Chapter Nineteen:

My tears had begun to dry on my cheeks as Eric carried me through the back hallway of Fangtasia and into his office. I still clung to the vampire, which poised a problem when he tried to set me down on the leather couch. I refused to let go of him. I wasn't sure why it was so important to me to continue to clutch the vampire so tightly. Godric was there, I could feel his presence only a few feet away. I could feel the comfort and soothing calm from the ancient vampire, as if he was trying to comfort me from afar. I could have held my arms open and he would have been there in a flash to hold me, to whisper encouraging words in my ear. Eric would do none of that. He hadn't even wanted to deal with me in the cemetery, and he certainly didn't want to deal with me now. So why did I hold onto him as if my life depended on it?

I could still feel his warmth. I could still feel his essence flowing through me as I held onto him. I was afraid that the only thing that had battled away the icy cold touch of death would suddenly just vanish the moment I let him go. I knew we were far enough away from the cemetery, from the corpse that had attacked me. I knew I was safe. But there was still a small part of me that was acting irrationally, and right now, acting a bit irrationally sounded perfectly alright after the ordeal I had gone through.

"You need to let go of me, Savannah." Eric's forehead wrinkled in annoyance. "Godric, do something."

My eyes cracked open and I found Eric staring over his shoulder at the older vampire as if looking for guidance. I wasn't sure what Godric had said, speaking in another language, but by the look on Eric's face, he wasn't happy one bit. But he sighed after a moment and nodded before his hands clasped around mine and squeezed them gently.

"Savannah." His voice was soft and velvety smooth, like he had used on me in the past. "You're safe now. You can let go."

I just shook my head however, my hands curling even tighter around the front of Eric's shirt.

"You're safe, Savannah." Godric offered softly, light footsteps sounding as he grew closer to the couch. I felt a warm hand on my cheek and I knew it belonged to Godric. I found it strange that their touch should have been ice cold; they were the undead after all. But even Eric's touch felt warm and comforting to me, even when he was tense and uncomfortable with the situation. Maybe it had to do with what I was, just like the corpse rising and attacking me had something to do with whatever the hell I was.

I shuddered at that thought, my eyes squeezed back shut as a whimper escaped my lips. How could that have happened? How could a corpse just rise out of a grave and attack me? It wasn't possible, that was the problem. It wasn't like corpses were rising as zombies all over the place. It wasn't like we were in the middle of some horribly created apocalyptic movie. No, this was the real world and things like that just wasn't supposed to happen. But then again, I wasn't supposed to be able to hear the dead, and in a perfect world, vampires shouldn't even exist. The world I once thought I knew everything about was starting to change drastically, and not in my favour at all.

"It's alright, little one." Godric's voice was soft next to my ear. "You're safe now. Eric and I are here, we won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

My bottom lip began to tremble and I could feel the tears beginning to form once again. I slowly opened my eyes, only to find concerned sea coloured orbs staring down at me. The backs of his fingers were caressing my wet cheeks in an attempt to soothe me. It just wasn't working however. No matter the words he whispered to me, no matter how many times he stroked my cheek or pressed back my hair, I just couldn't regain that sense of calm.

"What are we supposed to do?" Eric sounded agitated. "Try to glamour her?"

"No." Godric snapped suddenly, his voice sounding harsher than I've ever heard it. "You never should have glamoured her in the first place."

The two argued, both in English and what I thought now sounded a bit like Swedish. I lost myself in my own thoughts, drowning out their angry voices.

What was I? What could I possibly be? I was able to hear the voices of the dead. I could feel their cold dead hands grasping onto me, gaining temporary control as they sought for help. But what sort of help did they seek, and how could I help them? I didn't even know what I was, so how could I understand what they wanted? And what happened tonight? Had it just been a coincidence, another act of magic that had nothing to do with me that raised that corpse? Or had it been my power that called to the corpse, to the dead? It was all just too confusing, too scary. I just wanted to be normal. I wanted to go back to how things were a year ago, even six months ago. My life had always been so picture perfect. Maybe there were hardships; maybe there were even a lot of them. But I had always been such a strong, independent woman and I fought through those hurdles, I jumped through those hoops, and I found myself on a path that I didn't want to defer from. But now here I was, in Louisiana when I should have been moving to New York, and I was being suffocated by this strange and confusing power than I was beginning to believe would be impossible to understand.

"I'm getting tired of this." I felt Eric's hands beginning to crush my fingers, gripping them so tightly, pain was starting to shoot through my hands and up my arms. "Let go now."

I winced, a cry of pain escaping my lips as I stared up at him with wide eyes. His fangs had extended and he was glaring down at me darkly.

"Let go of me now, Savannah." He growled.

"Eric, leave her be, she's frightened can't you see?"

