Here we are, a nice lengthy chapter 10 for you all, aren't I nice?

Let me just thank you all for that wave of reviews on chapter 9, please do let it happen again

A mega thank you to Becky for adding her brilliance to this chapter

Do keep reviewing ladies and gents, and I'll be sure to update with chapter 11 very very soon

Warning: If you have seen Season 2, this is the almost-rape scene...

Do remember this fanfiction is rated M and this may be far less than what is to come throughout my True Blood Series

"Godric!" A voice yelled nearby. "Godric, can you hear me? We need your help!"

I groaned, wanting nothing more for the loud voices to stop. I coughed slightly, grabbing the attention of two humans.

"Melody?" A shuffling noise grew closer and I felt a hand on my cheek. Loathing to do so, I forced my eyes open, allowing them time to adjust. Above me hovered Sookie, a frightened expression on her face. Seeing me awake at last, she sighed with relief. "Thank God, Mel. I thought you were a gonna."

"Not yet," I grumbled, looking around me. The room we were held in was small, locked behind a silver fence with stored items that were seemingly untouched. Hugo was there, pacing back and forth, his forehead sweating anxiously. "What happened?"

"You fell down the stairs and hit your head," Sookie soothed, rubbing my arm.

I lifted a hand and brought it to my forehead, the opposite side of my scar. I hissed as a wave of pain ran through me, causing me to feel nauseous. I wiped the blood off my hand and onto my dress. Sookie guided me into a sitting position and helped me to rest against the wall.

"Did we find Godric?" I croaked, already guessing the answer.

"No," she grumbled, moving over to the silver fence, slamming her hands against it. "I know he's down here somewhere. "I heard the awful things they're planning to do to him."

Although this was far from the pain I'd felt after the accident, I still ached pretty badly. I groaned as a drop of blood trickled over my eyelid and I wiped it away with my tired arm. I inhaled sharply when my swelling eye protested against the touch. I really hoped I wasn't in for another black eye.

Hugo was stressing when he announced, "You know what I said about having claustrophobia? I wasn't making that part up." He watched Sookie as she looked for any way past the fence. "It's bad. I can't…I can't take, uh, elevators, walk-in closets…"

I watched Hugo with pity as he loosened his tie.

"You know the hotels when they tuck the sheets in real tight? J-Just thinking about that makes me wanna scream."

Hugo's breathing became erratic and I called Sookie's name. She looked at me and when I nodded to Hugo, she stood in front of him.

"I need to get out of here," Hugo exhaled.

"Take a deep breath," Sookie tried to soothe him. As Hugo only continued to panic, she took him by the shoulders. "Look at me. It's gonna be ok. We're gonna figure this out, alright?"

Hugo breathed in deeply, then out. He repeated the mantra and started muttering to himself, trying to calm down. "Ok…ok…ok, I'm ok."

"Ok?" I checked. I couldn't resist.

Sookie shot me a look that clearly said I wasn't helping but filled me in on what I'd missed.

"So the Newlins knew exactly who we were the minute we walked in. Same way they knew to come after me at the airport."

"Someone's at that nest's a traitor," I grumbled, whilst shuffling in a vain attempt to try and get comfortable. As I moved, my head span, and I groaned again.

"You think a vampire's siding with the Fellowship?" Hugo asked us. "Get Godric out of the way?"

"Maybe Stan?" I muttered, letting my dizzy head rest against my palms. "God knows that dick likes to be in charge, and being a sheriff would be a pretty good start."

"I've heard of ambitious, but that's just plain crazy," Sookie countered.

"Well you've met him," Hugo argued. "He would rip our throats out for looking at him sideways."

"If it's true, Bill and Eric are gonna do a lot worse to him when they find out." Sookie paused for a moment, thinking on something. "Bill should have sensed my fear. He's gonna come storming through this church any second."

"And you don't seem happy about that because…"

"These fanatics are about to barbeque a two thousand year old vampire in front of the entire congregation. Who knows what else they're capable of," Sookie wondered.

I sighed and looked up at Sookie from under my lashes. She caught my eye and approached me, crouching down to inspect my injury.

"Will I live?" I laughed.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I should think so. But you have lost a little blood. You should rest for a while."

"I'm not falling asleep in here if that's what you're thinking," I argued. "I wanna be all ready for when we make our great escape."

"If it comes," Hugo countered.

"We should all rest," Sookie insisted. "Chances are we're gonna be here a good while longer." Sookie looked from Hugo to me and added quietly, "You'll need to keep your strength up."

I huffed but as Sookie sat beside me, the suggestion proved too tempting. I rested my aching skull on her shoulder and exhaled loudly.

