Chapter Twenty One:
"...Just get here as soon as you can, Godric." Eric growled into the phone as he paced the length of the office, his eyes darting to Ellie every so often as she slept on the couch. He watched as her expression softened, her hands unclenching as if the pain had just suddenly disappeared. He only hoped that in her unconscious state that she wasn't in the same pain he had found her in. Her scream of pain haunted him, ringing in his ears over and over again. He wanted to find those witches, the one who had done this, and tear them apart for laying a finger on Ellie. She was in pain; she looked like she had gone to hell and back. He would make sure someone paid for this, slow and painfully. He was not someone who forgave and forgot. If not now, he would track down the monster that had done this to his Phoenix, and he would ensure that they felt twice the amount of pain Ellie was in before finally meeting the true death.
"Eric..." a mumble emitted from Ellie's lips, though she was completely still and fast asleep.
Eric's anger vanished just like that as he heard her sweet voice. He dropped the phone to the ground and pulled over a chair next to the couch, wishing to be as close to her as he possible could. As he sat, he brushed a stray hair out of Ellie's closed eyes, taking in her appearance. She truly did look like hell, making him wonder what had happened to her in the short time they hadn't spoken. It was only the other day he could hear the sadness in her voice, the fear she held. If only he had screwed all the risks and had just gone there to protect her. She never would have endeared this; she wouldn't be in the pain that she was. He hated himself for not doing so. He could have prevented all of this. This was his fault, and he would never forgive himself for allowing her to be in this much danger.
"Ellie." Eric sighed as he caressed her cheek, wanting to bring back the rosy colour she always had whenever she was yelling at him. He found himself missing the oddest things about her. He missed the times she would yell, shout through her tears. He missed when she would challenge him, call his bullshit for what it was. Not many were able to get away with it. But she was. Because she wasn't anyone else. She was his. She was his little Phoenix, and that would always be. He couldn't lose her. Not now, not in the future. He was a vampire, he was dependent on no one. And yet, as he sat there beside her unconscious form, he realized that he could no longer live a day without her. She had become his sole reason for continuing. How she had done so, Eric was unsure, but somehow along the way she became more than just a silly little human. She was his silly little human.
"I will get revenge for this; mark my words, my sweet Ellie." Eric leaned in, laying his lips lightly across her forehead. "They will not get away with hurting you, my precious."
Eric sat there for longer than he kept track of, just watching her chest rise with every intake of breath. It no longer looked like a struggling task, and that pleased him. Perhaps all she needed was to be where she was safe and have a good night's sleep. But even he knew that wasn't true. She was scarred both physically and mentally. It was impossible not to be when one was in that much pain. What surprised Eric however, were the sudden disappearances of the cuts and bruises he had found on her when he first saw her. His eyes grew wide as he inspected her, lifting her shift to find the large bruise he had seen when he had laid her on the couch. But it was no longer there. As he gazed back towards Ellie's face, he found the liveliness return, thought she was almost as pale as a vampire. But her eyes were no longer sunken in, and she looked as healthy as one could possibly be in her state. He was baffled. How could this happen? He hadn't given her any of his blood; he was worried of what it could do, especially since he wasn't sure how this had even occurred. He had been waiting until he had answers, until Godric agreed that his blood would be best to heal her. But she didn't seem to need it. Eric was unsure if this was one of her mere Phoenix abilities, or something more. Nonetheless, he was relieved to see her in a better state than only moments before. She was beginning to look once again like the woman he had...
"Eric." Ellie's voice was louder this time, more alert, drawing Eric's attention back to her face.
When he found opened green eyes, he was startled. He hadn't expected her to wake so soon.
"Ellie." He weaved a hand through her hair. "I'm here."
Her eyes searched his, squinting slightly at the brightness of the light. Eric noticed this and moved to block the direct light from hitting her eyes. She sighed in relief as she inhaled deeply, only for her eyes to widen in shock. He watched as her fingers slowly began to twitch before her hand hesitantly began moving off the couch and over her own limbs.
"What is it?" he questioned, praying that nothing was internally damaged.
"I..." her voice was hoarse. Her gaze returned to his eyes and they watered with tears. His hand moved down to her cheek and cupped it, assuring her that she was safe now. "I don't...hurt."
