Chapter twelve: Please Don't Leave Me

"So we're just going to chain him up and then leave him?" I watched as Eric chained Godric up in the basement of Fangtasia. The ancient vampire was still unconscious, and part of me was grateful for that. If he had woken up on the way to Shreveport, I wasn't sure what either Eric or I would have done. We didn't know how he would react. Would he want to attack me? Would he be back to the Godric we all knew and love? Part of me wondered if that Godric was still in there. But I couldn't let myself think that way. We would get him through this, allow for the blood to leave his system and then he'll be back to normal.

Or at least, I prayed that he would be. I don't know what I would do if he didn't return to the best friend I had learned to rely on. I needed him. I realized that this past month. I learned on him, sought him out for advice. I was a mess without Eric, if Godric wasn't in the picture, I could just imagine how destroyed I would be.

"That's the plan." Eric nodded, locking the last metal cuff around Godric's wrist and took a step back. "I'll take you home."

"No, I want to stay." I shook my head.

He raised an eyebrow as he turned to me. "He's not going to wake up anytime soon, Ellie. And we don't know how he'll react. You might only make things worse."

"I'll stay upstairs in your office." I shrugged. "But I can't just leave him."

Eric sighed and shook his head as he passed me to begin up the stairs. I knew this was hard on him, having to lock his maker up in the basement of his bar. It killed me to see Godric like this, to see him chained up like a monster. But unfortunately, right now he was a monster.

"Come on, Ellie." He called to me from the top of the stairs. "It's not safe down here, not alone."

"I'm coming." I mumbled, glancing at Godric one last time before bowing my head and following Eric out of the basement. Once the door was closed and locked behind us, Eric led the way to his office.

"On no circumstance are you to let him out, do you understand?" Eric motioned me into his office before taking a seat behind his desk.

"I understand, Eric." I nodded, taking a seat on the leather couch across from him. "I'm not an idiot."

Eric snorted. "Are you sure about that?"

"Oh shut up Eric." I snapped, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I'm not in the mood for your attitude right now. Don't you care at all that your maker is acting like this, that something is wrong with him?"

"Of course I do." Eric hissed angrily. "Of course I care."

"Well maybe you should act it." I shot him a glare. "He hated that you left, by the way."

"We are not getting into this tonight." Eric shook his head. "It's nearly dawn, I need to go."

"Then go." I crossed my arms over my chest before muttering under my breath, "It's what you're good at."

Eric was before me in a flash, his hands on either side of me on the couch, trapping me. He lowered his head down, his fangs clicking out as he glared darkly into my eyes.

"Don't anger me this morning, Ellie. You know what I'm like when I'm angry." He warned, his hands gripping the back of the couch.

"Whatever." I turned my head to the side, glaring at the wall.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you." He grabbed my chin roughly and yanked my head forward. "You should be a bit nicer to the one who saved your life, yet again. For the third night in a row might I add."

"Actually, I think I saved your life last night." I reminded him.

Eric looked stumped, and I couldn't help the smirk that crossed my lips. He forgot about that. He wouldn't have died, but he would have found himself fatally wounded. I saved him last night, and he didn't even seem to care.

"Just don't leave this room." He replied moodily, straightening and releasing my chin. "And don't..."

"Let Godric out, yeah I know." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "I get it Eric; just go before you're forced to stay here for the day."

"With pleasure." He shot me one last glare before suddenly, he was gone.

I sighed once I was alone, running a hand through my hair. It had been a long exhausting couple of days. If I thought I would be here days ago, I would have thought I was absolutely mental. But here I was, in Fangtasia with my best friend locked in the basement, and Eric being exactly who he was, a first class asshole.

"At least Godric is alive." I reminded myself.

And it was true, at least Godric was alive. That's all I could ask for right now. I never expected what condition he would be in, because a small part of me was beginning to believe that he was really gone. But my persistence and determination paid off, and I now had him back. Or at least, I had part of him back. I still wondered what happened back in New Orleans when he just collapsed. I doubted at this point, that I had anything to do with it. So if that was true, what the hell happened? Unfortunately, it didn't seem like we were going to be getting any of our questions answered until Godric woke up, whenever that would be. All I could do now was wait, the most excruciating exercise I've ever had to do.

