A/N: Yay Chapter two! I'm so glad so many people like this story, thanks for your wonderful reviews! Naked Eric and ponies for everyone! :D I'll try to update on a weekly basis, no promises though since I'm about to start school soon =(

Remember, feedback makes Eric (and yours truly) very very happy, so please let us know what you think! (Stay on the constructive side please!)

Anyway, here goes nothing; I really hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the plot in TB.

Chapter 2: You Upset Me Baby

"Eleanor"

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Ella sighed. Of course he was going to be as difficult as he could possibly be. With a composed voice se was rather proud to achieve, she decided to speak once and for all. "I don't have much time before the plane takes off…are there any news from Godric? Is it true…what Stan said…was he really taken by The Fellowship of the Sun?"

It appeared the Viking was not the only one who had given this issue some serious thought. A two thousand year old vampire was no easy prey, the idea that a band of fanatic humans, even exceptionally well organized ones (not that this was the case) was too hard to believe. Eric was quick to answer, feeling some anger boil at her obvious dismissal of his previous words. For now, he would let her think she was in safe territory, as Godric was indeed their main concern. Once it was all over though... then he would take pleasure in watching his mate try to get out of their much due reunion talk.

"We have reason to believe he is in fact located in their headquarters. I've already sent a scout in order to confirm our suspicions. Once we know for sure we will act against those savages". The dark promise of death and destruction was clear, causing the blond doctor to frown as she chose her next words carefully. Eleanor wondered just how much longer he was going to be able to play the nice hubby and sweet wifey routine with her. "You know Godric won't approve of any blood spilling, not to mention the Vampire League and the King". Her acute senses could almost pick up the sound of his jaw tightening as he tried to keep his rage at bay. He did not fail to deliver, accompanying his acid words with yet another dark chuckle.

"And what about you sweetheart? Am I to believe all this noble concern comes merely out of fear for our maker's life and a bunch of bureaucrats' threats? You are really something else Dr. Bennet, an example to us all". The way he had pronounced her name was specially searing, as her use of her maiden name was yet another sign of defiance he was not willing to tolerate. Eleanor bit on her rosy lower lip so she could avoid falling into his trap. She needed to keep the cool facade for as long as she could. "You know exactly what my thoughts are on that subject".

He had gotten the message, as his voice had recovered its charming quality. "I do wife, I do". Ella felt a small sense of victory, as it appeared the much feared confrontation would not be happening over the phone. Te feelings of longing and love for the vampire sitting somewhere in Texas were threatening to overwhelm her, causing some blood to gather at the corners of her green eyes. "Eric I…"

"Someone will be at the airport to pick you up; I will be accompanying Isabel to do some recon at the Church they are supposed to be holding him captive". Eleanor's chest felt excruciatingly tight as she prepared to say goodbye to him, what did she expect after all? For him to be there waiting with roses on his hand? She let her pain speak for her; anger was the best ally in order to avoid breaking over the phone. "That won't be necessary; I can find my way home".

Once more, a stifling silence took over. It was Eric who finally broke it with a tight voice "We'll talk after Godric is back safe. Do not be mistaken Eleanor; I intend to take you home for good". The busy tone let her know the call was over. Ella let her emotions run free for a few minutes before walking over to the waving Ned. There was not a smudge of blood on her pristine features, the only evidence of her momentary weakness lying in a rumpled heap at the bottom of a trashcan.

"Off we go boys…"

Victory felt…incomplete.

It wasn't a complaint, not really, since they had managed to recover Godric safe and sound. But there was something about is master's demeanor that had the Norse worried. Maybe it was the distracted, almost distant manner in which he kept staring at the outside through the window, or the palpable sadness that surrounded the teenage looking vampire. Whatever it was, Eric would not stop staring at him until he found out what was bothering him and fixed it.

The humans were alive and untouched, Sookie had been saved unscathed and Godric was back to his post. Why wouldn't this bad feeling leave? A soft voice broke into his thoughts. "She's here; I can feel her waiting for us at my nest. Is that why you seem so worried my child?"

Eric looked at is maker in the eye and responded in all honesty "No".

He was actually rather excited about meeting Ella, feeling some perverse pleasure as he picked up on her anxiety trough their bond. Ten years after she had decided to walk out on him, the Viking would at last get the answers he deserved. Her defiance was something that still infuriated the usually stoic vampire. Her decision to wander the world, helping those undeserving creatures was something he was never going to understand, nor forgive for that matter. If she thought she was leaving again, she was in for a surprise. He just had to remind her she was still his and her place was right by his side. After all, what good was a sheriff who could not even control his own spouse?

