1: Goodbye, Godric the Gaul

Godric was ready to see his first sunrise in two thousand years. He had accepted his fate—no, decided his fate with the sort of ease that belied doubt. Godric would be meeting the sun, and he felt no fear, no regret. Only a strange contentedness as he faced his final adventure.

Strangely, he'd never felt more human than in that moment. Perhaps because he was finally facing his mortality now that he knew that the True Death was imminent. Before he had always observed the sun and it's danger with a healthy measure of respect and fear. Now he thought there wouldn't be anything more beautiful, that there was something so exquisite as meeting the True Death at the rays of the eternal fire. All of his sins stripped and burned away by Solaris. He was ready.

A raven circled the air over him, obsidian wings spread wide as it spiraled above. He closed his eyes, a small smile lighting his features.

The fluttering of feathers. A whispered sigh of magics beyond him. A shift in the air.

"No."

Opening his eyes, Godric turned to the woman standing behind him. His smile grew.

"Vena,"

"Godric," she begged, stepping to him. Her naked skin glowed like moonbeams in the early morning light, her inky black hair catching reflections of blue and purple. Her green eyes were distraught.

"Come," he said, holding his hand out to her. Without hesitation, Vena closed the distance between them, leaning her cheek in his outstretched hand. "You grew out your hair. It suits you,"

Vena let out a choked laugh, twisting a little to place a kiss against the palm of his hand. Her hands reached for his free hand, clasping onto him tightly. "Please, what happened? Why?"

Godric peered into her eyes for a few moments longer. Of all his children, perhaps it was to her that he owed the greatest explanation. She was still so young…perhaps in her he would find his only regret. Regret that he couldn't serve her as he had served his older progenies; regret he had spent such a small sliver of his eternity on her.

He filled her in on the last few weeks. On his decision to walk into the Fellowship of the Sun. She remained quiet, though he felt the simmer of her emotions: anger, confusion, fear, trepidation. Godric explained to her how Eric had come to his rescue, and brought along both vampire and humans along with him. Then he had told her how they had escaped, but that Steve Newlin had retaliated anyway, despite the fact they'd spared the humans.

"I shouldn't have been in Panama. I should have been here. At your side," said Vena. "Not chasing rumors,"

"You were traveling with my blessing, Childe," said Godric. "You were where you should have been. Just as you are now," he paused, letting his eyes run over her. His hands followed, and he ran his hands over her face, tracing his thumbs up over the bridge of her nose, her thick eyebrows and down to her high cheekbones. His fingers whispered over her parted lips, then came to rest at her chin. She wasn't much shorter than him, if hardly at all. He leaned in and rested his forehead to hers. Her lashes fluttered shut, their tips ticking his own.

"My second Childe cannot be here with me, but I will have you and Eric. My first and my final progeny. Somehow fitting, no?"

"I want to hate you for this," confessed Vena, her voice breaking. Her eyes opened; emerald green began to fill with ruby red as tears welled. "But I can't. All you've said…and still I don't understand why. Why?"

"You won't understand for a very long time, I'm afraid," murmured Godric. He smiled sadly at her. "My Maker and I…we were not together for long. I felt more relief than pain when he met the True Death. I should like to think I have been a good Maker to you. To all my Children. And so I am sorry you will have to feel this pain. Don't face it alone, Vena. You and Eric both."

Vena let out a watery cry as ribbons of blood crawled down her cheeks. "Yes. I'll have the Viking to comfort me,"

Godric brushed her hair out of her face. "I am aware he can be…particularly difficult with you,"

Vena scoffed.

"However, he is your Brother and he knows his duty. He will recognize your bond through me, always. He is your Brother, and in my place he will be your guide."

He watched with mild amusement as she fought the petulance welling up at her at the thought of Eric as her teacher. He knew that, had the circumstances been different, she would have argued relentlessly. He did not want to argue with her now.

"How did you know?" asked Godric.

"You called for me," said Vena. At his cocked eyebrow, she sighed. "A bruja. I thought…I thought she might show me answers. But her magic showed me you. Burning. I thought it was a distant future…then you called for me, and I knew."

"A bruja," said Godric. "How fascinating. I have not come across a friendly one in quite a few many years,"

"I never said she was friendly," said Vena. He smiled.

"Even so. I am glad to see you are well. No matter where they hail from, or what they call themselves…witches can be quite the formidable opponents. You remember the strigoi in Belarus?"

"Yes," pouted Vena. "All that trouble she caused me and she didn't even taste nice," Godric chuckled.

They fell into silence, turning to face the east. If Godric was a rock out in the ocean, strong and steadfast, she was the torrential sea around him. He was proud of the control she was exerting over the storm inside of her. Control was not often easy for her, and though her ability to feel so strongly, so humanly had been something he had admired long in her, it had also been something he knew she had to govern.

"I owe you an apology," Godric said finally. Her eyes flickered to him, brow furrowing.

"For? Whatever I feel now, it is not my life to live. That I know, and as…difficult as it is for me, I accept," said Vena. "You are over two thousand years old. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Untrue," said Godric. He watched the cars below as humans began their days, men and women up before the sun as they headed for work. He wondered how many of them were truly happy, how many would one day die satisfied with their little lives.

"I made you a promise I have not kept in its entirety. I promised to help you, as I made a promise to Eric. For a millennium I walked the world with him as he searched for those who had slain his family. I confess I have failed him, too. He has not yet had his revenge, but I helped him for a thousand years. You are still so young, and I feel I have done so little for you,"

"Then maybe you should stay. At the very least, choose a different place. India… Africa… Mexico. Anywhere but Texas," said Vena with a wistful smile. Then she sobered as she too gazed out at the world below. Vena had no love for Dallas, he knew. There was little of the United States that attracted her, other than the coastal cities for amusement here and there. His desire for the Sheriff post in Dallas had not only confounded her, but bored her. It was one of the reasons he had suggested she take leave, travel on her own a bit as he had. And so she had.

