Author's Note:Thank you everyone that has left me feedback. It is very helpful, and truly appreciated! I'm also glad that you all like my portrayal of Godric. As mydirt09 commented, he is very hard to pin down, because he's only been in a few episodes. In addition, his views and personality have shifted throughout his existence, so a writer can gather inspiration from any part of it. I'm sort of using a blend, and adding on as I go along. Luckily, my brain has already created the major scenes/events. I just need to fill in the gaps.

Chapter Four

"Sookie, are you alright?" Godric asks with concern as he quickly approaches the seemingly catatonic woman. The moment his bloody hands come into view, Sookie's panic rises, and her rapid gasps for air become audible to the two vampires standing before her. Godric begins advancing more swiftly, but the closer he gets, the more Sookie's breathing accelerates. Quickly comprehending this fact, Godric shifts his stride, and within a flash, disappears from view with only the running water in the bathroom indicating where he went. Now, with only Eric in her presence, Sookie averts her gaze to the pile of heavily congealed, bloody goo lying a few feet in front of her, steadily shivering as the shock and adrenaline coursing through her body wavers.

"Sookie," Eric calls out quietly and with uncertainty, hoping to draw the woman's attention away from the remains. Unfortunately, though her head turns slightly in his direction, Sookie's eyes stay locked on the pile, breathing even more erratically. In a split second, Eric scents the blood running through her veins, and it doesn't appear to have changed course, or to be gathering in a single spot, so he lets out a mental sigh of relief that there's no internal bleeding. A cursory glance at the angle she's sitting in, and the way her head is tilted shows that there is little, if any, spinal damage. Therefore, her current condition is of her own making.

"Sookie, breathe!" Eric commands without raising his voice, effectively snapping Sookie's gaze to his face. Almost instantly, her breathing slows until her chest rises and falls with deep, restful gulps of air, releasing the tension in her diaphragm, and providing her brain with much needed oxygen. As the haze lessens, she gathers what just happened to her, and tries to stand, but flinches as both sharp and dull pain radiate from several points on her mid and upper back. Eric sees this, and immediately goes to bite his wrist.

"No, Eric,"Godric calmly commands in his progeny's native tongue, halting his actions, completely. Sookie and Eric's eyes lock on Godric's shirtless, wet and bloody form in confusion for two entirely different reasons. While Sookie is trying to decipher whether or not she just heard spoken English, and if so, how hard did she hit her head, Eric is trying to comprehend the rationale behind his maker's order. Why would he deny Sookie his blood when she is clearly in pain?

"The blood is sacred,"Godric answers as if the question is spoken aloud. At once, he can feel his progeny's anger bubbling forth, and it pains him that Eric has yet to understand his teachings. Even more so, he's concerned about how Sookie may perceive his actions, especially with the way she had gaped at him with panicked terror when he had first approached her.

"Father, please, Sookie's injuries…" Eric speaks up, returning the elder vampire's attention to him.

"…are not life threatening, and will heal in time. The blood bond between a vampire and a human is one of the most important unions that we can share, and is not something to be taken lightly,"Godric cuts him off with stern, yet composed words, making Eric look away in shame, understanding that he is being scolded for more than what he was about to do.

He had been told countless times that an interspecies bond is only second to the bond between maker and progeny, yet he forced a bond with a human right in his maker's home, and in his maker's presence, no less! The level of disrespect he has shown since coming to Dallas is beyond unacceptable to him, and he is baffled by his actions. However, unbeknownst to him, Godric is feeling his own guilt that perhaps he didn't try hard enough, or teach his child properly, leading to his reckless behavior. Now, his own was just one of the many that used a sacred gift for manipulation, drug trafficking, sexual pleasure and every other carnal desire. To Godric, it was like comparing a drunken, mindless orgy to the sex that is shared between a bonded pair. Sacrilegious!

"Is Shanta dead, already?" Sookie inquires while leaning against the wall for support, bringing the two vampires' attention back to the matter at hand. With Sahlin being accounted for, Sookie wanted, no, neededthe assurance that the other vampire damned to hell by her investigation had been taken care of. Godric is quite interested in this answer as well, so immediately, Eric returns to business mode.

"Yes. Shanta was staked just after nightfall. I then trailed Sahlin all the way to the border of Death Valley, before I lost sight of him. By the time I figured out his intentions, it was too late," Eric reported, sparing a passing glare at the gooey puddle spreading across the floor. After analyzing the information presented to him, Godric comes to a startling conclusion.

"There are others," he announces, and once more, all eyes are on him.

