Chapter 4
Bonding
Surprisingly, working for vampires is rather peaceful at times compared to a regular job. For one, you don't have a creepy, sexist boss wanting to get in you pants…Well, I have to take that back, Godric isn't like that and most of the other vampires that occupy the house aren't like that either, but some can give you a little trouble. One in particular being Stan. Don't get me wrong, Stan is attractive to a certain degree (Don't let him hear you say this). But most of the things that come out of his mouth can make your skin crawl. He has made plenty of advances, regardless of what Godric has said or what I have told him.
Isabel has become my best friend. She has said more than once, that I have become her best human other than Hugo. With a lot of convincing my mom, Isabel came to my brother's ninth birthday party. Well, it was after hours but she came over. My mom got to know Isabel and she began to overlook the fact that she was a vampire. My brother Jimmy, after he got over being afraid and hiding behind the couch, Isabel was a big hit with him. Godric couldn't make it because he was out of town but he sent with Isabel a ten thousand dollar certificate college fund that wound generates until he was ready to go. By the end of the night, my own mother was singing vampire praises.
When Godric isn't at the house, I hear some of the vampires talking about how depressed he has gotten over the many years. I don't see it or at least, he hasn't shown that depressed side to me. I have noticed that he sits alone in his office a lot and he turns away girls, but I thought that might be normal for a two thousand year old vampire. You know, like normal behavior. Isabel doesn't like to talk about it.
With my salary, we are able to keep up with rent and utilities at the apartment we live in. With this much money, I could one day get my own place and my brother can have the bigger room, my room, to grow up in. Oh, and my favorite part, the clothing I can afford along with accessories. I love going shopping with Isabel, my favorite part of the week. The stuff I wear is enough to make the bitch sisters, Emily and Autumn, from high school jealous of me. (Sigh) Where was this job when I was in high school? Vampires came out of the closet eight years too late.
Working for vampires has a lot of positive aspects, but it also has its negative moments.
XXX
A few weeks into the job
Eve headed over to the mansion on one of her nights off to ask Godric for a few days off to stay at home with her brother, while her mom was out of town visiting her aunt. She didn't think Godric would mind, the place can go on without her for a few days.
She was borrowing one of Isabel's cars until she could afford her own and parked in the big driveway. She walked into the house and found some of the girls she had been taking care of sitting around in the kitchen.
"I thought it was your night off," one of them said.
"It is," Eve said, "I'm going to talk to Godric."
"He's still in his office taking conference calls, I think," another one said.
"I figured," Eve said, "Has he gotten something to eat?"
"He's going to drink True Blood tonight."
"I'm sure you girls are all devastated," Eve teased.
"You don't know what's like."
"You shouldn't damn it until you try it."
"I'm sure Stan would give you a bite."
"I bet he would," Eve said, getting a water bottle from the fridge.
"You ladies talking about me again," Stan said, coming into the kitchen.
The girls giggled.
"I would say, 'Are your ears burning?' But what would be the point in that. You can probably hear us at the end of the driveway," Eve said before taking a drink.
"When you're involved," he said, leaning over her, "I'm always listening."
"You're such a charmer, Stan. I don't know how anyone can refuse you," she teased.
"Let's don't start now," he said.
Eve turned away from him to grab an orange from the table and a knife to cut the orange. She sliced into the thick skin going down into her left thumb, cutting herself. She put the orange and knife on the counter to examine her thumb, releasing she wasn't the only one doing so.
"You cut yourself deep," he said.
Eve looked up at him, watching him licking his lips. She went to stop the bleeding with a towel, when Stan reached out to stop her.
"No need to waste a towel, little lady," he said, bringing her hand to his lips.
"Stan," she whispered.
"Stan," Godric warned, stepping in from the door frame.
Eve saw Godric standing behind Stan. Stan didn't let go of her hand as he looked at Eve.
"You know the rules," Godric said.
Stan sighed before letting go, "Yes Sheriff."
"I'm sure one of these girls would suffice," Godric said, gesturing toward them as Stan turned to face him, "Ashley?"
Eve watched a red-headed girl step forward as Stan stepped to her. He ran his hand softly down the girl's cheek before leaning down to bite into her neck. The entire room heard her gasp of pleasure.
"Eve," Godric said gently to get her attention. She turned to look at him, "We should get that cleaned," holding a hand out to her.
She reached out to take it.
Godric led her to one of the many bathrooms to help her clean her cut. She watched him turn on the faucet and gently grabbed her left hand to run under the running warm water. She glimpsed up at the mirror and had to do a double take.
"Godric," she said quietly, causing him to look at her, "You have a reflection."
In the mirror, she watched him turn to look at himself, "Yes, I suppose I do," he said, smiling.
"Have you always had one?" she asked.
"I imagine so," he said, "Though, I don't remember my life as a human."
