I don't own anything I am just taking the characters for a walk.
A/N I have always thought that Allen Ball made a terrible mistake killing off Godric. This is what I think should have happened. I am going to try and follow the seasons as close as possible even with the changes I have made. Thanks for all the reviews and story follows it's super flattering- keep em coming : )
Chapter 13
I knew I would wake alone, but when I opened my eyes I hoped for just a moment that she might have changed her mind and stayed. It's been a long time since I let myself feel this way about someone. I checked the house and found it empty; I reached out and felt for her with our bond. It wasn't strong enough to feel her at this distance yet.
I let my head fall back to the pillow, I rubbed my face hard and shook it off. I got out of bed and even though I would like nothing more than to spend my night smelling of Sookie I went into the bathroom headed for the shower. The only thing I could think of was her standing there under the water. I stepped in and turned the shower on and closed my eyes and let the memory of last night play in my mind. The water warmed me and I stayed under for long enough that I heard the shutters come down. I stepped out and got dressed in dark jeans and boots again with a white shirt.
I met Eric in the hallway and we stopped in the kitchen to wait for Jessica.
"I trust your evening went well?" Eric was fishing.
"Of course never better," I smiled and he returned it with his own albeit more of a leer.
"Anything more on your search for Compton?"
"Unfortunately the trail seems to have gone cold just across the border. I have talked to all of my sources and I'm keeping tabs on his accounts that I know of: no ones seen or heard from him since that night."
"And the Queen, I wonder what is taking the Majister so long to arrest her? You say she paid you a visit last night and was surprised to see you?"
"Yes I believe she came into my area to replace me and check up on Bill and his... well your..."
"Careful Childe," I warned him clenching my jaw a tell I worked hard to hide most times.
"Good morning... night.. whatever... How are you?" Jessica came into the room quietly.
"We are well, and you?"
"Oh I'm good, it sure is nice to sleep on a real bed again." She blushed and turned towards the kitchen. I followed curious of her comment and thought it might be a good teaching point.
"And here I thought new Vampire would be deprived of such experiences."
"I'm not sure its anything to brag about. Sleeping on the hard packed ground underneath a house instead of inside it like everyone else." She took out a blood and put it in the fridge.
"In this day and age; on a permanent basis no, as a means of survival or temporarily then yes."
"This is Eric's place right? What is yours like?"
"This is just one of many houses. Real estate is a great investment and in the past we could only live somewhere for so long before someone noticed that we didn't age. So between the three of us we have hundreds of homes all over the world. Most are furnished and contain items that we might need like clothes, weapons, entertainment. Some are more secret than others and some we use more often than we should. My home in Dallas was perhaps such since the fellowship sent a suicide bomber during a gathering."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense and all. I lived in the same house all my life until well and then I lived with Bill."
"One thing about living forever everything changes while you do not. You would be wise to learn to accept that early on."
"Godric don't scare the poor girl. I have always loved the challenge of keeping up with everything anticipating what might be next and who says we can't change!"
"It is true finding something to focus on does help to pass the time."
"Pam wanted me to come in early this evening something about needing to hire another new dancer." Jessica was finished with her blood and so we left through the garage taking separate vehicles. Jessica rode with me she said she'd never been on one before something about her father. My mind was on Sookie wondering what her shift was like tonight. We made good time to Fangtasia and I parked right next to Eric's Corvette and we walked in the back door he left open for us.
I sat in one of the seats facing his desk and Jessica sat on the couch still trying to fix her hair. She had worn a dress, which made riding on the bike a little tricky but she said that she didn't have anything else. Apparently Bill had quite particular thoughts about proper attire being raised in the colonial USA I could just imagine. Pam and Eric came in at the same time Pam remained standing while Eric lounged in his chair.
"Godric I hope you'll be spending some time here this evening Eric has promised me that I can have some time off."
"You're in luck Jessica and I are here to find her a suitable meal for the evening and of course if you have time to spend then by all means join us." I couldn't help but chuckle at her attempt to seem happy while displeased at the same time.
"Finally getting around to eating live again are we?"
"Yes it seems her maker was terribly deficient in his training."
"Eric had me watch over her for a time, but I am not cut out for being a maker. We brought her back to him after the first week or two."
"Certainly during this time you had time to show her how to feed, yes?"
"Yes, but without the makers call it is difficult to ensure the donor will live and I was reluctant to endanger our license." Eric said as though that excused their behaviour. I rolled my eyes at him. After the great revel while some things are simpler some are infinitely more complicated.
