Pre Edit Count –   3,069 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Missing Persons 1 & 2 by OneRepublic

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Bella went limp in his arms, but before he could get worried, he searches the bond and finds her weariness.  He also could feel his blood working its way through her, healing her in a way he had never heard of before.  He now knows every scar, every break in her bones.  He could tell you that she has had her appendix removed and that it was growing back.  He could feel it as it found much more wrong in her head and was attempting to heal her, but whatever it is, was fighting his blood.  His was winning, but he was worried; it seems like it is a temporary fix.  He also felt the second it hit the scar on her arm from the Tracker and Edward.  He hissed in pain along with her.

Easing her down, and fighting the urge to lay with her and just hold her until he succumbed to his death, he instead grabs his phone and sends his emails.

He barely laid down and gathered her into his arms before death stole him away for the day. But he had never been so happy in that death than at this moment, knowing he will wake with his other half of his soul in his arms.

Now:

That morning Ludwig is still checking Charlie out as she tries to discover what is wrong with either of the Swans, but she finds very little if anything wrong with him that isn’t directly attributable to his lifestyle.  Honestly, she wishes she could find either nothing, or a big something.  This man deserves to suffer for how he treats his daughter.

Suddenly the quiet is broken by the buzz of her phone and Ludwig pauses in her examination to look down at it and sees the message from Godric.  ‘Exchanged blood.  There is something wrong, I can feel my blood moving through her and healing everything, every broken bone, every scar, even her appendix.  But the Cold One’s bite is fighting the healing and burning us both.  And something is wrong in her head, something is fighting back against my blood healing her completely.  My blood is winning, but nothing should be fighting me.  Need Eric to be put in here.  We will have plenty to discuss.  If we finish earlier, I will let you come in. Otherwise, please wait.’ He was straight and to the point as normal.   She cannot wait to see his bonded up and awake.

She smiles, happy that the two of them are on their way to being Bonded, then she turns her attention to the man before her.  With Godric’s information, she now has a better idea of what has happened and where to look, although she does suspect that it wouldn’t take much to change his mind.  Ludwig sighs as she does her work up; she really cannot wait until Godric decides what he’s going to do with his mate.  Being here cannot be good for her. She is soon brought out of her thoughts by the voice of the man she is examining.

Thinking over everything that everyone had talked about earlier that night, he cannot help but wonder why Godric’s Child would be something that he should be afraid of.  Why?  Charlie had done nothing to him, and, more importantly, wouldn’t it be more imperative to be on his good side if his Father wants to take Bella away? Finally getting to where he couldn’t stop the questions, Charlie looks down at the woman and he asks, “How bad is this Eric and why do you think he is going to scare me?”  He just can’t think why Godric’s Child would scare him.  How scary can he be, really?  Godric is basically a child himself.

Ludwig, just about to start taking his blood pressure, stops and looks incredulously into his eyes. “What do you think Eric is like?” She knows of no one who is not intimidated by the Viking when he walks in the room, much less when he has a problem with someone.  Eric is just menacing, but hopefully he won’t be to Godric’s Mate.  Godric loves him, and would hate to have the two of them at odds.  She isn’t worried about Godric, though.  If Eric ever has a mate she fears for the outcome with Pam.

Not finding anything that he thinks he should be frightened about, Charlie snorts, “Does it matter?  He is Godric’s child and Godric wishes to be on my good side if he wants a chance with my daughter.” His voice is slightly scorning.  The more he thinks about it, the more he figures Godric can’t do anything.  Bella is his daughter, and she will listen to him and what he says.

Ludwig just stares at the man in front of her – she cannot truly comprehend him.  He is a small town man and refuses think about what he has been told, about how the world is much bigger than he ever imagined.  Instead of considering how to work with it, or even take advantage of the information, no, he instead ducks his head down and ignores it.  He is actively searching for a reason that he thinks will keep Bella here and about how he thinks she will keep him safe.  She smirks as she gets back to work. “Aren’t you in for a big surprise? Now be quiet.  I need to see how many of your symptoms match your daughters or if you might be dying also.” She drops the bombshell hoping that it may make him realize this is not the time to be selfish, but she suspects that it is too late.

Charlie jerks and demands, “Dying?  Bella is dying?” This makes his mind go completely blank.  Bella is dying?  Then his mind kicks into gear.  No, this has got to be a story to make him give Bella to them.  She must be worth a lot for them to make those types of claims.  Yes, this is a lie so he will give her up without a fight.  He will fight for her, he needs her here.  What would the voters think?

