Chapter Thirty-Five:
Godric was staring at her oddly. Even as she busied herself with eating the pizza Godric had kindly – but forced – an underling to fetch for her, she could feel his stare. She was certain he knew something was wrong, but she refused to meet his gaze and assure him everything was fine. Because everything was not fine. Not at all.
Why was Godric in her dream? How had he been in her dream? She had never dreamed about the vampire before. She had never dreamed about any of her family before. It wasn't like it was an every day occurrence. No, this was unusual. And even if it had just been a dream, why did it feel so wrong.
She remembered his voice as he whispered in her ear. She hadn't seen him, but it was indeed his voice, though it had sounded different than she was used to. As she thought about it, the cool fingertips also belonged to him; she would know his touch anywhere. It was his lips, however, that she was not familiar with. Nor should she ever be familiar with. The thought was just wrong.
Why the hell had she dreamed that?
"Mackenzie?" Godric questioned, reaching his hand across the island counter and placing it on top of hers. The moment their hands touched, Mackenzie jumped, nearly tumbling right off the stool. She stopped breathing for that split second as she stared at their hands. She tried to pull away but Godric quickly caught her hand in his, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong? You're acting as if you've seen a ghost."
"N-no I'm…I'm fantastic," she forced a smile, but Godric saw straight through the façade. He could feel the disturbance in her; he could feel her horror and confusion. He just didn't understand where it had come from. "I'm fine. Really. Nothing to worry about at all."
"Are you certain? You look frightened," he tried to think of anything he could have done to drastically change her mood, but he could think of nothing. "Did I do something?"
What was she supposed to tell him? That he popped up in her dream in a very inappropriate way? That was not a conversation she was ever going to have with him. She'd likely scare the vampire off and she would never see him again. She was not going to lose Godric because her dreams were betraying her.
"I'm fine, I promise," she assured him, trying to calm her pounding heart. She couldn't look away from their clasped hands, however. The longer they were touching, the more certain she was that it had been him in her dream. And that freaked her the hell out. She was not supposed to be dreaming about Godric.
"You're lying,"
"I'm not."
He sent her a pointed look. "I've always been able to tell when you're lying, Mackenzie. Why are you suddenly so frightened?"
"I'm not. I'm fine," she insisted, attempting to tug her hand out of his grasp. "Can I have my hand back so I can eat?"
"You're finished," he pointed out, keeping her hand within his. "Tell me what's wrong, Mackenzie."
"There's nothing wrong, why would you think something's…" she was interrupted, much to her relief, by an unfamiliar voice.
"Excuse me everyone, if I could have your attention."
Godric frowned as he immediately moved around the island, tugging Mackenzie along with him as he slipped from the kitchen and down the short hallway into the living room. There, at the front of the room, stood a man Mackenzie could not remember seeing before. Others in the room however, tensed at his sudden appearance. Even Godric grew worried at her side.
Who was he?
"My name is Luke McDonald. I'm a member of the Fellowship of the Sun."
Mackenzie's heart dropped as angry growls sounded throughout the room. No. No what was he doing here? What was a member of the fellowship of the sun doing here in a house filled with vampires?
That's when realization set in for both Mackenzie and Godric.
He had her crushed against him in an instant, knowing trouble was brewing. He caught Eric's gaze across the room, the Viking's eyes widening when he realized who was next to his maker. Godric offered a short nod, assuring him of her safety as Luke began opening his jacket, revealing a bomb tied to his body by silver chains.
"I have a message for you all from Reverend Steve Newlin."
Godric had Mackenzie on the ground and beneath him before Luke could even press the trigger. He covered her form with his own as the blast destroyed much of the house around him. Bodies were thrown in all directions, chaos ensuing as the house began to crumble to pieces. He could smell the blood instantly and knew many were hurt, if not dead. The smell of blood was so close, so strong in his nostrils, that for a brief moment he wondered if he had not protected Mackenzie at all. Was she hurt? Had a piece of debris or silver harmed her? Was she injured? But as he raised his body to check on her, his eyes raking over her entire body, he found her to be completely in one piece.
"Oh thank god," he let out a heavy sigh. He would have killed everyone in that room if Mackenzie had been taken from him so soon after nearly losing her once. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, unable to answer. She was barely able to hear, ringing from the blast deafening her. Her eyes were wide as she peeked around Godric to get a look at the destruction. It made her stomach churned to see so much blood, to hear the cries of agony. The house she had loved so much as a child was ruined, walls completely crumbling while piece of the roof had caved it.
"Can you stand?" he questioned as he too gazed around them. It made him sick to see the chaos the fellowship had caused. He could already tell that many of his underlings had met the true death, along with multiple humans. What began as a night of relief had quickly turned into one of terror.