Pushing those unimportant thoughts away, he returned to what was really bothering him. "Why would you let those humans take you? You could have easily overpowered them, we all know it…" The conversation was not taking the turn he had been hoping for, as is master had recovered that pensive mood, the one that gave a cold feeling to his already dead body.

"All will be cleared soon…" With no more words, the pair finally arrived at Godric's headquarters. The lavish house was already filled with vampires and some of their humans, all anxious to receive their leader after weeks of uncertainty. Eric watched for a moment as the sheriff greeted his excited constituents, his sad smile gone for the moment. Maybe reconnecting with his haven would get him out of the strange mood, and all of his uncertainties would vanish once and for all.

There he was.

Standing at the main entrance, was the bane of her existence, her lover and mate for the last 600 years looking bored at the interactions happening before him. Ella was sure he was already aware of her presence, and was probably waiting for her to make the next move. The doctor smoothed the inexistent creases on her silky green dress, the movement betraying her inner turmoil. After ten years, such a short time span for their kind and yet an eternity without him, she would finally meet his…Fury? Love? Derision? The uncertainty was killing her, and yet the blond vampire could not bring herself to step forward. Disheartened at her own cowardice, Eleanor Charlotte Blake…Northman sighed, before jumping up at a soothing voice.

"You're finally here my child". The big smile on her face needed no effort as she felt her maker's embrace. It felt as it always did, like a piece she did not know had been missing was finally back in its place. "You look beautiful, in peace". The last observation caused her to laugh softly, some tendrils of hair falling from the lose bun on her head. She had stopped wondering how it was her master always knew exactly how she felt, even better than herself.

"It's so good to see you safe Godric…" She made a gesture to kneel before him, only to be stopped by the elder vampire. "There are so many experiences I want to share with you…and some questions I need you to answer…" From her preoccupied tone, he could tell that particular conversation was going to be similar to the one he had had with her husband just some minutes ago. A vampire and his progeny normally separated after a few centuries, only crossing paths when necessary, never recovering the bond they had shared on those first days. He on the other hand, had been extremely lucky, as both his children loved him as deeply as he did them. Taking one of her larger more delicate hands in his, she reassured her with a smile that quickly became wistful as he turned his eyes towards the arriving vampire. Ella understood immediately that the moment she both had wanted and feared had finally arrived.

The words spoken in Swedish only made the moment more intimate for the three reunited family members. "I'll leave you two alone to greet each other; I shall be waiting on my study so we can discuss our next course of action".

Eric's voice was carefree yet firm as he refused to look at his wife.

"That won't be necessary, I have arranged an AB negative for you to feed on…extremely rare…" Ella's eyes widened in hurt at his obvious display of contempt. Her disheartened glance was met by her creator, who could only nod silently before leading her into the other room. Her strong façade was quickly losing its force, as her blood demanded her to throw herself into her husband's arms and quench the thirst she had been harboring for ten years without him.

She was still so lovely. As it was natural in their kind, the years had done nothing to the youthful appearance she had since the first moment he had laid eyes on her. Light green vaporous fabric hugged the profile he had held to himself for centuries before she had left, the short skirt reaching just a bit above her knees. Her shoulders were bare, the creamy neck he had sunk his teeth in so many times was exposed by her choice of hair do. All about his woman appeared to be designed for him to lose his mind. "But not just yet…"

His body was screaming at him to get her into one of the rooms and finally reclaim what was his, to have a taste of the sweet elixir running through her veins. Nevertheless, he was not one of the oldest, most powerful vampires in the continent for acting like an irresponsible newborn. There were still some loose ends that needed to be tied up and he could not afford to be distracted. The Viking prince would die again before admitting he did not feel ready to face her, as he had been surprised to realize as he had watch her smile and hug their maker in the hall.

It only took one gesture for the nervous looking red headed woman to enter the room where the three vampires waited for her. She was awed at the presence of the incredibly beautiful beings, so close to her physically and yet so far from her reach. "This is Melinda, the one I mentioned to you before…" He motioned for her to sit close to the stoic looking Godric. "She is more than happy to be of service, I hope that you find her to your liking; and before you say anything about not being hungry, please remember you will need to feed eventually, I doubt the fellowship had anything to offer".

For a moment, the only sound in the room was of lips sucking the vital fluid from the human's slim neck, an unlikely prelude to the tragedy that was about to unravel before them.

