Chapter Forty Nine: Enough For Always
"If you keep doing that, you're going to break the bottle. And then you're going to have to clean it up." I leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, watching as Eric moodily slammed his bottle of true blood down on the counter after each sip. "Why are you so moody tonight?"
He shot me a dark glare and I held my hands up in defence, not sure what had put Eric into such a rotten mood. I couldn't think of doing or saying anything lately that could have driven him to this point. Not that I could remember anyways.
"Is it something that was said between you and Felipe when you met at Fangtasia?" I asked curiously, cautiously stepped into the room.
"No." He grumbled, not explaining any further. He took another sip before slamming the bottle so hard that, as I had warned him, it shattered across the counter. Shards of glass and the remaining red liquid went everywhere, dripping down to the nice tiled floor. Eric cursed in Swedish as he glared down at the mess. I had been trying desperately to learn the language so I wouldn't be so left out when he spoke it with Godric and Pam, but all I had been able to pick up were the few curse words he would mutter when he was angry.
"Well now look at what you've done." I shook my head and grabbed a few sheets of power towel and moved around the island to where the mess was. I bent down, dabbing at the pool of true blood while carefully picking up the larger shards of glass. I winced as a piece slipped and cup my finger, causing the glass to fall back out of my hand and to the ground. My nose scrunched up as I peered down at my now cut finger, the wound not too deep, but blood was already rushing to the surface.
I yelped in surprise when suddenly Eric grabbed me by the wrist and hoisted me back up onto my feet before lifting me onto the counter that wasn't covered in true blood. I raised an eyebrow at the vampire before me, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Eric?" I leaned forward, resting my other hand on his chest. "Are you..."
"I'm sorry." He mumbled, his gaze falling to my bleeding finger.
"I should have been more careful picking up the glass, that's all." I shrugged. "It wasn't your fault."
"I was the one to break the bottle." He sighed, lifting my hand up, his tongue flicking out to the bleeding wound. I winced at first from the first lick, and the second. But after a moment, as Eric sliced his tongue so his blood could heal the wound, the pain slowly began to vanish until my finger looked as good as new. There was still a sadness in his usually bright orbs that broke my heart however. "I'm sorry."
"Eric." I cupped his cheek, lifting his gaze to meet mine. "Accidents happen. It wasn't your fault, alright?"
He nodded but that look was still on his face.
"What's wrong?" I asked. "Why are you so angry? Did something happen at Fangtasia with Felipe?"
"No." Eric shook his head running a hand through his hair. "Felipe is...he is a good ruler."
"Okay, so then what's wrong? Did I do something to upset you?" I caressed his cheek with the tips of my fingers. "What's wrong, my Viking?"
He looked hesitant to say a word, and that worried me. Something was wrong. I never liked that look on his face, and this time wasn't any different.
"Tell me." I encouraged. "Tell me what's wrong."
His eyes closed, his forehead dipping down to lean against mine. My own eyes closed at his closeness, loving the feel of him against me, his arms circling around my waist. And to think, I would forever have a lifetime of these moments. Just perhaps without the broken glass.
"Godric, he's..." Eric began, his voice soft, wavering even.
"What about Godric?" I urged him to continue.
"He's...He's planning on leaving." He sucked in a breath, waiting for my reaction as his orbs opened to meet mine.
It felt like time had just frozen. "What?"
"Godric is planning on leaving. He told me tonight." Eric explained, sorrow in his orbs. "He asked me not to tell you and I...I cannot keep secrets from you. You will be my wife soon. I will not revert to who I used to be. We are one now. You are the woman that I cherish, and forever will. He never commanded it of me, and I couldn't keep such a thing from you."
"Why is he leaving?" I asked in a soft voice, my mind travelling a mile a minute. "Why is he going?"
"I won't be able to explain it as well as he can." Eric sighed, shaking his head. "But he's leaving, and soon I suspect."
I wasn't sure what to say and just sat there, staring at Eric's chest in complete and utter shock.
"Say something." He clasped a finger under my chin.
"Where is he?" I asked after a moment, my eyes finding his.
"At the Shreveport house, why?" Eric frowned.