"There was too little space between the time when Sahlin's human was questioned and Sahlin's awakening for him to have been informed of our plans. Therefore, another human must have alerted him, and no human that accompanies a vampire with pure intentions would have betrayed him or her, or their own race," he adds, and Eric's eyes narrow in seriousness, while Sookie has to suppress a shiver. She knew exactly what she was getting into, but that doesn't mean that she likes it. Usually, she leaves the thrill seeking to the other surviving Stackhouse.

"Don't worry. It's at my orders that you're here, so you will be protected, and will have a private, secure room by tomorrow evening. Until then, it will be my pleasure to have you stay in my suite," Eric says with a playful leer to lighten the mood even though he is utterly serious. Sookie is very apprehensive about this, considering their history and the recent string of dreams she's been having, but luckily, she doesn't have to think it over for long.

"No, I believe protecting Sookie may be beyond your capabilities at this point. There are several vampires in this region that are older than you, and if any one of them are a part of this takeover, you will have more than enough trouble defending yourself. I gave my word to Sookie and Mr. Compton that she will be under my protection, so it will remain so," Godric says to Eric, before turning to speak to Sookie, directly.

"If it is agreeable, I would like for you to remain in my suite for the duration of your stay. Sahlin was always verbose, which lent me some time in intervening. The others, however, will not be as deliberate," he informs, and Sookie quickly weighs her options. She could either stay in a private room and risk getting beaten up or killed, or she could stay with Godric, and hope that she's not as loud in her sleep as she is in her dreams. What the hell? Considering the location of his room, and what she had been doing the night before, she really had nothing left to hide. All she could do now was hope that Eric's lechery was his own, and wasn't taught to him by a certain someone.

"It's fine. I'm willing to stay anywhere as long as it's outside of this room," Sookie says as she gets another whiff of the rotting blood. The smell along with the taste of her own blood lingering in her mouth causes her stomach to churn, making her fight hard not to create more of a mess for the morning cleaning crew. Godric sees her slightly discolored hue, and is concerned by her weary gaze and unstable stance, but there are still some loose ends that need to be tended to, before he can focus on her.

"Eric, alert the others that if any human companion is found to have been glamoured in the last six hours, their vampires will be terminated without question. Also, place the order that no vampire or human companion is to leave the area until further notice. From this moment on, the vampires of Dallas are officially on lockdown," Godric declares, and without a word or reaction, Eric vanishes from sight, leaving his maker and Sookie alone.

"We should head out, so that I can tend to your wounds, and you can get some rest. I'll put in a call to have your personal belongings brought upstairs, immediately," Godric says as he steadies Sookie, forcing her to lean on him, heavily. Not wanting to cause her any further pain or injury, he picks her up bridle style, and before she can protest or even squeak, they are inside his room.

"I believe it is standard for all rooms to come with certain toiletries, so hopefully, I have some antiseptic," Godric says as he puts Sookie down, before disappearing, and then reappearing with two small bottles. Normally, Sookie is used to vampire antics, but after the night she has had, it's just making her dizzy. So, she sits onto the nearby sofa, carefully, trying not to aggravate any cut, scrape or bruise she may have. Godric begins advancing towards her, but halts once he's a solid two feet away, making Sookie stare at him curiously.

"Your nightwear will have to be removed," Godric says casually, not breaking his gaze. Sookie is not thrilled about getting half-naked in front of anyone other than Bill, but considering she was this close to rooming with Eric, meaning he would have been cleaning her wounds, she can't find room to complain about Godric. Don't be mistaken, she wouldn't have had too much of a problem with Eric tending to her. In fact, she may have enjoyed it, which is why she would continue to avoid him like the plague. His 1000 years of sexual experience would eat her alive, and she couldn't have that. Then again, Godric is twice his age, so would that mean twice the experience? Better not think about that too much!

"Uh… yes, of course!" Sookie says quickly, trying to stop her line of thinking. It's somewhat pointless considering her face is redder than a bottle of TruBlood, and her haphazard tugging is only reopening her wounds. This isn't lost on Godric, who finds her mortal modesty both endearing and slightly stimulating. Luckily, he has a better poker face than even the most stoic of vampires when he purposely sets his mind to it, so while maintaining a look of impassivity, he steps forward, and swiftly undoes the two buttons holding the gown in place.

'It's worse than I thought,' Godric thinks as he sees several seeping cuts and scrapes, which only highlights the major gash running 6-7 inches diagonally across Sookie's back. Sookie mumbles something about wanting to know how bad it is, but Godric says nothing as he begins applying the alcohol and iodine.

"Perhaps you should rest tomorrow instead of doing the interviews. There is nothing pressing that needs to be discovered right away, and your health is more important," Godric says after spending several minutes trying to stop one of the smaller cuts from bleeding. He's kicking himself that he didn't get there sooner, that it even happened at all. Why do his people have to act like this?