"The doors will open in a few minutes I will see you soon." Pam left us alone again.
"What's done is done," I said. "You are still seeing the human boy, Hoyt?"
"Yes, though I haven't seen him much since Bill disappeared since I've been staying in Shreveport an all." She blushed shyly.
"Have you fed from him yet?"
"No I don't wanna hurt him and so, no I haven't."
"Well I have to say your control for one so young is quite impressive I think that soon you'll be a lot more comfortable."
"I sure do hope so, I really like him."
"Why don't we go out into the bar and see if we can't find someone." We left Eric to his paper work and entered the bar. It was amazing how many bodies had packed the bar in the few minutes since Pam opened the doors. I led her to Eric's booth and we sat opposite each other and watched the patrons. I couldn't help but think of other patrons who were being waited on by Sookie this evening. None of the humans in this bar could hold a candle to her by a long shot it was almost comical. I could see Pam at the door, and there was an Asian Vampire with tattoos behind the bar. The waitresses were all human and there were a mixture of human and Vampire dancers.
"What happens when we find Bill?" Jessica asked timidly.
"You mean will you go back to living with him?"
"Yes"
"The paperwork we filled stripped him of you in absentia, inheritance would still be due in the event of his true death and of course he can still compel you until then. In essence I have adopted you and we stripped him of his parental rights legally."
"Oh, so why is it so important to find him then? What if he doesn't want to be found?"
"It's Eric responsibility to ensure the safety of all Vampire in his area and Bill is such a Vampire. Therefore he is duty bound to find him."
"Thank you for answering my questions, no one else seems to have the time to."
I saw Pam walking our way with a human male following her. They approached the booth and Jessica's eyes widened at the sight of him; a good sign.
"I thought I would hurry this evening's entertainment along, in the spirit of mending fences with the young one."
"Thank you Pam, I appreciate the sentiment." The boy seems to be a good choice more tolerable than most even if he was dressed just like the others. The humans gaze was shifting from Vampire to Vampire seemingly unafraid and eager though his heartbeat was faster than normal. I rose and Jessica followed, I let Jessica take command of him and followed them back to Eric's office leaving Pam to her door duties. I closed the door behind us and sat in one of the chairs in front of Eric's desk opposite him; he was still working through his paperwork. Jessica and the human sat on the couch.
"Something I do not miss." I told him gesturing at his desk.
"Something has to fill the nights, may as well be this on most nights. I see you have found someone for her already. Maybe I will go sit on my throne, I have taken all of this that I can for one night." Eric took his leave quickly without even so much as a glance towards the couple on the couch.
I turned my attention to the human and caught his eyes "Everything will be fine," I told the human while bringing him under my glamour. "I would like for you to work on your glamour as well this night." I released him though he remained docile. "Take care to make eye contact and focus pressing your will into his, some need words while others do not. Some can effect their minds for longer periods of time, while most simply erase the memory of a few moments. The purpose and its use for which our glamour originated are tantamount to understanding how to perform it successfully."
She rose up onto her knees on the couch and made eye contact "What is your name?" She asked him.
"Ryan Gibsons," he responded in a monotone voice.
"Why did you come here tonight?"
"I came here hoping a Vampire would bite me, I wanted to know what it felt like. I overheard some girls talking about this place in the cafeteria last week in between classes."
"And where do you go to school?"
"ERAU over in Bossier City, ma'am" She snickered.
"Why don't you have him do something out of character or replace a memory, make him believe something that is not for example make it so that he does not see or remember me." I suggested as she seemed to be content to interview him like some junior high date.
"Ryan we are alone here just you and me, we came back into this office alone after meeting at the bar. You asked if you could buy me a drink." She waited for a few moments. "How did we meet?"
"We were at the bar and I asked if I could buy you a drink." She clapped her hands girlishly.
"Sing the national anthem for me."
He started to clear his throat and started "Oh say! can you see by the dawn's early light"
"No, no, stand up proper like you can't sign that like this." He promptly stood and placed his hand over his heart and continued like he hadn't been interrupted.
"What so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming; Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?" Here his voice cracked and she cringed and stood.
"That's enough. Very good, have a seat Ryan." Mercifully he stopped and sat silent again.
"Very good, have you done this before with anyone?"
"Well I think I did a little with my father that one time Sookie took me home. I know I said I would stay in the car but I couldn't help it when I saw my mother and sister were home. Bill was so mad." I could sense there was a lot more to this story than she was letting on. I let it go for now she would share if she wanted to, it wasn't my place to pry.