"I...I need to borrow your keys." I slipped down off of the counter. "I need to go see him. He'll be there now, right?"
"It'll be dawn soon, so yes." Eric nodded, slowly drawing his keys from his pockets. He looked hesitant to hand them over though. "Please don't destroy another one of my cars."
"The corvette was mine, remember. You gave it to me as a gift." I pointed out as I snatched the keys from his hand.
"It was a bribe." He shrugged.
"Either way, my car."
He shook his head as he followed me out of the kitchen and into the front hallway. "Be careful, my love."
"I'm surprised you're letting me go."
"I suspect you will be yelling at my maker and the thought brings me great happiness." I glanced over my shoulder to see a smirk sliding across his lips. I rolled my eyes as I stopped and turned towards him, grabbing a handful of his shirt and pulling him down until our lips met. Eric's hands went to the back of my neck, pulling me completely against him as my own hands ran across his back, tracing the hem of his shirt. I was nearly lost in the kiss, and had to remind myself of why I was leaving in the first place.
"We'll finish this when I get back." I promised him as I grabbed a sweater and slipped it on. "I can't...I can't believe he's just going to go, Eric. And he doesn't even want me to know."
"Talk to him, lover. Let him explain."
"Oh fuck that, I'm going to friggin beat his ass."
I stormed into the Shreveport house only a hand an hour later, my eyes darting from side to side as I searched for the ancient vampire.
"Godric!" I called, my hands curling into fists at my side.
I was furious. I couldn't believe Godric had planned to leave and had never told me. Why would he do something like that? Why would he tell Eric, but refuse to tell me, and order his own progeny not to tell me? Had I done something wrong to hurt him? By not resurrecting Kyra, at least right now, had that put a wedge in our relationship? Was this some sort of punishment? Was he leaving because he was angered by me, because he was hurt? I just didn't understand it. Godric and I had always had such a close knit bond, and now suddenly he pulls this stunt? What was he planning on doing, popping by as he was leaving to wave before taking off? "Godric get your ass over here right now!"
"Elizabeth?" Godric appeared on the stairs, a look of worry flashing across his face. "What is it?"
I didn't answer him and instead, stormed up the stairs before I met him. He opened his mouth to question what was wrong for a second time but I silenced him by slapping him right across the face. the vampire hissed in pain as a burning handprint appeared on his cheek. I stood there, only a step below him, trying desperately to control my growing anger. I could feel it spreading throughout me, cursing through my veins to the point that I knew if I didn't reign it in, my powers would be shoved outward. And I didn't want to hurt Godric, not in that sense. Maybe another few slaps would do, but I didn't want to do something as extreme as setting him on fire.
"Elizabeth?" he lightly rubbed the already healing cheek.
"How could you." I felt the tears forming in my eyes. The anger was slowly melting into pain, into hurt. "How could you just plan to leave and not tell me?"
Realization dawned in his sea coloured eyes and he sighed, his gaze falling downwards in shame. "I asked Eric not to tell you."
"Yeah well I'm happy he did." I quickly wiped away a tear that slid down my cheek. "How could you Godric? How could you just decide to pack up and leave? Why would you do something like that? I thought we were all happy? Why are you doing this to me?"
"Oh, Elizabeth." He raised a hand to cup my cheek but I stepped down a stair to avoid his touch.
"Don't." I shook my head, my eyes flashing. "Don't give me some stupid half hearted excuse. You were just going to leave and not tell me."
"I was, Elizabeth, I was going to tell you."
"When? Huh? When were you going to tell me?" I tried to keep my emotions at bay. I'd rather be yelling at him in fury than to cry. I've done enough crying in the past month. Hell, in the past few years. I had finally come to terms with everything, with Quinn's death, with all the pain and suffering I've gone through. I was happy now. I had Eric and we were going to get married and live happily ever after together. Godric was supposed to be a part of that. I had never imagined him not being there. He was a part of our little estranged family, and I liked it that way. And now he was leaving and I didn't know what to do. "Why are you leaving me?"
I tried to look away, but Godric was too quick this time and was able to clasp a finger under my chin to raise my gaze to meet his. My heart felt like it was breaking. If he left, it was going to feel like a piece of me was missing. I wanted to be whole again. I deserved that, didn't I?
