AN: So I totally missed posting on Saturday, but I hope you like this chapter. I think it with answer questions that were asked in reviews. Without further ado enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 24 The Fabric that Holds it all Together
Sookie's Point of View
I love this new power. I should have asked Claude where everything comes from. I don't want to use it if I am stealing. I hope no one is missing this little guy. I smile and look down at my new furry friend. He is so cute. I am going to have to come up with a name for him. Claude is right though I am exhausted. I think I made Barry's day with the motorcycle. He is sitting astride it with the biggest smile on his face. I am happy for him.
My eyes start to flutter. I should probably head inside if I don't want to get sunburned. I know better than to fall asleep outside that is one mistake I have only made twice in my life. I stand up carefully with my little friend. "Barry I am going to take a nap." I say before making my way back inside. I quietly slip into my room. I know that I won't wake Godric but I can't help myself. I place my furry friend at the foot of the bed and crawl in. I fall asleep almost instantly. Thankfully no uninvited guests pop up in my dream. I wake up to find Godric stroking the little fuzz ball. "Good evening" I smile stretching.
"Where did this little guy come from?" He asked returning my smile gesturing to the kitten.
"Well I took another dose of the fairy boot in a bottle and we figured out I can literally wish for anything and it will show up. I was sitting outside in the garden with Barry and Claude waiting to see what would happen. My mind wandered to thinking about getting a new pet and that little guy popped out of thin air into my lap. Claude says that the only other fairy he knows that can do it is Niall." I ramble for a minute.
"Remarkable, have you noticed any other new powers?"
"No not yet. Claude said to call him if we did." I pause before I remember my weird dream. "Godric do you know someone named Pythia?" His head whips in my direction.
"Yes I do, why do you ask?" He sounds almost cautions.
"I had a dream last night that was freaky real like the ones I was having with Preston in them. Only this time it was an older woman that was blind. She was trying to warn me about stuff but could not give me any definite answers to my questions. Before the dream ended she put this shawl on me and it was there when I woke up."
"What was she warning you about? What did she say exactly? Where is the shawl now?" He asked looking both concerned and frustrated.
"Um… well she said I need to be there to take care of Hunter, cause he is going to be super powerful. She said not to trust his dad but she didn't know about Hadley, cause her future was still in the air. Then she said that a war, that was not mine, was coming but I needed to be prepared. Last, she said I needed to be kind and accepting of the fairy, cause he could protect me when others could not. The stuff with Hunter I got but the rest of it was really vague. I mean, how am I, supposed to be ready for a war that aint mine to fight? And for that matter which fairy was she talking about? You said you know her is she always like that? Who is she?"
He chuckled before answering. "You had the pleasure of meeting the Ancient Pythoness. She is a wonderfully confusing creature. Pythia as she asked you to call her was the original Oracle. She was turned because she was so revered even at her age. She lives somewhere in Greece with her handmaidens. It also happens that she is my maker. I have not seen her in sever hundred years." His smile turns slightly sad. "Now Sookie, this is really important, I need to see the shawl she gifted you. Where is it?"
"Oh … um… I think I left it in the garden on the chair. Why is it im-" Before I can finish the question he is flying out the window down into the back garden. He floats back through the window cradling the red glimmering fabric.
"This, my darling little one is or I should say was the stole woven by the Gods. It was gifted to Pythia when she was still a young girl, from the God Apollo. It is imbued with powerful magic that protects the wearer from harm. It has had different names throughout the centuries. One I know Pythia always found humors was The Stole of Nothingness. It can make you disappear from sight, sound and smell. Another title is The Wrap of Perfect Heath. If wrapped around a bleeding wound, it can heal the wound much like vampire blood, leaving behind no marks. Supposedly it can cure any illness. The final name I am aware of is The Shawl of Strength. It is essentially an amplifier. It can give a boost to any power you possess. I fear what is to come if she gave you this, but I want you to keep it with you always." His tone is so serious that I am in awe.
"I promise I will." I say letting him wrap it around my shoulders.
"Now, I believe we have a visit to make to your brothers." He smiles.
Godric's Point of View
I am at once, grateful and confused by my maker's gift. For her to bestow Sookie with it mean the petulant queen is the least of our worries. I have half a mind to call her and demand she explain herself. However, I know it would be an act in futility. The old bat talks in riddles. I know she would not give me an answer, it is her way to protect the future. I have only seen her try to change future events once. She stopped me from saving boy being beaten to death by his master. After she commanded me to stay still she told me why. If I saved that boy he would grow into a horrible man, who would be turned into a vampire so cruel, the world would not recover. She said that by letting him live I would have lost my chance to be a maker and to find true happiness. The boy's name was Appius. She always told me, that the repercussions for changing things, which are set in motions, would be too great. After that I never questioned her judgment, even when I knew she could see things she could have changed. I pull myself from my musings when we pull up to the home of my little one's brother.
