Previously: After hurricane Katrina, Eric and Pam search the wreckage. After finding an empty casket with Godrics name on it, Eric assumes his maker is dead. One year later on Sookies 22nd birthday, Rose takes her to an underground vampire bar where an intoxicated Sookie has a very intimate experience with Eric.

His brow dripped with perspiration, his eyes contorted and twisted, and his grip tightened as waves of pain shot down his spine. The seven year old waited patiently, his young skin bleeding as permanent ink was carved into his flesh. But his lips were still; the room's silence was only filled by the tapping of wood hitting wood. He had been through this ritual before, spending countless hours staring at the surroundings as a sharp edge pressed into his tender flesh.

He flinched every time the hammer struck, driving the chisel further into his back as the tattoos of his people were made to last forever upon his delicate skin. Its tapping sound was becoming almost nauseous to his ears as he told himself to tolerate it just a little while longer.

He cast his vision to the world outside. Peering through the open crack of the wooden door, he watched the townspeople as they passed the entrance to the house. Most did not bother to pay him any attention; they kept their eyes to the path before them and cared not a second thought. He preferred it that way. This was a personal achievement. Enduring the agony showed greatness in one's abilities to handle pain.

A woman sat herself down across the road; the gap in the door was generous enough to have a good view of her. As she perched behind a heavy wooden table, she placed a large fish from the day's gathering on its surface. Her hands held the dead creature down as she took a short blade and began to run it over the fish's belly. The scales popped and flickered off its slimy skin, and he watched as they were blown away by the salty breeze brought to them by the ocean they lived beside.

The fish's eyes gazed out blankly as the knife sliced open its underbelly, and as small droplets of its cold blood dripped out over the wood and then onto the grass below. She separated the flesh and tossed the organs to the hungry dogs at her feet. As the animals consumed the rich meat gratefully, she allowed her attention to slip.

Their eyes connected for a moment and he felt her gaze draw in his observance. Her lips curved into a smile, her teeth briefly capturing his attention as his own grinded against the wood he was biting into.

He deepened his breathing and closed his eyes as he lay completely still.

"You show great courage," his father said in their native tongue, laying a large hand on his small shoulder. "Many would have asked for no more." He smiled as he knelt next to the boy, encouraging him to endure through the pain.

"It is finished." The man who had been working on him for the last two and a half hours finally put down his tools.

"Your mother would have been proud." His father took his hand and flipped it upwards, dropping a golden band into his palm. "I will send the women to you; they will clean you up." He stood and left his son to rest.

Releasing a sigh of relief that it was finally over, the boy let himself relax for the first time that day.

"Godric," a feminine voice captured his attention, "your father tells me you took the pain well." An older woman with streaks of grey in her dark hair entered the house. In her arms she carried a bowl filled with fresh water and a cloth to wipe his tender skin.

"So I am told," he managed a reply, his eyes scanning and studying the band his father had given him.

She sat down beside him on the floor and began to clean his wounds. Taking the cloth, she dipped it in the pail of water she had heated just right, and patted away the blood and excess ink from his swollen back. "They suit you." She refreshed the cloth in the basin, its clear water turning pale.

"Thank you," he replied. It was now one amongst many others covering various points on his body.

"I wonder if they will be the last." Her eyes wandered over his puffy backside.

"I don't know," he admitted as he let himself relax under her care.

"It will be many weeks before they seal completely." She gently rubbed a healing ointment into the serpent now running down his spine. Its soothing properties cooled his hot skin and lessened the pain slightly.

He was quiet, his lips still and muscles at ease as he let the tension leave his system through her touch.

"It is a shame your mother left us," the older woman said as she noticed the golden band in his palm. "I'm sure she is proud of you, wherever she is."

"Father says she is with the gods." Though he had never met her, or even knew what she looked like, he still craved her touch and the sound of her voice. But there would be no mother's comfort for him.

"Perhaps he is right. Maybe one day we will be privileged enough to join her." She finished patting him clean and rinsed the cloth.