"I-I think so," she swallowed back the vomit that had begun rising up her throat. There was a pool of blood and guts directly beside them and it made her woozy. Godric must have known this as he quickly drew them to their feet, directing her away from the once vampire.
He stopped suddenly, however, when there was a sharp pain in his chest. He knew immediately where the source of pain had originated from and his entire body froze.
"Eric," he breathed out the name of his child, his orbs searching the scene before him. He was alive, he could feel it. The pain of losing a child had to have been much worse. But Eric was still harmed; he was still injured.
"Is he okay?" Mackenzie's fear spiked, her hands clutching onto his arm in fright. "Oh god he's not…"
"He's alive," he assured her, finally spotting his form lying on the ground, Sookie raised on her knees beside him. "But he's injured."
Mackenzie followed his glance and a gasp sounded from her lips. "No!"
She darted off towards him before Godric even had a chance to stop her. She was wobbly on her feet as she dodged around debris and bodies, both alive and dead, but she didn't let anything deter her as she made it to Eric's side. She dropped to her knees beside him, her heart racing as she searched for the source of pain.
"Eric?" she called his name, his eyes closed as he grunted in pain. "Eric, are you okay?"
"He threw himself in front of me," Sookie explained apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't think he'd…"
"You'd be dead if I hadn't," Eric managed out, only to cry out in pain. "Fuck!"
"Oh god," Mackenzie was shaking from head to toe. She had never thought in her life that Eric would ever be hurt or sick. Vampires couldn't get sick, not really, and they very rarely were ever hurt. He was the best kind of parent; she never had to worry about losing him, at least not by death. He was invincible, and she had thought so since she was a kid. But there he was, lying before him, injured and in pain. And she felt so helpless. "Please please please don't die."
"I'm fine," he insisted, forcing his eyes open in reassurance. He tried to push himself up, but only crashed back down onto the ground with a hiss of pain. "Shit!"
"You are so not okay," Sookie shook her head, searching for where he had been hurt. The colour drained from her face as she found two bullets lodged into Eric's chest under his shirt, bullets that from the rising smoke, she could tell ere silver. "Oh god!"
Mackenzie leaned forward and felt sick to her stomach at what Sookie had found. "Oh god, oh god, oh god."
"Mackenzie," his hand suddenly caught hers, a grimace on his face as the bullets moved further into his chest. But his only thought was Mackenzie. To see the sheer horror on her face at her guardian being hurt, it pained him much more than the bullets did. "I'm fine, I promise."
"You're not fine. You have silver bullets inside of you!"
"I need you to listen to me, Mackenzie. For once, just listen," he squeezed her hand, his eyes slipping back closed. The pain was growing worse. The bullets were digging themselves into him, one getting too close to his heart for comfort. He needed them out, and he needed them out soon. Or else Mackenzie was going to witness his death, and he would hate himself for all of eternity in the after life. "Promise me you'll listen."
"I-I'll listen," she promised with a shaky breath. "Just please be okay."
"I'm going to be fine. I need blood. I need you to get Godric and I need him to find a…"
"Here," Sookie cut him off, pushing up the sleeves of her jacket and offering her bare wrist. "Take mine."
"No," Eric grunted, shaking his head. "I will not."
"You will," Sookie insisted. "You need blood and you need it now. I can see in on your face, Eric. You need it. So have mine."
He looked like he wanted to refuse but a choked back sob from his other side stopped him.
"Please, Eric. Please take her blood. I-I can't lose you," she pleaded with him, tears forming in her eyes. She clutched onto his hand as if her life depended on it. But it wasn't her life at all, and instead, his. "You've told me a thousand times you can't lose me. Well I can't lose you either. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me all alone, Eric. I need you."
As a tear slipped down her cheek, Eric nodded. "Go find Godric, Mackenzie."
"I'm here, my son," Godric was at their side in an instant, his eyes widening at the sight of his child. "You need blood."
"I don't want her to watch this," Eric shook his head. He had ripped apart a man piece by piece in front of Mackenzie, but he could not let her see him feeding. He had never fed in front of her before, and he would not start him now.
"Too bad, I'm staying," she refused to let go of his hand. "Just take her blood already. Please Eric."
His face crumbled as he accepted Sookie's wrist, his extended fangs biting into the flesh swiftly. Sookie gasped softly, but soon relaxed as he began drawing blood from the wound. Mackenzie never once looked away, and instead squeezed his hand in the same way he had always held hers. He had been her rock, especially since coming home sick and collapsing at Merlotte's. He had spent days at her bedside, just to comfort her, just to keep her company. She would do the exactly same thing. She didn't care about the destruction around her. She didn't care as cries littered the room, or blood pooled on the ground. She didn't care about anything other than Eric in that moment. She would be his rock, just as he had been hers.