Shaking her head as she records the numbers, she tells him, “You will want to cut back on the cholesterol if you want to live long.” Ludwig had seen the emotions playing across his face and knew it was a lost cause.  The only thing left is the enjoyment of seeing Eric being let loose on him, and how just badly this man will hurt his daughter before she leaves.  He has no idea of the power of a Mate Bond.

Getting mad, he tries to grab her, but instead she grabs his hand and bends it back like it’s nothing.  “I suggest you might want to learn some manners before tonight.  It will be a large shock for you if you don’t.” She releases his hand and goes back to what she was doing.  Internally, though, she is chuckling in glee.  There should be seats sold for this upcoming encounter.  No man has ever deserved a dressing down by Eric more than the one in front of her.

He glares at her, and is seething inside as she continues his checkup.   When she finishes, she tells him, “I’ll be back later to allow Alcide to put Eric in the room.  Then I will be back for the fireworks.  This is something I wouldn’t miss for anything.”  She chuckles, “Eric…a child.  This will be a hoot!”  She then disappears right in front of him.  She is hoping that with her instructions on his behavior he might have a chance to live past this, but she gleefully imagines how Bella’s dense father is going to get his “come to Jesus” moment…

Sitting there in his chair, Charlie starts glaring upstairs, wondering when Godric will be coming down from Bella’s room.  After he realizes that the sun is rising, he heads up there only to find the door has no handle on it.  “Hell no is that bloodsucker staying in my daughter’s room!”  At that point, Charlie loses it.

Intent on getting in, he throws himself at the door, only to be thrown back.  He grunts with the impact against the floor, and growls.  He sets to work on getting into the room.  Bella is his and he will not be letting her go with a kid no older than she is!

Alcide sighs as he signs the forms for the two coffins along with the other things they had shipped by private jet.  He knows that Godric normally has his own jet, but with Eric coming along there wasn’t time to get it.  Eric being himself, he will not trust himself or his progeny to regular airlines, especially with the risks since 9/11 and all rules they’re putting in place for scanning luggage.  It would not work for the secret about Vampires to get out early just because they got lazy.  There was an airline restricted to only Vampires , but Eric doesn’t trust them when he can have a private plane instead.

Neither bothers Alcide.  When it is a private plane like this, they actually treat him better than the vampire airline did.  Sure he had to grease more palms, but there is a fund for that.  He, as well as any others that help the vampires function in this world, will be happy for the Revelation.

He still laughs about when Eric had to jump on his Dayman, Bobby Burnham, when he tried to lord it over Alcide.  Alcide never cared what the human thought, but damn, the day he finally saw the look on Bobby’s face when Eric snarled that Alcide was Godric’s and therefore above him as part of the Bloodline…hell, he still gets a grin as he remembers Bobby’s face showing his complete shock that this husky man wearing flannels all the time is higher on the totem pole than he is!

He walks over to the van that had been brought up and loaded with the crates and such, opens the door and gets in.  He smirks knowing how upset Eric will be with their transportation, and how thrilled Pam will be with it.  She swears that vans, and especially the minivan, are the best vehicles to have.  They have plenty of room for bodies and her shopping bags.

Depending on how long they’re all here, he figures Eric will find a car for himself as he always does…unless Godric lets him drive his own, which could happen.  Shaking his head as he maneuvers the roads to the interstate so he can make his way to Forks, Alcide chuckles as he suspects things are changing.

As he turns onto the freeway between Seattle and Forks, he wonders about Godric’s Mate.  The news of him finding his Mate is rocking the supernatural world. The boy vampire is also called Death for a reason.  He alone was responsible for many deaths in the supernatural and human worlds.  He could easily not just rule a kingdom; he could command a country with as large as his Bloodline is.  And he just added to his power by finding his Mate.  However on the heels on that news was his request for information about the Cold Ones.  This request has many scrambling to discover what they can in order to find favor with the boy vampire.  Everyone wants to be on Godric’s good side.  He is one of the most singularly powerful beings on the planet.

Godric had earned Alcide’s loyalty early in life.  He had wanted to swear to him the first time he turned, but Godric refused until he was eighteen.  On that day, he was before Godric swearing his loyalty.  His pack, and his family in particular, knows the great debt they owe him.  Without Godric’s protection, in lean times they would have suffered.  Instead they have prospered.  Godric also trusted him with many jobs.  He has a Dayman who he sends to do things that, if he were waylaid, would only result in a hassle, but he saves the important jobs for Alcide.

