AN: Super long, but I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think, and enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Season 2, Episode 9

I Will Rise Up

The carnage inside was unmistakable. There were body parts and swatches of red splattered throughout the destruction. The smell of burning chemicals curled Maria's nose as she stepped tenderly through the debris. She didn't even know where to begin, but the sound of Sookie yelling guided her.

The blond was berating Eric, who couldn't look more nonchalant as he lay on the floor. From what Maria could gather, Eric had tricked her into drinking some of his blood under the guise of needing to be healed. Was she truly so stupid? There was no "dying" with a vampire. They were either goo, or healing. There was no in between.

Maria finally reached his side. Eric rolled his head lazily to her. She stared down at him disappointedly.

"I can't leave you alone for a moment, can I?" She asked him with thick derision staining every word.

Eric grinned until Bill began to berate him for tricking Sookie. Maria had to bite down on her tongue. For someone who spent so much time around vampires, Sookie should have known better. Christ, she was almost too stupid to survive.

Perhaps Maria was a bit biased, but she truly disliked the blonde waitress.

Back at the hotel, Maria had been asked (commanded) to remain in her and Eric's suite while he went to Godric. His Maker was only a room away, just around the corner and close. Perhaps that was why Maria could still feel him. His words still rang in her ears and given a moment to herself after the confusion and turmoil at Godric's nest, Maria could think of nothing else.

For minutes she did her best to move past them, but they refused to leave her. She'd never met him. She didn't know him. Why could she then remember his face? Was it one of those situations where, because he claimed they'd met, she was superimposing his face onto someone else from her past? That had to be the reason. But, if that was so, how did he know who she was? He might not have said her name outright, but he knew enough to mention her sister.

Maria didn't know when her "break" came from, or how long it took to happen, only that she finally couldn't take it any longer. Her feet carried her out of the suite and down the hall. Before her brain could catch up with the moment, she found herself knocking on Godric's door.

She was horrified at what she was doing, but didn't have the chance to take it back before the door swung open. Standing on the other side as confused as she was Eric. His brows furrowed and anger flashed in his steely grey eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her with a tight edge.

"I…" She hesitated only briefly. "I need to speak to Godric."

And she did. It wasn't a request. Maria felt she needed to speak with him, if anything to clear her own mind.

Anger quickly dominated Eric's face. He opened his mouth, likely ready to release a volley of insulting commands, but he was never given the chance. From somewhere in the room came Godric's soft voice.

"Let her in, Eric." He said.

Maria saw Eric snap his jaw shut. He gave her a deep, wicked glare, and opened the door. Maria apprehensively stepped into the room. Godric was in the center of the, standing stock still with his hands tucked behind his back. He looked at her plainly, without the slightest hint of emotion.

"Yes?"

Again, she found her words lacking. It took her longer than she would care to admit to find even the slightest straight thought. Her mind was too busy swimming to give her the chance, but when she felt Eric loom behind her, she was suddenly in the moment again, and she knew she didn't want to speak in front of him.

"May I talk to you in private?" She asked. Maria had trouble meeting his eye, but she forced herself to. "Please?"

She knew Godric wasn't frightened of her. Aside from the fact that he'd have no reason to be, everyone in the room was fully aware that the ancient could dismember Maria before she had the chance to blink. She posed no threat, but his agreement still surprised her.

He gave her a gentle nod before turning his eye to his child. "Eric," The Viking immediately stepped around Maria with his long, fluid stride. "Will you excuse us?"

It may have been a question, but there was no denying the fact that Godric wasn't asking. It as a polite command, and Eric was aware. Still, he hesitated. He shot Maria a glance over his shoulder, one that was slightly warning yet mostly enraged, before he disappeared into a bedroom. He closed the door behind him, giving Maria and Godric privacy. She hoped the door was soundproofed like the ones in the suite she shared with the Viking.

"I make you uncomfortable."

Godric's voice drew her eye. It was only then that she realized he'd taken a seat, and she was the one wringing her hands together. The moment it was brought to her attention, she stopped and jammed them into her pockets as though it would solve anything.

"Yes," She told him meekly.

