PART FOUR

Chapter 8

This was the third time in a thousand years he had done this and so far, his success rate was a hundred percent. Willa and Pam had proven themselves worthy progeny and yet, this was a new deal entirely. Niall had believed that with her still being alive, that she could be restored, purged of the evil faerie magic but only by the love in the blood of the Viking, but that her own magic would mingle with that love and make her like Warlow had been-a hybrid. Albeit a sane one. Tired as he was, he had her hand in his and swore she squeezed it now and then. Thoughts of the past occupied his mind in the hours leading up to nightfall and as he heard the sound of a shovel, he was all too eager to get up and out of the grave, careful to not jostle her around as he reached down to pull her out.

"It really isn't fair that as filthy as you are, you still look good." Pam was waiting, as promised, above ground. She peered down as he brought the girl up. A look of concern crossed her face. "She should have gotten up on her own….its what happened to me, all I wanted was to-" she was stopped as the once slumbering Sookie sprang to life and went for the one closest to her and Pam's face was agape as she saw her former rival turned friend baring a set of her own fangs, plunging them into the Viking's arm. Shocked as he appeared to be, he was easily able to take her down gently, taking her by both arms and stopping down to look into her eyes, crazed as they were. And scared.

"What….happened…I didn't hurt people….dark faerie magic….its gone I know but….." she felt her teeth with her fingers and put two and two together. Tears filled her eyes as she backed away from him. "What have you done….."

He went to reach out for her as she walked backwards, right into her grandfather who quickly took her aside and explained that this was the only way to save her, her soul from eternal darkness, evil. He hugged his granddaughter as she sobbed into his shoulder, the two vamps staying back a respectful distance. And a few moments later, the girl flashed away and in the house nearby, they saw a light flicker on. Niall sighed and approached the two vamps. "She needs to process this…I told her she can still eat, have the sunlight and live a normal life….but I think….the realization that this couldn't have worked without the feelings the two of you share…..I think she is in a state of shock….not in a bad way but I saw in her mind she wants to see you…..alone."

"Pam, why not head home…" her maker walked to her and took her gently in his arms, kissing her on the top of the head. "I am pleased no lasting damage was done-"

"My clothes! My shoes…digging a hole for y'all….should have gotten a tracksuit again." she muttered, though the sparkle in her eyes was unmistakable as her face took on a sober look, looking up at the window. "I would be careful…she may be a little haunted by what happened…..or worse." they all saw there came a purple light emitting from her room and Niall's face blanched.

"it worked to a point….the magic shifted again but the darkness remains in her. It would seem she doesn't want to let it go….let the pain go. They are interconnected." he had his eyes closed as he tried to see into the mind of his granddaughter. "The worse was taken from her with the change but….she still suffers….still has some darkness n her and as such it remains a threat. Unless she lets go of the pain and truly embraces her true feelings, she will remain a loose cannon."

"So I failed her….this didn't work. She was turned for no reason." the Viking said, jaw clenched in frustration. "Its not like I can undo what happened to her."

"You didn't fail, you destroyed most of the evil and darkness in her but because she us scared of opening up to you, that hesitation on her part….it has allowed her pain and the lingering darkness to regroup, so to speak. She is scared, angry and….well, imagine what she had been through the past few days. The loss… " Niall watched as the leather clad Viking stomped towards the house. "Where are you going? You are not safe from her, she could still lash out-"

"I have to help her, this ends tonight. I will not let this take her….." he wanted to say more but a shared look with Pam cut him off. He couldn't bear to see the light in her snuffed, forcing him to end her with his own hand. That was last resort and though the worst was destroyed in her, there was work to do and he prayed he could help her finish exercising the demons within her keeping her in this state.

Chapter 9

She was in her bedroom, clad on that leather that she never ordinarily would have worn but the magic had put her in. her hair was dripping wet from the shower, having been filthy from being buried in the earth. She felt herself trembling, she tasted her own fear and worry. Though not feeling as out of control as she had before, she knew that the reason she regressed somewhat was all on her. She knew she needed to purge the pain and embrace the future if she was going to save herself. She knew he had joined her and turning around to face him, he saw past the dark hair, relieved that it seemed the ugly facade was destroyed within her too. How hw knew that, he didn't understand completely but any little ray of hope he could get was what was needed at this time.

