Meet Matt who has kept secrets for many life times…once again reunited with his father Eric.
Together can they survive the bumpy year ahead?
Loosely based on last season….
The Devil's Playground
Lafayette tried the door and fully expecting to be locked it took him a moment to register the fact that the door had swung open. He stepped over the threshold his neck stretched as far as it would go his eyes searching for signs of life or death as the case may be. He closed the door behind him shutting out the intense Louisiana sun. He wiped his forehead and adjusted the bandana on his head as his eyes adjusted to the very darkened space. The large room where he stood in was empty and quiet which is what he had expected in the first place, he turned and looked once again at the door behind him wondering why it had been unlocked. He had just wanted to touch base with Eric so he figured if he swung by he could maybe shove a note under the door or stick it in the mailbox, but entering Fangtasia hadn't been in the picture. He looked around and gripping the pen and paper that he had intended to use. He was tired of the vampire dictating his every move though he had to admit he liked the car even though it had brought him loads of trouble.
He was at the very least going to express his opinion on this whole dealing V thing. His last trip had been so wild he felt as if he still hadn't come down. Jesus was saying something about witches and magic and Lafayette wasn't sure if that was for real or just a part of his drugged out state. He was so deep in thought he practically jumped out of his shoes when the boy appeared in front of him.
"Where did you come from?" he asked jumping back a foot.
"Right there, I was on the other side of the bar," the boy said his blue eyes gazing thoughtfully. "You look a little jumpy, are you okay?"
"Who me? Yeah I'm fine," he said saying what he didn't mean. "I just didn't think the door would be open or there would be anybody here."
"Then why did you come?"
"Um, well, you know that's a great question you have there. I was, uh, wanting to see Eric Northman."
"It's daytime, he's sleeping. You said the door was open?"
"Not open, unlocked," Lafayette clarified.
"Holy crap I must not have locked it when I came back in. Dude you saved my ass, you have no idea," the boy said crossing the room faster than humanly possible. He locked it up tight and turned back with a toothy smile.
"Ah, who are you?" the man asked tilting his head inquisitively.
"Oh I'm sorry, Matt, Matt Northman," the boy said offering his hand.
Lafayette clasped it and smiled an uneasy grin. "Northman as in Eric?"
"Yep, he's my dad," Matt said casually.
"Your father?" Lafayette choked out.
"Yeah my father."
"I didn't think vampires could…you know…"
"Procreate?"
"Yeah procreate? How old are you anyway?"
"Fifteen," Matt said puffing his chest out. He went back behind the bar and grabbed two glasses he sprayed water in one and poured a stiff drink of some the houses finest in a glass for Lafayette.
"But how?"
"I knew you'd ask that. My existence is very rare; in fact I may be the only one of my kind. You're right vampires can't reproduce; you can't get life from death. I can tell you've been touched by magic so maybe you will be able to understand."
"Wait a minute there, what do you mean touched by magic?"
"The V you had; it took you to places you never knew existed."
"How do you know?"
"Because magic is in my blood, my mother was a very powerful woman and that is how I came to be."
"Where have you been, Eric has been here for years and I've never seen you?"
"Tucked away learning how to be discreet; I think that's going to be a challenge though."
"What do you mean your mother was powerful, was she a vampire?"
"No, a witch, top of her game, big spells and magic; Eric had no idea of her strength. She got what she wanted."
"You?"
Matt nodded and smiled. He took a long drink and set his glass back down as Lafayette slugged down all that was in front of him. He didn't think he could handle this story sober. "No him, I was just a byproduct of that. I think she may have been just a surprised as he was it took him awhile to believe it; the fact that I look just like him helps. You have to understand he felt duped; witches and vampires tend not to get along. And here I am a constant reminder of what went wrong or right depending on the point of view."
Lafayette had noticed the uncanny resemblance; blond hair, blue eyes the same look of contempt for the world wrapped up in good intentions that couldn't be completed trusted. Yes this boy had Eric running through his veins. So where's your moms?"
"Dead for almost five hundred years now," Matt said with a sigh.
"But you said you were fifteen."
"I am, see my mother wasn't immortal, powerful but mortal. A byproduct of my vampire blood sentences me to eternity."
"But then why are you a child, I'm not getting this at all," he said offering up his glass for a refill. Matt complied and leaned on the bar like a seasoned bar tender.
"I was growing and changing like a normal child with a normal lifespan then one day I just stopped."
"Why, what happened?"
"She died; everything came to a screeching halt. I haven't aged since. We don't know why and there's nobody to ask, it's not really something you can check on Wiki."
