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The club had never been so quiet. Pam had gone to rest, leaving her maker alone with his human. It was hard for both of them to say goodbye. Eric thought it was denial that pushed him to agree to Brooke's plan. Brooke only spoke of hope.
Even after Russell killed a news anchor on live television, the Authority still refused to help Eric and give him any resources that could help him destroy the three-thousand-year-old vampire. The only resource he had was Brooklynne. And Brooklynne had a plan.
"You go to him. You tell him you have a proposition for him. Me. You offer him the sun and in exchange he spares all of us."
"He's gonna want to test it, to see if it's true," Pam continued.
"So, he drinks my blood and goes out in the sun. I'm only a hybrid, I'm not full fairy, so the effect of my blood won't last long."
"That's when you come in. You step outside when he gets weak and stake him. It's the only shot we got."
"I don't like it," he muttered.
"You don't have to like it," Brooke said dryly, surprising both vampires. "You just have to do it."
"She's right," Pam nodded. "Unless you have a better idea?"
Eric considered it, worried eyes moving from his progeny to his human. He looked for a better idea, a plan that would make him update his will useless, but he couldn't find any.
"No," he said quietly. "No, I don't."
"How sure are we that your blood can do that?" Pam then asked the question that should already be answered.
"Someone told me."
"Who?" Eric asked with a raised eyebrow.
Brooklynne avoided their eyes and shrugged. "Someone."
"Eric's survival is at stake so 'someone' isn't good enough."
Brooklynne sighed. "You… you'll make fun of me."
"Why?"
"Just tell us," Pam ordered with an annoyed tone.
Brooklynne hesitated for a moment, then straightened up, getting ready for what was to come.
"My fairy godmother…" she whispered so low a human wouldn't have heard her.
Eric and Pam stayed silent for a short moment before Pam said: "She's fucking with us."
"No, I'm not!" Brooke replied, obviously offended.
"You have a fairy godmother?" Eric asked, as ridiculous as it sounded.
"Yes. Her name is Claudine," the fairy said as a-matter-of-factly, straightening up on her stool, "she's also Sookie's godmother."
Pam rolled her eyes, speechless for once.
"Is she full fairy?" Eric asked.
"Yes, why?"
"How many fairies do you know?"
"Just her… why?" she asked again, now getting suspicious.
"So, fairies aren't extinct?" Pam said, now thinking about what it could mean for her species.
"Hey, no!" Brooke exclaimed. "Don't even think about it," she told the vampires as she pointed a finger at them. "They don't even live in the same dimension as us."
"I didn't say anything," Eric innocented himself.
"There's another dimension?" Pam asked, now annoyed at the possibility.
"Yes, they had to leave… our dimension… because it was too dangerous here… because of vampires."
"It is true then," Eric said with a sigh, "vampires did run the fairies out of this world."
"Anyway," Brooke changed the subject, "we need to find Russell before he finds us. Which is not going to be hard for him since he's been here before."
"It's dawn," Eric replied. "He won't be showing up anytime soon. I'll go to Mississippi first thing tonight."
"Our probable last day undead," Pam said. "Want to spend it sleeping?"
"We need to be well-rested for tonight. We can't take any chances on this one. Do you want to go home? See your siblings?" he asked Brooklynne.
"Yeah, I do," she nodded. "But I can't… they won't let me come back here."
"Are you sure? You might not be able to say goodbye…"
"I don't have a choice," she cut him off. "Sookie will know what we're planning, and she'll lock me up in my room," she scoffed. "I'll just… leave her a message."
"As you wish," he merely nodded. "Make yourself at home," he told her as he cupped her cheek in his hand, "we'll be in the basement."
She gave him a sad smile. "Sleep well," she said before she tiptoed to kiss him.
"I really don't have to see that," Pam complained with a grimace before she pushed herself off of her stool and walked away.
"You should get some rest too. Ginger will stop by at noon and bring you something to eat."
"I don't think I can eat anything…"
"You should, you're going to need your strength."
She nodded. "See you tonight."
He tried to smile as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"See you tonight."
Sleeping wasn't an option to Brooklynne. She could lay there, on any couch of the club, or even in Eric's office, but wouldn't fall asleep, couldn't even close her eyes. Minutes seemed to be hours and waiting was an excruciating task for the fairy hybrid. It became worst after Ginger never showed up with the food Eric promised her, and if things weren't hard enough, Brooke received a text message from Sookie that made staying in Fangtasia an even harder task.
"We're fucking ALIENS.
Fucking fairies, Brooke call me ASAP!"
The text messages continued to come, faster and angrier, and Brooklynne hoped her sister wouldn't try to come look for her at the club. Why did Bill choose this moment to tell her the truth about who she was? Damn Bill Compton. Brooklynne was sick of the traitorous vampire. But what could she do? Tell her sister Bill never loved her and it was all a job for him from the beginning? She couldn't do that. Not in a text message at least. But she hoped she would have a chance to do it, if Russell didn't kill them all tonight.
Not even a minute had passed after the night had settled that both Eric and Pam woke from their vampiric sleep and returned to the club where an exhausted and starving Brooklynne was waiting.