Sookie Stackhouse, telepath extraordinaire, waited impatiently as her boyfriend struggled to answer her many questions. The southerner belle wondered with a heavy heart if they had finally reached that feared point in their relationship, the moment where he would tell her it had all been a mistake and that they could not be together anymore. As strong as she was, the chances of surviving such an event were less than zero, as he held her very soul in those two strong hands.

"I was…I was held…" Sookie's frown only deepened in response. Held? As is kidnapped? Was there someone with that kind of power? She wished he would elaborate more, but the vampire was so secretive tonight she was starting to feel a bit anxious. Their conversation was cut short by none other than Eric, that traitorous snake, as he called her beloved into the room she had seen him enter in the company of his maker and an unknown woman in an emerald dress. There had been some pretty powerful tension in that encounter, and the telepath once more had lamented her powerlessness when it came to their particular race. Bill's apologetic smile was lost on her as he walked away. One of the vampires standing nearby started a conversation with her, giving her the chance to regroup her forces before starting round two of their game of twenty questions. That too, would have to wait as she was again interrupted, this time by a red headed woman. As usually happened with her and vampire females, the conversation quickly went down the hill, with her receiving yet another unpleasant surprise.

"Mmm, yes, you are all what the fuss is about…aren't you a morsel?" Sookie liked this Lorena person less and less as the conversation went by. She could feel the vampire's eyes looking down on her, as if she was just some brainless piece of…cattle. Forcing herself to smile, the blond petite woman inquired about her identity. "We have a friend in common…"

She now had a better idea of where this conversation was heading to. "Bill?"

"That's right, funny he never mentioned me… I practically made him what he is today…" Lorena had all but purred. This bitch was definitely looking for a fight. No, she corrected herself; the hussy did not even consider the possibility of her retaliating as something real. Well, if there was one thing her Grandma Adele had thought her was to never be a doormat to anyone, and proud Stackhouse that she was, she would make sure to wipe that feline smile from the overly painted face. Of course her overprotective lover had a different agenda, as he had chosen that exact moment to place himself between the hostile females.

"Lorena!"

"Oh hello darling! I was only getting to know your plaything. You always did like to prey on the innocent". That was it! Bill or no Bill, she was not going to let her keep talking about her like she was just some bug in the room. With clenched teeth, she asked the brown headed male if the trollop was in fact his maker. She momentarily closed her eyes at his positive answer, feeling only a small amount of relief as he explained they had nothing to do with each other anymore. That relief of course, did not last long, as the old hag revealed her boyfriend's whereabouts for the last two days. If only she could have heard this from Bill, then maybe the burning feeling in her chest would not feel as bad as it did in that moment. Apparently that plasma TV had not been enough to put a stop to her miserable existence, which was a shame really. "Domestic violence indeed"

"I admit, it got a bit…heated" That cow's smirk turned malicious, ruining her pretty face in the process. It only made Sookie feel like punching her more than ever. "But you know how old lovers can get sometimes…"

The next minutes went by at a surreal speed. One moment she was about to get into a serious fight against a creature of incomparable power, and the next there was Godric, holding the vulgar woman's jaw like she was nothing but a naughty child. Eric and the woman from before stood on each side of the nest leader. Her rage had not dissipated entirely, but even Sookie could not help but to admit she had been saved from a certain painful death. The gentle looking vampire in the green dress took her arm gently, directing her towards one of the expensive looking sofas, asking her if she needed anything. Now that she had the chance to assess her closely, Sookie felt even more intrigued. The woman truly looked like she belonged in the cover of a magazine, who could she be? And how did she fit into Eric's little supernatural family? Before she could ask, Godric excused himself and signaled for his female second in command to follow. The aforementioned had been waiting to greet Eleanor for a while now; Isabel guessed she could wait a few more minutes.

Sadly for her and the people chatting merrily in the room, the night still had one more visitor in store.

"Excuse me everyone, if I could have your attention. My name is Luke McDonald; I'm a member of the Fellowship of the Sun and I have a message for you all...from reverend Steve Newlin".