Godric's response was nothing more than a slight tilt of the head. She couldn't tell if he was amused that she was uncomfortable, or that he found it mildly interesting. It could have been either.

"Um," Maria approached and slipped onto the seat across from him. "You said you know me."

"I don't." He said causing her heart to drop. "I said you're known to me."

"How?"

He didn't immediately offer an answer. Instead, he looked over her briefly.

"You're very old."

"I'm a felithrope. We have long lives." She clarified. Maria had no idea why she was offering him even the slightest bit of information, but it flowed from her regardless. "I'll grow old and die, it'll just take longer."

"I've heard your kind have gifts. I've met three thropes in my life, but only one was Gifted. Are you?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Yes,"

"Is that why Eric keeps you?"

Maria felt a twinge of shame and anger. "No. That's something else."

He nodded gently as his eyes raked over her. "What is your Gift?"

Maria dropped her head immediately. Her gaze was fixed on her gloved hands. She couldn't help but wring them again, as though it would help anything at all.

"I see things," She mumbled like a child who was in the middle of being scolded for doing something wrong, "if I touch people with my hands."

"Show me."

Maria's gaze shot to him. She was terrified of his simple request, something she was sure he noticed because he tilted his head again curiously.

"No," She told him emphatically. "No, I see everything when I do that. Everything."

"You can't control it."

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words were slow to come. "Sort of, but…"

He arched a brow. "But?"

"You're old." She explained. "If neither of us can concentrate, I'll see thousands of years and… truthfully, I don't know what that'll do to me."

An almost imperceptible smile twitched at the corner of his lips just briefly before it vanished. It sent a chill straight through Maria.

"I can keep my mind clear." He told her with a hint of that faded smile touching his words. He held out his hand. "I can show you when we met."

Maria's brows rose slowly. That had been the reason she went to him. She wanted to know, and somehow had forgotten as much since taking a seat. The offer renewed that desire and made her agree despite her reservations.

Slowly, she rose to her feet and crossed the living room. Maria sat beside him tentatively, all the while Godric's eyes were fixed to her.

"Concentrate on the memory." She told him. He gave her a soft nod.

Maria began to remove the glove on her right hand. She hadn't touched anyone for years, and for good reason. Ever since she was a child, she learned to keep her hands turned away if she wasn't wearing gloves. Never would the insides of her hands touch anyone, but now she was willingly offering.

And, for some reason, she wrapped her naked hand around his. Maria was instantly thrown into a memory that wasn't hers. It took over her body like they always did, tightened every muscle, and blinded her to the world around her.

Flashes. It was nothing but flashes through time, and little of it had to do with the moment.

Men in Roman armor slash across the bodies of his people.

Blood. So much blood. It follows him through the centuries.

A wooden pyre and a dying man. They're talking to one another. Godric is in awe of him and his beauty.

More blood and darkness.

Suddenly, they're in a clearing. The hot blood trickles down his throat, both inside and out. The blood on his skin is cooling quickly, but the sensation easily fades.

He approaches a hole. Lying within are bodies, many, many bodies –more than what surrounds him. The sound of a man dying in the background fades to his ears. There's something else, something more pressing. A heartbeat, new and fading.

His keen eyes sift easily through the scene beneath him. There are men and women, all dressed in their finest, and a handful of children. He bends down at the lip of the hole and sees the owner of the heartbeat.

A young woman with dark hair and bloodstained clothes is buried beneath an older woman with similar features and a little boy. Her lips are parted as she struggles to breathe. Her nearly neon green eyes drift languidly to him. She is dying, but he can hear her struggle. He can hear how badly she wants to stay alive.

Compelled by something beyond him, he reaches for her. Her arm is hanging at an odd angle, cocked to the side and forced to remain where it is by the body of another young woman. He grabs her wrist and pulls her easily from the dead pile. She struggles, but it's as weak as her heartbeat.

He sets her on the damp grass and leans over her, examining her like a bird might a bug it's considering as a meal. Her breathing is short and quick now that the weight of her family is no longer pressing against her chest, but she can't manage anything substantial. A quick glance to her body tells him why. She's been stabbed and shot multiple times and a large gash is visible across her head. He can see the white of her skull beneath the blood and her dark hair.

But still she remains.

