Pre Edit Count –   3,142 Words – What this is:  The number of words I use to get the story out there.  At the bottom is the word count for when I edit these.

Song I listened to for this chapter: Beautiful by 10 Years, What this is:  The song I play on repeat until the first draft is done.   Song searches sometimes delay chapters since I need songs…

It was a black, muggy night in northern Louisiana, the crickets and night jays serenading the crocodiles and local wildlife.  There is a sense of anticipation in the air, that the world is about to change.

Through the air a streak of yellow and black interrupts the night noises, as the creatures sense a predator above them.  The streak is a thousand year old Viking Vampire, known as the Northman to the general Supe world, Child and Companion of Death in legends, Sherriff to his constituents and Queen.

The Viking, Eric, is flying without paying attention to his surroundings, his mind focused on the pull.  He also can feel an echo of the pull in his bond to his Maker.  He has been feeling this pull echoing in the both of them for the last couple of years towards this direction.  It has gotten worse a couple of times, but this time the pull is painful.

He had talked with Godric about the pull and Godric had actually gotten excited.  He told Eric to keep an open mind, and if the pull became bad, to follow it immediately.  Otherwise, he needed to wait until Godric told him to go.  Eric has followed his maker’s instructions implicitly, knowing Godric would never lead him astray.

However, tonight he was woken by pain before the sun had set and the pull overwhelming his body in his need to answer it.  The minute he could go, he took off into the air, ignoring the slight pain from the sun as its last rays reaches for him.

As the air rushes past him, Eric glances down at the landscape below him, realizing that he is close to Bon Temp.  The pull is still painful in its intensity, but Eric has called to his maker. He can feel that Godric is closer than he thought he would be, and is glad that he is coming to meet him.  Eric gives a thought to call his child, but he knows that if Godric and he cannot handle whatever has made the pull so painful, he will not put her in danger, also.

Within a few minutes he lands outside an old farmhouse. Studying the two story home in front of him, Eric can tell that it is lovingly kept up, but run down.  The gardens that surround the house, porch, and lands are an utopia of heavenly smells and colors, showing that the owner has a green thumb that most, human and Supes would be envious of.

On the outside, Eric is the cold vampire that he is known for, but inside, Eric is barely holding himself together, needing to find what is pulling him, now! Before his patience runs out, he feels his maker put his hand on him.  “Eric.”

Eric turns and kneels before the only man whom he loves, answering, “Master.”

Godric, looking down at the sum of his life, and laughs, “How many times do I need to tell you not to call me that?”

Eric briefly chuckles as he answers, “As many times as I call you it.  Godric, the pull is painful, and as you have advised, I followed it.”  He gives a look to Godric, trying to decide if he should mention that for the first time, he feels an echo of the pull in the being in front of him.

Godric sighs, looking at the house in front of him.  He knows the pull well, he felt it himself and that is why he had been on his way. He also can feel the confusion of Eric, knowing what the cause of it is.  He knows the pull for Eric will be painful, though for him, it is as painful, but it is the answer to a deep seated need, one he knows will be explained in time.

Godric softly tells Eric, “I know, and you have done well.  Now I sense that there is only one person in the home.  Let us find the result to the pull and find why it is painful.”

Eric nods and stands up.  He turns and heads toward the house with Godric by his side, as they have been for a thousand years, either mentally or physically.  The two of them are closer than any Maker/Child in the past, and are the core of many legends.

As they walk up the driveway, they can hear the crying of a small child.  The sobs are harsh, sounding as though they are being torn from the heart.  Eric and Godric, not realizing it, hurry to the porch faster.

Godric is shocked when they come across a five year old girl curled up on the stairs, looking broken to the world.  He and Eric move quickly to her, Eric kneeling by her side, gently moving her hair from her face with Godric on the other side of the child, his senses already reaching out to see if there are any injuries.

They both gasp softly as the unearthly beautiful face of the girl is exposed to them.

Sookie had run away from her home to her Gram’s, trying to escape the thoughts of her family.  It is normally hard for her to avoid their minds, they being her family and especially loud to her, but tonight, with everything that happened, it was overwhelming.

Her Uncle Bartlet had come over earlier in the day, and he had finally figured out his plan to train her to be better than Hadley. He came with the thought of checking out some information for some of the devices he will need.  Instead, no one had been home and he had used the chance to start her training.  He, as well as most of the town, thought she is either stupid or crazy, and that made her just right to start training for his ‘needs’.

Sookie had tried to tell the family before, when he had just touched her and she was uncomfortable, not only with the touches themselves, but how his mind opened and showed her everything he was thinking, but no one had believed her.  Today was worse, and he had acted on his hidden thoughts, as her Gram called them.  Sookie had pleaded with her family to believe her, instead, they all, including her brother, thought she had made it up.  So she had run out of the house towards the only place she had ever felt safe.

