Pre Edit Count –   1,548 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Losing your Memory by Ryan Star.

Previously:

For the rest of the night, Eric couldn’t talk to her, though they conversed in their minds readily. It helped with the boredom as one by one, the vampires swear their loyalty to Eric and his Bondeds. 

The last one in the line is Bill.  Sookie looks for the first time, animated. ”Bill! I am glad you came.  My grandmother would like to ask you if you would speak with her Descendents of the Glorious Dead meeting.  If so, she will call you with the particulars tomorrow night.” She looks eager to part with him the information from her Grandmother.

Bill smiles graciously as he bows to her, “Sookeh.  I would gladly entertain your Grandmother’s questions.  Please tell her that I graciously await her call.” He hides the feeling of glee.  This maybe his way to get into the Stackhouse’s home.

Eric is watching the idiot in front of him, and shakes his head.  He growls out, “Since you have not sworn to me yet, I will allow your loyalty to be sworn to my bondeds at the same time.” His eyes are dark as he stares down at the young Vampire in front of him, daring him to refute him at the same time.

Bill’s lips lift in disgust, but he says the words, knowing that he has too to remain in the area and to continue his task that brought him here.  There is no denying Godric’s and Eric’s scent on her, but he is glad to see that she still smells sweet, virginal. 

Leigh sits up from her place at Sookie’s feet and yawns in Bill’s face.  Her head could easily swallow his, and Familiars are powerful enough, if given the blood of elder Vampires.  And as Godric and Eric’s gifts, there is no question that they contributed enough to make her powerful enough to defend against most, if not all vampires.

Bill backed away in a rush, not hearing the laughter from around him.  All he could see was those powerful jaws.  As he made his bows to the three on the dais, he leaves, with the intent of learning how to get rid of the familiar.

Now:

The dark limo is gliding down the road back to Bon Temps.  The ride is a little more crowded with the addition of a Black Panther that made the Driver pause as he held the door open for his charges.   Though the look was comical on his face, none of the other riders laughed. They had quickly gotten in and since then, the drive back to the Stackhouse manor is as quiet as it was on the way out.   There is no movement, not since Sookie had rested her head on Eric’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

Unknown to everyone is Leigh, she is lying on the floor of the car, her eyes closed as she talks with her makers. This evening had alarmed her and she is afraid that Godric will not relent, that he cannot get over what is going on.  She has no idea what happened, but something must have gone through his head to make him take this stand.

Niall is pissed, Sookie is hurting and he can feel the pain she is feeling.  Even Hades is mad at Godric and the pain he is putting his mates through right now. As far as they can tell, Godric is overreacting and they have no idea why.

‘Where is he getting this idea that he or Eric could kill Sookie?’ Niall demands of her. He is seething. When he had first started talking with them he had been sprawled out in his throne room, watching the idiots in his court try to hold his attention, but his anger makes him sit up, leaning forward heavily on his knees.

Closing her eyes in the car as she tries to deal with their anger. ‘He thinks that he could have choked her or that Eric could have taken too much when he was drinking from her femoral artery.’ Leigh answers him.

Hades’ baritone weighs heavy as he tells them, ‘Sookie is going to need both of them, and Godric should be very aware of this.  They cannot physically hurt her.  Don’t they know that they themselves would have pulled back?  The Mating of these three and their Bonds are one of the most powerful in the world.  They transcend the Gods’ own matings!” He remembers the one and only such Mating that had been torn in half and caused one of his friend’s greatest pain.  That event had measured up to only one other event and they are both working to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

A feminine voice breaks into the three of them, ’Perhaps he just needs to see the results of his choice without hurting Eric or Sookie?’ The fire in the voice makes Niall and Hades sit up as Leigh’s eyes open in shock.

There was surprise in the minds of the three as they realize who is talking to them.

‘Freyja?’ Niall whispers softly. The sheer amazement in his voice would alert any newcomer to the importance of this voice to him.

There is a twinkle of a laugh and her presence is announced in their heads. ‘Whatever Godric is doing is enough to wake me.  Eric is particularly torn in half.  His mates are hurting, and he wants to fix it but he in confused by Godric’s reactions and how he is not being the strong vampire he has known.’  In her comment is the unspoken question.  She cannot affect the other two at this time since they are not mated yet.  She needs permission to fix this.

Hades huffs.  Then tells them, ‘I give permission.’ Freyja out of all of them is uniquely able to correct this.  Her special talent has been missed for all the help she could have given, but beggars are not choosers.  Hades will allow this to help prevent what he believes will be a catastrophe.

Laughing in the link, Freya advises them, ‘I will take care of it.  I will also help Godric, Hades.  He is divided.  His love, that he literally died for, is back; the only other being he has ever loved, is her other half.  He feels as though he is not enough for her, and this is coming up now.  It is better for it to happen now than later.  I will heal him, and while doing so, let him see what the result of his decision will be.  He needs this, and it will help.  But while I am gone, you will watch over Sookie and Eric.’ The iron in her voice is enough to tell them she is not joking.  She will need them to watch over the two for as long as it takes for her to fix Godric.

Niall’s voice is soft as he asks her, ‘Does this mean you are coming back Freyja?’  He is unconsciously holding his breath as he waits for the answer.

