...
When I close my eyes
I hear the water lapping
On the side of the boat
Pretending I am catching
But I never feel the bite
I only feel it's missing
And I sail into the light
I'm searching and I'm wishing
[Lucy Schwartz – Feeling Of Being]
...
The flight to Odessa was rather silent. Laura tried to bring as much space between her and Godric as he would allow – which was not much, as he was almost clingy as of late. Whenever she moved a bit away from him, he closed up again, until she told him she'd like to take advantage of this 'spare time' and draw something – just to get him to back away a bit.
She hadn't thought about the fact, that she indeed would have to draw something then, but as she knew sooner or later Godric or Eric would be staring at her from the sheet of paper she worked on, she decided it would be better to opt for he Viking from he beginning – and maybe his progeny.
Drawing always had helped her relaxing her mind, sometimes it almost felt relieving. She was glad to escape her nagging thoughts – always circling around the curious vampire beside her – at least for a few minutes.
The previous night had been a blissful torture: when she'd come back to the room to lay down for sleeping after she'd changed, Godric had still been awake and snuggled up to her from behind without a word, wrapping his strong arms around her as if she were all he needed in that moment.
She had oftentimes woken up in such a position, but never before had they fallen asleep like that. And all she had been able to think about, were these stupid bath scenes and how she wished she had not interrupted his massage!
There definitely had to change something – and better soon! – or she'd loose her mind...
"This is amazing Laura", Godric's gentle voice suddenly distracted her from her drawing and she turned her head to look at him in confusion. "Your work – it is amazing how detailed it is, although you draw it just from your mind."
Her gaze immediately scurried back to the paper in front of her with a thoughtful look, while she sucked on a piece of orange. Those fruits they had bought the day before tasted amazing and she had to realize with regret, that the bag was almost empty already.
Her belly was full though and after all, that was what mattered.
When her eyes trailed over the sheet in front of her, she glanced at Pam, standing in the front with her arms crossed over her chest. One of her eyebrows was cocked in one of her 'are you serious?' expressions, while Eric stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders. His torso was slightly bend forward so that his head was beside hers, while he devilishly grinned at the viewer.
To her eye, Eric was way more detailed than Pam, which was probably due to the fact, that she had already drawn him a couple of times. Luckily the vampire beside her didn't know that, otherwise he might have asked if she'd drawn him too and that would've been an embarrassing question to answer, because 'a couple of times' would have been a bit of an understatement, when it came to him...
"If you really like it, I'll give it to you when I'm finished", she offered and shrugged her shoulders to signalize that it was no big deal, before she returned her attention to the drawing again.
By the time they landed she had shaded and signed it and to her surprise Godric seemed genuinely happy about this little present. Well, she had to admit it had turned out rather nicely – and after all it was sort of a family portrait to him.
When Gerry drove them to the residence they'd stay in for the next couple of days, her heartbeat seemed to accelerate with every passing minute. Laura had absolutely no clue where they were heading to, or what the vampire they'd meet there would be like.
What if Jaromar was rude and didn't tolerate her? What if she did something wrong?
No one had ever bothered to tell her how to behave among vampires. What if she accidentally offended this 'influential' friend of Godric? Would he be angry at her too, then?
"Calm down, Little One", the gentle vampire beside her tried to soothe her, "Everything will be fine."
When she lifted her gaze to look doubtfully into his eyes, he smiled warmly at her and she felt her heart-rate decrease immediately, betraying that he once more had used his abilities on her.
She knew he had done that a couple of times already – every time to calm her down. But what if he had used it in other ways too?
Disgusted by her own thoughts she shook her head, before she looked silently out of the window again. Godric would never do such a thing – and why should he? She had already told him she'd do everything for him, he'd only need to ask. If he would ever make use of this offer, was a totally different story though...
When the cab finally came to a halt, she first only saw the front of a two or three story house in art nouveau style. Only when Godric had helped her out of the car, she spotted the high rise building behind it, with its well lit glass elevators and domes on top of it. A bit baffled she gaped at it for a few moments, totally taken aback by the sight in front of her.
This was absolutely not, what she had imagined Jaromar's house to look like. His name sounded somehow old to her – and as she knew he was well known in the vampire world and obviously influential, she had almost expected a palace or castle.
This modern tower was neither of the two...
Only when she realized that she probably delayed Godric's reunion with his old friend, she hurriedly accepted his outstretched hand and followed him inside the first little building, where the letters 'ArkSpa' were positioned above the entrance.
Immediately a concierge was at their side and welcomed Godric, telling him that his 'arrival has been eagerly awaited already' and that they should please follow him. His simple nod looked as emotionless as ever and they immediately began to move.
Obviously they had crossed the building completely, because suddenly they stood in an eggshell-white room with a huge glass elevator and two staircases leading in a bent 'X' to the second floor behind it.
It took a few awkwardly silent moments until a 'ding' disclosed the elevators arrival and all of them stepped inside. After they had passed the third floor, they could see the night sky over Odessa. When they had reached the top level, the shore with its many little piers looked almost toylike in the moonlight, from their perspective.
As soon as the elevator's doors opened, a tall blonde vampire suddenly stood in their midst, as if he had just beamed himself there. His long hair was tied in his neck and his blue eyes slowly wandered from the two White's to Godric, to finally rest on Laura. The little smirk that appeared on his face then – and generally his whole appearance – reminded her a lot of Eric, but he appeared a bit younger and was not as tall as The Huge One.
But this air about him told her he was much older than Eric or even Godric.
Could this really be Jaromar? He looked kind of cute...
