A/N: Hello my lovely readers, how is the summer treating you guys? So is it just me, or are you guys are as super excited as I am about Godric being back on to Trueblood season four. I wish they could keep him throughout all the seasons. Anyways here chapter 25, the birthday chapter, it kind of ended up being a bit to long so I cut it in half. The other half isn't completely finished yet, but I will work on it this week and update it soon.

I will like to say thank you too all my sweet reviewers, princess moon shadow, midnightquiver, ..LoVe, ShiloCoulter, wolviegurl, Britny88, Kurox, Ali-Bear10, MainlyMaddison, sam, Nocturnal Rose, tweety, trestreschic, I.C.2014, Rose, Sinfulroad69, downbelowgirl, Evax40, ItalianBreadstick, Linale Ashley M, Mystic-realm. I also want to say thank you to all my readers as well. You guys are the best, and please continue rocking my world.

Disclaimer: Nothing you read here belongs to me except for some of the plot and unknown characters you will meet. All belongs to True Blood, an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris.

enjoy!

Faster than a shooting star
baby you stole my heart
Now I never want it back
I never thought it'd be like this
so surprised by your kiss
I didn't have time to react

believing in us
feels so dangerous

I feel so strange because of you
I have everything to lose
I wouldn't have it any other way
if this turns out to be a dream
please don't wake me
I don't want to leave this place

What a lovely mystery
all the ways two hearts can meet
we were made to collide
you and I, you and I are lost
baby we're lost

Found by Phillip Larue

Chapter Twenty Five - Lost In Love

I twirled in front the full length mirror and giggled delightedly to myself, quite pleased with my little black dress. The shoulder-less dress seemed to fit perfectly like a second skin all the way to my waist, and slightly fluttering out to my mid thigh. It had been ages since I have gotten myself all dressed up and prettied like this. It felt good to do so again, especially for such event. Today was July 29, officially my 18 birthday. I'm legal. Sarah and Steve are no more my guardians.

Well, and not to mention it is also my first date with Godric. I had been quite intrigued, as well as excited for our official date tonight. It wasn't just the date with the handsome vampire, but also for the surprise I have stored for him.

It was two nights ago, after we watched the Dracula movie, that we started to discuss about my birthday plan. Godric was trying to smooth talk me, casually trying to pray an answer about what I wanted for my birthday, but it was a bit too obvious as he kept hinting for response. I guess he was out of his comfort zone, and I should have made it easier for him, but it was just too much fun teasing him.

But that was not why I prepared the surprise for him. In amidst of our chatter, he told me that he never celebrated his birthday… ever. Birthdays were first celebrated in Ancient Egypt, and it started with the Egyptian royal family around 3000 B.C. with only the queen and the male members of the royal family were honored with a celebration. At that time Godric wasn't even born, and after being taken as a slave at such a young age, probably no one really gave a shit about his birthdays.

When he said, he knows how old he was, he just didn't have any knowledge of when he was born, a specific date and year. It was kind of sad; after all, birthdays are a special time, about celebrating the date your loved ones came to be. But I can't do that for him. Well, at least that was what I thought, until an idea hit me. And I am positive he would like it.

Raising an elegant eyebrow at myself in the mirror, I added a few finishing touches to my soft makeup, before swiftly moving around the bedroom, searching around for my shoes. Someone cleared there throat behind me, catching my attention. I swiftly turned around to see Godric holding my pair of black strappy sandals.

"Looking for this?" He questioned raising his eyebrows, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "Thank you," I chanted my gratitude, skipping toward him childishly to give him a soft peck on the lips, before using him as a support to slip on my shoes. "Let's go before we're late for our reservation." I called out as I walked out of the bedroom. The vampire only shook his head. "And whose fault was that?" He murmured as he followed.

