Authors Note: At last it is finally here! I have not forgotten about this story for those of you asking where I'd gone. If you find any mistakes please let me know as fanfic sometimes messes things up when I post something. Enjoy and don't forget to review!

Previously: While serving beers at Merlotte's, Sookie experiences a waking dream in which she sees herself, Godric and Eric participating in a vampire orgy. On her way home from work, Sookie faints and a long lost memory from her childhood is re-lived. It is revealed that Godric saved her as a little girl from a large vampire nest and was incarcerated as punishment.

Mid 14th Century

Godric leisurely wandered the filthy streets of what was once, long ago his home country. It had changed beyond his recognition and nothing remained of the ancient world he was born into. The luscious fields and sprawling woods had been replaced by condensed city which stank of human waste and diseased flesh. Why he had returned to this place, he did not know. A part of him felt compelled to see what had become of his once beautiful homeland. But he also knew that change was inevitable and that no matter where he went in the world, he would be met by similar sights with humans always present to prove him right. Though they were below him and he despised them, he had to acknowledge that they served their purpose and that he needed them to survive.

He scaled every nook and cranny of the city with his sharp vision, investigating every narrow street and alleyway in his never ending search for living blood. Though he could freely help himself to the many dead bodies that lined the walkways and were piled on the corners of many streets, he much rather preferred the taste of clean blood that belonged to a human who hadn't yet been afflicted by the blue sickness.

Scampering sounds caught his attention from behind a large stack of shipping containers. At first he thought it was a swarm of rats, but as he drew nearer to investigate he learned it was two small children. A boy and a girl, both around the age of nine, were dirty and starved with not an ounce of fat on them as their bones protruded from under their skin. Their parents were presumably dead and they had been left to defend themselves and somehow survive in the harsh world they had the misfortune of being born into.

As he knelt down in front of them and made his presence known, they feared him and his growing thirst for blood. However, their bodies were too petrified and malnourished to run from his intimidating presence.

He lived with an immoralistic perspective on the world, his actions guided by the desire to live and a deep belief there was no line between good and evil. Nevertheless he justified what he was about to do by reasoning that they probably wouldn't survive long enough to see adulthood. He would be putting them out of their misery.

"Do not make a sound," he whispered, his glamour easily grabbing their attention as he captured their freewill like a vacuum.

The children nodded in compliance and didn't make even the tiniest scream as his fangs dropped into place and he effortlessly began to drain the boy. His blood was sweet and untainted, and although it lacked a certain luster from being starved for so long, it was flavourful enough to sensationalize his taste buds.

He retracted his fangs from the young boys neck before taking hold of the girl and draining her with just as much ease. He then placed their lifeless bodies on top of one of the many retched piles and continued on his way, wiping a stray drop of blood from his lips. His thirst was satiated for the time being.

"Come on now," he heard a low voice echo in the distance, though it was not directed at him.

"Be a good girl," another sniveled.

His precise, finely tuned senses quickly located where the voices were coming from, and jumped onto the roof above them. He watched curiously as two rather large and filth ridden men cornered a young woman at the end of an alleyway.

She looked to be in her mid twenties, with gleaming pale skin and flowing wavy red hair. Though her clothing was simple and covered in dirt, she seemed out of place amongst the grimy streets and rotting corpses.

"I'm warning you, stay away!" she tried to reason with them, however their minds were already made up.

"Hm, you got nothing on me little girl!" One of the men revealed a knife he had kept hidden in his sleeve, and held it out in front of him as he attempted to forcefully persuade her with it.

He dared to step closer, swinging the sharp blade in the air as he tried to lodge the metal in her gut. He failed horribly as she easily dodged it with her inhuman agility. He grunted in surprise as she took hold of his wrist with her strong fingers and clamped down, breaking the bone and forcing the knife to drop from his grasp.

"You should have listened you stupid little man!" she laughed maniacally, amused as he cried out in pain.

"You bitch!" His companion tried to grab her but he was also no match against her supernatural abilities.

To her it was just a fun game, and she always won.