"I'm not equipped to deal with this!" Eric flashed Godric a glare. "You're the one she cares about. You're the one she wants so do something!"

"I'm not the one she's clinging to, my child, you are." Godric pointed out in a strained voice. "Help her. She needs comfort, not pain. She's scared. Give her a reason not to be scared."

"I can't, Godric. I can't do this and I won't."

"She's your human, Eric. If you're not willing to do this, then you don't deserve her." Godric's voice was cool now, the vampire frustrated with his progeny.

Eric didn't respond and instead turned his cool gaze back down to me. His grip had loosened however, the pain lessening in my fingers. I eyed Godric out of the corner of my eyes, watching as he watched Eric and I. There was a flash of hurt in his orbs, and I knew he wished I had chosen his arms to break down in, that he could be the one comforting me. We had grown so close over the few months we had known one another and now Eric, who had been such an ass to me, suddenly just sweeps in and I fall all over him. Except that wasn't it at all. If Godric had been the one who had found me first, I knew it would have been him in this position right now and not Eric. But Eric had gotten there first; he had ripped the hand off of the corpse and freed me from death's touch. It had been his warmth, his essence I was desperately holding on to. I wished it was Godric, god knows that would have made everything so much simpler. But when had my life been simple lately?

"She's yours, Eric. Right now, she's relying on you, not me." Godric tried to encourage Eric.

Eric sighed heavily and I knew he wasn't in his comfort level at all. But he surprised me when his expression softened, when he raised a hand and replaced Godric's stroking fingers with his own.

"Savannah? You need to let go of me now, alright."

I just shook my head again though. I thought he would get angry, for his short temper to consume him, but I was surprised when he remained a sense of calm and continued to caress my cheek.

"You're safe now, my little mystery. We – I – won't let anything hurt you, I promise you that. You're mine, Savannah. You're mine and I refuse to let a single being harm you in any way." His lips dipped down, brushing across my forehead almost affectionately. "But you need to let go now."

Godric had said the exact same words to me and they hadn't affected me at all. But there was just something in those deep blue eyes as Eric spoke that touched me in a way that I never thought possible. Because I believed him. In that moment, I felt safe, I felt comforted, and by Eric Northman of all people. Maybe it was because I still had a part of him flowing through me, touching me in all corners of my being, both inside and out. Maybe I was just driven to insanity by that rising corpse, who knew. But for whatever reason, I found my hands beginning to loosen from the front of Eric's shirt until finally, they fell to my sides. A look of relief flooded Eric's face as he sighed and kissed the top of my head before straightening and taking a few steps back. Godric was the one to rise onto the couch beside me and offer his comforting arms. I gladly curled up beside the older vampire, but I could already feel the warmth begin to fade, Eric's essence starting to vanish. And even with Godric wrapping his arms around me tightly, I felt oddly empty and alone without Eric to hang on to.

"Would someone like to explain to me what the fuck just happened back there?" Eric began to pace the length of the room, his eyebrows furrowed together as if he could try and understand everything that's happened tonight. Good luck trying was all I could say. But then again, they were vampires, vampires who had been alive for many many centuries. If anyone would have an idea of what just happened, it would be these two. "Godric? Savannah? Anyone?"

"I-I don't know." I replied softly, my hands beginning to shake in my lap.

"Eric, you don't need to..."

"It was a vampire, Godric." There was an edge to Eric's voice as he stopped in his tracks, his gaze levelling Godric's. "She raised a god damn vampire!"

"You can't be certain of it." Godric shook his head.

Eric ran a hand through his slicked back hair and cursed under his breath. "Bill's put in place new laws in Louisiana. You haven't been around so you wouldn't have known. No new vampire can be created without his approval or mine."

"Are you saying..." Godric trailed off, and as I peeked up at the brunette, fear began creeping up my spine at the pure look of horror on Godric's face.

"Pam was sent by Bill to watch over the proceedings, to ensure that nothing was to go wrong. That was last night. This vampire shouldn't have risen yet, not for another night." Eric resumed his pacing.

"Perhaps you're mistaken." Godric offered, but I could see the wheels turning in his head, I saw the idea begin to set in. And that look of horror had yet to be wiped from his face.

"I'm not." Eric hissed. "Couldn't you feel it? It was neither alive nor dead. It wasn't even truly the undead. It was just...a body, charged by magic. And somehow..." his gaze fell on me now. "Somehow she was able to raise it before its time."

Our gazes locked and my heart began to race.

"That's impossible, Eric." Godric tried to disagree. "It's not possible for a vampire to be risen before the three nights are over. No magic could do such a thing. No amount of blood could change the cycle."

"But she was able to do it." Eric pointed accusingly at me. "She was able to break all the rules tonight and raised that vampire from the grave."