She turned to look at him and realized he was just teasing her as he looked back at her, "So, all vampire myths are just myths?"
"Yes," he said, "It was a way to protect ourselves."
"Wow," she said, "My brother would be pleased to learn this…If, that's alright."
"You can tell him," he said, getting back to cleaning her cut, "Humans know we exist now."
"I'm sorry for what happened," she said.
"You have nothing to apologize for," he said, "I should be apologizing for what's going to happen next," Eve looked at him confused, "We'll talk in my office."
A few minutes later, Eve sat in Godric's office as she watched him stare out the window.
"Was there a reason for you coming in tonight?" he asked.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot, my mother is going to be out of town for a few days and I need to stay at home to watch my brother," she said.
He turned to face her, "That shouldn't be a problem. Take as long as you need."
"Thanks," she said.
"Eve, what happened tonight won't be the last time. You were lucky I was able to stop Stan. Isabel and I can't always be here to make sure nothing happens to you. I've declared that you are not to be touched but it's in our instinct to feed," he said.
"I understand that," she said.
"I know that you do but they don't seem to understand the agreement we have made to you working for me," he said, walking around the desk to stand before her, "There is a way to make sure what happened tonight or anymore worse from not happening again."
"Claiming a human," she stated.
"Yes," he said, "Do you understand everything that comes with it?"
"Isabel has explained it to me and about her relationship with Hugo," she said.
"There are many reasons for claiming a human. This would be nothing like Isabel's relationship with her human," he said.
"So, you want to claim me?" she asked.
"If you wish to continue working for me, yes claiming you would be the next step. It's the only way I can keep you safe," he said.
Eve looked down at her hand in her lap. She didn't say anything for a while.
"Do you need sometime to think about it?" he asked.
She looked at him, "No, might as well get it over with."
"There is something else," he said.
"Isn't there always," she laughed.
"With claiming a human, taking and giving of blood makes the bond stronger," he explained.
"Just like buying anything these days, you need extra warranty," she said.
"I will make an announcement when you return, that you are my human," he said.
"'My human', that just makes everything so official," she said.
He smiled sadly at her, "I am truly sorry. Just relax and try not to scream."
"After that statement, can I get some alcohol first?" she asked.
Godric locked eyes with her, "Everything will be alright, child," he glammered.
Eve relaxed in her seat and Godric extended a hand to her. She accepted and was pulled up to stand before him. There barely was any height difference between the two of them. He kissed her forehead before leaning in toward her neck. She barely heard the click of his fangs when she felt a slight sharp pain in her neck. She didn't flinch. She didn't pull away from him. She just stood there as he wrapped an arm around her back to support her as he drank from her.
Before she knew it, Godric was looking back at her with his fangs still extended and her blood on his lips. She couldn't stop herself from thinking how sexy he looked in that moment. (She was going to hate herself later for thinking that) She watched him bring up his left arm to his mouth and watched him bite into his wrist. With his right arm still around her, he extended his left to her mouth and told her to drink.
She drank from his wrist until he pulled away. He guided her to sit back down on the chair. She watched numbly as he dragged a chair to sit beside her. She hated to admit to herself, but those girls were right. You should knock it until you try it.
"Are you alright?" Godric asked gently, reaching over to rub off the remaining blood on her neck. She only nodded her head. She couldn't find words just yet, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Umm…We…don't need to talk about how…awkward that really was," she said before looking toward him, seeing that his lips was clear of any blood, "Well, awkward for me."
"Isabel won't mind talking to you, if that would be better," he offered.
Eve couldn't help but look at Godric as if she was seeing him for the first time. It wasn't romantic or anything. She just saw right through him. They were connected now.
"Eve, I smelt it when you cut yourself," he said, causing her to look down at her now healed cut, "And even more tasting it in your blood, are you on medication?"
She looked at him and almost blushed, "Yeah, I take insulin because I'm diabetic."
"I don't like that I found out this way," he said, "What if something happened and no one knew?"
"I don't like telling people because they all get weird about it…Kind of like right now," she said.
"I'm only concerned for your safety," he said.
"How could you tell?" she asked.
"I could tell the sugar level wasn't natural," he explained, "When you've been drinking blood as long as I have, you can tell the difference between altered and normal."
"And on that note, I think I'm just going to go home…See you in a few days," she said as she stood.
Godric stood with her, "I'll take you home."
"No, that won't be necessary," she said.
"I insist. I have to make sure you get home alright," he said.
She smiled at him and he returned the smile.
XXX
Being bonded with Godric is really hard to explain…Its something you should cherish and it something you should be careful with. You could grow too fond as Isabel explained it to me. Some human claims can't take the intense feelings and they choose not to exist anymore. I personally don't think it's going to go that far for me; she told me I should still be careful.
