Chapter Seventeen:
Silence fell over the office while we waited for Godric to return. I sat on the couch, my hands fidgeting in my lap and trying desperately not to snap at the smirking vampire across from me. He was leaning against the desk looking smug as ever because I had agreed to stay. It was like he had just won some sort of game, and I'm sure in some way, he just had. I was idiotic for considering staying here. But I couldn't let that little smirking asshole get to me. I was here for Godric. Because if I went back to Connecticut and eventually New York, then Godric would end up meeting the sun sooner rather than later and I just couldn't risk that. If being here, trying to persuade the vampire, would help, then I would do it.
"Oh will you just stop that already." I finally cracked, unable to keep myself under control as I glared at the vampire. "Wipe that look off of your face."
"What look?" he faked innocence.
"That look on your face as if you just won something. You haven't."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Savannah." His smirk returned wider than ever as he pushed himself gracefully away from the desk and began waltzing towards me.
I was more than thankful that Godric chose that moment to make an appearance. I wasn't sure if it was just good luck or if he felt my frustration growing, but I was glad to see the ancient vampire. Eric didn't look to happy, not at first. But after he got over the fact that we were interrupted, a hopeful look swept across those blue orbs of his before he quickly masked the emotion. He glared at me accusingly, knowing I had seen the small crack in his emotional walls, before turning his attention on his maker.
"She's agreed to say." Eric informed his maker in that arrogant voice of his, again, acting like he had just won a game. Damn him. And damn me to agreeing to this.
"What?" Godric looked at me and didn't even attempt to hide his shock. "Impossible, only minutes ago she was..."
"I managed to persuade her." Eric shrugged his shoulders and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Does that surprise you?"
"Yes." Godric replied honestly, causing the blonde to frown. I had my own smug look plastered across my face at Godric's comment. "Did you glamour her."
"Do you think so little of me, Godric?" Eric mocked looking appalled at the suggestion. "Of course I didn't."
"Why don't I believe you?" Godric narrowed his eyes and rounded on his progeny. "Not even minutes ago she wanted to leave. She was upset because you had kidnapped her..."
"She still is." I raised my hand and waved at them, trying to catch their attention. "And she is tired of everyone talking about her like she isn't here. And she really doesn't like this third person talking thing."
The two vampires ignored me, and I realized that I was going to have to get used to this. I was just some human girl that had caught their attention. As much as I may desire them in completely opposite ways that I didn't even understand myself, they were still typical men and acted like it. Age didn't help a damn thing.
"Even if I did glamour her, she is mine, Godric." Eric reminded him.
"That doesn't mean you can go around glamouring whoever you feel like, Eric." Godric shook his head.
"Isn't that what you taught me?" Eric pointed out cockily.
"I taught you wrong, as it turns out. Stop acting like a child, Eric. Start taking responsibility for your actions and stop using my teachings as an excuse. I've grown, I've evolved. I thought you had started to, but it seems I'm wrong."
Eric's frown deepened as he stared down at Godric as if he was seeing him for the first time. And maybe that was true. Maybe he was just realizing how much his own maker had changed. They had been together for a thousand years, and I could understand Eric's side, at least partly anyways. Godric had taught him everything he knew, he had been one way for so long and now suddenly Godric was changing his ways. It was for the better, but I could understand how confused Eric must be. One day his maker was the vampire who had turned him, and the next he was a whole other person. Vampires weren't a whole lot different from humans in that way.
"Eric didn't glamour me." I thought I would be nice and help the blonde out. I didn't owe him anything, but Godric was accusing him of something he actually hadn't done. Now if he accused Eric of kidnapping me, well he was on his own on that one.
"He could have glamoured you to say that."
"But he didn't"I shook my head. "Eric glamoured me when he kidnapped me. I know the feeling and I haven't felt that at all since I've woken up."
"You glamoured her before?" Godric glared up at Eric. "What were you thinking? I can't believe you kidnapped her. Are you out of your mind?"
"I would vote yes on that one." I muttered, rolling my eyes.
"Stop helping me." Eric snapped at me with a low growl.
I held my hands up in defence and leaned back on the couch, watching as the two began arguing in a language I couldn't understand. I tried to make out the language, but I only knew French and Spanish from some courses I had picked up over the last few years. Whatever they were speaking, it wasn't either of those, and even if it was, I didn't know enough of either language to be able to understand an entire conversation spoken in anger. So I just sat there, watching the scene before me, and wondering if it would end up in blows.
But it didn't. After a few minutes, and few icy glares, Godric finally turned back to me and both vampires remained in perfect shape. It would have been a shame if any body parts had ended up missing. They were very nice looking specimens after all.