"It wasn't entirely whole though." The frown deepened on Godric's lips. "I could feel the magic inside of it, the same magic that we share. But it wasn't entirely there, like the corpse hadn't entirely..."

"Turned into one of us." Eric nodded and crossed his arms over his chest as he stopped at his desk and leaned against it. "Which makes me wonder how the hell Savannah was able to do something so...so powerful, so impossible. What the hell is she?"

"She is sitting right here." I reminded the two, looking between them. Godric realized then the look he had plastered across his face and quickly masked it. But he didn't need to, because I had already seen the fear in his eyes. He was afraid of me. He was afraid of the power inside of me, of what I could do. And truth be told, I was afraid of me too.

"What are you?" Eric narrowed his eyes as he sized me up, his gaze travelling over my dirty form as if the answer would just suddenly appear.

"I don't know what I am, for the hundredth time." the shaking in my hands was starting to spread to the rest of my body. Godric's arms tightened around me but I only pushed myself away from him. He was afraid of me, why would he want to comfort such a freak? I curled up on the far side of the couch, tears forming in my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but the mere thought of Godric, of both of these vampires fearing me, it was just too much to take. "I don't know what I am. Don't you think I wish I did? I don't want this. I don't want any of this!"

"Savannah..." Godric tried to reach out to me.

"No!" I flinched away from his touch, jumping up from the couch and wobbled on my unsteady legs. "Don't. You're afraid of me. You're both afraid of me. I don't want this. I don't want to be a freak anymore. What's wrong with me? I just want to be normal!"

The tears were cascading down my cheeks as I tried to stumble towards the door. Eric appeared suddenly before me however, his hands reaching out to grasp me. I tried to step back away from him but I only managed to lose my balance. Eric caught me before I could hit the ground however, and he had my small form in his arms before I could even say a word. He didn't take me back to the couch though, and surprised me when he sat in his leather desk chair, setting me down onto his lap. I fought to get up, to find a corner and curl up and cry. But Eric wouldn't allow it. He secured a single arm around me, holding me onto his lap while his other hand began brushing away the tears. I was shocked by his actions. This was the same vampires that minutes ago had been refusing to try and comfort me because he wasn't equipped to deal with sobbing women. And now he was doing this? What had changed?

"You need to calm the fuck down." His voice was low and soft, though there was a slight edge to it as he stared me dead in the eye. "Do you understand me?"

I shook my head and continued to struggle against his arm. But it was useless. Eric was stronger than I could ever imagine, and he was only half Godric's age.

"Neither of us are afraid of you, Savannah." Godric moved to one of the empty chairs on the other side of the desk. "We're...we're surprised, that's all."

"I saw the look on your face." I accused. "You were...you were afraid of me. You are."

"I'm scared for you, Savannah, not of you." He tried to assure me. "How could I possibly be afraid of someone as kind and gentle as you? I'm the one you should be afraid of. I'm the one who you should be running away from, not yourself."

"I just want this to stop." I couldn't stop the tears as they continued to flow down my cheeks.

Eric sighed as he gave up trying to clear my wet cheeks and instead began toying with the edge of my hair, a look of contemplation on his handsome face. The two vampires shared a look after a moment, though I ignored it as I continued to try and get away.

"Stop." Eric grasped onto my chin tightly, forcing my gaze to meet his. "Just stop it, Savannah."

"Why do you even care." My forehead wrinkled. "Why do you even care about me? Why did you claim me? I'm nothing but a freak."

"You're hardly a freak, love." Eric rolled his eyes, the tip of his finger trailing along a wet cheek, collecting the tears and lifting the finger to his lips. He licked the wetness from his finger with his tongue, savouring the taste of my salty tear before an odd thing happened. Eric smiled. It wasn't a smug grin or a smirk, he actually smiled. "I've known many freaks in my time, Savannah, and you are hardly a freak."

"Then why..."

"Because of you, because of what's inside of you." Eric shrugged his large shoulders. "When we kissed, it felt as if we had become one. I thought in my long existence that I've seen and felt everything. And I was wrong. Because I've never met anyone quite like you before, Savannah, and I won't let you slip away from me. That's why I claimed you."

"But I'm...I'm just..."

"That's enough." He shook his head. "And your tears, they need to stop right now. I'm not equipped to deal with sobbing women and you've already done quite enough of that for one night. Do I make myself clear?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but the look on his face told me not to even true. I sighed but nodded, beginning the process of rubbing the tears from my eyes. Eric laid a hand over my heart, and at first I thought he was only trying to cop a feel. But then I felt it. The moment the palm of his hand fell over my racing heart, it fell back into a steady pace. It wasn't gradual, it wasn't a slow process, it just suddenly happened. It almost felt as if an electric shock surged right through me at that moment, but I knew it was only our powers colliding, intertwining and flowing in unison. I inhaled sharply for a moment before letting out a long and heavy sigh. My eyes fluttered close as that warmth returned, spreading through my entire body like a wildfire. It was wonderful. It was one of the most wonderful feelings I've ever felt in my life.