"Please don't leave me." I begged him softly, the tears spilling out of my eyes uncontrollably.
"My sweet one." Godric sighed, stepping down until he was beside me on the step and wrapped his arms around me. I tried to fight him, tried to pull away, but he was too strong and I was secure against his chest. "I'm sorry; I'm so sorry my dear Phoenix. I never meant for this to hurt you, for you to cry."
"Then why?" my cries were muffled against his chest. "Why are you leaving?"
"I...I wanted to find peace."
"You couldn't find that here? With Eric and me? You have to leave us? What about the wedding? You promised you would never leave me, Godric, you promised!"
"I'm not leaving you, not forever." He tried to assure me. "I will never truly leave you, Elizabeth. I couldn't possibly."
"Then why are you doing this?"
I felt Godric stroke my hair in an attempt to soothe me, to calm me down. I hated him because he knew exactly what to do to ease my tears, to cease the sobs before they even really amounted. I hated him for knowing me so well.
"You and Eric, you're happier than I've ever seen you. And I couldn't feel more joy than I do right now. All I've wanted for so many years is for the two of you to join together, to love one another like I knew you could. And now you're set to be married, and I'm ecstatic for the two of you." His lips brushed the top of my head. "I've realized, by watching the two of you, that I have not been happy myself for too many years."
"But..."
"You've been a great addition to my life, Elizabeth." Godric drew back so he could guide my gaze up to meet his. "You are my closest friend, my family. That will never change. You've brought hope back into my life; you gave me meaning when there was no longer any in the world. I will forever cherish your friendship, your love."
"Why are you leaving?" I asked barely above a whisper, but I knew he heard me clearly enough.
"I've never truly gotten over Kyra. You know as well as I do that you can never truly move on from the one you love." He smiled sadly, a faraway look in his eyes. "I was happier than I've ever been when she was in my arms."
"Is that it? Do you...do you hate me for not resurrecting her right now?" I asked fearfully.
"Of course not." He shook his head. "I understand why you must wait, why I must be patient. You and Kyra are much alike; you have wars that you need to fight before you can allow yourself to be truly happy. You've fought your wars, and now it's time for Kyra to fight hers. I know the time will come, I know one day she will return to me, and I will forever be grateful to you for doing so."
"But..."
"But until that day arrives, I don't wish to spend my days wondering what they could have been like if she had been here." Godric admitted. "I hadn't let myself truly believe she could return, I couldn't. But now...now it's different. I know it can be done. I know that there is hope, that I can allow myself to believe. But there is still a great deal of time until that day occurs and I don't wish to live just waiting for that moment to arrive. I want to find a sense of happiness, one that I never found throughout my life without her. I became a monster once she had died, and I turned Eric not too long afterwards. I was never truly alone, never happy. And I wish to find that happiness, so when Kyra returns to me, I will feel whole, completely whole without any regrets."
I sniffed, the tears beginning to dry on my cheeks. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want Godric to go, to just abandon us. But that wasn't what he was doing, was it? He wasn't just running off for no reason. He was searching for happiness, and I think out of everyone, I understood that. I had searched and searched for happiness, for joy, for so long. And I was finally about to find my sliver of happiness. But Godric, he had gone so long living through others, for those around him. He wanted to find peace and happiness on his own, so that when Kyra came back to him, he wouldn't just be a shell, waiting for her to fill him with her light. He needed to be happy, to be his own person before he can allow Kyra back in. and I could understand that. I myself had to find who I was, and I think somewhere along the way in the past few months while Eric and I had been apart, and even throughout this war, I found a piece of myself that I never knew was there. And I felt more alive, freer. I could allow myself to be happier with Eric than I ever had before. So while I didn't want Godric to go, while I didn't want to not have him there at my side all the time as a shoulder to cry on and my confidant, I knew why he had to do this, and I couldn't exactly stop him. I wanted him to be happy, that's all I've ever wanted. So if he needed to do this, then I was going to have to support him.
That didn't mean, however, that I had to like how I found out about this.
I slapped Godric for a second time that evening, the burning handprint a darker shade of red this time. I watched it heal slowly, much slower than the last slap.