"My family…Are… they… dead…" she asks with each gasping breath.

"Yes," he replies.

"Will… I… die…"

"Yes. Does that frighten you?"

She shakes her head as best she can. "Angry."

"Why did these soldiers kill your family? What did you do?"

And then she says something that causes his chest to ache with a surprising level of sadness.

"Exist."

As he stares at her, a single, soft tear gently glides down the side of her face. She isn't afraid. He can smell it. She is many things, but not afraid.

The air behind him shifts and he knows his son is finished eating. They should leave soon, but he can't look away from the green-eyed girl staring at him.

Before he can change his mind, he pricks his thumb on his extended fang and leans over her. He brushes the wound across her lips and she instinctively licks them.

"Perhaps," he says. "You should continue to exist?"

Maria is suddenly launched back into the moment. She shot away from Godric and to her feet. Her mind was racing, her heart the same, and all the while she cried. She had no control over it, but the tears fell regardless.

She had just witnessed the moment she met Godric. He'd been the one to pull her out of the pit, the one who leaned over her and spoke to her. He'd been the one who offered the single drop of blood that gave her body the ability to heal after everything that happened to her.

Turning, Maria looked at the child-like ancient. Godric was stoic and silent as he watched her. They stared at one another for a few good moments before a knock at the door brought her violently to reality once more.

"Please fetch Eric." Godric said as he rose.

Maria found herself nodding and doing as he asked while he opened the door. A blond woman and men in suits entered the suite. Maria did her best to compose herself as she opened the bedroom door. She barely managed to catch sight of Eric eying her curiously. She was too shaken to care.

"Do you have any idea what a fucking disaster this is?" Nan bellowed angrily.

The thin, cold, blond vampire glared at the grouping of people. The ones that were actually worried about her moved uncomfortably while most of them did nothing. Her guards stood behind her, watching with keen eyes, Godric and Isabel were on the couch to her right, Sookie and Bill to her left, while Eric sat on an ottoman near the door leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His "companion" stood behind him as usual.

"How could we have known this time Stan was serious?' Isabel asked angrily, defending their lack of knowledge about Stan's decision to storm the church.

"Not my problem." Nan almost laughed before looking at Godric. "It's yours."

"Don't talk to him that way." Eric growled.

"Don't talk to me that way." she smiled, completely unfazed by his words.

He kept his eyes on her. Sookie had a hard time focusing. She seemed to have trouble figuring out how everyone was connected, or how the vampire politics came into play. It was her first look behind the curtain. Until she got to know Bill, Sookie genuinely didn't know that the vampire world was so filled with rules and regulations.

"Let's get to the point," Nan sighed as she turned back to the Dallas Sheriff. "How'd they manage to abduct you?"

"They would have taken one of us eventually. I offered myself."

Sookie noticed Eric's shock at the declaration.

"Why?" Nan asked skeptically.

"Why not?" Godric countered quickly.

"They wanted you to meet the sun and you were willing?" her voice dripped confusion.

Sookie glanced over to see the lost look on Eric's face. It was the first time she had seen him look so helpless. She knew he was close to Godric, but the longer she watched the Viking, the more she began to realize she had no idea the true depths of that connection.

"Why do you think?" he asked.

"I think you're insane." Nan spat indignantly. "And then I hear about a traitor?"

"Irrelevant." he snapped, clearly not willing to sell out one of his own to whatever Nan was. "Rumor. I'll take full responsibility."

"You bet you will."

No matter how civil Godric was, Nan continued to try and bait him, unrelenting with her bitchy assault.

"You cold bitch." Eric said.

No one spoke. It was safe to say that the room wholeheartedly agreed with him and his statement. And yet, despite how confrontational Nan had been up until that point, she merely cast a stare at Eric before moving along with the conversation as though he hadn't said a thing.

"Listen," Nan said tightly, ignoring his comment. "This is a national vampire disaster and nobody at the top has sympathy for any of you. Sheriff you fucked up, you're fired."

"I agree, of course." The level of decency and civility he exuded was stunning. "Isabel should take my place. She had no part in my disgrace."

"Godric, fight back." The Latin beauty at his side said. It was clear she was desperately worried about what was happening around them.