"Now I finally get to know what all the fuss is about", said vampire suddenly noted and elbowed Godric in the ribs, "You've found yourself a lovely little Lady, my old friend!"
"Do not make her feel uncomfortable Jaromar!", Godric replied seriously but smiled at the man nonetheless, "It is good to see you again."
"Likewise", the tall one stated and clapped him on the back with a chuckle, "But we shouldn't stand in here the whole night – come with me, we have a lot to discuss!"
They had just stepped out of the elevator into a little hall, when a redheaded vampire suddenly appeared in the back and strolled towards them. Her hair was about chin long and had a natural shade of orange-red. The emerald colored dress she wore contrasted perfectly with it and when she had closed up to them, Laura could even see freckles on her skin.
Freckles! On a vampire! She had never thought this could be possible, but it definitely looked very cute on the petit female. The woman couldn't have been much older than twenty when she had been turned.
"It's a pleasure to see you again!", she chimed and hugged Godric without warning, who seemed at a loss in the first moment, but finally embraced her too.
"The pleasure is mine Annabel!", he assured her when they parted again and gave her his most charming smile. Laura would probably have been jealous, if Jaromar hadn't wrapped his arms around the woman's hips from behind, signalizing that she belonged to him with a wink at her.
"And you have to be this famous young woman everyone is talking about", the redhead's attention suddenly settled on her. Laura's eyes just widened in confusion and her glare briefly scurried to Godric for some sort of explanation, but the female vampire hadn't finished yet. "You look a bit tense, Darling! What if I show you around a bit while the two men talk their about their boring lives?", she suggested and clapped her hands in excitement, breaking loose from the embrace of the vampire behind her, who just shrugged and smiled at Laura.
"Ahm, I guess I've got nothing else to do", she answered a bit unsure and looked to Godric again, to see if he was OK with this, but as soon as she saw a reassuring smile spreading on his face, she felt herself being dragged through the little hall and down a corridor.
"They both haven't seen each other for fifteen years and you have absolutely no idea how sedating their discussions about politics can be", the redhead told her and rolled her eyes playfully, which elicited a chuckle from Laura.
"If it's only half as boring as my fathers talks about business, I'm glad you got me out of there", she replied when they stopped in front of a door. The charming woman beside her only grinned at her, before she opened it to reveal a library. The room was surely 25 feet high and the fully stocked shelves reached up to the dome-like glass roof.
"Wow, that are a lot of books", Laura muttered in awe and slowly spun around to have a look at everything.
"Jup, but I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to understand anything, as they're mostly written in cyrillic or dead languages", she told her sympathetically, before she urged Laura to the next room.
It was a little hall again with one way heading into another direction and a huge, dark wooden door obviously leading to the 'Spa' – if the letters above weren't lying.
"You look like you could need a little relaxation, Laura – may I call you Laura?", the woman immediately asked, when she realized she had just done exactly that, "And of course you can call me Belle as well!"
"Of course, Belle", Laura chuckled and smiled genuinely at her, "That name really suits you!"
"Oh, thanks honey! You're such a sweet thing – I'm glad Godric found someone like you", the redhead noted and ushered her through the door without further warning. It had almost sounded as if she thought Godric and her were a couple – but why would she think that? She probably just had a serious problem with her ears or something...
When they entered the next room, it was completely tiled in light brown tones and the two benches – with suspension hooks above them – flanking the next door, indicated that this was some sort of changing room. When Belle opened her dress and emerged from it to neatly fold it, Laura just stood beside her and watched her baffled.
"Won't you get out of your clothes too?", the female vampire asked with a chuckle, just before she unhooked her bra and hung it onto one of the hooks on the wall.
"Does none of you guy's have issues with nakedness?!", Laura asked disbelievingly and still wouldn't move an inch. Bell just lifted her eyebrows and examined with a confused expression, before she nodded knowingly, as if she just had considered something.
"I'm sorry Laura, I forgot you're still a virgin", she told her with a sympathetic smile, "But i promise you it's just the two of us – and it's not like you have anything I don't."
She chuckled at her own little joke and winked at her, before she strolled – clad in only her orange-red lace panties – to one of the two cupboards and retrieved two fluffy looking towels.
"Well hurry up, Laura – I wanna get into the whirlpool already!", she told her in an almost scolding tone, when she reached her side again and Laura reluctantly began to open her blouse.
That Belle had sat down on the bench beside her – after she had got rid of the last bit of fabric as well – and watched her every move, didn't make her feel any more comfortable, but she tried to ignore it as best as she could. As casually as possible, she unhooked her bra and hung it beside the female vampire's, before she let her pantie slip to the floor as well. Fortunately the redhead hadn't caught her putting her list between the pile of clothes on the bench...
When she finally dared to meet Bell's gaze again, she became aware of the huge smile on her face and nearly forgot how uncomfortable she felt for a moment.
"You have absolutely no reason to hide anything, Laura", she almost chided her, before she got up to link their arms and pulled her along to the next room, "You have a beautiful body, a bit thin though, but definitely beautiful!"
Laura blushed deeply at that statement and hurriedly directed her gaze to the floor, hoping Bell would soon hand her a towel so she could cover up a bit. But when she realized they had stopped in front of a jacuzzi that hope vanished into thin air.
Only when Belle had activated the jets, providing an opaque surface, she started to appreciate the warm water surrounding her and forgot about her former discomfort.
"By the way – not that it's any of my business, but how come you're still a virgin?", Belle suddenly broke their silence and examined her curiously, her arms sprawled out on the tubs edge, "I mean – I just wonder how Godric is able to hold himself back..."