He gathered up his strength and sat up. "Thank you." He shared his gratitude and left the small stone house. The outside world was much cooler. Holding his nose in the air, he breathed in the salt of the sea that came riding over the thick stone walls surrounding the town. He allowed his muscles to stretch as the breeze ran over his swollen pink skin.

It was an unusually sunny day; not a drop of rain had fallen, nor had a cloud trailed the sky. Perhaps the gods were looking down in his favour, something they didn't do very often.

He passed through the tall gates, walking until he was at the bank of the beach. The sound of his busy village hushed in the background as waves of the ocean crashed against the sand. He looked out upon the glistening deep water. It seemed to stretch on forever; perhaps it did. Closing his eyes, he let all his worries and fear melt away from him as he let his mind be absorbed in the hushing of the sea. As the breeze of the ocean cooled his hot flustered skin, he wondered if he would ever travel to other lands beyond the watery depths, discovering places none had gazed upon before. He doubted it; if he was lucky he would live long enough to see adulthood and carry on his bloodline.

That was his destiny, or so he thought.

Three months passed. The word of war that had been rumoured throughout their quiet town soon became all too real.

"Godric!" his father called him. "Quick son! Get in here!"

Before he could think, he was pushed into a stone house and hidden in a wooden crate. Panic sent his vision spinning and adrenaline filled his blood as his heart raced. Outside, people's screams filled the air as they were slaughtered by Caesar's army. The clashing of metal and flesh pierced his ear canals, while the smell of blood tainted the fresh air mixed with the salt of the sea.

He pressed the palms of his hands to his ears, hoping to block out the screams as he waited for the uproar to stop. Hours passed and night fell. Finally the noise outside died down and became an almost silent ambience. Only then did he dare to leave his hiding place.

He crawled across the floor to the doorway where he stopped and gambled a peek outside. His eyes widened and his body turned numb as he looked out at what had become of his people. The sound of his own heart beat drummed in time with the overwhelming flood of emotions that hit him. His legs refused to stand and his palms stayed pressed flat against the floor as he remained frozen for a time, petrified at the scene before him. Bodies lay everywhere in a bloody mess, their flesh cut and torn as they lay still and unmoving upon the Earth. Amongst them was his father, whose head lay at a distance from his body, he took a moment to let the sight sink in; it was the first time he had seen death.

But he had no time to grieve, no time to think; he had to get out. When he finally gathered up enough courage to leave the house, he hid where he could, making his way across the village until he was almost free.

Almost.

"Look what we've got here!" A soldier grabbed him by his long brown locks.

"Caught another one have you?" another grumbled. "Put him with the others."

"I think I'll play with him for a bit first," he snickered as he began to draw his sword.

"Haven't you had enough fun for one day?" the second rasped. "Our orders were to find any survivors and bring them back alive and… unspoiled."

The first grumbled to himself as he dragged Godric by his scraggly hair to a nearby line of villagers, adding him to the numbers as he wrapped cuffs around his ankles and wrists.

"You should've let me play with them," the soldiers continued to complain to each other. "These… animals will make for poor slaves."

His body finally woke and he opened his eyes to complete darkness. After many years of waking to the lid of a casket he had almost gotten used to it. Weakened and bound with silver, all he could do was wait until his captors decided otherwise. He imagined that for a younger vampire this containment would drive them mad, but he was lucky in a sense that after living for over 2000 years, a small fragment of that time seemed next to nothing.

It would have felt that way if only he knew she wasn't on the outside, just ripe for the picking.

He longed for freedom, but not for his sake, for hers.

The passage of time had weakened their once strong connection. Sometimes he felt very faint emotions drifting through the blood bond they shared, but they would always fade before he could fully analyze what she was feeling.

He needed reassurance that she was thriving and protected from all those who would drain her without a second thought. To see her face, to touch her skin, to know that she was safe; that answer would satisfy his yearning for her, and make the test of time a lot easier. So long as he was locked in here, he was useless to help her should she ever need it.

