Chapter Thirty-Three:
Eric could smell blood. He had smelt it the moment he ripped down the front doors of the church, screams sounding around him. He hissed at each and every one of the disgusting humans before searching his bond for his maker. Wherever he would be, Mackenzie would be.
He found himself in the basement, the smell of blood growing stronger. His hands curled into tight fists as he took one last step off the stairs, ready to destroy any that had harmed his Mackenzie. His gaze was immediately drawn to the dismembered body that lay lifelessly on the ground surrounded by their own blood. He wanted to smirk, knowing Godric's handiwork when he saw it. The smirk, however, was short lived when his gaze fell on Mackenzie's form. She was settled in Godric's lap, the bloodied wrist of his makers attached to her lips.
"Eric," Godric's orbs never left Mackenzie as he acknowledged him. "She was dying. I had to."
As the bruises faded from Mackenzie's form, and the smell of death hat still littered the air around her, he knew Godric was correct. And that only angered him. His Mackenzie, his god damn daughter, had been close to death. And because of these people. Because they had taken her from him. Because he hadn't been able to protect her properly. He wanted to tear the entire church down. He wanted to rip apart every limb from every single body that had harmed her. But he also hated himself. This had been his fault. If he had only protected her better, if he had been smarter, than he could have outsmarted these idiots and Mackenzie never would have endured this agony. This had been entirely his fault, and he would never forgive himself for such.
"I'm sorry, Eric," Godric finally tore his gaze from Mackenzie's form. She was drinking on her own now, her hand clutched onto his wrist as he fed her his blood for the third time. It was for his own peace of mind more than it was to heal her. He needed to know she would not feel another ounce of pain. He needed to know that she was safe. "I know that you…"
"It's fine," Eric shook his head, stepping into the cage while never taking his attention off of Mackenzie. "She's alive. That's all I care about."
"Hugo was the traitor," Sookie piped in softly, rearranging herself as she pushed herself to her feet. She was relieved Mackenzie was safe, that she would live to see another day. Knowing the girl was finally in good hands, she allowed herself to feel the sting of her own injuries. The exhaustion set in but she mustered all the strength that she could. There was still an uphill battle ahead of them.
A growl sounded from the back of Eric's throat as he stepped threatening towards the unconscious man. Sookie quickly stopped him however, placing a comforting hand on his chest.
"Not now, Eric. Mackenzie needs you and Godric right now," she nodded at the teen. "You can prosecute him later. No one will take that away from you."
But he could not stand idly by and let the man live. He could not chance that he would not have the opportunity to destroy him like he had imagined. No, Mackenzie was in safe hands at the moment. He would take his revenge.
Godric sighed but did not stop Eric as he roused Hugo awake, only to rip off his arm so quickly not even he had been expecting the screams. Sookie squeezed her eyes closed, her hands covering her ears to try and block out the screams of pain.
"W-what's happening?" Mackenzie's small voice pulled Godric's focus back to the girl in his arms. His wrist had healed but he did not bite back into it; she had had enough of his blood. She was safe and alive. That was all he wanted.
"Nothing, my sweet," he assured her, shifting her in his arms so she would not be able to catch a glimpse of what Eric was doing. He would not take this away from his son, but he refused to allow Mackenzie to witness such a scene. "Rest now, little one. You're safe."
She merely nodded, laying her cheek against his chest. A long, heavy sigh sounded from her lips as her body grew limp against him. Even healed, she was exhausted.
"Sleep; we will be home soon," he murmured in promise, brushing his lips across her forehead.
Gracefully, he stood with Mackenzie tucked in his arms, careful not to waken her. She needed as much rest as she could steal, for he was certain he would not be able to let her out of his sight for days to come. He shot a glance at his progeny, grimacing at the pile of limbs that was starting to accumulate. Blood now stained every inch of Eric, with the rest pooling around the now lifeless man. Sookie stood shaking from the ordeal, and he was surprised she was holding it together as she was. Any other human would have gone running from the room, but she stood her ground firmly.