"Are you certain you want to stay?" Godric didn't look convinced. "When I left you were pleading us to let you go back home. You were begging it of me."
"I'm sure, Godric." I nodded as I pushed myself off of the couch and moved towards him. "Eric and I worked out an agreement."
"What sort of agreement." Godric looked suspicious as he glanced between Eric and me.
"It's nothing important." I waved the question off before Eric could even open his mouth. We shared a quick look, one that included a nod from the vampire in silent agreement. We couldn't let Godric know the truth. If he knew I was staying because I wanted to persuade him to not meet the sun, then he wouldn't allow it. He would do anything in his power to either send me back home, or he would be the one to take off, hell bent on dying. Neither of us wanted that. Eric may end up driving me insane during these next few months, but we did have a common goal, and that was to keep Godric alive. Maybe I will or won't be able to keep my desires to myself, but right now, Godric was what mattered. Not who I was or wasn't going to have sex with.
"I still don't believe that this is what you truly want." Godric shook his head.
"It is what I want." I assured him, reaching my hand up and cupping his cheek. I offered the vampire a smile as I drew even closer.
"What about your internship?" his expression softened as he raised his own had, the backs of his fingers caressing my cheek. A disgruntled grunt sounded from the other vampire in the room but I ignored him. I couldn't help but enjoy the fact that a gorgeous, Nordic god, was jealous that his own maker was paying attention to me, that he wasn't the one allowed to touch me. A year ago, I wasn't even looking at the opposite sex and now I had two gorgeous vampires on my hands. When the hell did that happen?
Oh right, over Christmas break when I was an idiot and let my friends drag me to a vampire bar. Great idea there, Savannah.
"You were so excited to go, Savannah. It was all you talked about. I won't take that away from you."
"You're not taking it away from me, Godric." I shrugged. "I can ask them to postpone it until September. I just went through four stressful years of school, I deserve a few months off."
"I can't ask this of you."
"Well then you don't have to. I want to stay, at least for a little while."
Godric was shaking his head so I cupped both of his cheeks, holding his head between my hands. "I'm staying here, Godric. You can throw a temper tantrum like Eric here is good at doing, or you can just accept it. But you're going to be stuck with me around whether you like it or not."
"I do not throw..."
"Yeah yeah, Eric." I rolled my eyes and drew my arms around Godric, pressing my cheek against his chest. I couldn't help but smile as Godric sighed and wrapped his own arms around me, securing me against him. I still felt safe and comforted in his arms, like all the evil in the world and even the touch of death, couldn't hurt me while I was with him.
"This little rule of yours, it applies to him as well." Eric spoke up, interrupting our moment.
"What are you talking about?" I lifted my gaze to the blonde but didn't pull away from Godric.
"I agreed to no sex, but that also includes him." Eric nodded at his maker.
"I said I wouldn't have sex with you because I couldn't have sex with anyone, Eric, not because I didn't want to..." I stopped myself short however, my hand slapping over my mouth. But Eric already knew where I was heading with that and was smirking wider than ever before. I groaned, digging my head into Godric's chest, the ancient vampire chuckling as he patted my back.
"My pride is relieved to know that you still want me." Eric stepped towards Godric, his presence almost suffocating, but not in the way that I first thought. The desire for him and for Godric was just growing so thick that I could almost not breathe. Why the hell did I have to have these damn urges for both maker and progeny?
"Eric, leave her alone." Godric chided his progeny.
"She may want you Godric, I can taste that, but she wants me too." Eric informed arrogantly as I felt his fingertips lightly dancing across my shoulder and up my neck. I stiffened in Godric's arms, not because I didn't want Eric touch me, but because a part of me didn't want him to stop.
The damn vampire just oozed sex, and he was oozing it all over me.
I was more than happy to leave Fangtasia for the night. With the promise to return to the bar at nightfall the next night, I took a taxi home. I hadn't thought of what I would tell my mom yet. I couldn't just hide out with the vampires, that just wouldn't work. I had lived here my entire life, eventually someone would notice me and it would get back to my friends and family. So I needed to be straight with them, or at least as honest as I could possibly be. I just couldn't go around telling the entire truth, I would end up locked away at some mental institution if I did. I would just make up a few white lies to protect them. It was all for their benefit more than mine.
I was excited to see my mom nonetheless. After the hectic last few weeks, and especially the last few hours, I couldn't wait to have some normalcy. I wasn't sure what would happen in the next few months. Godric, Eric and I were supposed to discuss that when we met tomorrow night, and then Eric and I would have to have a private conversation afterwards if we wanted to persuade Godric. I wasn't sure if me being here would even help, but I had to take that risk. I just hoped that taking leave from the life I had started to build for myself wouldn't damage my entire future. And I hoped my mom would understand.
