A/N: Sorry once again for taking so long with the updates! This chapter was hard for me to write for some reason and I can't even begin to tell you how many times it got re-written! So I hope this is okay! Let me know what you think! I always enjoy hearing from you.

I was soaking in a tub of warm water and bubbles. My hair was pulled up into a clip on the back of my head and my skin was just starting to get wrinkly. I hadn't been so relaxed in a long time. The candles I had lit gave off the faint smell of lavender and the light flickered against the bathroom tiles pleasantly.

Evan had prodded me into the bath before leaving for work that evening. She had wanted to stay and keep an eye on me for as long as she could but I had forced her to go as we couldn't afford for either of us to be taking time off. Normally, I would have been left the apartment by that time to go to Fangtasia to work on my telekinesis. But the events of the previous night had left me feeling down and rejected. The thought of spending the whole night with Godric, knowing he probably didn't want me there was enough to open up a pit of anxiety at the bottom of my stomach.

So the bath had been a more relaxing idea. I had called Fangtasia earlier and left a message saying that I still wasn't feeling well and wouldn't be showing up there just in case they got worried when I didn't show up and thought I had been kidnapped again or something.

It would also, hopefully, deter the three of them from showing up at my apartment to make sure I was alright. I needed a night off and I intended to spend as much of it as I could relaxing and recovering.

I was still covered in bruises and sore like I had run a marathon. The nausea from my concussion had mostly gone away though I still lost my balance if I stood up too quickly. The constant headache I had had was slowly fading. I could only hope that I would be better by the time I had to work the following night.

My phone buzzed on the side of the tub and I caught it before it could move any closer to the edge. Fangtasia's number flashed across my screen. With a sigh I answered the call, sinking back into the water.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Alyssa, are you feeling alright?" Godric's voice questioned through the phone.

I bit my lip at the worry in his voice, feeling bad for not showing up. "I'm ok, just still feel sick. Like I said on the message, I'm just going to rest for tonight so I can hopefully work tomorrow" I told him.

"Is your sister there to look after you?" Godric questioned. I could hear voices in the background, presumably Eric and Pam arguing over something.

I shook my head before realizing that he couldn't see me "no, she's working. But I'm a big girl Godric, I can look after myself" I reminded him.

"Yes, yes of course, little one. I am sure you can. Even still, if you would like some company, Eric or I could come by for a little while."

The thought of Godric coming to my apartment and just spending the night sitting on my couch made anxiety build up in my stomach. I didn't want to be any more of an inconvenience to them at any rate. Neither Eric nor Godric would benefit at all from spending the night wasting away at my apartment. Not that I thought Eric had volunteered for that in the slightest, though he would have come at Godric's order.

"No, Godric. It's ok. I'm probably just going to sleep most of the night" I shrugged.

There was silence on the other end of the line as I readjusted the way I was sitting in the water "are you in water, Alyssa?"

My eyebrows came together in confusion before I realized he could probably hear the water moving through the phone "Yes. I'm in the bath" I answered.

"Oh. I see" Godric replied in an odd tone "I will not keep you then. Have a pleasant night little one, and please call if you are in need of anything."

I told him I would and hung up the phone a moment later. I heaved a large sigh and slid under the water. What was I going to do when the next night when I would have to work around the three vampires?

I got my answer the following night. I had popped two Tylenol, as I had been for most of the day to help with the headache that had come back with a vengeance that afternoon. Thankfully Godric sat with Eric at the front of the room, Eric lounging as usual in his unreasonable throne. I watched them between customers, tugging at the end of my braid anxiously. They were talking about something that seemed to make them both rather angry. Eric was gesturing animatedly, a scowl on his face. A look of displeasure pulled at the lines of Godric's face, replacing the usually gentle but distant expression. He stood abruptly, snapping something to Eric before threading through the crowd of dancers to go into the back room. I wondered what they could have been talking about that would have upset them both so much.

I was surprised when, after closing down the club, it was not Godric waiting for me at the end of the bar like he had for so many nights but Eric instead. He was impatiently tapping his long fingers on the bar top as I gathered my things.

"You are so slow" Eric groaned when I finally grabbed my purse and jacket.

I scoffed at him, trying to push away my hurt feelings at Godric not even wanting to see me home. "If my boss wasn't such a hard-ass I would be out sooner" I teased him.

Eric narrowed his eyes at me but a smile played across his lips as he waved me out of the building. "You love my ass. How could you not?" he joked, twisting to get a look at his rear.

I snorted despite my down mood "I bet Sookie likes your ass."

I had noticed a brewing sexual tension the past couple of times I had seen them together and wondered if he had made his move yet. Although Sookie seemed like the type of girl that would only take him on her terms, Eric didn't seem like the type of guy to give up easily when he wanted something.

