Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.

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Two months ago

The three men sit and watch the DVD playing on the TV screen. The quality is poor but considering the subject matter they are lucky to have it at all. All the shots were taken from long range to keep the pair from realizing they were being watched. It shows Beth running across rooftops and Mick in close pursuit. She is leaping from roof to roof and then she is in his arms and he's kissing her. The picture changes. It shows the same pair working out together with Mick teaching her hand-to-hand combat. The screen goes black. Frank gets up and turns the equipment off.

Damian looks from Frank to Ramsey. "She's fine where she's at. Josef and Michael are teaching her the things she needs to know at this point."

Ramsey shakes his head. "No. She's not progressing fast enough. Michael does seem to be doing adequately with the physical aspects of what she can do. The problem is nobody is working on her telepathic or empathic abilities. Neither he nor Josef are pushing her to learn more. They are letting her stumble through it very haphazardly. It's a ridiculous way for her to learn. Frank needs to go and get her now."

Frank stands in the corner with his arms crossed. He hates having to be a party to these discussions. "I can do that but first off the timing has got to be perfect. If either St. John or Josef gets wind of this or they catch us taking her there will be a blood bath. However, I also think she's fine where she's at."

Ramsey snorts at him. "You base that on what exactly?"

Frank sighs. "You've lost the ability to remember what it's like out in the world. From all the information we have on them the three of them make enemies, a lot of them."

"Yet another reason we should take her from them." Ramsey mumbles.

Frank continues. "Josef makes a great deal of enemies because of his power and position. St. John because of his work as a P.I. and because he does a lot of Josef's cleanup work for the local community in California. They have developed a good working relationship, never mind how close they are. Then there is Beth, the woman is a reporter and a good one and even when she was human, she didn't shy away from the bad guys. It's worse now that she's a vampire and doesn't have to worry about dying so easily. It's a very good thing that Josef didn't wait much longer to turn her. The council would have demanded that or her death, no matter what abilities she possesses. She's too good to know our secrets and stay outside."

"Yes, we all know that, get to the point." Ramsey says impatiently.

"The point is they need to do things this way, physical training first and the other later. She needs to be able to defend herself from the people who would like to use her to get to Josef or St. John or just plain kill her. It could also be that Josef didn't realize she was an empath until lately. It's not like anyone was volunteering any information to him." Frank looks pointedly at the two men. "If it matters, I think we should leave her where she is for the time being. If you're concerned about her being taught, Damian or I could approach Josef with a suggestion. He might listen if he thinks it's that or we come and get her."

"Warning Josef, we may take her is like painting a bull's eye on every one of us. Then you have the threat from Coraline's brothers. They would kill her or St. John or Josef for spite. She is the weak link. We need to bring her to teach her and protect her." Ramsey insists.

Frank snorts. "Do you read any of the reports I send you? She will never acquiesce to anything without an agreement from Josef and St. John. I don't mean one or the other, I mean both. If it has anything to do with the community, she leaves those decisions up to them. If you take her blindly, I have a hunch she will fight you tooth and nail. On top of that you will have them searching for her. Ramsey I would not want to be you if Josef figures out you have his fledgling."

Ramsey shrugs. "Then what we should do is take Michael as well and fix Coraline's mistakes with him. Josef would not move against us if we have them both. He wouldn't dare."

Frank looks at him like he's lost his mind. "Are you crazy? St. John is almost 90 years old. He is not a fledgling who you can brainwash. Not only that, but there are few vampires I have ever seen with his amount of resolve. Once he makes up his mind that's it until he's ready to change it. My God he went off fresh blood for close to twenty-five years. I can't even imagine. You'll never make any headway with him. That would be unbelievably stupid. Having them both on the inside together and Josef on the outside trying to get them free would be suicidal."

"Josef fought us, and, in the end, we got what we wanted, we can take these two as well." Ramsey stubbornly refuses to hear what Frank is saying.

Damian snorts. "More like we got what we deserved." Damian says sarcastically. "We got Josef to let us teach him but at what cost? In the end, the only reason that Josef didn't keep killing our people was because even he got fed up. We made a mistake by underestimating him and The Order ended up with a dangerous enemy."

Frank shakes his head. "Don't forget Ramsey here, Josef would kill him without a backward glance." Frank turns to Ramsey, "Is that why you stay out of the world at large, afraid you might run across Josef?" Frank smiles to himself as he sees a shadow of fear cross Ramsey's face. It's only there for a second but it's there, nonetheless. Good. The son of a bitch should be scared of Josef. "I actually think in the end Josef and I came to a place of understanding. Which is saying something considering I'm the one that kidnapped him in the first place."

