A/N: So sorry for the delay, but this chapter didn't want to cooperate. I'm still not completely satisfied with it, but going over it again and again wasn't helping, so here you go. As always, I don't speak Swedish, so translations, correct or other, are a result of Google Translate. Reviews=Love

The smell of blood hit her immediately, as soon as she stepped through the door. This was even sweeter than what she'd smelled standing outside Merlotte's. It was absolutely mouth-watering. She had to find the source of that scent.

"You must control yourself, Mercedes", Godric said from his place beside her, and for the moment she was grateful for his presence.

"Children smell better to us," he explained rapidly; if she was still human she wouldn't have understood a syllable of what he said, "You will become accustomed to it, but you mustn't scare the child."

Ava. That smell was Ava. Mercy was shocked to discover that her new fangs had descended and she hadn't even realized it. She wanted to curse. She had to concentrate a minute before they retracted, and she thought she might be able to face her niece. A five year old shouldn't terrify her this much. She inhaled again, experimentally. She would have to get used to this smell, for the moment at least.

"I'm alright now," she answered just as quietly, "I can do this."

She had to do it. She had to be able to watch out for Ava without killing her. She took another deep breath to brace herself against the scent, and stepped into Eric's living room. Ava was on the couch, already in pajamas, watching a princess movie. The young vampire, Heather, sat beside her, and gave every indication of being engrossed in the movie. Eric and Godric both followed her into the room, and the child turned at the noise.

"Aunt Mercy!"

Ava launched herself off the couch, and Mercy knelt to catch the human projectile.

"You were gone for so long and I didn't know where you were!" the girl sobbed as Mercy pulled her into a hug, standing to her feet.

"I know Ava, and I am so sorry. I didn't want to leave you, honey."

She mentally cursed Vincent, the Magister, and Godric for this. It was bad enough they'd just put her through Hell for their own perverse reason, but what was this doing to Ava? The kid was likely traumatized by all the upheaval, and no one seemed to give a rat's butt about that fact. And no, she wasn't prepared to be fair and allow for the fact that they weren't aware of her existence. If Godric hadn't wanted her immortal; if Vincent hadn't pursued her out of fear (or jealousy, or whatever) of Godric; if The Magister hadn't given Godric the damn excuse he'd been looking for to turn her, she wouldn't have to deal with a traumatized child, and she wasn't ready to forgive them for that.

It would be several minutes before the child stopped crying and released her death grip on Mercy's neck. Mercy sank into the couch still holding her, and Eric and Godric wisely left them alone, retreating far enough to give the pair some space and still be close enough to act in case Mercy slipped and tried to attack.

"Alright Ava, I think it's time we got you to bed."

"NO!"

With that, Ava gave a great imitation of an octopus as she again clung to Mercy's neck.

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, I promise."

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

At a loss, Mercy looked to the two males huddled near the doorway.

"Your aunt must sleep during the day now, Little One," Godric answered her when he saw the devastated look on Mercedes' face, "but she will see you tomorrow night, as soon as the sun goes down."

"No! Why can't you stay with me?!"

At that, Godric left Eric to face the child who was the cause of such distress for his Mercedes.

"Listen to me, child."

"Godric, don't you dare!" he heard Mercedes hiss at him, which he ignored. The tone of his voice compelled the girl to obey and she looked up at him, wiping the tears from her face. Godric gently reached out and brushed a stray tear from her impossibly long lashes.

"Your aunt Mercy is like me now. She can't be in the sun, where you should be. So in the morning, someone will be here to take care of you. And as soon as the sun sets, Mercy will come for you, because she still loves you just as much as she did before, and nothing will change that. Alright?"

"Aunt Mercy, you're a vampire now?"

The question was muffled in Mercy's hair, so that she would have had trouble understanding if she'd still been human.

"I am, honey."