Around a year ago, for a brief moment, liberty from his jail seemed apparent. Hope dawned on him as the casket was opened and he saw light for the first time in what seemed like decades. His body had been reduced to a mess of useless tissue and organs, and his mind was so depleted that he could barely make out what was going on. But that did not impede the overwhelming feeling of joy from washing over him as he believed that this was it - that today was the day that he would be set free.

He was lifted out of the stone casket… only to then be zipped up in a body bag. The light was gone and he was cast back into darkness, as were his optimistic hopes. After being placed in some form of transport, he was driven for some time as gale force winds rocked the vehicle. This led him to accept that he was not being released and in fact being moved to a safer location, away from a brewing storm. At least he knew they wanted to keep him alive, for now anyway.

If only he had been able to dominate his emotions, instead of letting them overtake his control. If only he had been more cautious and had walked with her the whole way instead of leaving her when he did. Perhaps all of this never would have happened and he would still be able to protect her now. But it did happen and in all that, he knew sacrificing his freedom for her life was worth it.

His ears picked up on a strange clicking sound, coming from above his head. Someone was decoding the lock and opening the hatch. Wheels squeaked as the stone casket he was being held prisoner in was rolled out, leaving a deep hole in the wall.

It had been one full year since he had last seen light, and that was only for a brief moment. As the lid was opened above him once again, a dull stream flooded his casket, stinging his eyes as if it were the sun itself. His vision was blurry but slowly adjusting. As he peered up, he could see the pale brown and red bricks that made up the wall, though their lines weren't quite evident yet.

"My condolences," a familiar voice spoke as she took hold of the silver chains that were encasing his body and began to remove them. It should have been painful as they took bits of his flesh with them, but it didn't. His body had worn down to little more than wasted leather, meat and bone; someone could stake him and he wouldn't feel it.

"You would have been released much earlier, however there are those amongst us who can be rather… unforgiving and indifferent," she explained. "They would have kept you locked away for a further number of years if it were in their power to do so."

"How long?" he somehow found the strength to ask.

"Seventeen years." She then leant down next to his ear and whispered, "you are far too valuable to keep hidden away. We need you Godric."

That answer seemed to satisfy him for now. He was too drained and too exhausted to contemplate the matter further. Although, despite his condition he could feel euphoria building in his atrophied body. This time it really was happening; he was being set free.

"Now, you must be famished." She finished removing the last chain and called over a human. Extending her fangs, she took hold of the young woman's wrist and pierced it, knowing that in his condition he wouldn't have enough strength to drop fang.

"Don't be modest now," she insisted as she held the wrist over his mouth, droplets of blood dripping onto his lips.

Though his wild impulses had calmed down over the many centuries and he considered himself to be an enlightened vampire, the taste of blood hadn't been on his tongue in nearly two decades. He had to admit, he was craving it. He hungrily savoured the taste, before embracing it fully and drinking directly from the source. It was almost better than he remembered; it went down warm and thick as it soothed his thirsty appetite.

"Enough," she commanded. The human pulled away and backed off. "Next," she called over another waiting in the line to repeat the process.

His vision was improving and he could now make out the gaps between each brick and the other holding lots in the walls surrounding them. There must have been dozens of other vampires being held here, maybe even more. All of them were secured in their own private little cubby, locked behind a coded metal hatch.

Muscle mass was slowly returning to his bones and pale skin was beginning to grow over open wounds and hanging flesh.

"You're healing faster than I expected," she commented as she gestured for the next human to come forward.

This time some of his strength had returned enough for him to use his own fangs that had somehow remained intact all these years.

"That will do for now," she said after he had drained six humans. "You will be taken to a more comfortable room to recover further."

"Salome," he found energy to speak.

She directed her vision to him.

"I am... indebted to you," he spoke quietly.

"I'm sure you would have done the same for me, my old friend." The corner of her lips curled into a smile, before she walked away.

