Chapter Sixteen:

Mackenzie's mind was still reeling as Pam pulled the car to a stop just before the front door. She still couldn't believe Eric had come to New York. Pam couldn't have lied to her about it, right? What would be the point of that? So then, had he really come? And why hadn't he made himself known? Why hadn't he told her this at all?

"Kiddo?" Pam raised an eyebrow at the teen. "We've been stopped for five minutes and you haven't moved."

"Oh, ah…" Mackenzie blushed, reaching for the door handle in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Pam frowned as she eyed her slow movements. She had been so eager to leave the hospital, even a hint of colour returning to her cheeks by the time they had driven out of the parking lot. But now, Mackenzie looked just as harshly pale as she had the last few days. And Pam didn't like it one bit. She just wanted to offer her blood, to at least try and heal her. Maybe it wouldn't work, maybe the cancer had spread too quickly and no matter what they tried, nothing would work. But they had to try, didn't they? If only Eric would just listen to her.

"Coming?" Mackenzie was the one to watch Pam with furrowed eyebrows this time from the open car door. She was leaning heavily against it, but sheer determination was evident in her orbs.

"Go on ahead." Pam motioned her towards the house. She wanted to call Eric, to find out when he was going to come home tonight; if he was going to come home at all. "Don't worry about your bag."

She nodded as she closed the door, beginning towards the front porch. Pam sighed as she dug her phone out and pressed the familiar numbers. She tapped her pink Louboutin shoes as she waited for Eric to pick up.

"What?" he greeted distractedly.

"We're home." Pam's gaze turned and watched as Mackenzie slipped into the house. She stretched her senses and listened as Mackenzie began up the stairs to her second story bedroom. Satisfied that she was as okay as she was going to be, she turned her attention onto her maker. "When are you coming home, Eric?"

"I don't know."

"She could use your company." Pam sighed. "And don't give me some bullshit; I know you've been going to visit her the last couple of nights in the hospital."

Silence sounded, leaving Pam feeling impatient and frustrated.

"You're still looking for a cure, aren't you?" she questioned with a hiss. "When will you just realize that giving her our blood will…"

"We don't know that!" he snapped back. "She's sick, Pam. Sicker than any human I've ever known a vampire trying to heal. We don't even know if it'll work. I won't get her hopes up."

"So then we don't tell her." She wanted to rip her hair out, or at least strangle her maker. "This could be our answer! Unless you want another progeny running around. Or maybe it's time I make my own…"

"Pamela…" Eric's voice lowered into dangerous territory. She could feel her maker's anger consumer her through their bond, causing her to shudder as she rubbed her arms. "Do not even think about it."

"She's dying, Eric." Pam's voice softened. "We can't just sit back and let it happen. I never thought I would care about a human, but she's…"

"We'll find another way."

"The Eric I knew would have turned her in a heartbeat if he knew he was going to lose her." Pam pointed out.

"I won't turn her without her consent. Do you really think she would want this life?"

"If it meant losing her, you wouldn't have cared." Pam shook her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose. It had been cute for a while, to watch Eric change, to see how he was with Mackenzie. But this was a moment that she missed her once brutal monster of a maker. She missed the savage Godric had created. Because he never would have just let Mackenzie rot. He would have turned her in an instant, or at least attempt to heal her with their blood.

"I don't want to talk about this. I'll get there when I get there."

With that, he hung up.

"We're going to end up losing her, you idiot." Pam grumbled tossing her phone onto the seat beside her before leaving her head back and closing her eyes. She couldn't believe she was worried over a human. She hadn't been worried over another other than her maker since long before she had even been turned into a vampire. Humans, even when she was one, had never been her favourite.

But Mackenzie wasn't just a typical human. There was nothing special about her. She was just a human. She wasn't a telepath, like Sookie Stackhouse, and she wasn't a shifter or a witch. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary about the blonde teen. And yet somehow, fourteen years ago, she had wrapped each and every one of them around her tiny little finger. Mackenzie had brought out a side of all three of them, Eric, Godric and even her, that neither of the three knew existed. Godric had embraced her with everything he had, searching for a way to make amends for his past sins. Eric and her, however, had slowly warmed up to her. Hell, Pam had wanted to ship her off to the orphanage the first chance they had. But the longer she had spent around the girl, the more she had grown to love her.