Extending her pearly white fangs, she grabbed hold of one of them and pushed him roughly against the brick wall of the alleyway. He didn't have time to try to escape, as she held him firmly in place and ferociously sunk her teeth into his neck. Blood spluttered from his artery and stained her face red as she drained him effortlessly. His exsanguinated body dropped to the pavement as she finished the first course of her meal and released her hold on him.

"What... what are you?" his companion stuttered, his eyes wide as he realised they had made a fatal mistake when selecting their target. He tried to hobble away with his broken arm, however she was much faster. She quickly captured him with her swift hands, and soon he was nothing more than an empty shell.

"Impressive." Godric decided to make his presence known and he dropped down a few feet behind her.

She turned and snarled warningly with her bloody fangs, but when she realised he was a fellow supernatural, she became slightly less cautious.

"Where is your maker, baby vampire?" he asked as he stepped a little closer.

"He was killed by humans," she explained, tucking her fangs away.

"Indeed, humans have little respect for anything, to say nothing about higher life forms." He stopped in front of her and examined her more closely. "Tell me, do you belong to a nest or are you alone?"

"I'm... alone," she hesitantly admitted, though she had a gut feeling that this clearly much older vampire meant no harm and was simply curious about her.

"You are strong for one so young. It surprises me that you haven't yet perished."

"That's not to say it's been easy by all means. With so much disease spreading, humans are becoming almost scarce."

"Tell me, what is your name?"

"Sophie-Anne, and you?"

"Godric. I've recently established more… permanent residence near the mountains not far from here. Would you care to join me, Sophie-Anne? There is strength in numbers."

She was surprised by the gesture, but also thankful as she accepted his offer. Taking his hand, they vanished into the wide night sky.

Late 14th century

They paced slowly through the thick wood, their hunger partially satiated for now as they returned from a long night of hunting and feeding. The nest stopped by the river for a moment and plunged themselves into it, washing away the blood that was running down their faces and necks. The icy cold water didn't bother them in the slightest.

"Godric," one of them called as she emerged from the body of water.

He peered down from the river bank as she welcomed him to join her. He gave her the attention she desired and removed his bloody shirt, tossing it to the side before treading into the deep water. Sophie-Anne swam over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pressing her chilled lips to his, he let her temporarily become a distraction.

Though they often shared their coffins, he did not love her; on the contrary, he found her some what annoying. Over the years she had grown to become more of a thorn in his side than the companion he sought to fill the emptiness he felt. He used her, just as she used him, to attempt to begin to feel anything other than hollowness.

"What is that smell?" one of the other vampires that had recently joined their nest perked their head up.

"I smell it too," another confirmed.

Godric also picked up the scent. He recognised it but could not remember from where. It was sweet and succulent and smelt like sunshine itself as it was carried on the gentle breeze.

"It's coming from over there," several of their nest mates left the water to search for the source.

Godric and Sophie-Anne let go of each other to join them in their efforts. They followed the scent until they found its source - figures in the distance growing more apparent as they etched closer. They were a group of around thirteen or fourteen adults passing through the woods. Though it was dark, his keen eyes allowed him to see them clearly as they hurried to get to their destination. Their skin seemed to glow in the depths of the night and their bodies were full of a bright light that started in the core of their chest and radiated outwards.

"Faeries," Godric realised, though he didn't know how he knew that fact.

"Faeries?" Sophie-Anne walked beside him. She had heard of the myth before, but had never believed it to be real.

As they grew nearer to the group, they found themselves being instinctually pulled towards them. Whether it was by the sight or smell of their blood, their insatiable thirst awakened and the Faeries were their solution.

"Vampires!" one of them shouted, alerting their comrades of the impending threat.

However, they had no time to flee as they were quickly surrounded by the large nest. Lured in by the scent alone, they lost control and were unable to fight it. Each vampire took a Faery or shared with others. Blood spilled out over the grass and tree trunks. Screams filled the air as chaos grew widespread. Some tried to blast them away with a powerful light that shot out of the palms of their hands, however it would only leave them vulnerable to be taken by others. One by one they were drained completely, until nothing but the dust of their murdered bodies remained.