"What are you saying? She's a fucking bureaucrat." Eric snapped loudly. "You don't have to take shit from her."

Nan shot him a furious stare. "You want to lose your area, Viking?"

"Oh, you don't have that kind of power." he sneered.

"Hey, I'm on TV." she chimed with a smile. "Try me."

Sookie stared at Eric wide-eyed, wondering if he would react. For a moment, it looked like he might. His body was tight and his jaw tense, but he didn't move. Even though he looked like a coiled spring ready to pounce, he remained still. It was only then that Sookie realized why. The girl he kept at his side was closer than before with her hand on his shoulder. Sookie's brows tugged together. Surely, the girl holding him in place wasn't enough to keep him from charging the blonde bureaucrat.

"I am the one to blame." Isabel said loudly, drawing attention to her. "I should have contained Stan the second Godric went missing."

"Isabel," Godric interjected. She silenced herself, holding back tears while he turned to Nan. "I remove myself from all positions of authority."

"Works for me." she said plainly.

Sookie moved. She had something to say, and would despite Bill's attempts to keep her silent.

"Miss Flannigan, you should be thanking him." She said strongly. Nan scowled at her, an expression a fair amount of those in the room shared. "Godric saved me and humans and vampires."

"That's nice." Nan replied, brushing off the comment. "Moving on,"

"No. You think this is a bad PR mess now? It could have been a hundred, a thousand times worse. You should be thanking him." she repeated.

"For what?" she snapped. "For getting kidnapped? For attracting a suicide bomber? For piss poor judgment. I think not."

Eric finally lunged for her. Bill stood to stop him, Isabel too, but the girl already had a grip on the Viking and simply used his forward momentum to slide in front of him, her hands on his chest. She looked into his face but his eyes were dead set on Nan, who seemed less than worried about him.

"Eric," Godric said. "It doesn't matter."

The Viking kept his hatred aimed for the woman in the suit, but obeyed his Maker and turned to sit. Once again, his "companion" took her stance beside him, her hand now planted a bit firmer than before, while everyone else took their seats.

"Now, tell me about the bombing. I want to know every detail." Nan chimed, ignoring the outburst yet again as though it were nothing.

"A boy walked into the lair," Godric began in a still-calm and almost regal voice. "I thought he was someone's companion."

He continued to relay the story, word for word and parts of it things Sookie and Bill didn't know.

"What a fucking fiasco. You're lucky I don't send you to the Majester." Nan sighed, more annoyed than anything else. "Godric, come to my suite and fill out the forms."

Bill glanced to his side and saw Sookie staring intently at either Eric or his employee, he wasn't sure which. He felt a twinge of jealousy that it might be his Sheriff before noticing the blank expression the two held. Both Eric and the girl seemed to know something the room didn't, or at least sensed it.

It was a curious thing.

"First, I have something to say." Godric declared to those gathered. "I am sorry." he replied uncomfortably. Eric and the girl narrowed their eyes at the vampire in confusion. "I apologize for all the harm I caused, for our lost ones, human and vampire. I will make amends. I swear it."

"Relax." Nan scoffed. "It's only a few signatures."

But there was more to it than that.

Nan stood and patted his shoulder as she walked out. She and her men left the others in a tense mood. The moment they were gone and Godric stood, the others stood, too. Eric was the first to meet his Maker's eye, moving almost too close for anyone to hear what he was saying.

"No." he uttered defiantly.

"Look into my heart," Godric said calmly.

"You can't…"

"There is no other way."

"There is." Eric defended.

But Godric seemed resolute in his decision.

"On the roof." he remarked as his pale eyes danced between them. "Both of you."

And with that, Godric left.

Eric looked as though the air had been ripped from his lungs. He stood statue-still before Bill approached him.

"You and I have a score to settle." he growled.

"Not now."

"Yes, now."

Bill's fist flew and connected violently with Eric's jaw. He spit blood but did little else to affirm he'd been struck. By the time Eric turned around, Bill was held high in the air by his throat, pinned painfully against the wall. The sight was jarring, even more so when Sookie realized Girl was the one holding him, snarling and growling an animal growl from deep within her throat.