Eric raised an eyebrow. "You're no longer in pain?"
She shook her head, and even braced herself for the pain. But it never came. It was as if she hadn't been in pain at all, like it had all been a horrible nightmare. But they both knew that wasn't the truth. They both knew that something larger was at work here, but what?
"H-how?" she whispered, a tear slipping down he cheek.
Eric quickly brushed the tear away, just as he did to the ones that followed. "What happened to you, Ellie? Tell me everything."
She opened her mouth to answer, but only coughed instead. This time, a wince did emit from her lips, her eyes squeezing shut.
"Water..." she croaked out.
Eric was out of the chair so fast, it was knocked over. He didn't think twice as he sped from the room to the bar to grab a bottle of water. What he wasn't expecting however, was the ear piercing scream that met his ear from his office. He grabbed the water and ran back into the room, beside himself to find Ellie was on the ground beside the couch grabbing at her stomach as if it were about to explode. Tears were rolling down her cheeks by now as she choked out drops of blood.
"What happened?" he was beside her in an instant, his arms around her and lifting her back onto the couch. He sat with her this time, cradling her in his lap. He refused to leave her side, for her to ever leave his embrace. Twice now he had heard her screams of pain, and twice his still heart had been ripped into two. "Ellie? Talk to me. What's wrong? What hurts?"
Ellie was breathing heavily, Eric able to feel her pounding chest against his as he held her to his chest, one hand running through her hair as the other rubbed small circles on her back in comfort. Her sobs slowed, coming to a halt as she sniffed and dug her head into his chest. At that moment, she didn't care that when she met him for a second time only weeks ago he had been a bastard, not caring about her well being at all. All that mattered was that he was holding her, and for some reason, that helped her. Being close to him made everything just disappear. The pain vanished, her fear diminishing. She didn't understand it. It could have been a hallucination for all she knew. But she didn't care. She just wanted him at the moment. Eric Northman was all she wanted, all she cared about.
"Shh, Ellie. It's okay." He whispered in her ear until her body relaxed in his arms. The pain had passed, he was thankful of. He was not sure if he could take seeing her in that amount of pain. "Tell me what happened to you. Tell me what I can do."
"Water?" she sounded like a scared little girl as she asked for what he had initially left her for, and it broke Eric in two. He silently uncapped the bottle and gently moved her head so she could drink. He held it for her as she took a few gulps, sighing as the cool liquid met with her torn up throat. Her eyes closed, though this time not in pain as she relished in the feeling before pushing the bottle away.
"Everything is alright now, my sweet one." He pressed down her hair, kissing the top of her head affectionately. "Tell me what happened? One moment you were fine and the next..."
"You left..." she inhaled deeply as she began to speak, her head tilting up so she could stare into those worried blue eyes. "And it happened again."
"What happened? Tell me everything." he prompted, his hand caressing her cheek, lightly drying away the tears.
"I..." Ellie could barely get out the first word before her eyes were welled up with tears once again as she remembered the horrific events of the past 24 hours.
"You're safe now." Eric clasped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "They will not hurt you, I promise you that. I'm here, and I will not leave you."
Her hand curled around the fabric of his shirt as she drew herself closer to him. Eric closed his eyes momentarily as he took in the moment. He had imagined this moment for the past two years, having Ellie in his arms once again. He just never imagined it to be for this reason, to have her so heartbroken and in pain. But he would make up for lost time. He wouldn't allow himself to lose her, not again. He couldn't. He needed her, all of her at all times. He couldn't bare the pain of her leaving him, not for a second time.
"Tell me everything, Ellie. You're here now, safe. I will not let them hurt you any longer. I swear to you."
Her bottom lip trembled but she fought to keep the tears at bay. She nodded slightly as her grasp on his shift tightened. It was as if she needed something to hold onto or else she would just slip away. He didn't say a word as he only held her tighter, waiting for the answers he had been searching for while she had been unconscious. Though a part of him was afraid of what he would hear.
"I knew something was wrong when I woke up...this morning?" she wasn't even sure what day it was. It hadn't felt like a day had passed, but she wasn't sure how much time she had lost. "I...I just knew."
Eric nodded for her to continue, encouraging her.