The vampires burst with elation as the blood they consumed drove them into a wild, drunken frenzy. Godric and Sophie-Anne were amongst them as they became unsteady and collapsed to the ground below.

The nest spread out over the thick bloody grass of the woods. They laughed maniacally and felt no remorse as they were caught up in trivial things that they otherwise would not find amusing. It was as if they had been drugged by a powerful substance that had come from another plane of existence. As they whirled around physically and mentally in a purely sensational world, they lost track of time and all reason, letting their thoughts and actions wander wherever they wanted to go.

Some ran around and played like little children, while others joined together intimately. Their desires took control of their free will and broke it, allowing them to let go and do anything without having to ponder the consequences.

The wave of ecstasy that had so easily grappled them did not let go easily and their wild behaviour carried on into the sunrise.

At first Godric was the only one to notice it. As the sun began to rise he willed his legs to flee to shelter but they would not move. His gaze had been trapped by a sight he hadn't witnessed in well over a thousand years. As he watched the sunrise, everything that had happened in the past melted away and seemed so meaningless. He stood bewildered, his lips agape as the light of the sun shone over his eyes and surprisingly he did not burn.

He peered over to Sophie-Anne who had also noticed. The sun rose high into the wide sky above them and still they did not burn. As they looked to each other, they both knew they had had discovered something incredible, something that most vampires craved at least once during their dark immortal lives. Something that such vampires would kill for, to say nothing about the taste of the miracle.

Sophie-Anne's eyes clung to that image of the roaring hot star in the sky, and Godric knew she'd never be the same again. Once an idea got into her head that she found desirable, it never left, it would only grow more obsessive and desperate with time. And they had a lot of time, an eternity in fact.

"Its daylight," one of the members of their nest pointed out.

"So it is," others noticed, but did not care as they laughed and found the realisation amusing.

However, this did not last long. Soon the magical blood began to wear off and reasoning took its place. As the familiar burn of the suns rays quickly drew them back to reality, they realised that the fun was over and that it was time to return to the darkness, even though none of them wanted to go.

They headed back to the castle, however Sophie-Anne's unwillingness to let go of the taste of the warm sun kept her firmly grounded outside the entrance to the castle.

Due to his age, Godric was more susceptible to the sun than any of the others. He entered the safety of the castle walls, but stood in the shadow of its doorway and watched Sophie-Anne with a sick curiosity to see what she would look like on fire.

However, even in the shadows of the stone walls, he burned and unwilling to risk his skin for her, he shut the heavy door and waited patiently. After a few minutes she began screaming and pleading with him to open the door, banging on it with her burning fists.

If he opened the door he would surely get burnt himself, but if he kept her locked out there she would surely die. Even though he hated her, and letting her live would probably come to backfire on him later, he decided that seeing her in such a state was worth anything she could ever hope to do to him in the future.

He opened the door and she came running in, her body a blazing light. His skin incinerated too although it only lasted a moment and didn't have enough time to become anything more than an annoyance. He didn't help her and smirked maliciously as she collapsed to the floor and rolled around in an effort to put herself out.

Such a sacrifice had been well worth the sight.

Godric woke abruptly to a cold and dark room. It took him a moment to realise where he was and that his body was still quite incapacitated. It had been just over two days since his release, and his decrepit state hadn't improved much. A little sensation had returned to some nerves, but mostly he was numb. He could barely move his limbs and was essentially paralyzed.

When Salome had moved him to this location, away from any unwelcome eyes that wanted to put him back in the casket, he managed to catch a glimpse of the shimmering stars from within his partially open body bag. They were as mesmerizing and luxurious as he remembered, with their varying depth and brightness. However, their taste was sour in comparison to other sights he longed to see. He wondered how long it would take for him to return to his former glory and when he'd finally be able to see things he'd longed for, for so great a time.

Footsteps brushing against the stone flooring caught his attention and pulled him out of his thoughts. At first he assumed it was Salome bringing him more humans to satiate his growing thirst, but the footsteps didn't match her normal strut. They belonged to someone much more sinister and malevolent.

