A Light in the Darkness

Chapter 21- Revealed.

Once again the club was packed. Sookie groaned as she heard a group of men fantasise about tying her up and doing very naughty things. It was going to be a long night. Trudging towards Eric's office, she didn't bother asking for a drink. She knew Pam would send a waitress to her soon enough. Godric opened the door for her and they both stepped inside.

Eric was sat at his desk. Not a problem normally, but tonight he had a fangbanger sat in his lap and he was feeding from her neck. Sookie felt slightly sick at the sight, especially as the girl was imagining his fangs buried somewhere else entirely.

"Do you want us to give you a few minutes?" Godric chuckled, sitting himself down on the couch and pulling Sookie beside him.

Eric licked the bite marks and shooed the girl away. She scurried out of the room as if she were on fire. He smirked at his maker. "You are earlier than I expected. Fortunately, for me, she was just a snack. I'll feed properly later."

Godric chuckled and Sookie groaned. "Can we get this over with, please?"

Eric leered at her, "Sick of my company already?" He clutched his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Sookie. Here I thought we were becoming the best of friends." Eric could feel Godric's annoyance at his flirting which only made him grin all the more.

"Don't be an ass!" Sookie rolled her eyes. "If you want me to help you then you need to be nice."

Eric scoffed, "I am never nice!" The scowl remained fixed in place as both Sookie and Godric began to laugh at him.

There was a knock on the door and Pam entered carrying a gin and tonic which she handed to Sookie with a nod. "Thanks, Pam. I have a feeling I'm gonna need that."

"You are most welcome, my telepathic friend. Would you like me to start sending in the waitresses?" She glanced between Godric and Eric, but it was Sookie who answered.

"Sure thing, I want this done with. Are they all here tonight?"

Eric smiled at his child and mistress before answering the question. "They are, although a few are only here for a couple of hours while this is sorted."

Sookie nodded and took a quick sip of her drink. Placing it on Eric's desk, she moved to sit in one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk to Eric. "Bring em in then!"

The first waitress to be brought in was Tilly.

After three hours of gruelling interviews, Sookie slumped back on the sofa and sighed. She had finished reading the current staff- only half of which had kept their jobs. She had even managed to find two thieves and a drainer. Eric and Godric had both been delighted by her; even Pam had praised her usefulness. Sookie was just tired. It was times like this that made her wish to be normal. She hated seeing how corrupt people could be in their thoughts.

Sookie could feel Godric's longing. She knew he wanted her to join him out in the bar. They had left her alone in the office to recoup while they talked and dealt with the staffing shortfall. Sookie had already suggested that Tilly be promoted to manager. Eric and Pam and seemed pleased by the suggestion. Sighing in defeat, Sookie got to her feet and headed out into the club. The noise was deafening and the thoughts of drunken fangbangers assaulted her. She just wanted to go home.

Having sensed her movement, Godric was at her side before she could take three steps. He linked her arm through his and escorted her back to the booth where Eric and Pam were waiting. The crowd parted like the Red sea and Sookie ignored the murderous thoughts around her. Until she heard her.

It all happened so fast. One minute Sookie had been eagerly waiting to go home; the next she heard the thought that would change everything.

No stupid vampire demon is gonna fire me! I'll send him back to hell!

It was Charlotte, one of the waitresses Sookie had interviewed. She had been difficult to read but Sookie had found enough hatred inside her to advise Eric to get rid of her. She was a liability. Sookie knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was too late. Her hand reached out to Eric as she realised what the girl planned to do.

"NO!"

It's truly amazing how unobservant humans can be. They can miss the most simple of things and the most amazing…it is a thousand times worse when they are drunk. So, for that reason it was only the vampires that saw it happen. In a second of panic, Sookie teleported in front of Eric; just in time for the wooden bullet to hit her in the shoulder.

In a blink of an eye, Godric had her in his arms and was carrying her to the office. Eric had Charlotte around the neck and was dragging the girl to the basement, while Pam got everyone out. It was only half an hour until closing so no one put up much of a fight.

"Drink," Godric urged, pressing his bleeding wrist to Sookie's lips. She latched on without a word of complaint and began to drink. They both watched in relief as the wound closed shut, the bullet falling to the floor. Godric pulled Sookie into his lap and kissed her neck, breathing in her scent. "I could have lost you," he whispered. The desolation in his voice was almost as bad as the fear in the bond. It broke Sookie's heart.

"You didn't," she urged. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…it just happened."

Pulling back to look her in the eye, he pressed his lips lightly to hers. "Please don't ever scare me like that again."

"How is she?" Eric was towering in the doorway, a look of concern and fury etched into his handsome face.

"I'm alright," Sookie answered softly. "Charlotte has fellowship ties. I didn't see it earlier but just as she was about to shoot she thought about her brother. He is a fellowship priest."

Eric nodded as if this didn't surprise him. "She is in the cells. I shall deal with her tomorrow. Hugo is also in the cells. He let her in without searching her purse. Apparently she used to give him blood occasionally while she was on shift."

Godric could feel the anger of his child over the bond. He knew Eric was just as angry at the mistake as at the crime. "I'm going to take Sookie home. We have a busy week ahead we need some time to rest."

"Of course, I shall deal with this, Master."

Godric smiled at Eric; his fangs ran out. "I know you will." Sookie insisted on walking to the car. They were just at the exit when Eric called out to her.

"Thank you, for saving my life."

Turning back to look over her shoulder, Sookie could see that Eric was deeply moved by her actions. His face was unreadable to her, but she could feel the affection and loyalty there. Godric was looking at her with a mix of love and devotion.

"You're welcome, Eric. Our family wouldn't be the same without you."

Nothing else was said. Nothing else was needed. With that simple sentence all their lives were permanently altered. Godric and Eric could feel the shift. They were a family. It was that simple. A strange, powerful, deadly family. No one would ever hurt them again.

AN: Hi folks. I want assure you that I will never abandon a story. This will be completed; it's just going to take a lot longer than I originally thought. I rarely get time to write now so I'm finding hard to get into it. But it shall be done!

Thanks to those of you who are sticking with it.