"Yes, it has to be done tonight." Davis repeated patiently, yet definitively, leaning back in his seat, his arms firmly crossed over his chest.
"But then, why meeeee?" Grace asked desperately, bringing a hand to her chest. She sounded whiny – she knew she did, but right now she didn't care.
"Becauuuuuuuuuse, it so happens that he specifically asked for you." The older detective deadpanned.
That surprised her so much that she remained quiet for a second, gaping slightly. But then she was frowning and asking her superior:
- "Why?"
- "Well, that is just what I was about to ask you." He answered delicately.
- "And how am I supposed to know? You're the one who talked this out with him." She retorted, somewhat exasperated with Davis. She wasn't in on the ancient vampire's mind, after all. He wasn't exactly big on sharing his thoughts - either verbally or in any other way.
But Davis didn't reply, only raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. She raised an interrogative eyebrow back at him. And then the implication behind his words dawned on her, and she raised her eyes to the ceiling. Men...
- "We're not like that." She said dismissively. And when he didn't seem to believe her: "Sir, I'm serious." She insisted, looking him straight in the eyes. "There is nothing between us!" And now there was a hint of indignation in her voice, which Davis must have heard, because this time he seemed to take her word.
- "I see that. The question is, does he?" He asked quietly.
It was her turn to remain silent. The vampire really hadn't given the slightest indication that he might be interested in her, so why she?
- "Because he trusts me?" She hazarded.
- "... You do realize that you just phrased this as a question and not as an answer, right?" Her superior didn't fail to point out.
Grace took a moment before elaborating on her answer.
- "I don't trust easily - vampires least of all, I can assure you. But if there is one vampire that I might be ready to rely upon, it's him. Because until now, what I have seen of his behaviour towards humans has truly been irreproachable. And I think that the reason he asked for me may be because he feels the same about how I've been reacting towards vampires."
He seemed to consider that, then simply shrugged, and started to rise from his seat, indicating that she should leave, but she decided that it was time to speak out something that had been on her mind for a while now.
- "Sir..." She started hesitantly, and he looked down at her questioningly as he sat back down. "I've been thinking about the events from two weeks ago and yesterday. And I think they have proved that we can't keep doing things the way we have until now..." She paused, pondering for words. "I mean, each species working separately, and ignoring the other like the Great Revelation never happened. I think that we need to work together - not only to save the day when problems show up, but to prevent them from arising in the first place." She finished more firmly.
Davis sunk deeper in his seat and tilted his head back, resting his eyes upon the ceiling.
- "You're talking about working with the vampire police on a... permanent basis." He stated.
- "Yes, I am." She replied without missing a beat. "Don't you agree with the reasoning, Sir?"
He closed his eyes and remained quiet for so long he might have been asleep if it weren't for the small crease between his eyebrows that indicated he was doing some thinking.
- "It's not up to me, Park." The older detective finally answered as he opened his eyes again, circumventing her question. "It's something that must be discussed at a higher level." He sounded somewhat weary.
- "Deputy Chief Morris trusts you. He'd never listen to me - but if you suggest it, he'll hear you out." Davis remained quiet. "I could ask the sheriff about his feeling on the idea tonight, and tell him to contact you about it." She added.
He held her stare in silence, before giving a sharp nod.
- "I'll see what I can do to plant the idea. In the meantime, you be very careful Park." He said, and she heard the concern in his voice.
She assured him she would, then took her leave. As she went back to her desk and sank into her chair, she allowed herself to wallow in self-pity for a moment.
She was exhausted from the previous night's events - she truly was. The stress of the situation had taken its toll, and she had only had precious few hours of sleep to recover. Today was Saturday and she wasn't supposed to be on duty. She should have been able to sleep in, but because of the mess, she had had to come to the station.
When she had arrived, Davis had informed her that she would need to go to the sheriff's office, to take his and Sookie Stackhouse's statement about their abduction by the Fellowship. She hadn't minded. But then he had insisted she did it tonight, and that she found truly unfair. Why didn't Davis just send one of the police officers who were on duty that night? She had plans, for God's sake!
