Chapter Twenty One: Pretending

"Is it even safe here anymore?" I chewed on my fingernails as Godric paced the length of the kitchen. My head was still spinning despite the vampire blood, and all I could really do was just sit there at the table with Sam and Sookie sitting on either side of me. Quinn was leaning against the doorway to the room, all eyes on Godric's pacing form. "I mean, these Weres obviously have to be working with the vampires that are trying to invade Louisiana. And..."

My eyes grew wide as a thought suddenly struck me. Who had just randomly appeared when Sookie and I had returned to Bon temps? Who had been threatened into leaving not very long before the werewolf attack occurred? Who was a snake and a betraying bastard who didn't look at all sorry that he had hurt Sookie two years ago?

"Oh god." I gasped, my hand clasping my gaping mouth. "Oh my god."

"What?" Godric stopped suddenly, turning around to face me with a worried look on his face.

"Bill." I gulped as I caught Sookie's attention. "Bill Compton he...he was here when Sookie and I drove up to the house earlier."

"He was?" Sam looked surprised, and it was obvious that Sookie had left that little piece of information out when she had told him about the events of tonight. I didn't exactly blame her. Bill's appearance had shaken her and all she wanted to do was forget about him and be with the man she truly did love. "What did he want?"

"He wanted to talk to Sookie. He wanted to apologize." I sent Sookie a look of sympathy before gazing up at Godric. "He was here just before you were. I threatened him to leave but..."

"But what?" Godric encouraged me to continue.

"I didn't like the look in his eyes." I frowned as I remembered the look in those blue eyes. "He didn't sound all that convincing either. He broke Sookie's heart, and while he said he was sorry, he didn't sound it at all."

Sookie bowed her head and Sam reached across the table to take her hand in a comforting manner. The two shared a loving look before I continued.

"It wasn't much longer after he left that the Werewolves attacked." I bit down hard on my bottom lip. "What if...What if the two are connected?"

"You think that Bill could have been involved?" Sam looked between Godric and me. "Do you think he really could have tipped them off that you where here."

"He was ready to hand Sookie over to Russell without a second thought." I reminded him. "And he was going to do the same thing with me if Eric hadn't shown up and ruined his plans."

I felt a jolt of electricity shoot up my spine as I spoke Eric's name. I hadn't been able to get the vampire out of my head since we had talked, since I had heard his voice for the first time in weeks. I had been so sure that I had been able to move on, that moving forward was the right thing to do. And I still thought it was. But a small part of me, that small section of my heart that would always belong to Eric, it was beginning to think differently. Because despite the tiny bit of happiness I had found, despite the fact that I had burned away all of his memories, I still found myself missing him. That one short little conversation had shredded all of my progress into little pieces. I had been doing so well. And now all a part of me wanted was to hear his voice again, to feel his arms around me one last time. I hated myself for this reaction. I wanted to rid myself of Eric Northman once and for all. But it seemed it was going to be harder than I had ever imagined.

"It is possible." Godric nodded. "I never trusted him, and I have no reason to start doing so now. His sudden arrival occurs so soon after this new threat appears, and now if what you are saying is true, he could very well have been involved in the attack tonight."

"There's only a cemetery between this house and his." I returned to my original point. "Is it safe being here? I mean, if Bill can always keep tabs on us, are we safe right now? Vampires might not be able to enter without an invitation, and Sookie rescinded his. But it's obvious by the state the front door is in right now that Weres can easily come in at any time."

"You may be right." Godric sighed, running a hand down his exhausted face. "I fear it is no longer safe for any of us any longer."

"So what do we do?" Sookie spoke, her eyes wide with fear.

"You could stay at my trailer." Sam offered with a shrug. "It's not the safest, but not many would know that you were there."

"But what about Ellie." Sookie shot me a glance. "I don't mind staying at the trailer for a bit, but Ellie is the one we really should be keeping safe. She's the one they want."

