Chapter 11

"What?" Sookie started trembling and Godric wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. "What do you mean?" She gave Godric a desperate look. "We got to go home right now!"

"Hush, child," Adele said in her best no-nonsense tone. "Bud and Andy are already here, so there's no need for you to come running right now."

Sookie released a deep sigh and sagged a little against Godric. "What happened?"

"Rene Lenier came over with some story about needing to use the phone," Adele said, and Godric marvelled at how calm she sounded, seeing as she'd just faced down a serial killer all on her own. "I had my stun gun in the pocket of my bathrobe. I told him he couldn't come in, and then he made a grab for me, so I zapped him until he was wriggling on the floor like a fish on a hook. Then I got my rifle and aimed it at his head while I called Bud."

"Rene?" Sookie said in disbelief. "Rene Lenier is the killer?"

"I know!" Adele heaved a deep sigh. "But it's him all right. While I had my rifle pointed at him he kept going on and on about his sister. Turns out, he killed her, too. That poor thing."

"Huh." Sookie reached for her glass, tried to take a sip, but found it empty. Surprisingly, Longshadow used a little vampire speed to pour her a new alcoholic drink. Sookie accepted it with a grateful smile. "My God, poor Arlene," Sookie said after taking a healthy swig of her drink.

"She's gonna be real upset when she finds out," Adele agreed, and then her voice became slightly muffled as she said, "Bud Dearborn, you can wait five minutes to take my statement while I talk to my granddaughter. I already did your job for you tonight, didn't I?"

Godric grinned while Eric chuckled beside him. Even Longshadow looked faintly amused. Sookie drained her glass and sagged against Godric even more.

"Gran, we'll be coming home right now, all right?" Sookie glanced at Godric, and he nodded at once. He wanted to make sure Adele was okay just as much as Sookie did.

"Take your time. Rene's already sitting in the back of Andy's car in handcuffs. I'll wait up for you."

"All right. See you soon."

"Drive carefully!"

Sookie turned off her phone and stuffed it in her purse. She seemed at a loss of what to do for a moment as she stared into space.

"Come." Godric gently grabbed her hand and guided her away from the bar, but Sookie almost tripped over her own feet. "How much have you had to drink?" Godric asked, dreading the answer.

"Oh, I don't know. Three gin and tonics? Maybe?" Sookie looked at Longshadow, who nodded his agreement.

Godric sighed. He couldn't let Sookie drive in this condition. Between the alcohol in her system and the emotional shock she'd just experienced, she'd park them against the first available tree. Which meant Godric would have to brave Gran's crappy little car. He was not looking forward to that.

"I'll drive us home," Godric said in a slightly pained voice. Eric chuckled in a rather sadistic way, but Godric pointedly ignored him.

Sookie looked like she wanted to protest for a moment, but then she sighed and handed Godric the key. Godric nodded at Eric and Longshadow and wrapped a steadying arm around Sookie's waist while he led her outside to the car.

Once seated behind the wheel in Gran's car, Godric buckled his seatbelt, adjusted his seat and the rear view mirror and then looked around to make sure everything was where it should be. He had never driven a car as crappy as this one. From the moment the automobile had been invented, Godric had always selected the most luxurious models. He'd spent almost a millennium sleeping in the dirt and living in the forest. He figured he deserved a few creature comforts in his old age.

He turned the key in the ignition, and the engine sprang to life with a sad little hum. He was sure he heard all sorts of sounds coming from the motor that shouldn't be there, but he realized he had no choice but to ignore it.

He couldn't wait to get Sookie her new car the next day.

Sookie was leaning back in her seat with her eyes closed. Godric glanced at her while he navigated the car off the parking lot.

"I can't believe Rene killed Maudette and Dawn," Sookie said with a little sigh. "And his own sister. My God."

Since Godric didn't have a clue who Rene actually was, he merely hummed his agreement and focused on the road in front of him.

"Poor Arlene. She's gonna be devastated. And her kids. They won't understand."

"Why are you saying this?" Godric asked with a frown. "What does Arlene have to do with this?"

