Title: To Life
Fandom: Moonlight
Author: Em aka Old Romantic
Rating: PG-13/T
Genre/Ship: Romance, angst, comedy; total, unadulterated fluff/MickBeth
Timeline/Spoilers: Post-1x12-The Mortal Cure
Disclaimer: Move along. No money being made here. The only thing of value in regards to this story is reader reviews.

Summary: In response to the challenge set forth by Garnet on MickBeth Fanfiction. Mick and Beth face an unexpected role of parenthood.

A/N: I wasn’t going to do this one. Really, I wasn’t. I wrote a similar fic in a fandom (Alias) some years ago and didn’t want to go down this road. But the muse had other ideas and wouldn’t shut up. So, here’s my offering. Hope you like it. :)

Side note: I’m writing this on the idea that the cure is “mortal itself” as Coraline suggested, meaning, it dies when they do. Not sure exactly what TPTB have in mind for how long it lasts – I’m spoiler-free and wish to remain that way – and I thought that this was just easier, especially since it seemed that Coraline “died” at the hospital before she turned back. I just thought it necessary to explain where I and this fic stood.

That being said, enjoy!

(*smooches* to auntof3 for the super-fast beta! ♥ )

- - - - - - -

Prologue: Mortality

The minister’s words during the opening of Josh’s funeral rang through Mick’s mind throughout the entire ceremony, and he missed much of the rest of the priest’s eulogy. Those words alone had been too poignant for the reality that Mick was currently going through, and each point held so much meaning.

We’re all mortal. For the first time in fifty-five years, Mick could associate himself into this group again. He was mortal. Despite the nagging issues following behind that truth, such as the mortality of the human cure itself, and the fact that he was at a funeral of a man he considered a friend – another one he’d outlived – Mick felt incredibly gleeful about that fact. He was human again.

He’d told Josef after he’d discovered the truth of his friend’s true love that he believed that anything was possible, just because Josef himself had loved a human. Again, he felt that way now. Anything was possible. He could eat and co-mingle in the sunlight, sleep at night, in a bed, and as long as he didn’t do anything irresponsible enough to get himself humanly killed, he might live a long life as a mortal. He could do anything…like confess his love to the woman in his life.

Mick’s eyes darted to watch Beth dry away her tears as she said goodbye to a few other mourners and she glanced up at him, and was quickly distracted by more friends of Josh who wanted to pass on their regrets. He wondered briefly if she’d heard his thoughts in that moment their eyes had met. But that was ridiculous, so he pushed it from his mind. Tell her, his heart screamed, but his will wouldn’t budge. Not now, he answered back, reminding his heart, she’s just lost a man she loved.

His heart replied with another quote from the minister: Our time is limited.

Feeling as though that particular comment was put in place just for his sake, Mick could feel the truth in it. His time was extremely limited; especially if he counted the number of times he would’ve died over the last five decades had he been human. Coraline had warned him that the cure was mortal, meaning that when he died, so would the cure, and he’d be back to living the rest of eternity as a vampire. I’ll have to be more careful. No more dodging bullets.

The only exception would be if Beth was in danger. No matter what, he couldn’t lose her.

It’s part of what allows us to love and hurt.

Mortality. Something he’d dreamt of for fifty years, thought was forever lost to him for the majority of those, and the wish he dared to hope for since re-meeting Beth as an adult. He’d always pictured her as that child he’d rescued and restored to her mother…until she looked at him differently. She made his undead heart beat again, and made him feel alive when there was no life. There was something in her eyes, something that filled his whole body with warmth and a love he would’ve never allowed himself to feel. And it was far beyond what a victim feels for her rescuer. Respect, admiration, and gratitude – all of those emotions were behind her eyes, but there was more. She made him believe that anything was possible before he ever dared to reach for something so distant and irrational in his own mind and heart.

And in the end, it inspires us…

His heart swelled as he watched Beth smile weakly to an elderly lady as she held her hand and chatted with her. He knew that Beth needed to know his feelings, mostly for his sake. He’d hate himself if he didn’t take the chance. But he had to be patient and allow her to mourn Josh and whatever they had. When it was the right time, he’d know it.

Make the most of the time we are given.

That was the line that was repeated the most in his mind since it had been spoken. Yes, his time was certainly precious, and he didn’t want to ruin it by doing or saying the wrong thing. It all had to be perfect and beautiful, just like her. No, he wasn’t naïve enough to think that she didn’t have her flaws and imperfections; he just knew that she was worth making each and every moment as special as she.

Make the most…

His now-living heart sped up a beat when Beth appeared to be out of those who wanted to greet her. The crowd was thinning out, and she looked up at him again. Pulled by an invisible force, the two walked toward each other, meeting in the middle. Neither spoke for a moment, and then Mick thought out loud, “It was a nice service.”

“Yes, it was,” she agreed. “Reverend James was a friend of Josh’s. He used to counsel Josh when he was frustrated or restless with his casework.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. How nice that he could perform the ceremony,” Mick commended and she nodded. There was another long pause and Mick felt it had to be said, “I really am sorry about Josh—”

She stepped forward and hushed him by putting a hand on his arm. “No, please, don’t be. You were right – you did everything you could.”

Mick tried to ignore the long-forgotten sensation of feeling another human’s touch on his human flesh and stared into her eyes, afraid to breathe. “I should go,” he finally spoke and she slowly dropped her hand. “If you need anything…”

She nodded again. “I will call,” she promised. He took a step back and turned to leave. “Mick,” she called out when he was just a few feet away and he stopped to look at her beautiful face once more. “Thank you,” she stated sincerely, and he knew that she was referring to his help with Josh along with much more.

He bobbed his head and half-smiled, and then limped his way back to his car. For the first time in fifty-five years, he felt like a young man with his whole life before him yet to live.

- - - - - - -

Comments are love! ♥ Thanks for reading!

Link to Chapter 1!