"Alright lets move on shall we, what do you know about feeding?"
"Well Pam told me that our saliva acts as a anaesthetic so I should lick first and then gently push my fangs in because their skin is so soft."
"For most the acts of feeding and sex are quite inseparable although it does not have to be so. For the human we decide if they enjoy the experience or feel pain or fear. They are easy to hold sway over."
"So you just glamour them into feeling what you want them to?" She seemed confused her eyebrows all knitted together.
"Not necessarily by your actions alone or in combination as Vampire these must become natural and each uses them a little differently."
She rose up on her knees again and leant over him pushing him back into the couch. She caressed his face before turning his head to expose his jugular letting her hand travel lower on his body caused the desired reaction. He moaned and wrapped his arms around her pulling her onto his lap.
She licked his neck and bit, I listened to his heartbeat as she drank quickly albeit messily. At the first sign of his heartbeat slowing I spoke, "listen to his heartbeat when it slows you must stop." She greedily sucked harder and so I placed my hands on their shoulders prepared to separate them if need be. "Jessica stop!" I ordered and pushed on her shoulder to get her attention. She retracted her fangs and started to lick up all the spilt blood from his neck and torso. I watched patiently while she finished, when she sat back I couldn't help but laugh a little. She had blood all down her neck and into her dress and his shirt was destroyed.
"You'll get better at this after the first couple of times you can start to focus on more than just the blood and the feel of it. Lets find him something to wear." I took out my phone and texted Pam to grab a t-shirt for him. "Even if you were to heal his marks and erase his memory he is covered in blood." Pam came in with the shirt and left as swiftly as she arrived.
"How do I heal his marks?"
"Our saliva also has healing properties, though some choose to leave their humans with visible marks, add a small amount of your blood by simply pricking your tongue and all evidence is gone." She leant over the man again and licked her marks and when she rose his neck was clear.
"That's so cool!"
"While our blood has the ability to heal you must be aware of the repercussions of another ingesting your blood. A small amount like this does nothing but heal, in larger quantities or after multiple occasions a bond can be formed. We don't have time to go over everything tonight just know that Vampire hold our blood to be sacred, sharing it with another is not to be done lightly." I passed her the shirt and she took hold of him and had him remove his own and replace it with the one she offered. "Why don't you try imparting something without words this time." She stood and he followed suit.
After a few moments he spoke "thank you, I had a lovely time I hope to see you again soon," and he left. Jessica again clapped girlishly.
"You should get cleaned up. The staff bathroom is between here and the bar, I will meet you back at Eric's booth." We left and closed the door behind us, I made my way into the bar nodding to Eric as I passed. He had amassed a gaggle of fangbangers and dancers in front of his throne. The dancer working the pole to his left was a tall European looking blond quite thin though. He mistook my curiosity for interest and raised an eyebrow in my direction. I shook my head and found another point of focus. Pam seemed to be talking to another Vampire about the patrons and then he replaced her at the door and she came and sat across from me at the same time Jessica returned and joined us clean of all traces of her meal.
"You're looking much improved, did you enjoy your meal?"
"Yes and thank you for selecting him for her I couldn't have chosen better myself" I told her while Jessica squirmed in her seat next to my sarcastic grandchilde.
"Yes well I suppose that is another lesson; how to choose your prey." Pam started to explain that most present were here looking to be bitten one simply had to choose.
"Always trust your instincts and watch their heart-rates and body language you can never be to careful." I added to their discussion almost absently. They spent the next couple of minutes talking about body language as it pertained to the assembled patrons; the fangbangers versus the tourists.
"I was wondering how do you stop, you know when your feeding. It's so hard to stop once you start. I could hear Godric and his heartbeat but..." Jessica's question caught my attention and I listened to Pam's response.
"It's easier as you get older, you need less blood. I think about crying children in soggy diapers, also maggots." I was about to respond to her comment when I noticed Magnus coming in the front door with backup this time.
"Pam Jag tycker det är dags att stänga för kvällen." I said quietly while indicating with my eyes-only. She stood and went to the bar and along with the other vampire staff they emptied the bar of humans in less than two minutes. The Majister had walked straight to Eric and they had left the bar and were in his office. When I entered the room Magnus was sitting in Eric's chair and Eric was standing surrounded by guards.
"I see your back, still on the same business or do we have fresh charges tonight?"
"Stay out of this, if you know what's good for you, Godric." He dared to threaten me, advise that I abandon my Childe.