Eric felt hot rage boil inside him as he smelled the gore that now covered every inch of the room, precious blood that belonged to both humans and vampires wasted in the most wretched way. Some silver fragments were deeply imbedded on his back, but he could barely register the pain as he concentrated on the smaller figure lying below him. He had acted out of pure instinct, as he had seen that unintelligent human open his jacket to reveal the destructive contraption. Feeling his stare, green eyes blinked several time before focusing on his face, serving as an open book that revealed her chaotic emotions to him. A quick assessment told him his wife was unharmed, save for a few scratches, and it was only then that he let himself fall on top of her with his arms tight around her body and his nose buried on her neck. Inhaling her intoxicating scent made him forget momentarily about the chaos surrounding them, but only for a few minutes, as he was suddenly reminded they had not been the only ones in the room.

Both vampires quickly stood up and parted ways without saying a word to each other. Eleanor quickly went to aid the wounded; as for himself, he located Godric and Isabel who were already on the move, assisting Ella. At last, he searched for Sookie, kicking himself for his neglect of the fragile human. Jason Stackhouse was more useful than he had thought, as he had managed to save his sister by taking her behind one of the upturned metal tables for protection. The blond vampire realized both siblings had witnessed the moment between him and his wife, as they now stared curiously at him, like seeing him for the first time. Annoying humans, for the life of him he would never understand Godric and Ella's fascination with them, now more than ever, as one of those miserable blood bags had managed to pull a stunt such as this one.

Finally, all the bullets ad been expelled by his body, leaving only an already dissipating soreness. The Louisiana sheriff joined his maker and the two females, as Isabel made a recount of the damage.

"Who is dead?"

"Stan, Paulo, Catherine, two human companions…" Ella finished up setting up a tourniquet on one of the stump of one of the humans, glamoring him into a painless haze before standing. "This one will make it if they take him to a hospital in the next thirty minutes…" Her voice wavered as she finally felt overwhelmed by the smell of the precious red liquid she had denied herself for over six months. "I think I'm going to need a moment to…"

"How long has it been since you had any fresh blood?" After hours of begin together in the same house without addressing each other, this were the first words her husband had chosen to direct to her. Ella could feel the concern in them, but there was also a tone that warned her Eric was not going to be pleased at her next words. "Eric I…"

"How…long…Eleanor?"

Sighing in defeat, the vampire responded with the truth. "Before the mission start in Haiti, six months ago, give or take a few days…" The doctor felt her legendary self restraint weaken, and for the first time in ages, she did not care one bit. Eric's features were set in a stony front, making it impossible, even for her to know what was on his mind. At last, his eyes fell on one of the few unscathed humans who had been on the second floor during the explosion.

"You… come here". The boy looked nervously at the imposing vampire but did as he was told. As soon as she understood what he was doing, Ella prepared herself to protest.

"Eric, this is hardly the time for me to…" Se cleared her throat, hating how he could still make her turn into some small child who was afraid of the big bad grownups. "These people need help, I can take care of myself later…What are you doing!" Already at the limit of is patience, the Viking decided to take matters into his own hands, or rather, he had taken her in his arms while signaling for the boy to follow them into the study. "The last thing we need is a weak vampire in our ranks". The insult rolled easily out of his tongue, and Eleanor had to look down in order to hide the hurt in her eyes at his cruelty.

Isabel made a move to follow them, afraid for her friend, but Godric quickly stopped her. "Don't interfere; we need to arrange accommodations before the Vampire League arrives". Isabel nodded, wondering how everything could have gotten so wrong. They had been happily celebrating Godric's return only a few hours ago, for heaven sakes even Stan had been as tame as a kitten. Now even the cowboy was dead and she was sure the consequences would be enormous. What would happen to their community? Why was her leader acting so strangely? He would barely look at her when he spoke in that sad, defeated tone of his, a complete contradiction from his usual wise and confident persona.

"Very well Godric, I will call Bryant and let him know we're going to his hotel".

Inside the study, Ella looked at the fidgeting boy standing in front of her, and then at her husband. It was getting really hard for her to resist, she could hear the boy's blood hitting his arterial walls, flowing through all the channels she knew so well. On the other hand, Eric was staring at her so intensely; she knew he was actually daring her to defy him. The doctor was smart enough to know it would not be wise to do so. Nodding towards the human, she smiled reassuringly before letting her fangs show. She gently placed her hands on the black haired young man's shoulders and proceeded to feed, never taking her green eyes off her mate's burning gaze, but not for long, as she had to close her eyes at the glorious feeling of the warm ruby substance on her mouth. Keeping her focus was essential; she did not wish to lose control and end up draining the human.