"You think we're like that?", Laura asked baffled and shook her head vehemently, explaining everything, "We're not a couple – we're just friends! … How do you know I'm a virgin anyway?!"
Her incredulous gaze was resting on the redhead opposite of her, while she waited for an answer. Belle seemed to be quite surprised by her revelation, but recovered soon and just smiled apologetically at her.
"I'm sorry – when Godric asked for only one room for the two of you, we jumped to conclusions", she hurriedly explained and seemed to be even a little embarrassed, "And hasn't anyone told you yet, that virgins have a slightly different scent? – Not even Eric let anything slip?"
One of Belle's eyebrows arched disbelievingly at the last sentence and Laura tried to think back, if there maybe had indeed been a moment, where he had said something like that. But as Eric often talked about things she couldn't entirely follow, she couldn't really be sure if he had hinted at something.
"Eric talks a lot – I don't take him too seriously though. It's absolutely possible that he told me, but I ignored it", Laura explained casually and sighed before she continued in a more serious tone, "As for the room... Is it possible to get separate ones? The last days have been exciting and I really enjoyed them – but I'm not used to stick to someone the whole time. I'm actually in dire need for a bit more room for myself. Could you help me and arrange that?"
Belle seemed a bit taken aback at first, but nodded nonetheless. "Of course, this is a hotel after all!", she told her and chuckled when she had obviously recovered from her slight shock, "Though I can't really imagine Godric clinging to someone to an uncomfortable extend..."
"Maybe it's because I'm an only child and I'm just a bit hypersensitive..."
Belle's eyebrows rose in a disbelieving expression, but she didn't respond to that and just laid her head back a few moments later and closed her eyes. Laura followed suit, soon forgetting that she was completely naked and had been quite uncomfortable because of that.
"Did he really try to kill himself?", the hesitant question ripped her out of her relaxed state and her head jerked up to eye the woman in front of her. Belle's voice had sounded as forlorn as she looked in that moment – her eyes questioningly, no pleadingly directed at her, while she bit on her bottom lip.
"Yes, he did", Laura confirmed with a sigh, not exactly happy to be reminded of that morning, but somehow feeling the responsibility to tell the female vampire, what had happened. "He wanted to burn on the rooftop of hotel Carmilla. Eric had tried to talk him down, he had pleaded him on his knees to go back inside with him – he even threatened him to be dying with him if he didn't – but Godric simply commanded him inside..."
"But you managed to change his mind."
"Yes."
"How?", Belle's low voice desperately demanded to know.
"I asked him to help me accomplish my last wishes, as I will die in a few months", Laura told her with a shrug and as casually, as her voice would allow her, "And as you can see, he indeed helps me – we even took a hot-air-balloon ride this morning"
The information about her impeding death was obviously new to Belle – if her open mouth was any indication – but again, she recovered quite fast from the shock and coughed slightly. "I'm sorry Laura, I didn't know that..."
"It's no big deal – really! I've accepted it some time ago."
Her voice sounded almost convincing to her ears, but she knew a vampire would look through it easily. Belle just nodded, with a faint, sympathetic smile on her lips and started to tell her a bit about her and Jaromar to ease the tension.
He had stumbled upon her, when he had visited one of his political allies in Cornwall and she'd been a baron's maid then. She had just been on her way home, when she attracted his attention – and well, it didn't take long until she fell head over heels for him.
He was gentle, charming and wealthy – everything a woman could have asked for and beside all that he also was extremely good looking ("Admit it Laura – you surely took a glimpse at his well-shaped butt as well, didn't you?"). The night he revealed his true self to her, had been the night he turned her and since then, for over three hundred years, they both had only had eyes for each other.
She had been a vampire for about twenty years, when she first encountered Godric. He had been 'another man' back then: polite – but not in a charming way, friendly – but only when it was necessary and very strict, when it came to disobeying progenies – as Belle had to witness with her own eyes, when Nora had sneaked away one night, to save a child's life by offering her blood.
"Who is Nora", Laura interrupted confused and eyed the woman in front of her with a baffled expression, who met her glare with an equally baffled one.
"Nora is Godric's second progeny", Belle explained in an incredulous voice, "Didn't he tell you about her?"
"No... What happened to her?"
The redhead sighed deeply and closed her eyes for a moment, but then she tried to explain. "This is surely not my story to tell, but as far as I know, they had had major differences", she told Laura honestly, "And finally Nora asked him to release her.."
"What does this mean?"
"What the hell! Didn't they tell you anything at all?", she asked disbelieving and literally face palmed, before she explained, "From the moment a new vampire rises from the earth on his first night, he is bound to his maker. There is a bond between them that couldn't be described with words – both feel each others feelings, both are bound to one another.
"If a maker loses his progeny while the bond is still intact, he oftentimes loses his mind, because with the loss of his child he also loses a part of himself – and of course the loss of a maker is equally painful.
"Because of this bond, most vampires create only a handful of progenies – the risk it means to bind one's sole to another being, is a risk not everyone is willing to take. Take me for example: I have absolutely no intention to become a maker. Jaromar is everything to me – I wouldn't want to share my precious time with anyone else.
"But as precious as this bond is, there is still a way to get rid of it. If the maker releases his progeny, their connection is cut. Most makers do this, before they part ways with their progenies after a few centuries, as there is no way to be sure they'd survive – and no one want's to loose his mind, if there is an easy way to avoid it.