The footsteps entered the room, they were so close but he couldn't yet see who they belonged to. She slowly etched closer to his bedside, a silver tipped wooden stake at her chest as she prepared to end his sentence with the true death. She stopped at his side and finally he could put a face to the vengeance as she let her eyes wander over his disfigured form.

"I never wanted it to come to this, but you leave me no choice," she resented.

"They cannot give you what you seek," he somehow found enough strength to whisper.

Aggression, resentment and desperation to escape flooded his helpless body, but he dared not let his emotions take control of him nor let it show on his face. He hated her and what she symbolised. She was an echo from his past that he did not want to remember, that he wanted to move on from and never look back at again. She was so stuck in that past she couldn't accept change and move on from her selfish desires.

He didn't know why they stayed together for so long, why he didn't kick her out of the nest sooner. Their relationship had been so toxic he'd put her off men forever. In a way, by refusing to give her Liliana and others of her kind, he took away her sunlight, her freedom and left her to go mad with time and unexplored yearnings.

"We both know that's a lie," she said spitefully as she held the stake above his chest and prepared to plunge it into his heart.

She did not get the chance however as a porcelain hand appeared from behind her and wrapped around her dainty, lavishly decorated neck. Long fingers plucked off her jeweled necklace, taking back the two pearly fangs that hung from it. They then dug deep into her flesh, tearing open her lower throat and blood spluttered and dripped down her once pristine attire. The hand holding her in place let go only to grip the underside of her chin, and in a brutal maneuver of pure strength far greater than her own, her head was ripped from her body. A river of blood shot from Sophie-Anne's open chest before she exploded in a burst of red, showering Godric and his saviour in a gory bath.

All that remained of the Queen was a sticky pile of clothes mixed with chunks of elasticity flesh, spread out across the concrete floor.

Sookie let the hot water envelope her body and warm her skin as she lent into the heat of the shower. A few hours had passed since her very existence had come into question. Her life had done a 180 and she didn't know what to make of it all. She and Rose had been friends for a long time and she trusted her deeply. But what she was trying to convince her of sounded bizarre and almost crazy. A few days ago she didn't even know vampires existed, and now she was being told that there was an entire supernatural community out there, and that she was apart of it.

"I'm a Faery?"

"Not just any Faery. You are capable of things that other Faeries can only dream about."

Sookie burst out laughing in disbelief. "You really expect me to believe that?"

"It is the truth, whether you believe it or not," Rose insisted.

"You really aren't kidding..." Sookie went silent, taken back by the absolute seriousness on Rose's face.

"You will believe sooner or later." She then let go and turned from her, leaving Sookie to her thoughts as she disappeared back into the woods.

"What do I believe..." Sookie spoke aloud, allowing the hot water to drizzle over her face and torso.

Usually when she faced such a dilemma, she wouldn't hesitate to confide in her Grandmother. But this situation was so different to anything she had faced before and she didn't think there was anything anyone could say that would make a difference.

It all felt so… surreal.

The room was beginning to fill with a golden glow as the beginnings of night set in. She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her torso as she walked to her bedroom. Usually by this time she'd be at work, but today was her day off and she was grateful it was; she desperately needed it.

After drying herself off and throwing some casual clothes on, she sat down at her dresser and began to comb out her short wet hair. As she began to pin it up, she stopped as she noticed that the bite mark Eric had given her three days earlier was still there. She put her comb down and finished pinning her hair back, deciding not to cover it up; if anyone asked, she'd say it was an insect bite. Who would think otherwise anyway? To the rest of the world, vampires were just a myth.

Her thoughts were broken as the loud roar of a powerful engine came from beneath her open window. Curious, she stood and made her way downstairs to see what was going on.

"Rose is waiting for you outside," Adele hinted as Sookie passed her. She was sitting in the living room with a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

Curious, she walked to the front door and peered outside though its window. Rose was indeed there, waiting patiently for her as she leaned against a luxurious red Ferrari.

