Chapter 20
Niklaus and Rebekah sat with Godric all night but the boy's dazed behavior made no change. They moved him to the Courtyard when the sun rose hoping the fresh air and light would help him but in the hours since Klaus found him he'd made no change. They were beginning to fear the worst until Kol appeared.
"Just the witch I wanted to see." Niklaus said stepping between Kol and Rebekah who was fuming at the sight of the brother that put her in her new body. "I need you to run a diagnostic spell on Godric."
"What's wrong with him?" Kol completely forgot about his problem when he saw Godric lying motionless on the bench before him.
"I don't know. He drank some blood. I don't know where he got it or who's it is but he's been like this since last night."
Kol fell to his knees in front of Godric and started doing the spell. "You should've called me earlier."
"I've been calling you all night!"
Kol remembered ignoring Niklaus's calls because he was trying to figure out a solution to the curse Finn had placed on him but that was when he thought Klaus wanted him for his own selfish agenda. Had he known it was to help Godric he would've answered straight away.
"It's Blood Magic." Kol announced. "And it's ancient. I haven't seen anything like this since the Middle Ages. A witch infuses their blood with magic to lure their prey, normally weary knights and travelers, into eternal servitude. I suspect whosever's blood Godric has coursing through him right now is old and if our brother drank their blood they must be a vampire."
"What do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do. This spell is meant to be permanent but luckily our mother's curse will eventually waken Godric from this trance. He'll be fine in a few more hours."
Blood trickled from Kol's nose as he stared down at Godric. He felt it and quickly wiped it away before his siblings saw.
"Which reminds me," he said turning back to Klaus and Rebekah. "I'm having a bit of a problem of my own."
~TO~
Flashback:
Five-year-old Godric burst into the Mikaelson home in a huff. He was out playing with Henrik in the woods when he overheard his mother and sister talking about cooking a chicken for Mikael and his brothers to take out on the hunt the next day.
"Poppa," Godric screamed as he ran through the hut to his parent's room. There he found Mikael silently packing for the trip. "Poppa, I want to go too. Please let me go with you."
Mikael pet his head patronizingly. "Not this time, little one. You're not big enough yet."
Godric ran over to Mikael's sword resting against the wall in its scabbard. It was as tall as the boy and weighed almost as much but still, Godric grabbed the hilt and lifted it. His tiny muscles strained to keep it upright but he was determined.
"See," he said as he put the sword back down on the floor. "You said that once I'm big enough to pick up Rawthul I could go on the hunt with you. I did it. See."
Mikael chuckled. "You really are getting stronger. That's why I need you here. To protect your mother and sister."
Tears formed in the corners of Godric's eyes as frustration set in. "Let Henrik protect them. I want to go with you."
"Henrik's not quite ready to protect anyone yet. He's older than you but you're much stronger than him now."
"I am?" Godric wiped the tears from his face intrigued by this news.
"You are and you must be the man of the family in my absence. Protect your brother and your sister and your mother," Mikael picked the sword up and put it in the boy's outstretched arms. "With this."
Godric ran out of the hut with the sword in his arms and smiling from ear to ear. He went back to the forest where he found Henrik in the spot he left him playing with his practice bow.
"Why do you have Rawthul?" Henrik asked fearing for his brother's safety. The Mikaelson children all new better than to touch their father's weapons.
"Father gave it to me," said Godric proudly. "To protect you and Bekah and mother. I'm the man of the family while he's gone."
"Why you? I'm older."
"But I'm stronger."
"Oh yeah,"
Henrik began to playfully nudge Godric's shoulders, their brotherly signal to start wrestling. Godric sat down Mikael's sword and tackled his brother. The two wrestled each other all around the forest until Henrik grew tired of Godric constantly pinning him.
"Fine, you're the strongest." Henrik wheezed while pushing Godric off of him for the final time.
"And I'm the man." Godric cheered. He hurried back to the spot where he left Mikael's sword, wanting to hold it above his head and cheer like his father did whenever he came home from battle, but when he got there the sword was gone.
He didn't know what to do. The sun was going down so he knew Henrik was going to be too afraid to help him look for it so he decided to go back home and ask one of his other brothers.
When he made it to the Mikaelson hut, he was relieved to see Niklaus standing before their father with Rawthul in hand.
"Where did you get this?" Mikael boomed, snatching the sword from his son's hand. "Did you steal this from Godric?"
"N-no, father. I found it lying unattended in the forest."
"Lies. Where is he? What did you do to him?"
Godric's relief turned to fear as he watched Mikael's hand come across Niklaus's face with enough force to send his brother to the ground.
