Chapter 4: Monsters

"This is ambitious, even for you," Godric leaned back in his chair, examining Eric, trying to determine his seriousness.

"I would hardly call it ambitious…just the next logical step," Eric replied smoothly, his smirk firmly in place.

Godric sighed, knowing that it was pointless to argue. Eric had his own personal more selfish reasons for the venture, but Godric knew that he was right.

"We're having success tying them up in court," Godric said, looking down at his laptop screen, and upon seeing the hundreds of unread emails, closed it.

"That strategy won't last forever. You know that," Eric drawled, propping his long legs up on the desk. Despite it not being his desk, Eric always behaved as if everything around him belonged to him. He was born for greatness, Godric recognized that the moment he laid eyes on him on the battlefield.

"What do you already know about this company, Bonne Nuit?"

"It's a division under Bellefleur Technology, and it is run almost entirely by his two daughters," Eric leaned back further and placed his hands behind his head. "It's almost too easy."

It was hard for Godric not to smile at his progeny's extreme confidence. It was one of Eric's greatest strengths, but also his weakness. He would normally reprimand his cockiness, but Eric had gone so long with any spark at all that it was best to let him shine in any way he could manage.

"The meeting is tomorrow, midnight?" Godric clarified, trying to remember his schedule was a task he often failed at.

"Yes. I'll send a car. And a suit wouldn't be amiss," Eric reminded him.

"Very well, tell Willa on your way out."

"My progeny working for you? May the gods save us all," Eric exclaimed sarcastically.

"Willa has been an invaluable addition to my work," Godric explained, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "The night is short and I have much to do," Godric stood and held the door open, insisting that Eric leave him alone.

"Very well," Eric exited, with a tip of his head.

Godric went back to his desk, pausing for a moment as he considered his work.

Running the world was no small task, but that was exactly what he was doing.

First, he emailed the Council delegate that was now overseeing the distribution of New Blood to regions that were not economically stable enough to afford the cost of the faux blood themselves. Before Hep V, vampires saw Tru Blood as a nuisance, a forced inconvenience, and mainstreaming was just one big PR lie forced by the Authority back when they had a shred of common sense. But since the virus broke out and unleashed worldwide devastation for months it changed everything. With the destruction of the factories, they had no supply of synthetic blood, and with many sick and dying, attacks ran rampant. Fortunately, they started New Blood before an all-out war started. It didn't cure the diseases but managed its symptoms, and it had quite literally saved the world. Contaminated vampires, which were now estimated to be more than 80% of the population, had to drink it. Local vampire governments had to fall in line and follow the Council's rules - his rules - if they wanted to receive New Blood and remain in good standing within their local human authorities.

It wasn't a long-term plan, however. If unchecked, Hep V could start to mutate, thus putting the entirety of the vampire and human populace in danger of another outbreak and another war. And with the vampire population now being the highest ever recorded, keeping the peace was absolutely imperative. Godric often feared what would happen if another Truman Burrell came to power, and attempted to finish what he had started. Gods, not even New Blood would save them then. Which is exactly why they needed to stop those damn eye drops.

With the collapse of the old Authority and the death of his daughter, Nora, Godric had dedicated himself to building a new more stable governing body for vampires. One that was not founded in self-righteous, self-serving religious belief, but honour and justice.

Thus far, it has been successful. But only because Godric had his two thousand years of power, the heavy hand of the New Blood CEO and his entire bloodline holding the line.

However, there was an increasingly large number of vampires who still wanted to go back to the old ways, to how things were prior to the Great Revelation. Hunting and feeding on humans indiscriminately, covering up unexplainable deaths, and living their eternal existence in the shadows. Such wishes were impossible now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag.

But it didn't stop the savage behaviour.

Therefore, Godric used his considerable influence to organize a new government founded on the principles of mainstreaming and treating humans with a reasonable level of dignity.

Opening his laptop Godric began to reply to emails. Many of them were to other members of the Council, vampires he knew well and trusted. It wasn't easy to communicate with so many different areas of the world, some were currently covered with sunlight and their vampire occupants wouldn't be able to communicate until Godric had already gone to ground.