Sookie blinked her eyes open. "Oh, because Arlene was involved with Rene. They were living together and everything. I think Arlene was even hoping he'd propose to her sometime soon."

"Ah." Since Godric didn't like this Arlene much he didn't feel any sympathy towards her, but he kept that to himself. Sookie was upset enough as it was. She was humming with worry and exhaustion.

So it was no surprise that by the time they left Shreveport behind them, Sookie fell asleep in her seat, her head lolling to the side. Godric smiled at his brave little human and placed his hand on her thigh, sliding it under her dress to feel her warm skin. He revelled in the contact while he drove the crappy car as best as he could back to Bon Temps.

His thoughts wandered from Compton's vicious plan to Sookie's inability to be glamoured. Was that some quality all telepaths had? Godric wasn't sure. He'd only met one other telepath before, briefly, and he wasn't sure if that man had been able to be glamoured or not.

Or was Sookie something more than just human? Some supernatural creatures couldn't be glamoured, but what Sookie might be if she had supe blood, Godric wasn't sure. It would explain her delicious scent and her even more delicious blood. He'd have to give that some serious thought, perhaps even discuss it with Eric, though Godric realized Eric would probably already have come to a similar conclusion. Nothing much ever escaped his child's notice.

They reached Bon Temps within 45 minutes. Godric had pushed the little car to its, albeit poor, limits. He parked it beside Sookie's soon to be former car, and gently ran his fingers down Sookie's cheek.

"Wake up. We're here."

Sookie blinked her eyes and licked her lips, and then looked around in surprise. "Oh! Did I fall asleep?"

"You were tired," Godric said as he got out of the car. He zipped to Sookie's side and held out his hand to help her out. She held on to his hand tightly while they made their way up the porch. Sookie fumbled with her keys for a second, but finally got the door open.

Adele was sitting in her favourite armchair, her feet propped up on an ottoman. One of her knees was bandaged and there was an icepack lying on top of it.

"What happened?" Sookie asked as she gave her grandmother a brief hug.

"Oh, just banged my knee, is all. When I zapped Rene, I followed him down for a second." Adele offered them both a brave smile. "I'll just need a few days of rest. I'll be missing tomorrow's Garden Society meeting, looks like."

"I can heal it for you," Godric said, before he even knew what he was offering. He'd never used his blood to heal a human before, but he figured Adele had earned it after taking down the killer that had been coming for his Sookie.

"Now how would you do that?" Adele asked. She sounded both suspicious and curious.

"With just a drop of my blood."

Adele seemed to consider this. "I would like to go to tomorrow's Garden Society meeting. Everlee is giving a presentation on her magnolias."

"Allow me, then." Godric crouched beside Adele's chair, removed the icepack, and gently unwrapped the bandages from her knee. There was a deep gash right across her knee, which was swollen and bruised. Godric clicked his fangs out, which earned him a shocked gasp from Adele, and pricked his finger. While he gave Adele a reassuring smile, he pressed his finger down on the gash and dragged it across. It closed almost at once, much to Adele's and Sookie's obvious surprise.

"My stars!" Adele touched her knee in wonderment. "The pain's almost gone."

"You'll be able to use it tomorrow," Godric said as he got up. Sookie was beaming at him and wrapped her arm around his waist to give him a half-hug. Godric nuzzled her hair and inhaled deeply. Sookie was warm and happy and there was something else there that he couldn't place. It was almost scalding inside of him, something delicious and addictive that made him want to wrap both his arms around Sookie and not let go for a very long time.

Adele sniffed and wiped at her eyes. She reached for Godric's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "I've been praying to our good Lord and asking him why he'd sent such a strange angel our way."

"I am no angel," Godric said in an emotionless voice. "I assure you."

"And yet you've been watching over us, keeping us safe," Adele said with a stern look. "No matter what you are, I am glad the good Lord sent you our way."

Godric nodded, feeling strangely embarrassed by Adele's words. If only these two brave women knew of all the things he'd done in his long life, they wouldn't be saying such things about him.

"Nah," Sookie said in a teasing voice. "He's just a knight in shining armour."

