Chapter Fifteen:

I found my way back to my apartment just over an hour later. While spring had arrived, the nights were still too chilly to be wandering around aimlessly. After I cleared my head, after I found my thoughts and feelings in an even bigger cluster of confusion, I made my way back home. To my home. This was my apartment, at least for the next few weeks. Those damn vampires couldn't just run me out of it because they wanted to act childishly. Eric thought I was his and was fighting tooth and nail with his own maker over it. And Godric...I wasn't even sure what was Godric's problem. I understood that it was probably shocking to find that the vampire I had told him about was Eric, that it was his own progeny who had claimed me, who Godric had promised to protect me from. And maybe if he had known, we wouldn't have grown so close. But he hadn't known and we had grown closer than I ever had with anyone else. Didn't that count for something? He didn't want to step on anyone's toes, but what if I wanted him to? What if I wanted to mean something to him?

But it didn't seem to matter, because to him, I was just some human girl.

I wasn't anything important to him.

Whether he meant it or not, it didn't matter. He had said it, that's what I cared about.

I prayed that by the time I came back, the two would be gone and I could curl up in my bed and forget today even happened. I didn't forget what happened at school, and I wished I could have had a moment alone with Godric to tell him. But tonight just didn't seem like the right time. If there would ever be a time in the future, I wasn't entirely sure. Maybe I would have to continue on this search to find out what I was alone. I didn't want that, not at all. But I wasn't so sure Godric would be sticking around after tonight and that thought just broke my heart.

I was surprised when I came to a stop a few feet away from my apartment and found the door propped back up into place, though by the cracks I could tell it was still broken and I would have to think of some excuse to tell my landlord at some point. I sighed and was about to plough into the apartment and start yelling at the vampires when I heard their quieted voices. I frowned and inched closer, trying to be as quiet as I could be.

"You left, Godric. You gave me a year and then you just left." Eric's voice was hushed, but I could still make out the anger in his tone. But it wasn't furry at all. He was pained. His hurt and suffering fuelled his anger more than anything else, even more than his jealousy.

"I came to see you in February, Eric." Godric sighed heavily.

"For a week and then you just took off again."

"I told you I was searching for a reason. You knew why I had gone."

"You're my maker; you're my master, and you just...you just left me." Eric's voice was strained, almost making me feel sorry for him.

"You had your hands full with other business; I didn't want to intrude on your life more than I already had." Godric reasoned.

"Did you ever think that maybe I wouldn't have gotten myself in so much shit if you had been around?"

"You've had a history with Russell long before I ever came into your life, my child."

"And you swore to me that you would help me get my vengeance. You swore you would search high and low for him. Where were you when I had him in my grasps? Where were you when I had to relive that night when my family was murdered?" Eric's own accent began to grow thicker with every word. He had learned long ago to mask his accent, whatever it was, as his English was perfect. But as his anger and pain grew, it was more and more apparent that English wasn't his native tongue at all. "Where were you when I needed you?"

Silence emitted from the apartment, and I was almost afraid that someone had killed the other. But after a moment, I could hear Eric's heavy breaths, as if he was trying to calm himself down, to control the anger that was consuming him. I could hear pacing, and from the heavy footsteps, the near stomps, I knew it was Eric. Godric didn't seem like the kind to pace erratically. But then again, I didn't seem to know a whole lot about Godric.

"You could have searched for me sooner, Eric. I hadn't blocked our bond. You knew where I was at all times, I made sure of that." Godric finally spoke after a moment, his voice soft and calm, as if he was used to calming Eric down from his tantrums. And he probably was used to after a thousand years.

"Why would I search for someone who doesn't even want me?"

"Eric, I've never not wanted you. I made you. You are my child, my progeny. That has never changed."

"Then why do you want to die? Why do you want to meet the sun?" Eric's voice began to sound panicked, and I couldn't blame him at all. What did he mean Godric wanted to die? What did he mean Godric wanted to meet the sun? I wasn't an idiot, I understood what that meant. He wanted to walk out and let the sun catch his body on fire until he was nothing but ash. Why would he want to do something like that?

But as I thought about it, as I remembered back over the few months I've known Godric, I began to see the signs. He had been so sad when I first met him, it was why I always wanted to put a smile on his handsome boyish face, why I tried so hard to cause those beautiful sea coloured eyes to spark. He hated himself. He saw himself guilty for so many crimes. He wanted to change; he wanted to rid himself of that monster from inside. I had told him on so many occasions that he had changed, that he had battled the monster and won. But he never had believed me, and it seemed I wasn't the only one who noticed.

