"Miss Wright, can you step into my office please?"

"Can it wait, John? I have to get Ava."

"It's important."

Mercy muttered to herself after the voice on the intercom cut off, but resigned herself to going to the headmaster's office. She wondered what he could possibly want as she made her way through the building. Since the blow-up a month ago, Kate and Carol had both backed off, at least from berating her openly. As far as she knew, none of the students had a complaint that was extraordinary enough to warrant a meeting with Dunning. None of them had shown any sort of problems that might warrant a meeting, either. Her lesson plans for the rest of the semester had already been turned in and approved. What could the man possibly want?

She knocked once on the door before walking inside. John Dunning looked up from the papers covering his desk.

"Good, you're here. Please have a seat, Mercedes."

"What's this about John," she asked as she took a seat. The look on his face suggested that he didn't want to talk about anything good.

"You'll have heard about the budget meeting last week, yes?"

She nodded, not sure where he was going with this. Everyone had heard of the budget meeting last week. Dunning had come out of it cursing a blue streak and headed for the nearest bar, and none of the attendees on the Concerned Parents Committee had looked any happier. None of the details had been made public, though, so she had no idea what went wrong.

"What I'm telling you isn't public knowledge yet, and I expect you to keep this in strictest confidence. Caleb Patterson is going to be indicted next week for fraud. The arrest was announced this morning. As you know, Mr. Patters on was our school's largest donor, and after last week's budget review—there is no possible way to make up for the funding we lost. All of our programs will be affected, but the most impacted will be the scholarship program."

Oh no. Mercy's heart constricted at the news. There were nearly a dozen students at the school on scholarships; students who would have to go to other schools if they lost that funding. Most of them were from the more troubled neighborhoods in Dallas; they would never be able to afford the tuition.

"Now I'm telling you this because I know how important the program is to you, and I didn't' want you to have to find out from the rumor mill. I don't think I need to tell you to keep this to yourself for now."

Mercy sat stunned. Caleb Patterson, a thief? The news didn't seem real. She thought of all the students who would be affected. Many of them were in her classes. Jamal, Samuel, Maria, Lisa—they would be seniors next year.

"There has to be something we can do, John."

"I really wish there was. But I've gone over the numbers repeatedly. We're losing a half million dollars, and we're almost at the end of the semester. There's simply no way to make up that funding before next school year."

What did they do with all that money? Half a million dollars—some public schools couldn't dream of getting that much donated to them, not in a decade.

"How long do we have?"

"We'll have to begin notifying parents next week. Timothy Cooper, head of the Concerned Parents Committee, is still trying to make up the difference, but the cuts will have to begin by the end of the month."

"Thank you for letting me know John."

"I'll be calling a meeting for the entire faculty to make them aware at the end of this week."

That was her cue to leave, and Mercy rose to her feet. She made her way to the door on autopilot, but froze before leaving.

"Have you checked with the Gaulman Foundation?"

Mercy didn't know why she was sitting in this lawyer's office. She'd never heard of Arnold Sullivan before, and was curious as to how he'd gotten her number, and what the man wanted.

"Miss Wright, Mr. Sullivan will see you now."

She gave the barest nod to the receptionist who waved her into the hallway and pointed out the correct office. Arnold Sullivan wasn't exactly what she'd expected as he stood in the doorway to greet her. He looked like he was in his thirties, but his business card said he'd been in practice for over fifty years.

"Good evening, Mrs. Gaulman. I hope you weren't terribly inconvenienced by the meeting time. I'm afraid meeting during the day is quite impossible.'

Of course. He was a vampire. She was surprised she didn't notice it straight away.

"Please do make yourself comfortable."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Several seconds silence was broken by that incredulous statement. Mercy couldn't believe her ears. Surely Sullivan had to be joking.

"I am perfectly serious, Mrs. Gaulman. Mr. Gaulman came to me to change his Will a number of years ago. His provision for you was most explicit. The house outside of Dallas and the one in Tuscany have been transferred to you, as well as five percent of his money. The rest of his wealth he left to his progeny. I'm sure you can understand that even though you are his wife by our standards, his progeny are entitled to the bulk of his estate. Mr. Gaulman has certainly been far more generous than most vampires are to their humans."

"You really think I'm mad he didn't leave me more money? Are you insane? What am I supposed to do with eighteen million dollars, let alone anything more?"

"Billion, Mrs. Gaulman. With a 'B'."