"I like it here," said Godric. "It is not a wonder of the world…but I have made it my own."

"Mhmm," said Vena. Finally she turned to him bodily. "This I will forgive you for in time. But helping me…you've already done so much for me. You have helped me, and you have taught me. The rest is up to me,"

"Still," said Godric. "Still I wonder if I leave you too soon,"

"It'll always be too soon," said Vena. Fresh tears began to fall as her body trembled. "Godric I don't want you to die. Let me burn with you, please. I love you."

Godric leaned forward, placing his lips against her forehead. He stayed there, holding her to him as she cried.

Eric found his Maker waiting to meet the sun with his little sister. Godric stood with his eyes closed, lips pressed to Ravenna's forehead. Neither moved as he approached, stopping just a few feet behind them. He found a familiar scent in the twilight air: Vena's blood. The young vampire was crying, her tears staining the front of Godric's shirt as they spilled.

"Why?" Eric asked simply, though his fury boiled just beneath the surface.

Vena sniffled, pulling away to look at Eric. Eric spared her a glance as he realized she was standing naked. His eyes swept the roof before returning to her; there wasn't a stitch of clothing around to be found. Confusion and suspicion flooded him.

He hadn't seen her in decade or so. To the human eye, vampires didn't change much, because all they saw was that they didn't age. Vampires saw more. They saw that although time would not mar their skin or add wrinkles that would neither shrink nor grow nor gain nor lose weight. They would not tan; they would not grow visibly stronger. But they could and did change. Their aura, the way they held themselves. The eyes—Eric could always tell by the eyes.

The last time he had seen her…shit. The last time he had seen here had been in Paris, in the eights. Thirty years. Had it really been so long? The last time he had seen her, she had fully embraced the big 80s hair trend, letting her long dark locks loose in a mass of curls. Now it was just a little shorter and layered. Those jewel of hers, the brightest green he'd ever come across, shown differently. Bright now from the crying, they were also…burdened. Older.

"Why not? I have lived all I have to live, Eric," said Godric.

"Have you?" said Eric, unconcerned with how despondent he was sounding.

Godric inclined his head. "Two thousand years is enough,"

"I can't accept this," said Eric. Hearing footsteps from the stairwell, he strode over to them, shrugging out of his jacket. He held it open for Vena. "This is insanity,"

"Eric—" began Vena. He silenced her with a look. They all glanced over to Sookie as she reached the roof.

"Our existence is insanity," returned Godric easily. Eric gritted his teeth. His maker's cool, calm tone was making him angry—but also terrified. It was not an emotion he was used to experiencing, only delivering. But he was starting to quickly realize he had no control over the situation, over Godric.

"We don't belong here," said Godric. Vena flinched. Once again her eyes welled up with tears.

"But we are here," refuted Eric, taking another step forward.

"It's not right. We're not right,"

He couldn't believe he was hearing this. "You taught me there is no right and wrong. Only survival or death,"

"I told a lie, as it turns out," said Godric ruefully. He glanced at Vena, who silently shook her head, as though pleading for him to take the words back.

Bristling, Eric spat, "I will keep you alive by force."

"Even if you could, why would you be so cruel?"
He felt a phantom pain in his heart, as though the long-dead organ had begun beating once more. Aware of the tears starting to well up in his own eyes, and of Vena and Sookie's presence, he turned to his old tongue.

"Godric, don't do this."

"There are centuries of faith and love between us,"

There was finality, a goodbye in those words. Eric had never felt so scared or so helpless in his thousand years as a vampire. He started to cry.

"Please…please! Please, Godric!"

He fell to his knees before his maker, crying like he had not since his human days. He had not cried like this when his human family had died. He had not cried like this for himself when he had thought he might die. He had not cried like this for his people. Next to Godric, a stricken Vena began silently sobbing, quivering in the depths of Eric's black jacket.

"Father…brother…child… Let me go," Godric said softly.

Father. Brother. Child. Lifting his head, resolve thick, Eric said, "I won't let you die alone."

"Yes you will. You both will," said Godric. Eric was overcome with emotion again; he hung his head as he cried. A hand brushed his hair back. It settled at the base of his neck, urging him to look up. When he did, he found Godric holding his hand out to Vena. Silently she moved until she stood by Eric. Then she too was on her knees. Godric's hand settled under her chin as he took turns looking at them.

"As your Maker I command you." He stared between them for a moment longer; his blue eyes shown with adoration and pride, determination and…sorrow. Sorrow for the pain he was causing his Progenies. "Be good to one another,"

His hands dropped away from their skin. Eric rose, as did Vena next to him. Obeying his final command, Eric began walking away. He paused to take one last look at his Maker; he was smiling gently at Vena. Sookie reached for his hand.

"I'll stay with him," the blonde said softly. "As long as it takes,"

Eric found himself nodding. He could feel the day coming on—never had he found himself hating the day like he did in that moment—and stalked away. He was barely aware of Vena just behind him, looking as lost and dazed as he felt.

Soon Godric the Gaul: vampire, Maker, Sheriff, would be gone.

Welcome to my True Blood fanfic! Well, my first posted one. I just binged the series (more than once) over the past two months, and I'm obsessed. Anyway, I'm working on a long, slow-burn Eric/Oc fic, but this also happened on the side, so, here it goes! Thanks for checking out my story!

Question for the chapter: Did canon characters seem in character?