Did he really want to die, though? Was this depression of Godric's so bad that he wanted to end his own existence?

"2000 years is enough. I've told you this before. I've told you my reasoning. I only granted you a year because I thought it would be easier for you."

"Easier how?" Eric demanded, turning his pain into furry, into an emotion that he could manage. "How was any of this easier?"

"I thought if I gave you more time, if I could gradually leave you, to show you that you no longer needed me, then it wouldn't pain you nearly as much." Godric's voice was full of sadness. My beast reacted to it. It must have felt his pain, the suffering he had been going through for so long, and it reached out to him through our bond, through the blood that we shared. It roared, clawing through me to get to him, to wrap around him in comfort, to offer him warmth and safety, to plead with him not to leave us.

Godric must have felt it because only seconds later, the door was moved to the side and Godric appeared in the doorway. I hadn't realized tears had formed in my eyes until Godric brushed away the escaping tears with his thumb.

"Please don't cry for me, Savannah." His voice was soft. There were bloody red tears pooling in the corner of his own eyes. "I don't deserve human tears."

"Why do you want to die?" I whispered out, trying to force back the sob that was threatening to escape.

"I've lived a long life, Savannah. I've done many terrible things. It's my time."

"You don't get to make that decision." I shook my head, pushing away his hands and stepping away from him.

"I never wanted you to find out, at least not like this." He sighed, bowing his head in shame. "I never meant to attach myself to a human, and certainly not one as generous as you. I searched for a reason to stay, to continue living. I searched for hope that the world around me was changing. But I found none."

"But what about me?" My bottom lip began to tremble. "Don't I...don't I mean anything to you?"

"Of course you do, you mean more to me than you possibly could ever know. I've found myself fascinated with humans in the past century, but no one has captured my attention quite like you have. And it's not because that intriguing gift of yours. You are kind and generous all on your own. You offered me friendship when I didn't deserve it. You welcomed me into your life and for that, I am thankful. I will die knowing what a true friendship means."

"I don't want you to die."

"I don't deserve to live in this world with the sins that I've done." Godric shook his head. "I don't want to. I want to be at peace, and death, the true death, is the only way."

"no." It was Eric who said this as he appeared behind his maker. There was a single red tear that slid down his cheek but he didn't bother to brush it away. "You can't just leave, Godric."

"I promised to uphold my end of the deal, Eric. But you must do the same. Once the year has come to an end, you have to let me go if I still wish to." Godric turned to stare up at his progeny. In that split second, I understood their relationship, I understood the love they had for one another. And it was beautiful. It was heart warming and heartbreaking all at the same time. Eric may have been a cocky bastard, but he loved his maker, the vampire that had created him. There was no doubt about that. The mere thought of losing him, that was the worst thing he could possibly imagine. I couldn't even think about what I would do if I ever lost my mom. I had never really known my father, so not having in my life didn't matter to me. But my mom was my whole world. And it seemed that Godric was the same to Eric.

"Please, Godric." Eric was begging now. I don't even think he knew I was there. His attention was solely on his maker and no one else.

"You have a few months, Eric. I will grant you that time. I will return to Shreveport with you, my child, we'll enjoy the time we have left." Godric raised a hand to rest on Eric's shoulder. The height difference was significant, and for anyone who didn't know their bond would assume Eric could just snap Godric in half. But Godric was older and stronger, and I knew Eric would never try to hurt him maker, not in that way. I had seen Eric as this one dimensional vampire when I first met him, and now I wasn't sure what to think about him. He was still a bit of an ass, one who was possessive and seemed to think I belonged to him. But seeing him now, like this, I felt the desire to reach out to him, to hug him, to try and make everything alright. "Come, we've done enough damage tonight."

Eric's head bowed, and I spied another tear slipping down his cheek and staining the dark shirt he wore under his leather jacket. Godric stepped out of the apartment, Eric following loyally behind him. He only raised his gaze to meet mine after Godric had passed by me, not even saying goodbye. Our gazes met, and as hard as I tried to understand that look in his eyes, I just couldn't.

"I will be back for you." His voice sounded hoarse as he spoke, a small spark of determination in those vibrant blue eyes. "You are still mine, Savannah."

My heart leapt at that, though I didn't understand why, and I watched as Eric followed after Godric to the end of the hallway. The vampires spoke to one another in another language I couldn't understand before Godric sighed and looked back at me. He nodded to Eric and the blonde suddenly disappeared, leaving the ancient vampire and me alone. I hurried down the hallway and threw my arms around him before he could even say a word. The sob I had forced down escaped and I didn't even care. He was leaving, and if he had it his way, he would meet the sun sooner rather than later.

