The door shut with a snap behind me and I could still feel the scorching heat of Evelynn's anger against my back. It was not a comfortable feeling, the thought of such raw emotions being directed towards me and her questions that just burned to be asked left deep impressions against my skin. I felt as if pieces of me were being ripped apart and scattered all over the floor, it was more than just the feeling of being torn; it was more than being overwhelmed it was the thought of my deepest and darkest secrets being dragged out kicking and screaming, only to be exposed as the pathetically diluted pieces of my soul that they really were. Evelynn's growing distrust in me spread like a bad cold and it left me with the ghost of a chill as a constant reminder, that I was slowly becoming more defeated by the minute. But surely having my guts ripped out and displayed like an embarrassment to society was enough, no; having a cyclone of emotions just raging in every part of my body was thrown into the mix. I was livid, and frustrated, sad and confused but I was breathless all at the same time. If only things would just stop all together, just stop so I can take a breath and regain my self-control.

No.

I thought this as I came barrelling down the stairs and towards the room where my Makers had stayed behind. I had control, I always have but the minute they get involved my whole world is thrown into this spiralling mess leaving nothing but catastrophe in its wake. Such raw emotion could only be ripped out of my heart by Eric Northman. The mere sight of him was enough to send me on a rampage of destruction… the thought of that insufferable smirk…

Damn you to hell Eric Northman, you will forever be a pain in my ass.

I stormed down the hall and through the throng of Vampires who mixed and mingled with each other, the deathtrap heals that I wore clicked furiously against the tiled floor, sounding very fittingly like a ticking time bomb.

"You are such a brat Eric Northman," I snarled, my breast heaved with what I could only imagine was adrenalin, "when will you ever stop acting like such a child?"

That infuriating little grin tugged at his lips and he shrugged me off with such a simple comeback, "you are the child, Kitten, I am the Maker."

I was engulfed by a volcanic rage and my lips curled around my fangs in a vicious snarl, "then fucking act like one."

Instantly I was thrown into the wall for the second time that night, a hand closed around my throat by none other than Godric, whose eyes had darkened to something I hadn't seen in years.

"Retract your fangs."

He was met with an animalistic look and my hands closed around his wrist, foolishly attempting to pry his hand from my throat; they were caught, however by his other hand and pinned against my body, his face loomed closer to mine, inches away from my still bared fangs.

"Now, Clara."

Reluctantly they retracted with a snap and I observed Godric with disdain, I was not pleased with having my attempts to throttle Eric thwarted, especially by Godric whom I had always gotten along with.

"How many times do we have to tell you? Not to bare your fangs at us. I will not tolerate such an act of disrespect in my own home, am I clear?"

When I didn't answer him immediately his hand tightened and I gasped out, "crystal."

His hand reactively slackened and he lowered it slightly so it rested just beneath the hollow of my throat, firm pressure was still applied, "I shouldn't still have to remind you, Clara. Have you forgotten so soon?"

I relaxed and my head hung in shame. I did not like when either of them reprimanded me in such a way and damn them both to hell for making me feel guilty so easily, "no, I have not forgotten."

He removed his hand from my chest and released my wrists where I shook them out and spoke sadly, "I'm sorry Godric, it-it won't happen again."

A ghostly smile pulled on his lips and he tugged me into a loose but welcomed hug, "it's been a long time, little one."

A sigh escaped my lips and my chin rested on his shoulder, "too long," I spoke, my eyes closing in peace but Eric decided to interrupt.

"Now who's fault would that be, hmm?"

My eyes snapped open and a growl resounded in the back of my throat, Godric's arm immediately tightened and I was forced to let go of my anger yet again.

Sometimes I wondered if Godric ever grew tired of always playing peace keeper between Eric and me, I mean, why didn't he just let us go at it for a while. I know that whenever Daimon and Evelynn get into it I let them go for a while to blow off steam, but when it gets too violent I usually interfere.

Godric probably doesn't let you two fight at all because he knows that you don't stand a chance in hell against Eric.

"Shut up Eric, and give me a hug."

It was pathetic really, the height difference between us, I felt like a baby in his arms, completely immersed by strength and safety. Eric's hug was tighter, like he was trying to imbed me into his skin and I squirmed, "you're squishing me."

He let me go and grinned down at me, for once a genuine smile, "welcome home."