It was midday when I was jostled awake. I fell off the couch I had slept on, grunting as my body hit the ground hard. Mumbling curses, I cracked open my eyes to glance at the time. There were still hours before the sun would set, hours before I would have to see Eric. I shook my head as I pushed myself up onto my feet, cracking my sore back as I did so. Groaning, I wandered over to Eric's desk and plopped down in his chair. I was just about to boot up his computer, to find something amusing to do while I waited, when I heard the distinctive sound that had suddenly woke me up in the first place. My head snapped up at the faint sound of struggling. I panicked at first, thinking someone had gotten into the bar while I had been asleep. But I quickly realized that wasn't possible. Eric and Pam always secured the bar tightly when they locked up, and Eric would definitely do so if Godric was locked up downstairs.

"Godric!" my eyes grew wide, realizing that was who was making the noise, who was struggling. He must have been awake, and confused as to what was going on.

I knew I should have just left him. He could be dangerous after all; he could want to attack me, to drink my blood. But the logical side was quickly destroyed by my swelling heart. I needed to at least see him. I couldn't just leave him down there, thinking he was alone. He could be scared and confused. It broke my heart to think like that. So without a second thought, I tore open the desk drawer Eric had dumped the basement key into, and hurried out of the room. Eric would kill me if he knew what I was doing, but he didn't exactly have to know about this. I wasn't going to let him out; I just wanted to check on him, that's all. There's nothing wrong with that, nothing could possibly happen.

"Here goes nothing." I slid the key into the lock before twisting. I heard a click before slowly pushing the door open. I peeked into the dark basement, the light from the hallway flooding in. I chewed on my bottom lip as I slipped in and slowly began down the stairs. The moment I caught sight of Godric struggling against the chains, I wanted to rush over and give him the longest hug possible. But I had to control myself, for my own safety.

"Godric?" I spoke tentatively, not sure what state of mind he was in. I stopped a few feet before him, watching as his head snapped up, his eyes growing wide as he realized I was there.

"Elizabeth?" he whispered out, his blue green eyes filling with sorrow. "Oh Elizabeth..."

I was surprised to find that the hunger, the lust for my blood was no longer there. He looked, and spoke, like the best friend I so desperately wanted him to return to. I would have unlocked him right then and there if I hadn't of stopped myself. What if this was a trick? What if the monster from within was tricking me, was fooling me into believing he was better? What if the moment I unlocked him, he attacked me. I would have no one here to protect me and I would be forced to use my powers, if I was even able to think that quickly.

"I am truly sorry, Elizabeth." He hung his head, bloody tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "I am so deeply sorry for what I've done."

My heart was breaking even more. He was sorry? Could a monster be sorry? Maybe he was better. Maybe Godric was fine now. Maybe whatever had happened while he was unconscious had helped him.

"H-How do you feel?" I took a small step forward.

"Ashamed." He answered after a moment. "I hurt my closest friend, for that, I'm ashamed."

This wasn't the monster talking. This wasn't the beast trying to trick me. This was Godric, I knew that deep down inside. Whatever had happened, Godric was alright now, at least for the time being.

"What happened last night, Godric? You just...you just collapsed." I asked curiously, finding myself taking another step forward.

"Kyra." He lifted his gaze, a faraway look in his eyes. "It was Kyra. She pulled me into her world, to cleanse me of the monster from within."

My mouth dropped open. And here I thought Godric had just been delusional when he spoke Kyra's name. But he hadn't been. Kyra once again surprised me and pulled Godric into her world, the realm of Phoenixes, and fixed him, helped him fight this battle. I was never more grateful for her than I was at that moment. Without her help, I wasn't sure if we were ever going to be able to truly help Godric. But Kyra, she was the love of his life. Even after 1400 years, the two loved one another more than anything. Of course she could be able to get through to him, to get him to fight. They had a love for one another that I could only dream about having. I thought at one point, that perhaps Eric and I could love each other in the same way, but it's obvious that was just a fairytale, and fairytales just didn't exist.