Over the years Alcide has proven his loyalty to the Bloodline and has taken on many jobs that would have been appropriate for a Dayman, but he’s also in charge of all the buildings and homes that Godric and Eric reside in.  He is often in charge of Pam’s, too, but she sometimes has others working on her home and he checks after them to make sure they are satisfactory.  Eric had been growing displeased with Pam’s holier than thou attitude and had mentioned to Alcide that he will be giving her a “come to Jesus” talk…which caused them both a nice chuckle.

As proof of how important Godric’s Mate is, the ancient vampire is calling the three of them to him:  his son, his granddaughter, and his most trusted guardian, which is the title Godric gave Alcide.  He is also looking forward to meeting these new shifters.  Maybe he can get them to be Godric’s personal guards?  Lord knows that Godric will have his focus on his mate and will want the extra security.

With the reminder of the Mate, his mind goes back over what little is known so far.  He had read everything sent and given to him by Eric and he is amused by Godric’s Mate’s father.  He didn’t deserve his daughter, and Eric will give him a lesson in that. The mother better be glad that they had more important things to worry about, though Eric had called in same favors and her mother will not find life quite so easy anymore.  Nope, no one messes with children around Eric, and to have this particular child go through what she has, has really hit Eric.  He will do anything to protect his father’s Mate.

Alcide remembers what he read of the file and more importantly how Eric had reacted to what he was reading on the plane before he died for the day.  He had growled out, “There should be fucking classes if you are going to be a parent.  These two managed to do everything wrong short of physical abuse!  We will have a lot to do to help her.”  He drags his hands through his hair, mentally thinking that he may get it cut soon.  Eric had paced the length of the plane as he tried to calm himself, then stops, frozen.  Pamela had stopped filing her nails.  Then the two of them look to each other and sigh in relief.  Eric moves and drops into the seat beside Alcide.  At a look from him, Eric explains, “First Blood exchange.  With the emotions we are feeling from both of them, it must be a good reason.  Though I would like to know what sent them into a rage just before.  Shaking his head, his eyes gaze off then tells Pam, “We need to get below.  The sun is already up and you will get the bleeds soon.”

As Pam left, Eric had turned to him and gave him some instructions, and then forwarded him his emails.  He knew that Alcide would take care of anything that needed to be done and also answer any needs of Godric.  Neither of them want to worry that he may have sent information to one and not the other.

All in all, with the instructions he received later as well as a note from Ludwig on the father getting worse in her estimation, Alcide took it to mean that Charlie, Bella’s father, will be far down the list of who he had to take orders from.  He grins in the van.  Oh yes, this will be fun.  A new Supe, Godric’s Mate, and a human male who thinks he’s all that…  Yes, this will be loads of fun to sit back and watch.

Before long, he pulls up to the address, eying the old truck beside Godric’s Aston Martin.  It looked like a classic, but it needed some work.  He wondered if he could work on it to pass time.  He shakes his head at the cruiser also parked there, reminding himself that her father is also the local police chief.  Though he might be part of the local authority,  he will find out soon enough that there is nothing he can do this late in the game.  The governments are aware of the Revelation, and a lot of them are under Godric’s thumb.  Bella is going to shocked at how powerful her mate really is.

He hops out of the van, and before he could do much more than stretch, he has a horse-sized wolf staring at him from the tree line.  He blinks.  ‘Holy shit!  Godric was not exaggerating about their size!’  But he pulls the mantle of his Alpha around him as he looks the wolf in the eye, allowing his own eyes to reflect the wolf inside.

With a huff, the wolf backs away then comes through the trees as a man with shorts on.  Alcide picks up the odd scent from him.  It was more earth-like, and less wet wolf, than his own kind is.  Alcide is definitely going to see about getting some of the Supes to be guards.  If the build that this one has is any example, well they would be enough to give anyone pause, human or Supe.

‘How the hell does he think he can get away with wearing that?  Some lessons are needed for these new wolves.’ Alcide stands where he is as the man comes up to him.  Then the other man asks, “I take it you are Alcide?” Alcide is mentally pleased he stands up to him, guessing the man across from him is also an Alpha.

Alcide nods. “And you are?” He doesn’t shake hands as is normal with humans.  He is going to start from the beginning teaching this man about Supes and the courtesies involved.

“Sam”

Shaking his head at the man’s reluctance to give information, Alcide asks him, “Mind giving me a hand with Eric and Pam?”  There is no way he will give him Eric, but Pam on the other hand….