"I tried to call her, Maggie. But..." Ellie's eyes glazed over. "There was no answer. I wanted...I wanted to call you, but there was no point. You wouldn't have been able to do anything."
Eric tried to mask the happiness he felt knowing that she had wanted to call him, not Godric, when she had been worried and scared. Though that was not the point. Not now. Their competition meant nothing now. Ellie's life was more important than who she loved. But even knowing that, Eric couldn't help but feel overjoyed knowing that he was one step closer to winning her heart over completely.
"Go on." Eric urged, still rubbing comforting circles up and down her back.
"I knew something was wrong with him the moment I saw him." she shuddered as she spoke of her attacker. Eric frowned at this, holding her tighter. He hated to see how scared she was of one morsel. "He...he wasn't right, Eric. He was strong and his eyes..."
"What colour were they?" he asked, though he already knew what her attacker was.
"They were this...weird amber colour?" Ellie looked up at him unsure. "But...it was just so, surreal."
"He was a werewolf. And a witch." Eric informed.
"A werewolf?" her eyes grew wide. "And a witch?"
"He isn't the only one of his kind. There is a coven of them." He went on to explain but quickly stopped himself. He didn't want to go into this now. He needed to hear what happened to her first. "Continue with your story. What happened? What did he do?"
"I tried to get away. I really did." Ellie bit her bottom lip. "I tried so hard. But...he was just too strong."
She looked so broken and defeated in his eyes, the complete opposite to how she was the last time they were in this office together, when she was arguing with him about sacrificing themselves for one another. She had been so strong then, so fearless. She had offered herself in order to save all of them, against his wishes of course. But she hadn't cared. Ellie never did. She merely wanted the ones she loved to be safe. She put herself last in every situation, it was a selfless act that Eric never thought he could ever find himself doing. But for her, he would die a hundred deaths if need be.
"He pushed me, and I hit my head. I was on the ground and then he..." Her eyes clamped shut and a soft sob emitted from her full lips. She didn't want to remember the pain. She didn't want to remember her body feeling as if it were on fire, like knives were ripping through her, like her organs were being squeezed with an iron grip. She just wanted to forget it all, pretend none of it ever happened. But she couldn't. Because the moment Eric had left the room, the pain had just suddenly rushed back. For those few split seconds, she felt the worst pain in the world. And then it stopped, just like it had when she had fallen unconscious. The pain, even now, was gone. It vanished. She felt like she had on any other day, minus the dull aching in her bones and her dry throat. She didn't want to talk about it, but she knew she had to, if only to understand why the pain was suddenly coming and going whenever.
"It's okay." Eric whispered, kissing both of her cheeks. "It's over now. You're here."
Ellie nodded as she tried to get a hold of herself. Her eyes reopened and stared up at those electric blue eyes she had dreamt about for so long. She had thought he was only a figment of her imagination for two years. But he ended up turning out to be so much more.
"It hurt so much Eric." Her voice was soft. "I don't know what he was saying, it just hurt so much."
"What hurt?"
"Everything. Everything was hurting. It wouldn't stop. I just wanted it to stop." Another sob sounded from her as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Oh god, Eric, it was horrible."
"Shh, it's alright my little one." Eric comforted. "You're fine now."
"I-I know. It was just...it was just horrible. And it never stopped. Not once. When I fell unconscious, I could still feel it, Eric. The pain...it was like my body was on fire, like someone was stabbing me repeatedly. I prayed that I would just...that I would just die. I wanted death so much Eric."
That was when she broke down. The sobs racked her body as she dug her head in his chest, her tears wetting his shirt. Bloody tears pooled under Eric's eyes as he rocked her against him, whispering words of comfort, assuring her she was safe. A single red tear slid down his cheek and he didn't bother to wipe it away. He didn't care who would walk into that room to witness his tears. He didn't care about anything but the woman sobbing in his arms.
"What did he do to me, Eric?" she managed through her sobs, her teary eyes staring up at him like a lost little girl.
"I don't know." He admitted, another tear slipping down his cheek. "But I will find out. And I will destroy them. They will not get away with this, my phoenix, I promise you."
