Ashlin pov:

I woke the next afternoon in cool arms, feeling safe and secure despite the situation we found ourselves in. Godric moved his arm from my hip to my hair when he felt me move.

"Good afternoon, min lilla sol (my little sun)."

I smiled, moving closer to him. "Afternoon. What time is it?"

"I believe it is close to four. Would you like to get out of bed and find something to occupy our time until Eric rises?"

"Okay." I wriggled a little against his and Eric's hold. "Excuse me, please. I have needs I must take care of."

Godric laughed, letting me out of his grip, while releasing me from Eric's as well, and I gladly retreated to the adjoined bathroom. Godric and I left the bedroom and Eric to his unconsciousness after he was sure that the light tight shutters were down.

"So, min lilla sol (my little sun), how do you suggest that we bide our time?"

"I need food first, after that I will try thinking." We made our way to the kitchen, which Eric kept stocked for me.

"Want a True Blood?" He shook his head, politely declining my offer as I made myself a bowl of cereal.

Godric occupied himself with watching me as I ate. I was unsure how interesting I could have been at the moment, but it was amusing.

"What are you talking about?" Eric walked in on our conversation in the library sometime later, the chess game we had attempted to play sat abandoned.

"Your movie dopplegangers." I laughed at his expression, he was so exhausted with this topic.

Eric rolled his eyes as Godric laughed at him. "Though I have not seen the movies, vår lilla kompis (our little mate), has shown me a few clips, and I must say, you do have quite the twin."

Eric draped himself on the couch and over our laps, a defeated expression on his face. "Really, Godric? You joined the worst side of our debate. Pam and Ashlin have been going at this for weeks!"

Godric easily pushed Eric off of the couch, sending me into another fit of laughter.

"Really, Eric, you mustn't be so dramatic." Godric sighed.

"As much as I hate to be ruining our fun, we ought to be going soon. We have plans to oversee." Eric brought an arm behind his head to rest on it as he spoke.

"I hate that you're right, but I was glad to forget about it for a few hours, so thank you Godric."

Godric gave me a nod and a smile, but Eric waggled his eyebrows. "I can make you forget about it for quite a few hours when we get back, if you so wish, älskare (lover)."

"Eric, you are incorrigible." I sighed.

We made our way to Bon Temps as quickly as we could. I was beyond nervous, but I pushed it down, confronting my feelings at the moment would not be helpful to the situation at hand. We dropped off Eric's car at Laff's, checking in on the kids and my friends at the same time. We took to the skies, I retained my human form, and Eric held me in his arms. Dealing with clothes would have wasted time that we didn't have. Our plan called for Sam to give himself up to Maryanne as a bull, making her believe that her god had come. We had expected a crowd, some type of large celebration, but there was none.

I mentally scanned the area, finding Sam's brain signature, a void I recognized to be Bill, and a lighter void, most likely Jessica further away in Compton's home. A change in wind direction carried a foul bloody smell to my nose from the same direction as Bill and Sam.

"No one is here. Sam and Bill are a bit further off, in the direction of the road. Do you smell the blood as well?"

They both nodded as we reached the ground, and silently went in the direction of Bill from there. I stopped myself and my Vampires when we were a ways off, close enough to be able to hear the conversation, but far enough where Bill would be unable to detect us. The situation was odd, and as I reached out again to Sam's mind and listened to Bill, I found out why. Sam was under glamor, and Bill was ranting.

"Now that I have defeated the maenad, she will have to show me some form of appreciation. I will be praised as a hero, like in the trashy romance books that are read nowadays. If anything, her grandmother will push her to me. She will be mine, and you will stay out of the way."

Eric and Godric let out growls, as we moved forward. We had heard enough, and I knew that my eyes must have been shining as I felt the rage and something indescribable bubble underneath my skin.

Bill startled at our sudden presence, and quickly schooled his expression. He feigned worry, the emotion that was on his features didn't meet his eyes, cold and calculating. He went for me, arms wide.

"Ashlin, sweetheart, are you alright? I was so worried about you, when you left my sights."

I stopped his advances before my mates could, with a blow to the face, effectively breaking his nose and sending him back by a few feet. I stood straight, my stare meeting his eyes.

"William Compton, I have had enough of your idiocy. I am not your friend. I do not wish to associate with you. Get that into your thick skull."

He stayed where he was for just a moment before trying to continue his ruse. "What do you think you're saying. You have been spending too much time with these monsters, they must have brainwashed you somehow. They could never care for you, they are vicious, after all, that one is named Death for a reason."