"I suspect this was Eric's doing." Godric jostled his arms, the chains clinking together.

I shook myself out of the shock I had been in and nodded. "He thought if we were able to lock you up until the blood left your system, then you would be alright again."

"It was a good idea." Godric nodded.

"Are you...are you really okay now? Did Kyra, did she actually help?" I wondered, stepping close enough that if he wished to, he could attack me.

"She did." Godric's shoulders slumped forward. "After I nearly..."

"You weren't yourself, Godric." I shook my head. "Whatever you did to her, and what you did to me, it wasn't really you."

"You cannot comprehend how sorry I am, Elizabeth." A bloody tear slipped down his cheek. "I never...I never wanted to hurt you. I just couldn't...I couldn't control it."

"It's okay, Godric. I forgive you." I assured him. I did forgive him, how could I not? It wasn't his fault; it wasn't his true desire to hurt me. He wasn't himself; he wasn't in the right state of mind. So yes, I forgave him for everything. He was my best friend, it was as simple as that.

"She said you would." A small smile crossed his lips as he thought about Kyra. After a moment however, the sorrow returned to his expression and another tear slipped down his cheek. He loved her so much that it pained him to leave her. I was sure that if there was a way, he would spend the rest of his eternal life with her.

"You love her." I mused as I reached up and brushed away the tears.

"I don't believe I ever stopped." he admitted.

"I wish I had the same love that you and Kyra have." I sighed before shaking my head. This wasn't the time for that. I needed to focus on Godric, not my disastrous love life.

"Eric is stubborn. He always has been."

"He's too stubborn." I muttered.

"He loves you, Elizabeth, I know that for certain." He assured. "He loves you just as much as I love Kyra."

"I wish that was true." My hands fell down to my sides as my own tears formed in my eyes. I blinked them away however, not wanting to burst out crying. "What happened in New Orleans, Godric? What happened after the bombing?"

"I think that's a story I should share with both Eric and you."

I nodded, knowing it would be easier that way. But Eric was still dead to the world, and I was here with a chained up best friend.

"I would unlock you, but Eric took the key with him." I frowned, remembering seeing Eric slip the key into his pocket. I had been lucky that he left the basement key where I could find it. He wasn't an idiot though. He warned me not to do it, but he must have known I would have unlocked Godric if I had the chance. Maybe I was weak like that, or maybe I just trusted too easily. I didn't think that wasn't true though. It took me a great deal of time before I learned to trust Eric, and now I was back to square one with the vampire. We had come so far in our time together, only for us to get absolutely nowhere.

"It would be wise if you didn't." Godric offered me a small smile. "I'm fine, my dear Phoenix. Uncomfortable, but fine."

"Are you sure? I hate leaving you all chained up."

"I do deserve it, after all." A dark look crossed his face as he thought about last night. "I'm truly sorry Elizabeth."

"Stop." I shook my head. "Stop apologizing. I already forgave you. You don't need to keep apologizing for something you had no control of."

"I never wanted such a thing to..."

"I said stop, Godric." I cradled his hand in my hands, smiling into those blue green eyes. "I forgive you, and I always will."

"I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do. It's your progeny that doesn't." I rolled my eyes.

"Eric will come to his senses, I'm sure of that."

"I'm not so sure about that, Godric." I sighed. "But at least I have you, right?"

Godric dropped his gaze and my face fell. What was it? Why was he not looking me in the eye?

"Godric?" I questioned.

"I don't believe it would be best if I stayed here." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"What?" my hands fell away as I stumbled backwards in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I hurt you, Elizabeth. I may not have been in control, but I should have been. I should have been able to fight it, and I wasn't able to. What if that was to occur again? I would never forgive myself if I attacked you again." he shook his head. "I'm sorry; Elizabeth, but I cannot put you in that danger."

