Chapter 9:

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all," Henley murmured to herself as she sat in her car in the Fangtasia parking lot. She didn't even know why she was there. She should have just forgotten what Godric had said about his child, forgotten what she had seen online, and just gone on with her life. But no, her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

She considered turning around and going back home. If Godric knew she was there, he would get too excited and think she was planning on helping him. And that was furthest from the truth. No, she just needed an after work drink, that was what she was telling herself. It had already been a long week, and she deserved a night out.

Of course, there were plenty of bars and pubs between work and her house she could have chosen. She didn't have to wait until she was normally in bed to travel to the outskirts of the city to mingle with fangbangers and vampires.

"Curiosity killed the cat," she reminded her, groaning when her body climbed out of the car on its own accord. "Yeah I'm definitely going to regret this."

Wrapping her jacket tightly around herself, she shuffled across the parking lot and to the long line of fangbangers waiting to get in. She shouldn't have been surprised, of course, as it was a Saturday, and she should have even been relieved. If she was just one of many humans in the bar, hopefully she could go unnoticed so she could have a drink or two in peace.

And maybe take a peek at Godric's supposed Viking child.

After what felt like an eternity, Henley's orbs darting in every direction as she assured herself Godric was nowhere to be seen, she finally made it to the front of the line. Flashing her ID to the blonde vampire at the door, she slipped into the bar. She snorted the moment she stepped foot inside the building, stifling a laugh as she took a good look around. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't Disneyland vomiting all over the vampire bar.

Shaking her head, Henley maneuvered through the bodies to the bar. She was going to need a preliminary drink to get through the next few hours. With a rum and coke in her hands, sipping the liquid courage, she was able to take an even closer look around. She knew the moment she laid eyes on the stage at the back of the bar that she was staring at Godric's child. He was even more gorgeous in person, Henley had to admit. More godlike than a picture could ever get right. His long legs were lazily spread out before him, his shoulders slouched as he gazed down at his phone with a clear look of boredom.

The longer she stared at the Viking vampire, however, she began realizing it wasn't boredom at all.

"Isn't this a lovely sight?"

Henley groaned out loud, only to blush a deep shade of red as those around her shot her odd looks. She should have known Godric wouldn't leave her alone for an entire day.

"Go away Godric," she muttered as quietly as she could. She had heard of vampire's enhanced hearing. The last thing she needed was for Godric's child to hear her talking to his deceased maker. She had a feeling that wouldn't entirely go over well.

"Now what are you doing here?" his eyebrow rose as he leaned against the bar counter beside her. "I thought you weren't going to help me."

"This isn't me helping you," she murmured in response, shooting him a glare.

"Then what is this, exactly?" he leaned towards her, his lips inches from her ear. "Because this looks suspiciously like you helping me."

"Helping you would require me actually doing something other than drinking," she pointed out before glancing around them. She cursed under her breath as heads began turning to take notice of her strange behaviour. She may be surrounded by supernatural creatures, but talking to yourself was still frowned upon. "Now shut up and leave me alone."

Godric chuckled before disappearing from her side. She found him, however, settled beside his child as she glanced back up at the throne on the stage. She took another sip of her drink as she watched how Godric interacted with the very much alive vampire. His expression softened, though there was worry written all over his face, his lips dropping into a frown. He was concerned for Eric, Henley could see that. And she was beginning to understand why.

Eric Northman was depressed.

She didn't know why, or if vampires could even become depressed, but she knew without a doubt that Eric was indeed. Despite her assurance that she wouldn't get involved, that this was just for her curiosity's sake, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Godric hadn't been worried about an external threat to his child. He was merely scared of what he might do to himself.

She could relate.

Henley quickly shook those thoughts away as she threw down a few bills on the bar along with her empty glass and hopped off the stool. Watching this depressed vampire was only bringing up dark memories of her own, memories she'd rather not remember.

She left the bar not even half an hour after entering. She just wanted to get home, and she was almost free until her pesky ghost reappeared before her.

"Not now, Godric," she moved around his form, her hands beginning to shake as she fiddled with her car keys.

"You came here for a reason," his eyebrows furrowed, blocking her car door. "And now you're leaving?"

"I'm tired," she lied.

"Why? Why did you come here? Why are you leaving?" he demanded to know.

"Because I am," Henley sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I never came here with the intention to help you. So just move."

"You came here because you were intrigued by him, by why I was so desperate for your help. You came here for a reason. Why are you already leaving? Help me."