"I suppose I deserved that." Godric gently touched his cheek, only to hiss in pain. "You've gotten quite good at that."
"Thanks." I slapped him, much more playfully, on this chest. "You could have told me, Godric. I would have understood. Hell, I do understand."
"You're right. I should not have kept this from you." Godric nodded in agreement. "I just...I did not want you to be upset or think it was in any way you're fault."
"You failed miserably at that." I pointed to my face before wiping my cheeks of the tears.
"I see that now." He sighed, his cheek nearly completely healed now as he raised his hands to cup both of my cheeks. "I love you, Elizabeth. I truly do. You are such a precious girl and I am thankful I've gotten the opportunity to meet you, to become you friend. I will never, ever leave you, do you understand that. You cannot get rid of me that easily. I'm here to stay, little one, forever."
"I did sort of overreact." My cheeks began to redden. "I was just so angry with you and then I just sort of cried."
"I'm angry with myself for hurting you." He pressed his lips to my forehead. "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me for being an idiot?"
"If I couldn't forgive someone for being an idiot than Eric and I wouldn't be getting married." I rolled my eyes, the anger and pain vanishing completely. "You will come back for the wedding, right? I don't know when it'll be but..."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I doubt I'll be gone long. Perhaps a few weeks, a month maybe? I just need some time to..."
"It's okay, Godric. I understand, you don't have to explain." I shook my head, laying my hands over his. "I understand perfectly."
"I will also be searching for that book Sophie-Anne had left for me, the one that will be needed in order for Kyra to be resurrected. I have an inkling where it was hidden."
My eyes brightened. "Really?"
"Really. It will be useless to talk about the resurrection if we do not have that book within our grasps. It shouldn't be hard to locate. We'll need a witch, of course, but depending on however long it shall take Kyra to finish this war of hers, we'll find one when the time is right."
I hugged the vampire, my arms circling around his waist. "I'm going to miss you, Godric, even if you're only gone for a little bit. We've never really been a part from one another."
"You were missing for two years." Godric reminded me.
"Okay, but I didn't remember you at all, so in my mind, that doesn't count." I shrugged. "When you first sent me here with Eric, you had gone off on business. And when you went to New Orleans before nearly getting yourself killed, it had been business again. This time it's your decision. We've never really been a part before, not willingly anyways."
"You will be fine without me. You've grown greatly since the first time we've met." He assured me with a warm smile. "You were such a curious young girl, knowing nothing of this world."
"And now I'm...well I'm me." I grinned up at him.
"You're you. I do, however, worry about Eric." Godric admitted.
"What do you mean?" my eyebrows furrowed.
"He'll be left with you for the weeks I'll be gone." He wore a straight face. "He'll be driven insane by the time I return."
"Funny." I shoved at his chest, a laugh emitting from my lips. "Don't make me slap you again."
He smirked down at me before drawing me in for another embrace. "It will be you who will be driven insane by Eric's antics, I believe."
"I think I've already been driven insane by him, Godric. Why the hell do you think I'm marrying him?" I joked.
"Too true, my little Phoenix, too true."
"Hey Sookie, it's just me!" I called as I cracked open the front door to her newly finished and furbished house. It hadn't taken long at all for Alcide's crew to finish the work and for Sookie and me to pick out the decor for inside the house. And although as I stood in the front hallway, I found myself remembering the events of that horrible night, I still felt at home here, like a part of me would always consider this house my home.
"I'm up here!" Sookie called from the second floor.
I peeked into the living room and kitchen before making my way towards the stairs. Before I could even take a single step up, however, a scream sounded from above me. My eyes grew wide as I darted up the stairs and into Sookie's room, nearly breaking down the bathroom door as I tore it open. I looked around, expecting some big bad to be attacking Sookie, or at least bracing myself to find something desperately wrong with my best friend. But all I found was nothing. Well it wasn't exactly nothing. I did find Sookie standing in the middle of her bathroom, holding what appeared to be some sort of white stick in her hand, her mouth hanging open.
"Ah, Sookie?" I slowly stepped into the bathroom, raising an eyebrow at the blonde. "Are you okay, you just..."