She braced herself as Ava leaned back, and childish hands reached for her face. She submitted to her face being tilted this way and that, hand pressing and pushing. When Ava pried her mouth open and experimentally poked her teeth, Mercy obliged, dropping her fangs and hoping her niece wasn't going to run away screaming. Little fingers pushed on the pointed ends before retreating, as the child tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

"You'll stay until I fall asleep?"

Mercy nodded.

"And you'll be there as soon as the sun goes down?"

Ava waited until Mercy nodded a second time before allowing herself to be carried to bed. Eric waited until the two were safely occupied in what had been designated Ava's room before he dismissed Heather. Things had to be arranged for a daytime caretaker for the teacup human, and he had more important concerns at the moment.

"You need to know, Godric, that there was an incident in Dallas."

"What type of incident?"

Eric filled his maker in on everything Isabel had told him. He was no more pleased than she was that there had been such a delay, they were unable to handle things themselves. He didn't trust the human justice system to appropriately punish those who had intended to do murder. He had a few plans for Steve Newlin that he would love to implement.

"I will handle Newlin myself, should he continue to make this personal."

Godric was in no mood to be charitable with the human who'd tried to murder his child, and intended to murder him. The human had sent children to destroy Mercedes' home, quite possibly intending to kill her and Ava. Should another incident occur that he even suspected Newlin had a part in, the human would die.

Of greater concern at the moment was the fact that they would now have to find a new home. He intended to be back in Dallas tomorrow night, so that they would not have to deal with Lucian's arrival on the very night they returned to Texas. He'd planned to make his home with Mercedes, since it was house with which he was familiar. Now that wasn't an option and he simply didn't have the time to acquire another property. It would seem they would have to spend their first nights at the Hotel Carmilla.

"She's finally out," Mercedes announced her return several minutes later, and Godric returned from his phone call with Isabel to take in her appearance. Her expression was pained, but she was at least dry-eyed. He quickly ended his phone call as she walked out onto the porch. He watched as she took in several deep breaths of fresh air. He could well imagine how difficult it had been for her to be so close to the child when she was so newly risen.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

He didn't want to add to her burden tonight, but he knew she must be told. He saw her stiffen in response to that statement.

"What is it?"

"Young men from the Fellowship of the Sun set fire to your house after you left for Louisiana."

"What?"

"I'm afraid that the house has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?"

Godric nodded. It couldn't be concealed from her, and she deserved to know what to expect.

"We should return to Texas tomorrow night. I'll arrange a room at the Carmilla until we can find a new house. I know that it's not ideal for Ava, but it's the best we can do until we find a new home."

Mercy shook her head. She couldn't take Ava to a vampire hotel. She couldn't take such a chance with her niece's safety.

"I am the king of Texas now, älskling," Godric stunned her when she said as much; "no one will dare harm a hair on that child's head if I order her untouchable."

"You're the king of Texas? When did that happen?"

"You missed a great deal last night. The other half of my sentence for killing Vincent was that I must take his place as king. But as a result, no one will touch the child if I say. I will not allow any harm to come to her."

He hoped she would agree without the use of a command. So very much had been taken out of her control these recent days. He could not alter the fact that they must return to Dallas so soon, and under such circumstances, but he didn't want to force her into it.

"Can't we stay here until you find a new house?"

"Lucian will be in Dallas in two nights' time, and we must be there when he arrives. I thought you might prefer not to have to meet him the very night we return. If you really wish it, we can delay for one more night, but no longer."

Mercy shook her head vehemently. She didn't want Lucian anywhere near Ava.

"We can go tomorrow. I don't Ava anywhere near that man."

They stood in silence for several minutes. Mercy was preoccupied with trying to come to grips with all the news. Godric was content just to watch her at an almost peaceful moment. If he had his preference, they would remain that way forever.

"Are you thirsty," Godric asked, finally breaking the silence, "Eric has a supply of True Blood. You should begin to accustom yourself to it."

