There was a great deal of pain searing through my right shoulder and I could barely move my limbs let alone my body to find out. I wasn't completely sure why the pain took so long to catch up to me, but it did nevertheless and it certainly wasn't pleasant. I vaguely noticed the destruction around me but it seemed that I had been tackled through a wooden table, and on top of everything else my Maker remained on top of me, and he wasn't moving.

"G-Godric?" I coughed, a bit of blood trickling past the corner of my lips.

His body stirred, and he lifted his head from the left crook of my neck, the pain just from the impact was evident on his face.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said, "are you?"

"Well, I would appear to be, aside from the white hot pain in my shoulder. Now I would check myself but it's a little…ah, difficult in our," I looked at his face and then back down to the limited space between our bodies pointedly and then strained on the rest of my sentence, "current situation."

He quickly rolled off of me so I could sit up and I couldn't help but think back on all of the other times I had found myself at the bottom of the pile, the guess of who would be on top is an easy one. I think I sat up too fast because suddenly room was spinning in front of me, Godric had to steady my swaying body with a firm hand on my shoulder and his expression was pained.

"There appears to be a large piece of wood sticking out of your shoulder, I'll have to pull it out in order for you to heal."

"Well don't tell me!" I growled, flinching noticeably at the thought of having a piece of wood lodged into my shoulder, "just do it!"

I felt the firmness of his hand spread across my back and I bit my lip when I felt his fingers edging around the wound, "it's deeper than I thought." He said

I snorted at the second connotation of those words and it was quickly turned into a cry of pain as I felt his fingers go beneath the surface of the wound and seconds later there was a harsh tug and the white hot pain turned to scraping, and then to throbbing pain in seconds. I heard the shard clatter a few feet away and then Godric helped me to my feet.

"You need human blood in order for that to heal quickly," he advised, leading me into the next room where we were met with unbelievable chaos.

"You're bleeding."

I turned around to find Eric watching me, there were bloody holes in his black shirt, and a little was smeared by his lips. He had this look on his face like a child who had just spoiled his dinner with cookies, and hadn't been caught.

"And that's amusing to you?"

His fingers probed the wound and I hissed, jumping away from him as he spoke, "of course it isn't funny. You'll need blood in order for that to heal."

"I'll be fine," I growled, looking around at the damage. I watched as Godric's underling, Isabel went around helping the wounded.

"Clara..." Godric turned to look at me, his tone full of warning.

"I said I'll be fine," I snapped, "I'll live with the slower healing process, besides we have bigger problems to address. We were just attacked by a suicide bomber…bunch of gutless fuckers those Fellowship people are."

Godric completely ignored my derogatory comment and turned his attention to his Hispanic underling, "who's dead?"

Isabel looked at us sadly, the faintest bit of anger lacing her tone, "Stan, Palo, Katherine and two human companions," she then turned to look at the destruction that lay behind her with distaste.

I glanced at Godric when a pang of defeat slammed against my chest; it had to have come from him because Eric was too tense beside me to feel anything but contempt for the mortal race at the moment. I could practically feel my heart crack into two pieces at the look on his face, I never thought that I would ever see my two thousand year old Maker look so small and helpless at that moment but I also felt pride when he took the reins again and directed everyone to the Hotel Carmilla, it was then that I stole a glance at Eric and he too noticed what I had. He then ushered me out of the room and I peered over my shoulder to find the same defeated look on his face as he looked around at his destroyed home.

And then a new kind of pain struck me in the heart, shattering it into a million pieces.

҉

I had been watching everything that took place in the meeting with Nan Flanagan in silence, I was taking note of everything she was saying and quietly disagreeing. A number of times Eric had sent me glances, blatantly wondering why I hadn't come to Godric's defence. I knew that I had to watch my tongue around this woman but I was also slick with my words and I could take her down a peg or two, even if she was over twice my age. It was the girl that I had saved earlier that caught my attention, her body suddenly jolting like a light bulb had finally gone off in the girl's airy head. My hand shot out and I tugged at the tip of her pony tail and she whirled around angrily, I shook my head only a fraction at her and she clearly misunderstood my message.

"Why are you even here? This doesn't have anything to do with you."

I raised my eyebrow at the nerve this girl had and pointedly looked at the wall across from me, "you might want to keep a leash on your pet, Mr. Compton. I've saved her life once tonight; I can take it away just. As. Easily."

He turned to me with his fangs bared, "don't you dare threaten her."

"And don't you threaten me, I'm older than you."

"Not by much," he challenged.