She was theirs now. She was a part of their odd little family. And Pam was not about to lose her just because her maker was being an idiot.

Pam was pulled from her thoughts, however, as an ear-piercing scream cut through the night. She was out of the car in mere seconds, already halfway up the stairs by the time silence rang hauntingly through the house.

"I can do this." Mackenzie muttered to herself, her eyebrows knitted together in concentration as she forced herself up another step. She was almost there. Just two more and she would be victorious. "Come on, it's just a few stairs."

But everything seemed to be daunting these days. Everything seemed to feel like a marathon.

The moment she had both of her feet on the landing however, she let out a long, heavy breath of relief. She wiped at her sweaty brow and let a smile spread across her lips. She may be dying, but she wasn't going to be completely useless. She could walk up a few stairs, even if it did take ten times longer than it should have. Until she was physically unable to move a muscle, she was going to fight her way through any task. She needed to now. Because that hope that she still had a family in Pam and Eric was clearer now than ever before.

Feeling proud of herself for getting up the stairs herself, her smile widened as she moved towards her bedroom, pushing her door open as she planned on crashing on the bed. Just because she made it up the stairs without an ounce of help, it didn't mean she wasn't exhausted as hell. She just needed to rest for a bit, like the doctor had ordered. She could do with a nice long nap.

But a nap was the last thing that was going to happen for the sick teen.

Mackenzie wasn't paying attention as she entered her room, crossing the room immediately to her dresser to find a pair of comfortable pajamas. She was thankful for the clothes Pam had brought her, but she felt uncomfortable and suffocated in what she was wearing. She just wanted to curl up in bed and snuggle under the covers to find that perfect warmth. And jeans didn't exactly help with that.

She was just tugging out the cotton pajama set when suddenly, from the corner of her eye, something – or someone – moved behind her. Her entire body stiffened. It couldn't have been Pam. She would have made herself known. Hell, her heels alone would have made it clear that Mackenzie was no longer alone. No, whoever was in her room had been waiting for her.

But who?

Her heart began racing as her breath was caught in her throat. She didn't know what to do. Did she turn around and face the intruder, or did she scream for Pam? Did she just stay there, hoping she had just been imagining things, or did she find the courage to make a run for it? She may have been brave enough to battle the cancer that was spreading through her body, but that didn't mean she was brave in general.

She didn't need to make the first move, however, as suddenly she felt a hand lightly fall on her shoulder. She couldn't help the scream that escaped through her lips as she suddenly flew around, raising her arms in defense against the culprit.

She wasn't ready to discover whom the hand belonged to, although.

Mackenzie's eyes grew wide with surprise as she stared at the one person, the one vampire, she thought she'd never lay her eyes on again before she died. She thought she'd never hear his soft, accented voice. She thought she'd never stare into those too blue eyes. She thought she'd never get to tell him how much she hated him, how much she had needed him. She thought she'd never get to just hug him, just for one last time, just because it had been the one thing she had missed most of all.

But here he was.

The two just stared at one another, Godric's hand still outstretched, though he had pulled it back just an inch at Mackenzie's reaction. He felt as frozen in time as she felt, unsure of what to say or do. Six years had passed, and he had expected her to grow, to get older. But he had never prepared himself for this, for the beautiful woman she had become. Even worse, he hadn't prepared himself for the state she was in. Eric had told him, he had warned him and even threatened him. But Godric had not once let it sink in that she was truly sick, that she was actually dying.

But she was living proof.

She was a thin as a bone, thinner than what was healthily acceptable. Even through her shirt, he could see the bones that pressed against her taut, pale skin. Her eyes were sunken in, her cheeks no longer filled with the warm tone he had been accustomed to. Even her hair was thinner than it had been. Everything about her, even her smell, her scent, was different.

All because she was dying.

His lips parted, needing to say her name, but before he could, the crashing sound of the bedroom door slamming against the wall broke both of their stares.