"She does, she just won't admit it yet. But I will convince her" the determination in his voice had me laughing. He turned to give me an unimpressed look "I suppose you have a better way to go about winning her over?"

I bit my lip, thinking about it for a moment. I didn't expect Eric to take my advice seriously, but in the off chance that he actually tried out what I thought, then I wanted to give him good ideas. "Show her you aren't some big bad monster. And before you say anything, I know you aren't. I still remember how you reacted when Godric was going to meet the sun. Underneath all that sarcasm and attitude is a big cuddly vampire" I bumped him playfully to show I wasn't trying to start a deep conversation "and don't try to trick her into things. Maybe if you showed her that you're genuinely interested in her and not just what's between her legs, you might get somewhere."

Eric hummed as he walked down the empty streets. We were almost to my apartment before he spoke "Sookie is an exceptional human. But a frustrating one as well. Much like you. Perhaps I will take your advice" he nodded to himself, a determined look on his face.

I snorted but decided it was better if I didn't comment. I didn't know how much my advice would help or how much he had already warped what I had said to suit his own way of doing things but at least I could say I had tried. And Sookie certainly seemed interested in him so perhaps it would only be a matter of time.

Eric left me at the door to my apartment and I dragged myself into bed as quietly as possible.

The week passed in a similar fashion. Godric was around but always very distant. We didn't speak much and every night Eric walked me home rather than Godric. I worried in a way I hadn't when Godric had seen me home, that I was becoming a burden on the vampires of Fangtasia. Surely they had better things to do with their last couple of hours before sunrise than to see me home. I should start taking a cab home, I thought. I was making enough money with tips that Evan and I had had money left over for the past several weeks. It was the first time in a long time that we weren't stressing towards the end of the month about how we were going to pay our bills. Having that weight lifted, at least for now, had done a great deal in improving my otherwise glum mood at Godric's apparent rejection.

It was early morning on Sunday and Eric had walked me home after a particularly trying night of work that he hesitated in front of my apartment door in a way he hadn't before.

"Alyssa, if I were in need of a favor, would you be willing to preform it for me?" Eric questioned.

My guard was automatically raised. What could Eric possibly want out of me? "That would depend on what you wanted" I replied cautiously.

Eric frowned at me "Godric, Pam, and I will be acquiring a nest outside of Fangtasia. I have a location in mind but it would be preferably that the realtor does not know that vampires will be nesting there after the incident with the fellowship of the sun" he paused to gauge whether or not I understood why that might be important. At my nod, he continued "so I would like you to go and look over the property and relay back to me whether you find it acceptable or not. You may bring your sister with you as well. You will tell the realtor that you work for a company interested in acquiring the property and you will conduct all dealings with them until this property or a suitable one is acquired" he explained.

I took a minute to think it over. It did make sense for them to have a home outside of Fangtasia. It would be too easy for someone trying to attack them to get to them at Fangtasia. Having a place that no one knew about would make it much safer for them should someone try to attack. But why would Eric ask me to do it? I was sure it wasn't the first time Eric had bought a property so he must have had a way of doing so before meeting me. Some vampires had a day-person, someone they hired to do things for them while the sun was up. Surely Eric had such a person, or even Godric at some point?

"Why do you want me to do this? Can't you just pay someone to do it?" I questioned, leaning against my door.

Eric shrugged "Yes, I could. But we are in need of a human that can be trusted with the information of our resting place."

"What about Sookie? I figured she would be the first person you would ask. More chances to woo her, right?" I suggested. It wasn't that I didn't want to do it, but I had learned that Eric had a penchant for ulterior motives and was determined to find them out before agreeing to anything.

Eric nodded "perhaps you are right. But it is not just my resting place and both Godric and Pam do not know Sookie as I do. You however, we all trust. Your sister, perhaps less so, but we are willing to trust her if that is what is required to have this done as soon as possible."

I wasn't sure what to say. I had a feeling there was more to the story than Eric was really telling me but I couldn't see where this could go poorly for me. Sure I would lose a bit of my free time for a day or two, or however long it took. But I had lots of time between photography sessions especially as the weather started to get colder so it wouldn't come in the way of anything I was doing. It would be a different experience for me as well. I had never gone through the process of buying a house and I thought Evan might enjoy looking with me. With a sigh I nodded to him. "When do you need me?" I asked.

Eric gave me a satisfied smile and pulled a business card out of his pocket with an address and time written across the back in flowing hand writing. I wondered whose writing it was as I accepted the card.

"I will compensate you for your time, Alyssa, and provide you with a list of points to look for when viewing the property" Eric informed me before taking his leave.

The appointment was for the following Tuesday afternoon. Evan switched a shift with a coworker so she was able to come with me. The address was to a location on the outskirts of town so we called a cab. The drive was slow and quiet. I don't know what I had been expecting the house to look like but Evan and I both gaped at the house for several minutes before actually walking through the front gate.

