Chapter Fifteen:

Henley couldn't keep still. Anytime she would stop, anytime that she sat, she would be flooded with the sensations from the dream. Her lower half would clench whenever she just thought of the ghost she had had an erotic dream of. It was a reaction she didn't want. It was one she couldn't have. Godric was a ghost. That was that. Whether he could now touch her or not, he was dead. Now was not the time to enjoy dirty thoughts concerning a dead man.

She tried to focus on Jackson as she paced the room, as she sought comfort in the shower. She flicked through the channels, hoping for any kind of distraction. She even welcomed Willa into the room, desperate for anyone to talk to. She learned more about the vampire than she would have cared about on any other occasion, just to not let her thoughts stray. But everything Henley did always travelled back to Godric, and it was driving her insane.

Why him?

Why couldn't she have these dreams about someone, anyone, else? Hell, she would even rather to think of Jackson in such a way. At least the psychopathic witch was alive and solid.

"It's nearly dawn," Willa announced, her movements already turning sluggish and slow. "Godric said he would be back by then, right?"

Henley just nodded, a chill running up her spine at the mention of the ghost.

"I'm going to have to leave," the vampire chewed on her bottom lip, gazing through the curtains at the lightening sky. "Do you think he'll come back?"

Henley truly didn't know.

Willa sighed as she turned, getting a good look at the pacing red head. There had been something wrong with her all night, but she hadn't been eager to spill. Willa wanted to ask, the curiosity getting the better of her, but decided against it. She felt the anger from Godric when Pam had laid a hand on Henley; she didn't want to risk angering him with her questioning of the girl.

"I'm sorry, but I…"

"It's okay," Henley nodded to the door. "Go."

"Are you sure? He's not here. What if Jackson shows up?" Pam would kill her if Jackson got to Henley because of her.

"You'll fry to a crisp if you stay," Henley assured her. "Go home. I'll be fine. I've got Moony."

Willa wasn't so sure a german shepherd was going to do much good against a witch, but with the sun on the brink of rising, she didn't have much of a choice.

"I'll be back tomorrow night," Willa offered a smile. "Good luck."

Henley forced a smile of her own, grateful that the vampire had stuck around. The moment she was alone, however, thoughts of her dream consumed her.

Why did she have to have that dream? Why the hell did she have to touch herself when he was right there?

And watching.

How had to have been watching. It was impossible for him not to know what she was doing. It wasn't like she had been hiding the pleasure she was giving herself – all while she was completely asleep and at the mercy of some invisible lover that her subconscious was certain was Godric. This only complicated things. How was she going to be in the same room with Godric? How was she supposed to live with this embarrassment? This was worst than having her mother walk in on her with Tommy Johnson that one time in high school, or her sister hearing her masturbating through their shared wall during college.

"What am I going to do, Moony?" she sat cross-legged on the floor, scratching behind Moony's ears. The dog had absolutely no clue what was happening; he was simply content with the attention. "Why couldn't things just be normal for once?"

"I don't believe your life has ever been normal."

Henley stiffened at Godric's voice, keeping her gaze straight ahead. She couldn't look him in the eye ever again.

"We need to talk, Henley," Godric was slowly approaching, though he kept his distance. "We need to talk about what happened."

"I'd rather if we didn't," she tried to sound indifferent, but her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Henley, we need to."

"There's nothing to talk about," she insisted. Talking about the dream was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Something happened between us last night. There's a reason I can now touch you, why I suddenly can feel your emotions," he continued. This wasn't a subject they could dismiss. He would avoid the dream as much as he possibly could, but it only proved that something had occurred last night. They needed to understand what exactly it was, and quickly.

Henley's eyebrows furrowed. He could feel her emotions? Was that even possible? She wanted to question him, but the questions would only lead to that dream.

"My senses are returning when they were only dull before. Something is happening, Henley, and I don't understand what," he knelt beside her, ignoring as she started shifting away from him. He caught her chin and forced her gaze to meet him. "We need to talk about this."

"I don't want to," she whispered, shaking her head.

"We won't talk about…that," he promised her. "But we need to understand these changes. You're the only person – or thing – that I can touch and it all stems from last night."

He was right, she knew. They needed to figure out why Godric could all of a sudden touch her. A bond had suddenly formed between them and it too mysterious. It should never have occurred. She had met countless of ghosts in her life, and yet this had never happened in the past. Something was occurring here, something so much bigger than either of them.

Sighing, Henley nodded and turned towards the vampire. His fingers were still locked around her chin, his gaze intensifying, as if waiting for a certain reaction. When nothing occurred, he dropped his hand and moved to sit beside her.

His touch didn't affect her in the same way while she was awake.

"The first time you touched me, that was after I nearly died last night, wasn't it?" she thought out loud.

"Before," he shook his head. "I touched you cheek seconds before you woke."