"Yes, because you taught him how to be such an efficient killer. He took out so many of us without thinking twice." Ramsey spit at him.

Frank shakes his head at the memory. "Yea, at who's orders did I teach Josef what I know? Oh, yea, Ramsey now I remember, it was you who told me that you'd broken him. That he was tame, and it was a great idea for me to teach him to be your trained killer. I tried to tell you from the beginning that he had your number. You weren't listening then, and you aren't listening now. God you're an arrogant bastard. I'm telling you if you take the girl and hurt her, Josef will not stop killing this time until he's killed every one of us. I remember one thing very well about Josef and his idea of justice is pretty much an eye for an eye."

"Enough!" Damian commands.

Damian takes a deep breath. He thinks back three hundred years to when Josef was with them and he was Josef's teacher. "Josef and I also came to an understanding of sorts. I agree with Frank. Ramsey you and the Order have a lifelong enemy. We need to proceed very cautiously. We should have listened to Frank then and we should listen to him now."

Ramsey stands up and throws his notes on the table. "Fine but if it looks like Coraline's brothers are making a move I want her brought in for her own protection. If need be, Michael as well. There is all kind of coercion to make a point." And he stalks from the room.

Frank looks at Damian and shrugs. "It's a good thing it's not the old days and he's not the only one in charge." Frank moves to the door.

"Frank, wait a minute. Do any of your reports mention how close her relationship with Josef is? Obviously, she and Michael are lovers."

Frank shakes his head. "No, and Josef's security and paranoia make it impossible to watch her when she's living with him. I can ask around the community, but we risk being exposed. Josef has Los Angeles sewed up. Nobody crosses him and lives to tell about it. He rewards good work and information handsomely. One question to the wrong vamp and it blows up in our faces. You know that family almost as well as I do. They go to war over their fledglings.

Damian looks off into the distance. "Yes. Besides the eye for an eye, protecting their fledglings is what they teach in that bloodline." Damian sighs. "You weren't privy to all the behind the scenes council discussions that were going on at the time. When the reasons for Josef killing our people came out into the open it forced the council to deal with Ramsey at least cosmetically. Then only because Josef's sire was one of them and forced the issue. Vampires are not the most caring bunch, but Lady Vanessa made a point of pushing the issue. She was infuriated that Ramsey had hurt her child and they were sitting on their hands. She made them face the possibility of it being one of their own. She did this by threatening to take a couple of fledglings that had been turned by other council members. and doing what Ramsey did to Josef to them. She got her point across. So, yes, no matter how deeply Josef is involved with his fledgling he will go to war over her. Especially if Ramsey is involved. The question is how bad it will be before I can get Josef to see that we are on his side if we have to take her first."

Damian sighs and continues. "I wonder…. She moves back and forth between them. Considering Josef is her sire and the bond between Michael and Josef…. Be careful if it comes to taking her. The two of them could decimate our ranks. I have a hunch the two of them together could kill even the oldest of us."

Frank shakes his head. "If I were you, I would give some extra thought to keeping St. John from finding out what you've been up to over the years. Another thing, if we ever take her it's got to be done when she's living at St. Johns. Once she goes back to Josef's we'll never get close enough to take her without a lot of blood being spilled. He's beefed his security up since Lola went through his place and killed so many of his people."

"How difficult do you think she's going to be? We've talked about Josef and Michael, what about Beth?"

Frank continues. "She's going to be difficult but not impossible. Sure St. John has taught her to handle herself but it's always in controlled situations. From the reports I've read they have protected her from any real violence since she was turned. The only time I can detect anything bad happening in her past was when she was human, and the ADA was killed. When Josef defended her against Lola. Even when Coraline was in the mix this last time, St. John made her run for cover. She was far removed from the violence. That was taken care of by Josef and St. John."

Damian shakes his head. "You forget her killing that vampire in her and Michael's apartment."

Frank nods. "You're right, but that was a fluke. What are the odds of a human being able to face down three vamps and killing one? I'll talk to the team and make sure they know how important it is to keep her in one piece. I don't think she's going to be that tough."

"Frank, remember who her sire is and don't get cocky. You remember what it was like when you took Josef. She's still his fledgling."

Frank snorts. "Yea, but she's not Josef and this isn't the sixteen hundred. People today are soft and she's a child. That was a much different time. Josef was used to death and destruction, she's not. Plus, we have drugs now and we didn't then. Josef was one of our worst cases. He got five men before we got him subdued. I still think this discussion is very premature. Ramsey is wrong. She's far better off where she is. We can take her, but I don't think she's ever going to buckle."