"At first it feels, as if you'd be ripped apart, as the part the other one has held in your sole is gone suddenly, only the very essential part – the part that tells you that the other one is still alive – remains intact. It's hard for the first few years, but it's something you adjust to with time. From what I've heard, Nora had very ambitious political goals Godric didn't approve of, which finally forced her to ask him to release her. And he did."
Laura contemplated the information for a few moments. Why hadn't anyone told her about this? She'd known, there was something between Eric and Godric that always caused them to know where the other one was and she had gathered that it supposedly had something to do with this maker-progeny-relationship.
But why hadn't they bothered to tell her at least about the basics? And why the fuck had no one told her about Nora?!
"So, if maker or progeny dies after this bond had been cut for a few years, the loss is less severe?", she carefully asked to fully understand. When Belle just nodded seriously Laura absentmindedly nodded as well.
"Is there any other progeny of his I should know of?", she asked dryly and sighed in relief when she just received a vigorously shaken head.
"How did Godric punish her?", she asked meekly after a few moments of hesitation. When she heard the vampire in front of her inhale sharply, she immediately knew she wouldn't like what she'd hear.
She couldn't for the life of her picture Godric hurting anyone. Sure, when they had celebrated his return from the 'Fellowship of the Sun', he had put this redhead in her place, after she had nearly strangled Sookie in his old mansion. But he had only held her in place, he hadn't hurt her at all!
"Trust me – you do not want to know that, Little One...", Belle told her in a quiet voice, but that hadn't really the effect she probably had estimated.
"Why the hell does everyone call me that!? I'm not an infant – I'm a grown woman!", it burst out of Laura suddenly and without thinking, she had gotten up, her hands on her hips, "Would you please just tell me what he did and be done with it?!"
The vampire in front of her just stared up at her baffled and finally nodded hurriedly. "Of course, if you insist", she gave in with a sigh, "He commanded her to kill the child. Do you know the effects of vampire blood, Laura?"
"It heals, it enhances the humans's senses", she listed and counted with her fingers, still standing and therefore revealing everything above her navel, "The vampire can sense where the human is and -... the vampire can feel the humans feelings..."
"That's most of it, right", Belle confirmed and looked sympathetically up at her.
"So you're telling me he commanded his own progeny to kill a child, who's feelings she could sense?", Laura asked in a disbelieving tone, so low, she had almost troubles to understand her own words. "How? How did she kill the kid?"
"Nora intended to break her neck", the vampire in front of her started and averted her face in an almost ashamed manner, before she continued, "but Godric commanded her to drain her..."
Laura gulped at that statement. She couldn't really comprehend what she just had heard. The gentle vampire who had held her like she was the most precious being on earth in the morning, had punished his progeny – and a human just like her – in such a cruel way?
"He was another man back then", Belle tried to explain immediately, "I know it was harsh, but you have to take in consideration, that the times were different as well. First I was as shocked as you, but when Jaromar told me about Godric's past a few nights later, when we had parted ways again, I could understand him in a way..."
Laura just stared at the now quite clear surface of the water, obviously the jets had been deactivated again, and sat down absentmindedly, not giving a damn about her nakedness anymore.
His past... It was something she knew next to nothing about, as he didn't exactly like to talk about it. She understood, that it hurt him to remember, but right now she felt like the dump little girl she supposedly was to him.
"I know nothing about his past."
She heard the water splash and the next moment Belle was at her side. Her warm hand on her shoulder felt comforting and after a few moments of silence she looked up into her beautiful green eyes. "Would you like me to tell you about him some more?", the vampire suggested with a smile and tilted her head.
Laura entertained the thought for a moment, but shook her head in the end. "It doesn't feel right. If he had wanted me to know, he would have told me himself...", she explained a bit depressed, but forced herself to think of something else. "You told me my listing of your blood's abilities was 'mostly it' – what else is there to know?"
Belle's eyebrows twitched upwards for a moment, before she chuckled slightly. "Oh, not much. It's just that your libido'd be enhanced too", she told her with a wink, "And well... There'd be x-rated dreams about the vampire who offered the blood."
"So that's why Eric was so keen on giving me his blood...", Laura noted dryly and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Sneaky, not so little bastard...
"Eric offered you his blood?", the vampire beside her asked in surprise and eyed her expectantly, obviously waiting for an answer.
"Yes, he did. But Godric offered as well, so I suppose this whole 'the blood is sacred' thing doesn't count here and Eric wouldn't be punished like Nora had been", she explained thoughtfully, "But I didn't accept the offer – or at least I told him I'd need time to think about it."
"Well, then try to think about it as long as possible, because Godric won't like it", Belle informed her with a dark look and shook her head in disbelieve, "Why did the Viking do such a thing? Godric hasn't claimed you, but he's still marked you as his!"
"What?!"
"Don't you know that? His scent was all over you – especially sticking to your neck", the vampire beside her explained incredulously, "Didn't you realize that? – He must have nestled his face up to the skin there or something!"
Now that she thought about it, there had indeed been occasions, when he'd done something like that, but she hadn't paid attention to it, as it had been situations, when they generally were quite close. But he could have had the decency to tell her what he was doing!
"There have been moments like that, but I haven't thought it'd mean anything..."
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't have told you then", Belle responded with a shrug and directed the conversation into another direction, "So – who's calling you 'Little One' that you overreact like that?"
Her curious green eyes looked at her questioningly and a faint grin played around her lips. Though she could probably see Laura's naked body as clearly through the water, as she could see hers, she didn't feel uncomfortable any more – in fact it almost felt normal by now.