"You promised me." I cried into his chest, my arms wrapped tightly around his torso. "You promised to help me."

"I know." Godric sighed, his own arms circling around me, hugging me to him. "I can help you from afar. I'll have access to better resources."

"But..."

"I will help you with this, Savannah. I promised you I would. It may be the last thing I ever do, but I will discover what you are. I cannot leave this world and leave you alone and confused. That would pain me." he began stroking my hair in an attempt to calm me down. "Please don't cry. I don't want your tears. I don't deserve your kindness; I don't deserve any of you."

"You're not a monster, Godric, you're not! Why do you have to do this?" I clung to his thin shirt as I looked up at him through blurry eyes. "Please, Godric. I haven't known you for long, but I don't want you to die."

"It's a decision that was decided upon before I ever met you." He swiped away the tears one by one as they fell down my cheeks. "I'm sorry I ever tangled you into this mess. I should have walked away weeks ago."

"Why didn't you?"

"You don't understand how remarkable you are." A small smile appeared on his lips. The smile didn't reach his eyes however. "I've come to desire your kisses. I've come to need your smiles and laughs."

"Why can't that be enough then?"

"You aren't mine, Savannah. Perhaps things would be different if you were, but they aren't. Eric claimed you and he is my child. You are his."

"But I don't want that!" I shook my head, my hair spilling around my face.

"Yes you do." he sent me a knowing look. "I can feel it through our bond. I felt it when you were alone with him. You desire him. You want him. You're just as intrigued by him as he is you."

"But he's not you, Godric."

Godric cupped my cheek, caressing the wet skin with his thumb. "He's never claimed another human, Savannah. Never in his existence has he taken an interest in a human like he has with you. And there have been many women in his bed, as his blood supply. He may not know it now, and you might not either, but I know Eric very well, and I know that he will come to care for you. Perhaps Eric has changed. Perhaps I can die knowing that there will be someone there to help him, to change him into the vampire I've wanted him to become in recent years."

"This isn't fair, Godric. This isn't fair at all."

"Life isn't fair I'm afraid." He brushed his lips against my forehead. "I must go. I'll return home with Eric, but I will keep in touch, my little mystery."

"Will I ever see you again?" I didn't want to let him go in fear that he would just vanish.

"I'm not sure." His hands fell down to his side as he tried to take a step back. I wouldn't let him go and the caused the vampire to sigh again. "Savannah, you have to let me go."

"No."

"You are stubborn, just like he is." He shook his head. "You'll keep him on his toes, you'll keep him guessing. He needs someone like you."

"But I need someone like you." I insisted.

Godric smiled sadly and gently pried my hands from his shirt. He kissed my knuckles before letting them fall to my side.

"Goodbye, Savannah."

It didn't even take a complete second before he was gone and I was left in that hallway, my legs giving out on me and my body collapsing to the floor. It felt like my heart had just broken in two. It was the worst feeling in the world.

Two weeks had passed since Godric had left with Eric in tow, two weeks since I had found out Godric wanted to die. I couldn't concentrate on my exams and it was a miracle that I had passed each and every one of them with decent grades. I couldn't concentrate on anything. I felt numb as I packed up my apartment in preparation for my impending move to New York. I had already put a down payment down on an apartment only a few blocks away from my internship. But none of that seemed to matter anymore. Because someone I cared so much about would be committing suicide at any time. He would walk out into the sun and die, leaving this world and all of us behind. I wanted to make him stay. I wanted to persuade him that this world wasn't so horrible. But how could I change a two thousand year old vampire's mind?

Godric tried calling me, and by his messages, he sounded hurt that I wasn't returning his calls. But I couldn't talk to him. I couldn't chat with him and pretend nothing had happened, that nothing was going to happen. He couldn't ask that of me, not when he entered my life when I hadn't even expected him to and made me fall for him. And now he had just left, and soon it would be for good. How was I supposed to just forget that? How was I supposed to get over this and move on? It just wasn't that easy, not at all.

Soon it was the afternoon of my graduation. I should have been ecstatic. This was the day I've been waiting for. This was the day I've been working towards. And all I could think about was Godric and my broken heart. I walked across that stage, shook the dean's hand, and I was barely even there. I barely could even remember what happened that afternoon. My mom couldn't make it; she couldn't work it around her schedule. I was alone afterwards while all my other classmates went off with friends and family to celebrate graduating four gruelling years at Yale. I wasn't entirely alone. I had the bottle of vodka I had picked up on the way home from campus. Me, myself and I were going to be celebrating together. It wasn't going to be as glorious as it should have been though.