Chuckling, Godric pulled Sookie a little closer. Remembering what he'd told her about actual knights when they'd first met, he said, "That would be a better comparison." Sookie gave him a saucy wink in response.

"I'm off to bed. I feel like I could sleep for a week. You two enjoy yourselves." Adele got up, waving away Sookie's offer for help. "Good night."

"Good night," both Sookie and Godric said and they waited until Adele had left the room before they sat down on the couch. Godric pulled Sookie close, and Sookie nestled against him with a deep sigh.

"So will you be able to feel Gran now, too?" Sookie asked after a few moments of peaceful silence.

"No," Godric said as he caressed his lips across Sookie's cheek. "For such a connection to form, the human needs to ingest my blood. This was just a healing, without any side-effects."

"Well, whatever you did, thank you," Sookie whispered, looking up at him with moist eyes.

"She was very brave tonight," Godric mused, one corner of his mouth quirking up. "I can see where you get it from."

Sookie giggled and buried her face against Godric's chest. "Gran always taught me that just because I am a lady doesn't mean I can't take care of myself."

"A wise lesson," Godric agreed and pressed his lips against the top of Sookie's head. She was burning inside him with something so unfamiliar yet so tempting. It made him want to pull her close and keep her by his side until the end of days. And suddenly, that thought brought him up short. Sookie was human. She would only live for another fifty or sixty years or so. She would grow old and die.

Unless Godric offered her the ultimate gift of immortality. Yet, he himself wasn't sure anymore if that was a gift or a curse, much like Sookie wasn't sure how to define her own powers.

"Gran's asleep," Sookie said, and at once Godric found himself with an armful of his Sookie as she crawled into his lap, her legs sliding on either side of his.

"Hi," Sookie said, a shy blush rising up her cheeks while her eyes flared with obvious desire.

"Hi," Godric replied, amused and aroused all at once. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Oh, you!" Sookie smacked him against his shoulder.

Chuckling, Godric wrapped both his arms around her waist and pulled her a little closer until she sat right on top of his hardening cock. Sookie pressed down a little as she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. Godric felt a wave of desire and embarrassment wash through him, and he gently bucked his hips up to show her there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Leaning closer, Sookie pressed down harder and before long they were grinding against each other in a slow, teasing rhythm.

"Is now the right time?" Godric asked as he rubbed his cheek against hers. He wanted to fuck her so very, very much, but he did not want to hurt her in any way.

"Yeah," Sookie sighed, much to Godric's relief. "Would you like to go to my bedroom?"

"Very much so." Godric scooped Sookie up in his arms. He used a little vampire speed to rush them up to Sookie's bedroom. He put Sookie down on her feet and looked her straight in the eye. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Sookie said without a hint of doubt.

"Then allow me to pleasure you." Godric reached behind Sookie and pulled the zipper of her dress down. It slid off her shoulders and Godric made quick work of her bra while Sookie kicked off her shoes. With a gentle touch, Godric urged her to lay back down against the sheets.

Pulling off his own clothes, Godric drank in the sight of his human splayed out in nothing but her white, cotton panties. She was magnificent in every possible way. Her skin was tanned and glowing, her breasts full and inviting, and her scent was quickly becoming more and more mouth-watering as her arousal grew.

Once he was naked, Godric crawled up the bed and settled between Sookie's legs. She stared at him with eyes that were pools of heat and desire, and Godric had a hard time not to just rip her panties off and drive his cock home.

Instead, he hooked his fingers behind her panties and pulled, ever so slowly, until Sookie squirmed to urge him on.

And then she was naked, and Godric pushed her legs apart and sat back to admire her sex. She was groomed, with sparse curls above her moist folds. Godric placed his thumbs on her folds and parted them. She was glistening wet, her clit hard and her channel dripping little drops of her essence.

Godric couldn't control himself any longer and just buried his face against her. Sookie muted a surprised moan by clapping her hand over her mouth as Godric licked and sucked and drank her down. He was careful not to slice her with his fangs, which had come down some time ago, but he explored every part of her sex several times until he finally settled on sucking her throbbing clit.