But, when she had run up the stairs, her Gram was not anywhere to find.  The house was dark, the door locked, and it was getting dark outside as well.  Her Grams had always told Jason and her to be inside the house if they weren’t with adults when it got dark.  This warning that she had been told her entire life along with the hopelessness of her situation was coming down on her and she is frightened.  Not knowing what to do, she collapsed on the top stair and let loose with the feelings.

It is getting darker, and she cannot stop sobbing, as the first tear fell, all of the things she has held inside are being brought to the surface.  And it is more than any normal five year old should ever have to face.

However, with all this going on, her mind is still open to outside thoughts, her feeble shields all down with her pain.  All of a sudden she felt two blank spots appear on either side of her, then someone moves her hair off her face.  She should be scared, but all she feels is… safe.

She opens her eyes to meet a pair of sea blue eyes on one side and a pair of bright bluish green eyes on her other side.  She feels as though there is a snap in her mind and she stares at the men in front of her.

Eric shakes his head, knowing that the girl in front of him is his.  When their eyes met, he felt the snap that he had heard described by the very few vampires who have met their mates.  It never matters if they are human or vampire, the description is the same.

Amazed by the fact, he looks up at his Maker and tells Godric, “I found her.”

Godric nods quietly, staring at the girl before him.  He himself felt the same snap, as well as Eric’s snap echoing across their bond as well.  She is Eric’s mate, there is no question, but what is she to him?  Were they a rare Tri-Mates?  And why does he also feel the call with her, the same call that led him to Eric?  But most importantly… how is he going to tell Eric?

Meanwhile, while Godric is turning this over in his head, Eric turns back to his girl, and picks her up off the floor.  His mate is to be comfortable.  He will worship at her feet, and so will everyone else.  But first he needs to know what has upset her so much.  Then he needs to speak with Godric.

Carefully carrying the precious gift he had been given to a swing, he sits down with her.  Godric sits next to him, as he tries to sooth her.

Godric looks at the two and tells Eric, “Vi måste prata, Eric. Det finns mer att detta än är uppenbart just nu. Men, först måste vi tenderar att den lilla.” (We need to talk, Eric.  There’s more to this than is evident right now.  But, first we need to tend to the little one.)

Eric looks at him quickly, but feeling that Godric is serious about the fact that they need to find the reason that he was pulled to her tonight.  He nods his agreement and turns his head to Sookie.

Sookie just stares up at the angel who carried her over to the swing.  Her eyes finally shift from him to the young man by his side.  She just feels as though neither will hurt her, ever.  This is safe, these two will always be the new definition of safe.  She relaxes in Eric’s arms.

Her eyes widen as she realizes something amazing to her.  She tries to think if this has ever happened to her in the past, and when she comes to the conclusion that it hasn’t, Sookie finally has to ask, “Why can’t I hear you?”

Eric frowns at this, ‘Can my mate be deaf?’ and  after deciding that he needs to clarify what she is saying.  After a quick glance to Godric, he carefully asks, “What do you mean, Dyrbar en?”

Cocking her head to the side, Sookie tries to explain, without feeling as she normally does.  But the feeling inside of her is encouraging her to tell them, that they will not mock her.  “You don’t have what Gran calls private voices.  And what does that mean, durball in?”

Godric chuckles at the tone in her voice, the inquisitiveness. He knows Eric is worried about their lilla kompis (little mate), and to be honest, so is he.  She would not have been crying like she was earlier if everything is fine in her life.  Although her honesty and the fact that she was not frightened before the mating connection, or even afterwards, is refreshing.  It has been documented that the human mate can be frightened by the feel of the recognition of finding your other half.  “It means precious one, a stóirín.  And before you ask, that means little one.”

Eric glances at Godric. What he had said was true, but what Godric is not telling her is that as Eric is claiming her, so is Godric.  Surprisingly, he does not feel jealous.  In fact, he feels better, knowing that one of the strongest vampires in the world, no matter their age, is claiming his mate as under his protection as well.

Sookie frowns in reply to Godric’s comment.  She asks, with the truth ringing in her voice, “Why would anyone call me precious?  I am called Sookie or crazy.  No one calls me anything else.”

Eric feels rage rip through him that his mate has been insulted so.  He controls the urges and calms himself.  He needs to find out as much as possible.  Godric has always maintained that the more information you can get, the more weapons you have in your hands.

Godric feels his child’s rage, as well as his own anger.  But he has had more time to control his emotions. And this allows him to react to her statement with none of either of their anger evident in his bearing or voice.  He asks Sookie gently, “Why do they call you crazy, a stóirín?  I have just met you, but you seem to be very intelligent to me.”  As she tries to hide from them, he realizes that they may need to work with their lilla kompis on her self esteem.

