Chapter 10

With all of my clothes lost in The Fellowship of the Sun, I was forced to wear what Eric had bought me through the hotel. It was a black V-neck maxi dress that cinched nicely at my waist which accentuated my lean body type. I was impressed, I will say that. Hearing loud voices from the living room, I was soon met by a small huddle of individuals arguing from the couches and chairs. Sookie sat by Bill who had his arm around her protectively. Eric sat dutifully next to Godric, who was huddled by his child and another olive toned vampire. The same who was seen with Hugo earlier. And across from them all sat a familiar woman. She frequented the news, and her angered angled face, red rimmed eyes and tight blonde bun were proof.

Standing in the doorway, I didn't make my way into the conversation. No one moved to look at me, nor I them. Simply hovered by them. The blonde vampire rolled her eyes at my presence and spoke in a dreary alto voice, "Let's get to the point. How'd they manage to abduct you?" She looked pointedly at Godric who continued to send his bland gaze to floor beneath him.

Looking up slowly he answered, "They would have taken one of us sooner or later," Eric leaned forward as Godric continued to speak, "I offered myself."

There was no pause before TV vampire's rude reply, "Why?" Her face seemed to pucker as if drinking blood mixed with lemon.

"Why Not?" His innocent face held its fervor. She asked him about being willing to meet the sun, and he replied with another question, "What do you think?" My attention was taken away from the conversation at that point and given fully to the Viking who sat solemnly on his small ottoman. I couldn't look away from the way he looked at Godric. It was as if he were looking at his master and his father at the same time. Love and respect.

"Listen, this is a national vampire disaster," The cold speaking blonde bitch brought me back to the room, "No one at the top has any sympathy for any of you." Her gaze glossed over mine, as if I weren't even there. Turning to Godric, her eyes looked like thick ice, "Sheriff, you fucked up. You're fired."

Godric agreed, which caused a ruckus from Eric and the darker woman next to Godric. He ignored them, "Isabel should take over. She held no part in my disgrace," Godric replied to the blonde woman. The other two vampires were in an uproar. The darker woman, Isabel, tried to make him stand up for each other, as the Viking got into an argument with the TV lady.

With everyone yelling, I simply looked at Godric. He met my gaze. He looked… relaxed. As if, this were what he strived for all along. To lose his job, his reputation, all of his responsibilities. Continuing to look at me, he took control of the room, "I remove myself from all positions of authority."

The room was stunned. The blonde female vampire agreed.

Sookie moved to say something, but Bill hurried and shushed her. Instead, while still looking at Godric, I said my opinion, "Godric, thank you for saving me. I could have been killed or worse," I averted my gaze downwards while taking in a deep breath to calm myself, "'Mam,"

"Nan," I was corrected by the solemn looking vampire.

"Nan, I understand that this is a shitstorm, served to you on a hotplate. I really do, but Godric saved people tonight. And I understand your boss' anger, but it does not all deserve to be pointed at vampires, nor Godric himself. I just…" I trailed off before looking behind me at my empty room for comfort, "I could sleep knowing that Godric didn't let anyone get hurt today," Without looking at anyone in the room I took a step back into my room and closed the door.

They continued to converse about the bomber. Listening, with my head against the door, a tear shuffled inconsistently down my cheek. Godric's eyes held so much pressure, and so much sadness within them. It was heartbreaking.

Letting out a small sob I heard Godric announce towards the other room, "I'm sorry," his quiet, calm voice held pain and earnest, "I apologize for all the harm I've caused. All our lost ones, human and vampire. I will make amends. I swear," Pressing my head back against the door, it was as I'd thought. Godric held more pain than for tonight. And it was sure to be more than Eric could help him bare.

"No." Eric's soft bass echoed through the door. Nan and her vampire posse had left the hotel room along. Still sitting on my floor, I continued to eavesdrop.

"Look into my heart," Godric seemed to whisper back, trying to sell his emotions in his words to his progeny.

Eric's voice became gruff and disgruntled, "You have to listen to me-"

"There's nothing to say," Godric cut him off.