A growl emanated from none other than my own chest. I refused to allow anyone to insult those I care about, especially my mates. I could feel the energy pulsate through my body, the weight of it growing on my shoulder blades. I stalked towards him, and shoved him to the ground, my foot on his chest preventing him from getting up.

"You have insulted me and my mates. You will leave. I do not want you in my sights again. Make a move against me or any person who I hold dear and worse will be done to you." I dug my heel in his chest, blood staining the shirt beneath it before removing my foot.

He scampered backward before he stood, leaving quickly with the stench of fear behind in his place. I followed his void, knowing that he was going far enough away.

My anger faded as well as the strange energy and the weight upon my shoulders. I wavered on my feet, the world becoming dizzy around me. In a moment I was lifted off the ground, the scent of Godric, warm and earthy, notified me whose arms were underneath me. I looked up at him with heavy lidded eyes, and he gave me a gentle smile.

"Thank you, min lilla sol (my little sun)." He whispered, and I nuzzled into his embrace.

"Sam is under glamour but, I can't tell what he did under it at the moment. Can you undo it?" I asked my mates, trying hard to stay awake though my body was pushing me to sleep.

Eric came over, brushing his fingers through my hair, and kissing my temple. "I will clean up here, and notify your friends of what happened. Godric, can you take her back to the house?"

I could feel Godric shift me as he responded to Eric. I closed my eyes as the world finally faded around me. I could just barely feel as we took off in flight.

Eric pov:

Godric left for home with Ashlin in his arms. I decided without much hesitation that my chores would be quick. I undid the glamour on the Shifter and flew off before the idiot could start his usual arguments with me. It was also simple enough to fly back to Lafayette's home to inform the humans there of the events that had transpired and to retrieve my car.

Driving home, I tapped into the bond I had with Godric, and was rewarded with a flood of reassurance. It calmed me some, but I was still impatient to be back at my Valkyrie's side.

Godric pov

We left Eric to undo the glamour on the Shifter and to inform her friends of what happened. My angel has never ceased to amaze me, and tonight was just one example of that. I looked down at her in my arms, loving the feel of her against me. She had fallen asleep shortly after we left the ground, her body still working to grow accustomed to her developing abilities.

I landed gently on the front lawn, and carried her inside to the bedroom. I carefully set her down on the bed, not wanting to wake her when her body needed the rest. I pulled our shoes off before joining her in bed, pulling her against my chest once more. I could feel Eric poking in the bond as I settled down, so I sent back reassurance, hoping to soothe some of his worries away.

My angel shifted against my chest, her eyes slowly opening as she woke. "Why did Compton call you Death?"

I sighed and tightened my hold on her, bringing some comfort to myself. "I was once a very savage Vampire, and it was rare that someone would survive seeing me. It was that behavior that inspired that name. And it is that behavior that I am working to atone for."

Ashlin reached her hand up to cup my cheek, I closed my eyes and leaned into the warmth with a sigh. She tilted my head, and I could feel her soft lips descend on mine. I groaned, my fangs coming down as our lips moved against each other's.

We pulled apart moments later, and she moved to lay her head against my chest once again. Her hand moved down from my face to rest on my chest, and I grasped her hand with my own as she fell back into a peaceful slumber.

I felt as Eric grew closer, entering the house and securing it for the day. He rushed down to our sides as soon as he was finished. I watched as he visually checked over our sleeping angel.

"She is alright, just sleeping."

He sighed, running his fingers through her hair. "Should we call Ludwig? Maybe she has some answers to all of this?"

"That would be helpful. The only question is when?"

"I could set up a meeting for tomorrow before we go to the club. Although Ashlin will be pissed at me for not talking to her about it."

"I'm sure it would be fine, the sooner we can learn about this, the better. And if anything, write her a note, that way if she wakes up before one of us, she will know our plans."

He nodded. "I will do that."

Eric moved about the room, preparing himself for the coming dawn. He carefully crawled into bed behind our Ashlin, resting a hand on her stomach. I stared at the angel in our arms.

"I wish to know her as you do, Eric." They already fit so well together, and I longed for that.

Eric smiled gently, moving his hand to brush against my stomach. "You will, just give it time. Just look how close she is becoming already."

"I suppose you are correct, Eric."

"Aren't I always?" I couldn't help but smirk at my childe's ego, and let myself drift as the sun came over the horizon.