Sookie hides her face in Eric’s shirt.  She shyly answers them, “Gram says it’s because they don’t like people different from them.  Gram has been helping me learn how to tell the difference between the private voices and the regular ones.  She told me that I need to try to not answer the private ones, and it would be even better to try not to listen to those.  I don’t understand why most people have two voices that say the opposite things, but I am trying.”

Eric frowns as he tries to understand, he glances at Godric to see if he understood what she is trying to tell them, but feels the same confusion coming across the bond.  He looks back at Sookie and asks her, hoping that she can clarify for the two, “Two voices, durbar en?  What do you mean most people have two voices?”

Sookie hesitantly looks up at him, once seeing he is not mad as her mom and brother usually are, she answers him. However, her voice and posture indicate to the two vampires that she is used to being ridiculed for answering about this. “One voice is like yours, matching your lips.  The other voice, so rarely does.”

Understanding dawns in both Godric and Eric and they look at each other in complete shock.  Eric looks down at the little girl in his arms and he breathes, “Telepath.” His arms tighten around her, sheltering her.

Godric quickly asks her, “What did you mean most people, Sookie?” They need any and all information so that they can protect their mate.  This is the first priority, and knowledge will allow them to plan accordingly. A telepath would be a catch for any race, Supe or human.

Sookie glances at the younger man beside her, looking into his bluish green eyes, seeing that they are kind, caring.  She sighs quietly.  “Most people have two voices.  Some people have gnarly voices, hard to make sense of, even when I touch them.  Some have sparkly thoughts, like my Grandfather.  You two are the first that don’t have any.” She is hoping that they won’t yell at her like her mom.  Or make fun of her like everyone else.

Eric nods, putting the information aside where they can figure it out later.  First though, he needs to find out what has upset her so much.  “Sookie, what made you cry earlier?  And why are you here alone?” He is puzzled since he is sure that it is not normal for such a young child to be on their own.  In fact, he thinks it is against the laws of this country they are in.

Sookie’s eyes fill with tears and pain.  She turns her face away.  How can these two strangers believe her when her own family doesn’t? She tells them with the bluntness as only a five year old can, “No one believes me.  But he scares me.  He wants to train me, and the private voice makes me feel so dirty.  I ran to my Gram’s, since she is the only one that helps me, but she ain’t here.  And sometimes the gnarly voices are in the woods, I get mean thoughts from them, but they never bother me when I am here.”

Eric’s eyes start to blaze as his head snaps to his Maker’s. ‘Is she telling me that she is reading someone’s thoughts that want to train her, and being that it makes her feel dirty, I have no doubt what type of training that is going to be, Godric.’  There is no question in his mind that there will none of this anymore, even if he has to take her away from here.

Godric nods his head to his child’s thought.  He is frowning as he frantically thinks.  There is no way they can let anything happen to Sookie, not only as Eric’s and his mate and whatever she is to him, but the father in him could not allow this happen to any child.  However, he is also involved with the planning of the Great Revelation and cannot allow anything delay that.  It would in the future help these two; however they need to do something now.

Godric slowly asks Sookie, “Sookie. Does your Gram’s private voice match her other one when she speaks to you?” This would let him know how truthful this Gram is to Sookie.  If she would be an adequate adult to raise their mate, with the two of them around as much as possible, of course.  They would have much to teach her about Supes since she will be one, if she isn’t one already…

Thinking, Sookie answers him, “Yes.  They don’t match sometimes when she talks to others, but her voices match more than others.”

Eric kisses her forehead and tells her, “When those voices match, darling, that means they are a truthful person.” He understands where Godric is going with this, and he agrees.  Sookie needs someone familiar to her if they are going to rip up her current life.  It will be for the better of course, but a child her age shouldn’t have to understand that.  Even though he believes she understands more than she should.

Godric nods and tells the both of them, “We will wait for your Gram, Sookie.  But while we wait, why don’t we talk and get to know each other.”  He smiles at her, “I think we will know each other very well in the future.”

Eric grins at the girl in his arms.  There is no way in the world he will stay away from his mate.  She is too young, and will need time to grow.  But he is patient, and will use the time to have them grow as close as possible.  He tells Sookie, “And the first thing you need to know that this is Godric and my name is Eric.  And as Godric has said, we will get to know each other well.”