"There is," the Viking pleaded.

The finality of Godric's words caused a burn in my chest, "On the roof." I was suddenly glad at my position, alone in my room. Hearing nothing but silence when the door finally closed, I threw my shoes on, knowing what I needed to do.

My breath struggled to reach my lungs as I desperately made my way up the hotel stairs. I needed to be there, for both of them. This ache to get on the roof made my usually athletic movements weak and flimsy as I attempted to take three stairs at a time. Opening the door, the thick Dallas air hit me like relentless smoke. As I continued up the stairs to the rooftop, the warm breeze lightly tickled my skin. Motionless, I decided to keep myself detected, but unannounced. Quiet voices met my ears as the two vampires discussed their situation.

"I will keep you alive by force" Eric leered down desperately at his maker. Cracking, his voice tugged at my heart strings. He was desperate to keep his maker alive. His blonde hair sat still with the slow winds, and his skin shone in the waning moonlight.

A hot tear ran fleetingly down my cheek as Godric looked at his progeny. There were years and feelings between them I could never begin to imagine. Staying still Godric answered, "Even if you could, why would you be so cruel?" Their conversation continued in another language I didn't understand. The giant wept. Red streams coursed down his face showing the brutality and sadness of this moment for him. His body slumped, as if all of the emotions he had been hiding these past few hours took away his will to stand. I continued to stay in the corner, away from them. This wasn't my place. Not yet.

Eric continued to stay on his knees as Godric quietly asked him to let go. Looking up from his lap, Eric answered, "I won't let you die alone," his short sniffles between words taking away from his hostile nature.

"Yes, you will." Godric decided as Eric continued to sob on his knees, "As your maker, I command you."

Eric's slow movements brought me trouble, as I had never seen him move so sluggishly. But as his eyes traveled Godric's face it was clear to me what he was doing. Memorizing. Taking these last silent seconds between them to etch what Godric had looked like into his memory forever. My stomach dropped as the large man approached the stairs.

My reflexes took over to cover my sadness. "Eric," my small hands lightly grabbing the chest of his sweater in my palm, "I will be here. I promise," His blue eyes surrounded by a sea of red forced his feelings out in the open. A single nod in my direction and he was off of the roof.

"It will not take long. Not at my age," His words firm and haunting as he continued to look at the looming horizon. Standing in a moment of silence, whether it had meaning or not, he finally looked towards me. It was a look that my mother held in the last few days of her life. Although eyes bright and love flowing, they were muted. The life inside them was dwindling, and the need to go on stopped. Those last few days for me, not her. Just as this moment was for Eric to move on, not for Godric to change his mind.

His whole body shifted as he moved his body away from the edge of the building side. "Do you believe in God," Godric asked.

"I-I… I guess so," A tear struggled down my cheek. He is giving me the last few moments of his long life. Two thousand years and the last few minutes are questioning my beliefs.

Looking with wide eyes he asked another question, "If there is, how will He punish me?" his worried tone gave me shivers, even in the thick air.

"Godric, for every wrong you did, I'm sure there is forgiveness too. I've seen you deserve it," Trying to smile through my unshed tears was hard.

His wide smirk was kind and illuminated his face in a way that was different than when Eric did. "You will take care of him?" It was obvious who he meant.

"I'll try my best if he'll let me."

With a small smile he looked towards the oncoming sun, "He will let you. Believe me," his boyish grin staring at the sun. Losing control, my hands desperately swiped at the tears cascading triumphantly down my cheeks.

"A human with me at the end, and human tears," I smiled shyly as smoke spread across his shoulders. "Two thousand years, and I can still be surprised." As he turned away towards the sun, I crossed my arms as the flames began and ended. Leaving just a shirt where Godric once stood.

Walking through the halls of the hotel felt eerie. I had just watched someone die, and there was nothing left to mourn. Reaching my room, I hesitated to open the door. I knew who was going to be waiting on the other side, and just the thought of it made my chest struggle to rise.