Sookie's head was spinning on its own accord as she forced her eyes to open, even though they were as dry as sandpaper. She felt heavy, her muscles crying out in protest as she turned over and reached for the glass of water on her night stand. Leaning on one elbow, she skulled it down faster than she thought possible. Some of it travelled down the wrong pipe and she spluttered, coughing as she managed to catch her breath. She put the now empty glass back on her nightstand and sat up. Pressing the tips of her fingers to her temples, she tried to rub the headache away in firm circles.

"Afternoon," a voice startled her from the corner of her room.

Her heart jumped, her body jolting in her bed as she looked up to see who had intruded her private sanctuary. "What the-" It was Rose, perched in a chair with a cheeky smile pasted on her lips. "How did you get in here?"

"I came in through your window," she answered, despite the fact that Sookie's bedroom was on the second floor.

"You climbed up the side of my house?" Sookie asked as she stood from her bed.

"I needed the exercise," Rose joked.

She raised her eyebrows in astonishment and somewhat disbelief, before turning her attention to her duties. 'What time is it?' she asked in her thoughts.

'It's three o'clock.'

'Shoot, I've got to be at work in less than an hour.' She quickly gathered up a towel and other items she needed, before heading to the bathroom.

'The one you took up two months ago? What was it called again?' Rose asked.

'Merlotte's,' Sookie said as she poked her head around the corner. 'And don't you even think about distracting me.'

'I wouldn't dream of it. By the way, you might wanna cover up that bite mark on your neck.' Rose pointed it out.

"Fudge." Sookie rushed to her mirror and scanned her neck for the evidence.

'I put some vitamins in your bag by the way,' Rose added. 'They'll help to replenish the blood, as well as give you more energy.'

'Is that why I feel more tired than I usually do after a night out?' Sookie asked as she examined the small wound with her fingers.

Rose took a scarf out of her pocket and placed it on Sookie's bed. 'I'll just leave this here for you.'

'Thanks.' Sookie finally stopped fussing over her neck and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The sound of the running shower soon followed.

Rose sat there quietly smiling to herself. Sookie seemed to be OK with what happened last night; hell, she'd even enjoyed herself. She let herself be tempted into the arms of vampire culture and relished in it. The time was almost here, she could see it in Sookie's eyes; she was almost ready to hear the truth. But not just yet.

Suddenly, Rose's stomach twisted with a wave of nausea. A flood of strong emotions sent a cold chill down her spine, making her skin sweat. Aggression, resentment and desperation to escape.

"Oh no..." She stood from her seat and teleported herself out of the house in a blink of radiant white light.

Ten minutes later, Sookie emerged from the shower feeling a lot better now that she had rid herself of last night's activities. She entered her room, a baby blue towel wrapped around her torso as she began to brush out her blond hair.

"Rose?" She noticed her telepathic friend was no longer sitting in her chair. She hadn't been in the shower that long, and normally Rose would wait for her to come out. Walking to her open window she peered outside, looking to see if she had left the same way she had supposedly entered. But there was no sign of her. It wasn't like her to just up and leave without at least saying goodbye first.

'Maybe something happened and she had to rush away,' she wondered as she quickly dried herself and threw her uniform on. She was in somewhat of a hurry herself; only forty minutes until her shift started and she hadn't gotten around to buying a car yet. In her bodily state it would take her longer than usual to walk to her work.

She tied her wet hair into a ponytail before wrapping Rose's crimson and white striped scarf around her neck, making sure it covered the evidence from last night. She then stuffed her necessities into her small bag and headed for the staircase.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up." Her grandmother was sitting at the table, open book in hand and a hot meal sitting next to her, waiting for Sookie to consume it. "Come sit down and eat before you go."

Knowing she'd have no chance of leaving unless she did as she was told, and not wanting her grandmothers effort to be in vain, she sat down next to her and began eating.

"Did Rose come down here by any chance?" she managed to say in between mouthfuls.