"That's not entirely true, Sookie. You're just as lucrative for them to have." I grasped her free hand, squeezing it gently. "But I can also take care of myself. You're powers are still unpredictable, but mine, well I can obviously kick some ass."

"I won't let you stay in this house alone." She shook her head stubbornly. "We're best friends, Ellie. We're sisters."

"Quinn will be around, I'll be fine." I assured her.

"But..."

"I agree with Sookie." Godric spoke. "I would feel better if you weren't here alone, at least for the time being. Should anyone want revenge, they'll know exactly where to show up. For now, it would be better to let everything blow over as best as it possibly can. And that would be better if you weren't here."

"I'm not running away from this." I shook my head with a frown. "I'm not a coward, Godric."

"And I never said that you were." In a flash he was beside me, kneeling down beside my chair. He took my hands in his, his blue green orbs filled with concern. "I would be at peace if I could keep you close, and that cannot happen if you remain here. It's not running away, Elizabeth. It's merely taking a few weeks to allow things to cool down. This war may very well have started tonight, and I would rather not take any chances."

"Where am I supposed to hide out then, Godric?"

"You'll return to the house with me." he answered.

I didn't need to question which house he was speaking of. Eric's house. I hadn't been inside of that house since I had returned from the In-Between, and I wasn't sure I wanted to step a foot inside of that house I had considered my home, not unless I had Eric by my side. There were too many memories, both good and bad, that haunted that house. How was I supposed to move on if I lived in that house once again? I would be submerging myself in his memory, and I was already faltering in my attempt to move on with my life.

But Godric was right. It wasn't safe here any longer, not now anyways. Maybe in a few weeks, if no other attacks occur, Sookie and I can return, but until then both of us needed to protect ourselves. And Eric's house was the ultimate protection.

"I...I'm not sure if I can go back there, Godric." I whispered, feeling the emotions begin to rise. I blinked my eyes rapidly to stop the tears from forming in my eyes. "It's just...it's too painful, Godric. How can I move on when I have his memory staring me dead in the face?"

"I understand that, but this is about your well being, Elizabeth. You know my thoughts on this cleansing of Eric you insist on having, and this is not my way of forcing him on you. But you cannot let what happened between the two of you take precedence over your own safety. Please, Elizabeth. I cannot protect you if you won't let me."

I sighed and stared down at the vampire before me. I saw the worry and concern in those orbs, and it was hard to disagree with him. He was the closest person in my life. He meant the world to me. And part of me just wanted to be wrapped in Godric's comforting arms at all times. I loved Sookie like a sister, and Quinn and I had grown amazingly close this weekend, but Godric was still my person. He was everything to me. He was the one I wanted to have at my side, to fight alongside of, to protect me and vice versa. It would be painful, yes, but it was really the only option I could consider right now.

"Okay." I nodded. "But I have one condition."

"I was expecting you to." the corner of his lips twitched upwards. "And what would that condition be, my dear one?"

"You can't keep me locked up, Godric. We tried that before, and it didn't go very well. You have to let me live a semi normal life, and that means letting me wander around the outside world from time to time." I glanced behind me to where Quinn had silently been standing. "But I get how dangerous it can be, with the Werewolves now involved, so Quinn can act as a bodyguard whenever I go somewhere. That was your intention in the first place when you hired him, so we might as well put him to work."

Quinn flashed me a smile, nodding in agreement. "I'll be honoured, babe."

"I suppose I don't have much of a say in this." Godric frowned, but didn't look completely closed off to the idea.

"Not really." I offered him a small smile. "I'm doing this for you, Godric, so give me at least this, okay? And anyways, Sam would be mighty pissed off if I didn't show up for my shifts."

Sam chuckled and I winked at the shifter.

"Alright, I find that acceptable." Godric nodded as he stood, squeezing my hands one last time before slipping his phone from his pocket. "I'm going to inform Pam of tonight's events while you two collect your things. It would be wise to not spend the rest of the night here."

