Amelia had to admit that she was getting accustomed to sleeping during the day and staying awake during the night. It had taken her a while to get used to it, but she soon found her sleeping pattern altered. Of course, she hadn't really been sleeping too well. Most of her days were spent watching Will, making certain that he was still breathing. Fear took hold of her often when she watched him, longing for him to be okay.
It was the evening after the interview when Amelia resurfaced. Will had been coughing loudly and she had seen his eyes turn red. His veins grew more prominent and Amelia had sat by his side, holding onto him as she urged him just to rest and she would go and see if Godric would take more of her blood for her to give to him.
She remained in the pyjamas she wore, the material clinging to her body as she slipped on a pair of fluffy socks that Will had been wearing. Walking down the steps, she pushed her hair behind her ears and tied it into a messy ponytail. She soon found Godric at the dining table, newspapers spread out in front of him. Amelia's brows furrowed together as she walked up and behind him, looking over his shoulder.
"What you looking at?" she wondered from him.
"Your father appears to be…well…done for," Godric said to her and she pulled a chair out and sat down next to him, leaning in to look at the newspapers, her mouth gaping as Godric's lips quirked at what he had read. "Apparently the public do not take kindly to fathers who hit their daughters and pressure them into marriage. He is denying it, of course, but I think we managed to sell them a good enough story last night that they bought it."
"So…he's done for?" Amelia wondered from Godric.
"Looks like it," Godric nodded. "If you wanted vengeance, Amelia, then you have got it. His political career will hardly recover from this. People are doubting him more than ever and taking your side. He either resigns or he is forced out at the next election."
"I would feel happy about that if…well…the circumstances were different," Amelia said and Godric turned to look to her as she let her eyes shift from the newspaper and onto him. He let his eyes search her face before he nodded.
"I know," he said to her.
"Anyway," Amelia said, changing the topic. "I need to give Will more of my blood. He's not doing so well up there."
"Of course," Godric nodded. "I will return in a moment."
He used his vampire speed to gather the equipment and went through the motions of attaching the blood bag to the tubes and needle. He took Amelia's arm, resting it on the dining table as he wiped her arm down, rolling her sleeves up and past her elbow. He kept one hand on her elbow while the other moved the needle into her skin. He heard her inhale a sharp breath and wince.
"Sorry," he spoke in a soft voice.
"It's fine," Amelia said. "I'm getting used to it."
Godric finished securing the needle in place and left the bag on the dining table as Amelia sat to the side, her legs dangling off the chair. Godric found himself also perching to the side, his knees brushing against hers as she leaned forwards slightly and Godric did the same.
"I've never asked you about your tattoo," Amelia said.
"Tattoos," he corrected to her and she watched him roll the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbow and Amelia's eyes widened as she looked to them. "Most of them are hidden by my shirts, but I have a few tattoos. Most of them are very old. The one around my neck is from Anglo-Saxon times. I was a warrior back then and that tattoo symbolises it."
He moved his right arm to the front of her sight. "This is written in a runic language and this one on the left is the symbol for water."
"And that's all?"
"No," Godric smiled. "I have a sea serpent on my back. They were terribly popular in Norse culture and I like to think that it represents my rebirth…especially so considering the brand on my shoulder."
"Brand?"
Godric nodded. "I was a slave in Roman times," Godric said to her in a small voice as he moved and Amelia watched him turn his back to her and unbutton his shirt. He shrugged it down his shoulders and Amelia's eyes widened as she saw the red brand, the skin around it puckered up and scarred. "I…I tried to escape a couple of times as a young boy…I didn't want to be a slave. I wanted my freedom. My master ended up branding me, making sure that everyone knew who I belonged to."
"That's horrible," Amelia said and Godric could truly hear the pain in her voice.
Closing his eyes, he wondered how that made him feel as he buttoned his shirt back up and turned back around to look at her. She genuinely looked pained for him. Other women who had seen it had simply said how awful it looked, but Amelia was behaving differently again. As per usual, she was proving herself to be nothing like anyone else he had known.
"I do not think about it often," Godric said.
"But you were a child," Amelia whispered. "You were hurt as a child."
"In more ways than a child should be hurt," Godric said and Amelia's brows knitted together and Godric shook his head. "But that is a conversation for another time, Amelia."
"I'm sorry," Amelia said. "I didn't mean to pry."
His spirits seemed to lift then and he shook his head. "You are not prying, Amelia, but we have more important things to focus on. My human life is not one of those things."
"Perhaps not, but I am interested," Amelia said to him. "I mean, I want to know, but only if you want to tell me. I don't mean to be nosy or anything."
Again, Godric did his best to control himself as he nodded his head. How was she doing this to him? How was she constantly surprising him and causing him nothing but intrigue in her? He said nothing, merely offered her a smile as he saw her begin to clench her hand together in an attempt to make the blood flow quicker.
"That should do it," Godric said after five more minutes and he pulled the needle out and put a plaster over the blood. She watched him move into the kitchen and pour the blood into a glass. Moving to her feet, she swayed slightly and before she knew it, an arm was around her waist, holding her steady.