We had decided to take my car to get to our destination. The ride to the restaurant was comfortable as we had a few small talks about our favorite museums and libraries as I drove passed them in the street of Dallas. The small Italian restaurant was located in the east side of the city. It doesn't look much from the outside, but it has probably one of the best and most delicious foods in town.

Godric glanced at the restaurant, taking it all in, "are you sure this is where you want to dine? Perhaps you would prefer a better quality restaurant?" He questioned his eyes running over the slightly faded outer wall.

I couldn't help but smile at the look he had on his face. It was as if I would get poisoned if I ate here. "Come on, the inside looks a lot better." With that said, I grabbed his hand pulling him passed the double doors. The inside held a homey feeling to it; with a romantic candle light tables sat spread around the room, giving it a warm glow. Even though most of the seats were taken, it wasn't as crowded as I remembered it to be.

A young redhead waitress approached us as we were admiring the room. "Hello ya'll, what can I do for you?" She asked sounding overly cheerful. I didn't know why, but she kind of reminded me of Sookie, well, redhead version of Sookie at least. Maybe it was from the slightly thicker accent, which sort of gave her away that she wasn't from Dallas, Texas, or maybe it was the happy smile on her face.

"Yes, hmm… I have a reservation under Annabel Coleman." I stated smiling back. Usually reservations aren't required to dine in this restaurant, its first come, first serve. But they have this slightly secluded area, beautifully decorated booths at the back that is popular with their customers, and sometimes they allow people to call and reserve one of the spots for special occasion.

"Oh yes, the birthday girl, right this ways please." She said with a grin, directing us to follow. Godric turned toward me raising his eyebrow at the slightly overjoyed girl; I just shrugged my shoulders with a hidden smile. The young lady led us to a long dark booth at the back, lit by to long candles. After she sat our menu, she disappeared saying our waitress will be with us soon. Godric looked down at the thick menu, before placing it down on the table. I couldn't help but also smile at him, sneaking my fingers across the table to find his cold ones.

His pale face was glowing golden under the candle light, his eyes looking more of green than its normal silver-blue color. He looked out of this world, almost like a magical fantasy painting. He seemed to be doing his own observing, with his lips tagged upward.

The intense eye communication that was going on between us was broken when our waitress came. This time a dark haired girl, who had this cold, "I don't care" atmosphere, as she popped her gum loudly. She seemed almost depressing compared to the super happy girl we met earlier. She turned toward me with her paper and pen ready, waiting for my order. She scribbled down as I ordered my ravioli with arugula tomatoes and pancetta. She turned toward Godric, still popping her gum. "And for you, sir?" She questioned lazily.

"Trublood, please, make it AB positive if you carry it." He said calmly. It was as if a wake up call to our waitress, as her eyes shot toward the vampire, scanning him up and down with a fearful look. She seemed to pause, frozen where she stood, as if waiting for him to attack, sink his fangs into her bony neck any second. I cleared my throat loudly hoping to catch her attention that seemed imbedded on my boyfriend. Her eyes darted toward me, her fear leaking out of it. "Is there a problem… humm, Jessie?" I question reading her name tag. She shook her head, her voice lost to her. With out a word, she turned around, quickly moving away.

"What was that about?" I question my eyes turning toward my vampire companion. He didn't seemed fazed by it at all, he just shook his head uttering, "It seemed I am her first vampire to serve."

"Well, that was rude." I was pissed off at her reaction to be honest, looking at him like he was an animal. Who the hell does she thinks she is? It was really weird how I was responding, even to myself. I mean I understand why people get overly protective and defensive when you talk about some one they care about, really, I do it toward Sarah too. But I just never realized it could get this far, the burning sensation that seemed to be pumping through my vein, the fact that she offended him seemed to blaze within me. Even though Godric wasn't really offended, I was angry for him. This is ridiculous, why am I fuming? I mean I was scared of him too when I first saw him, although it was the fellowship that put all the scary thought in my head, I was still scared none the less, even if I gave him the benefit of the doubt. It was like… no one else beside me can mess with him.

