Life, Death and Potions

He watched her leave and then finally got inside the front door. He closed it behind him and leaned against the smooth surface sliding down until he was sitting. Tears had formed and were running wildly down his face. He was crying for what his past was responsible for and for what he was currently responsible for. At that moment he hated everything and everybody, nothing was fair and he just wanted it all to be over. He dried his face with the back of his hand and made his way to where Eric slept. The rule had always been to never wake his father unless it was an emergency, vampires don't do well if they don't get their proper rest. But as Matt looked down at his father's sleeping form he fully considered this an emergency besides he had no intention of waking the slumbering vampire merely borrowing one small item.

Matt unlocked the basement door and moved slowly down to his father's sleeping quarters. Upon reaching his destination he stood still in contemplation finally reaching over and while biting his lip he plucked one single hair from Eric's head. Matt tensed up waiting to see if his father was going to wake up, but the Viking slept on oblivious to the theft. He tried to keep his heart rate slow and regular; he knew if he got too scared or agitated Eric would sense it and wake up. He quickly departed barely closing the door behind him. He got back to his room his emotions were racing around in his head, unstable and uncontrolled. It was as if his entire history was racing along before him. His birth, his mother's death, Eric's departure, survival without him, the things he had done to protect himself; things perhaps he should have allowed to happen then he wouldn't be sitting here contemplating his past and his future.

With a sigh he pulled up the floorboard in his closet and gathered the items he would need. First he took out the ancient mortar and pestle that his mother had used so long ago to grind up herbs and other items she needed for a certain concoction. It had taken him much of the first night in Scotland to search and eventually find his mother's legacy as Bonnie had hid it quite well. It had been tucked away in the back of a closet underneath the stairs under a box full of old magazines. Matt then took out his small collection of items he had managed to procure while overseas. First he took out a small vile filled with water he had taken from the loch near Ullapool where his mother had gone to wash clothes, herself and him as a tot. It was also the very place his father had taught him to swim. He could still smell the night air and feel the cold water on his skin. He dumped the contents in the small bowl and then took a breath as he opened a small bag containing a combination of dirt and dust; it was all that was left of his mother. Then from his father's side he placed the now liquefied remains of what had once been ice that he had taken from the very place Eric had been born so long ago. Then the recently plucked blond hair was added and swirled around in the mixture. It was do or die; literally. He would either age finally becoming the man he had been meant to be or it would kill him; destiny or doom as Holden had said. Matt sighed, took a deep breath and downed the tonic. He had taken two parts of his mother and two parts of his father, their origination, their very essence hoping as the spell indicated it would take him to where he was intended to go; adulthood.

Matt swallowed the grainy mess and made a face as if he had just swallowed a bottle of cough syrup. He set everything down and climbed up on his bed to wait, but for what he was unsure.

Beth had gotten home but just could not get Matt out of her mind. He had taken front and center in her mind for the last week. She wouldn't admit it but her dreams had all been of him and had gone into a seductive mode; she now attributed that to the pregnancy. She placed her hand over her stomach and tried to imagine what it would be like to be a mother. She really should get a test, she supposed that nothing was official into the test said it was, but what could explain her hormone shift in thinking of Matthew all the time; her nausea and her feeling of fullness like the blood was just rushing through her body at an amazing speed. But would a test work correctly since the baby wasn't one hundred percent human?

With all that spinning in her mind she got back in the car and drove back to the large house that Matt was now living in. The sun wasn't officially down yet and she imagined everyone with fangs should still be tucked in tight. She knocked on the door but after getting no response she turned the knob to find it open. She didn't want to yell out and be met by either one of the resident vampires in case they woke early so she just made her way to the stairs and Matt's room. She quietly tapped on his bedroom door but again there was no answer, she pushed open the door to find him on his bed clutching his stomach.

"Matt, are you okay?" she asked. His hair was plastered to his head with sweat and his face was taut with pain.

"I'm going to get your dad," she said turning to leave.

"No," he gasped. "I don't know what he might do; he isn't that familiar with you, he might not react well."

"Like he might eat me?" she asked the fear resonating in her voice.