"You don't know my temper, Mr. Compton. I suggest you back the fuck off."

"What is your purpose here, Clara? Shouldn't you be in New York?" Nan asked, her own eyebrows lifting to her hair line, a small smirk lifted the corner of her lips. She was clearly amused by me.

My lips curled in forced respect, "Just business Ma'am." I glanced at Eric again and our eyes met, briefly my eye flinched in a wink and I spoke again, "but… Correct me if I'm wrong, Ms. Flanagan but are you not currently situated in a Vampire Rights and Mortal – Immortal coexistence crusade?"

She stared at me with uncertainty; even I wasn't quite sure where I was going with this.

"That is the general idea, yes."

"Now tell me, Ms. Flanagan… are you acquainted with the term 'trust'?"

"By all means Clara, if you are trying to make a point, get to it already," She snarled at me and I smiled at her in mock respect.

"Clar-," Godric tried to stop me but I shot him a stern look, one that clearly suggested that he shut his mouth.

I manouvered myself around the couch so I was standing about a foot away from Eric and in Nan's direct line of sight, "As far as I'm concerned in order to coexist with anyone – man, woman, child, mortal, immortal or other species," I quickly shot the blonde beside Mr. Compton a look and continued, "trust is the necessary foundation."

"How are we to trust the Humans if they give us no reason to, and vice versa. Godric here has done the best he could under the circumstances and to his ability. Sure, he could have ripped every single human apart if he wanted to. The strength of twenty or so humans doesn't even come close to his, but what kind of position would that put him in? If he did tonight what I'm sure every other Vampire wanted to do, you would have had a mess over three times as large as the one now to clean up, not to mention your entire campaign would have been destroyed."

"What are you saying Clara?"

"I'm saying that Godric trusted the humans not to do anything, he promised them no bloodshed and they threw it into our faces. Someone had to take the first step in this relationship and Godric did so, on behalf of the Vampires. Are you really going to punish him for doing what you want?"

"Well Godric made the wrong choice didn't he?"

"Well what the fuck do you want?" I snarled, my hands balling into fists, this woman was clearly nothing like she appeared on television, she was callous even for a Vampire, with absolutely no idea what she wanted.

"Excuse me?"

"The last time I checked we are Vampires not fucking MIND READERS! How the hell are we supposed to know if a bunch of fuck up humans are going to attack us?"

"You watch your mouth with me little girl. Now I will not have a pre-pubescent teenager order me around, you forget who has the authority here -."

"No," I spoke menacingly, my finger jabbing in her direction, "you listen to me you cold hearted, two faced, tyrannous bitch."

The room went dead silent with the surprising insult and now was the time for me to make my speech; if I was going to die I was not going to go down without a fight. There weren't very many Vampires around who got away with speaking to Nan Flanagan, the Authority's spokesperson with such disrespect, and there were even less two hundred year old Vampires who even dared to address her in such a way – even if it was on everyone's mind.

"Whose side are you really on? Because I'm beginning to wonder who you really care about, who's more important to you, a bunch of snivelling humans or Vampires - your own race? And you better pick Vampires or so help me you will be out of your job."

"Is that a threat?" She snarled as she jumped to her feet. Her minions bared their fangs in hopes of forcing me to back down, but clearly they didn't know about my contempt for authority.

"It's a fucking promise," I growled back, my fangs baring, "I have friends in higher places than you Nan, and before you can even say 'coexistence' you'll be fired, and left to beg and slum on the streets. I'll make sure of it. And if you really insist on firing Godric then I step down as Queen of New York."

Nan quickly fell back into her seat and gasped out, "you're bluffing."

"You and I both know how good I am at my job. You like me, even if I piss you off. You wouldn't have made me Queen otherwise."

Her hand met her face as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, "fine, you will remain as Sheriff, Godric."

That seemed to lighten up the tension in the room, everyone seemed happier now, except for Godric who remained staring at the floor. Nan Flanagan rose to her feet, and passed me with her minions following close on her heels, and after a split second thought I turned to face her retreating back.

"Oh, and Ms. Flanagan?" I called out, my face taking on a haughty expression when she turned to face me, "if you ever threaten either one of my Makers again, I'll rip your throat out. Six hundred years age difference or not."

When the door snapped behind her the Blonde turned towards me with a fire in her eyes, she was about to fire at me when I tapped a finger to my lips and pointed at the door and cupped my ear. I listened as the footsteps became quieter and quieter and then disappear altogether and I chuckled to myself, ignoring the flare of pain that still laced my shoulder.

"I guess I better find myself friends who are higher up."