She backed a few paces from him. "I want to let this go, if it wasn't for the anger I have, the pain, what you did would have worked. My instincts tell me as much. Freaky ramped up faerie powers, thanks to gramps." she said with a hollow laugh. "I wish you hadn't come for me in the hospital because now look at the mess….I've been turned into a even more of a freak and have this magic in me I can't fight off and…" she choked back tears. "Kill me."

Taken aback by her words, he looked horrified, shaking his head. "I came to save you in every way possible and that is what I intend to do. I want you to let it all out….maybe that is what you need to shed this magic keeping you from being your true-" he was stopped by a blast of her light, threads of darkness woven into it. She looked abashed at her action but had wanted to prove a point. "I am losing myself to this, even with you having helped kill some of it. It hurts me, my mind and soul knowing what is in me-"

"You have to kill it…you have to prove you are strong. Or you are going to be lost to it and I don't want to have to….." he couldn't bring himself to speak the truth. "Look at everything you have still in your life. Your friends and family…your job….the support they have given you….are you really that sorry we reconnected? Do you hate me, regret ever meeting me to begin with?"

Her eyes were tearing up. She thought only for a moment. "My life has always been better with you in it…..and when you came to the hospital….I was happy…..I lost so much and then there you were….there for me….and I thought I would be angry when I woke up earlier and found myself with these…" she gestured to where her retracted fangs were. "I thought I would be angrier but….I feel…..blessed." she closed her eyes as if taking a deep breath and she felt something oozing out of her and sure enough, from her ears, came the darkness. "I need to work on my grief with those I love around me and not keep it in." more darkness came from her. Her hair starting to go blonde again.

"Keep going." urged the Viking as she nodded and kept on looking for the light in the dark what was her life.

"I have my health and….my grandfather gave me such a gift making me full faerie….and you…you gave me some of yourself too…..I never should have walked away…I….I want you. I want to be with you. I am not afraid of that anymore." and with that last admission, there came a jolt to her body and the rest of the darkness was expelled from her, dissolving into mist that evaporated almost instantly. She nearly hit the floor as she went unconscious but he caught her and watched, to his relief, her hair was going back to blonde and she looked at peace. She opened her eyes for a moment and when those brown eyes met his own, he saw the goodness, the innocence in them again. "Sorry I took a bite out of you before…..apparently that lack of control was fleeting though….." she said as she fell asleep again mid thought. The others had appeared in the room with him and looked relieved. Her dark, leather clothes had literally melted away and in a rare moment of caring, Pam took a blanket and handed it to her maker, who wrapped her up snug within it, placing her in her bed, he gestured for them to follow him from the room where they had a little meeting in the hallway.

"Well, is that really it now, or is there gonna be a round three. 'Cause dawn is coming within a couple hours….."

"Let me go in and check over her….I will be able to detect any lingering effects of the water she was forced to drink, that evil…..I hope to never see this again and with the goblet destroyed once and for all, it is only a matter of time before the dark faeries are destroyed." he let himself into her bedroom and it was a tense ten minutes. But when he emerged, a unreadable look on his face, the two vamps looked at him with pure impatience. "She is fine. Her magic is as it was, no trace of the evil put into her….she is at peace…..generally speaking." Niall looked up at the Viking. "You had best take good care of her because she is still fragile, it is going to take time to heal the wounds she has suffered."

"Having suffered terrible losses myself, I understand…" he replied as Pam watched on, her loyalty never stronger to him than now.

"I can run things at the bar if you want to take time away….I suspect you want to help her "heal"" Pam made those air quotes at the last word, unable to resist keeping her sassy, snaky persona intact. Yeah, she knew she had changed a little bit but she certainly wasn't about to do a complete 180. That would be even crazier than what had gone down tonight. She touched his arm gently, a silent gesture saying she was there if he needed her.

"I appreciate that….and yes, I think I may take a leave of absence from the bar until I feel she is on the way to healing…" Pam went to leave but he called her once more. "Please, whatever you do, just make sure Ginger doesn't level the place, ok?" he said with a serious face but she knew better, that he was trying to let her know things would be ok.