Sookie and I shared a look before standing in unison. She leaned over and pecked Sam on the lips before leading the way out of the kitchen. I stopped in the doorway, nodding for Quinn to follow, before trekking up the stairs.

"So what do you make of it all?" I asked him curiously as I dug underneath my bed to find my larger suitcase.

"I think you and Godric have a reason to be worried." He nodded as he bent down and grabbed the handle of my suitcase, pulling it up onto my bed.

"Thanks." I flashed him a smile before heading to my closet. "So you think Bill had a part to play in all of it."

"I've never met the guy, but he doesn't sound like someone you could trust. And it's a bit suspicious that he was here just before the werewolf attack happened. He could have given the go ahead for them to attack, knowing you were home. He probably wasn't aware that Godric was here." Quinn settled down on my bed beside the suitcase, a contemplative look on his face. "It's better to take precautions either way."

"I hate the guy. I knew I should have just set him on fire." I mumbled, yanking item after item out of my closet and tossed them in the direction of the bed. Of course, only half of them actually landed messily on my bed, while the others were now strewn across my room. Quinn chuckled from behind me and I stuck my tongue out at the man over my shoulder before going back to work. "Speaking of which, whatever happened to the Weres? Did they all escape, or were we able to get one for questioning?"

"You don't know?" he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Know what?" I turned around, planting my hands on my hips. When I saw the look on his face, I found myself growing curious. "What?"

"You killed them, Ellie." He answered carefully, not sure how I would take the news. And I was certainly surprised at what he had to say. "You...you burned them from the inside out."

"What?" my face paled. "I-I what?"

"You burned them from the inside out." He repeated, standing and striding across the room until he was planted right in front of me. He raised his hands to my shoulders, squeezing them softly. "You don't remember?"

"I remember hearing them scream, but I was more concerned with Godric then knowing what happened with them." I felt my heart beginning to race at the mere thought that I had killed the Weres, that I had burned them from the inside out. Sure, I had killed before. I was even pleased at myself for the death of Hallow, the witch who had destroyed my life. But that had been so simple. I set her on fire, right before my eyes, and that was it. But if what Quinn was telling me was true, I had somehow caused these Weres to burn from the inside out. Their organs, their insides, had been on fire, they had been burning so brutally and painfully. They deserved it of course, for nearly killing my closest friend in the world and they wouldn't have hesitated to kill Sookie or I. But just knowing what I had done without a second thought, without really know what it was I had even done, it was just shocking.

"Hey, it's alright." Quinn noticed the change in my mood and raised a hand to caress my cheek with his warm fingers. With every caress my cheek would tingle, a shudder running up my spine. I may have missed Eric, and I may not have moved on like I had told everyone that I had, but there was just something about Quinn that caused me to feel in a way that shouldn't have been appropriate. Not at a time like this anyways.

"I've killed before, and I was fine. I'm just...wow."

"You didn't know you had it in you." He nodded in understanding. "I get that. You're a powerful being, Ellie. You have all the power in the world."

"And apparently I don't know my powers as well as I thought I did." I sighed. "I thought I had this all figured out, Quinn. It was supposed to be easy after I transitioned. But now...now I'm not sure I know my powers at all."

"Well you have all the time in the world." He assured, drawing me into an embrace.

I welcomed being wrapped in his large warm arms, enjoying the embrace more than I should have. "I just hope I actually have that time. I'm not so sure anymore."

"I know it seems impossible to think of the future right now, with everything happening. And if anyone deserves a nice long vacation away from everything, it's certainly you. But we'll all come through this in one piece."

"You don't know that, Quinn." I gazed up at him sadly. "You don't know that at all."

"I can be hopeful, can't I?" he brushed away a tear I never knew had escaped. "We just have to be prepared for what's coming."

"What is coming though, Quinn?"

"Sadly, I'm just as clueless as you are. But we'll get through this, all of us. I promise you."

I tightened my arms around the shifter. "God I hope so."

"You've been standing on the porch for the past ten minutes." Godric commented as he stepped back out of the house I was too scared to enter.