Her sobs continued, hiding her tears in his shirt. He just held her in that spot, allowing his tears along with hers and she wept for her pain, and he shed tears for what she had been put through. He never imagined a moment he would be crying over a human. He had cried for his maker, begging him not to meet the sun. But Godric was a part of him. Even now as they struggled through these rough times, competing with one another, arguing, Godric was still his maker. He was still his father, his brother, his son. Godric's blood was still his own, and that would never change. He would weep all the tears in the world for his maker, for he knew Godric would never judge him for doing so. But a human? How had he found himself in this position, crying over the pain a mere human was in?
But that was it. She wasn't just any human. She was a Phoenix. His Phoenix. And that changed everything.
"E-Eric?"
Eric quickly pulled himself together as he heard her soft voice call out at him. He raised a hand to wipe away the bloody tears before gazing down at Ellie.
"I'm scared." She admitted with a sniff as she tried to control the sobs that still emitted from her lips every few minutes.
"I know." He clasped a finger under her chin, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "But I will not let them have you. I will not let them within five feet of you. I promise you this, Ellie."
"I don't want to be scared anymore." Her hands grabbed onto his shirt tightly, her eyes blurry. "I just want to wake up from this nightmare."
"As do I." Eric's reply was barely above a whisper as he sighed. "You will get through this. We both will. Together."
"Promise." Her eyes were wide as she pleaded for his words to be true.
"I promise a thousand times over." He kissed her forehead softly, his lips lingering longer than they should have.
She swallowed back the lump in her throat as she moved a hand up to rub at her eyes. A yawn was stifled and Eric couldn't help but chuckle. The sound was so innocent coming from the girl who seconds ago, was sobbing into his chest.
"Sleep, my sweet Ellie, for you are safe now." He coaxed.
"Stay with me?" she asked hopefully.
"I will never leave you." He looked her dead in the eye as he spoke this, meaning every single word. He would never lose her again. He would never leave her side, even if she yelled and cried for him to. They would live centuries together, perhaps even eternity. Their immortal lives would be spent together. There would be nothing that kept them apart, not even these witches.
She nodded and laid her head back on his chest, right above where his heart had once beat a thousand years ago. Eric couldn't stop the small smile from crossing his lips as she curled against him, her breathing slowing until her body grew relaxed in his arms. Once he was sure she was asleep, there was no stopping the words that left his mouth, even against his wishes.
"I love you, my little Phoenix."
"You truly do love her." An unexpected voice spoke softly, alerting Eric to another presence in the room.
Eric's eyes rose to meet those of his maker's. Godric's expression was one of pure shock as he stared down at the sleeping for in Eric's arms. The last thing he had expected when Eric had called him, asking for him to return to Fangtasia, was Ellie's sudden arrival. How had the brunette appeared so suddenly, without any warning? Was this a product of the witches? He had heard the fear and terror in his child's voice as he urged him home, the reason he had hurried along the meeting with the Weres so abruptly. He couldn't put off finding out the reason for Eric's fear. And he had found it in the form of the woman they both loved dearly. Except it was now that Godric truly did realize just how much Eric loved Ellie. He had known it all along, expected it to occur before either could even stand one another. But hearing those words leave his mouth, Godric was both overjoyed and shocked, not expecting to ever hear Eric say those three little words to anyone. But there Eric was, cradling Ellie as if she was about to disappear out of his arms, and Godric found that he couldn't be happier.
He loved Ellie, he truly did. But perhaps it was not the same love he once thought it to be. Perhaps it was merely due to two years passing since he had last seen her, due to the quickness in their closeness. Perhaps it was their friendship that he had loved, and they had only taken things too far. He would never regret the nights he spent with Ellie, holding her in his arms, kissing her sweet lips. But not even he could admit to loving her as deeply as it appeared Eric did. Those eyes, the same Godric had looked into a thousand years ago when he had first approached him off the battlefield, they held pure love in them. It was an emotion that not even he had been graced with on many occasions. But Eric loved her; he loved her with all of his heart, with all of the humanity that she had forced him to remember. Godric wasn't so sure he could possibly compete with his own child anymore.
Ellie was not his. She never had been.
She was Eric's, in every possible way.
"She just appeared, Godric." Eric slowly began to move Ellie, lifting her up into his arms as he stood before laying her back on the couch. He raised her head on the arm of the couch to act as a pillow and brushed away the hair in her eyes affectionately. Godric had never seen Eric act so carefully with another being, not even him. "Out of nowhere. I heard her, like I had when she was being attacked by the fellowship years ago. And then I found her, outside of the bar."