"Godric?" Willa poked her head into Godric's office.

"Mmm, yes?" Godric barely looked up from the screen.

"I've warmed some blood for you," Willa said meekly. "Remember, you said, once a week?"

It was true that Godric had told Willa he would drink at least once a week. It was their compromise from when she was newly turned and he was trying to get her to feed. Willa Burrell may have been willing to do so, but she was not turned for the right reasons. He understood the difficult choice Eric faced to do something so cruel to an innocent person, and he had paid an extremely high price for it. Burell tortured and abused his entire family for months when he ran the vampire prisons and held them hostage, but Eric had gotten the worst of it. The Governor may have killed Nora, but that was a better end than what Eric was put through. The Governor broke him apart little by little until there was almost nothing of himself left.

It took him a long time to heal, and both Pamela and Godric knew Eric had never been the same since. He put on a mask for the world, and it was a very handsome and convincing one. He threw himself into New Blood, letting it become his new purpose in life. But Willa could not have waited for her Maker to come around after their release. She needed guidance, and Godric took on the responsibility of training the newborn.

"Yes, thank you," Godric said absently, trying to finish up his email.

"You need to actually drink it this time," Willa said as she entered and set the warm mug on the corner of the glass desk.

"I will endeavour to," Godric looked over the top of the screen at her.

"It's not healthy, you know, not feeding. You're the one that taught me that…" Willa continued.

"When did you last feed?" Godric inquired, checking Willa's colour. Pale like the moon.

"This conversation isn't about me." Willa crossed her arms defensively over her chest. She was just as likely to be overworked as Godric. Running the world left very little time for feeding. She handled his entire schedule and was both a personal assistant and partner in running the Americas section of the council.

It was enough to make anyone get the bleeds.

"It's about you, I know you didn't drink at all last week, and Eric told me that you didn't finish your New Blood the week before. That's three full weeks Godric!"

It had been far longer than that since he had fed, but he wasn't about to let Willa know that.

"I understand your concern, but need I remind you that I am responsible for myself?" Godric raised an apprehending eyebrow.

Willa sighed and gave Godric a small worried smile.

"Okay. I just… I need you to be okay."

"I'm fine, Willa. Just busy, as we all are. Tell me about tomorrow night's schedule."

Willa retrieved her phone from her pocket and opened up Godric's schedule.

"You have a call with Spain at first dark. Then you have a conference call with all the local vampire Governors of the Americas, they want to hear the updates on the new protocols for video evidence of vampire-on-human violence. I heard a rumour that there are going to be questions about consensual feedings caught on video as well. Then you have the tour of Bonne Nuit with Eric. He told me, and I quote, 'not to wait up', and that he had plans for you both to 'celebrate' your new acquisition." Willa let out a sigh of exasperation at Eric's antics and Godric just smirked. Yes, that sounded exactly like Eric. "So I would make plans to go to ground at Eric's, but I'm going out tomorrow night then too."

"Very well, but I urge you to be cautious," Godric replied. "Just because we are in New Orleans doesn't mean it is without risks."

"I know that, but I'll just be at Tara's."

Tara's was a popular spot with vampires and humans alike. The vivacious human host, Lafayette, and his musically talented vampire partner, James, ran a renowned club named after Lafayette's cousin, and Pam's most unlikely progeny. His great-granddaughter had died honourably, protecting her human mother from a pack of sickened vampires over a decade ago.

Godric briefly wondered if Willa was trying to make a connection with a human, or if she just missed her first vampire friend. Either way, it was as good of a place as any to meet more open-minded people, and Godric knew that Willa didn't plan on living on New Blood for the rest of her existence. She deserved someone, or at least a willing human friend. It was only Godric who had lost his taste for it.

"Just remember what I've taught you. And trust no one."

Willa gave Godric a long sad look. Her brown eyes clouded briefly with red, and she blinked it away rapidly."That's quite a way to live, Godric."

Willa had almost shut the door when Godric finally replied, "You forget, child, we're not living."