"You mean help him," she shot at him, her hands curling into tight fists in an attempt to stop their shaking.

Godric hesitated before slowly nodding. "Yes."

"You never said he was depressed."

"How did you…"

She shook her head, her gaze falling to the ground as if her shoes were the most interesting thing in the world. "He just had that…look."

She could feel his stare boring through her and it unnerved her. But his weren't the only eyes on her, and as she peeked over her shoulder, she found the line waiting to enter Fangtasia beginning to take notice of her.

"Can we do this inside the car please?" she pleaded with him. She knew very well the damn vampire wasn't going to leave her alone. She'd much rather, however, deal with his infuriating self out of ear range of others.

Godric was in the passenger seat before she could even blink. Sighing heavily, Henley unlocked the door and slipped into the car. Jacking the heat up to stay warm, she glanced over at the vampire who looked suspiciously like he was trying not to fume.

"I thought the whole reason you wanted my help was become of some random threat against your kid?" It wouldn't matter the reason why Godric needed her help, but it would have been nice to know the truth. She might have been a bit nicer when she declined if she knew. "You didn't say he was depressed."

"Would it have mattered?" he questioned bitterly. "You would have still said no, would you not have?"

"Well, yes," she shrugged. "But still…"

"It wasn't necessary," Godric stared straight ahead, his lips forming a thin line.

Henley's eyebrows furrowed as she took the vampire in. originally she thought the ghost was angry. But she had been wrong. He was concerned.

He was worried.

"You're afraid he's going to kill himself."

When Godric didn't even move a muscle, she knew she had hit the nail on the head.

She didn't know what to say. She was sorry? She knew it wouldn't help. No one wanted to hear someone else was sorry. It didn't help anything. It didn't solve a single thing.

The only one who could fix any of this, who could actually do something, was her.

"I'm sorry," she responded lamely. "I…"

"Don't," he shook his head sharply. "I don't want to hear your pity, not when you're not willing to help ensure that does not happen."

Henley's shoulders fell as she leaned back in her seat. Godric was right of course. He had a right to be bitter. Most ghosts she encountered simply wanted their loved ones to know they were safe and sound and that they loved them. Maybe they had some urgent message, but it was never this necessary before. She didn't know how to handle this new piece of information. Did it change her refusal to help? Did it make her want to help Godric?

Henley wasn't sure. It was selfish and cruel, but she just didn't know what she wanted to do.

So she did the only other thing she could to offer her support.

"I wanted to once," she chewed on her bottom lip hard as she allowed the memories to flood back.

His gaze suddenly turned to her. "What?"

"When I was sixteen, it was really bad. Everyone at school thought I was crazy, even my teachers. The ghosts…they were especially worse that year. They just kept showing up, one after another. I didn't even have time to breathe, it was…suffocating," Henley tugged her jacket tighter around her form, a chill running up her spine that had nothing to do with the weather.

"But you did not."

She shook her head. "Ironically enough, it was a ghost that talked me out of it."

"The problem became the solution."

"I guess you could put it like that," Henley tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's just so many people that would give anything to have a second chance to be alive, to fix their lives; It felt almost selfish to take mine."

She looked away as she felt his stare, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"His sister died."

It took Henley a moment to realize what Godric had said. Turning her gaze onto the vampire, she raised an eyebrow in question. "Huh?"

Godric gazed down at his lap. "His sister…my daughter…she died recently. That is why Eric is…not himself."

Godric really didn't realize that with every new piece of information he began sharing with her, the harder it was becoming for Henley to say no.

"I'm sorry. But you can see her now, right?"

He sent her a strange look. "You truly do not understand us at all, do you? You claim to know, to understand, but you don't."

Henley wasn't sure whether to feel insulted or not.

"We do not choose to be here," pain crossed his face. "We do not choose to live our existence on this plane, walking the earth, watching our loved ones day and night. None of us have chosen this."

"I didn't…well I mean, I…"

"You didn't care to know," Godric looked away. "I never asked for this. I didn't want this. I wanted peace. Instead I'm being tortured, being so close to my child but unable to help."

She could only sit there, staring at her lap, feeling almost ashamed that she didn't realize the pain the ghosts she had run from her entire life was enduring.