"No," Godric screamed, running to his brother's aid with tears on his face. "It's true, poppa. I left your sword in the forest to play with Henrik. I'm sorry. I-"
I swift smack across his face quieted Godric midsentence. He reached up to cover Mikael's burning handprint across his soft skin and his tears came harder.
Dangerously calm, Mikael said, "Being the man of the family means being responsible. You are not there yet."
"I am," he mumbled through his sobs.
Mikael forced the sword into Godric's arms and said, "Go put this back where you found it. Perhaps you'll be ready to handle it in a year."
"B-but-"
"Now, Godric!"
Godric ran into the hut and back to his parents' room. He threw the sword on the floor and jumped face down onto his parents' bed, bawling his eyes out. He felt Mikael when he sat on the bed beside him but he elected to ignore the man's presence.
Mikael lifted Godric on to his lap and held the crying child into he was all cried out.
"It's okay, son," he said lowly. "You don't have to be the man today. You wouldn't want that responsibility yet."
"I do!"
"No you don't. Being a man is all work and no fun. Men don't get to play in the forest all day…or get held by their poppas."
"R-really?"
Mikael looked down into his shimmering blue eyes. "Really. It's okay to stay a boy, Godric. As long as I'm around to protect you, you'll be my Little Ricky."
Godric curled up closer to his father, content with being his baby boy for a little longer.
End Flashback
Godric slowly came back to reality. He recognized Elijah's bed immediately from the nights he spent waiting beside it for his brother to wake from their mother's curse. Elijah stood at the end of it adjusting Niklaus's tux tie when he noticed the boy moving in the center of the bed.
"Godric," he breathed, moving from Niklaus to their glossy-eyed brother. "You're awake. Finally,"
"What happened?"
"We don't know," Niklaus started. "We were hoping you could fill us in on that bit. When I came to your room last night you were covered in blood and dazed out of your mind. What happened?"
Godric suddenly remembered the night he drank Maura's blood. It was the most amazing feeling he'd ever experienced in his life and all he wanted to do was feel it again. No matter what.
"A squirrel," he lied. "I was hungry…for blood…and a squirrel came in through the open window. I didn't think, I just pounced. My werewolf senses must've taken over. Maybe the thing was sick and…that's why I was like that."
Elijah and Niklaus shared solemn looks. They knew, from what Kol had told them, that Godric was lying but they weren't sure if he was lying to cover up the truth or because he truly believed that's what happened.
Wanting to believe the best of his brother, Elijah said, "Well, you're fine now. No more…squirrels, okay? If you want blood come find one of us."
"Yes, brother." Godric noticed for the first time their formal attire. "Did I miss something or are you two just really happy I'm awake."
"Hayley is getting married in two hours. You woke just in time. I have your tux ready and waiting in your room." Then Elijah knelt down to look the boy in the eyes. "There's something else you should know, Godric. Before I tell you I want you to promise to trust me that everything's going to be alright."
Godric grew nervous at the request. He looked to Niklaus and the Hybrid's face looked just as grim as Elijah's.
"Wh-what is it?" he asked.
Elijah sighed, "Kol has been hexed by Finn. He's…dying but Rebekah and Davina are doing everything they can to try to stop it."
"Rebekah?"
"Yes, her new body is that of a witch. She is working with Davina and Kol to try and put an end to Finn's wicked hex."
"N-no, Finn wouldn't do that. Kol's our brother. He wouldn't hex our brother."
"Finn isn't one of us anymore, brother." Niklaus said. "He does not care for us."
"That's not true. He said he wanted to save us. Why would he hex Kol if he wanted to save us? You're wrong!"
"Finn lied to you, brother." Elijah asserted but Godric wanted to hear nothing more.
He bolted from the room in tears. Niklaus moved to chase after him but Elijah stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest.
"Let him go, brother. He needs time alone to realize the truth for himself."
"Are we just going to pretend like he really doesn't know what happened to him last night?"
"I know he lied to us but there's nothing we can do about it. He deserves to feel like he can have some privacy. Even if we don't want him to have it. If he feels he is in danger, he will tell us."
"You give him privacy," Niklaus growled. "My daughter is back in New Orleans. I can't afford any surprises now."
Niklaus sped after Godric but the boy had already left the Compound.
-TO-
Godric walked the streets mindlessly, desperately trying to convince himself that Finn would never do anything to hurt Kol and that Kol was going to be fine. When he finally decided to examine his surroundings, he noticed he was right in front of Maura's hotel as if some invisible force had led him there.
Wanting to feel the dulling reprieve of her blood again, Godric went to the room Maura told him she was in hoping the woman hadn't left yet.
Maura opened the door for him at the first knock.