She closed the door behind her.

Maybe that was the problem. Nothing was new anymore. It was the same petty squabbles, the same vindictive vile behaviour, violence and horror and greed, night after night, after night – nothing ever changed. All Godric could do to keep the vampires of the Americas in line. He found himself hating them. The cruelty of the world was astounding. And it never seemed to end.

Was there no compassion left?

Godric forced himself to take a sip of the now lukewarm New Blood. The taste was coppery and bland. It did nothing to suppress his appetite and only served to remind him that he was also no different than the vampires he sought to constrain. He was a monster just like the others; just one that had lived longer.

Giving it up as a lost cause, Godric set the glass down. He should find a way to pour it out if only to keep Willa from worrying about him. He was fine with fasting, he didn't even really hunger for it anymore.

No, he hungered for something else entirely. Something he couldn't even name. A break from the horrors, perhaps. From the crushing weight of the world. A glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal uphill battle. Godric scoffed at himself; there was no point in wishing for the impossible.

Gathering his things, Godric made his way out of the discrete and highly secure office. It was his prerogative not to make anything too flashy or obvious. The best way to lead vampires was from the shadows, and he had more attention than he liked already, what with Eric's face plastered on every late-night commercial for New Blood.

Walking quickly through the foggy wee hours of the morning was perhaps Godric's favorite part of his night. He could almost forget the massive amount of work that still needed to be done. He could pretend that this was a simpler time and that the weight of the world did not fall so heavy on his shoulders.

Making his way to the nest, Godric was pleased to see that Willa was already in for the night. The light shining beneath her door gave him comfort. He moved quickly down the hall to his own room, turning on the light he paused to stare at the space. It was nothing more than a gray empty room. It served its function, nothing more.

But when did it become so empty?

Looking around he realized it wasn't totally barren. A letter from Pamela, congratulating him on his role as 'King of the world, or whatever' was still on his nightstand, and folded on his dresser was a sweater of Eric's that he had yet to return.

Crawling into his coffin Godric shut the lid, feeling the presence of the sun just starting to rise. The nights felt simultaneously short and long. How he wished for more time each evening if only to have a moment's rest, and how quickly time had passed. It felt like he had merely blinked and a hundred years had passed.

The sun pushed him under and he surrendered to sleep, a momentary reprieve from the demands of his existence.

Godric awoke with a start, rising from his day's rest like the flick of a switch. He knew that he had the call with Spain almost immediately and quickly pulled himself from his coffin and opened his phone to receive the call.

Grievances mostly, along with not-so-subtle comments about how easy it was to control the more egalitarian European vampires. While generally older, they are more prone to complaining than actually following through with violence.

The Americas were an entirely different type of operation. The vampires were younger, often Makerless, and unaccustomed to having to follow the rule of anyone's law. They were under the impression that being a vampire granted them anarchism. Most had justifiably hated the Authority but saw the Council as a continuation of more of the same; no excessive violence, no feeding on unwilling humans, mainstreaming, and population control.

Ending his call with Spain, Godric sighed and got ready for the rest of his evening. Willa had someone pick up his charcoal suit from the dry cleaners. She had taken charge of his fashion choices as of late, and he knew he was being clothed in something that was ridiculously expensive and tailor-made. He was just glad modern attires had significantly fewer layers than they used to. Forgoing the silk tie for an open collar made Godric feel more comfortable, but it didn't make him shake the feeling that something about this venture wouldn't go as planned.

Before he left he checked in on Willa. She was speaking into her phone, making arrangements for the upcoming conference as well as makeup for her night out, and additionally typing something into her laptop that looked suspiciously like Godric's schedule for the following month. Willa's multitasking skills always impressed him and despite the impersonal and calculated way Eric had decided to turn her, it was not the first time that he felt grateful that Willa was of his bloodline. While she was young and needed guidance still, Godric needed her just as much.