Godric's finger brushed against my knuckles, bringing my attention back to him. His eyes seemed to soften, as he lightly bit on his bottom lip, something I often do, looking quite amused by my reaction. In fact he seemed to be holding him self from laughing at me. Of course, I sometimes forget he's the all mighty and powerful vampire, who can rip anyone into pieces. He raised my hand tenderly to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the palm of my hand. "Albeit it pleases me to see you all fired up to defend me," he pressed another kiss, this time to the tips of my fingers, before continuing. "You shouldn't waste your time at the likes of her. Perhaps you should start getting used to it. These types of reactions are quite common toward my kind, and you will be seeing a lot more of it, now that you decided to reside with me."

"It's just not fair." I mumbled grumpily, making him let out a soft chuckles.

"Life isn't fair, my angel, it never is." He replied just as my food and his drink were placed on the table.

The waitress placed our order in front of us before running off as swiftly as her short legs could take her. I tried to ignore the girl, forcing myself not to think about her. It's my birthday after all, I should be happy. The food tasted as delicious as it looked, as I munched on it slowly, savoring the flavor. There was a quiet moment while I took a few bites.

I put my fork down, taking a sip of my fruity soda, before looking up at Godric, who seemed to be enjoying his drink as I was. "There is something I have been meaning to talk to you about…" I cleared my throat, pushing myself for what I'm about to say, even though knowing he wouldn't like it. The vampire's body seemed to still, not breathing, not moving. "I wanna get a job." I mumbled quietly, knowing his super vampire hearing would not miss it.

"A job? Why is there a need for a job? If you require money, all you have to do is ask," He said benevolently, with a bit of relief in his voice, like he expected me to say something else. "I'll provide you with whatever you desire."

Although it was sweet of him, it wasn't about the money at all. The fellowship paid me for some of the work I did, and the insurance company from dad's car accident, the one that took his life, paid us pretty well, not that money could bring back what we lost. "It's not about the money Godric, I need something to get me out of that hotel room before I go crazy." I don't want to hurt his feelings, but I had to let it out. "I wake up early, and all I do all-day-long is just clean until I feel restless. I haven't got used to your sleeping patterns yet, Godric, I need to get out, I need to work for a few hours." This had to be one of the hardest things I had to say to him, after all the preaching I did about staying by his side. But since I came to live with him, I haven't even seen the sun. This isn't normal for me. I never sit around. Most of my summers were spent away volunteering for good nonprofit organization, besides working in the church of course.

Godric's face wasn't giving me much of an answer, as he just seemed thoughtful, pondering over my request. I didn't know if I hurt him somehow by asking him this, but my hand moved back into his, grasping it tightly. My feelings for him would never change; I'll always be there by his side when he goes to bed and wake up at sundown. "You won't even notice I'm gone." I pleaded. If I do work, it will be part time, for days a week, five hours per day. It won't be much, but at least it will give me a reason to get out of that room.

"If that is what you wish, but you must know it is not safe for you to amble through the city." He said taking a sip of the Japanese made synthetic blood. I understand what he meant by not being safe after what happened with the news, but I can't let safety stop me from living my life. "Nothing is going to happen to me in the middle of the day. Besides, it is only temporary until school starts." We continue on talking about the kind of job I should look for, as I went back eating my food.

"What about you, Godric? What's the plan? I know you're not a sheriff anymore." He wouldn't really have told me he was no longer a Sheriff, at least not any time soon, if it wasn't for Nan Flanagan's big mouth.

"I'm drained by it all, Anna. I have been a Sheriff for almost a century." He let out a long sigh, breathing through his mouth. "Even vampires require some break. I am capable of becoming the king of Dallas if I may wish it, but vampire politics is not something I fancy doing for the rest of eternity."