I had to struggle with an obvious cringe at the word 'home', it was vital that I didn't let on about my discomfort.

"So," I began as I ducked out of Eric's arms after a minute or two and sauntered to the other side of the room, "is there something going on here?" I asked as I stretched out on Godric's chair like a contented cat, my legs crossed lazily at the ankle and I would have purred out of spite if it were possible.

My eyes flicked from one face to the other and I sighed, "Because obviously I wouldn't be here if there wasn't something going on."

I watched as Eric looked down at Godric as if he was the one that should be explaining but Godric made no move to do so, instead he continued to stare at me, like I was someone worth looking at.

"One of you better start talking right now because otherwise me hauling my ass all the way out here has been a big waste of my time," my voice rose with every word and when neither of them stepped up to the plate I stood up in a huff and went to march past them, but I was stopped when Godric placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Is it really a waste of your time to see your Makers after one hundred years of separation?"

His hand was an unnecessary restraint as I stopped dead in my tracks, my jaw squaring with irritation at the blossoming guilt that resided in my chest. Maybe 'waste of time' was a poor choice of words on my part but they weren't the worst ones I could have picked.

I took a step back so I could look Godric in the eye, "by 'waste of time' I mean time that can be spent on other things. I have things to do, people to see and criminals to deal with. I cannot do any of these things of which I am required to do when I am here… just another unnecessary Vampire in an Area that is already covered by a spectacular Sheriff," I gave him a sweet smile and went to move around him again.

"We need you here, Clara… I need you here. Please, stay."

It was the desperation in his tone that made me stop, usually I try not to submit to my emotions as Godric and Eric had tried to teach me but sometimes things slip through the cracks. I bit down on my lip harder than expected and blood stained my lips further; the red lipstick had disappeared ages ago, and my eyes shut in pain from the crumbling pieces of my heart. I hated when they made me feel like this, like their pain was my fault. Maybe it was… by putting up those barriers I had only one intention and that was to block them out, completely. But how hard is it to track me down? Honestly! A pair of millennia old Vampires – at the least, could not have had such a problem with tracking a one hundred year old Vampire down. My defences couldn't have been that hard to tear down, and I'm pretty damn sure that they weren't any stronger now, so how dare Godric make me feel so guilty… how dare they come back into my life and just take over like I was born yesterday.

But you came back into their life, not the other way around. Maybe you need them as much as they need you.

Godric now had both of his hands on my shoulders and gently he turned me to face him, neither Eric nor Godric liked it when I avoided eye contact with them, it made it more difficult for them to catch me in a lie. "Please. Stay," he asked again and I sighed heatedly.

"Fine," I said, giving up. My hands rose and then fell against my side in frustration, not entirely because of Godric but because of my lack of back bone, "I'll stay, but only because you asked so nicely."

I received a crooked smile and Godric licked his thumb before applying it to my lips to remove the dried blood, the wound long since healed. I gave a shuddering sigh, my eyes closing for a second time at the contact and then I pulled away, licking the rest of the dried blood from my lips, "I need to get upstairs, I have a very pissed of progeny to tend to."

I inclined my head in farewell and turned to leave, but another voice caught my attention. One that I did not know, but it seemed that everyone else recognized him from a previous event. This voice came from a human, and I could already gather that his intentions were not good. I felt Eric's body move behind mine and Godric came to stand slightly in front of me.

"Attention everyone."

This is not going to be good.

"My name is Luke McDonald; I'm a member of the Fellowship of the Sun."

I wanted to laugh at the mere thought of this communion, the Fellowship of the Sun were just a bunch of Vampire hating crack-jobs that lacked the courage to do anything in the defence of their beliefs, but something tells me that this Luke character was about to prove me wrong because not many humans wore large jackets in the middle a Dallas summer.

"And I have a message for you all; from Reverend Steve Newlin."

He then unzipped his jacket and from there everything moved so fast. One second I was standing there between my Makers, watching as hell was about to be unleashed on Godric's home and the next second I was sent flying to the ground, a second body blocking any potential damage to my own. I heard the loud explosion, and then screams of those in the next room but everything seemed quieter, muffled as I lay there with Godric splayed across my body.

It was at that moment in time that I finally realised that war was fast approaching, but instead of it being instigated by Vampires like everyone had been predicting, the Humans had decided to bring the first battle to us.

Well, they may have won the first Battle but the War has only just begun.