AN: Thank you for a wonderfull feedback. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
Thanks to my beta, keiman and kei, for fixing my mistakes.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.
Chapter 23
Don't Fret My Pet
SPOV
"I would have never guessed that's the reason why vampires are so snobbish about their clothes…" I murmured, clenching a holder when Godric stopped at the lights, causing my body to jerk forward. I knew where Eric got his crazy driving habits- from his maniacal Maker who was driving faster than F1 drivers.
"Yes, the clothing of better quality tends to smell better, not so… synthetic."
"Okay," I murmured again, closing my eyes when Godric started from the spot and burnt rubber. I wanted nothing more than just to stop and crawl out of this damn car. "At the mall there are some shops from, hm, higher shelf."
We had gone to Target earlier - the first stop on our hunt to find some clothes for Godric - and I had barely stepped into the shop when I was rushed outside while Godric informed me he would be not purchasing anything at this place. This statement got my hackles up and I guess he sensed it because the ancient vampire quickly explained the reason - smell.
Clearly, only handmade cashmere and silk materials were acceptable for a vampire's hypersensitive senses. It made me wonder how they had existed in the Middle Ages when folks were throwing ordures into the streets. I shrugged it off though and I directed Godric to the place where I believed he could buy himself something nice. Clothes at that shop were definitely of greater quality (if their prices were any indications). I had quite a knowledge about this place; I once shopped there with Tara and almost passed out when I saw a dress that cost more than my monthly salary. This little memory only assured me that it was the place we were looking for.
Because Godric was driving like a bat out of Hell, we made it to the place in under a minute. I fought down the urge to kiss the ground when Godric helped me to step outside. I definitely needed his help with my legs wobbling like a newborn horse.
A moment later we were inside a boutique. Yes, my dear, not a shop - a boutique - shops are apparently for plebs and mortals.
The shop assistant (or maybe a boutique assistant) measured us critically the second we walked in. See, that's the reason I hate places like that! I made sure my shields were closed firmly around my mind, to make sure any of her nasty thoughts would not ruin my and Godric's night.
"Good evening", she greeted us, her white teeth almost blinding me. "How can I help you?" Her gaze stopped for a moment at Godric's sandals and I swear she almost rolled her eyes.
"This is a shop that provides people with clothes… I want to buy clothes, Madam," the vampire answered and I almost snorted. There was nothing mean in his tone, it sounded almost like a surprised statement, like he was a little taken aback that the woman had to ask him.
She blinked a few times, clearly lost and I decided to be merciful tonight.
"Yes," I stepped a little closer to her, giving her one of my best fake smiles. "My friend is looking for something more suitable for today standards… He had lost the sense of fashion over the centuries."
It was almost comical when a shop assistant added a few more details to create a full picture. First of all, Godric was the palest person in the world (I was sure of this). Second, his chest was unmovable and third, he hasn't blinked for over a minute, his hypnotic gaze stuck on her.
"Oh, of course! My name is Ivone and I will try to find something for you, sir." This time her smile was positively sweet. "Our brand is very well known for assisting vampire customers. What are you looking for - more specifically?"
Godric turned to me, his eyebrows running up. I bit down a smile, shrugging. It was a little funny seeing him in this environment and I might have been just a little cruel, taking pleasure in his uncertainty. "Trousers and… some jackets?" he actually asked and I snorted quietly, gaining myself a disapproving look from Ivone and an eyeroll from Godric.
"Of course!"
The shop assistant was a force of nature when she started to pick up pieces of wardrobe and began hanging them on the long hanger in the middle of the room.
Godric was watching her and if I was correct, he took a small step in the direction of an exit. This bastard was going to run! I was not having any of this so I took hold of his hand and asked Ivone to stop for a moment.
"Maybe we should narrow your assistance a little… " I said politely, but she gave me a dirty look and I risked a sneak peek inside her mind.
Stupid fangbanger! He would have bought anything I'd given him!
Yeah, I had no doubts that he would.