"If she did, I didn't see her," Adele replied, not taking her eyes off her book.

'Maybe she did actually use my window as a doorway...' Sookie thought, wondering how Rose would go about it.

She pushed the thought aside, not having time to contemplate it further; she had a job to get to.

"Thanks Gran." She finished her last mouthful and stood up, kissing her grandmother on the cheek before leaving.

'Thirty minutes left to get to work,' she thought as she hurried herself down the stony driveway and onto the road.

It was mostly quiet with only a few vehicles passing by her. She was lucky; the weather was perfect, blue sky above her with the warmth of the sun shining down on her skin. It was a shame she had overslept. She could have worked on her golden skin and sunbathed for a while. She never did feel fully energized without getting a little bit of the sun's heat.

"Hey Sookie." She turned to see her boss driving up behind her in his blue, late 60s Ford Bronco, his arm hanging out the side, waving in an attempt to catch her attention. "What's a beautiful girl like you doing walking by herself?" His subtle yet incessant flirting was ever present.

"I can defend myself very well, I shall have you know," she replied as he slowed down and drove beside her.

"I'm sure you can," he kept at it, "but that don't mean I can't offer you a ride, does it?"

Although she barely knew the man, the aura that surrounded him had a pleasant feeling to it and his thoughts were mostly pure... even if most of the time all she got from him was strange animal noises and static images.

"Well... OK," she gave in, deciding that last night had taken a toll on her and that she could use a ride to spare her tired legs. "But just this once."

He grinned and stopped, leaning over the seat to push open the door so she could get in. She climbed into the passenger's side and fastened her seat belt as he began to drive. The journey there was mostly quiet, with Sam making small conversation every now and again until the finally reached their destination.

"Thanks for the ride," she shared her gratitude as she unclipped her seat belt and opened the door.

"Anytime." He got out himself.

As she stepped out of the car, she lost her footing and tumbled to the gravel at her feet. Though oddly she didn't feel the cold stones touch her skin. Instead they seemed to dissolve under her, melting into nothingness and taking everything else with it as she kept falling into a deep black abyss. And then she finally hit something; her body jolted as she felt a spongy mattress press against her body.

He stroked the side of her face with his fingers and she inhaled a deep breath at the sensation. The low evening sun was pouring through crystal windows, creating flecks of rainbow coloured light across their skin as they lay basking in physical satisfaction. She took his warm hand and pressed her lips to it.

"I am glad you walked into my life when you did," he smiled as he returned the gesture. "I never thought I could learn to trust after…"

"Shh..." she hushed him with her index finger. "It's in the past. Don't burden yourself with the memories of it." She removed her finger and replaced it with her lips. He welcomed the embrace as she rolled on top of him and deepened the kiss. He let his hands wander her spine, taking in her perfectly smooth skin and well-toned muscles.

"I love you Godric, that's all that matters." She pulled away only long enough to say those words before placing her lips back where they belonged. Running her tongue across his lower lip, he gave her entry, causing her heart to race as it pulsated in delight. He wrapped his arms around her torso and switched their positions. A hissing like moan fell from her lips as their bodies grazed against each other. He ran the tip of his nose down her neck, breathing in her unique scent as he traced his lips across her collarbone and down her bare chest.

"Again?" she chuckled as she brought herself up onto her elbows.

He did not stop as he passed her toned stomach and kissed her hip bone where he began to pull at the red fabric that hung loosely from her waist.

She ran her fingers through his thick brown locks. "Wait..."

He halted and peered up at her in disappointment. "You do not want me to?"

"It's not that..." she mused, turning her attention to the window and noting the position of the sun which was now lower in the sky. It's rays were beginning to be blocked by the many trees that surrounded the house. It would be night soon. A slick smile appeared on her lips as she took her legs back from his grasp and swung them over the edge of the bed.

"Come on." She stood and took his hand, pulling him to his feet and leading him to the door. He watched as she stepped forward up to the very edge of the high balcony, her long blond hair that fell to her waist wavering in what little breeze there was.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously as he leant against the door frame.

