AN: Enjoy this chapter! Happy Reading!- krispybee12 & Butterflybelle
RPOV
Chapter 21
"Is that enough?" Sookie questions, squeezing the top of her finger to place a single drop of her blood atop the microscope slide. I send her an affirming nod, figuratively holding my breath as I'm left hoping the control she has over her scent holds in place. Eric and Godric's apparent immunity to her scent is surely nothing short of a miracle.
"For now, yes, thank you," I tell her, proceeding to place the slide under the microscope lens. My head tilts curiously, noting the unique make up of her blood before I feel her drawing closer.
"Anything interesting?" she soon questions, bringing a smirk to my face.
"Take a look," I insist, watching an excited grin come to her face before her golden head is bending over the lens. "Okay, so I have no idea what I'm looking at," she giggles out, earning an amused chuckle from me.
"I assumed as much," I answer back, earning a shrug from her as she sits upright upon her stool once more. I find myself studying her closely as I can't help feeling somewhat awed by her presence. There's much that even science cannot explain and this woman is certainly no exception to this rule.
"You're doing it again," she remarks with a smirk to make my eyes widen in subtle surprise. "It's not polite to stare," she adds, obvious humor lacing her words as I find myself shaking my head in response.
"Forgive me," I offer, bowing my head lightly before her. "But if I had not seen the proof with my own eyes, I would never have believed all that my brother and father have told me about you and the effect you seem to have upon them," I explain, never having seen Eric or Godric treat any woman even remotely close to the way they treat her.
"Pfft, if someone had told me mere months ago that I'd finally fall not only for Eric, but for his Maker as well, I'd have laughed right in their face," she claims, shaking her head as a rather wistful smile forms over her face. "But I suppose there's much in this world that can't rightly be explained through logic or reason alone."
"As a scientist, I'd love to be able to argue that point, but you're far from being wrong," I concede, having just been pondering this very thing.
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly do you do?" she questions, her sapphire eyes sparkling with seemingly ever present curiosity.
"My company dabbles in a bit of everything," I answer back with a shrug, before beginning to study her unique blood once more. "Though, thanks mostly to the recent Hep V outbreak, recently, our main concentration has been set on preventing a similar circumstances from arising in the future."
"I see," I hear Sookie answer back softly. I glance over to see her with an uncharacteristic frown formed upon her face.
"The likelihood of something similar spreading worldwide is quite small, but we'd prefer to be prepared nonetheless," I find myself explaining as a means of comfort, which only leaves me frowning, wondering why I feel the sudden need to reassure her. Perhaps I feel somehow indebted to her for having resurrected the man I call father or perhaps no vampire is fully immune to the draw of the Fae.
"You alright, Sookie?" a soft, female voice sounds then to leave Sookie and I turning to see Eric's young protégé standing in the doorway of the lab. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but Eric and Godric asked me to come check in on you," she explains, beginning to draw cautiously nearer.
"Oh, yeah, sorry, Willa," Sookie answers with a weak smile. "I'm fine, I just let myself get caught up in unpleasant memories is all," she explains, before taking hold of Willa's offered hand. My inquisitive nature finds me studying the two women closely, curious as to the effect the Fae seems to have upon any vampire in her immediate vicinity.
"Understood," Willa answers back softly, earning a genuine smile from Sookie. Willa's dark eyes turn to me then and I'm quick to busy myself with my work once more, not wanting to become distracted by the gleam shining behind those wide, innocent orbs.
"What are the boys up to anyhow? Should I be worried?" Sookie questions to earn a rather absent smirk from me as I continue on with my experiment.
"They're debating training strategies," Willa answers. "It would seem they don't exactly see eye to eye with Floki's rather extreme ideas, something about not wanting to lose half our troops during routine exercise drills," she adds to leave me rolling my eyes, having expected as much from Floki. Subtlety is one word I've found to be absent from his vocabulary.
"Just tell them to remind Floki of the 'Florence incident'," I throw out, seeing both women send me puzzled looks. "You don't want to know, trust me," I remark, having to shake the blood-soaked images from my mind.
"I'm on it," Sookie says, jumping down from her stool before she's rushing towards the exit. I return to my work, unable to shake the feel of steady eyes following my every movement.
"Could it really work? Synthesizing Fae blood?" I hear Willa question to leave me turning back to see those wide eyes affixed upon me once more. Again, I'm struck by the innocence shining back at me, wondering what it was about this soft spoken, ebony haired woman that drew my brother to turn her. She's almost a complete contradiction to his first turned.
"That's what I aim to find out," I answer back, having to shake my head, unsure how to feel about the affect the young vampiress seems to have upon me; best not to let myself dwell upon such things, not now, not while we're still in danger.
"You ready, Willa? I think we're just about ready to start," Sookie's voice sounds as I glance over to see her golden head peeking through the doorway. Willa's face alights with an exuberant smile that I find affects me much more than it should before the two women exit from view. Damn it, Roman, concentrate!
PPOV
"Jess, you about ready?" I call out, leaning closer to the mirror affixed above our dresser as I apply my crimson lipstick.
"Just a sec!" she calls back as I hear the shower turn off. I turn in time to see her exiting the steaming bath, letting my eyes linger upon the sight of damp, scarlet locks adorning alabaster skin, but as beautiful as my young lover is, I still find I'm unable to wipe a frown from my face. My mood apparently doesn't escape Jessica who sends me a questioning look as she begins to dress.
