Chapter Eleven:
Godric had talked about his children. He had been vague, of course, but he had said enough that Grace knew without a doubt that this was his oldest. Eric. The Viking God. She had to admit, she couldn't exactly deny that. He was a God. The way he stood before her, she had a strange desire to kneel from the sheer power that was radiating off of him. He was handsome, but in a much different way than his maker. Eric just oozed sex. If she hadn't of fallen so hard for Godric, she surely would have found herself easily obsessed with this vampire. It was hard to concentrate already.
"Godric talked about me, fantastic," Eric drawled dryly, his piercing blue eyes narrowing. "You're rather average, aren't you?"
An eyebrow rose. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"
Eric ignored her as a commotion sounded behind her. He raised his gaze lazily to over the little pet's shoulder and was almost amused at what he found. A woman clutched at her chest, looking as if she was about to keel over. A man looking both terrified and ready to attack him, though they both knew he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him. Three others stood in the room, looking remarkably calm, though unsure. What sort of company did Godric's human keep, exactly?
Human, he scoffed at himself. He couldn't believe his maker had found himself entranced with any human. Especially such an average one like this girl standing before him. Godric could have at least searched a bit harder, found himself a special being. Like he had with Sookie.
"Darling, get away from the door," Grace's mother urged in fright.
"Don't look at him; he can glamour you," her father warned.
Grace couldn't help but snicker at their worry. Oh they didn't even know what their darling of a daughter had gotten herself into. She wasn't an idiot. She had yet to actually look at Eric. Her time – while short – with Godric hadn't been useless. Grace very well knew that this vampire could glamour her, could do so many other things to her.
But she also knew that he wouldn't.
Eric was Godric's progeny, after all.
Of course, she could be entirely wrong. Eric could snatch her right out of the apartment and drain her dry before doing the same to her parents. He could do just about anything to her. But a part of Grace just knew that he wouldn't. Because while Godric may insist that he was once a very dark vampire, he wasn't anymore. If this Eric wasn't half an idiot, he would certainly follow in his marker's footsteps.
"You're parents I assume," he snickered at their rambles and shot another look down at the girl. With every new glance, he hoped she would look a bit more delicious. But she never did. She was always the same drab little thing. Oh what did you do Godric? "I don't believe they're entirely right in the head."
"You don't say," Grace rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, Eric? Did Godric send you?"
The amusement was wiped from his face, his orbs narrowing. "You're not worthy enough to utter his name."
"Worthy enough?" Grace raised an eyebrow. "Someone is a bit of an asshole."
"And someone is a bit average."
Was that supposed to hurt her feelings? "Are you still trying to insult me with that?"
"The Godric I know would never go for someone so…plain," Eric sneered.
Well now that did feel like an insult. "I didn't think my parents would call in reinforcements to send me off to the loony bin, but hey, looks can be a bit deceiving."
He wouldn't admit it, but Eric was a bit impressed that she wasn't backing down from him like normal humans did. The last to speak back to him like this was the spitfire of a Faerie he still desired. That, though, still didn't make him anymore happy that Godric had chosen this thing to be his. When Isabel had told him the story of Grace's claiming, he wanted to be sick. This was all just fucking ridiculous.
"He didn't send you, did he?" Grace was beginning to realize that Eric was here on his own accord. Why, she didn't know. "Does he even know you're here at all?"
A thought crossed Eric's mind. He could play with her. He could ensure she didn't interfere with Godric's life again. It would be so easy. He doubted he would even need to glamour her at all. Yes, this would be for the best.
"I'm afraid not. But of course, he hasn't even spoken of his little pet. I can see why, though," Eric smirked widely. "There's not much to talk abut, is there?"
"Yeah I'm not an idiot," Grace snickered. "Are you jealous Daddy found someone else to occupy his time?"
She was getting brace now, and Eric didn't like it. "He clearly grew tired of you. How long has it been since he last saw you?" he reached forward and grasped onto her chin. A gasp sounded from her lips, and he couldn't help his growing smirk that he was able to surprise her. Tilting her head from side to side, the Viking chuckled as he noticed the marks missing from her neck. "Didn't even claim you properly. Not a single soul would know you were his. You certainly don't smell like him either. You obviously didn't occupy him well enough."
The felt like a low blow to her, and she tried to wrench herself free. But his grip was firm as he felt her in place.
"I don't like you," Grace glared up at him.
He returned the glare. "Don't worry, little pet, the feeling's mutual."
Eric was about to release her, be done with her for good after he laid a few more doubtful eggs, but a whisper caught his attention.