At feeling Godric's gaze on her, Sookie's eyes opened and she offered a small smile. Seeing Mackenzie being held gingerly in the arms of her savior, it almost brought tears to her eyes. It was a relief knowing that Mackenzie would be all right, that her family could not hurt her now. Eric and Godric would kill anyone who thought otherwise, that was all too apparent.
"We must go," Godric called to Eric.
Eric slowly gazed over to his maker, blood dripping from his chin. He looked like the feral animal he had awoken as when Godric had first turned him. He felt a swell of pride in that moment. Godric had evolved in recent decades, to the point that murdering humans did not bring him any ounce of enjoyment any longer. But in that moment, he was not the evolved vampire he prided himself on. He had very little control when he had dismembered Gabe, and he would lose every ounce of his control should he come into contact with any other that dared to lay a hand on their Mackenzie. It brought him great happiness to see Eric willing to do the same.
Mackenzie had swept into their lives, clutched onto their hearts, and refused to let go.
"Come, my son," Godric smiled warmly at his child. "Mackenzie is safe now. Let us go home."
"I want to kill them, Godric," he shook his head, licking the blood from his lips hungrily. "I want to kill them all."
"She is ours again. That is all that matters," Godric reasoned. While he would gladly kill any others that stood in their way, all he wanted was to return to his nest with the girl sleeping in his arms.
"You promised me their lives. Do not take this from me, father. Please," Eric pleaded. He needed this. He needed to take his rage out on the fellowship, or else he would find himself tearing himself apart. The guilt was eating away at him and the only thing that would ease his shame was to kill the fellowship one member at a time.
Godric sighed, knowing that Eric needed this. "Do not harm an innocent bystander, Eric. Only kill those that deserve it."
"They all deserve it," Eric snarled.
"No unnecessary blood will be spilled tonight. Kill only those involved and leave the others," Godric raised his voice, sending his progeny a pointed look. "And then you will come home and we will be a family once again."
Eric's orbs fell on Mackenzie and his expression softened. "We'll be a family."
Godric nodded and motioned for Sookie to follow as he led the way from the basement.
"Is that really a wise idea?" Sookie wondered as she took the steps two at a time just to keep up to Godric's quick pace. "Should you really just leave him loose in here?"
"They do not deserve to live," Godric answered honestly as they reached the top.
"But what about…"
"No innocent blood will be spilled, you do not have to worry, Miss Stackhouse," Godric assured.
"Sookie," she corrected, nodding in acceptance. There was nothing she could do to stop Eric even if he did start killing those that had no idea a poor innocent girl had been kidnapped and locked up beneath their feet. She only hoped Eric listened to his maker.
"Sookie," Godric offered a small smile. "Thank you for what you have done for my Mackenzie. You protected her when I could do, and I will forever be grateful."
"You don't have to thank me, Godric," she shook her head. She would do so again and again if she needed to.
He nodded and motioned her towards the front doors of the church. "Let us leave this place; I fear carnage will be unleashed very soon."
Sookie shuddered and quickly followed the vampire to safety. She did not want to witness more bloodshed than she already had.
He couldn't stop staring at her. It was all he could do. He just sat there on that bed, watching as she slept. He watched as her chest rose and fell steadily. He watched as her lips would twitch into a smile every so often, and he wondered what she could possibly be dreaming of. He watched as soft mumbles escaped her lips and he couldn't help but chuckle. He watched as she just slept peacefully for the first time in too long. She wasn't haunted by her illness, she wasn't trapped in the fellowship, and she wasn't miserable because of something he had done. She was safe and sound, healthy and happy.
It had taken all the strength he could muster not to rip Mackenzie from Godric's arms and crush her against him the moment he saw her in that basement. He had wanted to lay her here in this bed and tuck her in, to watch as she shifted ever so slightly into the perfect position before drifting off without a worry in the world.
But he hadn't.
He couldn't.