She looked over her shoulder and grinned mischievously as she removed the material from her waist and threw it at him teasingly. Her blond strands and golden skin was swept up as she jumped from the wooden deck.

"Liliana!" he called as he rushed to the edge. For a moment he thought she was crazy jumping from such a height, but then noticed the huge body of water that had formed underneath the house. He watched as she was swallowed by the deep blue that was so clear you could see the bottom.

She surfaced and called up to him, encouraging him to follow. "Join me!"

He didn't hesitate. He removed what little clothing he had on from his lower torso and dove deep into the wet abyss. The water felt cool against his warm skin, and he indulged in the familiar feeling for a moment before kicking upwards to surface. "Where did this come from?" he asked jubilantly.

"Every year the river overflows, flooding this one part of the forest," she replied as she swam over to him. "I thought I might surprise you this evening."

"I now understand why you chose this place to build your house, here in the trees. It also explains why you've been keeping me inside all day," he chuckled.

"Well, I must admit, that was really just an excuse to keep you in bed," she concurred as she circled him. "But, I thought you might like it."

"It's wonderful. My childhood was spent next to the sea." He took one of her hands and pulled her in closer.

"Of course," she remarked as her chest met his. "I'm assuming this is much warmer than the ocean."

"Very." He wrapped an arm around her torso and the other around her shoulders, tightening the embrace.

The sun was giving off its last rays of light, and the pink and orange sky was turning into dark shades of purple and blue. In its place, star and moonlight made the water shimmer with radiance as it reflected their beauty.

She let the water carry them underneath the house. She pushed his back against the massive tree trunk and he found his footing on one of the sturdy wooden logs used for a climbing ladder. He kept his arms snaked around her torso as she held onto one of the nailed branches with both hands and used it to her advantage.

She closed the gap between them, moulding her body against his. She keenly wrapping her legs around his waist and earned a deep growl from his throat as they shared body heat and friction built between them. His scent filled her senses as she mewled against his throat, tracing his lustrous skin with her lips, and nibbling his neck muscles teasingly to create subtle love bites.

She trembled against him, her breath uneven as he ran his fingers through her wet hair. He let his hands take in her body, wanting to experience all she had to offer; feeling her smooth thighs, the arch of her back, the plumpness of her chest and the toned muscles of her stomach. The tips of his fingers brushed against her inner thigh, driving her wild. With a growl she possessed his lips and he gladly obliged to her desperation, allowing her tongue to glide seamlessly against his, setting their taste buds on fire.

Unable to get enough of him, she clung to his body that was torturously teasing her. His short finger nails dug into her back muscles as they joined in flesh. He was grateful the water was holding her body weight as his knees grew weak at the sensation. All she could feel was his muscles trembling against her own; the world only consisted of them and the water. Her breathing grew heavy, her voice deserting her as her blood boiled under his touch. She relished in the sensation of his damp, silky skin.

His heartbeat grew unsteady and loud; she could feel it pounding against her chest. As waves of electrical sparks pulsated down their spines and completely overtook their bodies, a light grew at the root of their connection. It shone through the water and escaped, bursting in a flare of radiant multi-coloured light that lit up the dark world around them.

"Sookie!" Sam was quick to her side. He knelt next to her and lifted her upper torso to rest on his lap. "Sookie." He shook her a little in an attempt to wake her. The scarf that had been tightly held in place began to slip, allowing the evidence of last night to become visible to his eyes. He pulled it back a little more and traced the bite mark with his fingers.

Her eyes finally opened as she came out of the memory and back to reality, and the first thing she saw was Sam's worried face. Realising she was half lying on his lap, she regained her footing and stood up. "I can be so clumsy sometimes." She reached into the car and grabbed her bag that was still sitting on the seat. She closed the door and began to walk away.

"Sookie..." He went after her and grabbed her arm before she reached the door. "You sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." She took her arm back and entered the establishment.