"What do you mean by king? Is that like vampire president?" I asked thoughtfully, slowly munching on my food, even though my eyes were set on him. There are just so much us, we humans, don't know about vampires' history. Even since The Great Revelation, two years ago when they first came out of the coffin, they never really revealed much about themselves. Vampire legends and abound myths have been spread around, but their true history has never been elaborated. The vampire community seemed be fine with this, allowing us humans to assume whatever we want, whether that they are cursed, or are simply afflicted by a disease to which makes them the way they are.

The young looking vampire's lips tagged up slightly, "Not really. Vampires prefer to keep the knowledge of their racial politics to themselves. In fact very few others are aware of our hierarchy or judicial system." He stated uncertainly.

"Well, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, I was just curious." I don't want him to feel like he has to tell me anything, especially after all the secrecy they have gone through to keep my kind in the dark.

"Its fine, it doesn't hurt to have a little knowledge. Our system is rather different than humans." He paused for second trying to find a starting point before he went on explaining further. "Since the Great Revelation, the American vampires have divided the country into kingdoms, with each state representing a monarchy controlled by a single King or Queen. Each 'kingdom' is further divided into Areas which are controlled by a sheriff, such as I was, chosen by the monarch who owes allegiances to the King or Queen. The sheriff ensures that their laws, as well as human laws, are upheld. Any major offenses are taken to the Tribunal - a court run by the Magister of the North American Vampire League - that sees to the appropriate punishment for the offense."

It was strange really, in little two years, vampires have become involved in human politics in countries where they are accepted, such as campaigning for vampire-human marriages, but there was so much to them. "What can you guys do to get punished? Is there like speeding ticket or vampire jails?"

"Well, a good example would be, when vampire who claims a human petitions to the Sheriff, if anyone is to break the contract. If punishment is deemed necessary, it can result in anything from a stern warning, a removed fang, or even a true death."

"That's kind of harsh, don't you think? And what is this claiming you keep mentioning?"

I have been waiting to hear what this was all about. "A claim is a rare social contract between a vampire, and a human that they deem needs protecting, or that they are affectionate about. It is a construct that is entirely between the proclaimer of the contract, and the one they're proclaiming it to. It's binding as a verbal contract, much like marriage, but is not legally binding except to the vampire community."

I sat back down, placing my fork on my plate, suddenly losing my appetite for the little leftover food that was left on my plate. "So you want to… claim me?" I questioned calmly, trying not to show the surprise I felt in my voice. He had said something about claiming me a few days ago; I just didn't understand the value of his word back then.

"Yes, when the time is right." He replied, his gaze locking into mine dead in the eyes. I couldn't help but swallow the lump in my throat. "Since it's just a verbal contract, can you claim whoever you want, whenever you want?" I asked just wanting to be sure the seriousness behind it.

"Yes, I suppose. It might just be verbal contract, but it holds value to vampires, higher meaning behind it. A vampire can only lay a claim to a single human, and a human cannot be claimed by more than one vampire at a time." There was a quite moment as I thought about this. He wants to make me his… the man I love wants to make me his. I felt like my heart was going to literally beat out of my chest.

Before I could reply furthermore, our waitress came back, followed by her redhead coworker we have met earlier, who was now holding a single, square shaped, slice of chocolate cake, with a tiny candle sticking out at the top. Our vampire discriminating waitress, still not making any eye contact, collected the serving dishware before disappearing again. The highly spirited redhead placed the cake in front of me, with a bright smile. "Happy birthday sweetie, here, this is on the house." She said pleasantly with her cheerful voice.

I didn't know what to say, except for, "thank you." She walked off with a quick, "you're welcome." I turned toward Godric who was now smiling at me encouragingly. I took one last look at the cake before blowing the candle out. I know I'm supposed to make a wish, but everything I ever desired was seating right across from me in this booth, so I just didn't see the point.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you liked it. Oh, please check out some new banners in my homepage.

Your reviews are most welcome and appreciated. Thank you again:D see you in next chapter:)