OK, nothing much. She was supposed to take her brother and sister to the movies, and then to have sushis together. So, nothing very exciting. But she had really been looking forward to it. She missed her two little devils, life seemed awfully lonely without them.
But then she brought her hands to her cheeks and slapped them lightly a few times, before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. There was no use wasting time whining over a decision that had already been taken. Instead, she let her thoughts trail over what had happened in the sanctuary.
Han could fly, but she had only ever seen him do so a couple of times. After all, he couldn't teach her how to fly, since this ability wasn't one that she had inherited from him. So he hadn't bothered to demonstrate it too many times.
Which was why it had come as such a shock when suddenly the sheriff had called out to them all from the balcony. One second, he was nowhere to be seen. The next one he was standing up there, in his white shirt and pants, his back straight, his feet apart, his fists clenched, looking down at them with his signature blank face, and addressing them all like a king did the subjects sprawled at his feet.
She had been truly impressed then, she had to admit. Which was why she had hastily snatched her eyes away from him and turned her face back to the altar. Having been carried out of the church on his back had already been embarrassing enough, the last thing she wanted after that was for him to see her dumbly gaping at him.
But during his speech, she had had time to collect herself again. So what if he could fly, and so what if he was two freaking thousand years old? To be honest, she felt sorry for him more than anything else.
On their first encounters, she had believed he purposefully wore a poker face, to hide his thoughts and emotions. She herself did that a lot with the people that she didn't know or didn't trust, after all.
But what if he failed to reflect emotions, not because he was hiding them, but because he didn't feel any? Older than Jesus… How could life possibly taste after all that time? There were songs that Grace could listen to all day long, for days at a time. But after the 1,000th time, she simply became fed up and couldn't stand to hear them again. Was that what his life was? A series of things he had experienced too many times, until they held no savour anymore - when they didn't become downright unbearable?
Yet he kept doing the right thing, or at least trying to. And she, for one, knew how hard it could be sometimes.
Which was why, all in all, she found him half-creepy and half-endearing. His unblinking gaze and unreadable face made a part of her want to stay away from him. But they made the other want to hug him and tell him that he really didn't have to be so grave. After the events in the crypt and in the sanctuary, that last part was starting to win over. And when she had treated him with spontaneous familiarity, he hadn't seemed to mind. He had seemed taken aback all right, but not offended, nor angry, nor even displeased.
With a sigh, she decided it was time to leave. As she grabbed her stuff, she realized that tonight would be the first time she would see him, not by chance, but by way of an arranged meeting. She wondered if she was supposed to dress up, but immediately decided against it. It was only work, she'd go in her usual clothes, otherwise it would seem like a date or something weird.
At 9:00 PM sharp, she was standing outside the gardens that were surrounding the grand house where Davis had told her the sheriff lived. You've got to be kidding me, she thought to herself, feeling slightly dwarfed. Her apartment looked tiny in comparison, and she was glad she'd never have a reason to invite him in. Shaking her head, she stepped inside the premises.
When she arrived outside the house, she was faced with a big plate glass window, through which she could see a great number of people talking, laughing and holding drinks. By the look of it, the sheriff was holding a party. A goddam vampire party too, she thought as her stare shifted to the big table that supported the drinks, and took in the number of empty True Blood bottles.
Well, fuck.
She may feel cordially towards him but that did NOT extend to the rest of his kind. Only, she couldn't go back empty handed. She privately cursed him, and Davis for agreeing to send her, before stepping into the house. She found herself in the spacious room that she had been able to see through the plate glass, and started steering her way through all the people assembled there.
- "Excuse me!" She randomly addressed a young man upon noticing that his glass seemed to be filled with orange liquid, an unmistakable tell-tale of his humanity. "I need to talk to the sheriff. Do you know where I might find him?" She asked.
- "You and a dozen other people, honey." He answered in a drawling voice. "He's in there" he added, gesturing to the back of the room. She noticed that the wall to her left did have a big opening that seemed to lead to a second room.
She went over there, and took a moment to process the scene in front of her. The sheriff was sitting in a big chair, his hands clasped in his lap and facing him stood a long, long line of people who looked like they were all waiting to talk to him.