"Godric", she told her with a heavy sigh, "I always feel like a little kid when he calls me that. I suppose in his eyes I am really just an infant..."
Belle's reddish hair bounced when she shook her head vigorously. "No Laura, you misunderstand!", she exclaimed and put her hand on her shoulder again, squeezing it softly. "In some ways you are indeed a child to him – you are way younger than him after all!", she reminded her and wiggled with her lifted pointer-finger, "Jaromar told me it's not meant insulting or anything – he called me 'Little One' as well in the beginning and I reacted just like you. It's just a nickname for someone you care and feel responsible for.
"Trust me – he does know you're a woman! Haven't you seen how he's looking after you?"
Laura just lifted her eyebrows disbelievingly and shook her head. "You don't have to fantasize now – I got it, I'll try to ignore it in the future..."
Their conversation floated along like that for at least half an hour, before Bell dragged her to the next room, which was some sort of turkish bath, with a heated, tiled platform in the center. It was hard not to think of Godric, when Belle soaped her back and she tried had to ignore this nagging longing for him, that bubbled up inside of her.
The third room contained a little cold water pool and a sauna in a cave like little 'building'. Just when they were about to cool down after their sweatbath, Laura felt the first symptoms of what she had feared would soon occur again.
"My bag!", was all she was able to get out, before she had to shut her mouth as tightly as possible, to prevent biting on her own tongue. Her whole body went rigid, but this time she had acted fast enough and had been able to sit down on the tiled floor, before she could have fallen.
She couldn't tell how long the seizure had lasted this time, as she couldn't really say if Belle had understood her and had given her the injection or not. When she turned her head to look for the vampire, she groaned in pain, as her neck felt as if she had tried to turn it 360°...
"Are you OK hun?", the redhead asked her worriedly, when she suddenly leant over her, "You just scared the shit out of me..."
"I'm sorry", Laura just muttered tiredly, "How long did it last. I'm always sort of out as long as it takes..."
"So this happens on a regular basis?", Belle asked bewildered and looked at her in shock, "It took nearly a minute – I got your bag, but I had no clue what to do with it..."
The female vampire bit on her lip embarrassedly and reached back to hand Laura her purse. With a slight, painful chuckle, she accepted it and searched for the pen-like syringe inside.
"That's the injection I'd have needed if it had lasted longer", she explained when she pulled it out, "Otherwise there is a possibility of long term brain damage, if my system overheats too much because of the seizure taking too long."
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."
"It's no big deal, Belle. But if this could stay our little secret, I'd definitely appreciate it..."
"I'm not sure if I can keep it to me – I usually share every little information with Jaromar...", Belle explained apologetically.
"Then ask him to keep it a secret too – I don't need Godric to stick to me because of this. He is clingy enough as it is at the moment...", Laura told her a bit frustrated and leant her head back down onto the floor to relax her poor muscles.
"I'll try my best hun", Belle promised and she felt how her warm fingers brushed some of her hair out of her face, "I don't really understand your relationship though."
She heard her sigh heavily and had to smile at that statement. Well, they both had troubles to get their heads around it then...
After Belle had helped her to put her clothes on, she brought her to the room she'd be allowed to stay in for the next few days. With a relieved sigh she fell onto the cozy looking bed and almost immediately dropped off. She hadn't even had the time to ask her, if this was her room now, or if Godric would sleep there as well.
Generally it had been a very deep slumber, only once did she briefly have the feeling, as if something cool would be touching her face, but when she forced her eyes to open, she couldn't see anything in the dark.
The next few days they spent mostly sightseeing spots in and around Odessa. Though Godric and Jaromar were with them sometimes, she usually sticked to Belle, while the men talked about the things they'd seen and done the last couple of years.
One night the female vampire managed to persuade the two of them into allowing them to spend a 'female-night'. They went shopping and – to Laura's dismay – to a beauty salon for a Brazilian waxing, as Belle was of the opinion that this would 'enhance her self-esteem a bit'.
She admitted that she had contemplated to try it for some time – especially now, as Godric seemed so keen on achieving this 'skinny-dipping' score. Though she hadn't planned to do it so soon, she was somehow glad that she hadn't been forced to go there alone and could stay silent in the background while Belle did the talking.
It hurt as hell and she was sure she'd have troubles to sit for the next few nights, but the result looked somehow interesting. She'd need some time to become accustomed to this new look, but it definitely had something.
Godric had been refreshingly distant the last few nights and hadn't even commented on the fact, that she had changed his accommodation plans. He mostly spend his nights at Jaromar's side and Laura had to admit, that she almost felt jealous of their deep relationship sometimes.
"A few times, Jaromar had almost been forced to end Godric's life, you know", she suddenly reminded Belle's casual words, when they had had a few moments for themselves one night, "Godric had been so very feral, that he threatened to reveal us to humankind.
"Jaromar had been the oldest one for quite some time then – he had and has a responsibility towards us as a community and therefore needed to punish him. But he once admitted to me, he always had been much more gentle with him, than he had been with any other vampire. He had killed others for much less – and Godric hadn't been named 'Death' for nothing."
Sahar had called him death, but Laura had thought this had just been some sort of mocking nickname for him. But when Belle mentioned it as well – and in such a general context – it all became a whole other picture.
He had seemed very uncomfortable when they had landed in Istanbul.
Had he feared she'd look through this phrase? Had he feared she'd ask him about it? As if she would have had the guts to do that! – This was definitely exactly the chapter of his life he didn't want to talk about and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to talk him off a rooftop again if he sank back into depression – and Eric was miles away!