"Any color you like?" I asked Godric and he seemed to relax visibly.
"I like white and blue, but maybe I should invest in something black... Blood stains are not visible on that color."
I was shocked by his statement, but a soft twinkle in his eyes told me that he had said it on purpose. Meanwhile Ivone was moving to hide slightly behind a hanger, visibly paler than she had been earlier.
"White and blue then!" I offered, walking to the hanger and rising my eyebrows at her. "Do you mind?" She only shook her head, seeming a little less enthusiastic towards a vampire customer. I presented a light blue sweater to Godric and he nodded his head, approving of my choice. "Then I guess you should try it on…"
I wasn't able to finish my sentence because the vampire murmured "okay" and took off his grey sweater, outstretching his hand for the blue one. I gulped at the sight in front of me - Godric was definitely nicely built and the tattoos covering his skin were giving him an aura of mystery.
"Umm…" I stuttered, twitching uncomfortably, being challenged by Godric's clueless innocent expression. "I thought more about your using the dressing room…"
"We have no other customers…" Ivone cut in and I glared at her. Her gaze was fixed on the vampire's chest and tattoos; I swear she even licked her lips. Not believing in her lack of professionalism, I took Godric's hand and directed him to the dressing room. He followed me silently and stepped inside the cabin without a word. I was surpised by my sudden anger. There was nothing strange in the fact that Ivone was finding Godric attractive - his face was somehow boyish, but his body was definietly manly enough. She didn't know him though and I'm sure Godric would not have appreciated the fact that she was watching him like a piece of meat.
"Sookie?" I turned quickly when his soft whisper reached my ears. I smiled broadly, seeing what the blue color did to his face - he did look damn good in this color.
"It's great!" I told him honestly. "How do you feel in it?"
"Good," he nodded softly. "I'll keep it." I smiled again when I heard that - he sounded like a kid deciding to bring home a puppy. "We'll take others in this size." With this statement, Godric walked back to the boutique and said the same thing to Ivone. We left with four sweaters, four pairs of pants, two pairs of shoes and several T-shirts. No shirts with buttons - for some reason Godric wasn't fond of them. All in all, Ivone did earn some money off her vampire customer.
"Eric was a little off earlier," I started in a chatty-like way when we turned onto Hummingbird Lane. Eric's tense posture when he had been leaving for Fangtasia had been bothering me the whole evening.
Godric was silent for a moment, focused on maneuvuring between holes and I almost lost hope of getting an answer when Eric's Maker whispered.
"Queen's child came to visit."
I turned my head so quickly that something snapped in my neck. The horrible feeling in the pitch of my stomach could mean only one thing - guilt. Godric was sensing where my emotions were heading when he reached for my hand and squeezed it casually.
"Do not worry, Little One, Eric is not in any trouble..."
"But..."
"No "buts" Sookie; we are sure Eric is safe and Queen has no reason to punish him. She is not above the vampire law and has to obey it."
"Fine, but..."
"We had our 'butts' discussion already."
I snorted - I couldn't help the fact that I heard 'butts' everywhere. Godric had to have caught on this as well because he smilled broadly and winked at me.
"I'm sorry, in advance, for the state of my house. Maenad did a number on me..."
"I know Sookie and that's why we are going there. Alcide asked for a list of things that you wished to change in your house."
I took a deep breath, preparing myself for another battle; I had fought in one earlier and my oponent, Eric, had been very stubborn. When I had disagreed with the fact that Eric "owes me for repairing my house", he had done the only thing that hasn't failed him yet - he had set his Maker on me.
"We will deal only with absolutely necessary repairs and I am paying for them!"
Godric remained quiet and I glanced at him suspiciously. He was completely laid back and didn't seem too willing to fight me over it. It was a nice change from Eric, who was always trying to persuade me to let him use his money on every step.
Soon I was standing in front of my home, again shocked by the damages the mystical creature had caused.
"Don't worry," Godric assured me gently, putting a hand on the small of my back. "Everything can be fixed."