Godric sat on one of the chairs of his friend's lavish hotel, feeling the cold and heavy stone of regret at the bottom of his stomach. His irresponsibility had led to this, his selfishness made him as guilty as the poor misguided soul that had decided to go as far as self destructing in order to wound them. It seemed that these days he could only make mistake after mistake, and worse of all, his loved ones were always the ones to pay the price. He could see it in his children's eyes, they were worried about him, even after everything he had caused in the past. His lieutenant stayed firmly by his side despite his obvious grave faults. The he thought of Stan. The tall ranger had had many misguided ideas, but he had been loyal through and through, and he in return had become his executioner.

Nan Flanagan had called him to announce her presence in 24 hours. The spokeswoman had been livid over the phone, calling out all sorts of insults, her rage reaching all levels of hierarchy. A PR disaster she had said, as if the lost lives of her brothers and sisters meant nothing more than another scandal she had to patch up.

"Godric, we should retire, we have a long night ahead of us tomorrow…" His eyes softened at the obvious grief in the Spanish vampire's eyes. Nodding, he stood up and looked at the expectant party. Everyone had been given their room keys and now waited for his instructions. "I don't deserve such loyalty"

"Please get some rest, tomorrow I shall deal with the authorities. Be sure that we are perfectly safe in here, Bryant has one of the best vampire hotels in the entire continent, and he was gracious enough to let us stay here until our nest is rebuilt". Murmurs of assent were heard as most of the surviving vampires left with the humans that had not been injured during the incident. The only ones who had remained by his side were Eric, Ella, Isabel, Miss Stackhouse and Bill Compton. The vampire-human couple excused themselves, but not before Sookie remembered to thank Ella for her assistance before.

"I didn't get to thank you earlier Miss…" She laughed embarrassedly. Her smile was returned by the stunning beauty, but the answer came from the tallest vampire in the group. "Eleanor Northman". The breather's eyes widened at Eric's intervention, surely such a nice woman couldn't be related to the holy king of asses.

She and Bill's mouth almost fell to the floor as he completed his introduction. "Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton, I want you to meet my wife". Then, with a lascivious smile, he took Ella by the waist and left them standing there, half of the group gaping like fishes out of the water and the other staring at them knowingly. "Now if you'll excuse us Godric, we would like to retire as well. We have much catching up to do".

As she felt the warm water cleanse her body, Ella stared at the red tinted liquid as it went down the drain. Showers were one of her favorite activities, always leaving her feeling like an entirely new person. She supposed it had something to do with her former human life, when something as simple as combining water and soap would have scared even the sturdiest of men. Tonight, things were different, not even her favorite sensation in the whole world served to calm her effectively shot nerves.

The absent minded doctor almost jumped in fright as she heard the door of the bathroom opening to reveal her husband. Eleanor was pretty sure he was violating some sort of implicit rule by standing there; letting his eyes roam all over her naked figure after they had only been only able to exchange two or three words since their reunion. She would blame it on tiredness later, but she could only stare silently as he rid himself of his own bloody garments and entered the shower right behind her. Ella quickly rinsed herself and tried to step out of the marble bathtub, only to be stopped by one of his powerful arms. Gasping, the vampire felt him surround her with both extremities, successfully bringing them together, with no layers separating their eternally cool skins. "Shhh…we'll talk…in a moment…" Eric's unusually quiet voice shattered her final barrier, as she closed her eyes and finally allowed herself to forget everything but the man holding her.

An eternity seemed to pass before the two lovers finally broke out of their embrace and began to dry themselves. Afterwards, they donned on the silk bathrobes that had been laid for them and entered the bedroom. There were two more hours until the sun came up, which was irrelevant thanks to the specially designed hotel windows. They would provide all the time in the world for them to come to terms, Eric thought, as he noticed his wife preparing to begin the much too awaited conversation.

"I suppose I should start by telling you where I've been all these years…"

He did not even blink as he recited: "New York in 2001, Iran in 2003, Sumatra in 2004, Pakistan in 2005, Burma and China in 2008, and Chile and Haiti this year; if I recall correctly. Not to mention your little annual visits to the Gaza Strip and the short stop you made at the Korean Demilitarized Zone".

It made sense that he knew about her every movement and yet it still made her feel a bit intimidated. Trying not to get defensive, she finally decided to concede. "I know you still don't understand why I would do what I did, and it is true we did not part on the best of terms…I just can't bring myself to regret it. I won't…please understand Eric; it had nothing to do with... " The male vampire banged one of the walls, his hand barely denting the custom made smooth surface.