The Viking hadn't said much, when she told him about this new information she'd got about their blood. He had merely smirked into the camera and asked her if she'd be willing to take his blood now. No need to tell, what her response to that had been...
She had informed him about the bathing scene as well, but not in detail and left it's impact on her out as well. Apart from that, she kept him updated about Godric's diet – which had even been a bag of donor blood one night, thanks to Jaromar's cunning persuasion skills.
She also skyped with her parents twice and informed them about the film roll they'd soon receive per air mail. They both seemed very happy about her exciting journey, but still looked like they'd miss her much – which was kind of a nice thought somehow, as she missed them too quite often lately.
These few days spent with her mom before she flew to Shreveport, had changed much about their relationship and Laura was glad she'd forgiven them for their cold behavior. After all it had to be a horrible thought for parents that their only child would die soon – it had probably been just normal that they'd tried to do everything to change her mind...
The only one she really talked to about her feelings, was Pat, who – clueless as men are in such situations – just suggested she should simply tell Godric how she felt and see how he reacted. As if it'd be that easy! Besides, she knew how he would react and one scenario was worse than the other – she definitely wouldn't do that!
When the last night in Odessa came, Laura was quite sad to leave Belle, as she'd become a friend over the last few nights. But what she somehow regretted, was that she rarely had had the time to talk to Jaromar – which is why she was pleasantly surprised, when he asked her for a little conversation in his office room, before they left.
"Belle told me about this little incident on your first night here", he started carefully, when they had sat down. Laura just looked worriedly back at the door, almost expecting Godric to burst into the room, demanding what this 'incident' was about. "Don't worry my dear", Jaromars gentle voice caused her to turn her head back towards him, "This is a sound proof room – I've already punished vampires in here while a party was going on outside – believe me when I say: 'what's said in here, stays in here'!"
She just nodded hesitantly, not exactly sure if she liked where this would be heading to.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did – for saving Godric from himself", he told her seriously and leant forwards in his seat to lean his elbows on the table in front of him, "Know that you will always be welcome in my lands."
"Thanks", she replied meekly and admitted a bit embarrassed, "Though I don't exactly know which lands that are..."
He laughed out loud then and sat back in his seat to examine her for a few moments, before he replied simply: "Pretty much the world – but on the paper, mostly the former USSR plus Mongolia and parts of China."
"So you're literally the oldest being on earth?!", Laura asked in awe, "Belle had hinted something like that, but i hadn't taken it too seriously."
"I'm not sure what she told you, but I'm not the oldest 'being'", he clarified with a Gentle smile, "Tough I probably am the oldest vampire."
"Is there any other supernatural being with a potentially infinite lifespan?", she asked baffled and eyed him confused.
"Yes. We know of at least one person", he told her honestly, still smiling at her, "Actually you might get to know her soon, as Godric is looking for her."
"What? He didn't tell me he's looking for someone!", she exclaimed, once again feeling like a fool, "Who is she?"
"You're a little spitfire, aren't you?", he chuckled, but got serious then, "I'm glad you are – he need's someone to balance this dangerous mood out he's currently in. I had such a phase once or twice in my life too. You need to be there for him when he finally wants to talk and you are not allowed to judge him – do you hear me?"
He had gotten up and rounded his desk during his speech, sitting on the edge of it's surface now and leaning forward, towering over her.
"I may be uninformed, but I'm not dumb – you know", she told him dryly, "And I didn't talk him off this roof just to chase him back up there again! I know there are things he did in his past, he isn't proud of – he even is ashamed of – but I'll handle it, if he ever decides to let me in on it that is."
The handsome man in front of her raised his torso into an upright position again and examined her with an almost impressed look for a moment.
"Very well – then all that's left to say for me is: don't play with him."
Laura jerked back in surprise at that statement and eyed Jaromar confused. What the hell was he talking about – didn't Belle tell him that they weren't a couple?
"We're not-", she started but was silenced by a simple, rather chilly stare of him. Now she slowly started to realize, that he indeed was an old vampire. It almost felt as if the air around her would cool down, leaving goose bumps on her bare arms.
"I know that, Little One", he informed her matter-of-factly and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "I'm just not entirely sure if he will be able to maintain this relationship as it is now and I don't know what he'll do if you reject him . That's why you – simply. Won't. Do it."
"What are you talking about?", she asked bewildered and got up from her chair, "I'd never reject him. You hear me? Never! And what do you mean with 'maintain this relationship as it is' – did he tell you anything I should be aware of?"
She had mirrored his pose now – apart from sitting on the desk of course – and glared expectantly into his blue eyes. Of course – he was an old friend of Godric and worried about him. But how could he dare to accuse her of leaving him, for whatever it was, he was talking about!
"You know he doesn't talk about his feelings – not even Eric knows what's going on inside of him, as he has closed their bond-"
"Wait a moment – you said closed, not cut, didn't you?"
"Yes, of course – Eric and Godric still share a bond", Jaromar informed her with a suspicious look at her, "Didn't you know that?"
"Well Belle confused me a bit with her explanation about makers and progenies – I know they had not seen each other before this whole 'Fellowship of the Sun' ordeal-"
"That's not entirely true Laura – Godric told me Eric came to him the night after he met you, because he wanted to know what had made him so happy, that he shared the feeling with him", he reminded her, but Laura just nodded impatiently.
"What I tried to say was – they had obviously parted ways and Eric was more than a few centuries old already", she explained and started to pace about the room, "Belle told me a maker usually releases his progeny before they part, because he can never know if his progeny will survive."