"Enough of this! He can't come in without an invitation. Deal with her already!"
Eric snickered to himself as he shook his head. "However, it appears it's time for you to invite me in."
"That is never going to happen," she refused. "No way in hell I'm going to invite someone I really really don't like into my apartment."
Out the corner of his eye, he watched as the closest human in scrubs began to approach. Grace was so occupied with her witty comebacks that she never even noticed what was going on behind her. Oh what a silly little girl.
"I don't think you're going to have much of a choice," he jostled her chin before catching her gaze. Grace cursed under her breath for being so foolish, knowing he could easily glamour her now. He didn't, though, only holding her stare in case he needed to. "I think it's time you invite me in, Grace."
"No."
He was easily growing agitated. Here he was, going to try and do a nice deed, and she was being stubborn. He would think twice about it in the future. "Invite me in."
"I said…" Grace trailed off when she saw movement out the corner of her eye, an arm rising to neck height. Eric's hold fell from her as she twisted around on her heel, her eyes wide as she spotted the needle in the grasps of one of the huge men. She attempted to step out of the apartment and out of reach, but the prick of the needle in the side of her neck froze her to the spot. Whatever was being injected into her was fast acting, and she could already feel her limbs growing heavy, her eyelids wanting nothing more than to drop.
Grace knew, however, that if that were to happen, there would be nothing stopping her parents from waiting until dawn to cart her off to some mental asylum where Grace doubted she would see the light of day again.
"Eric, please come in…" she barely got the words about before she couldn't fight the drug.
Eric caught her with ease, lifting her form up into his arms as she faded unconscious. He glanced down at her briefly, rolling his eyes at himself for even thinking about aiding her.
"I'll decide what to do with you later," he muttered before shooting a dark gaze at the occupants in the apartment.
Oh he was going to have fun.
A groan sounded from Grace's lips as her eyes fluttered open. Everything was blurry, and all she wanted was to fall back asleep, but she forced herself to keep awake. She could feel herself moving, and she could assume her uncomfortable position was due to being in a car. Grace panicked at first; had her parents really just allowed their only daughter to be carted off because they thought she was crazy? The last thing she could remember was the sharp prick in her neck and Eric Northman fading out of view.
"Eric, please come in"
She had invited him in. Before she fell unconscious, Grace had invited Eric in. She tried to remember anything else, even just a few sentences of what had happened or might have been said. But she had been completely out of it, unconscious to the rest of the world.
"Is sleeping beauty finally awake?"
That voice. That fucking voice.
"Did you kidnap me?" Grace moaned as she rubbed her pounding forehead. She turned her head to the side, resting it against the headrest, and was more than a little surprised when she found Eric behind the wheel. "Because I'm not sure I'm okay with being kidnapped."
"My apologies, I'll take you back to your parents," the Viking rolled his eyes.
Her nose scrunched up. "Okay fine, kidnap me. At least tell me where we're going and why."
But he didn't answer and instead just kept driving. Grace rolled her eyes at how childish he was. She was, of course, grateful. She had no idea what this vampire had planned or what he was doing, but Grace figured it was a much better fate than being locked up in a padded room for the rest of her life.
They drove in silence for what felt like an eternity to Grace. All she wanted to do was drift back to sleep, but the churning in her stomach wouldn't allow it. When she started to feel the vomit rise up her throat, her hand flew to her mouth with wide eyes.
"Oh no you don't," Eric hisses, swerving the car sharply to the side of the road. Like hell he was going to let the little thing throw up in his prized Corvette. "Out. If you're going to be sick get out."
He didn't have to tell her twice. She was out of the car within seconds, stumbling away from the open door as quickly as her heavy legs would allow her to before emptying her stomach right then and there. Eric looked away in disgust, shaking his head at his stupidity for bringing her with him. What had he been thinking?
Right, Godric's happiness. Or whatever else Nora had blabbed on and on about. He hated that his sister had caught on to what he had been up to, calling and demanding that he bring her back with him. It of course, didn't help that their maker was furious. Eric would have to have a long talk with Isabel about keeping things to herself in the future. The Dallas Sheriff had called Godric not long after the Viking had taken off, and his maker was not please it seemed.
"Are you quite finished?" Eric tapped his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel as Grace straightened, the back of her hand wiping across her mouth. The longer they delayed, the angrier Godric would likely be. He was going to feel his maker's wrath no matter what; taking longer would only make his punishment worse.
"Well excuse me for getting drugged," Grace grumbled as she stumbled back towards the car. She paused when she saw the vampire stiffen in his seat, his orbs darting forward.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, quickly getting out of the car and standing before it.