"Think if you really want to end that sentence love..." He still had not lost his composure, but she could tell he was close, even wanting to. "It doesn't matter, we'll have plenty of time to talk when we get to Fangtasia" he ignored the slight protest sound that escaped her mouth. He had an uncanny ability to go from warm and caring lover to cold hearted bastard in seconds. "We need to focus on Godric, there's something about the way he is acting… That bureaucrat bitch will be arriving tomorrow and we want to look our best, don't we sweetheart?" Eleanor sighed as he eased into the sheets next to her. Getting in after him, she just hoped she would be able to catch some sleep or tomorrow she would be no help to her maker.

Fortunately for her, she was unconscious in no time. Dreams of her past plagued her for the first time in centuries.

Flashback – Kingdom of England 1350

The smell of decaying corpses and filth made it almost impossible for the two vampires to walk through the streets of Westminster. Children ran in packs, imitating the rats that hurried down the streets and adults tended to their businesses, the food in their stands looking completely rotten. This was the glory of the English empire in 1350.

"We won't stay long; the stench alone is making me lose my hunger". His traveling companion, a blond pale man of great height, smirked at his master's sensitivity. Not that he could blame his elder, humans on this side of the continent had really let themselves sink into the poorest of conditions. Of course, one of the advantages of being a warrior was that such things did not really bother him as much. He supposed this miserable environment reminded Godric too much of his time as a slave, where he had been truly an innocent breathing boy of sixteen. He avoided asking too many questions on this subject, as it still made his maker irritable (and that was rather scary, not that he would admit it out loud).

Chuckling good naturedly, he patted the shorter man's back with affection. "Come on Godric, there must be a noble lady or two that can satisfy our hunger. I heard they claim to have blue blood…don't you think it might be fun to find out?"

Against his will, Godric laughed at his child's antics. "No, they actually smell even worse with all those tonics they use against the Black Death". An idea suddenly entered his mind. "If you're really hungry maybe we could go for something purer…holier…and definitely cleaner" Eric followed his stare until he reached his objective. A smirk formed on his attractive lips.

"That is an interesting notion…the Benedictine nuns cloister's entrance is on the left side of the Abbey". To corrupt a nun was a rare treat as it actually posed more of a challenge than the spoiled daughters of barons and kings, who contrary to popular belief, gave away their favors much too easily. On the other hand, they were definitely better looking than the usual spinsters and old hags who did nothing but pray and stop eating to please their God. Decisions, decisions.

Inside the Abbey, unsuspecting of the upcoming menace, the nuns worked speedily in order to tend to all the diseased citizens that cluttered the place. Two years ago, an unknown plague had stroke against their Kingdom, wiping out a great portion of their population. The agonizing men, children and women were covered in painful pustules, their fever delirious minds making them spout all sorts of nonsensical words. Most of them had no hope of ever recovering, and this the religious women knew for certain, but that did not stop them from doing their best to ease their suffering. These were the daughters of St. Benedictine, women from all ages who had decided (or had someone else decide for them) to dedicate their life to worship the Lord and the care of the poor and needy.

One of the nuns, a small severe looking woman, supervised the work of her sisters while making a few observations from time to time. As she reached a tall figure, her voice became stern. "Sister Eleanor, I believe you have spent more than enough time with this child, why don't you go and clean the latrine? Sister Margaret has not been feeling well lately, I am beginning to fear for her". Green eyes blinked as her superior crossed herself. The younger woman quickly responded in a low voice. "Yes, Sister Clarice". Directing one last look at the sad little boy, she followed her, but not before turning to look at her patient and mouthing a silent promise to come back. She was immediately rewarded by a toothless smile that warmed her heart.

Sister Clarice was not fond of her and she had known so from the minute she had stepped into the Abbey for the first time, ten years ago. Eleanor supposed it was the fact that the older woman did not consider the Baron of Lancaster's daughter to be serious enough about her calling. Without being vain, the young woman knew her looks were one more reason the nun disliked her so. She had inherited her mother's beauty, golden wavy hair and clear green eyes that adorned a fair face. Her height surpassed the normal standards for the average maiden, but far from giving her a male appearance it only enhanced her nymph-like image. To her, superficial beauty represented more of a course, as she still shuddered when she had to remember the suitors she had been forced to meet before deciding to dedicate her life to a more valuable cause. Her father had blessed her decision, as he had always been a gentle and kind spirit. The woman who had taken the place of her mother had been an entirely different story. Ella sent those thoughts away; she still felt the pang of hatred towards her progenitor's spouse and the actions that had led her to escape her own household.