"So can you be in the sun, do you drink blood?"
"I can be in the sun, that's where I was right before you came in. I went out to take a look around. I'm supposed to stay in, but since Dad's sleeping I figured I could pop out for a minute or two. I eat food just like you. I'm stronger, faster and have more stamina than a human but not on the level of a vampire."
"So your pops won't let you go outside?"
"It's complicated, since I don't age people will think I'm a vampire. That might not please them as vampire children are rare but they can accept it. If they see me in the sun then I obviously can't be a vampire and if I'm not a vampire they will wonder in a year or two why I'm not aging. People will begin to question what I am then…"
"The government sucks you up and does all kinds of test on you."
"Exactly or other vampires wanting to figure out how I can be in the sun…regardless it isn't a good scenario. There was a really powerful vampire that my dad was afraid of; he thought that Russell might take me for his own so I've been away. But now Russell is out of the picture and here I am."
"I see, so you will be fifteen forever? That's gotta suck."
"Tell me about it. I'm mature for my age though," the teen said smiling.
Lafayette smiled and set his empty glass down on the bar. "So I take it Eric is sleeping then?
"Yeah, vampire, daytime, duh. Did you want to leave a note or something?" he asked his head nodding towards the paper and pen. "I mean if it's an emergency I could try to wake him up but I warn you he won't like it and I'm really not in the mood for him to be cranky."
"No I wouldn't want you to have to put up with that."
"Good I appreciate that," Matt said filling up Lafayette's glass one more time.
"Maybe one more then I better go."
"Matthew why didn't you wake me and let me know we had a guest," Eric said walking into the room.
"You were sleeping, I didn't want to bother you; he said it could wait."
"I see you are treating him right," he said nodding at the beverage being distributed. "Did you let him in?"
They all knew Eric was on a fishing trip looking to nab his son for something. "He saw me peeking in the window, he opened the door a little and asked what I needed," Lafayette volunteered.
"Great story and that's all it is." He said looking at the mini blinds that allowed very little light into the room and most certainly didn't allow anybody to peek inside. "I told you that you don't open that door or go outside. You need to change your schedule to sleep when I do," Eric admonished.
"I can't, I told you I've tried for like two hundred years. People who can be in the sun tend to sleep at night, it's my natural rhythm."
"Well I'm going to break out a rhythm on you if you don't start listening? Am I clear?"
Matt bowed his head in submission. "Yes sir."
"Go to your room, I'll be in later," he directed.
Matt waved goodbye to Lafayette and followed his father's instructions.
"So now you know my secret. Did he explain it all to you?"
"Um yeah he did but I won't tell, I swear."
"I know that I can trust you as you could tell with Matthew I can detect a lie fairly easily. Now what did you want to talk to me about?"
Lafayette struggled to remember what had brought him there in the first place; then recalled his difficulties with selling the V. He explained that with the DEA around and the issues over in Hot Shot people were running scared. Eric listened patiently and keeping the even tone he was known for said he understood and that perhaps it would be best for Lafayette to lay low for now.
"I could tell that Matthew likes you, I think I'll bring him by Merlotte's tonight so you two can talk. I'm sure you can see your way out," Eric said backing as far away from the front of the bar as he possibly could.
Lafayette turned and wondered what he had gotten himself into; a best friend of some kid who was the biggest secret he had ever been responsible for.
Eric locked the door up tight after Lafayette roared away and went to find his son who was lounging in what used to be a storage room. When Eric had gotten word that Matt was becoming too much of a handful for his caretakers and needed to be with his father he had sent Pam off on an interior decorating spree. The room had very dark tones lots of reds and dark blue hues and could tell it didn't turn Matt on. But the boy got credit for smiling and accepting it. Eric knew Pam was very jealous of the boy and currently had a hard time hiding it. He gently knocked as he swung the door open. The boy engrossed in a book just continued to read as Eric took a good look at him. His blond hair cut shorter than his own had natural highlights that must have come from the sun. The shape of the face looked as if it had been replicated from his own like transfer on a t-shirt. The boys strong but lean body also looked quite familiar. He had denied the lineage for years even when the best evidence stared him right in the face. It was as the boy grew and had taken on many of Eric's tendencies that there was no more denying. His gait, his solemn face all too closely matched to be anything but natural.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and cleared his throat. "I won't tell you what I already went over. But I don't expect it to happen again." The boy turned a page and nodded. "Take a nap we're going out tonight."
Matt turned and asked where but Eric was already gone.
TBC