Mercy sank back down in the chair, her legs no longer supporting her. Godric left her eighteen billion dollars? How was she supposed to spend even a fraction of that?

"That's a vampire run foundation. I can't make an application for funds from them. The CPC would have my head."

"It's not a vampire foundation, John. It was set up by a human. You really should make an application for funds from them."

"What makes you so sure it's human run? No one can find out anything about the founder and believe me, everyone's tried."

Well, it was gratifying to hear that Sullivan managed that much, and her anonymity was still secure. Her biggest concern was that word of her newfound wealth would get out, and she'd never hear the end of people wanting money. She'd already had enough of that from Ethan, and Ava's grandmother.

"Have they?"

"Of course they have. A brand new ten billion dollar charitable foundation comes on the scene—trust me: everyone wants to know where that money came from. And no one's ever heard of this Gaulman. That's why they're so sure it's a vampire trying to buy their way into Dallas society."

"Even if it was a vampire foundation, that shouldn't stop you from applying for a grant. Those kids deserve those scholarships. That shouldn't even be a question."

"Unfortunately it will be a very big question for the parents who pay tuition for their kids. Asking vampires for money—do you even realize how many families at this school attend The Fellowship of the Sun? Taking money from vampires would get me fired or worse, get those children pulled from the school."

"But it's alright to toss out the kids who can't afford the tuition? Never mind that they've earned the right to be here, as much as or more than those kids with rich parents?"

She could see the headmaster bite back a sharp retort, and she bit her own tongue. Yelling at the man wouldn't do anyone any good. And she could tell that he really WAS trying to work out the problem. He cared about those kids just as much as she did. He didn't have to tell her about the crisis, after all, but he had.

"Like I said, Mercy, give me proof that the Gaulman foundation isn't a vampire run foundation, and I'll file an application tomorrow."

She cursed softly. If this got out—she could kiss her privacy goodbye. But his scholarship program was too important to do nothing.

"I know it's not a vampire foundation because it's mine," she answered with a sigh. "I founded it. It's my money."

The man just looked at her, dumbfounded. She supposed it wasn't every day one found out that one's teacher was worth the Gross Domestic Product of a small country.

"But—if you—"

"Here's how this will work," she spoke, quickly overrunning his struggle for the appropriate rhetorical question, "You'll make an application to the foundation for a grant. I'll instruct the board that a one-time donation is to be made, let's say two million dollars, which will go strictly to the scholarship program. Anything else you'll have to apply for just like everyone else.

In exchange for that, this conversation never took place. No one at this school knows about the foundation, and I intend to keep it that way. If I start getting calls and requests, I'll know exactly who leaked the information. And then we'll see who's worse: me, or the CPC."

The man couldn't do more than nod, and Mercy left him to the rest of his work. She just hoped this wouldn't come back to bite her in the butt. She didn't have time to worry about it any longer. She had to get Ava, and she'd promised the girl a trip to the animal shelter. It was time for a pet upgrade. The goldfish had lasted the entire six months Ava had lived with her, and that was the deal.

TB-TB-TB-TB-TB

Eric waited, impatiently, for Magda to show up. A month of waiting, and she finally called him to say she had a spell that stood a chance of working. Beside him, Godric was waiting even more impatiently. He paid no attention to the bar patrons who were eyeing him with frank curiosity; it was the first time he'd ever joined Eric on the stage. What could be keeping the old woman?

Finally, he could see the graying head at the club entrance, pushing her way through the crowds with ease. The humans might not know why they were so leery of the old woman who looked utterly ordinary, but most of them were smart enough to know they didn't want to mess with her. She was followed by three much younger women, and Eric smiled. He could have some fun with the young witches.

"Northman."

"Magda."

He led the group downstairs to the basement, where there was more room for so many people. It was fortunate that he didn't have any prisoners down there at the moment. The last one had been released a week ago, and the dungeon sterilized. He didn't have to worry about anyone begging for help, or the witches refusing to perform their spell.

"It would seem that one of our younger coven members was not completely well when she participated in the original spell. This is the only cause I have been able to find for the spell's incomplete success."

"And you can fix this?"

"I can attempt to mend the error, vampire. But I must warn you that there is great risk to this. The spell I found to aid memory was not designed for this purpose. It could work completely, or not at all. But performing this spell could cost your life. You must decide if that is a risk you wish to take."

Eric couldn't believe his eyes. Godric was actually considering it.

"Get out," he ordered the witches.

"Eric," Godric's tone was infinitely patient, which only pissed Eric off more.