You've got to be kidding me, she thought again, almost desperately this time. She didn't very well see how she could cut through the line without bringing thunderous vampire hatred upon herself, and waiting for it to end would take… Well, she didn't really know, but in any case longer than she cared for.
Her eyes travelled back over to him. He was dressed in a long-sleeved, dark grey shirt, and he looked much less God-like in this attire than in his pure white one. His tattoos were not showing, which also contributed to decreasing his mysterious aura.
He looked slightly more rested than the night before, but still had that reddish tinge around his eyes. And he looked so bored she thought she might cry for him. His gaze was unfocused, and he barely smiled or nodded to the people that had come to offer their greetings. She couldn't say that she didn't understand. If she had just been through what the sheriff had been through, she personally would never have put up with a welcome-back party so shortly after her safe return.
But then again, he was a 2,000 years old vampire – and an important authority at that.
She turned her back to him and stepped away from the room - the sight of the drained-looking sheriff surrounded by his – subjects? made her feel slightly sick. But then she heard a voice that she thought she recognized, and her heart sank.
- "Well, well, well. If this isn't miss perfect porcelain doll." She turned slowly aaaaaand BINGO! There stood, dressed in a black undershirt and black jeans, his arms crossed over his chest, the tall, blond, handsome vampire who'd jumped at her throat – not literally, though – the night before for daring to touch his precious sheriff. Who had called her a "filthy" and then a "tiny human", she recalled. What a lack of manners, she thought, annoyed. Eric, the sheriff had called him.
- "Why, Mr. Eric!" She greeted him, forcing her lips into her most charming smile. "Fancy meeting you there!" She stated genially. "Nice party – I think I'll go get myself a drink." She added as pleasantly as she could, spinning on her heels as she meant to leave, only to be caught by the wrist – again! – and jerked back violently. She was about to protest when -
- "What is the nature of your relationship with Godric?" He inquired curiously, surveying her through unblinking eyes.
She was so taken aback by the question that she forgot to snap at him. She just stared.
- "Sorry – what?" Was all she could manage. She watched as the tall vampire's eyes travelled from her head to her feet then back to her eyes.
- "I guess you're his type." He said slowly, letting go of her to raise a finger to his lips as he followed his own trail of thoughts. "Godric always did enjoy playing with delicate little things." He added, his head cocked slightly to the right. "But don't let yourself get too comfortable. They usually don't last long - and in any case, they tend to bore him after a very short fashion." And this time, there was an evil gleam in his eyes.
OK, first: ew! And second: she, a delicate little thing?
Grace hadn't reacted the night before, when he had called her "filthy" and "tiny" and had forcefully snatched her wrist, because given the circumstances she truly had understood him being protective of his leader. But now that all was fine, he really didn't have this excuse anymore. So she was going to confront him about mistreating and insulting women – or humans in general, really – when his hand on her throat smothered the well thought-out words that she was going to fling at him.
Her heart missed a bit as fear gripped it that he was about to sink his fangs in her neck. However, he seemed content to only examine that part of her anatomy.
- "Mmmmm... No bite marks..." He muttered as if to himself. And at that, he let her go so abruptly that she nearly stumbled to the floor. "Well then I guess you're not his. Godric would never heal his bite marks." Eric now sounded bored and was looking supremely disinterested with her.
...
HIS? First Davis, now this little son of a bitch - that was too much. As if she'd ever screw a vampire, or allow one to bite her. Grace clenched her fists so hard that she could feel her nails dig into the palm of her hand.
Control yourself, girl. She ordered herself. You're surrounded by vampires.
- "Leave her alone, Eric." A voice interrupted her musings. She turned her head to see that a seemingly seething Sookie Stackhouse was giving Eric a very dark look. She was standing near a black-haired vampire, by the colour - or lack thereof - of his face, and who looked just as displeased with the tall blond's behaviour.
- "Exactly. Leave me alone, Eric." Grace repeated the Sookie's words sarcastically, before looking into the girl's eyes. "I need to talk to you, if you have a minute?" She pleaded.
- "Of course!" The blonde chirped with an easy smile, which turned into a glare as she looked once more at the tall vampire, then back into a smiled as she met Grace's eyes again. Grace could see the small gap between her front teeth and that made her smile in turn. She decided that she liked that girl. Everything about her shouted "sweetheart", and yet, she had guts. She grabbed the blonde's elbow to steer her to a quieter place.