"I'm sorry, Sookie," I mumbled. "You've been a good friend to me, and I couldn't help you–"

"Hush," she soothed, smiling down on me. "That weren't your fault any more than it was mine."

"When I get my hands on who ratted us out…" I growled.

Sookie interupted, "You should just sit back and watch Eric do all the work when it comes to the traitor." She quickly glanced at a half-asleep Hugo before whispering, "Do you think Eric will come?"

"For Godric, yes," I hummed. "For me? No way in hell."

"Mel–"

"I don't mind, Sookie," I smiled up at her. "I mean, the guy's sex on a stick, but I'm never gonna have what you and Bill do. God knows it won't be with Eric."

"You'll find love one day," she assured me. "Don't be talking like that. You just gotta find the right guy." She took a moment before saying. "But I see the way you look at him."

I groaned. "Sookie, don't."

"It's ok," she insisted. "Just…Just be careful, ok?"

I smiled gently and answered, "Yeah, alright."

She smiled back and leaned her head against mine. "Good. Now, go on and get some sleep."

I took her offer, shutting my eyes and trying my best to ignore the dizzy feeling in my head.

"Morning!"

My head jerked up and I let out a loud moan, the movement making me want to vomit. I blinked the sleep from my eyes to see arsehole number one walk into the room, a bottle of water in his hand. Arsehole number two, also known as Gabe, followed behind, a sick smirk on his lips as he leered at me and Sookie.

Steve waggled the bottle in front of us as we stood from our spots.

"Refreshments?"

"They poisoned?" I muttered to myself.

"How did ya'll sleep?" Steve asked from behind the fence.

Sookie ignored him and walked up to the fence, to face Steve. "They're coming for us, you know?"

"Yeah, well," Steve stood after dropping the supplies and rolling them under the fence, "that's what I thought. I figured pretty girls like you two would have a couple of fangers running to the rescue. Actually, we were kinda hoping for it, weren't we, Gabe?"

"Yes, sir," he answered, staring at Sookie and I. "Bring it on."

Steve sighed. "We're ready for them. We've been ready for a long time."

"You're gonna get killed," I huffed out a laugh. "And that's not even a threat. It's a fact."

Steve looked at me with pity. "Oh, they've got you all twisted up, haven't they, with their glamouring and their empty promises and their evil blood?" He shook his head with disappointment.

Sookie stepped forward while I stood by Hugo who was sitting and drinking from the bottle of water.

"You're the ones that are twisted. You call yourself Christians?" she asked astounded. "Jesus would be ashamed of you."

Steve laughed at her, uncrossing his arms and began to wag his finger at her. "I guess we're gonna have to agree to disagree on that one." Steve turned and pulled up a chair, placing it in front of where Sookie stood before he sat down, leaning forward to take the kind and innocent approach. "Now, things got a little out of hand last night."

"You think?" I spat, my head still pounding.

"How's your head, by the way?"

"Better, no thanks to you," I grumbled. "Remind me to kick you where the sun doesn't shine; see how good you wake up in the morning."

"Yeah, that was an accident," he pointed at the growing bump on my forehead. "Sorry, missy. I'm not the monster the vampire-loving media makes me out to be."

"Yeah right," Sookie scoffed.

"All I want from you is a couple of answers, then I'll be more than happy to feed you a nice hot breakfast and send you on your way."

Hugo stood from his spot and asked, "What do you want to know?"

Sookie stomped her foot, "Shut up!"

"Sookie, we need to get out of here. Just tell them what they wanna know."

I growled, "She said shut up."

Hugo ignored the both of us and confessed. "Their names are Melody Ryan and Sookie Stackhouse and I'm Hugo Eris."

"Hugo, no!" Sookie shouted at him.

"We were sent here by the vampires of area nine to find their sheriff."

I turned to see their reaction, only to watch Steve's fake smile drop, his whole face whitening.

"Sookie Stackhouse…" he murmured. "From Bon Temps?"

"How do you know where she's from?" I bit out, moving to stand beside Sookie, despite the painful bruises covering my body protesting against the movement.

"You're Jason Stackhouse's…" he swallowed, choking on his words, "sister? Am I right?"

I eyed Sookie, wary. "You know Jason?" She looked just as worried as I did. How did this lunatic know Sookie's brother? "He's got nothing to do with this."

Steve slowly stood from his chair. Something told me he didn't believe a word she'd just said.

"Come on, Gabe."

"How do you know my brother?" Sookie yelled, running along the edge of the fence. But they closed the door behind them, ignoring Sookie's question. Sookie span around, unleashing her fury on Hugo. I glared at him with my arms crossed.

"Nice work," she spat.