"No promises," he said biting back the pain. "My phone, call Sookie."

She looked around and finally saw his phone on his dresser and scanned the contact list until she found the name she was looking for. She punched the button, her heart pounding wildly while she waited for it to ring.

"Hey there Matthew how are you darling?" Sookie chirped into the phone.

"Sookie….this is Beth I'm a friend of Matt's and he wanted me to call you, he's really sick and won't let me wake his daddy up."

"Where are you?"

"The big white house."

"I'm on my way," Sookie yelled barely getting the words out before she disconnected.

Beth set the phone back down on the dresser and began to pace the room as her tears began to fall. She wiped them away and sniffed as she stared at Matt on the bed who seemed was writhing on the bed. She cringed as he cried out. "I have to wake your dad up, he saw me the other day, he should remember me."

She left the bedroom but soon realized she had no idea where he slept. She ran to each one of the bedrooms upstairs; all the beds were neatly made awaiting an overnight guest. She ran downstairs and went to all the rooms then figuring they were somewhat exposed while they slept she decided the basement might be the best choice to explore next. She slowly opened the door half expecting it to be locked. She wasn't sure whether or not to turn the light on but while she was contemplating she saw a flashlight hanging on the wall; she pulled it from its moorings and proceeded down the stairs. The large space was fairly inviting having been totally remodeled and divided into personal spaces. She tiptoed unsure what she would find behind each door. She stopped with her hand on the knob unsure of what she was doing was right, but the thought of Matt upstairs in agony caused her to press on. She pushed the door open and was relieved the room held only a typical bedroom suite and no coffin. Eric was laying there looking quite peaceful but before she could take a step inside he suddenly sat up causing her to yell out.

"Matthew?" he asked turning towards her.

"Yes sir, he's sick."

Eric bolted past her at full vamp speed causing her hair to follow his windy path. She turned and raced back up the two sets of stairs. She found Eric sitting on the bed with Matthew in his lap; he was staring at some ancient looking bowl that looked as it had held dirty water. "What did he do?"

"I don't know, we had talked earlier and I just wanted to come back to tell him something I forgot and I found him this way. He told me to call Sookie so I did but wanted to let you know."

"Matthew, what did you do? Was it magic?"

Matt weakly nodded. "I blew it Dad, my life has come to its end and I'm okay with it. I had wanted to go with Antonia but she wouldn't let me."

"No, it's not your time. Were you trying to kill yourself?"

Matt shook his head no as Sookie appeared in the doorway followed by Bill. "What happened?"

"He made some kind of potion."

"I don't think it's agreeing with him," Bill said. "What can I do?"

Eric cried out. "I will not do this again, I won't do it Matthew." The vampire said speaking of the time when Ava had begged for her own death.

Sookie instantly understood to what Eric was referring but Bill just looked confused. "What were you trying to do?" she asked.

"I wanted to get older; I can't be a father unless I'm a man."

Beth looked horrified and then down to the floor. The thought that she had been a factor for his current condition was more than she could bear. "You're pregnant?" Eric asked.

"I think so," she said and then explained her symptoms. "He's the only one I've ever been with."

"We can find out for sure but right now we have to help Matthew," Sookie said looking back to Eric who continued to cradle his son.

"Maybe my blood will help, his blood did more for me than Bills and since I'm a half breed as well maybe I can reciprocate." Sookie offered her wrist to Eric who looked away bloody tears falling from his eyes.

Bill walked beside her. "You're sure?" Sookie nodded and he bit into her wrist. Beth couldn't help but gasp from her position at the end of the bed. Sookie then placed her open wound over Matt's mouth allowing her gift to drip onto his lips.

"Drink son, please drink." Eric begged.

Matt did the best that he could taking in some of Sookie's life force. After several minutes he seemed to pass into a peaceful sleep. Bill then bit himself and offered his healing powers to Sookie who had continued to bleed. Bethany was too terrified to move.

As soon as Sookie had healed enough she reached out to Bethany "Come on sweetie, we'll go to the drugstore and get a pregnancy test."