"No." The tears were threatening to spill. Why would he think like that? Why would he want to leave me? He was all I had. Eric was going to leave, and I just knew I was going to find myself in that dark pit again. I needed Godric to pull me out of it, for him to give me hope. He couldn't just leave me like his progeny. He couldn't just walk out of my life when I just got him back. "No, I won't let you Godric."

"How would you stop me?" he still refused to look me in the eye.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek but I didn't bother to brush it away.

"I'll keep you locked up until you come to your sense." I insisted.

"It would be better for the both of us." Godric sighed. "I don't wish to leave you, but for your safety, I need to."

"You're not going to hurt me, Godric." Tear after tear escaped down my cheeks, my bottom lip beginning to quiver. "It wasn't your fault. It won't happen again."

"But what if it does, what then, Elizabeth?" he finally raised his gaze to meet mine. "Please don't cry."

"How can you expect me not to cry?" I wanted to shout at him, to hit him, for him to realize this was a horrible idea. "Why would you leave me?"

"I can't run the risk of hurting you, Elizabeth. You mean too much to me."

"No, please Godric. You can't just leave me." I shook my head, the tears flowing down my cheeks. "Please don't go."

"I must. I'm sorry. I never intended to hurt you. You would have been better off never knowing me. I apologize for that." He looked back away, a tear sliding down his own cheek.

"Why would you say that?" I could feel my legs starting to shake. "If you hadn't entered my life, I wouldn't be standing here, Godric. You saved me from everything, even myself. You can't just walk away. I just got you back."

"I'm sorry."

A sob escaped my lips as my legs collapsed from underneath me and I went crashing down to my knees. I covered my face with my hands, unable to stop the stream of tears that were staining my cheeks. I couldn't believe this. I spent a month looking for Godric, determined to find him alive. Once I finally found him after weeks of doubt, he wanted to leave me? He wanted to just walk away, exactly like his progeny was going to do? Why? Why were they both doing this to me? They wormed their way into my life and now they were ripping out my heart and leaving me on the side of the road, alone and scared. I didn't want to be alone. I know I had Sookie and Sam, but it wasn't the same thing. Godric was everything to me. He was the reason I was alive. He had saved me time and time again, and now suddenly he just wanted to abandon me, and for what reason? He wouldn't hurt me, not on purpose. Couldn't he realize that? This wasn't fair. He couldn't just do this to me. He couldn't break my heart like this. He couldn't leave me all alone.

"Please Godric, don't leave me." my pleas were muffled by my hands. "Please you're all I have."

"You'll have Sookie and Sam. You'll have Eric."

I only cried harder. I wouldn't have Eric, that's the thing. Eric was going to leave. He was going to walk away again, taking my heart along with him. I would be left here, alone and trapped in the depression I so desperately didn't want to find myself in. what had I done to deserve this? What had I done for the universe to be working against me? It just wasn't fair.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. Truly I am. But this is for the best."

"No, don't say that. This isn't for the best." My sobs echoed in the basement. "This isn't the best for anyone."

"I don't want to hurt you, Elizabeth."

"You're hurting me by doing this!" I squeezed my eyes shut, as if it would just magically make everything disappear. Maybe this was just a dream. Maybe this was just a horrible nightmare that I was going to wake up from. All of this had to be some sort of dream. I was going to wake up any minute now with Eric by my side and Godric wouldn't be absolutely insane.

"I never wanted to..."

"Stop it. Just stop it." I bowed my head, covering my face with my hands once again. "Why are you doing this to me? Why are you both doing this?"

"Both?" Godric questioned.

"He's leaving me. And now you're leaving me too. I don't want to be alone. Please don't leave me alone."