"What the…Godric?" Pam was stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes growing as wide as saucers as she gazed upon her grand-maker. She couldn't believe her eyes. "You're here."

"Pam." He greeted softly before his eyes turned back towards Mackenzie.

Only she was no longer there, and instead, had begun backing up across the room. Her gaze never left his however, not even as she stumbled over her own two feet and she had to use the wall to steady her.

"Mackenzie." Her name slipped off his tongue, almost sounding foreign to his ears.

It had been far too long.

"You actually came." Pam pulled herself together, composing herself as she planted her hands firmly on her hips. She kept an eye on Godric as she focused on Mackenzie, ensuring the teen was stable. "Damn, I lost that bet."

Godric sent her a look before taking a hesitant step towards Mackenzie.

"Mackenzie, I…"

She stopped moving, to his relief, but he didn't prepare himself for what she did next. A loud slap sounded in the room as his head snapped to the side. Even as a two thousand year old vampire, he was caught off guard by her action. His cheek burned for a moment before the red outline of a handprint began fading. He attempted to turn his gaze back onto her, but she only slapped him for a second time.

Mackenzie hissed, her hand aching. It was worth it however. It was completely worth it. "Get out."

"Mackenzie…" he stayed where he was as he rubbed his cheek gingerly. "I just wanted to…"

"Don't." she shook her head, trying desperately not to let the tears that were beginning to form shed. She would not cry in front of him. So she let the anger that had been burning inside of her for six long years come to the forefront. It was easier to be angry. "Don't you dare."

"Please, Mackenzie. I'm…"

"Don't." she took another step back, this time sidestepping towards the door.

Pam watched the two, a smirk spreading across her lips at Mackenzie's slaps. They had raised her right.

Godric sighed as his head bowed. He knew this would happen. He knew she wouldn't be happy to see him, especially after all he had put her through. But he had hoped. He had needed to take that risk. He had to see her again, despite what her reaction might be. Eric had been right; he had known it the moment his progeny had hung up on him. It had taken three long nights of his guilt tearing him apart until he found the courage to come here to Shreveport. He needed to make this right. He couldn't just let Mackenzie die without knowing the truth, without knowing how sorry he was.

"You will never understand how truly sorry I am."

"I don't care."

"I know you may not forgive me, but I…"

"I don't care!" her hands had curled into tight fists as she stopped in the middle of the room. She was shaking from head to toe, her legs more so than the rest of her body. Partly, it was out of anger, but she could feel the exhaustion washing over her. She was tired. She was sick and she was tired. All she had wanted was to go to bed, to have a nice relaxing evening alone. But this was anything but that, and her body was rebelling against her.

Pam sensed this as her smirk dropped into a frown. "Mackenzie?"

"I'm fine." Mackenzie assured, though her jaw had clenched and her breathing sounded labored.

Pam didn't believe her and made to move towards her, but Mackenzie flinched for the first time in her life towards Pam. The vampire came to a sudden stopped, shocked at the reaction.

"I'm fine." Mackenzie insisted softly. She was trying everything in her power just to stay upright and not cry all at the same time.

Pam nodded. "Fine, but I'm calling Eric."

Mackenzie didn't argue. That is, until Pam began to leave the room.

"Wait!" Mackenzie's head snapped in her direction, pleading her not to leave.

Pam shot a look over at the remorseful Godric before catching Mackenzie's gaze. "Give me two minutes."

She opened her mouth to plead with her but Pam was already out of the room. Sighing, Mackenzie slowly turned back towards Godric who hadn't moved an inch. He was looking at her again, however, and it unnerved her. She shuddered as she wrapped her arms around herself. She was cold, freezing even. She just wasn't sure if it was because she was in shock, or because she was dying. Likely both.

"Please just leave."

"I'm sorry for everything, Mackenzie. I'm sorry for leaving, I'm sorry for not…"

"Please don't." Mackenzie shook her head, tightening her arms around herself. "Please just don't."

"It destroys me to know that I've hurt you." He took a small step forward. "If I could go back and change what I…"

"Just stop!" she was pleading now. "Please just stop! I don't want to hear it."