We had arrived at Eric's home not too long ago and I had just been too terrified to enter. I knew Eric wasn't here, and he wasn't going to pop up anytime soon. But there were just too many memories inside of this house. And it was the good times that were tearing through me painfully. There had been so many bad times, so many tears shed, and yet all I could think about were those few times Eric and I had been in each other's arms, just purely in love with one another. And that was what pained me. That was what made this so damn difficult. I knew at some point I would have to enter the house, that I would have to get over this fear and try and move forward. But hearing Eric's voice tonight had just done me in. It felt like I was back to where I had started and it wasn't a fun feeling at all.

"We could find somewhere else for you to stay." Godric suggested, cupping my cheek.

"No, I have to do this." I shook my head, though I was touched that Godric would suggest than even if it wasn't what he truly wanted. He wanted to keep a tight leash on me, and honestly, after last night, I really didn't mind. I didn't want to run away from my fears, from the danger lying ahead of us. But I also couldn't lose Godric; I could feel that feeling in the pit of my stomach again. There's already been two close calls in the past few months and I didn't want anything else to happen. So if I had to stay in this house of painful memories to be at Godric's side, to be with my best friend, then I would.

"The sun will be rising shortly." Godric reminded me. "But if you need more time..."

"No, I'm fine." I inhaled sharply. "I can do this."

"You can." He nodded, leaning in and kissing my forehead softly before slipping his hand into mine. "You can do this, Elizabeth."

I closed my eyes for a moment before crack them open and allowing Godric to lead me back into the house. My breath was caught in my throat as we stopped in the front hallway so Godric could lock up. I found my gaze falling onto the hallway, my eyes being drawn towards where the basement door stood at the very end. There a pang of pain in my heart, and I did my best to ignore it as I took in the rest of the house. Everything looked exactly how I remembered it to be. I peeked into the living room and nothing was different or new. Nothing had changed; not the furniture or furnishings at least. Everything else, the love Erica and I had for one another, the blooming relationship I thought I had finally found, that had all changed so quickly.

"I can have the kitchen stocked up for you tomorrow if you'd like." Godric offered.

"No, it's fine, I can go tomorrow." I shook my head. "I don't think I'll be able to just sit around here for too long tomorrow."

"I understand." He squeezed my hand. "We should get some rest."

I nodded and let him lead me towards the stairs. I tried to keep myself focused on Godric's back, but it was just too easy for my mind to wander to every other time I had travelled up and down these stairs. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, and I tried my best to keep them at bay. At least until I was tucked safely into my bedroom, the same bedroom I had last been in when I had been supposedly dead for weeks.

We stopped outside of that room, my bag sitting beside the closed door. I stared at it for the longest time, and I knew Godric was waiting for me to do or say something. But I just couldn't manage it. Because that room, that room had been where everything had changed. That had been where I had woken up, it had been where Eric and I had been able to see and touch one another after my 'death'. It held too many memories. I couldn't take sleeping in that bed, not tonight anyways.

"I-I can't, Godric." A tear slipped down my cheek.

"Why don't you stay in my room." he suggested, taking my bag by the handle and tugging me along the hallway to his own bedroom. He opened the first door before pressing in the number code to unlock the second door. I followed Godric into the room that too held many memories, but thankfully they only consisted of Godric and not the tall blonde I was trying desperately to forget. "It'll get easier, Elizabeth. And I don't just mean being in this house."

"I know." I sighed as I entered the room and looked around. "It's just...hard."

"You're not just talking about the house either, are you?" He gave me a knowing look.

I shook my head as I sat down on his bed. "Talking with him tonight..."

"It brought back the feelings you were so desperate to burn away." he nodded, sitting down beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I know you wish to just forget him, but it's not easy to simply forget the one that you loved. It's unfortunate to say, but I'm still not over Kyra."

"You would take a second chance to be with her though." My shoulders slumped forward. "Eric, he..."