I nodded and started inspecting my house. At one point, Godric disappeared from my sight and I heard him calling me from the backyard.
"What is this?" asked Godric, his brows furrowed when I spotted him. Worrying that he had discovered something potentially dangerous, I walked over to him and stopped at the edge of the porch. Seeing what he was pointing at, I smiled.
"My Baby!" I exclaimed, jogging to my yellow car and smiling at him. Shortly after the whole ordeal with Drew Marshal aka Rene Lennier, Sam had offered to transport my car to his friend in Shreveport who was able to fix my car for cost. Clearly he had succeeded because my yellow Honda Civic was again standing in the backyard in all its glory.
Godric followed me like a silent shadow, his expression still confused so I explained to him my sentiment behind this car. I had been given 'Yellow' by my Gran, as my graduation gift. Sure, it was no Ferrari, but it was mine and it was perfectly capable to drive me from point A to point B. I was relieved that I had my car back again.
The ancient vampire seemed to be slightly skeptical when he circled my car and stopped for a moment to move his finger across a rust spot. Well, it was drivable, even though it wasn't in perfect shape!
"Are you sure it's safe to drive it?" he asked suddenly and I instantly huffed my annoyance. What was everyone's problem with my car?
"Of course! So what if there is some rust on the back door; that doesn't mean that it's broken." I was fiercely defending my vehicle. Godric only raised an eyebrow and almost shocked me into a coma when he took hold of the back bumper and raised half of my car in the air.
I was standing there, utterly dumbfounded and shocked by this show of power. I knew that vampires were strong, but seeing him pulling a number like a freaking Superhero was… Yes, shocking was the only word to describe it.
"I'm more worried that the rust is also on the chassis. I am no expert but THIS can be dangerous," he continued like there was nothing strange in the fact he was looking under my car while holding the whole vehicle aloft in one hand. "Eric is in the possession of numerous cars; I'm sure that he will not mind allowing you to borrow one until…" Godric got quiet in the middle of the sentence and loosened his grip, causing my car to land with a clatter.
Before I had fully registered that he had just dropped my fucking car, the ancient vampire was standing before me, his fangs bared. His body was turned in the direction of the woods and I instinctively took a step back, seeing him getting ready to attack.
I reached with my mind into the woods and groaned when I recognized the brain signature. I was all riled up by Godric throwing my car around like a toy and the fact that my damned ex was standing several feet away, probably spying on us, only angered me more.
"Show yourself Bill; I know youre there!" I hollered, putting my hands on my hips and raising my head proudly. I could afford to be cocky with my personal Superhero standing only inches away.
A moment later, Bill emerged from the shadows silently, stopping in front of us. It hadn't escaped my attention that he kept a healthy distance from Godric.
"Sookeh," Bill started, his eyes remaining on the other vampire all the time. "What is this supposed to mean?"
I had no idea how to answer his question and frankly I didnt know what he was exactly asking me about. Me standing there with Godric? Me walking around my own damned house? Me rejecting him in Dallas? I decided to remain silent.
"Sookeh," Bill repeated. "You're acting thoughtless by spending time with… this particular vampire."
Godric snapped his fangs back, relaxing next to me. I wasn't sure why his posture had changed so suddenly. Was it his way to show that he is not afraid of Bill?
"Bill, " I started as softly as possible. We might not have parted on the best footing, but there was no reason to be exaggeratedly rude to him. "We've broken up so it's up to me who I'm spending my time with. Please, just leave me alone."
His eyes flashed and stopped on me, quickly moving back to Godric though.
"Mister Compton, I believe you should leave," Godric reprimanded him, not moving from his place next to me. "As Sookie has just explained, she doesn't wish for your company anymore."
Those words had been spoken softly and without much emotion, but this simple sentence enraged Bill more than I would've expected. Something crossed Bill's face, twisting his features into an ugly snarl and making me take a step back, anywhere, just further away from him. I've never been scared of Bill before, but the sudden cruelty that I had just noticed in his eyes made me shiver.