The house was a three-story Victorian house with a round tower jutting out from the side. A porch wrapped around one side of the house and on the second floor was a balcony that hung over the front entrance below. The railings caught my eye, it was enclosed for the most part but a large circle had been cut out to allow an unobstructed view of the river in front of it. The siding was a pale blue color that looked fairly new and the property looked well maintained. A stone wall enclosed the front yard, with an intricate wrought iron gate as the only point of entry. The wall gave the front of the lot privacy from anyone on the street and trees grew on either side of the house, further shading it from prying eyes.

Beyond the gate was a manicured lawn with several well maintained flower beds lining the stone walkway up to the steps.

At the foot of the steps leading to the porch was a woman in her late thirties dressed in a black skirt and off white blouse. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun and shrewd brown eyes watched us suspiciously from behind the lenses of her glasses.

"Hello ladies, would you be from Fraser Investments?" She questioned as we got closer. Her voice was sharp and nasally. She looked us over and seemed to write us off immediately as not serious enough to bother with.

I had to suppress the scowl that wanted to work its way onto my face. Instead I forced a smile and nodded "yes. My name is Alyssa and this is my intern Evan." Eric had mentioned that since we were supposed to be working for a big property investments company that bringing my sister would be unprofessional and I had suggested instead that she pose as my intern.

"A pleasure to meet you, my name is Laura. Please, follow me ladies" Laura instructed, turning on her heel to lead us to the front door.
She made comments about the work that had already been done to the property as we walked through, mentioning various points of interest such as the newly finished floors and the original moldings throughout the house.

Despite her less than friendly attitude, I was impressed by the house. The staircase that led up to the second and third floor was an imposing spiraling affair with polished wood and beautiful rails. To the right of the entrance was a sitting room with a grand fire place and a sliding door that led to what had been set up as a living room. A powder room was adjoined to the living room as well as the formal dining room that sat at the back of the house with large windows that looked out onto the sprawling back yard. The kitchen had been updated and was furnished with marble countertops and shiny steel appliances. A large porcelain apron sink dominated one section of the counters and breakfast bar sat opposite to it. A small set of 'servant-stairs' were cramped into the back as well as the hatch that led to the basement. The basement was one open room that had been set up as a den with a pool table, a plush couch and a large television mounted on the wall.

On the second floor there were four bedrooms, the master bedroom took up a good portion of the front of the house and had the benefit of its own porch, a large walk in closet and an en suite bathroom. Evan and I both gaped in awe at the huge jetted tub that could easily fit six people and the mosaic-tiled walk in shower on the opposite wall. The bedroom beside it was situated in the round tower in the corner of the house offering a wonderful view of the river as well as the small forested area beside the house and a smaller bathroom attached to it. The other two bedrooms shared a bathroom placed between them. A laundry room was tucked out of the way behind the stairs, but even it was spacious and very modern looking.

The stairs narrowed slightly towards the attic which was broken up into two rooms, one which was being used as storage space and the other as a small office.

I went through the list Eric had given me and made notes as we went. There were several things they would need to do in order to make the rooms a viable option for their day rest, the main one being making them light tight. Eric said it would be simple enough to do, but the option of the finished basement in case of emergencies was a definite plus in addition to the privacy the house had both from the street and from prying neighbors. Even the back yard was secluded, trees surrounded the property so not much light actually hit the house, which the realtor skirted around as she saw it as a downside but I knew the vampires would prefer it to an open, exposed area. As it was, the neighbor's houses weren't even in sight from the house as they were much further down the street and the back yard faced a hill that started out gradual but quickly became steep so there were no neighbors behind the house for a mile or so.

Satisfied with the property, I promised Laura that we would be in contact within the next couple of days, as there were some aspects that I would have to discuss with my boss. She seemed to expect it and in what was supposed to be an offhand manor, reminded me of the price of the property and how well it was priced compared to other houses in the area.
"So let your boss know that if they want this property they better act soon. It's not going to be on the market for very long" She said by way of goodbye as she strutted off the property, the garage had a separate driveway outside of the fence. We had had a quick look at it but I hadn't paid much mind to it. It would fit several cars inside and Eric hadn't mentioned it as a thing to watch for. So long as they had a place to store their cars, the details didn't much matter.

The price of the house had Evan and I stunned. I tried not to let it show on my face while the realtor was walking away. Sure it was a huge house with a big piece of land in a good location, but in comparison to Evan and I's financial situation, the price was outrageous. I wondered for a moment just how much money the vampires had. Eric had implied, after all, that they all owned several resting places in other cities that they could use in case of emergencies.