"Godric," she said ardently. "I've been expecting you."
To her surprise, Godric bound into her body and sobbed miserably against her stomach.
"My brother is dying," he cried. "And I don't know what to do."
Maura then realized that the boy was no longer under the manipulation of her blood. This only made her more excited.
Closing the door behind them, she said, "You really are a special boy, Godric." She walked over to the room service cart in the middle of the room and picked up the steak knife on it and Godric's eyes begged for the sweet relief only her blood could offer.
She rubbed the dull side of the knife across her wrist. "Do you want my blood to make it all feel better?" The boy nodded fervently. "But first, let's play a game."
Godric's joy diminished as she approached him.
"Can we play after I drink your blood?" He begged.
Maura opened the bathroom door and motioned for him to go in. "It's more fun for me if we play while you're still...you."
-TO-
Freya and Finn walked the streets of New Orleans with intent. Finn was taking Freya to see their father and the young witch could barely contain her happiness. She hadn't seen her father since she was a little girl and she was willing to flay anyone who dared stand in her way and when Finn paused his march through the street she considered doing just that.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
Finn stared straight ahead at the little boy walking mindlessly across the street from them. "That's Godric. Our brother."
Freya saw the boy and just knew with certainty he was related to them. "What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know. He almost seems possessed or-" Finn's thought was cut short when he saw the boy attempt to cross the street without looking. A refrigerated truck came barreling down the street and made no sign at slowing down for the child.
Panicked, Finn did a quick incantation and the truck came to a screeching halt a foot away from the dazed boy.
Finn and Freya ran to Godric's aid but the boy just kept walking, unaware of the danger that was about to befall him. The driver of the truck got out and began fretfully asking if the boy was alright but the two Mikaelsons just ignored him and the surrounding crowd.
"Godric," Finn grabbed the boy's shoulders and he finally stopped walking.
He stared into Godric's eyes and they were completely lifeless as if Godric no longer resided in that body. There was a drop of blood at the corner of his lips that Finn wiped away with the edge of his thumb. He smelled it and his stomach churned at the disgustingly sweet smell.
"What do you make of this?" He asked Freya.
Freya only had to examine the boy for a second to know what was wrong. "Blood Magic," she mumbled.
The sound of police sirens urged Finn to pick the boy up and quickly start walking away while Freya used her magic to put to sleep everyone who had seen the almost-incident to prevent them from stopping them.
"Blood Magic is permanent." Freya warned Finn as they made their escape.
"Not for him. Mother made sure of that."
Finn explained everything he knew about Godric to Freya as the two made their way to the tomb he kept their parents in. By the end, Freya felt a deeper connection to Godric than she did even to Finn. Like her the boy was betrayed by their mother and like her Godric loved their father unconditionally.
Finn moved their mother's unconscious body out of the tomb so Freya could be alone with their father when she woke him and he came back for Godric but Freya insisted the boy stay.
"I'm sure our father would want to see his baby boy." She said.
"Freya, our father is not the man you once knew," Finn cautioned. "He does not love with the same passion he did when we were children."
"He has been hurt by Esther, as we all have, dear brother. In time, he will learn to love again. You'll see."
Finn held no confidence in that being true.
When Finn left, Freya woke Mikael. The man woke prepared to fight the witch standing before him but she beseeched him with memories only the two shared. He fell to tears, recognizing the daughter he thought died so long ago.
"It's been a thousand years," his voice broke with swelled emotion. "How is this possible?"
"I was taken by Dahlia. I'll tell you everything," she fell to her knees before him. "Just say you believe me."
Overwhelmed, Mikael knelt to her with her face in his hands still in disbelief. "My beautiful Freya. My daughter."
They held each other, sobbing, a thousand years having been too long.
Once regaining his composure, Mikael noticed Godric sitting against the wall of the tomb staring straight ahead at the wall across from him.
"Godric," he whispered.
Freya looked back at the boy. "He'll be okay. Just a little blood magic. I'm told he is impossible to curse permanently."
"Yes," Mikael stood and walked over to the boy. "Esther has done so much to him. I wonder if the boy I once loved so dearly is even still in there."
"He is, father," Freya placed a gentle hand on Mikael's back. "Just as in a thousand years I did not forget my love for you, I am sure Godric has not either. Though he may not be your blood, he is still our family."
"Freya…are you a powerful witch?"
"I am…strong enough."
"Then I beg you, my daughter, fix what the witch Esther has done. Free my son from this body and place him in another. This request and no other is all I will ever ask of you."
Freya stared down at Godric unsure if she was strong enough to break the spell that protected Godric from magic but for her father would was willing to try.