'What's all this? You bought yourself a new ride?' Sookie asked in her thoughts as she stepped outside onto the front porch.

Rose held up the keys with her fingers. 'Not for me, for you. I know you're sick of walking everywhere so I decided to indulge. Happy birthday. Better late then never.'

'Where did you get that kind of money?' Sookie pondered as she knew the price tag would have been steep.

Rose only answered her with a cheeky smile. 'Hop in.'

Sookie climbed in the driver's seat while Rose sat next to her in the passenger's seat.

'It's got enough horsepower to outrun a baby vamp and look, its even been upgraded with sunshields incase you ever have any vampire friends that need to travel during the day.' She emphasised her point by demonstrating its abilities.

'What makes you think that that's ever going to happen?'

'You never know,' Rose smiled mischievously.

The sun began to make its final descent as it hung low in the sky. Taking it's last breath, its piercing orange and yellow light stretched across Sookie's yard and made the woods surrounding it gleem. She always loved this time of the day as it eased into the night. She didn't know why, but it filled her with anxious excitement like she was expecting something to happen once the sun went down.

Rose shifted in her seat, her eyes closing for a moment as she put a hand to her stomach. Sookie sensed her uneasiness and gave her a questioning look.

'I'm fine,' Rose assured her. 'I just haven't eaten in a while. What are your plans for tonight? I was thinking about going back to that vampire bar I took you to on your birthday. Care to join me?'

'To be honest I was thinking about maybe just staying home tonight.' Sookie was unsure what to do with herself.

Rose understood. 'Are 'you' OK?'

'I don't know,' Sookie answered truthfully. 'This is all so much to take in. I don't know what's real anymore.'

'All of it is.' Rose smiled and rested her hand on Sookie's shoulder. 'Tell you what, why don't you go on back inside and get some rest. I'll stop by tomorrow.'

Sookie nodded as Rose opened the car door, stepped out and closed it behind her.

She let out a deep breath as she watched Rose stroll off and become swallowed up by the forest. She sunk back into her seat and gathered her thoughts before turning on the engine and driving off, her mind wandering into the past.

A gleaming, metallic purple lowrider was parked in the middle of the woods. It was one of those cars that had hydraulics and bounced up and down, while its massive sound system completely filled the trunk.

Smoke lazily escaped the cracks of its windows and evaporated into the beginnings of night. Lafayette had gone all out and found the best money can buy in their little town.

Sookie lost her breath and lay back on the lavish animal themed interior. She ran her hands over the furry zebra covered seats, unable to stop herself from stroking the plush fluff and absorbing it's softness.
The ceiling was also covered with fuzz, except it was cobalt blue and had numerous coins clinging to it. She wondered how they were sticking without falling. She looked to her brother Jason, who was in the seat next to her. His red eyes were open but his gaze a drift as he stared endlessly at the roof above him. He probably would be contemplating the same thing, but his mind was wrapped up in a blanket of cotton wool so he just accepted the coins as normal. His thoughts were so quiet, and they continued to dim until they'd dissolved entirely.

In the drivers seat, Lafayette casually dropped another dosage of butter on one of the three burning hot hookah coals which were set up in the space between him and his cousin Tara. The potent cannabis extract sizzled and burned up in a thick cloud of smoke before dissipating into the air.

It was the ninth anniversary of Jason and Sookie's parents' deaths; the time of year when she felt the most tense. Aside from the fact that she had lost her parents on this day, something else pulled and plagued her mind, although she didn't know what.

The thoughts of other people, particularly strangers, constantly streaming into her mind only added to her stress levels. Her friends and brother knew this and had wanted to help relieve some of the strain by taking her out to a nicely relaxed and chilled environment. She had taken a lot of convincing, but was glad she had agreed to come. She was happily encased in her own little world, allowing her to have some well needed peace if only for the night. Though the mental barriers she tried hard to keep in place were now wide open, the thoughts of the others were quietened by the sedative like white cloud that floated around in the atmosphere. It filled the car and was so thick its inhabitants could barely see each other.