"She's gotten better, actually….she has proven herself adept at mixing drinks…only took her years and years but….." Pam trailed off, giving a last smirk before departing. Niall was preparing to see himself out when Eric took his arm firmly, forcing the faerie to look at him.

"I wanted to….thank you for everything. For having a part in resolving more than one thing….her sickness…in a way you helped bring us together again and I won't let you down. You have my respect." the Viking said, solemnly and the faerie king nodded.

"And you have mine. I need to return to put out the rest of the fires that those dark faeries have caused. With any luck within a few days they will all be nothing more than piles of dust on the ground. Take care and rest assured I will look in on the two of you now and again. And give this to her when she is recovered. " Niall handed Eric something from his pocket, it looked like a pendant of sorts, flat crystal that had subtle swirls of color within it. "Created by all the elements, which, being a faerie and that is where our power is linked closely to, she can summon them. But this….all she needs to do to get a hold of me is to clutch it in a hand and think of my. I will get the message. She could also just shout my name, but sometimes voices have a hard time carrying through…at least this way…" he sighed. "Here's hoping she can simply enjoy it as a fashion accessory rather than ever need to use it. She has you, after all."

Taking the pendant in hand, Eric nodded reverently. "She does…..if she will have me." he didn't know why he said the last part, certainly shoving emotion even to friends and family was still hard for him, almost a attack on his ego. But there was something about Niall, that x factor that made him different. "I…want to do right by her….there were times in the past I acted…..well, you've watched over, right? You know-"

"The things you did were for her own good and she realized it….though in the beginning...well, you did see her as merely a tool for you to use. But then you saw her for what she was, even when you learned what she was, you saw the person behind the power. And that is all that matters now. Take care of her and I hope to see you again soon in more pleasant circumstances. With a brief nod of the head and a handshake, Niall vanished form the spot, leaving the Viking standing outside her room. Unsure of what to do next, he thought giving her time to rest and sleep was the best idea and he was half way down the stairs when the door of her room opened. Warily, he approached and saw she was in bed still but awake and it didn't seem as she had gotten out of bed.

"A little breeze I summoned up….better than actually getting out of bed and opening it myself. I think I am gonna like my jumped up power." she was sitting up a bit and there was that light about her that he had started to miss. It was as if she was more than a little healed after everything and that spark of her old self showing itself, it gave him hope. "You can come in, not like you've never been in my bedroom before. " she managed a almost wicked grin, and as she scooted over and patted the space beside her, to which he arched a brow. "I don't mean it like that…." she rolled her eyes. "I just….want company before the sun comes up." she created another gust of wind and the sheets and blankets unfurled, a open invitation if there ever was one. He threw off his jacket and revealed those impressive arms of his in that wife beater he favored to war and nodded at what she had done with the sheets.

"I will behave myself because I would wager you can do more than a little breeze now."

"I feel nature in my veins, more than I ever have…..and I feel like me again. Granted it was a short time with that darkness in me….but then when I fought it off, it took that pain from me. I mean, I am still sad about what I lost and its still gonna take time to heal from the last few days….. " she paused as she blinked back tears. "I could have done damage tonight because of that those….oh god, I killed those two faeries…."

"You did the right thing, they tried to make you something you aren't." he said

"I know I have some darkness in me though….everyone does. But everyone has goodness in them too….well almost everyone. There have been people in our lives that have had no chance of redemption. But that brief time I went dark, I liked it. I really…..part of me wishes I remained. And I think that is the part of me that wishes I could have been the one to end Ryan. For what he did to me and what he took."

It was then he passed on the pendant from Niall to her, explaining what it was able to do and after a few moments of her holding it reverently she put it on and fingered the cool stone wordlessly. "He did take a lot from you but…in a way brought us together again and I can only hope you see that as something good coming from something dark. Like I said, I won't rush into anything and don't expect you to do so either so-" he was stopped by a rejuvenated Sookie-the waitress-pounce on him and straddled him, gently and lovingly. With one kiss, it signaled that things were in fact going to move forward and for the next couple hours before the sun started to rise, they had the reunion to end all reunions.

THE END