- "Look, I need to ask you a few questions about what happened in the crypt … I know that now may not seem like a right time for you, but I really need to do this." She said as gently as she could.
But before the young woman could answer, Eric was holding her by the back of her jacket, pulling her to him so forcefully that she nearly fell on her butt.
It wasn't exactly an act of violence. He hadn't hit her, nor had he bared his fangs - which was the ultimate vampire threat, she knew.
But Eric had been playing around with her, jerking her forward and backwards effortlessly, as if she were his personal rag doll, since they had met. And as she fought to remain on her feet, a memory from ten years ago flashed in front of her eyes. A memory from that night when she had been dragged to the ground in a very similar fashion, and hadn't been able to do anything but watch as the aggressor had casually stepped over her and onto her parents.
She was never going to let another vampire bring her down again - not in any sense of the term.
In a second, she had shrugged free of her jacket, spun on her heels, and launched her arm towards his face, index and forefinger extended. And then, abruptly, she forced her arm to come to a halt, stopping so close to Eric's eyeballs that when he blinked, she felt his eyelashes brush against the tip of her fingers.
- "Do not. Presume. To touch me. With your filthy hands, vampire." She uttered through gritted teeth, repeating word for word what he had spat at her the night before, when she had touched the sheriff.
At that, she lowered her arm, and realized the room had gone awfully quiet and that a good dozen pair of eyes were fixed upon her. Maybe the "filthy vampire" part hadn't been too clever. But then again, the whole idea of stepping into this party hadn't been too clever.
She wanted to leave right now, but there were too many vampires standing between her and the exit. One was bound to reach her before she was out -probably Eric himself, once the shock of having his eyes nearly punctured by a mere human turned into anger - and she wasn't going to be caught running away from them like a little mouse running away from a cat.
Besides, she had come here tonight to get a job done, and no fanger was going to prevent her from doing just that.
And so, she clenched her teeth and, bringing herself to her full size (which was still considerably lower than Erics) she passed him without so much as a look. She was determined to go back to the room where Godric had been, and talk to him right now. She could always tell the vampires who stood in line to screw themselves - after all, she had messed with Eric already, so she may as well be in for a pound as for a penny. And he may be their sheriff, but she was entitled to talking to him first since he hadn't bothered to let her now that she'd be walking straight into a cosy vampire get-together.
However, she had barely taken a step that she noticed Godric standing under the wall opening between the main room and the one where he'd been sitting, surveying her with such an intense stare that something clenched in her throat and she froze in her steps. But then, the look was replaced by his usual one, and she stepped closer to him in a deliberately slow pace.
- "Enjoying the distraction, sheriff?" She said smoothly, trying not to snap. She felt betrayed that he had witnessed the commotion without bothering to intervene. And before he could answer: "I have a few questions for you if you don't mind." She said in a business-like voice.
- "Detective." He greeted her quietly. "I believe that once again, I have to apologize for Eric's behaviour." He said simply, which, for some reason, irritated her more than anything else.
- "It's quite all right." She said in a dignified tone, as she pushed her bangs back. "You're only his sheriff - you can't be held liable for the behaviour of all the vampires in your area." She added, while privately completely blaming him for the whole situation. Why wasn't he giving the savage blond a well-felt scolding instead of apologizing in his stead? Was he waiting for the inevitable to happen? "Anyways, let's start with -"
- "But in his case I am afraid I truly am responsible." He interrupted with a faraway stare and sad smile that made her forget that she was annoyed with him.
- "How so?" She asked sceptically.
Godric remained silent for a while. He crossed his arms over his chest, tilted his head backwards a little, and his eyes settled on the ceiling. Just when Grace thought he wasn't going to answer, he said quietly, as if to himself:
- "In human terms, I'm the closest thing he has to a parent."
Grace gaped.
- "You're his maker?" she exclaimed. At that, the sheriff became very still, and his eyes slowly travelled down to meet hers. Grace refrained the urge to press a palm to her face.