Mercy could honestly say that she wasn't thirsty, but she felt the nearly overwhelming desire to wash Ava's scent, so thick she could still taste it, from her mouth. She acquiesced to Godric's urging and allowed him to lead her into the house. They'd only just reached the kitchen when Godric's phone rang again, identifying the caller as the Magister. He excused himself to take the call, leaving Mercy with Eric n his massive kitchen.

"True Blood?"

She accepted the offered bottle and took a tentative sip. Eric choked off a laugh at the expression on her face as she swallowed and set the bottle down.

"You should have mentioned how disgusting this stuff is."

"It's a pale imitation of human blood," Eric agreed, "but you'll get used to it. You'll find that certain blood types will taste better than others, and it's the same with real blood."

"What joy. Something to look forward to."

Eric watched her closely as he drank his own bottle, internally debating what to say next. She was being far too quiet, in his view. Mercy was a very vocal woman. He worried that she might decide to meet the sun to try to escape her new reality. If they lost her, they lost Godric.

"Godric didn't want to turn you," he began. Her choked disbelief interrupted him.

"Godric's wanted to turn me for almost ten years, Eric. This just gave him the excuse. I wouldn't be surprised if the sneaky baster told the king exactly where to find me."

"He didn't," Eric was quick to correct her, "I did."

"You did? After the effort it took to get away from your house before Vincent and your king showed up, you told them where I was?! Why would you do that?!"

"The Magister threatened to kill Pam if I didn't tell him where you were. I couldn't' take the chance that he would actually do it. Hate me all you want; I deserve it. But Godric doesn't. He had no intention of turning you when you came to Shreveport."

"And yet he did it."

"And if he hadn't? If he'd just killed you instead, what would have happened to him? If you don't care about him, what would have happened to your mini blood bag, alone in a vampire nest with no guardian?"

"Ava was safe with you, Eric."

He drained the rest of his bottle and set it on the table.

"Surprisingly, I do like the tiny human. But make no mistake: she's safe here only because of Godric's orders. Orders he wouldn't be here to give if he hadn't turned you."

"You're just trying to scare me."

"No, I'm just trying to get you to see reason. Godric always wanted you immortal, that's true; but he didn't want to turn you like this. And like it or not, your being turned saved both your lives, and I won't feel bad about turning you over to the Magister to achieve that. Very few vampires choose to become immortal; you're hardly unique in that, and you'll adapt like all of us did."

"Do you ever feel bad about anything, Eric?"

"Regrets are a waste of time," he lied through his teeth. He wouldn't-couldn't-tell this woman who was ready to hate him that thoughts of Sookie Stackhouse haunted his waking nights. He had not doubt he'd only be giving her ammunition to use against him.

"You would say that."

"You'll figure it out for yourself after your first century."

Godric's return prevented Mercy from saying whatever it was she may have planned to say to that. He took one look at her face and rounded on his progeny, dressing him down in Swedish. Mercy decided she was really going to have to learn the language if she wanted to have a hope of understanding them. If she stuck around that long; she still hadn't made up her mind on that.

What Godric said to Eric, Mercy didn't know. But the Viking left them, muttering about the business he still had to run. It was strange to find herself alone in Eric's house, only Godric and her sleeping niece for company.

"I never really expected Eric's house to be so-normal."

"What were you expecting älskling?"

"After seeing Fangtasia? I'd half-expected some sort of Gothic monstrosity, not the picket fence and two car garage."

He smiled at that. To anyone who didn't know Eric well the house would seem out of character. Especially if their only basis for comparison was Fangtasia. If Pamela ever heard Mercy's words she would be furious.

"Fangtasia is designed to be a tourist attraction. I believe one young woman described it as 'if Disneyland had a vampire ride'. Eric's personal tastes are much more discreet."

"Yeah, I've seen a couple of his 'dancers' and I wouldn't call that personal taste 'discreet'. And don't even try to deny that he bangs them."