No sound came from either room in our suite. Not a peep. No yelling, scolding, or crying. For a second, I thought there was no Eric Northman residing there, and it got me worried. Where did he go? Did he leave? Did he go to feed? What if he went to meet the sun too? Moving quickly through the shared living room, I clumsily barged into Eric's room.

A stoic Viking vampire sat shattered on his bed. Bloody tears fell down his masculine face. Where emotionless humor once stood, heartbreak and abandonment were left. Standing in the doorway, I had yet to decide what to say to this lamenting man. I didn't have the words to say the sorrow I saw within him.

"Godric is gone," a horse whisper met my ears. Wishing I could think of an answer, I did nothing but nod in agreement. Surely he could feel it the moment it happened, but that didn't mean he didn't wish I would deny it.

Words still didn't dawn on me. I wasn't sure what to say to Eric Northman losing the man he saw as his everything. Walking slowly and robotically, I made it to the king-sized bed that Eric barely sat on. I sat down awkwardly, leaving a little room between us.

I took the silent moment to truly stare at him. His blonde slicked back hair looked quaff and untouched. When my eyes scanned over his face, the trails of red tears gave me no alarm, but a thick knot in my stomach. Eric normally carried a pink rim around his ocean eyes, however the redness reached the whites of his eyes and continued as it stained his shirtless chest. He looked like a wreck, and I didn't know how to help him.

"Eric?" My own voice surprised me, "I know it won't stop you from hurting," I looked down at my fingers knotted in my lap, "but Godric loved you. He saw you as what he was leaving on this Earth in his memory." Not sure where the words were coming from, I was at least glad that I put something in the air between us.

He continued to sit, staring at the dark hotel room wall. Keeping my breathing even, I quietly reached over wrapping my tanned fingers around Eric's cold palms. He finally moved. His eyes looked wearily down, entwining his fingers in mine as the silence continued. "Brooke," his voice was weak and felt like it took every undead breath he took to mutter my name, "I feel so alone."

"You're not alone Eric, you have Pam waiting for you back in Shreveport. And you have Ginger pining over you, and all of your fans in the bar." I answered as I softly caressed the back of his large hand with my thumb.

"And you?"

At this point I had been avoiding his face. Looking up, the tender look in his eye seemed hopeful and cautious at the same time. "Eric, if you want me to be there and work for you, I will."

He nodded back, and let out a soft sigh.

The red tears seemed to slow their flow on his ivory cheeks. Although Eric had treated me like absolute garbage the last few days, it didn't mean that I thought he deserves this type of hurt and loss. Seeing the clear sadness and need in his eyes, my heart continued to sink lower in my chest. Through the past few weeks I felt like Eric was a nuisance, trying to use me for his own entertainment and amusement. But in the rare moments where both of our walls fell down for minutes at a time, it was nice. It was nice being near Eric Northman, and in this moment it was clear that a part of me cared deeply for this unemotional man. He has been trying to help me, although seemingly for his own gain. So when he asked if I would stay with him, I agreed.

Standing, and walking towards the other side of the bed, so I could lay on the pillows on top of the sheets. Taking this as his cue, Eric crawled quietly towards me across the bed and leaned his head carefully on my chest. Unthinking, I placed my right hand over his head, and threaded my fingers through his hair. His blonde hair looked starkly different than the black fabric of my dress, but it was soft against my skin. His relief could be felt in his stillness as he fell asleep for the day with his hand hooked softly around my waist. In minutes I joined him in sleep.

GUYS. I GOT A FULLTIME JOB.

I'm super sorry that I haven't updated, but I had to go through training, and then the holidays crept up on me, and then I got a new nephew. My boyfriend got me a wine stocking, so that's been a lot of my freetime. It's been a mess. So I went back, and fixed most of the continuation errors that I made, and now I'm FINALLY posting a new chapter.

I'm aware that Eric and Brooke seem super rocky and like the sketchiest relationship/friendship. But I'll fix it eventually. I hope you enjoyed.

Please follow and PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. WHAT I COULD FIX. MAYBE SOMEONE TO EDIT MY GARBAGE WOULD BE RAD.

I only own OCs.