"Perhaps if I could explain…"

"Just go. Please. I just want you to go."

"Mackenzie, I…"

"Go!" she burst out, her teeth gritting together. It was getting harder and harder not to cry, not to fall apart completely. Godric had absolutely no idea how she felt. He didn't understand how broken apart she had been when he had left, when he hadn't even said goodbye. He didn't understand at all. Six years. It had been six long years. He never even called, or sent a card, or even an email. The only contact she had had with him at all was when she had called to yell at him. That was it.

"I can't just go. Not when…" his orbs raked along her body, his shoulders slumping as he realized just how sick she was. She was barely even standing there, her eyes darting to the bed as if she longed to be sitting. "You're tired, let me…"

As he took a handful of steps forward, Mackenzie immediately darted out of reach.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped at him, throwing her hands up between them as she began to back towards the door. "Just leave me alone."

"Mackenzie, my sweet…"

"Do not call me that. You do not get to call me that. Just get out!"

When he didn't budge, she made a snap decision.

"Fine! I'll go!" she spun around before he could stop her. Or maybe he realized he needed to let her go. Either way, she was out of the room as quickly as possible.

She couldn't move fast, she couldn't get away as quickly as she wanted to, but she was filled with determination. She could hear Godric following her, but he never once stopped her.

"What are you doing?" Pam was at the bottom of the stairs in seconds, her eyebrow raised, her phone still in her hands. She gazed up at the top of the stairs where Godric stood and frowned. "What did you do?"

"I only want to make amends." He insisted. "I'm sorry, Mackenzie. I will forever be…"

"Stop!" Mackenzie cried out, reaching the bottom and swerving around Pam. She shot over to the door before the shocked vampire could stop her. Throwing the door open, she made to run outside, only to run into a brick wall.

Or rather, a very rock solid guardian.

"Mackenzie?" Eric's orbs were filled with confusion and concern as he grabbed her by the shoulders, steadying her swaying form. "Are you…"

"Please make him leave." She begged him in the tiniest voice, tears filling her eyes.

His eyebrows furrowed together as he raised his gaze. He was stricken in place when his eyes fell on his maker. Pam hadn't been lying after all.

"Godric." He could feel the burning rage boiling inside of him. He wanted to yell at his maker. He wanted to throw him against the wall and cause him pain. It was the first time he ever thought he could possibly hate Godric. They had always been so close, closer than any other maker/prograny relationship they had encountered. But this, this was something Eric could not simply forget. "You're here."

"I am." Godric was at the bottom of the stairs in only a blink of an eye. He kept his distance however, not wanting to startle Mackenzie. "I'm…"

"Stop it." A tear slipped down Mackenzie's cheek, breaking Eric's heart completely in two. She looked up at him like a lost little girl, pleading him with her round orbs. "Please make him go away. Please Eric!"

He cupped her cheeks, cradling her pale face gingerly in his large hands. He wiped away the tears with the pads of his thumbs before leaning forward and brushing his lips across her forehead.

"Pam." He called to his child. She was at their side in an instant. "Take her into the living room."

"Of course, Eric." Pam nodded, placing her arms around Mackenzie's shoulders.

"But…"

"I'll be in in a minute." He assured her, offering a small smile. "Perhaps you and I can have an evening just the two of us."

She stared at him the longest time before nodding and letting Pam lead her into the living room. The minute she was gone and out of sight, Eric's expression hardened as he stepped into the house, not even bothering to close the door; not until Godric was gone.

"I'm surprised you came." His tone was dry. A part of him was relieved that his maker was here, that he could guide him in dealing with this, in finding a cure. But the pain he had seen in Mackenzie's tear filled eyes, it had destroyed him. He hated to see her cry. Godric had caused Mackenzie years of pain by disappearing without a word. Perhaps he was here for the right reason now, but that didn't change years of abandonment.

"You were right." Godric admitted, sighing heavily as he gazed towards the living room. "She truly is sick, isn't she?"

"Dying." Eric corrected, though it pained him to say.

Godric nodded as he stepped forward. "You were right, my son. I was acting like a coward. I shouldn't have left. I should have at least said goodbye. I should have been there…"

"That's nice." Eric rolled his eyes. "But I'm not the only who needs to hear this."