"Are you alright?" Godric enquired from her as he saw her pale face and she nodded.
"I'm fine," she promised him. "Just…maybe I should eat something and drink something. I've been neglecting food for a while."
"What would you like?" Godric wondered, cautiously taking his arm from her waist as he placed his hand into the small of her back and led her into the kitchen. She looked up to him as he opened the fridge and continued speaking. "I could make you an omelette? Or perhaps some pasta in a tomato sauce?"
Amelia looked entertained as she picked up the glass of blood and Godric looked at her over his shoulder. "You know how to cook? But vampires don't eat?"
"I've been alive for a long time, Amelia," he reminded her. "I have learned how to cook for humans when I have needed to. Believe me, I can fix you something up."
"You don't need to," Amelia said. "I'll go and give Will the blood and then come and cook."
"I am fine," Godric said. "So what will it be?"
"Well…an omelette…if possible?"
"Coming right up," Godric said.
"Thank you," Amelia said and she took hold of her glass and began moving up the staircase and back to the guest room. Will was still laid down, his hands on his stomach and his eyes looking to the ceiling.
Closing the door behind her, Amelia yawned once and padded over to the bed. She placed the glass down on the bedside table and helped Will to sit up, adjusting the pillows behind him as she managed a small smile for him and leaned in to peck him on the lips softly. It took a moment before he responded, but he finally managed to kiss her back.
"I've brought you some blood," Amelia said and she handed him the glass as he coughed into his fist. "Do you need more? I'm just going to eat breakfast…well…dinner…but I can give you more after I have done that."
"No," Will said with a shake of his head. "You need to keep your own strength up, Amelia."
"So do you," Amelia said. "Unless you want a donor?"
"No," Will said and sipped on the drink, a sigh escaping him as a content feeling passed him by. "It's just delaying the inevitable, Amelia. There's no point in doing it too much…"
"There is always a point in keeping you alive," Amelia responded harshly and Will shook his head.
"But I am not living, darling," he said to her. "This is not me living. I am existing…I am barely existing…I…we both know my days are numbered. Your blood is hardly doing anything for me anymore. It is just postponing my death. I feel crap, Amelia. I feel like shit."
Amelia could only bow her head, knowing that he was speaking the truth, no matter how difficult it was for her to listen to him. It took her a few seconds before she felt her vision blur as a tear rolled down her cheek. Will placed his drink down and moved his hand to her chin, lifting her gaze up until her eyes met his. He managed a sad smile as he nodded once.
"It's okay," he told her. "Sweetheart, it's okay."
"No," Amelia said with a shake of her head. "Not yet…just not yet, Will."
"Today…tomorrow…next month…" Will said. "Neither of us will ever be ready, Amelia. Neither of us will ever want to accept it, but it is just delaying the inevitable. Everything is just delaying the inevitable."
"No," Amelia said firmly. "Will, we will keep delaying it. I've just gotten you back…please…"
"Darling, listen to me," Will said in a soft voice, his hand moving to stroke her cheek gently. "I'm in pain. I'm in constant pain. It's getting worse and I want to be the one to stop the pain. I want to decide when I go and not have it happen suddenly. Your father took control of my life for so long, but I want to take control back."
"Will, stop it," Amelia begged him. "Please, darling. Please stop."
"Amelia, please, I need you to understand," Will begged from her.
"I can't," Amelia said with a shake of her head. "Will, I can't let you do this. Please, just don't do this. Please…"
"Baby," Will said in a soft voice. "I have to. I've thought long and hard about it. You don't know how long I have thought about it, but I need to do it. I just don't want this pain anymore."
Will expected her to continue arguing, but he suspected she couldn't form words. Instead all that she could do was wrap her arms around him and hold onto him tightly. Will held her back, closing his eyes forcefully as blood fell from his eyes and he knew that, despite what he had told her, he would never be ready to leave Amelia. He didn't want this. God, he wanted to keep living. He wanted to keep going. But he couldn't.
"It's alright," Will said in a soft voice. "Everything is alright. I've got you, Amelia. I love you."
…
Godric had asked Isabel and Stan to leave the following night. Amelia had come down for her food, but she had spent most of her time sobbing and telling Godric what Will wanted to do. Godric had held her tightly, doing all that he could do to try and soothe her. but he knew it was no use. He had watched her trudge back upstairs to Will and spend one final day with him. He could only imagine what the two of them were going through. It was just before he was going to rest when his cell began to ring.
Answering the call, he couldn't stop himself from smirking. "My child," he spoke.
"Godric, what the fuck is going on? I've been trying to call you for the past night."
"I apologise, my child, I have been busy."
"Yeah, going on live TV with some human you claim to be madly in love with," his progeny snorted down the phone and Godric took a seat in his chair, closing his eyes for a few brief moments. "What's going on, Godric? I know you're not in love with her, but the act was very convincing."
"It is a long story, my child," Godric responded. "Trust me, Eric, even I am beginning to question what it is I am doing. I…I have not felt as I do in a very long time."
"And it is because of her?"