Godric tore his gaze away from Ellie to look up at his progeny. "How did she come to be there?"
"I don't know." Eric shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair. "Godric, they got to her. One of the witches, a man. He put her through agony. He...He destroyed her, Godric."
Godric could see the traces of blood staining Eric's face, and his own tears nearly spilled. He knew it had to be terrible if it had brought tears to his Viking's eyes.
"Is she..."
"She's no longer in pain now. It suddenly just...vanished once she was here." Eric sighed in relief. "Though there was a moment, when I had left to bring her water, when it returned."
"But she's alright now?" Godric asked in concern.
"For now." Eric nodded. "I don't know what they've done to her, but I will get revenge for this. I will kill every last one of them for casting a spell upon her."
"I know, Eric." Godric watched the anger rise in his child. "We will find them soon enough, and then you can have your fun."
"You don't want to hold me back?"
"They hurt her." Godric's eyes wandered back to the sleeping girl. "They deserve whatever you wish to do to them. Every last one of them."
"I will enjoy their screams of terror." Eric's fangs extended with a click as he thought of all the bloodshed ahead.
"Patience for now, my child. Patience."
"Soon, Godric. Soon I will destroy them like they wish to do to her." Eric promised.
"For now, all we can do is be there for her, help her through this and ensure her safety." Godric nodded. "It seems that whatever spell they cast upon her, it hasn't been lifted. Sookie informed us there is a witch she in friendly with, I'll converse with her tomorrow for her help."
"Whatever it is, it was the worst pain imaginable, Godric." Eric shook his head as he glanced over his shoulder at Ellie. "I never wish to hear those cries of pain ever again."
"And you shall not." Godric laid a hand on Eric's arm.
Eric nodded as he fangs retraced, his body turning back to Ellie. Godric watched as he moved next to her, kneeling down beside her sleeping form. His hand grasped hers, their fingers intertwining, the love flowing between them. A smile was brought to Godric's face at seeing the display before him, the adoration Eric had for a mere human.
"She is yours, my child." Godric's voice was soft.
Eric's head snapped towards his maker, though his hand was still grasping Ellie's. "What?"
"She was never mine for the taking. She is yours, and forever will be. Her heart remains with you, and yours with her."
Eric's eyes widened in surprised at his maker's declaration.
"I give her to you to love and cherish. Do not hurt her, Eric. Do not drive her away like you once did. Love her fully and completely. I wish only to see the two of you happy, and it seems that is with each other." Godric approached the two, laying his hand on Eric's shoulder. "Love her Eric, and she will love you in return."
Stunned, Eric glanced between Ellie's peaceful face as the boyish face of his maker. He surprised Godric as he slipped his hand from Ellie's and turned towards his maker, kneeling before him with his head bowed towards the ground. Bloody tears threatened to spill as he knelt there, the love for his maker flowing through their bond. Godric's smile widened as he closed his eyes and ran his fingers through Eric's slicked back locks. Their bond was flourishing like it never had before. The love they shared for one another was greater than it had been a thousand years ago. The bond Godric had feared losing weeks ago was mended, as was Eric's broken heart. He had found the woman he loved, the one he wished to spend eternity with. Godric did not have the heart to tear that away from him, nor did he ever wish to bring that pain upon his child. He would meet the sun a hundred times over if it meant both Eric and Ellie were happy. They were what mattered to the two thousand year old vampire. It was all he cared about. They were his family, all that he needed in his existence.
"Do not be afraid to let yourself love her." Godric whispered down to Eric.
"I should not...It's not natural to feel this way." Eric's voice sounded unlike himself. He was scared of what he was feeling, scared of his love for Ellie.
"Never shy away from love, my child. Even we are allowed it."
"I do not deserve it." Eric shook his head as a tear slipped down his cheek.
"You do. And you deserve her. Treat her well. Love her like I know that you can." Godric clasped a finger under his chin and lifted the gaze of his progeny. "Just love her Eric. I give you my blessing."
"Thank you, Godric." Eric whispered out, moving into the hand that cupped his cheek. "I will love her for eternity. I promise you."