His rage, his guilt, it had consumed him to the point that all he had seen was red. He had to kill every last one of them before he was marginally happy. It hadn't been until he had flown to Godric's nest, showered and dressed, and finally stepped into Mackenzie's room that he felt truly happy. He was full of relief to see her in one piece. They had been so close to losing her, and would have if it hadn't of been for Godric. He still wasn't sure how he felt about their newly formed blood bond, but Eric was grateful for his maker's quick thinking. He was uncertain if he would have been able to accept her death.
"I can't lose you," Eric murmured as he reached his hand forward, gently brushing a lock of hair out of her face.
She was still covered in her own blood, though Godric had cleaned her of his. He wanted to take a cloth and rid her of all the memories of the fellowship, but he didn't want to disturb her. She needed her rest. She needed to sleep and recuperate. And he didn't have the heart to wake her, not when she looked so at peace, so like an angel.
"My angel," he couldn't help but smile to himself.
He couldn't imagine how he had ever detested this girl. He didn't understand how he had ever felt anything but love. Because in that moment, all he wanted was to take her into his arms and promise her the world. He wanted to shower her with love and attention, something he had poorly given her in the past. But not any longer. He vowed to make things right, to fix their relationship. She was his daughter. He understood that now. She was his and he refused to lose her. Anyone who dared to take her from him would meet the true death.
"Eric?"
Eric stilled at her soft mumble. She appeared to still be asleep, but as he eyed her, her eyelids began to flutter, her fingers twitching.
"Shh, Mackenzie," he soothed. "Go back to sleep."
Her eyes cracked open, looking hazy and unsure. "Eric?"
"I'm right here," he leaned forward, raising his hand to cup her cheek. "I'm right here, Mackenzie."
A deep sigh sounded as she moved into his touch. "Where am I?"
"You're in Godric's home. In your old room, to be exact."
She moved to get a good look at her surroundings, but Eric pressed her back onto the bed. "You need to sleep."
She didn't argue and instead just let him raise the blanket up to her chin. "Thank you for coming for me."
"Always," he promised her. "I will always come for you."
"I thought you hated me," her eyes fluttered back close. "I thought you didn't want me."
"I was an idiot."
"Mhmm," she agreed with a yawn.
Eric chuckled as he smoothed back her hair, brushing his lips across her forehead. "Rest, Mackenzie. I'll be right here when you wake up."
"What happened that night?" she wondered, though she was already drifting off to sleep.
"What night?"
"The night you found me. What happened?" she struggled to remain awake.
Eric froze at the sudden question. He knew this day would come. He knew that the fellowship would plant seeds in her head. They would try and manipulate her into believing their lies. They would make her believe that they were the monsters, not her parents. He had always known there would come a time she would wonder, but the fellowship sped the process up. He was fearful of her reaction. He was scared of how she would perceive them. Would she hate him? Would she never want to see him again? Would she believe him? Would she leave? He couldn't lose her, not over this.
"Not now," he shook his head, urging her back to sleep. "Rest now. We'll talk later."
"But…" she trailed off, another yawn sounding before she was swept off into her dreams.
Eric sighed in relief; he would have more time after all. Though he knew the moment she woke she would be asking the same questions. But he would have time for now to find the way to explain what occurred fourteen years ago. It would pain her, he knew, and it killed him that he would have to be the one to cause her even more agony.
When would she find a sliver of happiness?
"Love you," she murmured, lost in her dreams.
She could have been talking in her sleep. She could have been dreaming about anything in the world, but that did not stop the smile from spreading across his lips.
"And I love you."
Mackenzie twisted and turned as a burning sensation tickled at her feet. She broke out in a sweat as images flashed before her eyes. A burning house formed around her while pain coursed through her. It felt like sharp knives were stabbing her in the neck, like her entire life force was being sucked out of her. Cries sounded, and it took her a moment to realize they were coming from her own lips. She tried to struggle, but the flames around her spread quickly, leaving her immobilized and attached to the sharp incisors.
"Shh, my sweet,"
That voice. It was so familiar, but she couldn't place it. Everyone around her felt hazy as the flames slowly began to fade. But the pain was still there.
"Everything's going to be alright, my love," the promise rang clear in her ear.