"Clean the latrines she says… I shall skip merrily towards such a noble duty Sister Clarice, I won't give you the pleasure of seeing my nose wrinkle, not even once…" She spoke softly to the now far away sister. "She probably went to find her next victim".

Bucket and mop in hand, she had to step back as the powerful stench of decay hit her nose, her eyes watering at its intensity. So much for defying the sister with a smile, at this rate she would probably end up begging for mercy, for anything other than to enter that damned place. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here". She grinned as she thought of the Italian poet who had written the line, probably in a very different situation. Oh well, the work had to be done and it was better to start before night took over completely, and more importantly, while she could still see where or what she stepped on.

Sounds of splashing water let Eric know someone was still awake in the middle of the night. With a playful smirk, he nodded towards Godric and followed the noise made by the bathing nun. He only hoped it was not one of the elders, for even if they cleansed themselves with a white camisole on, the sight of those mummies could probably kill his appetites for an entire month. A young feminine voice told him two things: the person occupying the room next door was most definitely a young one and second, she was pretty angry at some old hag named Clarice. "So far so good" Unfortunately for the vampire, his impending attack was interrupted by several screams of terror, coming from the area where the diseased humans rested. He watched from the shadows as the shivering Sister rushed out of the room half dressed, showing him something that made him enormously pleased. Without that awful headpiece the Catholic insisted on inflicting upon their female members, he could appreciate the woman possessed an extraordinarily rare beauty. He could tell her body was slim and agile, delicious curves hidden by the bulk of dark clothes he would take great pleasure in unwrapping before he got his treat. Oh yes, this was a great night for him, he was sure Godric would lose that sour mood in an instant after he saw what he had in store for him.

He determined it was better to follow her, if that scream had been any indication, things were about to get ugly for the humans. The Viking was not about to let his new pet be ruined before he had his fun with her. A familiar scent made him stop abruptly; his smile becoming feral as his steps hurried after the woman's trail.

"And we thought England had nothing to offer…"

Ella's heart was beating so fast she feared it would jump out of her chest. The combination of the cold water she had been using to get rid of the terrible smell left by her duties and the raw panic she had felt on the screams were making it impossible for her to stop trembling. The sisters were running frantically towards all directions, and even the priests had gotten up to see what was happening in the main wing of the building. Finally, she reached her goal, paling as she observed the surreal scene developing in front of her. An entire pack of wolves had entered the premises, and were currently attacking every occupant of the infirmary, making no distinction between healthy and sick in their bloodshed. It took a few minutes for her to gain enough courage and think straight enough to act. The first thing she needed to do was to locate little Aaron. Her hopes were pretty much null as to the boy's fate, but she had to at least try to see if she could get to him in time. The thought of the six year old boy dying alone was much too painful to accept.

Dodging a pile of flesh that had been a living person just hours ago, she rushed to the place she had last seen her young ward. Calling out to him was not an option, for she did not want to have the wolves notice her presence. A few more cots were passed and she finally arrived at his place of rest, her heart sinking as she saw the bloodstained sheets. Had she arrived too late? How in the world had those animals gotten into the fortress-like construction? The young nun let no tears fall from her eyes, she would save as many patients as she could.

Her dark thoughts were instantly vanished as she heard a small voice calling out to her from under the bed. A small pale hand peeked from under the makeshift refuge, which she was quick to grasp. "Aaron! Stay still, I will try to get you out of there as soon as…" Pure horror had stopped her happy talk as the child finally showed his face. There was blood pouring out of a nasty looking wound on his scalp, and his other arm was torn to shreds. This time, Eleanor could not hold back a sob as she knew he only had a few moments to live. As best as she could, her movements calculated to hurt him as little as possible, she placed him in her lap and started stroking his head. Then she took off her veil and let him see her whole face, as he so many times had asked of her. "It will stop hurting any moment now, I promise…"

All around her, the people she had coexisted with for years were dying, the floor almost completely covered by the crimson liquid. And yet, somehow she felt strangely calm; her only regret being that she would never see her father and tell him that she thought about him every day. Was she going to be able to meet with her mother? Were all those teachings she had received from the priests and nuns going to come true? All this questions would be soon answered, whether she wanted it to happen or not. She was startled by one of the wolves, a big black monster with glowing orange eyes. At the same time, she felt the small figure in her arms stop breathing. The beast's eyes were fixed on her precious cargo, and that finally replaced the shock induced numbness for searing hot anger. She never took her eyes off the animal, as she placed the agonizing boy on a pile of sheets with very slow movements "I won't let you touch him; you will not cause him any more pain…"