And then she screamed again. Only this time she flung her arms around me, bouncing up and down as I just stood there in shock. What else was I supposed to do when my best friend just turned absolutely psychotic? I just waited it out until Sookie peeled herself away from me, waving the white stick in my face. I eventually just grabbed it from her hands, not able to get a good look at whatever she was trying to communicate to me.
"Words, Sookie, words." I rolled my eyes, glancing down at the white stick now in my hands. Except it wasn't just a white stick with no meaning whatsoever. It was a pregnancy test. And there just happened to be a plus sign in the little box. Now I wasn't an expert at pregnancy test reading, but a plus sign typically meant a good thing. "Holy fuck Sookie, you're pregnant!"
She squealed this time, though I wasn't so sure it was any better than the scream. I burst out laughing as she began dancing around the bathroom.
"I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant!" she sang out with so much happiness, I swear her face was going to fall off from smiling so much.
I shook my head at her antics as I stared down at the pregnancy test again. I couldn't believe she was pregnant. Sookie Stackhouse, my closest friend, my sister, was going to have a baby, and with Sam of all people! I was so ecstatic for her, I was...
"Oh gross, you peed on this!" my eyes grew wide in horror as I tossed the pregnancy test on the counter, waving my hands in the air as if it would magically help. "ew ew ew ew ew!"
Sookie laughed as she grabbed me by the shoulder, the widest grin on her face. "I'm pregnant!"
"I know!" I grinned in return. "And I totally just touched something that you peed on!"
That just caused the blonde to burst out into a fit of giggles. I stood there watching her, wondering if this was better or worse than the dancing and singing. I decided it was worse as after a moment, it didn't look like Sookie could breathe, and I helped her into the bedroom and down onto her bed. When I realized she wasn't laughing at all, and instead hyperventilating, I grew worried.
"Whoa, calm down there Sook." I rubbed her back as she leaned forward, putting her head between her legs in an attempt to calm herself down. "Just breathe. In and out, in and out...oh hey, we're going to be doing this in a few months."
I yelped as she slapped me on the arm, glaring at me as she rose off of the bed and began pacing before me. I watched with a raised eyebrow, not sure what to say or do. So I just sat there, letting the shock wash over her. I could tell by the look on her face that she was both happy about this pregnancy, but scared at the same time. I knew Sookie had always wanted a family, and that fantasy had started to become a reality once Sam popped into her life romantically. I don't think it was the fact that she didn't want kids, but instead, she was freaked out by the fact that this would be her first child, one that was threatening to pop out before she was even married. I could understand that. Thank god I was marrying a vampire! I never thought about having kids before in my life, but as I thought about it now, I didn't really care about it. I would be just as happy being Aunt Ellie to Sookie's obviously gorgeous children.
"I'm pregnant." Sookie whispered after a moment, turning to stare at me with wide eyes. "I'm really pregnant."
"You're really pregnant." I nodded with a smile playing on my lips. "Congrats, Sook!"
"Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow." She ran a hand through her hair. "I...I can't believe this! I never thought...I mean the timing...what will Sam thing...oh wow."
"You've always wanted a family, even I knew that." I stood and placed my hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently as her gaze met mine. "The timing, well who cares. You and Sam are engaged, you can get married whenever you'd like. Don't let this baby ruin that. And Sam will be thrilled. That guy has been in love with you since day one. I'm betting finding out he's going to be a daddy will be the happiest day of his life."
Tears began to well in her eyes and I wiped them away as they spilled down her cheeks.
"I'm pregnant. I'm actually pregnant." I knew her tears weren't of sadness, but instead, happiness. She truly was happy, it was evident in her face. She was scared about what would happen, but deep down inside, she was happier than she's ever been. And I was ecstatic for her. We all deserved our happy ending after everything, and it looks like that's about to happen.
"If you told me six months ago that I would be marrying Eric and you and Sam would be engaged and having a baby, I would have called you crazy." I grinned at her.
"And now?"
"Well I would still call you crazy. This is all a little crazy. But a good crazy." I pulled her in for a tight embrace. "We're really getting our fairytale endings, Sookie. I never thought that we would. But here we are."