They spend the next hour as they wait for Sookie’s Gram to come home to talk.  Godric also thinks of how they were going to protect the little girl from the rest of the world until Eric and he can claim her publicly.  He is also pondering the fact that Eric and he need to talk about the fact that Sookie is his mate as well.  And the odd additional pull, what that means.  He has an idea, though…

Sookie is soon sitting relaxed on Eric’s lap as she talks to them both of anything and everything she can think of.  Eric just grins at her, obviously besotted by the fact that he is one of the few vampires in the world who will never want for his other half. Godric is equally besotted by the youngling, knowing that Eric, Sookie and he will only get closer as time goes, and equally thrilled by the fact that not only has he met his mate, but the only other being on this earth that he loves is part of this Bond. Neither is worried about another in their race taking her from them, mating is rare, but it is protected with every law in their world.  For any to try to separate mates is subjected to the true death.

Soon a car is seen driving up the long driveway.  Godric stands and tells them both, “You stay here.  I will meet with Sookie’s Gram.”

Eric nods, knowing that Godric is going to determine how trustworthy the human is, and to maybe let her in on the secret.  If they can do that, they may have a better chance in being able to leave Sookie in the human world longer.  Otherwise, they will remove her and raise her themselves.  But this also puts Sookie at greater risk of being found.  She cannot be marked until later, the marking will never stay.  Eric can feel his own mark being formed as they spend time together.  It would not be finished until they mated, nor will it start to be visible until Sookie’s became visible.  But he can feel it, and before long, he will make sure she gets some of his blood.  It will make it easier for them to be apart.  Hopefully he will not need any of hers.

Godric stands in front of Adele’s parked vehicle, feeling the mark also forming on him.  His mind wonders on what their marks will be like before his mind flips back to the human in the vehicle, letting all of the 2,000 years and power emanating from him.  This human has one time to convince him of her ability to care for his little one.  She will be protected.

Adele is staring at the vampire in front of her.  ‘The time has come already?’

She slowly gets out of the vehicle, keeping her eyes on the Supe in front of her.  Thanks to her husband, she knows about them.  Sookie’s great grandfather had also told her that her granddaughter will always be involved in the Supe world.  There is a prophecy that was said at Sookie’s birth from one of the fae that was there because of her House.  Adele didn’t understand what the fae had been saying, but she was told that Sookie is fated to be one of a very few lucky people.  The only bad part was that there will be wars over her.  But two will protect her and she is to trust those two with Sookie’s life.

Adele asks guardedly, “Are you the Aingeal an Bháis?” She was told to ask that and the person who answered it was one of the two.

Godric cocks his head to the side.  That name has been lost in time.  He asks her, “How do you know that title?”

Relaxing, Adele answers him, “I was told that the Aingeal an Bhais will come one day with his companion.  That these two will be the protectors of my granddaughter.  But I thought this time would not come for years.  Why are you here now?”  Her curiosity is very apparent.

Godric just stares at the human in front of him, knowing that since he has answered the question, she was no longer scared of him.  His eyebrow rises as he tells her, “You have not answered my question.  And who told you this information?”  With his mate found and it sounding like there is more coming upon them, Godric feels as though the peaceful years are at end.  But the years have allowed him and Eric to gain in power and wealth, which he feels that will help them all.  After all, all the power and wealth are nothing if their mate is no longer there.

Adele looks past him and sees a tall blonde who is looking adoringly at her granddaughter as she talks to him.  Every so often he glances around or scents the air as though checking for anything that may harm the object of his adoration.  She glances back at the young man in front of him and tells him, “I think you both need to come inside.  And I know what you are, but if you can ask the man holding my granddaughter to bring her inside, we will find out why Sookie is here.  Once we solve that problem, then we will talk.  Now that you are here, you will need every bit of information I have.”

Godric glances back and his face softens as he stares at the girl that has captured his child’s and his own heart.  A heart that Godric has spent a thousand years trying to help Eric find, while not giving up himself, feeling the loneliness that only Eric could help alleviate in the past.  One look from her and all the walls around both of their heart crumbled.  No one but he, Sookie and maybe Pam will ever see Eric’s heart.  He has always had deeper emotions than anyone Godric has ever known.  But through time, Eric has hidden it from everyone, but for Pam and him.  Sookie will never want for love from either of them.

He answers Adele, “My name is Godric.  That is my Eric up there with Sookie.  Let us go inside and arm each other with the information we have.  The first priority is protecting that innocent heart up there.  Everything else will fall behind.  She is the most important person in Eric’s and I’s world from now on.”  He turns and stares into her eyes, his bluish green ones glowing with his powers, “Nothing will hurt her again.  Nothing can happen to her and we will do everything to protect her.”

Adele nods, in total agreement with him.  She heads inside and as she walks inside, she tells them, “Godric and Eric, please come inside.”  She hears them enter behind her, as she heads towards the kitchen.  It will be a long night and she will need as much coffee as possible to answer as much as she can.  She has a feeling that both her and Sookie’s life will be quite different now.

Final count, 4,734 words.