"Ah, what are you doing?" Grace stepped forward, confused at what Eric was doing. "I thought you wanted to…"
Grace fell speechless when a new form arrived, falling to a stop just before Eric. Her eyes were wide when Godric's gaze moved to meet hers for the first time in months. She was frozen to the spot, unable to move or blink. She was pretty certain she wasn't even breathing in that moment.
"Godric," Eric pulled Godric's attention away from his human.
She had witnessed his transformation in the past. She had watched as he turned from the sweet, caring man that she had teased about stealing her swing into a savage beast in only mere seconds.
The moment Godric's fangs extended, Grace was on alert.
"What do you think you're doing?" Godric's voice was low, his accent seeming even thicker in his anger.
"I wanted to know what the fuss was all about," Eric had the decency to lower his gaze to at least appear ashamed. "Truly, Godric, I don't see why you would pick such a…"
Godric's hand wrapping around his throat halted his words, shoving his child to his knees. "I never gave you permission to seek her out."
"You were miserable," Eric pointed out through clenched teeth. "Isn't she what you wanted?"
Godric's gaze flickered to hers. He noticed how pale she was, swaying on her feet, and his fury only grew. "What did you do to her?"
"Why are you so concerned about a silly little pet?" Eric shuddered when Godric pressed against their shared bond, his maker's anger coursing through him as if it were his own. "Is she really what you've wanted all this time?"
"What did you do?" Godric demanded. When Eric didn't answer, his grip tightened. One bone, and then another snapped under his grasp. "What did you do to her?"
Grace really had no idea what had gotten into her, but the moment she heard the tiny cringe that emitted from the blonde vampire, she jumped into action.
"Whoa whoa whoa," she somehow managed to squirm her way between maker and progeny, forcing Godric's gaze to move upward. "Godric stop."
"It would be best if you moved, Grace," he tried to keep himself calm, even as his inner beast fought to be let freed. The thought of anyone harming his Grace, it caused a reaction similar to what he had felt inside the Authority. He wanted to rip apart whoever laid a hand on her, hunt those that thought they could take his away from him.
"It would also be best if you stopped," she placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away from the kneeling Viking. Sure, Eric wasn't her favourite person in the world. He was apparently kidnapping her. But if she hadn't of invited him in, she would be in a much differently place right now. "Godric!"
"Grace," he growled her name, his orbs darkening. "Move."
"No you move," she shoved at his chest again. "I get that you're angry – for whatever reason, because really I should be the one angry since it's been months since I've heard from you – but you're hurting him!"
"He'll heal."
"Well he shouldn't have to!"
"He took you. He came to you without my permission and…" his head snapped to the side, he pale cheek glowing a faint red where her hand had struck.
Grace realized the moment she slapped him that it wasn't the wisest decision. She didn't fear him; she had experienced him angry beyond belief before. But her damn hand was now throbbing along with her head and that was the last thing she needed tonight.
"You dare hit him?" Eric hissed from behind her, his own fangs extended now. "You little, unworthy cu…"
"Oh shut up, you asshole. I'm trying to help you," she snarled right on back at him before turning her focus back on his maker. "Before you go all psychotic, you might want to know that he actually sort of saved me tonight."
That comment sent Godric's gaze back to her. "What?"
"My parents went bonkers tonight and were trying to have me committed. If Eric hadn't of come along, I would be locked up in a padded room in a straitjacket."
Godric was taken back by her explanation. "Is this true?" he questioned his son.
Eric's fangs ached. Oh how he would like to just sink them into this little human for causing all this trouble. But at the bubbling emotions through their bond, Eric knew better than to keep his maker waiting. "Yes."
Straightening, Godric suddenly released Eric before taking a step back. "Go. I'll deal with you at Fangtasia."
It was a shell of a command, but it was enough to raise Eric to his feet and send him back to the Corvette. Grace watched with a raised eyebrow as the car took off, leaving them to stand in the middle of the empty street alone.
"Grace," he called to her hesitantly. They may not hare a bond – yet – but he could sense her own anger building.
His head was once again snapped to the side as the palm of her hand met his cheek.
A/N: One angry 2000-year-old vampire meets an angry 20-something girl. Poor Godric. Thanks everyone for all of your support, even though I was away from this and some of my other fics for awhile. But I'm on a roll now it seems, and I am going to take advantage of not being in school anymore, or in an internship. Job hunting might suck, but I mean, it gives me time to write some Godric goodness, so it's not all bad ;)