Vampires scarcely ever discussed that topic with humans. They discussed the effect of sunlight and silver on vampires, sure, and sometimes the effect of vampire blood on humans. But the creation of vampires was considered a very touchy subject. Vampires only discussed it with the humans closest to them – when they discussed it at all.
And now, she had just betrayed that she knew what the vampire equivalent of a parent was. Which meant that she had just given away the fact that she was probably very close to a vampire.
She expected him to press the matter, which she really didn't want him to. Han had told her about makers and progeny, and about the extraordinary strong bond between them, which was the reason why he himself had always refused to become a maker. But if the sheriff asked her how she knew about that, she'd have to decline to answer. She didn't want to lie to Godric, but she could not talk about Han. He had spent his life avoiding other vampires, and after all he had done for her, she wasn't going to be the one who dragged him back into their midst.
However, the sheriff only surveyed her through his eyelashes for a very long moment. And when he spoke again, he simply said:
- "Yes. I am his maker."
Grace let out a sigh at that. She felt both relieved and grateful. The only reason he didn't ask was because he must have sensed her reluctance. That was very tactful of him, she thought, and she showed her appreciation by offering him a small, somewhat apologetic smile.
She would have liked to ask how a great vampire like him could possibly have made such a brat as Eric, but she really couldn't keep discussing the subject.
- "So, tell me about the night you were abducted. What were you -"
But then, their conversation was interrupted when a door was kicked open to their right, and a woman came in. She was dressed all in black, with high-heel boots and had raven black hair held in a stylish hairdo. Grace would have thought she looked incredibly alluring, if she hadn't been dragging a man by the scruff of his shirt. With horror, she realized that he was Hugo. Impulsively she took a step forward, but then the sheriff pressed his fingers to her forearm and she stopped in her tracks.
- "Who's that?" She asked quietly.
- "My second in command, Isabel. Get behind me." He instructed her shortly, in an almost inaudible whisper, his eyes not leaving the advancing woman. She did as he said, until she bumped into someone. She jumped slightly – but it proved to be only Sookie. Together, they turned their stare to the scene playing in front of them.
When the woman-in-black had arrived in front of the sheriff, she kicked Hugo to the floor.
- "This is the man who betrayed us." She stated through gritted teeth, and Grace thought she heard her voice waver slightly as she spoke.
Godric had her back to her, so she couldn't see his face, but he seemed to take a look at the man, before his eyes travelled back up to his second.
- "Hugo." The sheriff said neutrally. "He is your human, is he not?" He asked her.
- "Yes he is." She answered in a rather high pitched voice, and Grace was shocked to see that there was a thin, red line on her cheeks that seemed to be running from her eyes. So vampires cried blood? Now, this was something she didn't know about them.
- "Do you love him?" The sheriff asked, and Grace's eyes went straight back to his head. She wished she could see his expression – assuming he was supporting one. Because this was really, really, REALLY the last thing she would have expected him to say.
Apparently, the woman was thinking along the same lines, for her eyes travelled from the man at her feet to her sheriff in surprise, and for a moment she seemed at a loss for an answer.
- "I…" She hesitated "I thought I did." Another bead of red liquid spilled from her eyes, and then her face was scrunched up, as if she was trying to contain her tears.
- "It appears you love him still." The sheriff stated.
- "I do. I love him. I'm sorry." She sniffed. "But you are my sheriff. Do with him as you please." She said, and she appeared to be steeling herself as if she were about to take a blow.
And as Grace watched, emotions washed over her.
The cop in her was seething. Han had told her that the vampire sheriff was a law enforcement authority. But he hadn't said that he also had judicial powers.
Vampires may be OK with living in the Middle Ages, that was really none of her business. But for humans this was the 21st century, this was America, and this was a democracy. And in a democracy, a policeman certainly did NOT pass judgment.
She was in a vampire's home, surrounded by vampires, and interrupting would bring nothing good for anyone - Hugo least of all - so she swallowed her objections. But the man in front of Godric was a human, so she couldn't care less what he decided tonight: she would make sure that no penalty was going to be imposed on him without a regular trial.
And then, her gaze fell on Isabel again, and she felt heartbroken at the sight of this beautiful, proud woman standing in tears in front of a whole audience, torn between her loyalty towards her sheriff, and her love for the man at her feet.