"I could only watch as she was infected, as she grew sicker with every passing hour. I could do nothing as she died in Eric's arms. I couldn't even comfort my own child. I barely even got a moment with her before she passed over. I fear I likely will never see her again while I'm stuck here, forced to watch the pain of my family," as she risked a glance at the vampire, she was taken back to find his orbs ringed with blood. She had read once that a vampire's tears were blood, but she had never believed it was true.

The guilt felt heavy in the pit of her stomach.

"I…" she felt at a loss for words. There was nothing she could say to lessen him pain. There was nothing she could do besides agreeing to help him. Her words of sympathy wouldn't do a damn thing. But she didn't know what else to do. "I'm sor…"

"Stop apologizing," Godric suddenly hissed, his eyes narrowing as he threw her a dark glare. "Stop acting as if you care."

"Godric, I…"

"You won't help me. You won't help him," Henley jumped as his fangs suddenly descended with a sharp click. The windows began shaking, static from the radio filling the car. Her heart was racing as she glanced out the window, relieved that no one was paying her any attention. Her gaze, however, was quickly brought back to the seething vampire when the ice-cold clutch of death grasped onto her arm. She tried to shake herself free, but his invisible grasp remained.

"Stop it," she pleaded softly, her eyes growing wide as the radio started changing stations. "Godric, stop it."

"You are a selfish coward," he growled, his orbs narrowing. She shuddered at how low his tone was, the clutch of death coursing entirely through her now. "You have no heart."

And what could she say? How could she defend herself?

He was entirely right.

"You will stand idly by as he harms himself," he accused angrily. "You will do nothing as he takes his own life."

"I…"

The low rumble that emitted from the vampire silenced her.

"I will no longer trouble you."

Godric was gone before she could even blink. Henley just stared at the now empty passenger seat, unable to even breathe. A chill had run up her spine and her hands couldn't stop shaking. She didn't know how long she simply sat there before finally finding the courage to pull out of the parking lot. She half expected to find the vampire when she returned home, or as she got ready for bed. But she was instead left with the guilt and shame, knowing Godric was right.

She was a selfish coward.

Willa bit her bottom lip nervously as she anxiously stepped up onto the throne before her maker. The Viking didn't gaze at her, merely waving his hand for her to speak. Even as a vampire, the butterflies still fluttered in her stomach. Her maker was not one she wished to get on the wrong side of. She had seen first hand what the vampire was capable of.

"What is it?" Eric sighed heavily, finally raising his gaze to rest on his baby vampire.

"Well I…" Willa wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't even entirely sure there was anything to even say. But what she had seen and heard wasn't usual.

"Well you what?" he raised an eyebrow. "Don't stutter."

Willa sighed, wringing her hands in front of her. "I saw something…strange while outside."

"Strange?" Eric didn't look amused.

"There was this girl…"

"You're interrupting me over a human?" his gaze hardened. "I'm not interested."

"But Eric…"

"You're excused," he waved her off the stage.

Willa was about to argue, but Pam suddenly appeared at the side of her newest sister, ushering her off the stage.

"But Pam…" Willa glanced over her shoulder to their maker as Pam guided her back towards the front entrance.

"Do you really want to piss him off tonight?" Pam sent her a pointed look. "Just take care of the door."

"But there was this girl and she was just talking to herself," Willa tried to explain.

"Fangtasia is a magnet for the crazy ones. Just send her on her way and move on," Pam rolled her eyes at the younger vampire.

Willa frowned. "She wasn't crazy, Pam. At least, I don't think she was. She was talking about Eric and…"

"And I really don't care."

"She was talking about Godric," the brunette continued. "I know he's Eric's maker that died awhile ago. I heard you talking to Tara about him once."

Pam paused, her eyebrows furrowing. "And what exactly was she talking about concerning Godric?"

"Well that's the thing, it was like she was talking to him."

Pam snorted. "That's impossible."

"Well I know that, but it's what she was doing," Willa shrugged. "She was just sitting in her car arguing with someone, but there was no one there. And she kept saying Godric's name and…"

Pam stopped her with a frown. "It's likely nothing."

"But…"

"Drop it," Pam ordered, nodding at the door. "Just go do your job."

Willa's shoulders dropped but obliged, leaving the blonde alone to her thoughts. She gazed across the bar to where her maker sat and her frown deepened. The human Willa had seen was likely just another lunatic the bar had attracted. Nonetheless, Pam noted to herself to take a look at the security cameras. She didn't need some crazy human disrupting her maker and causing him to grow even more depressed. She was worried about his well being enough as it was.