"This is true – but Godric and Eric had never parted for long", he told her patiently and with a faint smile around his lips, "In fact those sixty-something years had been the longest time for them to stay apart – and as you said: Eric is well over a few centuries old already. There are only very few threats to him anymore – and one needed to be especially dumb or suicidal, to mess with Eric the Viking – son of Death."
Laura just voiced a small "oh" when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Well, that sounded quite plausible – why hadn't she thought of that herself.
"I'm sorry if I insulted you Laura", Jaromar apologized with a sympathetic smile and pushed himself off the desk to approach her, "I didn't mean to. I just thought I had to make sure, you know how to react. But that was obviously unnecessary."
He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to usher her to the exit. "Have a good flight", he whispered into her ear, before he opened the door and stepped outside, pulling her along.
Godric had obviously already been waiting for her, as he was sitting on the couch in the entrance hall, impatiently tipping his fingers on the armrest, one after the other. His gaze was immediately resting on her and she even thought she had seen his eyes briefly scurrying down her body to take her whole appearance in. He was beside her in the blink of an eye, taking one of her hands in his and gently pulling her out of Jaromar's grasp.
Was he serious? Was this some sort of territorial behavior or something?
She just eyed him confused, but squeezed his hand reassuringly nonetheless. If this indeed was about marking his territory it couldn't hurt to let him know that she knew where she belonged.
His eyes settled briefly on her, widening a little, before they rested on Jaromar again.
"We will leave now. Thank you for your hospitality, old friend", Godric told him with a faint smile, squeezing her hand back in that moment, which distracted her enough to miss everything else he might have said.
"It was a pleasure to have you here and Belle really enjoyed Laura's company", the tall vampire replied casually and winked at her.
"Yeah – I'm gonna miss you hun!", said woman suddenly standing beside Jaromar chimed, linking her arm with his and bending forward to box Laura playfully on her shoulder.
"I'll miss you too Belle", she told her honestly and smiled sadly at the redhead, "I hope we'll see each other again..."
"Do not worry Laura", Godric's calm voice was suddenly at her ear and the feeling of his breath tickling her skin made her shiver slightly, "I will make sure of it. You will meet again."
She could have sworn she caught the two vampires in front of them exchanging a look, before they returned to smile at them as if nothing had happened. "Have an exciting journey – and of course a nice flight", Jaromar bid them farewell when they arrived at the elevator and stepped inside.
"And don't forget to go to a beauty salon again in a few weeks", Belle chimed innocently and winked at Laura, who immediately felt her cheeks flush a certainly dark-red color.
"Sure", she just muttered and directed her gaze to the floor in embarrassment. She was glad that the door closed, before the redhead could have gone into more detail and sighed in relieve.
"What was she talking about Laura?", Godric suddenly asked wish a curious look in his eyes. Laura just gulped and glanced briefly to Anne for help, who simply shrugged with an apologetic expression. Could this become any more embarrassing?
"What happens in such a salon, stays in such a salon", she simply told him and pointedly directed her gaze at the still closed elevator doors to signalize that this conversation was over.
"I am sorry if I offended you", he immediately apologized, "I did not know this was a serious matter."
"It isn't serious. Just women's stuff, that's all", she clarified and allowed her eyes to scurry back at him briefly, before the 'ding' disclosed that they'd arrived at the bottom.
The flight to Sweden took longer than the one to Odessa, but as her last drawing had appealed to Godric she spent it doodling pictures of his little family nonetheless. He was especially fond of the one where she pictured Eric sitting with a rather bored look on the throne like chair she'd spotted in Fangtasia, while Pam sat draped over both armrests in his lap and posed like a model, a wicked smirk on her face.
"You have an astoundingly detailed imagination", he mused when he looked at it, "And a good feeling for people – this could in fact have happened like that!"
He chuckled and smiled at the picture, watching her finishing and signing it.
"Would you-...", he started then, but bit hesitantly on this attractive bottom lip of his, before he continued with an unsure expression, "Would you try to draw me once? It does not need to be now! I just would like to know how you see me..."
Laura just looked at him baffled for a moment and bit on her lip as well, before she hesitantly got up to search for the little map in her duffel bag.
There had been one piece she was particularly proud of. It showed him sitting on a park bench looking up into the sky, like he had been looking up at the ceiling of her Gran's apartment, when he first visited. His expression was a serious one, his eyes staring into the stars like he longed for answers he hadn't found yet. His face was lit by the faint moonlight, but his lower body seemed to become one with the wood beneath him, blending into the dark bench in equally dark tones.
When she had found it, she pulled it out and stored the map away again before she slowly approached him to show him the picture. Godric eyed the sheet with this business mask of his, not letting her know what he thought about it for a few torturous moments.
"So I am the down-to-earth kind of guy to you?", he asked her with a halfhearted smile and gestured at his legs, disappearing in the dark ground, but continued with a serious voice, "I seem to drown in the darkness..."
"I don't see it like that", she clarified closing up to him, to show him what she meant and tipped on his well lit face, "There is enough light. You'd just need to stand up and take a step out of the shadow!"
He looked up at her then, an almost startled expression on his face and stared at her as if she just had said 'grass is blue' or something. His eyes scurried to her lips once and she felt her heart-rate increase, betraying the excited state this simple glance had put her in.
"Laura, I would-"
"Mr. DeGaule, Laura – we'll be landing soon. It may get bumpy!", they heard Anne's voice tell them over the speakers and for the first time she felt the urge to curse her over-professional attitude.