"I wish I could, but Bill was right. I really do need to get back to Bon Temps as soon as possible. If I don't, Tara will come looking for me, poor Arlene will be swamped with work, and there's no telling what my brother may get into. Besides, this isn't the first time I've been banged up. Believe me, I've seen worse," Sookie replies, causing Godric to momentarily pause in his ministrations.

"Is it worth it, the pain? Are we worth it?" He asks, and as Sookie contemplates his questions, she slowly turns to peer at him, really look at him.

"Yes. Yes, you're worth it, and don't ever question that. I've had just as many bad things happen to me because of humans as I've had because of vampires. The same can be said about the good, which just proves that my Gran was right. There is good and evil in everyone, and it is up to us to choose which path to take. So, never think that what you are makes you who you are. No one race of people should be judged like that," Sookie states, and Godric stares into her eyes intensely for several moments. Then, without a word, he gets up, and walks into the kitchen, making Sookie wonder if she should follow him. The moment she comes to a conclusion, he walks back into the living area with a cup of tea and a tablet, placing both in front of her.

"This chamomile tea and this pain killer should help you get to sleep. You're free to take the bed or sofa, though I figured you would want the bed," Godric says softly, shuffling somewhat nervously. Sookie is taken aback at the complete avoidance and shift in conversation, and has half a mind to call him on it. However, the lost and saddened look that's peeking through his eyes makes her hold her tongue. She would definitely be speaking to him about this, but not tonight. So, without an utterance, she pops the pill into her mouth, and slowly sip her tea.

"Actually, I think I'll take the sofa. If I get into that bed, I know that I'll be too tempted to lie on my back, and it's had enough action for tonight," she says lightly, and though Godric tilts his head slightly, looking at her peculiarly, he understands her reasoning. With that, he gives a quiet goodnight, and then turns to leave to give her some privacy. However, at the sight of him walking out, leaving her alone, Sookie feels the terror from earlier in the night barreling back into consciousness.

"Godric!" She calls out quickly, causing the vampire to turn faster than she can comprehend. In an instant, he is tense and alert, and Sookie feels like a fool for acting so childish. But, somehow, she manages to speak up in her embarrassment.

"Can you… will you… stay with me, tonight?" She asks, before taking a decent sized sip of her tea to help calm her nerves. Godric peers at her for a few seconds as the tension drain out of him, and then slowly, he walks over and sits beside her. Several moments pass with Sookie just quietly drinking her tea, remaining silent, but then she gathers her nerve, and rests her head on his shoulder. She's may be a big girl, and can take care of herself, but everyone needs comfort every once in a while.

"Thank you," she says quietly, barely awake. Godric's only response is to lightly drape his arm around her frame, quickly making Sookie feel secure enough to drift to asleep.

OOOOO

The unyielding stiffness of her body is what finally makes Sookie return to the land of the living. She hasn't even moved, yet can tell that her body could rival the lack of flexibility that a corpse has. So, she tests it out as she tries to sit up, and instantly regrets it.

"Dear Lord!" She groans as a serious of cracks, pops and snaps sound as if she had to break every bone in her back just to move it. Luckily, Godric steadies her, before she can do any more damage.

"Easy," He says, as he lightly grasps her shoulders. Sookie is glad that he's there, but is quite surprised that he hasn't left, and for that matter, is even awake.

"What time is it?" She asks as she looks at the window, forgetting that it wouldn't be open due to her present company.

"It's just after 4:30pm," Godric calmly informs, but it's lost on Sookie as she whips around to look at him incredulously, completely forgetting her predicament.

"Four thirty! Why didn't you wake me up sooner? I should be interviewing people by now!" She exclaims, and tries to stand, but Godric stops her motion with gentle force.

"I've already alerted everyone that we will begin at 6:00pm today. That's more than enough time to get through half of the remaining humans. Besides, your health is more important. Please take this time to relax. I've already put in an order for room service, and your suitcases were delivered half an hour ago, so feel free to eat, shower and dress at your leisure," Godric states. At the mentioning of suitcases and showers, Sookie comes to the realization that not only is she dressed in just her panties and bra, but she also spent the entire night in them, with Godric holding her. Dear Lord, Bill will never find this out if she has anything to do with it!

"Thank you," Sookie says in complete sincerity, before hauling ass into the bathroom as quickly as an injured woman possibly can. Once inside, she fills the oval tub with water as warm as she can tolerate, before carefully placing one foot in after the other. Slowly, she lowers herself, and though the water stings every inch and orifice of her back, it is well worth the returned mobility. So, while embracing the pleasure-pain combination for the double-edged sword that it is, she drifts back to sleep for another half hour. She hardly has the time to relish life's simple pleasures anymore, so when she does get it, she enjoys them for all they're worth.