Henley frowned. She still didn't understand how she was even alive. She had been able to feel death. "How am I even alive? I thought I was dead, Godric."

She nearly had been, Godric remembered. No human should have been able to recuperate so quickly like she had.

Could it have been his doing?

Had it been his touch that had healed her? It had worked when Pam had attacked her, to soothe the pain away. Had he been able to pull her away from the brink of death, and all by a single touch?

"So you touched me and then I was just alive?" it didn't sound possible to Henley. Neither did any of it, however. None of it should have been possible. But it was. Her life was proof to that. "Did you…I mean, was it your touch then, that…I don't even know. This doesn't make any sense. It shouldn't be possible. This shouldn't be possible."

Henley stood suddenly, unable to just sit there any longer.

"Why is this happening, Godric? Why couldn't I just help you with Eric and that be the end of it? Why the hell does Jackson want to kill me? Why are you suddenly able to touch me? Why is any of this happening?"

"I'm sorry," Godric rose to his feet with a frown.

"Why are you sorry?" she turned on him, an eyebrow rising. "You are I are in the same boat right now."

"If I had just left you alone, you wouldn't have been thrown into this mess," Godric shook his head. If he hadn't tormented the poor girl, if he had just left her alone, she would be at home right now, safe and sound. This was entirely his fault.

Henley's expression softened. He thought this was all his fault? "I don't know why Jackson wants to kill me, but I'm pretty sure you're not the reason for it. I met him long before you showed up."

"He knew you were able to communicate with me. He knew I was there last night," Godric pointed out. "That cannot be a coincidence."

"But it doesn't make sense."

"Perhaps he was…" a thought struck Godric. "Perhaps he was biding his time."

"What do you mean?"

Godric started to pace. "You met him before I came along, yes? Where was he in your life then when I met you?"

"We didn't work out," Henley shrugged. "Most of my relationships don't."

"Or maybe it just wasn't the right time."

Was he right? It couldn't be possible.

But as Henley thought about it, thought of when she and Jackson had parted ways, only to reunite just after Godric appeared in her life, it was starting to become too coincidental for her liking. Was Godric right? Had Jackson been biding his time until Godric and her had run into each other?

"When he showed up at the clinic," Henley sat on the bed, feeling light headed at the prospect. "It was just after I met you. You were just starting to pester me. And then he showed up."

"And he tried to poison you the day after you go to dinner."

"Crap," Henley groaned. If that was the case, then Jackson knew Godric would come into her life. He knew she would be haunted by the ghost and he just waited. But the question still remained of why. What did he want with her? Why was he waiting for Godric? "This still doesn't make any sense."

"I know," Godric sighed in agreement.

"I wish I had believed you when you first said he was a liar and that I shouldn't trust him. I should have listened," perhaps if she had, none of this would have happened.

"I didn't know at the time. Not really. I knew there was something off, but I was merely lost in wishing you to help me that I didn't investigate. If I had, I could have warned you properly," once again, Godric felt guilty. He could have tried to prevent this.

"Don't," she shook her head at him, seeing the guilt on his face. "Don't even. This isn't your fault, Godric. If we're right about this, then he's been planning this longer than I've known you. Neither of us could have realized what it would have led to."

"Perhaps…"

"It's happened, Godric," she offered a tiny smile. "Don't blame yourself. I'm not. You've saved my life multiple times now. You deserve all the thanks in the world, not blame."

They fell silent as Godric continued to blame himself. Henley sighed but didn't know what else to say to change his way of thinking. He was too stubborn for his own good; she had realized that the moment they met.

"You should rest," Godric finally spoke, nodding at the bed. "You hardly slept earlier."

Her gaze fell to the opposite bed and shuddered. There was no way she was falling asleep anytime soon.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"You don't seem fine."

"Are we going to argue about whether or not I'm fine again?" Henley raised an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, I nearly threw a lamp at you."

"And I remember telling you not to."

"And I didn't."

"You still want to," Godric snorted.

"Of course; you're still a stubborn ass," Henley shrugged. She was amazed at how easy it was to go from incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassed to perfectly normal and fine around Godric. She still didn't want to sleep, and any thought of dreams or even his touch sent the memories flooding back, but it was easier to be in the room with him than she thought. It just felt right. "Godric?"

"Hm?"

"We're going to get through this, right? I mean, no offence, but I really don't want to join you in ghost world."

When he suddenly appeared before her, the pad of his thumb caressing her cheek, Henley forced herself not to move an inch.

"I swear to you that Jackson will not harm you again," he promised her. "I will have him torn to shreds for ever causing those bruises."

His fingertips ghosted along the length of her neck, causing Henley to shudder as they passed over her bruises. It wasn't out of pain, however. She hated to admit that there was just a flash of pleasure, a reminder of her dream, before it disappeared.