"As if she'd ever land in a bumpy way", she muttered under her breath and heard Godric chuckle at her statement.
"Still, you can not blame her for warning us", he noted gently and leant back in his seat, with the picture in his hand.
"What did you want to say earlier", she inquired curiously and looked expectantly at the vampire beside her.
"Nothing. I already forgot it."
Of course... As if a vampire would forget something that easily...
"Do you like it?", she asked hesitantly after she had watched him looking at the picture in his hand for a few moments.
"I do", he admitted with a faint smile and glanced at her briefly, before he turned his head again to examine the drawing once more, "Now that you explained how you mean it – I really do."
"You can keep it, if you want."
He looked up at her again and stared at her for a moment, causing her silly heart to accelerate it's vital pumping in a – for a vampire – definitely audible way.
"Thank you, Laura. I will treasure it."
The landing had been as smooth as ever, causing Laura to almost be a bit miffed at Anne. What she'd give to know what Godric had been about to say...
While they had not been driving much longer than half an hour from the airports to their residences till then, it almost took them three hours to arrive at their destination this time. To say she was a bit surprised when she first laid eyes on their next home would have been an understatement. It was a big, but rather unspectacular wooden house in the middle of nowhere.
When she heard Godric chuckle beside her, she immediately turned her head to eye him confused. This was so very different from where they had spent their rests up until then. How could she have not been surprised by this sight?
"It is Eric's", he explained with a gentle smile and averted his gaze to look at the building as well, "As the region he originally lived in – back in his human days – is much too populated for his taste by now, he purchased this house and the lands around it about a century ago."
"Well, now I'm baffled – this is so not Eric!", she exclaimed and turned to examine the house as well. It definitely looked what you would call a Scandinavian house, though it was painted in an unspectacular dark brown. But as it was rather modest, she'd never have thought this was Eric's! "I really like the area though – it's beautiful here..."
"Yes. And there are a lot of lakes around", Godric noted casually, but with the hint of amusement in his voice, which caused Laura to immediately turn her attention to the vampire beside her with a gasp, a shocked expression on her face.
There was a faint smirk playing around his lips, while he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, his head still turned towards the building in front of them.
"It's much too cold here to do that!", she didn't waste time and instantly made excuses, "I told you I don't like to freeze – I'm the 'warm and cozy' type, remember?"
He only chuckled again, shaking his head in slight disbelief before he turned to face her fully. "Do not worry, Laura. This is not the place where we are going to accomplish this nude bathing score of yours", he told her with a genuine smile and offered her a hand. Almost automatically she laid hers in his and ascended the few stairs up to the front door at his side.
"It's not?", she asked, still a bit suspicious, when he put the keys in the keyhole and he stilled for a moment, looking up at her with a grin.
"No it is not – but you need not to worry, I know the perfect place for us to perform that", he noted and winked at her before he turned the key and opened the door.
"You do?!", she asked shocked and was a bit surprised by her suddenly quite high-pitched voice.
Was he making fun of her? There was no way he knew a warm lake to bath in – at least not one outside of tropical regions – and she wasn't exactly keen on catching a parasitic disease... Maybe she should tell him as much?
His grin slowly began to turn into a mischievous smirk – one of the kind Eric was displaying on a regular basis – and just nodded deliberately before he gestured her to enter the house. She gulped and blinked a few times at him in shock, before she finally turned and stepped into the dark building. Only when Godric flipped the lights on inside, she realized that this was indeed Eric's house.
They stood in a really huge room, that was separated into two parts by a partition wall – a kitchen and dining part and a living room. The living room contained a flat screen, a fireplace and a huge dark brown, expensive looking sofa, contrasting the wooden floor's light brown. A few little furnishings were littered all over the room, all held in dark colors.
The kitchen unit was made of dark brown as well, but the handles were of stainless steel, as well as the really big fridge. What did a vampire need such a huge fridge for?!
"It should be stocked", Godric suddenly remarked, when he obviously had noted her gaze lingering on the monstrous cooling-unit. Her eyebrows rose in surprise and she found herself approaching and opening it as if she were remotely controlled.
She could see milk, cheese, yoghurt and eggs being stored in the upper shelves, while the lower were occupied by tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and zucchini.
"I could cook for you again, if you want", she heard Godric suggest, and pulled her head out of the fridge again to nod enthusiastically at him. And that was also exactly the moment, when her stomach decided to inform them loudly about it's presence too.
AN: I seem to have quite some inspiration lately (and fortunately time as well ;)...) I hope you liked the chapter despite it's lack of 'touchy' moments ;) Laura was definitely in need of a few explanations and I thought it was time to let a vampire have mercy on her, when it comes to her lack of vampire-knowledge...
This character being mentioned by Jaromar once, will play a more important role later in the story - maybe I'll even write a spinn-off with her, as I had her character in mind, even before I started writing on this story (when I thought I'd maybe write an Eric-centered story...)
I want to say a BIG thanks to downbelowgirl, jcanderson33, Anabel, WinchesterGirl2975, JamesNorthman96, Pelawen Night, LittleMissNaive, galwidanatitud, Royal Ember, Arenola, Jmck22 and the two Guests
at Guest 1: I'm glad the chapter made you smile - trust me, I smiled quite a lot as well while writing ig :D
at Anabel: thank you! I'm always happy to read that the story finds approval - I'm glad you liked the chapter :)
at Guest 2: oh - thank you! I'm glad you like the story and hope you'll keep following it ;)
So - I think that was enough blabla from me here ^^'
Thanks for reading and till the next chapter ;)