"I don't think Mackenzie is going to want to hear anything I have to say anytime soon." Godric frowned sadly.

"Rightfully so."

"I know I don't deserve her forgiveness. I know I don't deserve for her to hear me out. But I'm here, Eric. I'm here and I'm willing to try."

"Good luck." Eric turned towards the living room. "I'm not going to tell her what to do. If she wants to hate you, then she had every right in the world to hate you."

"I believe she already does."

"No." Eric stopped, shaking his head as he glanced over his shoulder to his maker. "No, she doesn't hate you. Not completely anyways. But she's dying, Godric. She doesn't have much time. Make things right, or at least try. Because she's not going to be around for much longer."

"I know. I know, my son."

Eric eyed his maker, looking for a reason not to trust him. But Godric had never given him a reason to doubt him in the past. He may have made mistakes, but he had never lied to him.

"Don't hurt her again." Eric warned. "She doesn't deserve that."

Godric had to fight away a smile. He had abandoned Mackenzie, he had broken her heart and let her down. But Eric, the one who had been so against Mackenzie in the beginning, had been the one to step up and finally take care of her. He was acting like the father Godric always knew he could be.

"I'm glad she had you to look after her."

Eric snorted. "Half the time I think she'd still rather you."

"I doubt that."

Eric simply shrugged, glancing into the living room before back at his maker. "I think you should go. For tonight that is. She's been through a lot in the last few days. She needs to rest."

"Of course." Godric agreed. "I…I did not mean to cause her any more pain. Perhaps I should have thought this through a bit more."

"I don't think she would have reacted any better any other time." Eric pointed out.

Godric had to agree. Mackenzie would have reacted, and likely slapped him, no matter when he had finally decided to return to his family. Realizing there was nothing else he could do tonight, he began towards the door. Before he could leave however, Eric stopped him.

"For the record, I'm glad you're here, father. I...I need you." there was a momentary glimpse of vulnerability that crossed Eric's expression before he completely masked it.

Godric offered a small smile, nodding before suddenly he was gone and the door was firmly closed. Sighing, Eric ran his fingers through his hair before entering the living room.

"Is he gone?" Mackenzie asked in a small voice, curled up on the couch with a blanket over her shivering form.

"He's gone." Eric nodded, shrugging off his leather jacket and tossing it over the back of a chair. He nodded at Pam who squeezed Mackenzie's shoulder in comfort before standing and exiting the room. "For now anyways."

"So he's coming back?" her face fell sadly.

"More than likely."

"Oh." She looked away, rubbing at her eyes.

"Hey," Eric sat on the couch, opening his arm and motioning her forward. "Come here."

Mackenzie eyed him out the corner of her eye, unsure of what to do. It was very rare for Eric to let his guard down, to act like the father he had made it perfectly clear he didn't want to be. But when he did, he acted sweeter than she ever thought was possible for a vampire, and more importantly, him.

"Are you going to make me feel like an idiot?" he raised an eyebrow, though there was a small smile on his lips.

Her tense shoulders relaxed as she sighed and shifted towards him. His smile widened as she curled against him, letting his arm wind around her shoulders. She felt instantly better, maybe not physically, but mentally. He had always made her feel so safe, so protected when he was around. She felt like nothing could possibly touch her, that nothing could hurt her. This was one of those moments that she needed that feeling the most.

"I don't know if I can forgive him." She admitted softly, laying her cheek against his chest.

"I know." His fingers toyed with the ends of her hair in a comforting manner. "No one is forcing you to."

She nodded, her eyelids dropping as she let her exhaustion wash over her. "I'm sorry for not telling you."

"I know you are. I'm sorry for yelling." His pecked her forehead. "Now get some rest, sweetheart."

It didn't take her long to fall asleep still in Eric's arms. He didn't mind one bit, his arms tightening around her as he rested his chin on the top of her head with his own eyes closed. In that moment, Mackenzie wasn't sick, and she wasn't dying. She was just his daughter, a daughter he never thought he wanted, a daughter he never thought he could ever love.