With the extra errand of stopping at the liquor store, it was full dark by the time I was slipping my key into the now fixed door. I was sighing heavily as I pushed open the door and lazily stepped inside. The lights were all off, like I had left them, and I didn't even bother to flick any of them on as I tossed my coat off and stumbled towards the kitchen. It was only as I placed the vodka bottle down onto the counter that I felt a crackle of power behind me. My beast rose at that moment, a beast that had been curled up dormant inside of me for weeks, and tried to leap towards the intruder. I didn't even have the chance to twist around before a hand curled over my mouth to cease my impending scream. I struggled as a strong arm circled around my waist, trapping my arms to my side. I used my legs and feet to try and kick whoever was behind me but a hiss sounded in my ear, fangs extending to alert me to who was holding me captive.

I should have known the moment I stepped into the apartment that I could suddenly smell him, that I could feel his presence. The air was littered with his scent, with the power that seemed to meld against mine just like my back was now pressed against his front. I could feel him growing in his pants and I tensed, growing completely still.

"Oh please, don't let me stop you from fighting. You know I like my women feisty." Eric's voice vibrated against my neck as he spoke in a low tone, his lips brushing across my pulsing vein. "You smell good enough to eat."

That's when I began struggling again. Eric laughed, though he loosened his arm around me and began moving us to one side. Moments later the light in the kitchen was flicked on. I had to squint from the sudden light but welcomed it. I would rather be in a lit room with Eric than a dark one.

"Did you get all dressed up just for me?" his hand ran down the side of the dress I wore to the graduation.

"No." My voice was soft, his hand beginning to rise off of my mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you you'd see me again." his nose nuzzled against my neck. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"No."

"Liar." I could just imagine that smirk on his face as he said this. "You want me."

"Let go of me, Eric."

"You're enjoying this, I know you are." His tongue flicked out to taste my neck. "You taste delicious, Savannah."

"Let go of me." I tried pulling away from him.

I was surprised when he let me go. I stumbled forward and braced myself against a wall. I turned to glare at the vampire but he was nowhere to be found.

"I don't want to play this game, Eric." I stomped my foot on the ground in frustration. "Please just..."

I never got the chance to finish however, as a presence was felt behind me and something was forced over my mouth. It wasn't his hand this time, it was too sticky to be. But it was just sticky enough to be tape.

Fucking vampires.

I went to rip the tape off, knowing it would hurt but didn't really care right now, but he grasped onto my wrists, appearing before me once again. I glared darkly at the vampire, staring into those mischievous blue orbs. I was cursing him left and right, though he never understood a word of my mumbles. My mumbles stopped however, the moment I saw the rope being pulled out of his back pocket. I was struggling harder than I ever had before, not knowing what in the world Eric had planned but I definitely did not want any part of it.

"Come on now, love, this would go a lot quicker if you just cooperated." Eric sighed and rolled his eyes. "I can't say I miss your little witty comebacks. I quite like you even more when you're not talking."

If looks could kill, Eric Northman would be six feet under right now.

I tried to muster my power, to call upon the beast inside of me in hope that I could drive Eric away and save myself. Save myself from what, I wasn't entire sure, I just knew that I had to damn well try. My beast reacted and started to roar, started to claw at Eric. He felt it and stumbled back, his eyes growing wide.

"You power is just remarkable." He shook his head incredulously. "Godric told me what you could do. Just magnificent."

He still had me by the wrists unfortunately and before my power could strike back at him, he started to tie my wrists together with the rope. I kicked at him, and even got him in the shin a few times. I was aiming higher, but I would take what I could get. He hissed and cursed, but he refused to stop until I could barely even move my wrists unless I wanted the ropes to dig painfully into me.

"There we go." Eric suddenly threw me over his shoulder and started walking towards my bedroom. I was hitting at his back and his front, but none of the hits seemed to faze him at all. I kept trying to attack with my power, but while the strikes would halt Eric for a moment, it didn't seem to do any sort of damage. I thought back to when I had ordered that attacking vampire to stop, when I demanded for Godric to stay. But I had verbalized those commands each time. I tried just thinking long and hard about what I wanted Eric to do, which was to untie me and let me go, but it didn't work like I wanted it to. In fact, it didn't friggin work at all. I needed a damn DeLorean to race me back in time so I could undo ever meeting Eric and Godric. My life would have been so much simpler right now.