Sam looks curious as he tells him, “Sure.”

With a laugh, Alcide tells him, “They don’t look like coffins.” He can just imagine what the man is thinking.  It had been one of the things he had wondered about for the longest time until Godric had been kind enough to show him.

Sam got a sheepish look on his face. “I should know better, we got Godric’s down in the basement.  It’s…unusual.” He runs his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture.  He can smell that the man in front of him is…other.  And it has made him jittery, to say the least.

Alcide gets an intent look on his face and his voice drops, “Don’t ever say that again.  If you are given the right to know where their resting places are, you guard that jealously.  It is one of the top secrets of their kind and the largest sign of their trust that they can give.  But for now, grab the pink one, that’s Pam.  I got Eric.” He sighs, knowing that Godric is really not in the room Sam said, but he needs to learn right away what he can and cannot say.

Sam lifts Pam’s coffin without any problems but his eyes widen as he sees Eric’s.  “Taha Aki! That is a big son of a bitch!” He cannot see how the man inside of that is anyone that Charlie is thinking of going against.  But then, he would never contest Godric, the age and strength pour off of him.  No, he will be aligning his tribe with Godric right away.

Alcide gets a smirk on his face. “You’ve seen nothing yet.  Let’s get inside.” He lifts Eric’s coffin and heads into the house.

As they walk in the door, they hear the sound of a saw and Ludwig appears in front of Alcide.  He is used to her and raises an eyebrow.  He doesn’t know what the sound of the saw was for since if anything Godric’s email hints that they will be leaving the house as the scent of the Cold Ones may be hurting Bella’s recovery.

Ludwig is flat out grinning. “Bella’s father has been trying to get into the door all day.  It has been entertaining to say the least.  But Godric wishes Eric to be put in with them.  I put a spell on the room that I think I am just going to leave there until they leave the house.” Or longer.  She is a brownie and mischief making on the people who deserve it gives her a deep seated sense of pleasure.

Alcide shakes his head.  He looks at Sam. “Can you restrain him long enough for me to get in there and then when I come back?  I will have the coffin with me.”  This at least gives him  peace since he can tell that the wards are strong enough to block a human.

Sam is shaking his head at the older man and looks down at the tiny Doctor. “Can we just knock him out?  He is getting worse and worse, and I hate to see what he may say or do to his daughter unless he calms down.”  Though from the hints he is getting and from the size of the container Alcide is huffing around gives him the impression that little Bella Swan is about to become very protected.   And in a way that even Charlie will understand.

Ludwig sighs. “I guess that will be better.  But I am looking forward to him and Eric meeting.  He seems to think that Eric and Godric will be nice to him because of Bella.  I don’t think it has sunk through his thick skull that she is 18. And Godric has more rights to her than her father, especially with how he and his ex-wife have fucked up.”

Alcide’s eyes glow, then he grins. “It will be a sight to see won’t it. Eric against Charlie.  The Viking better take it easy or he will kill the old man.”

The shared grins make Sam uneasy, but he and his mate talked early this morning and she made some excellent points.  Charlie really has not shown much love to his daughter other than buying her a truck and putting chains on it.  But really, who wouldn’t do that?  He has not changed his routine in any way except for eating at the diner now that he has a cook at the house.  Even then he just eats and still acts like it’s the diner by going to watch the game afterwards.

Even now it was more like he’s mad about a toy being taken away.  The only difference is that he’s hiding it under father ‘worries’.  But where were these worries when the Cullens were here?  Sure they may have changed his mind some of the time, but what about those fishing trips?  Surely he knew that she had to be with them?

Watching Charlie right now solidified that.  He is acting like a madman, using a saw to try to get into his daughter’s room even after he was told that any sunlight will kill the vampires.  But then, maybe that is what he is trying to do.  A serious growl rises up in him and he starts to shake.

Before he realizes it, Alcide is in front of him, telling him, “Calm down.  Ludwig will take care of him.  Then we will deposit Pam downstairs and the two of us can crack a can of beer and talk.  Sound good?”  The man is staring at the other man.

Alcide decides that he would need to train these men.  Insults are a game to the vampires, and they will need to keep their tempers if they are to guard Bella and Godric.  And this is the endgame he has come to, that they will guard the heads of the Bloodline.

Nodding his head, Sam placed the coffin down easily, heads upstairs and catches Charlie as he falls from whatever the good doctor gave him.  He shakes his head and takes the man to his room and drops him on the bed.

