Disclaimer:
Anything you recognise belongs to the creative genius that is Charlaine Harris and/or Alan Ball. I'm just playing around with their universe(s).
xXx
13
"Godric!"
Irin eyed the black-haired woman resentfully, not straightening from her crouch behind the large bed as a small growl escaped her throat at the betrayal. Calling Godric was such a low-blow; Isabel had put her through hell the past week, subjecting her to boring etiquette lessons for hours each night, and whenever Irin had objected Godric had shown up - and somehow she'd ended up doing as she was told.
The Sheriff appeared in the bedroom a few seconds later, his calm eyes taking in the scene. Dark eyebrows rose at the sight of his charge's defensive pose and his Second's annoyed expression. "Isabel? What is this?"
"I cannot get the girl ready for your visit with the King if she refuses to do what I ask!" She waved the black heels she'd been trying to get the redheaded baby vampire into in her general direction. "Would you please tell her that she cannot go barefooted at the court?"
The ancient man seemed to take a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before he looked at his Daughter with the blank expression she'd come to know as his 'business face'. "Irin, I have asked you to follow Isabel's instructions this week. Why are you disobeying her?"
She straightened up, crossing her arms over her chest in an indignant pose. "Why do you always take her side?!"
Godric blinked as if he wasn't quite sure he'd heard her right – which he of course would have, seeing as he was a vampire. "There is no side to take, kitten. Isabel is doing her best for this visit to go well for you, and she knows best what that entails of appropriate attire."
Like hell there wasn't any side to take! Irin felt her bottom lip quiver traitorously. He hadn't taken her feelings or opinions into account at any point during this 'royal visit preparation', had hardly spent any time with her apart from when he monitored her feedings (from strictly female donors), and she had just had it.
"I'm not wearing them! And you can't make me!" She stomped one, bare foot for effect and sent him a challenging glare.
The dark-haired vampire heaved a deep sigh and glanced at his second. "Does she really need to?"
Isabel looked outraged at the mere question. "Of course she does, Godric! Do you really want everyone to treat her like some uncontrollable wildling?!"
"She is just a baby, Isabel. They should understand."
Irin's jaw dropped. A baby?! She had been a full adult when she died, almost twenty one years old, and he thought of her like some toddler! "I am not a child!"
Godric recognised the sound of a full-blown tantrum from the screeching tone, but it was the shattering sound of one of the picture frames impacting with the opposite wall that fully marked his stray reaching her breaking point.
Being dragged from his own preparations – mainly consisting of compiling vast amounts of data into report format and resolving all necessary Sheriff-responsibilities in his area to ensure it would run as smoothly as possible in his absence – to settle an argument over shoes had not exactly been the highlight of an already trying week, but seeing the girl he had claimed as his Child lose it over something so trivial had to be a new benchmark of some sort.
"Irin…" He sounded more tired than stern, even to his own ears. "I will not put up with that sort of behaviour."
"Don't be so heartless! This is all your fault."
Flabbergasted, he turned around to face the Latina woman who'd slung the – rather unexpected – accusation at him. "And how is this my fault?"
Isabel gestured at the girl, whose eyes had started to rim with red. "Can't you see this is all too much for her? Comfort the girl, rather than scold her! It is no wonder she is acting out when you expect her to take in all these new impressions in just one week - without the support of her maker."
His eyes narrowed at the affront to his maker-capabilities, but the soft sniffle from behind the bed drew his attention. Red drops were sliding down his little one's cheeks and she had wrapped her arms around herself in a protective gesture, though her bottom lip had a stubborn pout to it.
Guilt nestled heavily in the pit of his stomach; his Second was right. He'd been too preoccupied with his Sheriff's duties, thinking Irin would be fine under Isabel's caring guidance for the week, but the result had been too much pressure for her still-frail mind and… he had neglected her.
Making a quick decision he shot Isabel a dark look; she might have been right in her observations but he did not appreciate being scolded by an underling, however much he valued her opinions.
She seemed to realise she'd spoken out of turn too, shrinking back ever so slightly, but the stubborn tilt to her jaw was a clear indicator that she didn't regret her words. His Second in command was a strong-willed woman, but she was also unusually compassionate for a vampire, and he knew her care for the feral girl was the cause of her harsh words. Furthermore, she hadn't complained about babysitting even though it meant she'd hardly gotten to see her human the entire week as Irin had yet to make the consistent distinction between 'food' and 'companion'.
Godric quirked an eyebrow at her. "Very well. Then I would appreciate the reports on my desk finished up before dawn, and the final check-up on the raids of those three bars filed for me to look over in the afternoon. Please, leave me with my progeny; I do not wish to be disturbed for the rest of the night. If there are matters I absolutely must attend to before we leave tomorrow, put a note on my desk and I will do so when I rise."
Isabel nodded, placed the offending shoes that had started the whole mess on the bed, and left her Sheriff's bedroom, closing the door behind her with an ominous click that made Irin flinch and eye her maker cautiously.