Nodding his goodbye in response to Willa's little wave, Godric left their modest nest and began his regular stroll to the office. He had long since learned the dangers of doing business where he took his day rest. Godric was not looking forward to his second conference call and dreaded having to deal with Governors. They had taken over the positions of Kings and Queens within the states and territories but many still viewed themselves as separate from the Council. It was a nightmare trying to get them to implement policies and Godric was only able to do so with the leverage of New Blood and the threat of Eric's violent hand. Or worse, his own.

Entering the office and pulling up the video call was easy, it was handling these rogue royals that was the bane of his existence.

"Godric, this video mandate… Something must be changed, how can we tell if the human is willing by the nature of the video?" the Governor of Tennessee asked, his tongue between his fangs.

Was he speaking Greek?

"The mandate stands. We must coexist with the humans, we cannot be filmed doing violence unto them," Godric replied, wondering how many times he had explained this now.

"You must understand our position, we must make rulings on these videos, and we cannot always easily determine the nature of the interaction from a single video alone. I don't want to wrongfully take someone's fangs over a consensual bite!" the Governor of Washington added.

Trying to keep his irritation out of his voice, Godric replied, "Interview the humans in the videos then. Find out if they are willing and unglamoured. If the human can, under no duress, confirm that it was simply a leaked personal video, then by all means."

This statement was met with stunned silence.

"Excuse me, sir, did you just say that you want us to make rulings based on the word of a human?"

"It is the only logical way to solve your dilemma. And my word still stands. States and territories out of compliance will face hefty fines and limited access to New Blood. Additionally, I have no problem finding Governors that will follow the directives of this council and will retire, by force, any Governor that sees fit to defy this mandate."

The silence and stone faces gave Godric all the information he needed. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to follow through on this threat. Someone would test it, test him and Godric would make an example of them. A bloody, headless, example.

"This concludes our conference call. I'll be checking in with you individually over the course of the month to address issues specific to your state or region."

Closing down the video conference, Godric rubbed his temples. He knew that headaches were a symptom of his disinterest in consuming blood. Nothing appealed to him about feeding now.

The New Blood was barely palatable, and the idea of warm, fresh, human blood in his mouth made him feel ill. How would he even do that now? Convince a random person to give him their blood, or pay for it like so many of his kind now did? He knew there was no shortage of willing humans if one knew where to look. He understood being bitten could be pleasurable. But it just all seemed so… Superficial. Transactional. Just a synthetic as laboratory-made blood.

No, this solution was better. Fasting was the best approach.

Realizing that he had been caught up in his own musings, Godric quickly gathered his things and exited his office, unsurprised to find Eric's car waiting for him outside.

"I take it that the governors are up to their usual bullshit," Eric greeted him as he entered the back of the town car.

"More of the same. Is nothing surprising anymore?" Godric asked rhetorically.

"It surprises me how difficult vampires find it to not make sex tapes if it makes you feel any better."

"It troubles me that they cannot think of the simplest solutions, that so many in power do not understand the most basic of logic."

Eric nodded and then shrugged in a way that made Godric think that Eric had very little faith in the intelligence of their kind. If video evidence of vampire-on-human violence exists, it will make its way onto the news, leading to more human-on-vampire hate, and the cycle continues. It truly wasn't rocket science.

"Enough about that, think of grander things— like our latest acquisition."

"It's not complete yet, Eric. In fact, it's hardly begun."

"Please… Between the two of us, we'll have Bellefleur's daughters giving us the keys to the palace before dawn."

Unable to suppress his grin at Eric's confidence, he unwillingly agreed. "Yes, perhaps."

Eric and Godric had interfered with the approval and release of the Calantica eye drops for years. They had bribed and glamoured several FDA agents, federal judges and scientists to stop the approval of the drug. It pained Godric greatly that he had to take measures this far, but it was undeniable that vampires needed the ability to influence humanity at some key points. They have prevented many wars and genocides from taking place by compelling the right people in power. But Bellefleur Tech was not backing down, and they had to do something about it.

Exiting the car and gazing up at the famous Glass Tower, Godric thought that this would be a very wise acquisition, and if it was as simple as Eric hoped, all the better. This was just a small task on his never-ending to-do list, but he hoped he would sleep easier knowing they had secured their secret.