Sookie began wildly bucking her hips, and Godric placed his hands on them to steady her in a growing rhythm as he dipped his tongue inside her a few times before licking around her little nub. He wanted this to last, not just throw her over the edge. He knew he had to prepare her since this was her first time.

He pushed one finger inside her, moving it in and out at an ever growing pace as her body tightened around it. Sookie was moaning now, his name and other unintelligible words, but Godric paid no heed to it, ever focussed on building her pleasure up and up. He added another finger, stretching her as much as he dared, his tongue never leaving her clit, and Sookie only pressed back harder against him as he sensed the heat inside her grow.

When Sookie finally found her release with loud moans, her whole body trembling, Godric couldn't resist what was offered to him and sank his fangs inside her thigh.

Warm blood flowed across his tongue, and Godric didn't think he'd ever tasted anything as good. The flavour of her pussy had been heavenly, but the taste of her blood was absolutely divine. He only drank a mouthful, not wanting to weaken her before the main event, and also not wanting to tempt his own bloodlust.

He licked across the puncture wounds until Sookie stilled completely and then he pulled his fingers out of her and crawled up her body.

Sookie's smile was sated and dreamy, and Godric grinned down at her before claiming her lips in a searing kiss.

"Good?" he asked softly, though he already knew the answer.

"God, yeah," Sookie sighed, running her fingers down his cheek. "You bit me." It wasn't said as any kind of accusation, but merely as an observation.

"I couldn't resist. You taste very good," Godric said without a hint of guilt.

"I'm glad," Sookie said with a giggle. "Imagine what this would be like for you if I tasted like cat pee."

Godric snorted with laughter as he buried his face against her throat. How his precious little human amused him!

Unwittingly, he moved his body closer to hers, and his erection brushed the inside of her thigh. "Do you want me to continue?" he asked, moving his hips a little so his hard cock slid across her wet folds.

"Please," Sookie said with a little moan, pushing her body up to convene her desires.

Godric didn't need much more urging. He'd been ready for this moment for some time now. Looking deep into Sookie's eyes, he angled his hips and pressed his cock against Sookie's entrance. She was tight. Wet, and very, very tight.

It took everything Godric had not to just plunge in, but to slide in inch by inch, to give Sookie enough time to adjust to this intrusion.

Sookie released a sharp little gasp, and Godric knew he'd just taken her virginity. It was his now, just like this human.

Once buried balls-deep inside her, Godric allowed her a moment to calm down as he studied her face. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed and her lips moist. He leaned down and kissed her, and then pulled out of her body and thrust back in. Sookie response was eager as she hooked her legs over his thighs and arched her back.

With each thrust, more heat and other tantalizing things swept from his Sookie right inside of him. He'd never felt such a thing, not even after he made his child. It burned him up as he drove his cock inside her harder and harder, feeling Sookie tighten around him as she reached another climax.

Godric was lost in his human, lost in her body and her heat. And lost in her blood, when he sank his fangs inside her throat and sucked deeply. And just before his own orgasm rolled over him in violent waves, Godric briefly thought that this must be what it felt like to meet the sun.

Sookie's breathing was hard but her body soft beneath his. Godric barely noticed his softening cock slipping out of Sookie. He was too busy drowning in the heat and pleasure that radiated off his human.

They ended up lying tangled together, Sookie still on her back, and Godric splayed half over her, his face buried between her soft breasts. Sookie trailed her hand up and down his back in a very soothing way, and Godric's whole body relaxed to the point he might actually melt.

"Did you get them while you were still human?" Sookie asked, her voice tired yet curious.

Godric knew she was talking about his tattoos, because her fingers were tracing the pattern of the firedrake on his back. "Yes," he said, his voice muffled against her skin.

"And this?" Sookie's warm fingers found the angry brand on his right shoulder. "This is not a tattoo, is it?"

Godric snapped out of his near-comatose state, his body going rigid for a second. He tilted his chin up to rest it in the valley between Sookie's breasts so he could look at Sookie's face. There was only genuine curiosity there.