Freya’s fires caress his mind as she leaves, ‘Soon.’  She also misses the other two, and the time for her hiding is coming to an end.

Leigh sighs in relief as Freyja’s presence is gone from her mind but her respite is short lived as another worry occurs to her. ‘Does this mean the fourth one can enter my mind too?’

‘No!’  The answer is quick and a flat dismissal.

Hades hesitates. ‘It is because of Eric, that Freyja is allowed in your mind.  We did not know she was still alive, we thought she had been captured or killed, none could find her, and believe me, Niall has searched everywhere, and is the reason for his avatar.’ The last is said softly, and Leigh understands it is nothing to be told to anyone else.

Niall is quiet as he thinks of all the time he has spent searching for her.  He sighs then sends to them, ‘I have things that need to be taken care of.  Let me know when I am needed, and I will, as always, be there.’ And with that he disappears from the link and from his throne in his palace.

Leigh and Hades talk briefly over what they can do to safeguard Eric and Sookie, but soon Hades too leaves.  Leigh looks up at her charge and can feel the pain. ‘Soon, Sookie.  Soon it will all be over.’ She is trusting her makers in their belief of Freyja solving this mess.

When they arrive at the house, Sookie is hardly moving, her mind and body closing down with all the stress, and Eric cannot help the glare he throws their Mate as he pulls her into his arms and vamps away to their rooms. He doesn’t care what Compton may see, his only worry is his diminutive mate in his arms.

Godric shakes his head at Eric’s and Sookie’s reactions.  He is only doing what needs to be done to protect her. Sein geliebter Schatz (His beloved darling) will not be risked!   He had lost her once, and he cannot go through it, much less Eric. No, Eric has no idea of the pain of his mate being ripped from him.  The only night he even came close was the night she was attacked.

Not even Sookie remembers that time, she has no memory of the loss they had felt.  Of the loss he still feels.  While she remains his soulmate, the one he will love for the rest of time, they now have Eric involved.  His minds shudders from the memories, and he moves into the Stackhouse residence.

When he walks in with Leigh by his side, Adele puts down her knitting and asks, “I suspect that the wind that blew through here was Eric with Sookie.” Her voice is teasing, knowing how odd it is that Eric would be the one carrying her through, but by Godric’s pausing, it is not for the normal reasons.  Since Godric would be following his mates without hesitation if it was that case.

He nods, looking down to where their room is. He is still thinking back to that day, and the fact that it had not been that long ago that her life was in so much danger that it took them both to heal her.  How can Eric just forget that?

Tilting her head to the side, she takes in the Gaul.  He looks… pale, paler than she has ever seen him in fact.  He has always been the strong one, and she is wondering what is going on in his head.  “I take it everything went to plan then?” She is trying to figure out what has happened to make him so upset.

Godric sighs in his mind and looks Adele in the eye. “It went satisfactory.  Sookie played her role with perfection as always.  Eric announced that he was opening a new club and will open one in Dallas for my use when I wish.” He needs to look at the plans and make sure they don’t leave her alone… ever.  Leigh is ok for now, but he thinks he will tell Eric they will need a backup for the daytime.

Adele lifts an eyebrow. “Then what is the problem?  I expected you carrying Sookie in case Compton is haunting around.  Instead Eric blurred through here so fast I didn’t see him, and I see you coming in later.” She is blunt.  She wants to know if this is something that needed to be headed off if she can…

Thinking, he tells her, “We had a disagreement earlier.  Sookie is mad at me and Eric is taking her side.” Nothing more, nothing else.  Adele had enough issues to bother with, she really does not be involved with this one.

Nodding her head, she looks at him. “Is it something you wish to talk about?” She knows that he is private, but sometimes he opens up to her, respecting her age in asking for advice.  Especially with Sookie.

He shakes his head. “I have said what will be done and they will follow my instructions.” And to him that is it.  He is protecting his Sookie.

Adele sighs and gives Godric this look.  The look that told him he had just said something horribly wrong.

He lifts an eyebrow to her. “I need to get below and make sure our plans are going as we had prepared for them.  If you need Sookie, I will send her up to you.” To him, this subject is over.

He waits a minute, then nods and heads down to the others. Leigh still by his side.

She had been hoping for a piece of the puzzle to let her and the others know why Godric is acting this way.  Anything would be better than now and the total loss they are feeling.

When he gets downstairs, Godric pauses as he sees Sookie crying on Eric’s shoulder, the Viking holds her closer as he senses his presence, as though he is protecting Sookie from Godric.

Leigh flows past his legs and jumps to land in front of the two and curls up around them, her purring loud enough to be heard by a human upstairs.

Godric just stares at them, his mind running with ideas while his body aches to hold her.  But, he tells himself, he cannot handle another rejection from her, and sighs.  Turning away from them, he heads to the computer to catch up on some work.

Eric on the other hand stares at his maker with rage in his eyes.  How can he dismiss their mate this way?  How can he not understand he is hurting her?  He can feel the same things as Eric does in their Bond but he is ignoring her!

Something lights in Eric’s eyes as he comes to realization that if Godric will not protect their mate, not love her in the way he should, in how their memories actually show it, then that will be it.  It will pain him to do it, and they will never be separated completely, but Eric will do what it takes to protect her.

Even if that means protecting her from their own Mate.

Final count, 2,400 words.

Fairfarren~Wendy