"I never met Roman or Floki before last night," I enlighten her, dropping down to the bed with a sigh.
"Well, that would make sense since the two of them have been in Europe," she answers back, adjusting her work out clothes before sending me a softened look. "You have time to get to know them now, Pam, we all do."
"Yes, but did you notice the way the two of them were staring at Sookie last night, like she was some fucking miracle worker? They're just as bad as Eric and Godric. I just don't get it, Jess. Why can't they see what I do?" I question, feeling Jessica's arm wrap around my waist as she hits me with a probing gaze.
"And what exactly do you see?" she questions as my jaw ticks in irritation, tired of being the only one able to see the truth.
"A pretty blonde manipulator, a woman who will do anything to make the men around her fall to their knees; it's not right, Jess, and I don't trust her, I just can't, not after all she's put Eric through all these years," I insist, seeing Jessica's frown deepen.
"Sook's made her mistakes, Pam, but who hasn't? I really think you need to give her a chance to prove she's changed," she argues to leave me clenching my fists in frustration.
"Jessica, danger is heading our way…again and you know what my greatest fear is?" I ask her, watching her shake her head slowly. "I'm afraid this is gonna turn into the goddamn Moon Goddess Emporium debacle all over again, that I'm gonna have to watch all those I hold dear putting themselves in danger's way on her behalf…again. I just got both Eric and Godric back, I won't lose them, I won't watch them sacrifice themselves to save a piece of Fae snatch, Jess, I just can't."
"You can't know that will happen and even if it does, Eric and Godric are capable of making their own choices, Pam. You can't honestly say that you wouldn't risk yourself if it meant saving me, just as I know I'd do whatever it took to keep you safe, that's what we do for the people we love," Jessica reasons, placing her hand over my own.
"Of course I'd fight for you, you know that, Little Red, I'd do anything for you; but that's the difference between Sookie and myself, I won't walk away when it's all said and done. I'll still be here for you and I can't say I trust Sookie to do the same for Eric or Godric," I explain, watching Jessica's eyes soften in understanding.
"I really don't think Sook will walk away this time, but I guess she'll just have to prove to all of us that she's in this for the long haul," she reasons, slipping her fingers through my own. "Come on, the others are probably waiting on us."
"Yeah," I sigh out, hoping she's right, hoping she knows Sookie better than I, because a whole hell of a lot is at stake here and I'm not willing to lose any of my family, not for a woman whose intentions I just can't trust.
Jessica and I soon enter the underground catacombs together, seeing the rest of the household already gathered around a padded, practice mat in the training center. The two of us slip into the circle, watching as Eric and Floki exchange blows at less than half speed and I'm more than a little proud to see the way Jessica carefully studies their movements, knowing she'll be taking this training seriously.
I search the crowd, looking for Willa before seeing her giggling softly with Sookie from the opposite side of the circle. Instantly, my anger is welling within me once more. My young sister needs to be paying attention; she needs to be learning what it will take to keep herself safe. I slant my eyes at the two of them, seeing Sookie's eyes widen subtly once she catches my stare. The two of them quiet then, turning their attention back to Eric and Floki as I'm left shaking my head, knowing it won't be easy to give the airheaded blonde the benefit of the doubt.
"Okay, we're gonna pair everyone off now," Eric informs us once he and Floki have finished their demonstration. "Go slow. We're not looking to bleed one another here, we're just practicing," he adds, raising a brow towards Floki who I note is visibly pouting, obviously having different thoughts on how we should proceed.
"You think you got a good handle on things, Jess?" I question, earning a firm nod from my scarlet haired lover as Eric proceeds to break the crowd into pairs.
"I got the gist of it," she answers back before sending me a sly grin. "Though maybe later we can have a private review session, just the two of us," she leans closer to whisper against my ear, earning an agreeing grin from me before I press a soft kiss against her forehead.
"Consider it done," I answer back lowly just before Eric is standing before the two of us.
"Jess, why don't you partner up with Willa and could you keep a careful eye on her form for me?" he asks of her, earning a firm nod before my eager love is rushing towards her sparring partner. Cobalt eyes catch my stare then as my Maker seems to momentarily lose himself in thought.
"I can handle myself just fine in a fight, Eric, you know that," I sigh out, seeing him nod his agreement.
"I'm not worried about that, my Pamela," he answers back somewhat absently before turning to run a calculating gaze over the crowd. "I'm partnering you with Sookie," he informs me, bringing an instant frown to my face as I see him motioning said blonde closer.
"Shouldn't she be partnered with someone more at her skill level?" I hiss out, watching my Maker's features soften significantly as he eyes the approaching Fae.
"I think she may surprise you, Pamela," Eric insists, leaning down to press a gentle kiss upon Sookie's head as I find myself clenching my fists once more, hating to see my Maker so cowed, so utterly bewitched by this woman that has all but crushed him time and again.
"Are you sure about this, Eric?" Sookie questions with clear hesitance lacing her words as I find myself sending her a mocking smirk. Good, she should fear me; perhaps she's not quite as airheaded as I thought.
"We need to be able to trust one another, to work as a team, Dear One…all of us," Godric's voice sounds as he steps closer to join us, his emerald eyes fixed steadily upon me. I bow my head low before my Grandsire.
"Of course, Godric," I answer back humbly, hardly believing their giving me such an opening. I've been waiting a hell of a long time to put the little blonde tart in her place. I know I can't actually harm her too badly, but I think it's about time she learned I'm not a woman to be trifled with.