Our drive was relatively quiet. Sookie seemed to be in as deep of thought as I was. I could feel that she was nervous. When I questioned her about it she said that her relationship with her cousin had always been hard. She was not sure what to expect. "Little one, are you ready to go in?" I asked after several minutes of us sitting in the car.
"Yes, sorry I just needed to convince myself everything would be fine." She gave me a weak smile before exiting the car. I followed her to the door.
"I was wondering if y'all were gonna come in or sit there all night. Come one in." Her brother answered the door.
"Sorry Jase, where is everyone?" She asks moving to enter the house. I follow silently behind her.
"Hadley is giving Hunter his bath. He decided to try and swim with his clothes on right before y'all got here. Little guys is covered in more mud then I think is at the bottom of the pond." Jason chuckled moving to sit in what I think was reclining chair at one time. Sookie steers me to sit next to her on a very well-worn sofa. "So who is your friend here?"
"Oh I'm sorry Jason this is Godric. Godric this is my brother Jason." He offers me his hand. I take it before Sookie can correct his behavior. While under normal circumstances I would not shake his hand, I felt that he needed this convention of human behavior.
"I am glad to meet you. Sookie has said many kind things of you." I offer.
"Thanks Sook is a good girl and her opinion is important to me." We settle into a silence. I notice that Sookie has the same look she does when she was conversing silently with Barry.
Sookie's Point of View
Almost as soon as we pulled up I could feel Hunter's probing thoughts. I smile at his enthusiastic questioning. "Are you my aunt Sookie? Mommy thinks you can hear head voices too. Can you? Who is the man with you?"
"Yes Hunter, I am Sookie and your mommy is right I can. This is my friend his name is Godric. Hunter can you hear Godric's head voice?" I ask.
"Yep he really likes you, but he's sad. Do you think he'd like a hug?"
"I don't know, Godric is a vampire and they don't always like to be touched. You can ask him but I don't want you to be sad if he says no."
"Ok I like you head voice Aunt Sookie. You're nice. Do you want to play with me after my bath? Mommy said Daddy is picking up supper. Do you like fried pickles? Daddy is gettn' fried pickles and onion rings and burgers. I don't like burgers but Daddy said he's get me chicken fingers. Aunt Sookie are chicken fingers real fingers? Is Godric gonna eat with us does he like fried pickles?" I try not to giggle out loud.
"I would love to play with you Hunter but I might need to talk to your mommy and daddy. I do like fried pickles and chicken fingers are not real fingers. Vampires don't eat food like we do so I don't think he will." I tried to explain without thinking about how Godric eats. I really don't think it would be good to have a three year old freaking out about vampire's feeding habits. I realize I have been ignoring my brother and Godric. They seem to have stopped talking. A minute later I see a naked Hunter, running down the hall towards my old bedroom. Hadley is not far behind carrying a towel. The three of us burst with laughter.
"So yeah the little naked guy was Hunter and that was Hadley chasin' him." Jason says as a way of introduction. Soon Hadley comes out with a fully dressed Hunter.
"Mommy where is Daddy I'm hungry?" Hunter asks. I see he is clutching a fuzzy teddy bear.
"I'm sure he's waiting on our order sweetie." That asshole better not have dumped this kid on me. I have been in his life for less than a week. I can hear from her thoughts that she feels Remy did a runner. Hunter looks at Hadley before shaking his head and running back to the other room. "Well that was Hunter. Jason what the hell is a vampire doing in your house?" She screams when she notices Godric.
"He is Sookie's friend. She is staying with him while her house gets fixed. Oh Sook by the way Randall Shurtliff called me while you were away. He said they were ready to start working on the house. I gave him the go ahead to start. He said if the weather holds up he might be able to get the kitchen done sooner." He explains switching topics.
"Ok that is good news and Hadley, Godric is not like the vampires you know. He would never hold someone against their will that did not deserve it."
"Whatever, Sookie I need your help I don't know what to do with this kid. I mean he's like you but he makes things move when he is upset. Like it just floats there in the air. And last night he talked to Gran. I don't mean like he was saying stuff to her, I mean he was having a real conversation with her. I need you to fix him." She rattles off sounding scared. It reminds me of my own mother and her reaction any time I answered an unasked question.
"Hadley I don't think I can really "fix" him. I can try to work with him on his telepathy. As for the other stuff I think I know someone that can work with him. But before I do this I need to know that you are not going to just abandon him if what he is doing scares you." I put my foot down. During this entire conversation I have had Hunter in my head needing reassurance.
"I can't promise that. I mean I have only been around him for a short while. It's not like he's attached to me or anything." If she is connected to vamps I need to get out of here. I sigh in frustration. I can tell she is going to run the first chance she gets and I am almost certain that Remy is as far from Bon Temps as he could get.
"Then I think it is just better that you leave. If you don't want your responsibility, than I will do what I always do and clean up your mess. Just go Hadley I know you don't want to be here." I get up and make my way to my old bedroom. I find Hunter rocking on the bed crying. I do the only thing I can think of to comfort him. I pick him up and hold him to my chest. I will not let another child go through what I did. If his parents won't take care of him then I will.