"I have every right as his Maker to know on what grounds you have returned here Magnus." I said condescendingly while taking one of the chairs in front of the desk again while blatantly exposing my back to his guards.
"Very well, your Childe told me of his Queens supposed crimes and when I went to her palace to investigate I found it deserted. I am here to ask after his involvement in her disappearance."
"As I said she was here last night, looking for another Vampire who has been missing for a number of nights now. I do not know if she returned to New Orleans after she left here very much alive." Eric testified truthfully.
"He speaks the truth, though I was not here last night I would know if he lied. We have been distracted by other matters."
"There were signs of a struggle and remains were found along with the scent of Were." This bothered me, but I couldn't put my finger on the reason.
"We have no affiliation with Weres they are untrustworthy I would never stoop to their involvement if I were to abduct or kill my regent which I would never do nor have I done." Eric told him adamantly.
My phone began to ring, I silenced it and ignored the call at first and only answered after it rang a second time immediately after the first. I didn't recognize the number though I could hear heavy irregular breathing on the other end of the line.
"Speak!" I commanded into the phone.
"It's Alcide, I'm at Merlottes. It's Sookie she's been taken by Weres..." He kept talking but I didn't hear anything after those words. I ended the call and attempted to focus on the conversation taking place around me as if the world wasn't slowing to a crawl. I knew Eric had noticed my disorientation following the phone call and with Vampire hearing everyone would have heard Alcide's words. Once again I found my loyalties split between Eric and Sookie to the detriment of the other. This was the problem with having close ties with others they where inevitably hurt by some action or inaction. I knew I needed to leave and get Sookie back, I would track her to the ends of the earth if I had to. But I could not leave my son before I knew that Magnus would leave him and focus elsewhere.
I stood and interrupted another insignificant question "Majister it seems that the Weres have taken another from our state, that makes three in as many nights. I believe the threat is from outside the state possibly a takeover attempt. It is counter productive to waylay the states oldest and strongest when he should be working to shore up the state against attack."
"We have rules against such methods now that we are out in the open. The authority has received no notice of any plans to unite territories by way of trade agreement or marriage in regards to Louisiana." He retorted, trying my patience.
"Not everyone on this continent is younger than the rule of the Authority and such customs are foreign even to those who are. You know as well as I that what I say rings of the truth. We ask that you take your leave and allow us to regain control of this state. We will inform you as to the outcome." Finally he rose and departed with his minions leaving me free to fly out the back door and straight to Merlottes.
I landed in the back parking lot and let my senses expand looking for her trail. I found a few drops of her blood near the dumpster and it seems she was taken in a vehicle over an hour ago. I could smell multiple Weres somewhat familiar to me and Alcide's blood as well. I threw open the back door and sped into the bar in search of Alcide. I found him in the office with Sam he looked like hell and was holding a bag of ice to his head. He had cuts and scrapes all over and he was wheezing like his ribs might be crushed.
I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.
"Where is she? What happened?" Sam came round and slowly approached with his hands up as if in surrender.
"She went out back for a moment, I guess Alcide happened to be there at the right time and tried to intervene, let him go he tried to stop them. I didn't even hear a thing until I heard the vehicles pull out of both the parking lots and went searching for Sookie. I found him in a heap out back unconscious. It wasn't until he came too that he suggested we call you. I thought she was will Bill, what's going on?" I released Alcide and he slid down the wall, Sam moved to help him back to his seat and handed him the ice pack again.
I paced in the small office "What happened did you recognize them?" I said through clenched teeth.
"I was just driving up when I saw two guys carting someone off to their SUV, I wasn't even going to stop but my window was open and she's got a unique smell. So I threw my truck in park and crept up behind them. Only I didn't realize that there were more than the two of them, I got blindsided and they worked me over pretty good. I woke up here... I did recognize them though so there is that. They were members of the fuck you crew out of Jackson, Mississippi."
"You know them?"
"On a count of my fathers business we spend some time over in Jackson, got an apartment there and everything. The last couple of years this new gangs been taking over the packs round those parts. Real nasty folks."
"Dawn is not far off now, I will start towards Jackson. Eric will contact you if we need further assistance." I sped out the back of the bar and took to the sky. I headed east racing the dawn as far as I could go. Mentally kicking myself at my stupidity; I should never have left her so exposed. Of course Bill would talk and she would be taken or she could have been taken in order to get him to cooperate in some way. Either way was not good, I could only hope I would get there in time.
I only got halfway before I had to go to ground. I found a place well into the woods and dug a hole and covered myself and let the dawn take me into blessed blackness.