It wasn't much more than a minute or two later that the bullets began to rise out of Eric's chest. Mackenzie sighed in relief while her guardian hissed in pain. They soon clinked to the floor, the wounds healing instantly. It was only then that Eric retracted his fangs, licking Sookie's wrist one last time before she pulled away. Mackenzie shot Sookie a grateful smile, mouthing a thank you, before attacking Eric with an embrace. He grunted at first, his chest still sore. But soon he was drawing up into a sitting position, pulling his arms around her.
"Shh, I'm alright," he assured her, running his fingers through her hair soothingly. "It's okay, Mackenzie. I'm right here."
"Don't ever do that to me again!" she slapped at his chest, only to cringe and hold onto him tighter. Eric almost wanted to laugh at her reaction, but caught himself as he too held onto her tightly. There had once been a time neither would have held each other, no matter the reason. But so much had changed in the fourteen years they had been together. He loved her; he didn't deny that any longer and he never would again. He could not and would not ever lose her. He was determined the fellowship and her family would not lay another finger on his Mackenzie. He would gladly offer his own life before handing over hers.
"Shh, come on now, Mackenzie," he could hear her crying, her sobs being muffled by his shoulder. "No tears. You know I hate it when you cry."
"But you…you almost…" she couldn't say the words. He may have been fine, he may have been healed, but she still had nearly lost him. And that thought alone caused another sob to escape her lips. He may have been an asshole half the time, and she would always wonder if he did love her, but he was still her guardian, he was still a father to her. That would never change. She needed him, just as much as he promised her that he needed her. "I-I can't lose you, Eric. I can't."
"And you won't," he promised, slowly rising to his feet with her still attached to him. He chuckled when she refused to detach from him. She was afraid he would just disappear the moment she let go. She would not let that happen. "I'm not going anywhere, Mackenzie, I promise you."
"Are you certain you are alright?" Godric eyed his progeny, taking in every inch of his form. The pain had now eased in his chest, but he still worried about his eternal child. "Perhaps you need more blood."
"I'll have a donor later," Eric assured him. "But for now, Sookie's has revitalized me."
"I'm glad," Sookie nodded, holding her wrist gingerly against her chest. "But you are okay, right?"
"I'm fine," he offered her the first true smile she had ever seen him wear. "Thank you, Miss Stackhouse."
"Of course," a light shade of pink flushed across her cheeks. "I should ah, go find Bill."
"Of course," Eric nodded before catching her arm. "Allow me to heal that for you. He will not like to see that you aided me."
Sookie rolled her eyes in agreement. "He'll be grumpy for at least a week."
A small smirk slowly drew across Eric's lips as he extended his fangs once more and slicing the tip of a finger open. Sookie held out her wrist as he rubbed his blood over the two small wounds, healing them instantly.
"Thanks," Sookie flashed him a smile before hurrying off in the opposite direction.
Eric nodded and gazed down to the blonde in his arms. She was still attached to him, still crying into his shirt. He couldn't help but smile as he brushed his lips across the top of her head.
"Enough of that now," he pried her off of him, clasping a finger under her chin and forcing her gaze up to meet his. He smiled down at him with as much assurance as he could possibly muster before leaning down to lay a kiss on her forehead. "I'm fine, Mackenzie. Stop those tears of yours."
"Shut up," she mumbled with a frown that he thought looked far too much like a pout. She looked like Pam when she did that, he mused to himself.
At the thought of his own progeny, he gazed up and locked eyes with his maker. Godric knew immediately the question in Eric's eyes and nodded in return. Pam was fine. Though, Godric thought, she would likely demand a new pair of shoes, with the bill being sent straight to the fellowship.
As if on cue, Pam appeared next to her maker, relief spreading across her face. "You're okay?" fear laced her words.
"Don't you damn well start to cry too," he warned, the smile still on his lips as he nodded at her. "I'm fine, nothing a little blood couldn't heal. Did you hear that Mackenzie? I'm fine."
"Still not okay."
He could not wipe the smile from his face as he shifted her under one arm while raising his free hand to cup Pam's cheek. "I'm fine, Pam, don't worry."
"You better be. If you even try that shit again…"
"You and Mackenzie will both kill me yourselves, I'm sure." He rolled his eyes.
"You're damn right."
"Godric," Isabel spoke into Godric's ear as she joined them, Eric and Pam's attention drawing to Godric's lieutenant. "I've informed Hotel Carmilla and they are offering sanctuary."
Godric nodded. "Thank you Isabel. Inform the others. How many have…"
"Many," Isabel sighed sadly. "Stan is no longer with us."
He should have been sad at the news, but he had never cared for Stan and his temper. Shaking his head, he offered the woman a smile before glancing at his family. In one single night he had nearly lost them all and only reinforced his desire to resign as Sheriff. He didn't wish to spend another minute in Dallas, not when he could be in Louisiana with Eric, Pam and Mackenzie. He couldn't lose another day, not when he had already lost so many years with Mackenzie. She was human; every year counted.