OOOOO

"Juniper, Campbell and Augustine have all been implicated in the planned attack, which is not surprising in the least. Take Danson and Emery along with you to…" Sookie half-heatedly listens to Godric pass orders to Eric. Though it would be to her benefit to understand all that is going on around her, she can't find the energy to do so.

Over the course of three hours, she questioned 17 humans belonging to 16 vampires. Of those 16 vampires, over half were unhappy with Godric's decision, and three were hostile. It didn't help that most of the humans were utterly rude to her, making Godric come to her defense several times. Now, her back is hurting worse than ever, and she's not sure a bath is going to do it this time.

"It's still giving you problems?" Godric asks as he watches Sookie give up gentleness, and settle on beating the hell out of her shoulders with her fists. Startled, Sookie is surprised to see that Eric has already left, and even more surprised that Godric has gotten so close to her without her noticing. She's beginning to think that they bounce around at top speed just to get a rise out of her, and the half glare she sends to Godric is indicative of that. However, he just gathers that her discontent stems her body's condition, which spurs him on.

"Allow me to help," he says as he leads her from the living area to the bedroom. He then takes a seat on the bed, and slowly, Sookie follows with bewilderment written all over her face. If it were anybody else, she would be demanding some form of an explanation by now. However, because it's Godric, she'll follow his lead, for now.

"Do you trust me?" Godric asks with slight humor as he looks into Sookie's very distrusting face. She nods her assent, but the wariness doesn't recede, and Godric makes a mental note to have a few words with his child in the not so distant future. Apparently, he did a number on the girl.

"Turn around," Godric says soothingly, and though Sookie complies, the tension in her back increases twofold, making Godric's work that much harder. So, without saying anything more, he uses his thumbs to slowly undo all of the knots in her neck and upper shoulder blades. A whoosh of air and a heavy sigh leave Sookie at once, and immediately, all of her attention shifts to Godric's hands and the wonderful sensations they are leaving in their wake. His fingers are cool, slow and meticulous along her injured, heated flesh, and it feels downright heavenly. Bill has done all types of sexual acts to her, and she has had all forms of innuendos and solicitations thrown her way from every species of man imaginable, but this innocent and altruistic act make her look beyond carnal desires, and just enjoy pleasure for the sake of pleasure, something she hasn't had the privilege of doing since she was a child.

Slowly, Godric's hands scale down her back, and though she flinches, expecting pain as he travels over her open wounds, there is none to be found. Somehow, he is maneuvering perfectly between each abrasion, making them feel as though they're not even there. Now, without her consent, each portion of her body that he touches turns to jelly, which is increasingly…titillatingas he trails closer to her lower back. It is only a wonder how she maintains her silence as he massages down her spine, unlocking all of the tensed and quivering muscles surrounding her vertebra, and returning her body's mobility. It's also a wonder how she maintains a straight and stiff posture throughout his gentle ministrations. However, once his hands passes over the curve of her lower back and across the sides of her stomach, she has to severely bite her bottom lip to stay quiet, just barely suppressing a shudder and a squeak.

'Dear God!' She thinks, trying to pull herself together. It takes several minutes, but eventually she succeeds.

"I think I may have to capture you, and lock you in a little box, so that I can use you whenever I have a hard day at work," Sookie speaks, and is impressed with how clear her voice is. Godric doesn't notice either way, and just lets out a childlike, melodious laugh at her words.

"Can I not have a large box? Also, will I be given sustenance?" He asks in mock seriousness, not slowing or missing a single piece of flesh as he replies. Once more, it takes Sookie a minute, but when she speaks, her voice is just as clear as before.

"Of course, you will be given sustenance! You need to be in good condition, if you are to be of any use. As for boxes… Hmm, I guess you can have a medium one. Large is too much. I don't want you burning away all of your energy before I can get to you," Sookie replies, and instead of words, she can feel Godric laughing behind her, which makes her laugh. It's been so long since she could let her silliness show in front of someone due to fear of being called naïve or immature that she almost forgot that this part of her exists. However, considering Godric's antics, she feels like she's in good company.

"Can I also have a kindle, and perhaps, a vampire's lifetime supply of books?"

See? In the past, she was just happy to find friends that tolerated her oddities, and if she was lucky, accepted them. Never did she guess that someone could share some of quirks, especially with the way Gran had always called her one of a kind. Hmm, maybe she meant one in every 2000 years?