"Savannah?" a surprised voice sounded from the bottom of the front steps to our town house.
I grinned as I shook my head of my thoughts and looked up to find my mother, clad in her scrubs and a spring jacket, staring up at me in shock. Considering I had been kidnapped by that stupid vampire that was just too tall and gorgeous for his own good, I had nothing with me. Eric promised to have some of my things shipped here, but for the meanwhile, I had nothing with me, and that included the key to the house. I was just glad it was much warmer here in Louisiana then it was up north. I barely even needed a jacket; it felt more like summer than spring.
"What in the world are you doing here?" She shook off her surprise and a smile crossed her face as we met on the steps and she pulled me in for a tight embrace. "God I missed you baby girl."
"I'm not a baby anymore, mom." I rolled my eyes, but returned the embrace. It always felt nice to just be around my mom. She made things feel just so much simpler, and right now, that's exactly what I needed. "And I thought I would come for a visit. I forgot my key back at my apartment but I knew you were getting off of work soon so I thought I would just wait.
"Well this is certainly a pleasant surprise. Let's get you inside." My mom ran her hand up and down my arms to try and warm them up, and it was the first time that I realized that I was no longer in the dress that I had worn when Eric had first jumped me in my apartment. My cheeks grew red as my mom unlocked the door and I was glad her back was turned for me because I was caught between being furious with Eric that he had stripped me and changed my clothes, and feeling embarrassed that he had. Damn it, how could I not have noticed that earlier? Oh right, I was kidnapped, that took up most of my focus.
I was happy to be back inside my childhood home. This house held memories that just could never be replaced and I already felt better just stepping inside of the living room and gazing upon the countless of pictures from my childhood.
"So what do I owe for this surprising visit?" my mom asked as she locked the door behind us and tossed her keys onto the hallway table.
"I just...wanted to see you, that's all." I shrugged, moving further into the living room and plopping down onto the comfy couch.
"I know my daughter far too well to believe that." she chuckled and came to stand behind the couch, her hands on her hips. "Why are you really here, Savannah?"
"I just...needed a break." I lied through my teeth. There was absolutely no way I was going to tell my mother that I had the hots for not one, but two vampires and one was a bit suicidal. Mother's tend to not approve that shit.
"Is that all?" She came around the couch and sat beside me, taking my hands in hers. "You sounded all ready to go to New York when we spoke the other day. I wasn't expecting to see you until I took some vacation days to come up and see you."
"Well you won't have to now." I faked a smile.
But my mother knew me better than anyone and saw right through the facade.
"Savannah, you're lying to me."
Shit.
"Tell me why you're here. Did something happen at school? Is something wrong?" my mom squeezed my hands. "Talk to me kiddo."
I sighed heavily, trying to rack my brains for some excuse to give her. "I just...I just need a break, mom."
"This is you we're talking about. You don't like slowing down for a minute."
"I know, and I think that's the problem." I leaned my head back against the couch. "I think I've just driven myself so hard for the last eight years that I haven't had any time to just sit back and breathe. And now I just feel like I'm run down. I know it's not the right time, with my internship and all, but...I just don't think I'd be able to put my heart into it if I went back right now."
I was getting too good at lying that even my own mother was starting to believe me. She looked uncertain at first, but after a few minutes, she sighed and wrapped me in her arms.
"You know I'll always be behind you 100%. So if you think you need a break, some time to just breathe and pull yourself together, then I'm right there with you, sweetheart. We'll get you back on your feet in no time."
"So it's alright if I stay here?" I looked at her hopefully.
"Of course." She kissed my forehead. "This is your home, Savy; you're always going to be welcome here."
I hugged her tightly, feeling relieved that she believed my lies. I just hoped that my mom never figured out the truth. I wasn't so sure I'd be welcome here if she did.
"You care for her, don't you?"
"What?" Eric looked up from the papers he was going through and gazed across the office to his maker.
"You care for Savannah." Godric sat on the leather couch, his hands clasped together loosely in his laps. Godric's gaze didn't meet Eric's however, his sea coloured orbs staring down at his lap in thought.
"I don't care for humans, Godric." Eric shook his head, the thought of caring for a human being ridiculous. He was Eric Northman; he was a former Viking and a thousand year old vampire. He did not care about anyone other than himself. It was enough that he loved his maker, that he loved his own progeny. He didn't dare care for another, and especially not some human.
"You never have, that I can agree with." Godric nodded, tilting his head to the side as he finally looked up to meet Eric's annoyed gaze. "But you've never claimed another soul, Eric. You've never claimed a human before."