When he exits the room, he watches as Alcide enters the room.  He literally disappears into the darkness.  Sam leans against the wall waiting for him.  He has a feeling his world is going to be rocked for the second day in the row when Alcide is done.  Or when he meets this Eric.

Alcide enters the room and is surprised to see Godric’s eyes open when he comes in.  Godric smiles, and holds his finger to his lips and looks down at the woman he is holding. The look was adoring and full of the love that the vampire is feeling for his Mate.  There is also a sense of awe that he actually found her, and that she accepts him.

Looking at her, Alcide smiles.  This is the woman who they have all prayed for, and she is everything that any of them could have wished for as far as her physical appearance is concerned.  But even more apparent is Godric’s complete sense of calm, one that Alcide has never experienced, and he is thrilled that he is here to be part of her being one of them.

Alcide carefully sets down the coffin and unlocks it.  Since Godric is up, he is not surprised to find Eric’s eyes pop open as he raises the coffin lid.  Silently Eric gets out of the coffin and nods his thanks to the wolf.  He then turns and takes  his first look at his Master’s Mate.  He smirks as his eyes travel the length of her and meets his Maker’s eyes with frank approval in his face.

Alcide shakes his head and grins as he closes the coffin.  He reaches in the back and hands Eric his laptop and Godric’s, along with changes of clothing for  them and some other items.  When he is done, he inclines his head to both of them and leaves.  He is looking forward to that beer and any information he can gather for his master.

Eric is staring at the young woman in Godric’s arms.  At first all he can do is take in her beauty and he knows that his Master must be pleased.  Then he notices the dark shadows on her face and the other signs of her not being well. This is not good.  His Mistress is to be healthy.  He can feel the Bond in them; why is she not well?

He frowns, “I thought you both did the first exchange?  Why is she looking like this?”  And when he looks up at Godric, he can see the same weariness in him. “You too?  What is going on?” He knows that the Cold Ones have something to do with this.  There cannot be any other explanation.

Nuzzling his Mate, Godric sighs. “The first exchange is much more than I was told, but again that could because of us being Mates.  But you are right, I felt my blood rushing through her body and healing so much.  She has her appendix back and many, many, MANY scars healed.  My blood even found the inner ear problem that caused her clumsiness, or at least some of it, and healed it.  But the scar on her arm from the Cold Ones will take at least one more exchange.  And whatever their breath did, it is fighting us.  My blood is winning, so she is under no pain.  I am taking it from her.” He doesn’t need to tell Eric the whys or hows.  Eric knows this is something Godric does happily to keep his Mate from feeling the pain that the Cold One’s have caused her.

Eric’s eyes narrow slightly.  “You have a hypothesis?” He has his own, but is very interested in Godric’s.  He had spoken with her and would have more input, though he wonders if he knows about the hospital report.

Nodding, Godric tells him, “I think it is a combination of venom in her.  The tracker bit her, and then Edward bit her to remove the venom.  She remembers the venom fighting the removal and how badly it hurt.  And her wrist was cold before I gave her my blood.  Now it is closer to our temperature.  Eric, Ludwig already told me that if the exchanges don’t work, she may die.”  With his deepest fear spoken out loud, he gently holds his Mate closer to him, as he stares up at his Child.

Eric closes his eyes.  He asks, “What if she is given my blood also?  I already feel her, I wouldn’t mind.  Anything to give her more of a chance?” He is grasping at anything, everything to help his Maker out.  He would give his own life if it would mean Godric and his Mate will survive.  Though, truth be known, he rather that not be an option.  He has a strange pull to Godric’s mate but not as a romantic interest.  No, it is more familiar.  And not as a mother would be.  He is too old for a mother at this time.

Godric sends his appreciation over the Bond.  “I prefer not, but if it is needed, you would be the one I would ask.  I take it you read my email?” His eyes darken with all that he had been told last night.  There is nothing more important to him than his Mate.  But his revenge on those that dared to try to break her, to mold her into their image and in the process hurt her…  No, there is no place they will be able to hide on this planet.

Eric sniffs, and wrinkles his nose. “Yes, and at least we have the scent of the main perpetrator.  How handy for him to leave his foul odor everywhere.” He is quite impressed with how Godric is able to stay in here with the stench of the Cold One in here, much less a male that tried to take his Mate.  But, on the other hand, the good thing is that they will never forget this scent.

Smirking, the two look at each other.  This Cold One is going to find out what it means to mess with their species and especially the Mate of one of their kind.  It does not matter that she didn’t know of Godric nor him her.  She is Godric’s soul mate and anyone who has caused her harm will answer to them.

