Lost and Found

Matt was doodling in history class while the teacher was droning on about how if we don't learn from history we are condemned to repeat it. He couldn't help but smile knowing this world was quite adept at recycling its past sins and misery and mankind was no match to deter what seemed preordained. His thoughts once again returned to the missing Sookie. He loved the house but feared as to what would happen between her and Eric when she returned. The workers were nearly done with all the painting and refurbishing and it would soon be complete, but Matt would take no joy in the newfound beauty not without its previous master. But as suddenly as she had left this world he felt her return; his hope was restored as he felt Sookies presence her aura once again floating in the same atmosphere. He began to fidget in his chair as he looked at the clock to see he had hours left to go. He also sensed his father reacting but he was even more bound to his chains than Matthew.

Eric had previously ordered Matthew to stay away from Sookie if she were to ever return until he could explain the situation to her. But as school finished for the day even with his father's threat looming over Matt raced back to the house and Sookie. He found her in the kitchen talking with Jason.

"Hey Matt how are you?" she cooed happy to see him.

"Hey Sookie, I'm so glad you're back, I really missed you."

"Jason told me I've been gone a year, I just can't believe it."

"Well that's not at all you're not going to believe," Matt whispered.

"What's that?" Sookie asked.

"Nothing, just saying it is hard to believe that it's been that long. I'll let you catch up with Jason, I'll see you later," Matt said happy to see that she was okay.

"Wait Matt do you live around here now?"

"Um yes real close, I'll show you some other time. See ya," he called out at he made a hasty retreat back towards the front door.

Jason sat at the table shaking his head. "Lots of people were all worried about you. Um I need to talk to you about the house."

Matt heard those words and made himself scarce. He knew that sunset was at 6:30 and he would come back knowing that both Bill and his father would pop into view and announce how happy they were to see Sookie back alive and well.

As the time neared he made his way back and found a great place to hide in the yard, his phone indicating it was 6:30. Sookie came out the door followed by her brother and moments later Bill and Eric zipped into presence. The two verbally jousted as they always did while in one another's presence. Finally Eric tolerated the subtle hints knowing he would have his time later he ran over to where Matt was hiding and picked him up and carried him off in a blur.

"I want you to stay down here in my room until I can let her know what has transpired in her absence." Eric explained to Matt who had been plopped on the middle of the bed.

"I have to pee," he answered.

Eric sighed and looked frustrated. "Well hurry up then," he ordered.

Matt took off and rain up the stairs and into the bathroom. He remembered his backpack was outside with some homework left to do. He knew Eric wouldn't let him get it but suddenly it was the last thing on his mind as he heard footsteps heading up the stairs. He froze afraid to move, but he finally got his feet moving and raced across the hall to his bedroom and shut the door quickly but silently. He stood his ear to the door trying to control his breathing. He heard the bathroom door close and the water turn on. He quickly opened the door and headed for the stairs. Where halfway down he met Eric.

"She didn't see me. I think she's going to take a bath, I heard the water running." He explained.

Eric would have sighed if he breathed but since the exchange of oxygen was beyond him he merely allowed his shoulders to sag. "Okay then, what are you doing now?"

"I have to get my back pack out of the yard so I can finish my homework," Matt began as his stomach growled. "And I need to get something to eat."

"Jeez, peeing, eating its constant with you humans."

"I'm only half human," Matt defended.

"Yeah and you didn't pick up any of my attributes."

"Everybody says I look just like you."

"Well now that's true and at least you have that much going for you. Get your bag and get something to eat, but stay out of the way. I'm not sure how this is going go."

"Okay," Matt said going down the remaining stairs.

Matt still found the modern American diet a curiosity, everything came in a package with ingredients he couldn't pronounce and most of it was too sweet or greasy for his liking. He stuck to the basics, lots of vegetables and fruits. He liked the breads, rice and potatoes and drank mostly water but found he was beginning to like milk. He also was astonished at how much meat was eaten and had slowly integrated it into his diet but found he couldn't tolerate it every day. He also found that nothing in this new era tasted the least bit genuine. He was just finishing his math homework and a glass of milk when Sookie came racing down the stairs in a robe followed by his father. They continued their conversation as if he wasn't even there. It was quite clear that Sookie was anything but pleased that she had new roommates.

"I can offer you the protection you need, other vampires will want you for your fairy blood and they won't stop before they kill you. And besides Matthew needed an actual house to live in; Fangtasia just wasn't suitable."

"Right you did this for Matt."

"BonTemps has a better school system," Eric added.

"There were no other homes in town for sale? And don't put this on your son, you moved here so you could barge into my life and no other reason."

Eric looked over at Matt who had been afraid to move; finally Sookie realized he was in the room. "Matt, hey how are you?"