"I think so, Eric," Godric spoke. "I met her while I was patrolling one evening-"
"-I heard all this on the TV," Eric interrupted. "But I want the true story. I want to know what is really going on."
"So be it," Godric nodded. "Amelia Jones is in love with a vampire, but it is not me. She is in love with a vampire named Will. She dated him before her father discovered about the pair of them. He threatened to kill Will if she did not return home and marry his campaign manager. Anyway, it turns out that her father had kidnapped Will and was keeping him hostage. He injected him with Hep V and destroyed all the evidence. The AVL refused to investigate without any evidence, but I saved him."
"You saved him?" Eric responded. "So why the interview?"
"Her father realised that she was with me and concocted a story about her being kidnapped by me and glamoured," Godric said. "Nan Flanagan knew that he was lying and she decided to spin her own lie. I said that I would be willing."
"But why not just let her sit on TV with her boyfriend and tell the truth?"
"There is no evidence that her father injected Will and…I think that Amelia wanted to spare him. She wanted to spare him from a media circus. He doesn't have long left and I think that was the main reason she agreed to go along with it."
"Fine," Eric said, "but that doesn't explain why you went along with it."
Godric went silent then, uncertain of what he should say. It took a few seconds before he spoke, his voice low and soft.
"Because I wanted to help."
"A human?"
"Humans are not so different to us, Eric," Godric responded.
"And this human?"
"Amelia has been kind to me, Eric. I have formed a friendship with her."
Eric scoffed. "It sure looked like more than friendship from where I was sitting along with the entirety of Texas."
"She loves another, my child," Godric said. "And she is a human. What I said on TV…it was the truth…but not in a romantic way. I cannot allow myself to feel that way."
"Hmm," Eric said, not entirely convinced at what he was hearing from his maker. "Do you need for me to come to Dallas?"
"No, my child, I can handle this."
"Call me if you need me," Eric said.
"Of course."
The two hung up and Godric prepared to go and rest. He turned out the light in the living area and moved to the kitchen before he heard footsteps in the door. He let his eyes move over to the door, seeing Will stood there in his silk pyjamas. He was gaunt and pale, the veins now protruding from his body and looking painful. He nodded to Godric.
"Mind if we talk?"
"Should you not be resting?" Godric enquired.
"Soon," he responded with a nod of his head. "I just need to talk with you first."
"Yes," Godric nodded and perched at the breakfast bar as Will managed to sit down next to him, lacing his hands together and resting them on the worktop, clearly ready to discuss whatever was troubling him. "How can I help you?"
"I'm…you know that I'm not getting better. You know that."
Godric said nothing.
"Amelia knows it too, but she doesn't want to accept it. Hell, I don't even want to accept it," Will scoffed. "But I know it is true. I don't want to wait for it to happen. I don't want Martin Jones to have control over when I die because he injected me. I want to decide for myself. You should know all about that."
"I have a recollection," Godric nodded his head.
"Which is why I want to…to meet the sun sooner rather than later. All I feel is pain. Everything aches…everything hurts…and I need it to end," he admitted in a sharp breath. "I need to end it for my sake and for Amelia's sake. Every time I am with her I see what this is doing to her. It is slowly killing her just like it is slowly killing me…she…the more I hold her…the more I am with her…the more time I want, but I know that isn't an option. All we do is cry together…just be upset…and she deserves more than that."
"Do you think she will not sob when you have gone?"
"Oh, I know she will," Will nodded his head. "But she will truly be allowed to mourn then. She will be allowed to move on sooner, just as I will. It's fair on both of us."
"Does she know about this?" Godric wondered.
"She knows, but she continues to try and persuade me otherwise," Will said. "I guess I just need you to promise me one more time that you will look out for her? That you will make sure her father doesn't hurt her again? That he doesn't get her back? You're the only one I can trust, even if you are falling for my girl."
Godric didn't even respond to his little taunt. Instead he nodded his head. "I promise," he said to him. "Where is she?"
"Sleeping," Will said. "She exhausted herself and is sleeping. After the interview and everything…she's just tired."
"I can imagine," Godric said with a nod.
"You know…" Will trailed off. "Seeing someone kissing your girlfriend on TV isn't exactly the nicest thing, but it did the job. You two were convincing and it seemed real."
"Believe me, she felt guilt," Godric said.
"I can imagine. I know Amelia," he said. "But I know why she went along with it. She wanted to keep me out of the limelight and it…in the long run…it's more likely to be believable than anything else, especially if you take care of her."
"It…well…I will take care of her for as long as she needs me," Godric said.
"That's all I wanted to know," Will said, patting the worktop and then slipping down from the stool and walking away. Turning his head over his shoulder, Will looked back to Godric. "You're a good guy, Sheriff. I owe so much to you."
"You owe me nothing."
"No," Will shook his head. "You gave me a final chance to be with Amelia. I owe you everything for that."
Godric watched as Will trudged back up the steps and he lowered his gaze, wondering just what was going to happen in the future.
...
A/N: So the next chapter sees a change of pace. I hope you're enjoying the story and thanks for reading and to those who are reviewing. It means a lot! Hope you'll let me know what you think!