There were no usable weapons around her, and the only thing she had was the silver rosary she had inherited from her mother. Praying for salvation? Throw the object in hopes it distracted the animal? Maybe she could try to strangle it; the cord was pretty long after all. It was then that the animal chose to knock her on the floor, his sharp teeth sinking into her torso. She did not have the strength or the will to scream as she felt the excruciating pain expand through every fiber of her being. Her hands were steady as she blocked the throbbing of her wounds and prepared her attack, fully knowing it was unlikely to succeed. It did not matter; she was now fully prepared to confront whatever was coming to her. Or so she had thought.

The wolf started making a sound that was too much like human laughter. That was of course impossible, she reasoned, maybe she was already dying and this whole thing was the deviated imagination caused by her distress? No, this felt too real, the smell was so vivid and the pain on her side much too intense. She was amazed at her ability to still able to feel shock; this was her last thought as she watched the lupine figure transform into a human one. Grinning with sharp teeth and examining his prey with the same evil orange eyes was now a man in his forties, his body completely devoid of clothing.

"What are you planning to do Sister? Bless me to death? I am afraid that does not work on my kind…" Another bark like laugh exited his bloody mouth, causing Ella to flinch. "I do regret that I was not able to take you some place nicer to dine…you are quite pretty for a nun, I wonder how the hell you ended up in this dumpster. You don't have to worry your pretty little head, it will stop mattering in a few moments…" His diabolic eyes fell on her body, making her wish for a bucket of cold water and lots of bleach to get rid of the disgusting feelings he evoked in her. It was really something that her death would happen at the hands of a naked man, the first one she had ever laid eyes upon in her 28 years of life. Grasping the silver beads, she vowed to herself she would not go down willingly, she would at least mark his face so he could remember that night in which a mere human had been able to hurt him.

"It is in very poor taste to prey on someone else's property, mutt". A cold voice surprised the pair, as they turned around to look at the newcomer. "Don't worry; I won't prolong your suffering too much if you tell me what I need to know…those are some interesting marks on your back wolf, care to share?" Ella wondered if an angel had finally come to her rescue, if so, she was never going to doubt her religion ever again and would become the most fervent nun the English church had ever seen. Somehow, she thought as the pale golden haired stranger ripped his enemy with oversized teeth, her rescuer seemed to lean towards the demonic side. That was just as well, her survival instinct overpowered every other thought inside her head. Another voice shook her out of her stupor, this one much younger than the first, or even hers.

"That is enough Eric. This place festers with disease and the wolves have already destroyed everything there was of any worth. I don't think there are any nuns or priests left alive and the patients…" The second creature stepped into her line of sight, once more of an unexpected nature. This was a boy, no older than sixteen if she had to guess, but as he turned to look at her she discarded that idea. The golden orbs contained too much wisdom for a mere child, and the power he exuded told her this was no ordinary being either. She had to hand it to herself; she had not lost consciousness during this whole nightmare. Finally, the fair young man seemed to notice her presence, a pleased glint entering his eyes as he studied her with great detail. She felt extremely self conscious as she examined the state of her blood stained clothing, no doubt her hair and face in much worse condition "Oh…I was wondering why you took off with such urgency, you did find something…" He then looked disgusted at the inert cadaver of the man-wolf. "Did you manage to get something else?"

The frustration of her savior was more than obvious. "No, all this idiot knew was what his alpha told him. We need to follow the pack; maybe I can find this Orwell and get some information from the stupid creatures". Godric nodded and then raised an inquiring brow at his progeny. "What about this little one?" Eleanor almost found it humorous, since he was easily one head shorter than she was, had she been on her feet not to mention she actually looked twice is age. The human did not dare move a muscle, as he expected the answer of his comrade. In a matter of seconds he was standing before her, a cheeky grin adorning his handsome features. The last thing she knew before darkness took over, was the coldness of his large hands as he removed a strand of blood soaked hair from her dirty face.

"This one we keep".

Done! I'm really sorry we could not go deeper into Ella and Eric's reconciliation, there is just too many things happening! That and of course, Godric is just so adorable! We need to deal with his issues too… Finally, I tried to use as little scenes from the series as I could, I promise they are important for plot development purposes. Were you surprised by Ella's past? Bet you were ho ho!

Was it me or did last week's episode needed a little bit more Eric scenes? Just saying… (It was still awesome!)