Only Eric knew his true history. There were plenty of rumours flying around about him in their society, but Godric had only ever told Eric what had truly happened to him. And yet, here he was considering sharing his morbid past with a human.

Sookie was his human, sure, but Godric wondered if that was enough. She was his, but he also wanted to be hers. He wanted to please her, protect her, be hers in whatever way she would have him.

He'd only ever felt that way before about his child.

Godric licked his lips and stared at Sookie, who was waiting patiently until he was ready to respond. "It's a brand the Romans gave to their slaves."

"What?" Sookie said with a little squeak.

Godric held up a hand to shush her. If he was going to tell her, he didn't want to be interrupted. Sookie seemed to understand as she gave him a weak nod, her fingers travelling up his back to play with his hair. Godric let those soft touches soothe him until he felt ready to continue.

"When I was still young, Romans raided my village. I'm not sure how old I was, but I was already considered a man, a warrior, which is why I have my tattoos. But I think I was around twelve or thirteen when the Romans came. They slaughtered all the older people, but kept the younger ones as slaves. I was sold to a family in Rome, but I was not a willing slave. I disobeyed them often and finally escaped. Because of the brand, I didn't get far. I was marked as property, and everyone around me knew what I was."

Godric raised himself up a little so he could lean on one elbow. He stared down at Sookie's tanned skin as he continued. "Normally, a recalcitrant slave such as I was would be put to death, but the family had financial troubles, so they couldn't afford to lose the price of a healthy slave. They sold me to a new master. He was known for his discipline and cruelty. I soon found out why. He was a vampire with a taste for young boys."

Godric left it at that, sure Sookie's imagination would fill in the blanks.

"What happened next?" Sookie asked in a small voice. Her eyes were moist. Godric quickly looked away from her face.

"He turned me a few years later. He wanted a young body around forever, I guess. Because I could then take more physical abuse without long-lasting effects, his methods became even worse. But I bided my time and learned all there was to learn about being a vampire. And then I killed him."

"Good," Sookie said with anger in her voice.

Godric snorted and shook his head. "The local vampire population was not pleased with what I had done. For a child to turn against their maker is considered the worst kind of crime to our kind. So I fled into the wild, and I became...feral. I cared nothing for whom I hunted or killed. I enjoyed following armies around, joining in the fighting at night and feeding on the dying."

"I'm sorry this happened to you," Sookie whispered, much to Godric's surprise.

"I have done unspeakable things," Godric said as he gave Sookie a careful glance.

"But you've changed," Sookie said. She really could be perceptive.

"Yes. After I made Eric. He showed me the errors of some of my ways." Godric smiled at the memories of some of Eric's long lectures about how rape was wrong no matter they were vampires. Or how killing indiscriminately put their own existence at risk. He'd learned as much from his child as he'd taught his child in return.

Sookie released a choked sob, tears sliding down her cheeks. Godric went rigid, his insides freezing as cold rejection swept through him. He should have seen this coming. How could he believe someone as kind and warm as Sookie would ever accept a monster such as him?

Sitting up, Godric stared down at Sookie, his face a blank mask. "I apologize for hurting you. I will leave you now."

"No!" Sookie grabbed hold of his arm and kept him firmly in place. "I'm not crying because of what you told me." She wiped furiously at her eyes with her free hand.

Godric was beyond confused. She wasn't rejecting him? Then why was she crying? Why was she filled with pain and fear? "What's wrong?" he finally asked as he lowered himself to lie down beside her.

Sookie hiccupped and wiped more tears away. "I had a funny uncle."

"A what?" Godric had never heard of such a thing.

"It's a male relative who molests the children in his family." The corners of Sookie's mouth stretched until she was smiling so tightly it looked painful.

Frowning, Godric still wasn't sure what Sookie was saying. "You were hurt as a child by one of your male relatives?" he finally guessed.

"Yes. My great-uncle Bartlett," Sookie said, her smile still tight. "He's Gran's brother. He used to come to my parents' house every two weeks or so. He never...you know...screwed me, but he did other things. And the worst part was," Sookie had to swallow back several pained sobs, "was that I heard him before he even touched me. I heard everything he wanted to do to me."