"Let us find safety at Hotel Carmilla for the time being."
"And then home?" Mackenzie asked hopefully, peeking around Eric's arm at the ancient vampire. "Then we can go home?"
"Yes, my sweet. Then we can go home."
Eric never wanted to let Mackenzie go as they stepped into the crowded Hotel Carmilla. Nearly every vampire in the city was in the lobby, most looking bloodied and searching for a donor. Each and every one of them parted the moment Godric and his family stepped through the doors, heads bowing out of respect. Godric ignored them all as he led the way to the counter, keys already being offered to the Sheriff before he could even ask.
"You're usual suite, sir," the hotel manager handed over. "Will you require another?"
"Unless Pamela wishes to share."
"A girl needs her space," Pam shook her head, still trying to get the blood and soot out of her hair. She had complained the entire car ride about her outfit being ruined and her hair turning into an utter disaster.
Eric snorted as the manager quickly secured a second room directly beside the other.
"If there's anything else you need, please do not hesitate to ask."
Godric thanked him before herding them all towards the elevators. As if even the elevators knew of who he was, doors opened before they could even press the button. Not another soul dared to enter as the four slipped in, leaving the family to themselves. The moment the door closed, a collective sigh sounded amongst the vampire. It was the first peace and quiet they had found since the bombing.
"This place is pretty snazzy," Mackenzie was the first to speak, all heads turning towards her with raised eyebrows. "What?" she shrugged. "I'm tired and exhausted and I've had a long night. Leave me be."
Eric snickered as his arm tightened around her shoulders. No, he would not let her go for quite some time.
"You'll be able to sleep soon," he promised.
Her nose scrunched up at the thought of sleeping however. She wasn't sure she wanted to risk having another dream featuring Godric. She really didn't need another one, especially not so soon after the first. She still didn't understand why she had a dream of him. She tried to reason that it had just been a long night, or maybe she was just happy to see Godric, or maybe because he was the first of the vampire's she saw in the basement. But it still bothered her, it still haunted her thoughts. Because she was not supposed to be thinking of those things about Godric of all people.
"Mackenzie?" Godric could feel the confusion and shame that was coursing through the girl. He had never known what it was like to share the emotions of a human. Eric, even after he was first turned, had a very different thought process than Mackenzie, and even at his weakest moments as a baby vampire, hadn't felt so damn much. It was confusing to him. One moment she was happy and relieved that they were all safe and sound, and the next she was refusing to meet his gaze and feeling guilty. He just didn't understand her. Perhaps it was just how teenagers were. He prayed it was the case.
Mackenzie clutched onto Eric when Godric spoke her name. A chill ran down her spine and she couldn't understand it. A blush rose on her cheeks and she hated herself for it. What was wrong with her? What was actually wrong with her?
"Something wrong?" Eric gazed between them. He could feel something off with his maker, feeling his worry and concern. From the glances at the girl in his arms, Eric assumed it had something to do with Mackenzie. "Godric?"
"Mackenzie?" Godric repeated, boring a hole through her skull. "Is everything all right?"
"Peachy," she mumbled.
"Someone doesn't sound so peachy," Pam snorted. "What's up chick pea?"
"I'm just tired," she sighed, turning her head and hiding it in Eric's chest. Eric was caught between laughing and feeling concerned. "Or is that not okay?"
"Hey," he toyed with the ends of her braid. "No one is saying anything against you being tired. It's been a long night."
"Then drop it," her last comment was directed at Godric.
Godric sighed but nodded, not needing to cause a fight. He would not simply let this go however. She had been acting strange towards him before the bombing, and she was still acting odd. He would get to the bottom of it. He had to. He now shared a bond with her; he knew everything she felt, everything she tried to hide from him. It worried him that she was slowly beginning to pull away from him.
"Come on, lets just get some rest," Eric suggested as the elevator stopped and the doors opened with a loud ding.
"Agreed," Pam nodded as she led the way out of the elevator and down the hallway to their rooms. "I think we all need some sleep."
Godric was the last to exit the elevator, watching as Eric, with his arm still around Mackenzie, followed his progeny with a smile plastered across his face. It was in that moment, as he pressed his hand against the sliding door to keep them open, that he realized what was wrong with Mackenzie, why she was acting so strange.
He had thought he felt something along with her terror and fear. It had been so minimal, and hidden along with her fright that he had written it off. Perhaps it had come from Eric instead of her. But now as he stood there, wide-eyed and staring at Mackenzie's retreating back, he knew for certain why Mackenzie was acting so odd.
She had had a dream.
A/N: NO this will likely never happen again. so enjoy the three chapters in one day thing.