"Damn it Ginger! Where the fuck is she?" Eric had growled when Brooke told him the waitress never showed up.
The vampire ordered his progeny to fetch some human food and Pam obliged grumbling. Eric took the opportunity to have some time alone with his human, trying to find the courage to tell her what he almost never said to anyone, because he feared there wouldn't be another occasion to tell her how he felt about her.
He stood there, near the bar, his hand resting on the counter, his eyes on the fairy who was sitting on his chair, on his throne, her legs over the arm, her eyes staring at the black ceiling. She was fascinated by that ceiling, so black, since the lights weren't turned on, it was a sinkhole where she lost all worries and which allowed her to calm herself.
His eyes traveled on her bare legs up to her perfect face where he found unfocused eyes and tranquility. How could she be so beautiful right now? How could she be so calm and look so innocent as they were about to attempt to kill the eldest vampire in the world. As they were about to die.
"Brooklynne."
Her name escaped him, and the whisper stayed heavy on his lips, as if he didn't want her to hear him.
"Brooklynne," he repeated, louder this time, and with more self-assurance.
She tilted her head towards him, her hair covering the arm of the chair against which she was leaning. She waited for him to talk but all he did was gesture for her to come to him. She stared at the vampire for a few seconds before she put her feet on the ground and got off the throne.
"What is it?" she asked as she neared him.
"I'm leaving now," he said and the tranquility that had found her earlier left so quickly her heart skipped a beat.
"Oh," she merely replied in a quiet whisper.
"You know I might not come back."
"I know," she whispered and nodded as she looked down at her feet, unable to face him, even though she was dying to look at him, knowing she might never see him again.
He brought his hand to her face, gently cupping her left cheek, making her look up at him as he wanted to see her before he left, see her one last time, trying to memorize the color of her eyes so he could remember them when Russell teared him apart.
"Thank you," he said calmly.
She frowned. "For what?"
"For being mine," he replied, and she could feel her eyes fill with tears. "If I die tonight, know that my only regret is that I did not find you sooner," he said as he got closer to her, bringing his other hand to her face. "And if we never see each other again…," he paused, the words weighing on him as he had rarely used them, almost never said them, "know that I love you and never have any doubt about it. You make me better, and of all the years that I have lived, I will cherish this one more than any others. I love you."
A tear fell down her cheek and he was waiting for her to say it back, hoping she felt the same way, knowing he didn't deserve her or her love. She tiptoed, suddenly, quickly sliding her hand in his hair before her lips crashed on his. He kissed her back almost immediately, with the same need, and the same fear.
She let go, eventually, not just to breathe, but to say the words she needed to say now more than ever. "I love you too."
And as he heard the words he felt his heart break, a voice in his head telling him he didn't deserve it, that he deserved to die tonight and that she would be better off without him anyway.
"You're not gonna die," she whispered with a trembling voice, the knot in her throat making it hard for her to talk.
"I'm not gonna die," he repeated, not because he believed it, nor did he hope for it, but to reassure her, to make the pain go away, or at least some of it.
He tried to catch her gaze, to find her eyes, but she could hardly look at him, her eyes looking down, maybe because she didn't want him to see her cry. He pressed his lips on her forehead and even though the kiss lasted a few seconds, it didn't feel quite enough to either of them.
He let go, suddenly, and she almost felt naked standing there alone. She turned around, looked around the club to find him even though she knew he was already gone.
Pam got back a little while after Eric's departure and she would have killed Brooklynne on the spot if she knew Eric wouldn't give her the true death her for it. Brooklynne had never seen the vampire so angry. She broke a few chairs as she raged about her maker leaving without saying goodbye.
"He better not die," she growled as she threw another chair across the room.
The minutes passed and seemed like hours as both women waited for Eric to come back. Brooke focused on Pam as she knew if Eric were to die, she'd feel it. It was the most horrible feeling than to wait for someone she loved to die. As if hope left her gradually as she waited in silence.
About three hours later after he left, the door of Fangtasia opened and Pam and Brooklynne quickly got up, preparing themselves to see the vampire alive, but also to welcome Russell back to the club. Brooklynne swallowed heavily as she watched the three-thousand-year old vampire step inside, followed by the Viking.
The psychopath was holding a transparent glass jar which contained what seemed to be what was left of Talbot. Brooklynne grimaced as she saw the blood and thought that if Russell weren't crazy before, he definitely was now, walking around with his former lover in a jar of blood.
"Well, you didn't lie, I'll give you that," he told Eric. "Here's our willing victim," he said, pointing a finger at Brooklynne with a creepy smile. "Now we just have to see if she can really give me the sun."
To give Russell the sun, they first had to wait for it. Two hours of sitting still on a stool, forced to listen to his delusional fantasies.
"You seriously expect me to believe she's fairy? A species extinct for millennia? If they ever existed at all. You think I wouldn't notice if there were fairies bouncing around in the world?"
"I didn't say she was full fairy. She's a human-fairy hybrid, which helped save her from detection. And she agreed to give you some of her blood for you to walk in the sun whenever you like in exchange for our lives."