As quickly as the shadow had covered his face, it was gone, but I was sure that that sight will always be imprinted on my memory.
"You're making a mistake Sookie… You decided to trust Eric, the vampire who is nothing more than a pathological liar and what's even worse, you've trusted his Maker."
A soft, almost unnoticeable growl sounded from Godric's chest and my hand reached to squeeze his arm comfortingly - the last thing that I wanted was a vampire fight in my backyard.
"You're wrong. During the last few days, Eric has proven himself to be a far better person than I would've ever dreamed of..." Compton's face blanched a little and I sighed softly. I probably shouldn't have said that. "Look Bill," I started patiently, but he snarled at me and I quickly got quiet.
"You stink like both of them, Sookeh! That's just disgusting!"
I inhaled sharply at his accusation and at the disgust I'd just heard in his tone.
"Bill..."
Godric's growl became louder and I had no doubts that if he erupted, there would be a serious problem. At least for Bill.
"Do you know what this monster has done in the past?" Bill jerked his head at Godric and the ancient vampire froze. His body got rigid and tense and I knew that my ex-boyfriend had just wandered onto very dangerous territory. Godric has never mentioned his past and I have never asked him about it. It was his secret to tell and it didn't sit well with me that Bill was going to start throwing out accusations.
"Bill, I don't really wanna..."
"The things that he and his Maker were doing with all of their slaves? With children no less. Sookie..." I felt blood draining from my face while I was hearing Bill's venomous whisper. "You think what your Uncle Bartlett was thinking about you was horrible? Godric was doing all of those things and others that were far worse!"
A chilly shiver ran through my body when I fully understood what Bill had just said. I looked at Godric and my heart broke a little at the sight of him.
His eyes were hollow, empty and stuck on the ground. I could easily recognize the shame on his face. I wanted Bill to shut up, but neither I nor Godric were able to move or say anything. And unfortunately, the younger vampire was far from being done. "You felt dirty when Bartlett was touching you and now you're opening your legs for someone so much worse?"
Before I could blink, Bill was gone and so was Godric. I screamed when a fast blur ran into my car, causing my Honda to cave in on one side. A moment later, I heard a high howl of pain and a terrible sound of tearing flesh. All of my instincts were screaming to me to run. The noises of a furious predator, the screams, the blood that was now painting my yellow car red... All of it made my stomach turn.
I saw Godric lifting Bill into the air with the same ease as he had lifted my car. The younger vampire was very wounded and I noticed that there was only one of his legs still hanging from his body - both of his arms and his left leg were missing - the noises of tearing flesh finally made sense.
"Godric, stop..." I whispered timorously when his hand closed over Bill's neck. I was scared that Godric was going to rip his head off and no matter what Bill had said, he did not deserve to die. "Please, let go of him..."
I took a few steps closer, hoping that my close proximity will help Godric to cool down. Bill whispered something hoarsely and whatever it was, it only made the ancient vampire tighten his hold.
"Godric, please let go of him..." I pleaded again and this time his head jerked aside. "You're not a monster, Sweety; I know you're not. I beg you, don't do this."
Slowly, very slowly, Godric lowered Bill and he screamed when his injured body fell onto the ground. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Godric, trying not to wince at the sight of him. His new light blue sweater was stained red and I thought sadly that maybe he was right - maybe we should have bought him a black one.
I looked at Bill's tormented body and felt tears prickling in my eyes. I didn't know what to do - should I give him my blood? What would it help?
"His child is coming," I heard Godric's soft whisper and I almost jumped at the sound of his voice. "She will take care of him."
With these words, he turned around and marched in the direction of my house to eventually plop down on the stairs.
I was standing in the middle of my backyard, torn between reaching out for Bill and helping him down and walking to Godric to comfort him. And to get some answers.
Sighing heavily, I made up my mind and walked slowly toward the porch.
AN: Get some tissues ready for the next chapter... I'm afraid we're going to have THIS conversation.
Please, let me know what you think and leave a review! Till next time :)