Looking down as he felt the first flickers of awareness from his Mate, he tells Eric quickly, “We will need to air out the room.  I want nothing to trigger a relapse from the scent.  I also need you to go to their house and see what you can find.  If I thought she was up to it, I would take her with us, but we will see.  It will be up to her.”

“And that right there is what made me decide to give you a chance, Godric.” A melodic voice answers Godric, and Eric smiles.

A grin steals across Godric’s face and he nuzzles his Mate. “Good morning, a thaisce.  Eric is here and we have a few hours before we can leave this haven.  How do you feel?” He frowns as he asks, since he can feel her pain, but he is hoping she doesn’t feel it too.  Plus, he will need to tell her the blood worked, but didn’t.

Bella straightens up and Eric holds out his hand to help her sit up.  She looks up, then further up.  She can’t help but grin.  “Eric?”  He is not quite what she pictured, but she does admit he is stunning.  But then Godric is equally stunning, and more her type.

As he helps pull her into a sitting position, he takes a seat at the end of the bed as he bows to her, “At your service, milady.”  When he rises, he is grinning at her. He cannot help it.  The thrill of meeting her is enough to make him truly happy.

Bella laughs.  She can’t help it. “You’re like a frat boy.  But for some reason, I feel as safe with you as I do with Godric,” she grins, “as though you’re a big brother to me.”  Her grin turns into a smirk.  She can guess this is not something he hears from woman often in his life.  She imagines most women fall at his feet giving him anything he wishes.

Both men laugh.  Eric takes her hand and tells her seriously, “I’ll be honored to be your big brother.  And I will teach you all about having fun.  Well, when Godric will allow it.”  When she called him “brother”, it fell into place.  That is what she feels like, a sister.

She turns to Godric and teases, “Are you going to be the fuddy duddy?” She cannot see him not letting her have fun, and even joining in it.

Godric growls playfully as he pulls her closer.  He tells her closer to her ear, “No. I will be your lover, your best friend, everything you wish, except your father or brother.  For what I have planned in my mind, I think it would be illegal.” His fangs slip down at his thoughts but he is loving joking around with her like this.

She blushes, but laughs at the two of them. She cannot believe how much her life has changed for the second time in a year.  But this time was better.  Godric is perfect.  And she cannot deny the strength of their Bond, she can feel him and the absolute truth of the love he holds for her.  It is better that they started the Bond.  She will never question his feelings for her as she did with Edward all the time.

Eric looks over to Godric.  “I like her.  I want to keep her.” His face has a slight smile and his eyes show the mirth he is feeling at this point.  But he is dead serious.  Even if she were not Godric’s mate, he would want to have her around.  Forever.

Both of them are enjoying the sound of her laughter.  They plan for more of it to happen, but first they need to save her life. And this is enough to bring them back to the here and now.  Time and the threat of it are hanging over Godric’s and Bella’s lives.

Godric shakes his head, and then gets serious. “Bella, a thaisce?”

When she turns her head up to him, he takes the opportunity to kiss her and tells her, “We have some serious things to discuss.” He is reluctant to tell her.  Really, how does one tell the other half of their soul that she is dying?  They had just found each other!

Sighing as he realizes the reason Godric is pausing, Eric tells her, “He ruins all of the fun.  I am hoping you will bring back the part of him that I used to play with.” He is going to make her laugh, and then he will break it to her.  Better him than Godric.  The pain Godric is going through just thinking of it is awful enough.

Bella shyly comments, “Well I don’t want the part of him that made you toss him into the lake.” Her eyes rise up to meet his and Eric softly gasps.  Her eyes remind him of his little sister.

Then, hiding his shock, he laughs, “Yep, it is confirmed, she has a sense of humor and we need to keep her.” His eyes are hooded as he controls himself.  This is not what he had expected when he came here.

Godric is looking down into her eyes as he tells them both, “I sincerely hope that Bella chooses that option, especially as the simple solution didn’t work.”  He knows she is intelligent and that this will give her a hint.

Bella looks at both of them and asks, “What’s wrong?” There is no mistake that the two of them have bad news.  And she was enjoying herself for the first time in a long while.  But the only thing she can think is…  No.  Godric’s blood healed her.  There is no way-

Not knowing he is interrupting her internal rant, Godric tells her sadly, “I’m sorry, a thaisce, but you’re dying.”

Final count:  6,131 words.

Fairfarren~Wendy