"You could synthesize her blood, like Tru Blood, and give the sun to all vampires, and become the richest man on the planet," Pam told him, thinking the offer would sound appealing to him.
"I have money," he scoffed as he sat down at the table, on another stool across from Brooklynne. "I don't want to give the sun to all vampires. I just need it for me."
"So? Do you accept our offer?" Eric asked walking up behind him.
"I'm intrigued."
"Excellent," Eric grinned, looking up at Brooklynne, who knew she should be grateful, but didn't let herself be relieved just yet. Russell's next words gave her reason.
"On one condition."
"Whatever you like," Eric faked enthusiasm.
"You go first."
Eric's smile didn't fade, but it was becoming obvious that it was fake. They all paused, and Eric nodded after a second: "I'd love to."
The plan couldn't work if Eric went first. Brooke's blood would stop working on him before it weakened Russell enough to allow any of them to kill him. They were all done.
"You have cameras outside, I've noticed," Russell continued, "I'll watch you from here, and join you if you don't burn."
"I'll see you out there then," the Viking said as he held a hand out to the hybrid. "Pam will heal you."
"Okay," Brooke nodded as she took his hand and got up.
He gently seized her wrist and she shivered when she saw his fangs. She ignored the pain which passed after a second and tried to focus on anything other than her blood being drained. He drank for half a minute, enough that he would be able to stand in the sun for about five minutes, not enough to kill Russell.
"The screens are up there," Eric said as he pointed a finger to the corner of the bar.
As Russell turned them on, Eric made his way to the door. To the sun. He turned around to look at his progeny, whose instincts were screaming at her to not let her maker expose himself to the daylight, then to Brooklynne, who knew it would work, just not for how long.
"Go on," Russell said as he saw Eric wasn't already out there.
The blond vampire took a deep breath before he opened the door to the entrance which led him to the front door. As he disappeared behind the first door, both Pam and Brooklynne joined Russell behind the bar and looked up at the screens. Pam was expecting her maker to go up in flames but as he took his first steps in the daylight, all he felt was the cool air of the early morning mixed with the painless warmth of the sun.
Russell started to giggle like a maniac while Pam lost a red tear of joy. The sun was now a possibility to her, if she ever wanted to take a five-minute walk in the sun. But five minutes in the daylight were better than an eternal night.
"Alright, alright," Russell laughed, "my turn."
He jumped on Brooklynne faster than either she or Pam had expected. A scream escaped her as he plunged his fangs in the blue vein of her neck. Pam was ready to forcefully remove him away from her, but she didn't need to as the vampire was more than impatient to join Mr. Northman in the sun.
Russell suddenly let go of the mortal and hurried outside. He was next to Eric before Brooke ever got the chance to hit the ground. Fortunately, Pam caught her in time. The vampire mumbled something the fairy hybrid didn't understand before she bit her wrist. Brooklynne was barely conscious when she was forcefully fed the vampire's blood.
"Feeling better?" Pam asked as Brooke started to open her eyes again.
"Mmh," was her only response.
After a minute, she had had more than enough to heal and was able to get off the ground.
"Thank you."
"Whatever."
"What are we gonna do? That wasn't the plan."
"I don't know," she sighed. "He'll probably kill Eric once he realizes the effect of your blood only lasts a little while. Then he'll kill us both."
Brooklynne shook her head as she tried to come up with a new plan that would get them rid of Russell for good and save their lives. She looked up at the screens, to see how the two vampires were doing out there in the sun for the first time in centuries, and what she saw almost stopped her heart.
"Pam!"
"What now?" the vampire mumbled.
"Look!"
Eric was lying on the ground, burning next to Russell, his hand cuffed to the King of Mississippi's, who was starting to feel a little hot too.
"What is he doing?" Pam breathed out, contemplating getting out there herself to free her maker.
But she wouldn't have to, she didn't need to. Brooklynne ran outside, with the intention of bringing them both back inside, forgetting that Eric was almost twice her weight.
"What the hell are you doing?" she yelled at him.
"Go away," he said, not without difficulty. "No forgiveness."
Brooke frowned, confused, but didn't let that stop her.
"I won't let you do this."
She knew why he was doing it. He was making sure that Russell died so she and Pam would be safe. What he didn't understand was that without him, neither of them wanted to live.
"Where's the key?" she asked as she kneeled next to him and started to look inside the pockets of his leather jacket.
"Go away," he repeated in a painful whisper. Brooklynne ignored him.
"Damn it," she said as she realized there was only one solution to the problem.
She positioned herself between them both, rose her hand and aimed for the cuffs. A strong burning and blinding light escaped from her hand and broke the chain of the cuffs that was keeping Eric and Russell together.
"Ah, thank you, dear fairy," Russell started to say, "I will reward you handsomely."
"Shut up," she told him as she grabbed the shoulders of Eric's jacket and quickly dragged him back inside.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you liked it!
Next chapter will be posted next Monday!
I hope you have a great week!
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Find me at patre0n dot com /alonelydreamer