"I'm okay, I'm glad you came back safe."

"Me too," she nodding with an awkward smile.

"I hope you don't mind but I took the bedroom across from the bathroom," he said quietly.

"No that's just fine, in fact why don't you give me a minute to put something decent on and you can give me the grand tour," she said giving Eric a dirty look as she passed him on the way to the stairs.

Matt just shrugged and packed up his homework. He set his glass in the kitchen sink and headed for the stairs.

Sookie waited for him outside his closed bedroom door. He smiled at her as he opened the door. "Come in my lady," he joked.

The room consisted of a twin bed neatly made a desk a nice wood dresser and two bookcases crammed with books. There was a TV mounted on the wall and a stereo atop one of the bookcases. The walls didn't hold posters of girls in scantily clad outfits or sports heroes instead there were maps of Europe and Scandinavia adorned with little flags pushed into various locations.

"Wow, what are the little pins for?" Sookie asked.

"Places I've been."

"Shut up, really?"

"Yeah, I've been around for a long time and I had to keep moving so I covered a lot of territory," Matt explained as Sookie looked at the places highlighted.

"This is fantastic, I want to hear about all these places," she said continuing to peruse. "You like books too."

"Yeah I just don't get the same experience with TV. The moving, talking pictures are fun, but books have substance, it's a journey you own, not watching somebody else take it. The words are like a red carpet rolling out for you."

"I never thought of it that way."

"Books hold magical voyages."

"You should write your own book about your life, it would have to be rated fiction but I bet it would be great," she said sitting down on Matt's bed.

"I'm sorry about all this. He did want to get me out of Fangtasia but he had more motives."

"Yeah to control me."

"Kind of, he knows he can't control you. It's hard to tell Eric Northman no, he doesn't take it well at all. But he is serious about protecting you. Things are happening, you got taken to fairyland and they are going to want you back I'm sure. Things here changed as well; I'm starting to remember things."

"Like what?"

"Like him protecting me; something or somebody is after me and has been for centuries."

"Then it must not be human."

"Can't be," Matt said biting his lip. "I am recalling something else; Dad used to be – well really sweet and kind. This last year I've been having memories; real memories. What I told you before you disappeared isn't completely true. I'm pretty sure he was a good father."

"What?" Sookie asked in shock.

"No really, I can see it and I know it's the truth. All of his living as a vampire has changed him, turned him into something he never was meant to be."

"But he was vampire when you knew him."

"Yes but he was touched by life and love and he felt that humanity and it gave him a spirit that he lost when my mother died and when we were separated. Once I lost him, he lost his way, he built up a barrier and he still holds it in place today. Sookie he lost his parents and sister in a cruel and vile way and then he lost his second family as well; his protection was to quit caring. But I know inside my father is still there."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Sookie said more to herself than Matt.

Matt couldn't help but laugh, "I understand that it would be hard to believe. But he was gentle and kind, I remember him teaching me how to swim in the moonlight his patience with me not wanting to go into the dark water, his promises of protection. We would lie down on the grass and look at the stars; he would point out the constellations and teach me how to find my way in the dark. I could feel his love despite the fact that his heart hadn't beaten in five hundred years."

"So then what happened?"

"Everything he has been through; it has cost him his innocence. He wears his scars on the inside. He was denied his death, to a Viking, death from battle is noble and accepted without question. He loved Godric apparently you were witness to that, but the death he was cheated out of left him bitter and angry. He had to become a monster to be able to wash all the blood away that he spilled in the name of survival; finally it twisted him into what he is today."

"Why did he leave you?"

"You can't have love when you are breeding hate in order to rationalize your existence. I was the only part of the equation that he could push away; the conflict of emotions is too much to bear. I wouldn't be here if Godric hadn't died, but I guess he left more of hole than my father thought and he had to fill it some way."

"I know he loves you, I can see it in his eyes," Sookie stated mater-of-factly.

"That very well may be but I'm a reminder of the life he no longer has. He blames himself for so much but it is my fault."

"What is your fault?"

"The past follows me around like a cloud of doom, bad memories of things done and left undone, relationships severed too soon."

"I can't agree to that."

"There's more; something dark shadows me and has my whole life."

"What is it?"

"I do know, but I just can't remember. It's like I can see it but as in a dream it disappears before I can understand."

Sookie nodded and left the boy alone retreating to her own room down the hall. She fell asleep dreaming of a shadow chasing Matt through a star filled field. Later that night as she made her way to the bathroom she saw Matt's door open and Eric standing there watching his son sleep. As she watched the tall figure stare at his offspring she could almost see the dutiful, doting dad that Matt had described. She wished that she could see that side of him having no idea that it would be much sooner than she ever dreamed.