"It's not worth your life!"

"Eric, I must know."

"You heard her, it might not even work! Why would you risk the True Death for something that might not work?!"

He didn't understand why his maker was so willing to risk his life. It was the rooftop of the Carmilla all over again. He could NOT watch Godric die.

"You know why."

So he could go back to Mercy. It came back to that damned human again. How could Godric choose her over his progeny?

"Do you really think she would want you to do this? To risk dying? Do you really think she'd say it was worth your life?"

One of the younger women stepped forward, and Eric bared his fangs at her. She shrank back immediately. He wasn't about to let any of them near his maker.

"Eric—"

"This is insanity!"

Godric wished he could find the words to make Eric understand. He needed to do this. If he was to have any hope of returning to his Mercedes, he needed his memories to eliminate any threat. But even more than that, he needed to know who he was. How could he make Eric see?

"Eric—"

"You can't do this to me, Godric! You can't ask me to let you die again!"

He could not ignore his child's very real distress. Especially when it looked as though he was the cause. His child was the most important thing in his existence, apart from Mercedes.

"Very well, Eric. Your services are not required this evening," he directed that last comment to Magda and her coven, keeping his eye on his progeny, who looked ready to tear them limb from limb. Magda ushered the younger women up the stairs, but stopped and muttered a few words over Godric that he didn't understand.

"Perhaps it will help."

She left him with those words, so that he and Eric were the only ones in the basement. Godric turned his full attention on the Viking.

"What did I do to you, child?"

Eric didn't answer; instead speeding up the stairs and out of the building. Godric stared after him for a moment before walking up at a much more sedate pace. He was surprised to not that Eric had left the club altogether.

He could feel the emotions bleeding off the younger vampire: anger, concern for his maker, and the pain of knowing that he wasn't enough. Rage, which Godric assumed was directed at Mercedes. He lamented his inability to explain his need for the human in a way that Eric could understand. She was the first thing he knew in a completely alien place. An anchor. A single creature in this foreign land that recognized him. Until she summoned Eric, she was the only thing he knew. He didn't know the depth of the bond they shared, but it was as if she kept some vital piece of him for herself when she sent him away.

Eric hadn't gone far—he returned only a minute later.

"Let's go."

TB-TB-TB-TB-TB

Mercy was startled out of a very-vivid-dream when she heard something outside her window. She grabbed her pistol from the bedside table, loading the magazine and aiming at the window as she sat up in one fluid movement. She almost dropped the gun when she saw who was standing outside.

She wasn't the only one to be awakened by her late night visitors. She heard the tell-tale sounds of four-legged creatures running down the hall as she slid out of the bed and into a pair of slippers. Two rather large dogs sprinted into her room and stood growling at the vampires on the other side of the glass.

"Quiet Brutus, Nero. You'll wake up Ava."

Oh snap. Godric and Eric were standing outside her window, waiting for her to let them in, while Ava was asleep just down the hall. They didn't know about her. At least, she didn't think Eric knew about her. She wasn't sure how much Isabel knew about Ava, or what she might have told the Viking.

"Mercedes?"

Darn it. She couldn't just leave them out there. The dogs followed her out into the living room, standing guard at the front door while she deactivated the alarm. They started growling again as the two vampires appeared at the door.

"If you two wake up Ava I'm taking you back to the shelter, you got that?"

Whoever said dogs weren't intelligent had clearly never met this particular breed. They looked at her in all seriousness, and Mercy could swear Brutus actually nodded his head before he sat at attention. Once she was fairly certain they wouldn't pounce, she opened the door.

"Come in."

Godric looked tired, Eric looked terrible, and she was in no mood to stand questioning them on her doorstep. There would be time for questions if they stayed tomorrow night, or woke before she got home from school. The two vampires stepped inside, and Mercy wasn't too surprised when Godric immediately puller her into his arms and started sniffing her. Brutus watched this strange ritual curiously, while Nero kept an eye on Eric, who was purposely avoiding watching the pair.

He visually inspected the house as a distraction until his attention was caught by the presence of a fourth heartbeat. He counted a second time, just to make sure. There was Mercy, and the two animals, and—there it was: a fourth heartbeat. It was slow but unmistakable. Someone else was in this house. If Mercy had brought another man into this house after evicting his maker, someone would die. He followed the heartbeat away from the public areas of the house.