"She just intrigues me." Eric sat back in his chair, his large arms crossing over his broad chest as a frown settled on his lips. He didn't like being accused of caring, especially from his maker who had cared just as little as he had once upon a time ago. But now Godric was different, he had realized that tonight. He actually cared about humans, and more importantly, Savannah. He should have been elated that Godric found something, or rather someone, that intrigued him enough to bring him happiness. And in a way, he was. He wanted his maker to live; he didn't want to deal with a repeat of that morning in Dallas when he nearly lost his maker forever. So even if Godric had found a human to keep him interested in living, then Eric wouldn't step in his way.
Only, Godric had sought interest in his human. She was nothing special. He could have found a thousand other girls that looked like her. Her hair was average, she was too short, and she had curves in places he didn't care much for. But those eyes were what first drew him to her. He had caught her staring at him with those nearly silver coloured orbs and he found himself intrigued. And the longer he was in her presence, he began to realize that there was much more intriguing matters than just her eye colour. She was special, he had smelt that the first night he had met her. Her blood wasn't human blood, not entirely. The only other human he had found that smelt so delectable had been Sookie Stackhouse, and she was nowhere to be found.
He had been angered when she had just run off after that kiss they shared. He had felt something extraordinary when their lips touched. He wanted to drink her in entirely, drink in the power that flowed between them. He had never felt this with Sookie in their only shared kiss, or any of their blood exchanges. This was different, this was unique. And that intrigued him. He wanted to feel all of her pressed against him, and he could imagine that she would be a good lay. But that wasn't what drove him to thinking about her after she left. It was the power that caught his attention. It was the fact that he felt more alive than he ever had felt, even when he had been human. It had died away eventually, but he found that he wanted more of it. But she was gone, and he was left without a clue as to what she was.
He could have sworn Godric had smelt like her, had her power sticking to him, when he came to stay for that week in February. But he had only assumed that he was too caught up in his thoughts and was imagining things. But now Eric realized that he hadn't been imagining things at all. All along, for the past few months, Godric had been with his human, with the human that had intrigued that one night so long ago. Normally he wouldn't care. They had shared women before. They had shared conquests. It was all part of a game to them. He liked sharing with his maker, with the vampire that had given him a second chance at life, at a better existence.
So why did he feel this desperate need to keep Savannah all to himself? Why did he not want to share her with the one vampire who knew him better than himself? Why couldn't he rid his thoughts of her? She was only a human, just a little girl who gave him attitude. She wasn't anything special.
But Godric and he both knew that wasn't true. She was special beyond words, and for once, Eric just wanted to have his own special little trinket. He hadn't been able to take Sookie Stackhouse, the intriguing telepath and part faerie, but maybe he could have Savannah. They weren't sure what she was, but she was powerful beyond any of their expectations, that was for certain.
It wasn't entirely her power, however. It wasn't the fact that he wanted his own special human, an extra boost of power to add to his repertoire. There was something about her that drew him to him, something that had occurred during that kiss that he couldn't even explain, that he couldn't even understand. He wanted her, but it wasn't for her power, not entirely.
But what was it then?
"My child?" Godric voice broke him out of his thoughts, a curious expression on his face. "You were lost in thought."
Eric shrugged, not needing to say a word. Godric knew him better than anyone; there were no words that needed to be spoken between them.
"Perhaps you don't care for her in a traditional sense," Godric leaned forward, watching Eric's expression closely. "But you care about her enough to claim her, something you have never done and you once promised you would never do."
Eric looked away, not sure what to tell his maker that would satisfy him.
"There's no shame in caring for a human, Eric." A small smile played on Godric's lips. "And she's not entirely human, now is she?"
"What is she, Godric?" Eric decided to change the subject, not wanting to talk about his feelings when he knew they didn't, and couldn't, exist.
"That, I cannot tell you." Godric shook his head. "I've had my theories, but all of them are just as impossible as the last."
"Are you telling me we have absolutely no idea as to what she is?" Eric raised an eyebrow.
"Unfortunately, yes." Godric nodded. "But we will find out. I agreed to that before I..."
"Don't say it, Godric." Eric's gaze hardened. "Just don't."
Godric sighed, knowing his choice to meet the sun was still a sore subject with his progeny. But he hoped that one day, Eric would forgive him, that he would understand his reasoning and not hate him as he did now.
"I will help you search for what she is, but please, just don't talk to me about that." Eric spat the last part out, shaking his head angrily as he stood behind the desk. "You know how I feel about you..."
"This is my decision, Eric. Perhaps in another thousand years, you'll begin to understand."
"I doubt it. I like who I am, Godric. I enjoy the creature I've become. You once did too."
"A lot can happen in a century, I'm afraid." Godric smiled sadly.
"I don't like it."
"I know, Eric, I know you don't."