Godric's insides turned cold for an entirely different reason. Something fierce and primal reared its head inside of him at the thought of some disgusting human male putting his filthy hands on his Sookie. No matter the deprived things Godric himself had done, he'd always understood one rule, probably because of his own past: you never touched children. Not to feed, not to fuck, not ever.

"And no one stopped him?" Godric asked in a deadly whisper.

"I told Mother once, but she didn't believe me." Sookie radiated misery and shame. "She thought I had a dirty mind. It wasn't until after my parents died that it stopped. When Uncle Bartlett came to visit Gran's after Jason and I moved here, I hid. Gran came to find me and I told her. And she believed me. She kicked Uncle Bartlett out of her own life to keep me safe."

Godric's already considerable regard for Adele went up a few very large notches. At least someone had the courage to do what was right, to protect an innocent child.

"It must be easier," Sookie said after her sobs quieted down. "To know he's dead and can't hurt you anymore."

Godric's gaze shot up and he stared at Sookie. "This Bartlett still lives?"

Sookie nodded. "He lives in Shreveport. I haven't seen him in years, but Jason goes to visit him from time to time."

Godric had the undeniable urge to smash Jason's head to pieces. How could he associate with someone who'd touched his own sister that way?

Pulling up the sheets, Godric wrapped his arms around his Sookie and arranged her against his chest. Sookie slid her arms around him and buried her face against his throat.

Nuzzling Sookie's hair, Godric contemplated what to do. He had to do something. He couldn't let this slide. But he wouldn't go behind Sookie's back. This was her pain, and she had to decide what should happen. "Do you want me to kill him?" he finally asked, since he thought that was the best option.

"What?" Sookie gasped.

"I swore a long time ago I would no longer mindlessly kill humans," Godric said honestly. "But I do not think this would be a mindless kill. So if you want to, I will kill him for you."

"That's..." Sookie released a rather hysterical giggle. "Very sweet of you, in a very disturbing way. But, no. I have to decline your offer."

Godric considered this. "Do you want to kill him? I could assist you."

"No, Godric," Sookie said, her voice surprisingly firm. "No matter what vile things he's done, I don't want his death on my conscience."

"If that is your decision," Godric said, though he didn't really understand it. All he'd ever wanted to do to the person who'd abused him was to finish his life once and for all. "I could make him go to the police to turn himself in?" he finally offered, thinking that might be something a human such as Sookie could approve of.

Sookie sighed and rubbed her cheek against his chest. "I know you're trying to help me, but if you did that, it would be in the papers, and everyone would know, and I might even have to testify, and there is no real proof he ever touched me." Sookie's voice became higher and higher, and Godric sensed her rising panic and shame.

"Sshh." He ran his hand up and down her back in comforting strokes. He understood Sookie's unwillingness to publicly acknowledge what this uncle had done to her, but he also understood she was still in pain because of what this disgusting human had done when she was a child. He understood that only too well. It had been 2000 years for him, but he still sometimes got the chills at some of the memories of what his maker had done to him.

Sookie's soft and even breathing drew his attention and when he looked down at her he realized she'd fallen asleep. He stroked her soft hair and thought of a way to make Bartlett pay for what he'd done without causing his death or publicly shaming his Sookie. He knew enough about this human to track him down. He knew Adele's maiden name was Hale (he had been paying attention to what Adele had told them of her family during his and Eric's visit), and he knew where he lived.

Yes, he would find a way to make Bartlett pay without upsetting his Sookie.

Godric reached for his phone and sent Eric a text message:

Find the location of Bartlett Hale in Shreveport. He is Adele's brother. We will visit him tomorrow.

A/N: Uh oh! What's Godric going to do to Sookie's funny uncle? I already know, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out. ;-)

Thanks so much for reading, and for your many wonderful comments. Let me know what you think so far, and what you'd like to see happen in the future. I do like to hear suggestions, even if I might not use them all. Thanks again, everyone!