Godric started to speak, and then closed his mouth with a sheepish smile. There was nothing to say to that; Mercedes was absolutely correct in her assertions. He'd also questioned Eric's practices in light of the fact that he was still pining over the missing Sookie Stackhouse. Godric had only a few memories of the young woman, but he knew that she wasn't entirely human. Eric believed she was part Fairy, and he was likely right. It certainly explained the girl's appeal to vampires. Whatever Eric saw in the women he had sex with would only be a pale substitute for the woman he actually wanted.

"Everything is arranged for our return to Dallas tomorrow night. Isabel has already informed the Carmilla of our arrival. When Lucian arrives in two nights, he will make the formal announcement."

"There's a formal announcement?"

"There must be, so that no one accuses me of trying to steal the throne. No one would dare challenge the Authority's nomination."

That made sense. Mercy supposed it would be easy enough for any vampire to try to lay claim to an empty throne without an official designation from this Authority Godric spoke of. She just wasn't terribly thrilled by the prospect of seeing the Magister again; especially not so soon after he ordered her turned. She would be perfectly happy to never see him again in her existence.

"There is something else we must discuss, Mercedes."

He was watching her with a serious expression, so she tried to brace herself. She probably wasn't going to like whatever he had to say; not if he was looking at her like that.

"What else is there to discuss?"

She'd already agreed to the Carmilla since her house was gone. There was no discussion about Ava. Until Ethan got back to the States Ava was her responsibility and she refused to let becoming a vampire affect that. What else could he want to discuss?

"Your role when we return to Dallas."

"My role?"

She hadn't even had a moment to consider what would happen to her when they got back to Texas. How could Godric already have a plan? Why should she have a role in Dallas?

"Yes. I intend—it is my hope to declare you Royal Consort."

That was—what did that even mean?

"You would be my recognized partner, an unofficial queen," he hurried to explain. "To name you queen would require a marriage, and I do not wish for such a contract. You are far more important to me than a mere term in office."

Right. For vampires, marriage was little more than a contract to fill the role of spouse for a specified number of years, or specific purpose. A political alliance, at best.

"I'm a teacher Godric, not a-a First Lady. I wouldn't even know how to begin—"

"Your role will be what you make it, Mercedes. Being my Consort comes with no official duties apart from maintaining our home and receiving guests. If you wish to teach still, we will find a way for you to do so."

"How would I ever be able to keep teaching? I can't go out in the sun."

"We'll find a way älskling. I would not try to take that from you."

He would do everything in his power to make certain her adjustment to the change was as smooth as possible. He wanted her to be comfortable with him again. He wanted to return to what they had been before he was forced to make her immortal. He didn't question her identification of herself as a teacher; it was what she had devoted the greater portion of her life to becoming. He would find a way for her to continue teaching. But she must also become his consort. It was the surest way to protect her. He would have to persuade her in the two nights before Lucian came to Dallas to make the announcement.

TB-TB-TB-TB

"Are we gonna live here?!"

Mercy could hear the awe in Ava's voice as the child looked around the room. The largest suite in the hotel had immediately been made available for the king's use. It was opulently decorated; Godric had already declared that it would be a suitable temporary space to received guests.

"No, Ava. We're just staying here for a little while, until we find a new house."

Bless Isabel; a meeting had already been set up with a realtor that catered to vampires. Mercy's email was already flooded with links to available properties in the Dallas area. Being able to claim a king for a client was certainly a boost for any business, and this Clifford Sellers seemed determined to earn his commission.

"Can we get the dogs back when we get a new house?"

Flying back had necessitated leaving Brutus and Nero with Eric; a situation Mercy was just as eager to remedy as her niece. Godric's protestations to the contrary, Mercy didn't trust living breathing animals would be safe in a hotel full of vampires. Her dogs were NOT on the menu.

"That's right, Ava. As soon as we get a real house Mr. Eric will bring Brutus and Nero. And my car," she muttered under her breath.