Damn, she thought. Vampires were powerful. They were fast. They didn't age, and could heal in a minute.
But the scene playing in front of her was proof that vampires were far from invulnerable. That they loved just like humans did. And that they grieved just like humans did. Maybe even more - the higher you are, the harder you fall, after all.
And Grace was thankful for that reminder, because really, tonight, keeping her own prejudices at bay wasn't that simple.
At that very moment, the woman broke into tears, and as thick, red liquid poured from her eyes, Grace thought she had never seen anything sadder than this.
Grace could cry plenty in front of a movie or while reading a book, no matter whether there were onlookers or not, because it wasn't about her personal emotions.
When it came to her own feelings, however, she was a very private person. She had no problem displaying happy ones, but didn't share the ones that made her feel vulnerable, except maybe with Hye Na. And she simply couldn't stand the idea of anyone witnessing her shed a tear for herself, her cousin included. It brought back bad memories.
Weirdly enough, she hadn't cried on the night her parents had died. At first, she had been too paralyzed by fear, and then when the pain had come she had lost consciousness. Nor until the funeral - she had felt too numb. But during the ceremony she had simply broken down. And at the end, when people had lined up to shake her hand and offer their condolences, she had simply stood there, choking on the tears that just fucking wouldn't stop as she tried to answer. She had felt like such a pitiful creature then that it had only strengthened her resolve to become stronger - not just physically, but also emotionally.
And now this woman was having her heart ripped open while people stood there and watched, just like her ten years ago.
Suddenly, she couldn't stand to be there anymore. So she turned away and left as quietly as she could, not wanting to cause another commotion. She thought she vaguely heard the sheriff say that the human was free to go, but she didn't even feel relieved at that.
When reached the entrance door, and stepped outside into the garden, she breathed in the fresh air of the night. One look to her watch told her that it was 10:15 PM. She sat on the grass and took her phone from her jeans' pocket before dialing her sister's number. Her sweet sister's voice answered, and Grace greeted her in their native language. She wasn't like Hye Na – she preferred speaking Korean with her family. Mina asked if anything was wrong and Grace said that no, she just wanted to say goodnight to her and their brother. And tell them that she loved them so much.
When she hung up, barely five minutes later, she saw Eric pass her by, Hugo walking at his side. She didn't rise to follow them. She felt so exhausted she thought she might spend the rest of the evening like that, just sitting on the grass.
A minute later, a pair of legs dressed in black planted itself firmly in front of her eyes. But she just closed them so that she wouldn't have to look at those legs. She didn't want to deal with their owner right now.
- "Taking a nap, porcelain doll?" Eric's sarcastic voice called out from far above. Fucking giant, she thought, but she didn't bother to answer. He nudged her with his foot, but she didn't bother to react. Then there was a silence, and with her eyes closed, she thought he might have left. However, when she opened them again, they landed on his legs once more .
- "You're not worthy of his attention." He said with contempt after a short while, and she rolled her eyes. She understood immediately who he was talking about. She didn't feel offended – she really couldn't care less whether she had Eric's regard or not.
But she was getting tired of being assaulted by him for a relationship that she was not having in the first place.
- "I thought we had already established that I did not have his attention." She replied neutrally, still not raising her head, but pointing at her neck, which he now knew was unmarked.
- "Well, after reflection, I realized that I haven't exactly inspected every place that could be marked." He said, in a fake delicate voice that made her raised her eyes to his. A lopsided grin was plastered on his face, humour dancing in his eyes as they travelled over her body once more.
Her exhaustion, as well as the fear and anger that she had felt and smothered that night, were stirring inside of her with a vengeance. She wanted nothing more than shoot a snappy retort right back at him.
But there was a time to act like a smart ass, and a time to lay low. She suspected that the only reason why Eric hadn't harmed her yet was because they were in his maker's home. But vampires were unstable, and there was really no telling what would push them too far.
So she took a deep breath, and when she felt confident that she was in control of herself, she slowly got to her feet before addressing him.