"Godric, can I ask you something?" Sookie asks in true seriousness, causing Godric to hesitate slightly, before finding his rhythm again.

"You just did," he replies casually, and once his statement sinks in, Sookie tries to whip around, but is stopped by his hands on her shoulders. She feels him laughing at her again, but his consent stops her from acting on it. Luckily, for him, she's more interested in the answer to her question.

"If you're done making fun of me, I would like to know what you were like when you were human," Sookie announces with a laugh, after she turns to face him. Though the smile never leaves his face, Godric assesses her for several minutes, before seemingly arriving at a conclusion.

"Foolish. Very foolish… and impulsive, stubborn, immature, hyper and sneaky," he replies with a smile, and eyes that weren't entirely free of pain. For a moment, Sookie waits in silence in hopes that he has more to say, but when he remains quiet, she let her mirth come forth.

"Um, Godric… besides a few things, you don't appear to have changed very much," she says in jest, and is met with the Northman brow, before Godric's smile takes on another layer of sadness.

"Believe me, I have. I was positively unbearable in those days," he says as he gets a faraway look in eyes, showcasing the distance between where his thoughts lie and where his current physical presence resides. Sookie can't shake the feeling of foreboding she has, and based upon the minute details of his life he has shared, she knows that there is good reason for it.

"Godric, what was life like for you?" Sookie asks softly as a prompt. Instantly, a myriad of emotions dance across the vampire's face, before he shuts his eyes, and outwardly, cuts off all of his thought processes. Then, a resigned sigh punctuates the conclusion of his mental war, and with one more deep breath, he's ready to speak.

"…For all of my life, and for most of my death, my existence was perpetual hell. Some of it was handed to me; a lot of it was my own choosing," Godric states carefully, and Sookie just looks on in an open-mouth gape. There are several seconds of silence, but eventually, Godric continues.

"As far back as I can recall, perhaps even at my birth, I was a sacrificial offering to the mortal gods, who were really just a group of deranged human men and women with too much power. They were notorious for collecting babies and children, and then training them in either sexual gratification, hospitality, combat or artisanship. A select few, such as myself, were trained in all of the above, and were referred to as the favorites. However, there were no perquisites that came along with that title. It only indicated that we were to be used as true beasts of burden, and could be handled more severely due to our toughness, which was considered a defect. It should go without saying that I was the worst of my kind," Godric states with a wry smile, and Sookie's mind is reeling at the tidbits of information she receives. Even though she's from southern America, she can't wrap her mind around slavery, especially that of a child.

"What did you do that was so wrong?" She asks with utter incredulity, making Godric smile at his answer.

"I enjoyed being alive, and let them know it every chance that I got," he states, before explaining more thoroughly.

"The gods were only happy when they could fully control or manipulate a situation or person as they saw fit. If they wanted to inflict pain, then someone would be publicly raped or whipped until they begged for mercy, and then at a simple gesture from the panel, the abuse would stop, giving my captors a false sense of power. It was a cruel, self-serving system that I resented even as a small child, so I challenged it at every opportunity. To further incense them, whenever I was punished, I made sure that I never gave them the reaction that they were looking for. If they wanted tears, I would laugh. If they wanted anger, I would remain stoic. If they wanted pleasure, I would sleep. I was a true thorn in their sides, but to kill me without breaking my will would raise questions about their power, cracking their foundation of denial. Therefore, I had to be broken, which created a dance between them and I that eventually became infamous.

As a child, I stole from their vaults, urinated in their pools, and ate from their tables, which led to me becoming very acquainted with their cattle prods, whips and manacles. One of the worse offenses was when I broke into their dining hall, and consumed a great portion of their recently imported grapes. In those days, there weren't any refrigeration, herbicide or artificial preservatives, so obtaining fresh produce that were out of season was nearly impossible unless you were the wealthiest of wealthy. They were, so they spent a small fortune on acquiring several varieties of fruit for their guests in early November. The moment I received word of it, I become infuriated that our hard work had earned them enough profit to splurge on something so frivolous that I went and purposely devoured the most expensive items. By the time I was caught, I had over three and half pounds of grapes and apricots in my stomach, and was promptly beaten within an inch of my life. I was 11 at the time," Godric informs with a half laugh, remaining defiant after two millennia had passed. Sookie couldn't share in the mirth, and only gazed on in sheer confusion and horror at what she was hearing.

"Why on earth would you do that? You had to know how you would be punished," she replies with such outrage at the situation that it is too much to handle, so she redirects it at Godric's provocation. She is just plain angry at it all, but Godric's captors aren't present, so she unwittingly gives it to him. Fortunately, Godric sees her disdain for the concern and helplessness that it is, so he flashes a slight smile that somewhat quells her frayed edges.