"There, that's better, isn't it?" his voice was softer now, his lips beginning to twitch into that infamous smirk of his. "Can't say I never did anything for you, Savannah. I think this deserves a round of sex, don't you?"

I couldn't help but laugh. After everything this evening, after I had run out of here, only to find trouble in the cemetery, trouble that I had caused, and after my two breakdowns here, I didn't think it was possible that I would ever laugh again, nevertheless smile. But this vampire was able to cause the oddest emotions to curse through me. He could make me smile when I wanted to cry. He could make me want to kiss him when all I wanted was to hit him repeatedly. I didn't understand it, but at that moment, I didn't want to. I just wanted to relish in his warmth, in the essence that now flowed through the both of us, bonding us together in a way that I would never be able to comprehend.

"I think I may have a few volumes that can help us further our search." Godric was the one to drive the conversation back on topic.

"You do?" I pulled my gaze away from Eric's to stare at the still worried vampire.

Godric nodded. "I have a private collection still in Dallas."

"I thought your library as destroyed in the bombing?" Eric questioned.

"Most of it was, yes. But there were certain salvageable volumes that I think might just aid us." Godric looked away for a moment before nodding to himself, as if answering an unspoken question, and turned back to us. "I'll have to leave immediately in order to make it to Dallas before dawn."

My eyes grew wide and I immediately shook my head. Eric however, stopped me before I could say a word.

"If he leaves now, he'll be able to return tomorrow with ease and with the help that we need to find out what you are. You do want that, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but..." my shoulders slumped forward. "I don't want you to go, Godric."

"It'll only be until tomorrow evening." Godric stood and came around the desk, kneeling before me and taking my hands in his. "I'll return to you as quickly as I possibly can. If I leave now, I'll return before you even realize I'm gone. But I must leave now."

"But..."

"Eric will keep an eye on you, won't you, my child?" Godric gazed up at his progeny.

"Of course." Eric's arm tightened around me. "She just needs to stop finding so much trouble."

"It's not my fault." I mumbled.

"Of course not."

Godric sent Eric a pointed look before squeezing my hands. "I swear to you I'll return tomorrow evening. And then we'll be one step closer to finding out what you are."

I couldn't really tell Godric no, not when we could find out exactly what I was. And after tonight, I wanted to know that more than anything.

"You promise you'll come back." I asked in a tiny voice.

"I promise." He rose to his feet and laid a soft kiss on my forehead. "I'll leave you in the hands of Eric, and I know he'll behave himself in my absence."

"I have no reason to kidnap her again; she's already here." I eyed the smirk widening on his face. He winked at me however, lightening the mood in the room. "I'll keep both eyes on her, master; she'll hardly be leaving my sight."

"Good." Godric nodded, squeezing my hands one last time before dropping them and beginning towards the door. "I'll call once I arrive and before I leave. I'll return as soon as I can, I promise you this, Savannah."

I could only nod as Godric reached the door, pulling it open and stepping into the doorway. He glanced back to us, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Behave yourself. Both of you. I don't want to return to both of you having killed one another."

"Go, Godric, before dawn arrives." Eric shooed him out.

Godric only shook his head as he sent me one last smile before disappearing from the doorway. I sighed as I bowed my head, already feeling lost with Godric around. I just hoped that he would return tomorrow night, like he promised.

"He'll be back."Eric assured, tugging me closer to him. "But while he's gone..."

"I will not have sex with you, Eric, even if you were...nice tonight."

"I was not nice." Eric looked appalled at the suggestion. "I'm a vampire. Vampires are not nice."

I rolled my eyes but surprised myself when I started to relax on Eric's lap, leaning against his broad chest and laying my head down on his shoulder.

"Sorry about sobbing all over you. You're a vampire, you're not supposed to comfort silly little humans either, right?"

"Just don't do it again." he tried to look disgusted, but he failed miserably and instead he just sighed and kissed my forehead. "I found it disturbingly horrible to watch you so distressed."

"Maybe you're maturing."

"Impossible."

A/N: I apologize for the horribly written chapter. it took me forever to get this thing written. I just couldn't find the inspiration. and I finally have my inspiration back, but I needed to get through this chapter before I could get onto the good stuff. So keep reading, because it's going to get insanely good very very soon. Oh and someone has guessed what Savannah is correctly. I won't say who though, because that'll just ruin the surprise lol