"You're getting married and I'm...I'm pregnant." She breathed out, still not believing it. "Oh god, what about my maid of honour dress!"
"I'm sorry, you're what?" I raised an eyebrow as she pulled away, the blonde hurrying across the room to the nearly empty closet. There were boxes all around the room, clothes lying on the ground of the closet as if she had been in the middle of hanging them before going and peeing on a stick.
"My maid of honour dress, silly." She rolled her eyes at me as if I was the one insane. Ha, yeah right!
"Again, I repeat, what?"
"For your wedding." She snickered, pulling out a hanging dress. It was a rich violet colour, and I knew right away that it would look gorgeous on Sookie.
"You know, I never asked you to be maid of honour." I pointed out.
She planted her hands on her hips. "Who else are you going to ask? Pam?"
I snorted. "Good point. But how exactly do you have a dress already when I don't even have a dress. Or really any plans at all."
"Oh that's alright, I've already planned most of it." she waved the comment off.
My mouth fell open. "Sookie!"
"What?" she sent me an innocent look. "Blame the hormones!"
"That's so going to be your excuse from now on, isn't it?" I shook my head with a smile.
"Of course." She nodded with a giggle.
"So, my apparent wedding planner, when exactly is this wedding going to be?" I asked curiously. "Apparently all I need to do is show up."
"In three months. I thought a summer wedding would be perfect. The flowers in the fields around Eric's house in the country will be perfect in the mid of summer." Sookie informed.
"Ah, so it's going to be at the house then. I approve, it's beautiful there." I nodded. It was actually where I saw Eric and me getting married anyways. Either there, or oddly enough, here. I had thought about going to Dallas, or heck, maybe even getting married in my little home town in Texas where I had been born. But trying to explain to some nosy neighbours why that sweet little five year old was now getting married to a vampire wasn't exactly on my want to do list.
"This isn't going to fit." Sookie pouted, looking at herself in the full length mirror with the dress out in front of her. "I'm going to be fat, Ellie, fat!"
"Oh no you won't." I rolled my eyes. "You're going to have a living thing growing inside of you. You can get a new dress."
"I guess." She looked over her shoulder at me. "You do know you're going to have to get a wedding dress now."
"I know." I groaned, plopping down on her bed. "Oh god the horrors!"
"Just think though, it'll be worth it on the wedding night when Eric is ripping the dress off of you." She pointed out.
A grin crossed my face. "This is incredibly true. Hot married sex. I can't wait!"
"I can't wait for you and Eric to finally be married." Sookie joined me on the bed. "I had always secretly hoped it would happen."
"I can't wait for you to have this baby. I'm going to spoil him or her, just so you know."
"You're going to be teaching them horrible habits, I just know it." she shook her head, though a grin was plastered across her face.
"More than likely." I nodded in agreement.
"Just as long as you don't teach them how to drive."
"Hey now, it's not like I to get into car accidents!"
"Just like you don't try to find yourself some trouble." She teased.
"So I'm a magnet for trouble and car crashes, sue me." I stuck my tongue out at her being laughing. "Can you believe this is our life now, Sook?"
"You're going to be married in three months and I'm going to be...very pregnant." There was a look of pure joy on her face. "We're finally going to be happy, Ellie, the both of us."
"Finally." I nodded, looking over at her with an identical look on my face. "We're finally going to have our happy endings."
A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for sticking through this entire series. I mean, five fics! that's insane and I never expected this series to go on this long. I thought I was going to end it after three fics, and now here we are! I'm not going to say that the next chapter, the finale, is the definite end. I don't like the idea of just saying, goodbye, and this is it. because I've never been really good at ending anything, at just closing the door and never returning. so I'm just going to say that this is it for now, and maybe one day, there will be another Eric and Ellie adventure. we'll see how long I can keep myself away lol. for now, a big THANK YOU to everyone who has ever reviewed one of the five fics, read them, or just put them on an alert list or marked it as a favorite. thank you thank you thank you! seriously I'm crying as I write this because this series has meant so much to me, and now we've come down to this. keep an eye out for the finale that will be soon to come with the wedding that has been five fics in the making!