Mercy saw Eric head for the bedrooms and immediately tried to detach herself from Godric. She called the Viking's name as she followed him, Godric on her heels and now distracted by the heartbeats he could hear. When she finally reached Eric, the blond was standing completely still in Ava's room, staring transfixed at the child sleeping in the bed.

"Explain this," he ordered Mercy. He noted Godric step protectively in front of his human before peering at the slumbering child curiously.

"It's a kid."

"I can see that. What's it doing here?"

"Sleeping. And if you wake her up, I'll break you."

The look on Eric's face suggested that he might happily break HER. Nero seemed to sense the vampire's agitation, because he jumped up on the bed and curled up at the child's feet, daring Eric to make a move towards them.

"Why is there a child sleeping in this house?" Godric was looking to her for explanation as well.

"Ava lives with me. She's my niece, so leave her alone."

She waited until Eric and Godric left the room before she pulled the door closed, and directed them to the living room. She offered them True Blood, but they both shook their head, so she took a seat on the couch.

"How is it that your niece came to live with you?" Godric asked, unwilling to broach the subject of why they came to Dallas. Had he known Eric intended to bring him here—happy as he was to see Mercedes, they'd interrupted her rest. They should not be here, and he half feared that once he explained the reason for their coming, she would send them away.

"Her mother died six months ago. And my brother-her father-is in the army. So I took her in."

Six months. SO the child was not a part of his time with Mercedes. He couldn't say why that relieved him. Regardless of that, the child's presence was an obstacle. It was no wonder Mercedes would not come with him.

"Alright then, if that's all you came for, I have to be at work in five hours so I'm going back to bed. If you're leaving do it now before I set the alarm."

Neither man made a move to leave. Eric was taking his cue from Godric. The smaller vampire was watching his human. She had not ordered them to leave. She was willing to allow them to stay. Mercy watched the two of them for a second before reactivating the security system, entering the code that would trigger the light panels.

"Feel free to browse the DVD library or use the laptop. Eric, keep in mind that a five year old gets on that computer, so if I find anything inappropriate, I'll stake you. All the rooms are light tight, so feel free to crash in any of them."

She left the two vampires watching her and returned to her room. She had to be up in four hours and at work in five. She just wanted to go back to sleep. She wasn't too surprised when her door opened only seconds after she closed it and Godric joined her.

"I will stay here."

While he looked uncertain as to his welcome, it wasn't a question. Mercy just pulled the covers back further in invitation. She didn't feel like arguing, not when she could tell something still bothered him.

"That wasn't an invitation for you to get naked," she commented as he slid into the bed, already stripped of his clothes. She was too tired to even think about sex.

"I can feel your exhaustion, Mercedes. I wish simply to hold you as you sleep this night."

He suited actions to words by pulling her close against him, positioning her so that her head was pillowed on his chest. This felt familiar, and comfortable.

"We have shared a bed in this way before, have we not?"

"Many times," she mumbled sleepily before drifting back into slumber.

The sun was only just beginning to peek out when Mercy's alarm went off. She could feel Godric settling around her, his eyes closing as he started to die for the day.

"I don't think so vampire. I have to go to work today."

His movements were growing sluggish, the only reason she was able to slip from his arms before they could tighten enough to hold her in.

"Do not leave me, Mercedes."

"I'll be back tonight."

She carded a hand through the short hair as his eyes drifted closed. Looking at his eyes, it was easy to forget his physical age. Dead to the world he looked almost like a little boy, not a man. He could definitely pass for one of her students.

She'd only just managed to get her bra on when Eric walked in, and she glared at him as she pulled the shirt over her head. Surprisingly, he wasn't paying any attention to her; his focus was on the vampire in the bed.

"He's not happy in Shreveport."

"Maybe not, but he's still undead there. Better undead and unhappy in Shreveport than dead dead in Dallas."

"What is it about you that commands his every waking thought? What is so damned special that he would come to you when he was resurrected?"

"Have you ever thought that was just proximity, Eric? I expect that he was just physically closer to me than he was to you. It would make a weird sort of sense that if he died in Dallas, he would come back in Dallas, and that put me as the closest bond he had. I seriously doubt he would have come to me over you, if he'd been closer to Shreveport.

As for the rest of it—I only ever expected him to be himself. Whether that was the two thousand year old vampire Sheriff, or the teenage boy. There were no expectations he had to live up to with me. And that's the whole story. Now, feel free to stay here with him, just stay out of the rest of the house so I don't have to try to explain you to Ava."

She waited until the bedroom door was closed by the blonde vampire to begin the process of waking up her niece.