- "Eric. I Am NOT having. ANY kind. Of physical interaction. With the sheriff." She clearly enunciated, as calmly as she could manage. "Why would such a powerful 2,000 years old vampire take interest in a plain, 24 year old human like me?" She shook her head as if to emphasize the ridiculousness of the idea, and went on: "It just so happens that our paths have crossed while we were both investigating the same case, he on the vampire side, and I on the human side. And I only came tonight to question him about his abduction. So you see, strictly business."
Or can't your primitive little brain understand that just because I'm female and he's male, any interaction doesn't necessarily mean that we're fucking? But she kept that one to herself.
God, she thought, the sheriff may be attractive, but he was SO NOT worth the trouble of having to go over Eric. Honestly, this progeny was more efficient than a chastity belt to his maker.
Said progeny surveyed her carefully.
- "I suppose it would make sense... if you were indeed plain human indeed." He was now looking at her intensely, and her heart skipped a beat.
Pretend like you don't know where he's getting at. She cocked her head to the side and carefully raised her right eyebrow.
- "S'cuse me?" She asked.
- "I tried to glamour you, but it didn't work. And you move too fast for a human." He said matter-of-factly. Then, in a more threatening tone: "So, what are you?"
Grace inwardly cursed. She should have been expecting the question, really. To be honest, she was surprised that Godric had not asked her until now. She was sure he had tried to glamour her at least once, and must have realized it didn't work on her. So he must have wondered, but since he hadn't asked, she had allowed herself to get comfortable. Comfortable enough to display part of her strength in front of a whole assembly of vampires.
But she should have known that just because he was tactful enough not to address the matter, other vampires wouldn't show that much respect for her privacy. Han's warning came back to her. Don't mingle with vampires, little one. Some will come for you soon enough, no need to go seeking them out.
She had to throw Eric off her back now, so she forced herself to appear relaxed and rolled her eyes, as if he had just asked her a very stupid question, before speaking.
- "I move too fast for a human, really? Speed and stamina are characteristics that can be increased beyond imagination with proper training, you know - just watch a Bruce Lee movie if you don't believe me. And for glamouring, I honestly can't tell. But sorry to disappoint you - as far as I know, I am entirely human." Then she recalled Hugo and Sookie's conversation in the crypt. "Did you think I was a telepath, like Sookie?"
At that, his eyes narrowed and he asked her very slowly:
- "What do you know about Sookie Stackhouse?"
HAH! Managing to get the conversation away from yourself: check, Grace thought triumphaly.
- "Probably less than you do." She shrugged. "You two must know each other quite well, seeing as how she seems to like you and all." She said, remembering Sookie's seething look. But obviously, Eric missed the sarcasm in her voice.
- "Why, you've noticed that too, haven't you?" He seemed rather pleased with himself. Grace blinked. Could he possibly be so arrogant that he'd think the girl actually liked him?
- "Oh, yeah, I could totally feel the chemistry." She tried to edge towards the entrance as she talked to him. "You know, that black-haired vampire who was with her - he seems so up-tight and boring! She'll be fed up with him soon." She said, nodding vigorously as if to emphasize her words.
Eric agreed and they kept to this topic until they reached the entrance, and by then Grace was feeling rather smug at having steered the blond vampire away from his initial line of questioning.
- "Miss Park." He said pleasantly, as she was about to take her leave from him.
- "Uh?" She replied dumbly.
- "What are you?" He asked on the same pleasant tone, and the smug feeling vanished. But before she could reply anything, he went on.
- "Luckily for you, I have business to attend with Godric. But don't fool yourself - this conversation isn't over." He flashed her a dazzling smile which had DANGER written all over it, and turned away from her.
... Fuck you too, Eric, she thought. But that made her remember the purpose of her presence tonight.
- "Hey! I told you, I have business with him too." She called out to him. He stopped in his tracks, and turned back to face her deliberately slowly.
- "Well, I'm afraid your pathetic human affairs will have to wait." He said, looking at her with supreme disdain, before strolling away again on his long legs.
She glared at his back, before following in his steps. When she caught up with him, he was in the process of kneeling in front of his maker, who was back to sitting in his chair, his hands clasped in his lap, once more gazing in front of him with that vague stare. Grace remained behind, leaning next to the opening in the wall between this room and the main one, so as to allow them some space while remaining in sight to signal her presence to the sheriff.