"He was scared, Elizabeth. And he acted cowardly, yes, but he was just scared. We're all just scared, it's part of life."

"I miss him, Godric." The tears began slipping down my cheeks, and no matter how hurriedly I tried to wipe them away, they just wouldn't stop. "I don't want to but I do. I thought...I thought I was moving on but now..."

"Tonight reopened the wounds you thought had been healed." He brushed away what tears he could as I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Why can't I just stop loving him, Godric? I don't want to. I don't want to feel this way but...I just can't help it."

"I know." He squeezed my shoulders. "It will get easier, I do promise you that. You'll forever love him; you can never just stop loving your soul mate. But one day, it will get easier."

"It feels like it never will."

"It will, all you have to do is wait."

"We have a problem." Bill Compton paced the length of his porch, a look of worry plastered across his face.

"The Weres have not reported back to me as of yet. I'm getting impatient, Mr. Compton."

Bill grasped tightly onto the phone as his gaze fell on the line of trees separating his property from the cemetery that stood between his home and the Stackhouse home.

"The Weres...they're dead." Bill was hesitant to inform.

"Are you telling me that the werewolves that you assured me would get the job done efficiently, have been compromised?"

"The Phoenix, Ellie...she killed them." He shuddered as the memory of the agonizing screams emitting from the werewolves' lips haunted him even hours later. He had watched their bodies until there was absolutely nothing left. He had never witnessed anything so brutal before. He hadn't realized Ellie had grown so strong since the last time he had seen her. She was stronger than any of them could have imagined. It would be more difficult to continue on with their plan with the power that she possessed. "There's more."

"What else could have possibly gone wrong tonight, Mr. Compton?"

"The vampire you was certain was dead, Godric, he's very much alive."

"That's impossible. There were no known survivors. I made certain of it myself."

"He's alive. I saw him with tonight with my own eyes."

"I want the Phoenix and the Faerie, Mr. Compton. I want them one way or another. Godric may still be alive, but he has no authority in Louisiana. Northman has left, has he not?"

"Yes Victor."

"Good. Then I want you to find a way to bring me the Phoenix and the Faerie. I don't care what it is you have to do, just do it."

Bill froze in place. "You wish for me to collect them?"

"Have you mistaken what I've just said, Mr. Compton?"

"No." Bill answered hurriedly, though the worry only seemed to grow on his face. "Of course, Victor."

"I cannot start this war unless I have those two in my grasps. Do not disappoint me. Or I'll have to take measures into my own hands. And I do not want to have to do that, am I understood?"

"Yes, Victor. Does Felipe know of these plans?"

"My King will be made aware. Ensure that you do not fail, Mr. Compton, you have proven to be an excellent ally, it would be a shame to lose you."

Bill shuddered, knowing the extremes Victor Madden would go to.

"I'll have them for you soon." Bill assured him.

"I'm pleased you're so willing. My King will reward you kindly for your efforts. Just as long as we have the Phoenix and Faerie, we can continue with invasion. Time is starting to run out. We must complete our mission soon. Or else."

A/N: I haven't done one of these author notes in awhile, so i thought I would do one this time. if you've read the books (at least up to and including the 8th book, From Dead To Worse) then you might remember the two characters mentioned at the very end of this chapter. If you are reading the books, but haven't gotten to that point in the series, I'll try my best not to spoil anything that happens...i'm taking that storyline and twisting it into one for this story. and for those of you just watching the show, well I'm sure you'll love what is about to come. some of you have mentioned that the summary of this fic has changed, and it no longer says final installment...that isn't a mistake, that's me having too many possible ideas that I can't close off this series just yet. I might decide to at the end of this fic, but right now, I'm keeping my options open. of course, that's only if any of you would be willing to read another installment to this series. I never planned on having this many fics in one series, but these characters just keeping breathing life and I can't stop getting ideas. so please, if you want me to stop, tell me or else I just never will lol.

oh, and let's all rejoice...True Blood returns TOMORROW NIGHT!