"Yes, I did know. I just simply didn't care, because pain was almost a daily occurrence in my life, anyway. Often times, we were tortured at a whim, regardless as to whether we were behaved or not. Therefore, I vowed to earn every punishment sent my way. It was just another opportunity to take the power away from them," he counters, and Sookie's face takes on another look of sadness. However, Godric doesn't recognize this, because he quickly becomes drawn back in his memories.

"Even though I had been causing chaos for many years, my antics didn't get widespread recognition until I was approximately 13 years old. There was a summer festival that was celebrated by several nations, and my captors were guests of honor, so they gathered nine of their best slaves to compete in the national games, and I was one of them. I was known for my stealth and advanced fighting ability, so they foolishly chose me to go out and bring them honor. Instead, I brought shame to them by stripping naked and streaking through the crowd, shouting obscenities as loudly as I could. That very same day, I was given a seemingly impossible task to complete, which would have killed most adult men, let alone a young boy. But, somehow, I survived it, and received my first tattoo. Promptly, another challenge was issued; I succeeded, and received another tattoo. This went on for almost two years, and somewhere along the way, I was given the name "Godric" by the commoners, which means ruler of gods. I had not only defied the gods, but also lived to tell about it, and was successful where they all failed, which weakened their control.

As time went on, they couldn't touch me, because I had attained a higher standing in society than they had. In order to save face, their only option was to emancipate me, which they did offer to do. However, they also offered a second option, which would have required me to renounce all of my previous conquests and remain in their service in exchange for the other slaves' independence. As much as I wanted to start a life of my own, I couldn't let so many good people down without at least hearing what was expected of me. So, I agreed to meet with the gods in the war hall the following evening. I should have known what was coming due to my previous dealings with them, but with the arrogance of youth, I stepped directly into the trap.

When I reached the war hall, I was ambushed by the guards, and then handed over to the very same slaves I was attempting to protect. Unbeknownst to me, the gods had made a deal with them that would have lessened their loads, if they brought me down. They agreed, and I was brutally beaten, raped and spat on over the course of the next 34 hours. I was by no means an innocent, considering I was introduced to carnal pleasures at approximately four years of age, but even I had my limits. The physical aspect was severe, but I had done and had everything that could possibly be done to me happen by the time I was ten, so it was nothing I couldn't survive. It was the mental and emotional stress associated with betrayal, disappointment and desolation that I couldn't cope with.

Somewhere along the course of the night as I was passed from man to woman, woman to man, and man to child, my light went out, and I lost my will to live, which is exactly what they were trying to achieve. However, after waiting for that moment for so long, the gods decided to relish in my torture a little longer by tossing me in the stables, covered in blood and bodily fluids for all to see. Besides a daily cup of water, and a loaf of bread, they left me to rot, and I waited for a death that wouldn't come. For three weeks, I prayed to a God that I saw go through many incarnations that shifted from she to he, and everything in between, yet I was denied. I thought that I had become so pathetic that God had forsaken me. Then, He arrived.

I heard the raids taking place, and could smell the blood in the air even though I was still human, which let me know that my time would soon end. I relished it, and envisioned the great peace that death would bring, so when my assassin walked in, I smiled at him. He was clearly taken aback by my lack of begging and pleading to live, but I couldn't keep the happiness off my face. Confused and curious of my actions, he decided to see if I was worth keeping around. Three days later, I awoke in this form.

When I emerged, the city was still under siege, and though I was confounded by my existence, I was grateful that I was allowed to witness the demise of my personal hell. So, I walked among the chaos in wonderment and barely suppressed elation, not lifting a finger as bodies piled up around me. Blood splatters, vomit and excrement greeted me at every turn, but instead of disgusting me, it caused my bloodlust to grow. By the time I reached the main hall, I couldn't contain myself any longer, and at the first sight of one of the self-proclaimed gods, I went on a killing spree.

I began my assault with the gods themselves, before moving on to their kids and parents, nieces and nephews, cousins and siblings, aunts and uncles. Then, I killed their vast collection of pets and game, guards and advisors. Lastly, I went to the slave quarters, and destroyed them all through every means I could think of with dismemberment being a popular option. Once there wasn't a single heart beating, I drank their blood until it practically seeped through my pores, and that was how my maker found me.

My first command was to come along, and I was all too happy to follow it. In my mind, He was more than just my maker. He was my savior, and my proof that God hadn't forgotten me. Now, I know that I had just jumped from the pan and into the fire. Nothing brings out the perverts like a young boy that is permanently trapped in a child's body for all eternity. It also doesn't help that said child would heal to perfection regardless as to how much damage is inflicted on his body. That's why…"

Godric abruptly stops speaking when Sookie lets out a broken gasp, drawing his attention to her. She is crying, and from the looks of it, has been doing so from some time. Godric is baffled by how he didn't notice it sooner, but is more focused on how he's going to stop it, now.