The room went silent. For a moment or two, no one was entirely certain what to do. The blonde stared at her boyfriend being held high by a woman no bigger than her. She wanted to do something, to do anything to help Bill, but she had no idea how.

"Enough." Eric said with a subdued sigh. Almost immediately, she dropped Bill, allowing the vampire to stand on his own two feet once more. "It's done. I'm a part of her now and she's safe. Now, get out of our way."

Bill stepped away and joined Sookie's side. Sookie had trouble accepting what she saw. Eric was morose and quiet –not meek, but not far from it. The girl was angry and, from the way it looked, she was defending Eric.

Without a word, they left the hotel room to, presumably, join Godric on the roof while Bill and Sookie remained.

"Are you okay?" Sookie cooed as she reached for Bill.

"I am fine." he answered.

"Why'd she do that? For Eric?"

"No." he answered quietly, holding her hands in his. "I heard her conversation with Godric at his nest. I think they may know one another."

"But you hit Eric, not her."

"I don't think it matters. I believe she and Eric know something we do not." he sighed. Sookie shook her head.

"I have to go find Godric."

He furrowed his brow. "This has nothing to do with us."

"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here." she defended. "He's in pain. He's suffering. I've got to do something."

"Don't you think we've done enough for Texas?"

Sookie gave him a sympathetic stare. He knew better than to try and stop her. She planned to make her way to the roof whether he supported her or not.

On the roof, Maria still didn't know why she'd been asked to follow Eric. As far as she was concerned, it had nothing to do with her, and yet, Godric told her to join them. For some reason, she obliged. She was still emotional after her exchange with Godric earlier. Perhaps that was why she attacked Bill? Honestly, she wasn't entirely certain.

If Eric remembered she was there, he didn't let on. It wouldn't surprise her in the least if she'd somehow faded into the background to both of them, and she was surprisingly content to let that happen.

"Two thousand years is long enough."

"I cannot allow this." Eric stated bluntly. He tried to sound strong, but Maria heard his voice waver. "It's insanity." Eric snapped after taking steadying breaths. They did little to help.

"Our existence is insanity." he replied before turning to face the two. "We don't belong here."

"But we are here!" Eric bellowed.

"It's not right." he said softly. "We're not right."

"You taught me there is no right and wrong only survival… and death."

"I told a lie, as it turns out."

The air turned tense and quiet, punctuated only by the distant sound of cars. It didn't seem as though Eric was entirely certain how to proceed, and in that hesitation, Godric turned his attention to Maria. Cold rushed down her spine the moment his eyes fell to her.

He reached into his shirt and removed a chain, on the end of which rested an ornate cross of varying shades of gold. While the body of the image appeared silver, it was clearly white gold. Yellow gold adorned the edges, the second, thin cross inlay, and the elaborate filigree that stretched between the straight lines. Even the few choice markings were tinted with the aged gold color.

It was a beautiful piece, and one Maria recognized immediately. Tears began to well in her eyes as he removed it, then offered it to her. Tentatively, and with a shaking hand, she accepted the piece of jewelry.

"It only seems fair you have this back." He told her.

Maria blinked. The tears that had gathered trickled down her cheeks. She clutched the cross to her chest and met his eye again.

"Thank you." She whispered in the most reverent voice she could manage.

"Godric," Eric's broken voice drew attention back to him. As before, Maria was content to disappear into the background. "I will keep you alive by force." he growled as he stepped closer to his Maker. It was clear to her that he was frightened, and losing his patience with the situation.

"Even if you could," Godric whispered. He sounded defeated. "Why would you be so cruel?"

Eric shook his head. Bloody tears begged to be released. His voice lost all strength when he spoke again.

"Godric, don't do this." he muttered weakly in a tongue Maria understood.

"There are centuries of faith and love between us."

That broke the Viking. He began to cry and cry freely. The blood running down his cheeks stood out in sharp contrast to his white, porcelain skin. Maria's heart ached for him. The sheer agony she saw and heard coming from Northman pained her to see. Maria believed Godric, wholeheartedly. While they were "connected", she gleaned more than the memory that involved her, not much more, but enough to see how Godric felt about Eric.

"Please, please." Eric's body seemed unable to maintain its upright position and without warning, he crumbled to his knees. "Please, Godric."