She tried to look around, tried to figure out who the voice belonged to, but she was frozen to the spot, unable to even call out to them. Who was it? Who was there whispering promises into her ear?
"Just relax," the voice coaxed. "You are safe."
A gasp sounded as suddenly the pain was gone, the sharp agony in her neck disappearing all together. The flames too, had faded and she was left alone in utter darkness. She still couldn't move, as if she was bound to the spot. She couldn't look around; she couldn't reach out to search for who was there. She was rooted to the spot and she felt afraid. Where was she? Who was this?
"You will never be harmed again,"
Her heart began racing as a cold digit fell on her neck, tracing the wounds that were only just created. Had he been the one to hurt her? Had he been the cause of her pain? She shuddered, a chill running down her spine as the fingers began massaging the swore wound, coaxing the pain away. And it worked. Soon she was feeling nothing but content. The pain was no more.
"I will never leave you. I will always be a part of you now,"
Her breathing was growing heavy as the cool fingers descended across her shoulder and down her arm, only for a pair of lips to replace the fingers on her neck. They covered the wound and caused her to gasp out in surprise. Her eyes were wide as a tongue flicked out, licking at the wound with great care. She expected pain, but instead felt soothed and happy.
"You will be mine, my love,"
The lips and fingers were suddenly gone. Her heart stopped as she tried once more to reach out to the voice. But he too, was gone. She was alone in that darkness, alone to wonder what was happening. And then the flames appeared, only closer this time. They were inching towards her, dancing their way around their form, until she was trapped. She started screaming, begging for someone to save her. But no one came. The mysterious voice, the fingers and lips, they were nowhere to be found.
She was alone.
With a gasp, Mackenzie shot up in bed, her eyes opening wide as another scream sounded from her lips. Only this time, the scream filled a bedroom and not a vast sea of black that had surrounded her. The comfort of finding herself in a bed and able to move her limbs did not cease her rapid heartbeat however. She curled her hands around the sheets as sweat covered her forehead. She should have felt safe and relieved, but she could still remember the sharp pain, the cool lips. It had all felt so real that it was hard to believe it had only been a dream.
"Mackenzie?"
Her head snapped up at the sound of the voice. She tensed at first, but soon relaxed when she only found Godric standing in the open doorway. He was frowning as he slipped inside, closing the door behind him. She instantly feared the dark and held her breath until Godric turned on the lamp beside the bed. The moment light flooded into the room, she let out a shaky breath and tried to calm her wild heart.
"Are you alright," he was at her side in an instant, worry etched across his face. He reached a hand out as he sat on the edge of the bed, cupping her cheek and immediately filling her with relief at his simple touch. "Little one?"
"I-I'm fine," her voice wavered. She tried closing her eyes and taking a handful of deep breaths, but nothing would stop the fright that still consumed her. "It was just a dream."
"Shh, you're safe now," he caressed her cheek with his thumb, trying his best to soothe away her fear. "You have nothing to fear, Mackenzie."
She cracked her eyes open to peek at the vampire. It was still difficult for her to believe that she was no longer trapped in the basement of the fellowship. She had become so used to the pain, to the agony, that it was unusual for her to feel perfectly fine.
Perfectly fine.
Mackenzie suddenly pulled away from Godric's comforting touches as realization dawned. She was fine. She didn't feel an ounce of pain. She could breathe without cringing, she could move without her entire body screaming in agony. Her ribs were perfectly in place, and as she reached to her forehead, there was no cut to be found. She didn't even feel sick. Her stomach was content and not churning with the threat of her vomiting. Her head wasn't pounding and everything around her was completely still.
There was nothing wrong with her at all.
But how? How was it possible?
"Mackenzie," Godric frowned in worry as he watched her examine herself. "Are you…"
"I'm okay," she looked up at him in surprise. "I'm…I'm okay."
"You are," he nodded slowly.