"Hey, we sat down here all night waiting for your boyfriends to show up!" He pointed at the two of us. I resisted the urge to shout out that Eric was notand never would be my boyfriend! Hugo glared back at Sookie. "You can go and play damsel in distress all you want, but one way or another, I'm getting us out of here."

"Hugo, do me a favour and shut the fuck up," Sookie muttered before staring off into the distance, clearing her mind. After a moment, Sookie turned back to us to see me looking at her with concern. She shrugged.

"That's pretty much all I can do for us."

I sighed and sat on a wooden box. "If stupid Eric had just fed me his blood, we'd probably be out of this place now, but nooo…" I grumbled to myself quietly before impersonating Eric lamely, "I will not form a bond with you, Melody. You mean nothing to me…"

It was getting tiring, all this waiting around. Sookie had sat down too and for a while we remained in silence. I could see Hugo getting more claustrophobic and anxious by the minute. His skin was beginning to sweat and his fingers got all twitchy. Eventually he gave up the ghost and stormed over to the fence's door.

He shook it violently, yelling out to no one.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Hey, I need to use the bathroom." He continuously shook the fence. "Hey! Come on, let me out of here."

Sookie huffed and unscrewed the lid of the bottle. She walked up to him and offered him it.

"Here, we'll turn our backs."

Hugo whacked the bottle from her hand. "I don't need that! I need to get the hell out of here."

"Hugo, this isn't helping," I said softly from my position on one of the stacked boxes.

"Just sit down," Sookie ordered, watching him work himself up. She grabbed his wrist. "Look, try to relax–"

Sookie's eyes glazed over as she stared at Hugo for a minute or so. I watched from the back of the room, my eyebrows raised as both humans had a silent discussion before Sookie recoiled, flinching away from where she'd touched Hugo.

"You?" she asked out of shock. "You're the traitor."

Hugo huffed while I flew off of my seat, my eyes wide and angry. "What!"

"Hugo, why?" Sookie's voice sounded betrayed. Hugo stormed to the other side of the room and sat down, curling his legs underneath him as he watched us, angrily.

"I used to be just like you, Sookie," he laughed without feeling. "When Isabel took me to bed, I thought I was worth everything to her. I mean, the sex…It was amazing. The best I– Well," he gestured theatrically to Sookie beside me. "You know." He turned to me. "I'm sure you're just desperate to find out what your Viking can do in the shack," he smirked.

I sneered at him.

"It's addictive," Hugo admitted. "To be desired by something that powerful."

"I'm no addict," Sookie replied, her nose crinkling in sudden dislike for Hugo.

Hugo shrugged.

"No, I guess you wouldn't know how your life changes to suit them. You start missing work, can't get up in the morning, can't stand to leave them after dark…Before you know it, you're somebody you don't even recognise anymore."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you went to the Fellowship of the Sun because you couldn't control yourself?" I criticised.

"I begged her to turn me." His voice broke just a fraction. "I loved her. It was the only way we could be together as equals." He huffed out a laugh. "See, they don't want us to be equals. No," he shook his head, "she's just been using me. I'm just a blood bag to her. Same as the both of you," he gestured pointedly with his head.

"You don't know Bill," Sookie insisted angrily.

"And like I have a choice," I mumbled to myself. It was different for Sookie. She was in a relationship. I was breakfast, lunch and dinner for Eric.

"I know they're having you two do their dirty work!" He raised his voice at us. "I mean a telepath's gotta be a real trophy for a vampire."

"Shut up!" Sookie spat.

Hugo pointed to thin air. "All they care about is their own kind! That's why I joined the Fellowship!"

"So if the Newlins care for you so much, why are you stuck down here with us?" I sneered, crossing my legs and arms.

Hugo grew silent, regarding the truth for a second.

Sookie laughed without humour. "Face it, Hugo! You're nothing but a fangbanging traitor to them."

Hugo growled and stood from his seat. "Gabe?" He yelled, walking up to the fence. "Gabe, they know everything. You can let me out now." No footsteps were heard. "Hey, anybody?" He shook the metal fence. "Come on, let me out!"

Sookie and I glared at him triumphantly.

"Yeah," Sookie nodded, "because you're so important to them, aren't ya?"

Hugo glared at us, frightened that we were right. He went and sat right back down, and despite our discovery of the traitor, the room fell dead silent as the news that it was Hugo was all too bitter for Sookie. This was the only other human she had met that was in a loving relationship with a vampire, or so she had thought. Was this the destiny of any relationship between a vampire and human?