"Father, brother, child." he muttered softly. "Let me go."

The words, however compassionately they were spoken, helped Eric solidify himself no matter how brief. Biting back his choking cries, he slowly lifted his head despite the blood still trickling down his cheeks.

"I will not let you die alone." he answered in a falsely strong voice.

"Yes, you will." the words brought new tears to the vampire's eyes. His head fell. Godric took pity on his loyal son, and lightly brushed back his hair like a loving father. Eric's head rose heavily to the ancient vampire as the sky began to turn pink and purple. The sun was dangerously close. "As your Maker, I command you."

Eric forced a weak smile. He clearly did his best to show his Maker a strong face, though they all knew how hard it was for him to do. Slowly, the Viking stood, his eyes never leaving those of his creator, his father. Godric did his best to smile bravely. It seemed a bit easier for him. He was ready to die and willing to do so.

Godric once more gave Maria his attention. "Go with him, please. I don't wish for him to see me like this."

"No." Maria couldn't keep the words back. Instead, they flowed from her lips. "One of us should remain." Her offer surprised her.

"No." Godric told her softly. "I don't wish the last memory of me to be on fire." Eric choked at the words. "Please, do me this courtesy."

She nodded, no matter how reluctantly, and took Eric's hand. Maria threaded her fingers through his. The giant's eyes remained on Godric as she walked toward the stairs. He waited until the last moment before turning with her and walking alongside the young woman.

Maria was surprised to see Sookie standing near the staircase that led to the roof.

"I'll stay here." She told them kindly. "As long as it takes."

Maria was shocked by her offer. "Thank you." She felt obligated to say.

Still holding Eric's hand, Maria led the nearly-comatose Viking back downstairs. He fell easily under her guidance.

The two sat in the living room area of their suite, silent, unmoving for a while before Eric suddenly gasped. His body went rigid and she knew what it meant. Godric was gone.

The connection between a child and their Maker was stronger than anything Maria had come across. She had to admit she'd been surprised by his love for Godric and Pam's love for him. It was something she hadn't expected. But, as fresh blood poured from the vampire's eyes at the emptiness she knew he felt now that Godric was gone, she pushed her own thoughts to the back of her mind.

Maria continued to act out of character toward the blond giant –as far as she was concerned- and reached for him. She tenderly pulled him towards her. He didn't seem to have the strength or desire to keep from falling into her arms.

Maria shifted as she fell against the cushions. She brought Eric with her. The couch was surprisingly long, a sectional that formed a large L and was easily large enough for Maria to lean against the pillows on the arm. She put her legs onto the sofa, and guided Eric between them. He fell easily into the action, adjusting himself until he cradled her body like a pillow, burying his face in her chest and soaking her shirt in blood.

She stroked his hair, tenderly running her fingers through it as comfortingly as she could. In that moment, he wasn't Eric Northman, the prick who'd taken "possession" of her a few months prior. He wasn't the man who'd taunted and teased and baited her. For that moment, he was simply a child (despite his size) mourning the death of parent. Unfortunately, she could relate to the pain.

Hours passed and it was nearing midafternoon. Eric had stopped sobbing at some point, but still hadn't moved. Neither of them had, and Maria wasn't about to tell him let her go to sleep. Clearly, he still needed something to hold on to, so he cradled her with his arms wrapped around her completely. She felt his thumb tenderly caressing her side while she continued to gently run her fingers through his hair.

"I am sorry." she finally said. Her voice was soft, nearly silent, and yet sounded loudly after hours of nothing.

He didn't reply at first. Maria had wondered if he'd simply fallen asleep, until he actually spoke.

"Thank you." was all he said.

Again silence filled the room and they were content to remain in it. At some point, Eric would shower, washing away the blood on his face and chest. Maria would do the same. They would change their clothing and pack, board their flight and return to Shreveport. They would act as though nothing had happened, as though the church hadn't taken Godric, as though they hadn't dealt with the AVL, and as though Godric didn't martyr himself by burning on the roof of their hotel. They would go back to business and forget that Eric had broken down in front of her or that he used her shoulder to cry on.

But, for now, they were going to remain still and do nothing.