! She's in LA, why haven't I made the connection. And now she's seen Mick who looks just like Steve. I wondered what made her want to clean up her act and go see him, and now we know. :clapping:
User avatar
nutmegger911
Cleaner
Posts: 6233
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:36 pm
Location: Right here - right now

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by nutmegger911 »

This is really good, DSR! You really pegged Mary. I can hear her voice as I read. And your personal challenge to get inside the head of a character you're not fond of and change that perception? You're doing a great job. I'm not fond of Mary McGarrett either. When you started her recollection of her life's major events thus far my initial thought was self-pity won't fix this one, babe; you gotta make some changes. When she admitted the reason she didn't go to her father's funeral (to herself more importantly than to Beth) it gave me hope that she maybe gets that.

Funny that Mary did not seem to register the negative sign (being attacked) but she sure responded to the positive sign, Mick's resemblance to her brother. Talk about insipiration! I'm looking forward to the rest of the story. :clapping:
NM911
Image
LIVE WIDE
It ain't canon until they've shot it (and aired it) - I said that.
Trust the Muse. - Catmoon
The system isn't broken, it's fixed. - Billo
User avatar
cassysj
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 12740
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 5:58 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by cassysj »

Ohhhh very interesting. Mick could easily be taken for Steve :laugh: It will be an interesting turn of events.
Image
User avatar
darkstarrising
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:25 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by darkstarrising »

francis wrote:Oh my, you got Mary into the ML world and it fits perfectly! She's in LA, why haven't I made the connection. And now she's seen Mick who looks just like Steve. I wondered what made her want to clean up her act and go see him, and now we know. :clapping:
Thanks, francis :hug: If Mary couldn't return to attend her fathers funeral, there must have been a reason, other than 'things came up'. Whatever it was, it seemed that if she were 'scared straight', she might want to reconnect with her only brother.
nutmegger911 wrote:This is really good, DSR! You really pegged Mary. I can hear her voice as I read. And your personal challenge to get inside the head of a character you're not fond of and change that perception? You're doing a great job. I'm not fond of Mary McGarrett either. When you started her recollection of her life's major events thus far my initial thought was self-pity won't fix this one, babe; you gotta make some changes. When she admitted the reason she didn't go to her father's funeral (to herself more importantly than to Beth) it gave me hope that she maybe gets that.

Funny that Mary did not seem to register the negative sign (being attacked) but she sure responded to the positive sign, Mick's resemblance to her brother. Talk about insipiration! I'm looking forward to the rest of the story. :clapping:
Thanks, NM :hug: The writers initially had Mary in the pilot episode, and she does show up at her father's funeral, albeit a bit high, which does nothing more than piss Steve off. That scene got cut (unfortunately) and we miss not only the rocky reunion between the siblings, but the beginnings of a reconnection. When we finally do get to see her, she's already in trouble and Steve doesn't really know what to do with her, but I really couldn't warm up to her. She seemed so needy and my story tries to provide some explanation for why as well as provide the impetus for getting her back to Oahu and reconnect with Steve.
cassysj wrote:Ohhhh very interesting. Mick could easily be taken for Steve :laugh: It will be an interesting turn of events.
Thanks, carol :hug: O, Mary has no idea what she's gotten into, nor what she's gotten Mick into.
darkstarrising
Love – the universal language, the story of Moonlight
View My Fanfic Index

Image

Thanks to the talented and generous Phoenix for my beautiful banner!
User avatar
Marigold
Courtesan
Posts: 2482
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 5:57 pm

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by Marigold »

Fantastic work, DSR! :rose: I especially like how Mick rescued Mary Ann from a rogue. What a clever, plausible way to bring the two shows together.

It will be interesting to find out a bit more about Mary Ann. I'm glad you decided to continue this.

Thank you! :hearts:
Image
Fantastic banner by Kath40! Thank you!
User avatar
darkstarrising
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:25 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by darkstarrising »

Marigold wrote:Fantastic work, DSR! :rose: I especially like how Mick rescued Mary Ann from a rogue. What a clever, plausible way to bring the two shows together.

It will be interesting to find out a bit more about Mary Ann. I'm glad you decided to continue this.

Thank you! :hearts:
Thanks, Marigold :hug: , and you're very welcome. It just hit me that Mary Ann was based in LA and since I had a hard time 'warming up' to her, I thought I'd try to get inside her head just a little. With the cast of characters involved, though, I couldn't resist the urge to have a little fun with them as well. :snicker:
darkstarrising
Love – the universal language, the story of Moonlight
View My Fanfic Index

Image

Thanks to the talented and generous Phoenix for my beautiful banner!
User avatar
Claudia
Kostan Industries intern
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:27 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by Claudia »

A ML/h5-0 crossover... That's interesting. And the way you begin, DSR, quite compelling!!! I definitely need to continue reading. :chin:
User avatar
darkstarrising
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 11014
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:25 am

Re: The Long Journey Home (PG) Chap 1 - Challenge 140

Post by darkstarrising »

Claudia wrote:A ML/h5-0 crossover... That's interesting. And the way you begin, DSR, quite compelling!!! I definitely need to continue reading. :chin:
Thanks, Claudia :hug: The challenge was to do a crossover between ML and another show - my story happens to be with H50. Glad you're enjoying the story!
darkstarrising
Love – the universal language, the story of Moonlight
View My Fanfic Index

Image

Thanks to the talented and generous Phoenix for my beautiful banner!
Post Reply

Return to “The Long Journey Home”