Beth took one last look at Matt and followed Sookie out the door. Once they were in the car she finally began to ask questions. "Is it always like that, trading blood?"

"First of all it is in your best interest to keep everything I tell you to yourself; there are many who don't quite understand and can get angry and cause problems. Matt was born to a vampire, Eric who you've met; his mother was human but a witch and died back in the 1600's."

"I guess that explains his predilection to spells."

"He is a very powerful being and a wonderful person."

"So will our child be powerful?"

"We don't know that you're pregnant yet."

"I guess, but I'm a little freaked out here."

"Yeah well you oughta be and you still don't the half of it."

By the time the girls returned Bill was on the phone ordering someone to get to the house as soon as possible. Eric, his face still full of bloody tears was sitting on the bed next to a sleeping Matt. Beth looked horrified unsure what she was seeing. Sookie leaned over and whispered, "they cry blood." The girl nodded and then took the drug store bag from Sookie and headed down the hall towards the bathroom.

"Eric I still don't know if this is a good idea or not," Bill said sliding his phone in his pocket.

"I don't have a choice, this is my son."

"A son that has lived more than his share of days, a son that may be ready to move on. I miss my children more than you can imagine but a never-ending life may not be the answer."

"I'm his protector and he will not slip through my fingers," Eric said realizing he had sent is son just where he had needed to go in order to procure his necessary items. "Besides when we die we will do it together."

Sookie inhaled suddenly and looked at Eric. "Not now, not yet, but there may be a day soon or not so soon, but not this way not now."

"What is going on?" she asked looking from Bill to Eric.

"I called an old friend of the family," Eric began.

"Matthew needs blood from where he came," Bill said. "And lots of it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means only Eric's blood can heal him and it will take more than Eric can afford to lose."

"So you may die by helping Matthew? How do you think he is going to deal with that?"

"I will be just fine, remember I am very old and strong and I have no choice."

"I have nurse coming over she will do the transfusion." Bill finished as the doorbell rang.

Realizing it had been quiet a long time since Beth had gone to the bathroom; Sookie went in search of the girl. She gently knocked on the door and found her sitting on top of the toilet fully clothed and crying.

"They're both negative," she said holding up the second test. Sookie had thought it prudent to purchase the twin pack just to be sure they both agreed on the outcome.

"That's good right? I mean you aren't ready to have a baby and Matt, well he has his own issues to contend with even when he is healthy."

"I know, you're right but somehow I'm still kinda disappointed. How accurate are these things? I mean, I just feel…full. Maybe we should try a different brand, a name brand, this was just the generic. These tests may not work if the baby isn't all human." She said desperately.

"Matthew's birth was a miracle; sometimes life finds a way and sometimes it's better that it doesn't." Sookie assured her.

By the time Bethany and Sookie had rejoined the Northman's the nurse had come and had line in both Matthew and Eric the blood flowing rapidly.

"Where's the blood going? I mean it's not like he lost any," Bethany asked.

"Good question," the nurse huffed. She looked less than happy to be there and Sookie wondered what favor had been done for her that she felt pressured to reciprocate.

"Vampires are just different," Bill said offering no further explanation.

"Now what happens?" Sookie asked.

"We wait," Eric stated. "What about you," he said nodding towards Beth, "are you with child?"

"No sir, I really thought I was."

Eric nodded staying silent looking back at Matt's still form.

"Did you, well somehow have any of Matt's blood? I mean you had said he was all you could think about and sometimes when you drink a vampires blood it can have strange effects on you," Sookie said her face gentle.

"No, I don't drink blood, no offense but yuck."

"It wouldn't have had to been much, maybe you bit his lip when you kissed him?"

"No," but then suddenly she remembered that day in the hallway. "He had cut his finger, some of it got on me and…" she trailed off.

"That could be the reason for your symptoms or some of them. You'll feel back to normal soon," Sookie assured.

"Oh okay," Bethany said everything beginning to click into place.

"I think I'll take her home," Sookie said steering Bethany towards the door.

"I'll be okay, my car is here. Please just give me an update later."

"Absolutely," Sookie promised.