Godric folded his arms over his chest and sighed. "You know I won't harm you. Come here."
She hesitated by the bed, purple eyes flickering to the ruined picture frame and the dent one of its corners had left in the wall.
"Irin." He purposely let some of his Sheriff's authority slip into his tone. "Come. Here."
Sulkily she obeyed, sliding from the other side of the bed to stand in front of him, head bent. It pleased him that she no longer expected the worst from him, even after a tantrum like that.
"Do you care to explain what that scene was about?"
"I am not a child." She lifted her head to meet his gaze. "And I don't like being treated as one."
He let a thumb stroke over the bloodstains on her cheek. "You are barely more than two months old."
"I'm over twenty – I'm an adult," she stubbornly insisted, and he had to strangle a smile. Even counting her human years she was hardly more than an infant, but he knew humans viewed age differently.
"Kitten, your human age does not matter – you have been a vampire for such a short amount of time, and with such a violent start, that your emotions control you completely still. You will be a child in our society for many years to come, until you learn to control your impulses and harness your power."
The girl pulled a face at him. "That's ridicules."
"Is it?" He sent the shattered glass a pointed look, and then the heels on the bed, before he returned his gaze to her face. "Would an adult act as you have this evening?"
Her full lips pinched at his gentle admonishing, but she didn't answer, her annoyed glare falling from his face in defeat.
"I know I am to blame too." He reached out and stroked a hand through her hair, the other one easily slipping around her body to pull her into an embrace; it was meant as a soothing gesture for her, but he found an odd sensation of calm wash though his own body when she settled against him. Apparently, he'd missed her too this past week. "You should not have had to go through this pressure so soon, and I do not blame you for reacting to it."
"I don't like it when I don't see you much," she muttered against his shirt. "And I don't like all the silly things Isabel made me do this week."
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "If it makes you feel any better, she has threatened me to wear uncomfortable clothes too during this visit."
She hummed an amused note, pulling her head back to look up at him. "Did she tell you that you had to behave yourself too?"
His smiled turned into a – rather unusual – cheeky grin. "No. But then again, I don't behave like a wildling, so she didn't need to."
Outrage settled on the girl's pretty features for a moment before she, quick as a snake, bent her head and nipped his arm. It didn't really hurt and she didn't pierce the skin, but she had definitely put her teeth to his flesh.
"Kitten…" he warned.
She bit him again, and then darted out of his embrace. Her eyes sparkled mischievously at him. "I am a child and a wildling – you can't expect better of me!"
Godric let out a surprised rumble of laughter at her sudden playfulness. That, of course, ruined any hope he had of reining her in with a gentle scolding for her improper behaviour.
Irin's eyes lit up at his response and she zipped to his side again, undoubtedly to bury her teeth in his skin once more, but he quickly snatched her around the waist with one arm, his free hand grabbing her jaw. "You are not nearly quick enough to get away with that, young lady!"
She pouted at him, which made the corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement. "But I am glad to see your mood has improved."
A smile spread on her face. "I am always happier when you are with me."
His own smile faltered as the guilt from before returned with an uncomfortable twinge. "Will you forgive me? For neglecting you so this week?"
His progeny's expression softened as she lifted both hands to cup his face. The genuinely adoring gaze in her unusual eyes was like a warm caress against his old soul. "You don't need forgiveness."
It was odd, really. The ancient being knew she spoke about the past week's lack of caretaking, but for some reason he could see his centuries upon centuries of shameful deeds reflected in her affectionate gaze. His hand released her jaw, fingers stroking gently along her cheek. This girl was his attempt at righting the wrongs he'd bestowed upon humanity, and he was awed at the chance he had been given with her.
"I do," he said softly.
"Okay," she complied easily, stretching up and placing her lips against his, eyelids fluttering closed at the contact.
His Irin was very affectionate, and she had pecked him before without it causing him to even pause, but never on the lips. Not that it really made a difference; her kiss was as innocent as the rest of the affections she so readily bestowed on him, and as he himself had pointed out moments before – she was a mere toddler in comparison to him.
But the soft brush of her mouth over his did not feel like the kiss of a child at all.
Godric was ripped out of his shock at the contact when their lips parted and she bounced back down on her heels, smiling widely up at him. "There, all is forgiven."
xXx
A/N: I am yet undecided if I should up the rating on this fic or not, and would appreciate some input if you have a preference one way or another.
If it gets upped to an M-rating there will be more details concerning Irin's ordeal with her original maker, and there will be some physical descriptions to the up-coming romance. However, it is *not* the intent that this turn into a smut-fic either way.
If it sticks with the T-rating Irin's past will stay implied throughout the story, and any naughty business will be fade-to-black.
I'm interested to know if you'd think it would add or subtract to the story as a whole to increase the rating, and also if you – due to age restrictions – would have to stop following it.
*EDIT* I'm afraid I won't be able to update any of my fics before - estimated - late December. Any changes to this I'll slap up on my profile.