- "Hugo's been dispatched. I told him not to stop driving until he reaches the Mexican border." Eric informed the sheriff, who nodded, yet he barely seemed to record the presence of his progeny.
So the sheriff had indeed allowed Hugo to leave unharmed, Grace realized. Well, she hadn't expected anything less from him, she thought with satisfaction.
She noticed that a silence had crept into their conversation, and was about to join in when Eric spoke again.
- "I have arranged for an AB- human for you. Extremely rare." Given the self-satisfied smile on his face, he was confident that this news would lighten his maker's mood.
Aaaaaaand that was her cue to leave! She pushed herself from the wall, determined to leave the room, since she wasn't too keen on witnessing that. However -
- "Thank you. But I'm not hungry." The sheriff told his progeny with a small smile that didn't quite reach to his eyes.
Well in this case, Grace thought she might as well go to him now, before he changed his mind. The smile was gone from his face again, and he had that unfocused, bordering on dreamy stare again, which was almost as creepy as his usual blank one.
She was about to make her way to them and tell Eric to sod off - which she felt safe enough to do, now that they were right in front of his maker - so that she could finally talk to Godric, when Eric spoke again.
- "You'll have to feed eventually." He insisted. "I doubt the Fellowship had anything to offer..." He was now looking up at the sheriff with a smile and a gleam to his eyes that seemed very suggestive - only, Grace couldn't tell exactly what it was supposed to suggest. "Unless..." Eric's gaze had shifted to her, who was still standing a few feet away from them, and his smile grew more pronounced.
She understood that he only meant to scare her, so she simply spared him a look of exasperation, before turning her attention back to the sheriff. But upon seeing his fatigued face, she reluctantly conceded that she had to agree with Eric. If Godric had been taken for two weeks and still hadn't fed, it couldn't be too good for his health.
And he fed on human blood. She might not like it, but there was nothing she could do about it.
And so, she spun on her heels, went back to the main room, and grabbed a couple of full bottles of TB that were standing on the table. Then she made her way back to the room where maker and progeny were gathered, with the very firm intent of force-feeding the sheriff if needed. After all, he wasn't Eric, and she believed he wouldn't hurt her.
But his voice carried out to her before she could enter the room, and what she heard made her freeze in her steps.
- "... We are frightening. After thousands of years, we haven't evolved. We've only grown more brutal. More predatory." He was stating wearily, pausing after every sentence. "I don't see the danger in treating humans as equals." Another pause. "The Fellowship of the Sun arose because we never did so." He finished. She privately agreed with the words, but something in the way he was saying them made her uneasy.
- "Is that why you wouldn't fight when they took you?" Eric asked so quietly she barely heard him.
Grace gaped. She had never reflected on how the Fellowship could possibly have taken a 2,000 year old vampire, but now that she did, she realized that Eric had the truth of it. The only way for them to have managed that would have been for Godric not to oppose resistance. She felt slightly annoyed with him for that.
- "I could have killed them until the last one of them within minutes." He stated quietly. "And then what would that have proven?"
And for the first time since she had met him, she thought he sounded almost desperate. Like someone on the verge of giving up.
Grace leaned her back and rested her head against the wall, just next to the opening that led to their room.
Sheriff..., she thought sadly. And for a moment, she simply stood there, her eyes fixed on to the ceiling, her arms limp, a bottle of True Blood dangling from each hand. She watched as Eric left the room and passed her by, his eyes not recording her presence, his shoulders slouching. Her heart sank at the sight.
But then she shook her head. That a progeny would worry sick about his maker was one thing, but it wasn't pity nor concern that the sheriff needed from her.
Fiiiiu, long chapter! Just to be precise - there will be no Eric/OC, I just love writing his character :p
Thanx so much for the reviews on chapter 6!
FanGirlingCirca92, xSealiee, Xtyne, Royal Ember, Lil Miss Sunshine14, I was so excited when I read your words, and thinking about them keeps me motivated to write. So keep up with the feedback :D
About finding out what she is, I'll drop clues but the full explanation will have to wait ;)