"Ava, this is Beth," Godric interrupted them, a human woman following him into the main sitting room. "Beth is going to stay with you during the day for as long as we're here."

"Hello Ava. It's very nice to meet you."

Mercy gritted her teeth and plastered a smile on her face. Beth seemed nice enough as Ava greeted her, and someone had to be there for the munchkin during the day since she wasn't going back to school just yet. She wasn't sure she could trust that Ava would be safe at a school that was primarily Fellowship of the Sun populated once word got out that she was a vampire. Especially since Steve Newlin had his little brainwashed acolytes burn her house to the ground before she was ever changed.

"I promise I'll take excellent care of her, ma'am," Beth was addressing her, and Mercy tried to look like she was paying attention.

"I'm sure you will, Beth. Ava, say good night to Miss Beth. It's time you get ready for bed, so you'll see her in the morning."

"I'll be here at sunrise, ma'am."

Fortunately Beth took the dismissal that Mercy intended and left. Mercy decided to leave Godric to his business, and herded Ava into the bathroom. Given the size of the bathtub and the fact that it had whirlpool jets, bath time was going to be a long event tonight.

"You do not like Beth," Godric commented when they were finally alone. As predicted, it had taken a long time to get Ava to settle down and actually sleep, and Mercy heard Isabel and another vampire she didn't recognize in that time. Even though the formal announcement had yet to be made, Godric was already busy as king.

"I like Beth fine," she countered as she took a seat on the couch and reached for the wine glass Godric had set in front of her. She was shocked when she sipped it to discover the taste didn't repulse her. Godric was watching her reaction, looking entirely too please with himself.

"I had a hunch you might prefer your own blood type. It was willing donated; the young woman was handsomely compensated."

Smug, overconfident man-child. He smirked at her as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Why do you dislike Beth" he asked, returning to his original question. "If there is some sort of problem, I can easily arrange another caretaker for Ava."

"Another caretaker wouldn't make a difference."

She drained her glass and set it down on the table, the impact causing the glass to break. The event startled her, and she immediately looked to Ava's room, hoping the kid stayed sleeping. When no child's voice or footsteps came from the room, Mercy stood to her feet and started pacing.

"Mercedes, what is wrong?"

He could not address the problem if she wouldn't tell him what it was.

"What's wrong? What's wrong is that I'm a damn vampire! I shouldn't be choosing a caretaker; I should be taking care of Ava myself! But thanks to Vincent, and you, and the Magister, I can't do that! I have to step back and let someone else do it all because you people couldn't leave me alone, and it sickens me. All of you move humans around like pieces on a game board, and never mind who you're hurting!"

Godric remained silent, knowing she was right. For millennia he had treated humans exactly that way, even teaching his progeny to do the same. Not even those with human companions saw them as equals. Only in the last decade had he even begun to think of treating humans better, and that was primarily due to the angry woman standing before him.

"We are predators, Mercedes," he finally said. "We have been since the first vampire walked the earth. And humans are our prey. That we no longer need to rely on human blood for sustenance doesn't mean we can ignore our nature."

"Your nature, not mine. I'm not like you, Godric."

"No, you're not," he agreed. "Unlike me, you seem to have retained your conscience. And now you must be mine as well. I cannot lose you, mitt hjärta."

"You don't get to lay that on me. You had a conscience before I came along."

"It was the weariness of an endless existence that stayed my hand, Mercedes. Not kindness. And I am no longer the vampire I was when you knew me. It would not stop me now."

"Godric—"

The knock on the door interrupted Mercy, and she pursed her lips to keep in the sigh of frustration. Was this a trend of things to come? She wasn't a fool- she knew Godric would be busier as King than he ever was as Sheriff, but did that mean that their every conversation would be interrupted? That was going to get old really quick.

Älskling = sweetheart

mitt hjärta = my heart