They were greeted politely in the lobby by a young man and then were escorted to the elevators. Godric looked at his progeny, tall and stoic in the elevator. His dead heart squeezed his chest, praying for the Gods to be good.

When the Elevator moved upwards, Eric's shoulders relaxed. He knew he had prayed for the same thing. Godric did not witness half of what Burrell had done to his other half at the camp, and Eric had not once spoken about it. But being underground caused Eric to become deeply unnerved, and if given the choice, he refused to go underground ever since.

Once the doors reopened, several floors above, it was all stark white. Marble floors, white walls, white expensive leather seats and modern furniture, unlike the French Gothic maximalist aesthetic of New Orleans, and certainly more luxurious than most corporate offices he had been in. Eric hummed and smirked as the elevator took them to the top floor, still so sure of himself, unphased by the grandness of it all. As sure as he had been when Godric found him cutting down his enemies with a bloody axe.

While Godric was thankful that Eric no longer had to resort to using deadly weapons to overcome his foes, he was still thankful to see that some things in Eric never changed.

Godric broke from his nostalgic thoughts when they entered a large conference room. This floor, just like the lobby, had no exterior walls, just large glass panes from floor to ceiling, giving them almost a 360-degree view of the city. Before them were only two sisters, the Bellefleur girls, who were responsible for running the company. Their father was the CEO of Bellefleur Tech and all its subsidiaries, which started off as a pharmaceutical company and acquired a few other businesses throughout the years, but since the Great Revelation it had taken a keen interest in developing vampire technology.

"Rebecca Bellefleur," the tallest one approached them, extending her hand. "And this is my sister and lead researcher, Dr. Katherine Bellefleur," the elder sister introduced.

Still hesitating for a second, Eric shook the woman's hand. It had been over a decade since the Great Revelation and neither of them was used to shaking human hands. It was survival etiquette, ingrained deeply within them over the centuries. Never let them know you're dead.

Rebbeca Bellefleur was a very confident and charming woman, who gave them the smile of a person that had done this many times before. She was about his height and looked him dead in the eye, her eyes a twinkling blue and her long brown hair cascading perfectly down to her shoulders.

The younger sister, however, kept her hands together in front of her hips and gave a small incline of her head to Eric and Godric, which was much appreciated. At her diminutive height, Eric towered over her in a way that was almost comical. She reminded him vaguely of the women from his time. People were smaller then, and he had been considered an average height. Eric, however, had always just been a Viking freak of nature.

"Eric Northman, I'm very pleased that you were willing to see Godric and me. We are quite interested in your signature glass."

Godric kept his face neutral while he seethed internally. No, of course, Eric hadn't gone about this in a direct way. He would drag this out and make them play his little game for as long as could because he found toying with power fun.

"But of course, shall we get started?" Rebecca gestured for them to sit in conference room chairs. "How much do you already know about our glass products?"

"Very little," Godric grunted, still trying not to glower at Eric.

The younger sister, Katherine, pulled up a presentation and then began to animatedly explain all about the glass through a projector showing carefully crafted slides on a sleek blank white wall.

Godric hadn't expected much. He had been to enough vampire summits to know these types of presentations were beyond dull. They were often disappointing because most new ideas were too small and unoriginal, copies of another copy. True innovation, the kind that changes human history, pushed boundaries and propelled civilization forward was rare and far in between. 2000 years on this Earth and he had seen it all. The printing press, the invention of the lightbulb, and the transition from horse-drawn carriages to sleek electric vehicles changed the world as we knew it; from how cities were built to how society functioned. These kinds of leaps were one of the few things that Godric still enjoyed about humankind. It was rare to find others that felt the same as he did, and even fewer approached the topic with unfettered joy.

The young doctor first started her presentation professionally, introducing herself and explaining her many impressive qualifications in a tone that showed she was quite embarrassed to be speaking about herself. But as she began to explain her research and development of the glass she quickly abandoned any attempt to maintain a sense of abstract professionalism.