Damian sighs. "Unless we have Michael or Josef, for leverage, which is the other stupid thing Ramsey wants." Damian holds up his hand as Frank starts to interrupt. "I know, no one in their right mind would try to take Josef, but Ramsey isn't in his right mind and I'm not sure he ever has been. He's starting to fixate on the child."

"Damian, I want to ask you something, between you and me.

Damian nods. He has a good idea of what is coming.

"What I want to know is why Ramsey is still tolerated? The things he's done…. still does, from the rumors I hear…. He's made a lot of enemies. Why hasn't anyone gotten rid of him?"

Damian sighs. "I had high hopes that Josef would do it. When he didn't, it was almost a signal that Ramsey was powerful enough to do whatever he wants. I've tried to rein him in over the years and have to some degree. Like you I know he's still that twisted creature that tortured Josef. As long as Ramsey keeps his terrible hobbies out of the light, the council can continue to ignore him. After what happened with Josef, he was smart enough to not tempt fate by hurting another fledgling from either Josef's bloodline or St. Johns. Though I hear the rumors that he's still at it, with others. And he's starting to fixate on Beth. If he gets too far over the edge, he may not care that she's Josef's fledgling. If that happens and he gets his hands on her, then all bets are off." He shakes his head. "I should have done something about Ramsey a long time ago but, I didn't and now it's too late. I'm not too proud to admit that I've lost my edge. He also has some powerful supporters. Without the right cause there could be reprisals."

"Would Josef be seen as having cause at this late date?"

"Yes, what not many know is Vanessa made them give Josef license to do whatever he deemed necessary where the order is concerned. Ramsey has his supporters on the council but these days, so does Josef. There is hope among some of the council that someday Josef will be a member of that exclusive group. He just needs to live a few hundred more years. Josef made a hell of an impression when he went on his rampage; he wasn't quite a hundred years old. No one wants that again, especially now that he's four hundred years old."

That's one reason why it's so important that we don't take Beth unless absolutely necessary. I would very much to be able to teach her but not at the cost of having Josef start up again. I'm sure Josef's memory of being a fledgling with us is not some pleasant memory. He would wish on his own fledgling, weather his relationship to her is close or not."

Damian shakes his head. "Keep your ear to the ground and watch Ramsey. You know as well as I do that there are those in our ranks who would agree with Ramsey about taking Beth. Do you still have a contact inside Lance's household? If Lance and his brothers present a problem, that is where we could lose control."

Frank's face is grim. "Yes. But it's very dangerous to contact that person. I have told them not to contact me at all unless it's of the utmost importance."

Damian nods and wishes he could see the future.

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Ramsey watches the video of Beth and Mick again. He turns to his second in command. "What do you think? Can you take her without killing her?"

Bishop shrugs. "Without hurting her, maybe, without killing her, most certainly. She's a vamp; she's not made of glass."

Ramsey nods and goes back to watching her on the screen. Bishop gets up to leave the room and Ramsey calls him back. "Bishop, see what you can set up to take either Josef or Michael as well."

Bishop shakes his head. "Ramsey, not Josef… I won't even entertain the idea. I'm not crazy about taking St. John but there is at least a chance with him, with Josef no chance at all. One more thing to consider about this course. If we take St. John, remember he and Josef are as close as brothers, we won't even discuss taking Josef's fledgling. You're asking for Josef to become deeply involved in this. If he starts killing again, this time he won't stop before he gets to you."

Ramsey shrugs, not hearing Bishops warning about Josef. "Fine. Michael then. Figure it out."

Bishop snorts at the stupidity of it all. He's seen Ramsey with one of these obsessions of his before. He is becoming obsessed with St. John's little blond. Bishop wouldn't want to be her if Ramsey gets a hold of her. He smiles, there is one bright spot, Ramsey may finally get more than he can handle if they take the girl and St. John. Josef most assuredly will kill Ramsey this time.

Bishop looks down at his watch and gets in the elevator to go down to the basement. The doors open to the steam pipes and wiring of the building. No one ever comes down here so it's of course the perfect place to meet. He walks to the small janitorial office and finds Frank pouring him a glass of his favorite. "Frank my friend, it's about to get interesting."

Frank smiles grimly. "If that's what you want to call it. Let's see how many we can keep alive before it's all said and done."

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Comments are always welcome.