"I'm sure you're wondering what exactly I'm doing." Eric spoke as he tossed me down onto my bed. He began searching around, his smirk growing as he waltzed over to my dresser and began opening drawers. He looked like a joyful child in a candy store when he found my bra and panties, flinging every appealing pair onto my bed where a bag was already sitting waiting to be filled.

What the fuck was this vampire doing in my apartment?

And where the fuck did he think we were going?

I struggled to get off of the bed, but Eric shot me a dark look that told me if I even though about getting up, he would just find a way to tie me down onto the bed. Maybe that wasn't entire what he was thinking, but I got the gist of it from that one stare. I sighed in frustration as I stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out what to do. Could Godric feel what I was feeling, even at this distance? Did he even care?

"What's that? You do want to know what I'm doing? That's a great question, Savannah." He flashed me a grin. "I'm kidnapping you."

I stared wide eyed at the vampire. Has he lost his mind?

"You ran away from me once, Savannah. Did you really think I was going to let you get away from me again?" He wagged his finger at me and spoke in a scolding tone mockingly. "You're mine. So I'm taking you back with me."

Cue the struggling, cue the rolling to try and get off of the bed. Eric sighed as he suddenly hovered over me, his hands pinning my shoulders to the bed. I tried not to meet his gaze, knowing what he was going to do, but there was nothing I could do as our eyes locked together and I began to feel that fog enter my consciousness, sweeping across me and entrapping me. I felt the beast struggling however. I felt it pacing in the fog, roaring as it sought escape. It leapt at the shadows, leapt at the words Eric was purring into my ear.

"You're going to sleep, my human. You're growing tired." He whispered over and over again.

I tried to fight it, and at first I was able to. I could push that fog away, I could think for myself. He wasn't controlling me. But then I felt his hands began to lower, caressing my body. Even in this state, I still found myself desiring him. That just would never change. I was screaming silently at the vampire, but my body was betraying me and reacting to every little touch. It was distracting me to the point that fog had returned and I felt my eyes begin to droop close. I forgot what I was fighting to begin with. I was just tired. I was just so tired.

"Sleep." He kissed my temple before my eyes fluttered close. "You won't get away from me again, Savannah. You're mine."

When I woke up, I noticed two things right away. Or at least after I had rolled and fallen onto the cold hard ground.

1) I wasn't in my bedroom and I was betting I wasn't anywhere near my apartment in New Haven.

2) My hands were still tied together and there was still tape over my mouth.

I groaned once I hit the ground, though it sounded more like a mumble than anything. I tried to get up, but it was impossible with my tied hands. I sighed and tried to blink away the sleep from my eyes and took in my surroundings. I was in an office of some sort, but as soon as the loud music began wafting through the door, and I took in some of the decals on the wall, I realized that I was in Fangtasia. Which meant I was in Louisiana. I started struggling against my binds, screaming as loud as I could with tape plastered across my mouth. It was then that I felt hands suddenly on my body and I started to freak out even more.

"It's only me, Savannah." Godric's calm voice sounded soothing to my ears as he gently lifted my struggling form up into his arms and set me down on a leather couch. My eyes lit up as I found Godric kneeling on the ground before me, a look of concern crossing his face. "Are you alright?"

I started to say I was fine despite the fact that I had been kidnapped, but everything sounded mumbled together.

"Well take the tape off then." Eric's voice met my eyes and I looked passed Godric to the blonde vampire sitting behind a desk with a smug look on his face.

Godric sighed, shaking his head as he sent me a look. "Savannah?"

I nodded at him, squeezing my eyes shut as I braced myself for the stinging pain. I didn't brace myself enough as the moment the tape was ripped from my lips, a scream escaped.

"Shut her up."

"Eric, get out." Godric twisted around, throwing the piece of tape to the ground crumpled. I whimpered as I moved my aching jaw around. I tried to free myself of my binds, but I found that I couldn't, the rope only digging further into my skin than it already had. I could already spy rings of blood around the ropes and knew they had dug so far into my wrist that they had rubbed them to the point that they were now bleeding. That brought tears to my eyes. Seeing blood always seemed to make it hurt worse."I cannot believe you did this, Eric. Have you lost your mind?"

"I did this for us, Godric." Eric insisted in defence.

"You did this for your own selfish reasons."

"Yeah well, we both benefit from this now." Eric shrugged carelessly. "She's here now; we might as well enjoy it."

"You..."

I finished that thought for him though.

"You fucking kidnapped me you god damn vampire!"