I understand Godric a lot more. I know why he feels depressed and I wish that I didn't. Not that many humans get to have a bond with him like I do. He personally chooses the people he wants to share a bond with and he chose me. Out of his two thousand years, not many people can say that. Isabel told me there are two others he has a bond with; though their bond is different than mine, he made them vampire. They are a mystery to me. He has only mentioned one of them on occasion, something about him owning a vampire bar. He didn't go into a lot of detail.
A side affect vampires really don't like to broadcast about bonding with humans, they know what their human is feeling all the time. Sure you understand them to a certain point but the other way is really not fair. It seems like they know everything…And when I say everything, believe me it's every feeling or sensation and it seems like every thought. I didn't sign up for that. If there was a brochure, it sure as hell wasn't mentioned in it.
The whole feelings side affect really wasn't an issue until I started to dream about Godric. When I say dreaming, it wasn't a rainbows and ponies kind of dream. It was a full on sex dream. Like the really dirty, dirty good sex dreams. The kind of dream where you can just think about him and you're all good to go. I hate to admit this to anyone, but the things Godric would do to me in the dream; makes me wish that I've never been with the guys that I have been with because they don't compare to him.
The first time the sex dreams where an issue was when I was in the same room with him and he would be doing his own thing and I could not stop staring or thinking about him, I would start to blush and then he would turn to look at me with an almost like a knowing look. In that moment, I knew that he knows exactly what I've been dreaming about. And what made the whole thing worse was later he sent Isabel to my house to talk about that part of the vampire/human bond. Another thing that failed to be in the brochure.
Isabel told me that the dreams will subdue over time because Godric's blood will fade away. As time went on, I was very grateful that she was right. On occasion I would have a dream staring Godric. I stopped waking up in the middle of the night shaken to the core.
As time went on working for Godric, I began to love him. Not romantically just loved him like he was a long lost family member.
XXX
Three months into working for Godric
Godric was out having a long walk before vampires and people started to show up for the party, when Eve was in his office looking for the address book for the human blood bags. She was trying to see if any other girls could come in and work the party. (Sometimes she did feel like a pimp).
The phone on his desk began to ring. She picked up to take a message, thinking it might be someone coming tonight.
"Hello?" she answered. She was met my silence, "Hello?" she tried again.
"Is Godric there little girl?" the voice asked.
She was a little taken aback, "He's out right now. Are you calling about tonight?"
"No," he said.
"Oh, I can take a message," she said.
"The only thing that you need to tell him is that the Sheriff of Area 5 called. That is all," he said before hanging up.
"Nice to talk to you too, asshole," she said before hanging the phone up.
"Did someone call?" Godric asked from the doorway.
Eve grabbed the book she was looking for, "Yeah, Sheriff of Area 5? That's all he said, he didn't give a name. He was a bit of an ass about it."
Godric nodded, "He can be sometimes. I'm going to make a call."
"Of course," she said, leaving the room.
The party was a bit of a bore. Eve couldn't blame Godric for not coming out of his office at all. The Sheriff of Area 5 must have really wanted to talk to him.
For most of the day, Eve hadn't been feeling well. She couldn't eat because her stomach was in knots. But neither the less, the walked among the room talking to guest and making sure the girls stayed safe. A big gathering like this, something could happen.
She noticed some of the girls went to the backyard pool to cool down. That seemed like a good idea, so Eve began to join them hoping the night air would help.
Her vision started to go first. Things around her began to blur as she stopped near the pool unable to keep going. She started to sway and she heard someone call out her name.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she started to fall down.
Godric appeared behind her, catching her before she hit the ground. He laid her down gently and retrieved her bag she kept on her at all times. The bag had her insulin syringe. He proceeded to administer the medicine when Isabel leaned down to hold her head in her lap.
Eve woke up in bed in a room she never seen before. She turned her head to see Godric sitting beside her. He took her hand in his, "You scared me child," he said.
"You are not the only one," Isabel said by the door, "Why didn't you tell me you were diabetic?"
"I told Godric," Eve said.
"No, I found out by the taste of your blood," he said.
"No need to get technical," Eve said, starting to sit up, "I'm sorry, Isabel, it's the same reason I never told Godric."
"I wish you would have," Isabel said, "What if you black out when you were with me? I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't know you needed to be injected like Godric did."
"We only talked about it shortly after I found out," Godric said, "I should have told you, Isabel."
"Why doesn't my head hurt?" Eve asked.
"I felt that you were not feeling well," he explained.
"Thats one good thing about claiming me," she said.
"Your mother should be here soon to take you home," Isabel said.
"You called my mother!"
"Serve you right," Isabel said before leaving the room.
XXX
So all and all, working for vampires can be exciting, sexy, and dangerous. If I never met Godric that night at the Rock, the bar I worked at before, I never would have been here when the Sheriff of Area 5 walked through the doors of the mansion. I never would have met Eric Northman. To this day, I still don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Time can only tell.