I leaned back and ran my fingers through my hair, accidentally peeling away a few specks of dried blood with it. I huffed to myself. Well, this could have gone better. Inside, I had wanted to prove to myself and to Eric fucking Northman that I wasn't some useless human, here only to keep Sookie from getting lonely during the day. I wanted to show that I was worth something. That I could help Sookie and not just to tag along for the ride. And what had gone right?

The Newlins knew who we were, the traitor had tagged along with us to the church, there was no sign of Godric and I had a bump on my head the size of another planet! I wanted to shove my success down Eric's big gob and wipe that sexy smirk right off his face. No chance of that happening now.

My heart jumped as the door opened, only to reveal Gabe walking towards the fence, his mouth shut closed. His eye was bruised and black and he had a face like a slapped arse.

"Gabe!" Hugo stood quickly and started begging for his own protection. "What happened to your face? Listen, she knows everything."

Gabe unlocked the fence door and walked inside with us. Sookie and I gave each other a look, staying well away from the huge meaty guy. Hugo continued to blabber on.

"She never would have found out if you didn't leave me here with a God damn mind reader." He allowed Gabe to walk up to him, continuing his demands. "I hope the reverend knows that I'm gonna need protection now. So I–"

Gabe slammed his fist into Hugo's face, sending him falling to the ground. Sookie gasped as Gabe leaned over him.

"You want protection, you fangbanging sack of shit?" Gabe pulled back his fist and rammed it into Hugo's chest. His body bent backwards and crumpled to the floor. "How's that for protection, huh?"

He's gonna kill him! I thought, my heart racing at the sight of the skinhead beating up what we'd thought to be our friend.

Gabe pulled Hugo up by his shirt and raised his fist, sending it crashing down again and again.

"Here's a little more protection for ya!"

"Leave him alone!" I screamed. Sookie ran up to Gabe and jumped on his back, her little arms tight around his neck. Gabe withdrew from Hugo, only to run against the shelf, letting Sookie's body take the impact. I watched Sookie fall from the shelf, her head lolling to the side, her eyes unable to focus. I ran over to the man and jumped in front of Sookie, drawing whatever strength I had to hit Gabe's chest with my much smaller fists. Gabe shoved me once against the shelf and I lost my footing as Sookie's unconscious body took up the space I needed to stand. As I fell, Gabe grabbed me by the neck and pulled me back up, cutting off my air.

"You and your mindreading whore's brother think you can all make an asshole out of me!" He spat in my face and I could only gasp for oxygen. "That's what you think, huh?"

I scratched at his arms, unable to pull them away. I pulled my knee up and slammed it against his crotch. Gabe snarled and moaned, letting my neck go and I fell in a heap to the floor. I scrambled away, crawling as far as I could get, but a grip fell on my ankles, dragging me back to him. I screamed and turned on my back, kicking at the man above me. My heart was pounding and my limbs were flying, trying to stop this from happening.

"You stupid bitch, think you can mess with me?" Gabe hovered over me and I heard the distinct sound of his belt buckle snapping away. "How about I teach you a lesson?"

"No!" I screamed throatily, still clawing away at any surface I could reach. "No, please, help me!"

"No one's gonna help you now, baby," he growled, moving his rough hands up my legs and along my thighs. His touch was revolting. I kicked and kicked at him, but he was straddling my waist, my legs weren't able to reach and he had somehow managed to trap my hands. My feet only managed to meet the air.

Gabe's hands reached for the hem of my dress and raked it up past my hips, revealing my panties to him. My throat began to sting with my screams but no one could hear me.

"Get the fuck off of me!" I screeched at him, only to receive a red-hot slap to the face, stealing my air for a moment. I gasped and choked, crying out, "Please, somebody! Sookie, help me!"

It was useless. Hugo and Sookie were either dazed or out cold. I scratched and hit Gabe's arms in a frenzy as he pinned me down with one arm while tugging at my panties with the other. He tried ripping them off, but by the grace of God, they didn't want to budge. With an impatient snarl, Gabe's fingers edged their way under the fabric. I screamed and cried out, hoping somebody, anybody would hear me. I prayed for some miracle to come, but nothing would save me.

My mind went straight to one man and I howled for him with all my heart.

"Eric! Please Eric. Please," I choked on my cries. "No!"

"That's it baby, scream for me," Gabe bellowed. I jerked wildly as I felt his skin touch mine and his fingers itched their way closer to my entrance. Gabe rolled me over onto my stomach with his hand still in place and I clawed at the ground to try and pull away from him. He kept me fixed to the floor with his clammy hands, touching me where I'd never been touched before. He was so close, ready to enter me freely, revelling in the sounds of my objections.

"God, please!" I cried hoarsely.