"Hey, don't waste your tears on me. I'm not worth it! Believe me, I've given the world back three times, ten times the pain that was given to me. Everything you can ever imagine, and perhaps things you can't imagine, I've done without discrimination of age, sex or status, and those things are what plague me to this day. I let my pain, rage and perversion consume me, now my memories and victims' essence haunt me to weariness, and I deserve it. Do not cry for me," he orders as he cups Sookie's face, and tries to wipe away her quickly falling tears with his thumbs. Sookie wants to argue with him, but her heart hurts too much for her to form words. Nevertheless, Godric sees the disbelief and quarrel in her eyes, and though it pains him to do so, he figures it's time to reveal himself in his entirety.

"Once I traveled to my maker's home, I quickly comprehended that my life as a sexual plaything would continue where it had left off. I was a rare commodity in the vampire world, because we aren't allowed to turn children. When one does 'sneak in,' they are usually used by all that wants a piece, which is one of the reasons their turning is forbidden. Another is that they don't have the rationality or mental capacity to cope with aging while being trapped within an adolescent body. The brain forms certain desires, yet the disconnect is too large for the body to process them, so the child slowly descends into madness. I was no different, and my predicament only hurried it alone.

Over the next few centuries, I was passed from master to mistress to master and back several times, becoming increasingly maniacal with each transaction. I knew that they would destroy me when I became too much to handle, yet I made no moves, because I knew that they would eventually make a mistake. That mistake came when they passed me off to a master that was half my age, never bothering to record my death date throughout any of those years. Immediately, I killed him, and escaped into the night, and though I was tracked for many years, the authority couldn't capture me. Ultimately, after many fruitless searches, they stopped pursuing me, assuming that I would be too crazed to make it on my own for very long. In reality, they had unknowingly turned me onto the human world to do whatever I pleased, which lasted for nearly 800 years.

In those years, I lived an existence that shames me to this day. I killed, tortured and defiled men, women, the elderly and even children, some as young as the infancy stage, in ways that I can't bear to recall. In my mind at the time, my claiming of their lives and innocence could return what was lost to me, and when it didn't happen, I would become enraged, and go on a killing spree until I was satiated. Then, I would feel the rare wave of guilt, which made me pity my existence, and wonder how I could start over, causing the cycle to begin again. This went on endlessly until I attacked a woman named, Sanika.

Unlike my other victims, she was defiant to the end, never wailing uselessly and never breaking eye contact with me. It reminded me of myself at a different time, and I was positive that if I could reduce her to nothingness as I had been done, then surely I could escape this madness and reclaim my dignity. However, no level of torture seemed to affect her, and nothing I said or did could take the spark of life from her eyes, even as her actual life was slowly draining away. This both enraged and astonished me, which spurred me on, making me inflict even more pain. Yet, nothing worked, and I had to admit that she was dying. Because I wasn't finished playing with her, I gave her my blood in an attempt to prolong her life.

Immediately, I was racked with her emotions and various images from her life that I had no idea how I had acquired. I knew that she had several younger siblings, and had been caring for them since childhood. I knew that she had hidden her gender to participate in the war, and had claimed many victories on the battlefield. I knew that she was carrying an unborn child that she had yet to admit to having to her husband. More importantly, I knew that she was staring at me because she was committing to memory the image of her would be assassin.

For the first time in centuries, I was feeling something other than haze, because her human emotions were trying to resonate with my long since buried ones, which is the power humans have over us when a blood bond is created. We are given windows into your souls, yet you are given control of the very things that separates us from mere animated corpuses, the last vestiges of who we were in life. If properly controlled, we can be reawakened from even the deepest level of oblivion, which is what Sanika attempted to do to me.

She dug within my heart, and before I could do anything about it, I was experiencing emotions that I had long forgotten centuries before, and some that I didn't even know that I had. In seconds, I felt joy, awareness, guilt, prosperity, sentiment and so many others that I couldn't even name. It was like waking up from a centuries old dream with the startling reality that you were never asleep. Everything that you had done was in fact real, and would have serious consequences. One, I would have to face right away.

As I was relishing the new sense of life I was given, I felt the pull lessen, and my emotions recede. A look at Sanika showed that I was losing her, fast, which frightened me, because I didn't know how to handle everything that I was feeling. She was my only hope, and I didn't want another death on my hands, so I gave her more of my blood. However, she was too far gone, and died several seconds later.