"It all started with our late mother's research and her development of the original UV-proof vinyl cover. She understood the importance of it, of adapting our world to you, just as you have so seamlessly adapted to ours throughout history," she spoke so eloquently. "Adapting homes allows vampires and humans to be neighbours, and live harmoniously. After all, our homes say so much about who we are."

Her genuine excitement about the development of the glass was near contagious. And not only her genius was able to create it all from scratch, Dr. Bellefleur understood the monumental importance of it. The glass she made allowed vampires to live in normal houses in cities and suburbs alike, instead of sleeping in abandoned structures and breaking into mausoleums like feral creatures. Vampires were now people's neighbours and members of communities. They worked in offices, in stores, and they delivered your mail. Integrating into society after centuries of isolation was no easy feat, but this young girl knew how important mainstreaming was.

And most of all, it was startling, for Godric to realize that this young woman shared his same love of learning and innovation. She was the one who improved her mother's creation - from a vinyl film to UV-proof embedded in the glass layers itself. She also created the popular UV-proof shutters, made to be more affordable options for pre-existing houses.

Godric had not expected to be this enraptured. He hadn't anticipated this kind of passion and zeal from such a young woman. It was so very honest and refreshing. Katherine Bellefleur's clear delight at discovery reminded Godric that life did have something to offer. That his tortuous attempts to maintain the running of the world weren't for nothing, and that he wasn't alone in trying to change the world.

At that moment, Katherine's aura had completely eclipsed her sister's. Godric had always been fascinated by intelligent people; inventors, creators and artists. He found himself surprised and shocked to be in the company of such a rare and talented mind, especially here, of all places.

It happened few and far between in Godric's many centuries and he had all but given up on meeting another person of captivating genius. His attention wavered briefly when he noticed the rosy blush on Katherine's cheeks, and Godric realized that this enthralling woman was also quite lovely, with her creamy skin and wide blue eyes filled with genius and wonder. He suddenly found himself absolutely famished for a brief moment. He listened to the rapid pounding of her heart and feared that his fangs would drop. It would be wildly inappropriate, he realized, to be staring at the blood flushing her face.

Gods, what was wrong with him?

"Any questions?" Kate finished, interrupting Godric's internal self-flagellation.

"That was quite… Thorough, Miss Bellefleur," Eric said slowly as if he had just woken up.

"Well, I…" The girl blushed even deeper and Godric's mouth was suddenly full of saliva. "Created it myself so… I'm the expert."

"Absolutely fascinating," Godric told her, trying not to swallow his own tongue in the process.

"Would you like to see the new prototype? I have a demonstration room down in the lab–" She exclaimed and began to hurry over to him.

"Kate, I am sure they don't want to go all the way down to the basement," Rebecca was still confident and smiling, but there was an edge to her tone.

"Oh, right," Kate sighed, unable to hide her disappointment. Godric was immediately moved to prevent that. Her talent should be nurtured, and her ideas and attitude elevated.

The word basement, however, would be an obstacle for Eric. It was a hand they did not want to show.

"No, I would be most eager to see the process. I am certain Eric is dying to discuss numbers with you, Miss Bellefleur."

Katherine's beaming smile made a strange emotion that Godric could not name well up. He pushed it down and was then led eagerly down the hall back toward the elevator, the young doctor chatting enthusiastically about the glass. He didn't look back at Eric or Rebecca, completely enthralled by this strangely charming woman.

When the elevator doors closed, Godric realized that this was a mistake.

He was now alone with her, in a small enclosed space. Her scent, like a sweet fresh apple, permeated the air, intoxicating him.

She smiled at him sweetly, completely unaware of the monster next to her. He followed the column of her neck with his eyes, resting on the pulse point of her delicate neck, exposed by her luscious hair tied back in a bun. He could see its steady rhythm, the vein jumping out from under her soft skin as if tempting him on purpose.

Yes, a monster indeed.

AN: -gasp-

An entire Godric chapter! Can you believe it?! I will be attempting to right some wrongs from seasons 6 with this story (wish me luck).

And many thanks to SusanJ39 the historical correction feedback! You are the best :)

Until next time!

Spice