I don't know how long I was on that dirty cold concrete floor, just crying my eyes out. I couldn't move, I couldn't stop the tears. I just cried, ignoring Godric's pleas to stop. How could he ask me to stop crying, to stop grieving over his departure? It just wasn't fair. Why was everyone leaving me? Didn't I matter to any of these people? Was I destined to be alone till the day I died? Because I wasn't so sure I could handle that. I lost everyone in my life; my parents died, my brother died, and now the man I loved and my best friend were just going to walk away. Didn't I deserve to be happy? Didn't I deserve some small sliver of happiness, of joy?

"Please don't leave me too."

Godric's still heart broke as he stood there, his arms chained to the ceiling, watching as his closest friend sobbed on the floor. He wanted nothing more than to walk over to her and wrap his arms around her shaking form. He hated that he was hurting her, putting her through this torture. He never wanted to hurt her, to make her cry. But what was he supposed to do? He had lost control. What if it happened again? What if the beast from within got loose? He would never forgive himself for hurting her, for attacking her again. He couldn't put her in that danger, to risk her life because he was selfish. No. It would be better to leave, to put her through this minimal pain now instead of destroying her life later on. It would be easier this way.

"Please Godric. Please don't go. I can't lose you too." The sobs were racking Ellie's body. "I can't lose you and Eric. Please don't leave me. I need you."

"You don't." Godric insisted. "You're a strong girl."

"No I'm not!" her sobs only grew louder. "I need you. Please don't leave me, please!"

Godric closed his eyes with a sigh as a tear slipped down his cheek. This pained him more than she realized it did. He didn't want to leave her. He didn't want to cause this pain. But it was the only way.

"I'm sorry, my dear one." He whispered.

"No." Her head suddenly snapped up, a look of rage behind the tears. "No I won't let you do this!"

"You cannot stop me."

"Yes I can." She scrambled to her feet, though her legs were shaking. She tried to steady herself as she stood before him. "I can stop you. You can't go, Godric. I won't let you leave me. I need you. I so need you."

"Elizabeth..."

"Please Godric." She took him by the shoulders and shook him as hard as she could. "What am I supposed to do without you? Without Eric? I can't lose you both."

Godric cursed his child for leaving for a second time. He knew Eric loved her, so why was he doing this to her? They could be happy. If he had the opportunity to spend an eternity with Kyra, he certainly would take it. Eric was throwing away this beautiful girl that he loved because he was scared. But of what? His own feelings? The love he had for another? Eric was acting like a coward.

But wasn't he? Wasn't he leaving because he was afraid of what he could do if he stayed? Wasn't he acting like a coward himself, leaving the girl who had given him hope, given him a reason to continue living? He was just walking away from her, when she was a broken mess. Didn't that constitute him a coward?

It was only for the best though, wasn't it?

Godric wasn't so sure anymore.

"Please, Godric. Please don't leave me. I need you. I need someone. I don't want to be alone anymore." She looked like she was going to collapse onto the floor again.

"Come here." Godric motioned her forward.

She threw her arms around him, and he desperately wished he could do the same to her. But it was enough to feel her warmth, to have her attached to him. He closed his eyes as he laid his cheek against the top of her sobbing form, wishing he could take away all the pain. He could though. He would only need to stay. But the risks...

"Everyone always leaves." She cried into his chest, her arms tightening around him.

How could he truly do this to her? How could he break her more than he already had? There were risks in staying, he knew that. But could he really leave her? Could he really walk away? What would Kyra think?

"Please, Godric." She begged him. "Please stay."

He knew his decision then. Kyra wouldn't want this. Kyra would hate him for putting Ellie through this, for creating tears when there was no need for them.

"I'll stay." Godric finally whispered.

Ellie only seemed to sob harder as he spoke those two little words. His own tears flowed freely, hating himself for doing this to her. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't leave her. He would only need to be careful, to ensure that this didn't happen again. He couldn't lose control, for her sake. Because Ellie meant more to him than he ever realized in the past. She was a part of him. He wasn't sure if it was because of her connection with Kyra, or perhaps even their own blood bond. But he was connected to this young girl, and he forever would be.

"I won't leave you, my dear one. I'll always be here, I promise you that."

And he meant every single word.