"So," Henley pulled away, hurrying to her feet and putting distance between them. "Do you think the place down the street is still safe? I could use something to eat."

"It should be fine," Godric nodded, slowly turning towards her. If it were up to him, he would gladly never stop touching her.

"Great," her smile was forced as she grabbed her coat. "Lets go then."

She wouldn't look at him the entire walk.

She didn't want him to know just how much she enjoyed him touching her.

It was an hour after the sun had set when Henley began to grow tired. She tried to hide the yawns as she engrossed herself into some TV movie. She did everything she could to keep her eyelids from drooping. But it was no use. It had nearly been 24 hours since she had slept; she was too exhausted to try and keep up the façade that she was perfectly fine.

Godric never took his eyes off of her as she began drifting in and out of sleep. Every few minutes her eyes would fly open before closing after a failed attempt to remain awake. Her struggle amused him at first, until she stayed asleep for longer than a few minutes. It was then that the dark desire from the previous night began rearing its head.

He wanted her.

He so wanted her.

But that was the last thing he could do. He couldn't cause her that embarrassment and panic again. He couldn't bear to see that feared look on her face due to him.

Godric couldn't trust himself, though. His fingers itched to just reach over and gently caress her. With every passing moment that want, that need, it only increased. He wanted her in a way he hadn't wanted any other. And with only a slight touch, he could. She would so easily be hist.

No, Godric couldn't do this. He couldn't spend an entire night watching over her, battling with himself. He knew which would win. He knew he would end up causing the pleasure to sweep through her again, for her panic and confusion to arise whenever she did wake. He couldn't risk it, for both of their sakes.

"I cannot be here," he stood so suddenly, Henley was startled awake.

"Huh?" she blinked, rubbing at her tired eyes. "Did you say something?"

"I think it would be best if Willa joined you again tonight," Godric materialized beside the door. He needed to get as far away from her as he could possibly get while she slept.

Henley didn't understand as she sat up, her forehead wrinkling in confusion. "Why? Godric, what's wrong?"

"I do not think being here while you slept would be a good idea," he hurriedly explained. "It would be best if I was not around."

"But," her eyes grew wide. Godric dashing off and leaving was the last thing she wanted. "What if Jackson…"

"Willa will be here. You will be fine," The longer he remained, the harder it was to leave. He just wanted her. He wanted her so desperately he was afraid what he would do. A few hours every day away from her was needed for his sanity. For both of their sanities. "I'll return at dawn, I promise you that."

Her mouth dropped open in shock as he suddenly disappeared, leaving her utterly alone. She didn't have a moment to understand what had just happened, however, as Willa came through the door.

"I think I just heard Godric again," the vampire's eyebrows were furrowed. "I think he asked for me to stay with you again. It was muffled though. Is he…"

"He's gone," her shoulders sank.

"Oh," Willa had a suspicion the reasoning behind it was the same as last night. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Henley forced a small smile before curling back up on the bed. Why had Godric left? Was it because of last night? Was he worried about another dream occurring? Did it embarrass him to watch as she pleasured herself, calling out his name? "Of course it did," she muttered to herself. How could it not have?

"Well if you want to talk about it at all, I'm here," Willa offered.

Henley just nodded as she turned over and tried to will herself to sleep. Her thoughts, however, were solely focused on Godric. Would there ever be a time she wasn't thinking about the ghost?

Willa was panicking.

She peeked through the curtains one last time before quickly closing the material and glancing at the sleeping girl on the bed.

This was bad.

"Pam is going to kill me," she groaned quietly, flashing across the room and to Henley. "Henley?"

It was harder than she expected to wake the girl, having to use force and nearly pushing her right off the bed, just to earn a grunt from the sleeping form.

"Henley wake up!" Willa whispered, shooting a worried glance towards the door. "You need to wake up."

"Shh, five more minutes," Henley moaned, tugging the sheets up to her chin.

"We don't have time for five more minutes," Willa yanked the sheets away from her.

Pouting, Henley cracked an eye open to glare at the vampire. "Godric explicitly told me to rest."

"If he was here right now, I think that would be the last thing he would want you to be doing," Willa was by the door again, gazing through the peephole. "We have a problem."

"Huh?" Henley sighed in defeat, opening both eyes as she slowly sat up. She had been enjoying a pleasant dream involving Moony chasing squirrels with no sign of Godric anywhere. It was blissful after last night's nightmare.

"We have a problem," Willa repeated, turning, and if possible, looking paler than before. "A major problem."

Henley was alert, pushing herself to her feet as she approached the worried vampire. "What's going on?"

She went to glance out the window, but Willa grabbed the back of her shirt and tugged her back.

"What?" Henley grunted in annoyance. "What's going on Willa? What's got you so freaked out?"

"Jackson," Willa breathed out. "Jackson's outside."