I made my way over to Fangtasia that night to meet with them and tell them about the house. The main entrance was already unlocked when I arrived a bit before sundown so I made my way down to the apartment underneath the club.

I realized as soon as I opened the door that it would be likely that Godric would be the only one up. When I walked through the door my suspicions were confirmed as Godric was seated on the couch reading a book. He looked up as I walked in and offered me a sheepish smile.

We had not spoken in quite a while and I felt awkward sitting in a chair beside him. I tucked my feet underneath me and peered at the book in his hand.

"What are you reading?" I questioned him.

Godric let the book close and set it on the coffee table in front of us. "it is a very old book in Latin detailing a battle. I am afraid it is not one that made modern day history books" Godric told me.

The book looked very old indeed, the worn pages were yellowed with age and the cover, made of what looked like hide was faded.

"How have you been Alyssa?" hearing him say my name after so many weeks sent a small shiver down my spine.

I shrugged to cover it up and looked away from him. His eyes were boring into me and making it hard to think properly "I'm good…how are you, Godric?" I asked in return, feeling even more awkward with the small talk.

It seemed like Godric felt the same. He cleared his throat before speaking and shifted back and forth in his seat as if he was uncomfortable "I am well…. I do not know if Eric has said as much, but we appreciate you viewing the property for us. I hope it wasn't too much trouble" his spoke quietly.

I shook my head immediately. "I didn't mind at all. Evan and I had a good time. Thank you for, ah, trusting me enough to know your day-spot" I mumbled.

Godric tilted his head at me curiously "of course, little one. There was never a doubt in your trustworthiness. Perhaps…well, perhaps you will be comfortable enough to visit us there?"

A thrill went through me at the invitation but I forced down the excitement. I couldn't get my hopes up again. He was probably just being nice in offering. I reminded myself of how distant he had been and that he clearly had no interest in me in a romantic sense, no matter what I had thought to begin with. Even still, I couldn't help the pleased smile that broke out across my face "I would love to, Godric."

He didn't get a chance to say anything else, though he smiled in answer to mine, as Eric stumbled out of his room groggily. He was wearing only a tight pair of boxer shorts that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. My eyes widened in surprise and my hand flew up to cover my mouth as I gasped. My face flushed tomato red and I hastily dropped my eyes.

Eric outright laughed at me and ruffled my hair as he strutted past "see something you like, sugar?" he teased.

Eric had taken up calling me by various pet names over the weeks he had been walking me home. I wasn't sure how I felt about it but Eric seemed to find it endlessly amusing so I didn't stop him.

I recovered a moment later and I turned to fix my eyes on Godric, pointedly not looking in Eric's direction, not that it was a better alternative. It almost hurt to look at the neutral mask on Godric's face as his eyes slid from his progeny to myself.

His eyes met mine and I felt like I wasn't able to look away. Maybe that was what being glamored felt like. Part of me was curious to know but another part of me thought I was very lucky for not being vulnerable to it.

When Pam had finally joined us several moments later I began recapping the house to them. They discussed the various improvements that would need to be made, mainly making sure it was completely light-tight. Over-all it was decided that the property sounded like it would meet their needs and as they had already seen various pictures of the property, and I would arrange a time with the realty company to sign papers for the 'company' within the week.

When the matter was finished there were several moments of silence. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Did they expect me to go home now that that was settled? More importantly, did they want me to? I wondered if Eric would mention something about seeing me home but instead he started up a conversation with Pam in a language I didn't understand. Godric watched the conversation with some interest and shook his head when they asked him a question. A moment later they stood and disappeared out of the underground apartment. That left me alone with Godric once again. To say I felt awkward was an understatement. Surely he didn't want me to hang around? He must have had other things he wanted to do, especially since he had been doing so well avoiding me in the past couple of weeks.

After a moment of indecision, I pulled myself together and stood up from the chair I had been seated in.

"Well, I'm sure you want to get back to your book. I wont take up any more of your time tonight" I hummed with a half-hearted smile.

I was almost to the door when Godric's voice halted me "Alyssa, please wait a moment."

Despite having told myself repeatedly that Godric was definitely not interested in me, my hopes soared at him stopping me. Maybe he did want to spend time with me after all. Maybe there was a simple explanation for why he had been avoiding me. I turned slowly to look at him. He was standing in front of the couch, an uncertain expression on his face.

"Yes, Godric?" I asked.

"Ah…at least allow me to see you home safely" Godric offered politely, eyes dropping to his hands at the end of his sentence.

My heart dropped and my new found hope plummeted to the ground. I closed my eyes for a brief moment in the hopes that my emotions wouldn't show on my face "you don't have to do that Godric. It's not too late yet, I can make it home fine."

Godric frowned and looked like he was about to let it go but he shook his head a moment later "please, I insist. Besides, there is something I wish to discuss with you."