"But I…" she didn't understand how any of this was possible. She had been near death in the basement of the fellowship. She had felt it. She had felt her laboured breaths and the pain each single one brought. The blood had coated her mouth as she coughed her insides up, or so it felt like. She hadn't been fine. She hadn't been okay. But as she sat on that bed, safe and sound, she was. "How am I okay, Godric? How am I…this!" she threw her arms out, nodding at herself. This shouldn't be possible.
Godric's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Do you not remember?"
"Remember what?" she questioned. "I-I should be dead, shouldn't I? I mean, I had felt it, Godric. I was dying. How am I not dead?"
He sighed as he reached for her, only for her to pull away. He had been hoping he wouldn't have to explain. He had been hoping she would remember and just accept that his blood had healed him. He didn't want to tell her about the bond they now shared, that he had known the moment her nightmare began and fright consumed her. He didn't want to explain that he had felt every ounce of her fear and had rushed to her room before she could even scream out loud. She was alive, but he wasn't sure she would understand. Their relationship was still so fragile; he didn't want to ruin the progress they had made.
"I gave you my blood," he began carefully, eying her for any reaction.
She stared at him for a moment, as if expecting him to start laughing and say it was all some joke. But he looked at her dead serious.
"Oh gross!" her nose scrunched up in disgust. She quickly realized her mistake at the hurt that crossed Godric's face. "Oh god, I didn't mean it like that! It's just, you gave me your blood?"
Godric nodded. "Our blood, it has healing properties."
"So when you gave it to me – dear lord did I actually drink your blood – it healed me?" She wasn't sure whether to feel appalled or awed. On one hand, his blood had healed her. It had actually stitched together her skin, healed her broken bones, and taken away all of her pain. How could anyone not be impressed by that? But then again, the thought of consuming anyone's blood was just disgusting to her. Did she actually drink it right from the source? Did she honestly drink Godric's blood?
"It did,"
"Oh."
She didn't know what else to say. She didn't know what to even think. Blood that could heal; it sounded like some fairytale. Then again, her entire life felt like something right out of a novel. There were still so many things about vampires, about her own guardians, that she didn't know about. How had she never known that their blood could heal before?
A thought sudden struck her. Her eyes grew wide again as she stared at Godric with hope. "Does this mean that I…did your blood heal my…do I not have it anymore?"
Godric hesitated before answering. He didn't know. Inside of that basement, he hadn't thought about it at all. All he knew was that Mackenzie was dying and he could not lose her. He didn't know the extent of the injuries his blood would heal. Would it just be superficial? Or could he possibly take away this illness that had taken control of her life? He had hoped. Oh had he hoped. But as he sat there now, he realized there was a possibility that it had not. Perhaps by healing her injuries, he had given her a few more 'good' days, and that was all.
"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "It's possible. I have never given another human my blood before besides Eric, and I had turned him. I'm unsure of what our blood can do for those so sick, and not from mere injuries."
She swallowed back the emotions that were threatening to overcome her. The thought that the cancer could possibly be gone forever, it made her want to burst out into tears. She didn't feel sick anymore. She didn't feel it at all. Even on a good day, she always knew it was there. She would feel it in her bones; she would feel it as a dull thumping in her head. It was always still there. But at the moment, she felt none of it. She felt free.
"It's possible though, right?" she asked hopefully. "I mean, it could be gone forever."
"I don't want to get your hopes you, Mackenzie. Yes, it's very much possibly that you have been healed completely. But it's also a possibility that this is all only temporary."
"But there's a possibility that I'm okay," she couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips. "I could actually be okay."
He wanted to remind her that she may not be okay, but he could not destroy the happiness she was now feel; a happiness that was swelling inside of him as well. They would concern themselves with the issue when or if the time ever came. For now, they would enjoy the fact that she was finally safe and sound, and possibly even perfectly healthy.
A/N: Sorry about the super long chapter last time. I probably should have split that into two, but I was just really excited about it. Back to normalish length. Yay, Mackenzie is safe and sound with Eric and Godric. Happy times for once! and things are actually going to be pretty happy for awhile. like there's going to be some major fluff happening in these next series of chapters. because you all deserve fluff. and maybe some other stuff, if you know what I'm talking about ;)