That night, I did something I hadn't done since I was a small child. I curled into a ball, and cried until I felt ill from the blood loss. I questioned my existence, God's existence and the fairness of the world. I wondered what I had done that was so terrible that I was not only denied the peace associated with death, but was forced into a second existence that seamlessly continued the tortures of my previous life. Nothing from my recollection fit the punishment, so I wondered was there really a reason at all. If there wasn't a reason, then there couldn't be a God, because God was reason. Therefore, I renounced any lingering beliefs I had in a supreme deity, and focused on the only truth that I had seen with my own two eyes. This was the truth that there is no right or wrong when survival is involved. Either you do what you have to do to survive, or you die. With that thought in mind, I began the second segment of my death. As you can imagine, it would take many more centuries, before I reached the point where I'm at now," Godric concludes, and Sookie peers at him unflinchingly with an unreadable expression on her face, causing Godric to look away.

"Do you still think I'm worth it?" He asks with a humorless half laugh, self-deprecation shining through for all to see. It is always said that sharing your feelings makes you feel better, yet Godric would have to disagree with that statement, because waiting for Sookie's disdain and terror to set in is doing nothing for his psyche. In fact, it makes him feel more alone than he has in decades, centuries.

"Godric, you've done some terrible, terrible things," Sookie says carefully, and watches as the vampire's brow furrows in saddened acceptance. He's still not meeting her gaze, so Sookie places her hand on his cheek, and gently turns his face to her, forcing the eye contact.

"However, it is not my place to judge you, nor is it anyone else's. You need to focus on making this right with you and God, and I can't tell you how to do that, because I don't know how. But, if you need my help or advice on anything, it's yours," she adds, and Godric stares at her with a look of utterly confused innocence, making Sookie recall when and how he died. He was turned just weeks after the incident with his captors, so the same face that she is peering into was the one that they had defiled. She can't help but wonder if he thinks of it every time he looks into a mirror. Sadly, this was somebody's son once, and though he had clearly been a young kid by today's standards, they had used him in the worse way possible.

'So innocent,' Sookie thinks of his appearance, while rubbing a hand along his cheek, amazed at the softness. Almost instantly, Godric tenses as his brow pinches in befuddlement. With eyes darting across every point of her face, he is closely assessing her actions, and it breaks Sookie's heart to see.

"You don't have much experience with simple human touch, do you?" She asks softly, which causes Godric to quirk his brow and smirk.

"There isn't a part of me that hasn't been touched," he replies, and Sookie rolls her eyes skyward in slight humor.

"That's not what I asked," she counters, and then runs her hand through his hair, feeling it bend and then snap back in place like plush carpet. She then trails both of her hands down the back of his neck, and traces the hairs along his neckline that would forever be fine and soft like that of a child's. Immediately, Godric's whole body gives a deep quiver, and he has to shut his eyes to control it. At this action, Sookie gets her answer, and is saddened by its fact. She feels neglected if she goes a week without affection, yet Godric has lived through more than 20 human lifetimes without it.

'I'm going to make sure that this life is better for you,' Sookie vows to herself, and then kisses Godric's forehead. Instantaneously, his hands are encasing her waist, and he's looking at her in confusion, trying to figure out her motives. He would also like to know what it is that she wants from him. He has experienced every come on under the sun, and this doesn't exactly look like one, so he's puzzled. Therefore, he will do nothing until he knows what he's working with.

"I don't understand," Godric finally admits, and Sookie doesn't know whether to feel sorry for him, or to laugh at his expression. So, she simply runs the back of her hand against his cheek, which will become an obsession for her, if she isn't careful, and then responds.

"There's nothing really to understand. Humans are just 'touchy' by nature," she says casually, and then lies down on the bed. For several moments, Godric remains stationary, yet a slew of emotions are passing over his face, and Sookie finds it slightly comical. However, once the emotions start repeating, she decides to disrupt his musings.

"Since you're still up, would you mind turning out the light?" She asks, bringing Godric firmly back to the now. Quickly, he gets up, and flicks the switch, leaving pitch-blackness in his wake. He then utters a goodnight, and heads out the door, before Sookie calls out to him.

"Considering I've already slept in your arms half-naked, it seems silly for you to sleep on the couch now that I'm fully dressed. Besides, this is the biggest bed I've ever seen. I think you, me, Bill and Eric can fit on here without touching, and perhaps Jason, too. You may as well stay," she says, and Godric remains motionless for a lingering moment, before finally walking over to over-sized bed. He seems a bit unsure, but eventually, lies back and gets comfortable, before turning to Sookie.

"Another human thing?" He asks with humor, and Sookie doesn't miss a beat.

"Yup."