His sick laugh rolled in the air as he pushed one hand against my back and was about to unzip his trousers when his entire weight was lifted away. Immediately, I scrambled into the corner of the room and pulled down my dress, clutching my arms around myself. I turned and saw a face. A face I had never recognised before, but it was one that would be imprinted in my memory forever. He was beautiful as he held Gabe by the back of his shirt with just one hand, as easy as holding a glass in the air as you toasted someone's happiness. He wore all white, like an angel was sent to save me in this dark and miserable place. Tribal tattoos ran across his biceps. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and as he turned to me, his eyes were tormented with thousands of years of pain, hatred, sorrow and lust for blood.

"Godric?" I whispered in uncertainty. The sheriff gave me the slightest hint of a smile before turning back to the human he held in his hand.

My eyes flashed to Sookie who was beginning to stir. She looked up and saw the scene in front of her, before swiftly checking the room for me. She found me, shrivelled up in the corner, gazing at Godric with both fear and relief.

Gabe gurgled as the neck of his jumper pressed tightly around his throat. Godric moved his other hand to the front of Gabe's neck, gripping under his chin, loathing the human before him.

"Godric," Gabe gasped, pleadingly. "It's me!"

As easy as it was to snap a twig, Godric ended Gabe there with a quick push, cracking his neck before dropping his lifeless body to the floor.

I swallowed yet didn't remove my gaze from Godric. From the corner of my eye, I saw movement, and instantly shuffled closer to the wall, my eyes wild and frightened as a deer's. It was only Sookie. She rubbed the back on her head before slowly taking her place beside me. Her tiny hand rested on mine and she eyed me in confusion as I involuntarily shuddered violently at the touch. Sookie followed my gaze to Godric as he watched us both.

"You should not have come," Godric told us softly, his voice full of wisdom and sympathy.

He looked up, as if he could hear something in the distance. We could hear it too as a loud banging noise, like a door being thrown open, echoed throughout the building. Godric closed his eyes and Sookie left me, awkwardly hurrying to stand.

"Bill," she called quietly, fully expecting it to be him.

"No," Godric murmured to Sookie before speaking to someone else. "I am here, my child. Down here."

And in no less than a second, as if I was dreaming it, Eric Northman had appeared in a blur in front of Godric. His eyes were wide and filled with relief and loyalty and…and love.

"Godric," he greeted with such passion in his voice that it made my heart flutter. Eric bowed down, falling to his knees before the older vampire, as if he were some cherished deity.

Godric's voice was soft but scornful. "You were a fool for sending humans after me."

Eric's head remained bowed, his eyes glued to Godric's feet in utter respect.

"I had no other choice," he protested calmly. "These savages…" his voice paused as he spoke words that caused his blood to boil. He slowly raised his head to catch Godric's eye. "They seek to destroy you."

"I am aware of what they have planned," Godric replied casually. Godric's deep eyes landed on Hugo below him. "This one betrayed you."

"He's with the Fellowship," Sookie added. "They set a trap for us."

Eric ignored Sookie's shaking voice and continued to stare at Godric. "How long has it been since you've fed?" My heart ached, hearing such devotion and concern coming from Eric's lips, it caused me to feel a wave of jealousy.

"I require very little blood anymore."

As he spoke these words, an alarm rung out through the church, causing the vampires heads to rise and turn. A blue light flashed against the walls. Godric glanced down at the blonde kneeling vampire.

"Save the humans," he ordered, hurrying Eric. "Go on."

"I am not leaving your side until you are out of here," Eric replied stiffly.

Godric pulled back his lips in disapproval. "I can take care of myself."

Sookie rushed forward to stand beside him. "Eric, we have to go!"

"Spill no blood on your way out," Godric commanded. Eric gave a short nod. "Go."

The Viking stood sharply and gestured for Sookie to remove herself from the room. He swiftly turned to me and called.

"Melody."

My eyes removed from Godric to Eric to see that his were cold, void of all the love I had seen in them as he stared at Godric. I could barely move my eyes to him, let alone follow him out. When it seemed I wouldn't stand on my own accord, Eric was in front of me in a second. I jolted away from him, reminded of Gabe as he stared down at me, touching me in all the places I had never been touched before. But Eric abruptly pulled me into his arms and carried me out of the room at vampire speed, causing that nauseous feeling from before to return.

Even minutes after almost being raped by a huge ape of a man, I felt Eric's presence oddly soothing. He held me against his chest tightly, unaware that tears were pouring from my eyes. I was in shock over the events that had occurred. I was a virgin that hadn't been so much as kissed by a boy I loved, and yet, I was almost abused while uncover for a bunch of vampires I'd barely known a week.

How the fuck did I get here?