She reached out with her hand as a rather fat joint was passed to her. Though it wasn't really needed, she took the rolled substance between her fingers anyway and breathed in its burning chemicals. The smooth smoke rolled over her tongue and filled her lungs. She exhaled and added to the cloud while passing it to her brother.

Her body was now but a vegetable as she melted into her seat. Her physical ears focused only on the beat of the reggae like sounds coming from the bass of the speakers behind her. It moved through the old leather seat and down her spine as its deep soundwaves made her bones vibrate. Her body was a wave and she was riding the tide on a warm summers evening.

"The fuck are we listening to?" Tara broke the silence, her volatile nature ever present as she took a long drag from the joint.

"I got no idea… just go with it," Lafayette suggested, adding a little roll of his neck and hips to emphasise his point.

'...I should have been there. I should have done more. It was my fault...'

"Jason, you were 11..." Sookie said as she picked up her brother's thoughts.

"What the fuck, Sook?" he gaped in shock and disbelief at the invasion of his privacy.

"You know I have no control over it!" she defended herself and slumped back in her seat. "Well, it worked for a little while, now y'all are thinking again."

"Can't you just turn it off?" Tara wondered.

"It doesn't work like that. There is no off switch. I hear everything." Sookie tucked a stray golden hair behind her ear.

"Well that must be a pain in the ass," Lafayette remarked.

"You have no idea..." She placed her elbow on the edge of the window and leaned her chin against the palm of her hand.

It was a warm night and the air was eerie with a soft breeze shifting through the trees and ruffling their leaves. But despite the cozy atmosphere, she still felt a little… off, for some unknown reason. She was taking in the dark woods that surrounded them when a sharp ray of light suddenly blinded her eyes. As it passed, she squinted her eyes as she tried to make it out it's source more clearly.

"Is there... I could've sworn I just saw something over there. Amongst the trees."

"Ain't that where that old abandoned house is?" Tara commented.

"Let's check it out." Sookie's adventurous side was surfacing.

"You serious?" Jason asked in disbelief. "What if it's haunted or something..."

"Fine, I'll go by myself." Sookie opened the door without hesitation and stepped outside, a large amount of smoke rushing out the door with her.

"We're not just gonna let her go in there alone," Tara protested. "What if some murderous, homeless dude is living in there?" When the other two looked at her hesitantly, she scoffed, opened her door and got out to follow Sookie.

"Bitches!" Lafayette attempted to call them back but they kept walking. Frustrated that he could no longer just sit back and relax, he turned on the engine and followed them slowly.

"Holy shit..." Jason was creeped out as the mansion became more apparent. They passed through it's massive gates that had rusted and collapsed over the years. "Looks like something straight out of a slasher movie."

"Then we better not let them go in alone; all those movies end the same." Lafayette stopped and turned off the engine before getting out.

"Ain't no way I'd ever sleep in here if I were homeless," Jason commented as he followed him inside and they joined the girls who were busy exploring the main entryway.

"I feel you there," Lafayette agreed as he took out a new joint from his jacket and lit it, hoping it would dull his nerves.

Most of the upholstery and other furnishings had been covered with sheets, adding to the eeriness. Dust covered everything and hung low in the cool air of the house.

"This is creepy..." Tara gaped at the surroundings and gladly took the joint when it was offered to her.

No one noticed as Sookie let her curiosity get the best of her and began climbing the main staircase. She was unable to fight herself as she walked down a short hallway till she came to a large wooden door. The white paint had faded over the years and was beginning to peel. Taking hold of its brass knob, she opened it, revealing the main bedroom.

It was large and spacious and a web covered chandelier hung from the middle of its high ceiling. She circled around the room, taking note of the old fashioned furniture that had stood the test of time remarkably well. Their style suggested they were made at least 100 years ago and were made of the finest materials. There were also various artifacts spotting the walls and many flat surfaces. She recognised some of them and the eras they belonged to, but most of it was a mystery.

The most prominent feature was the California King sized, four poster bed centered in the middle of the room. It was carved from dark stained, mahogany wood and the sheets were made of the finest silks.

She wondered who in their small town could afford to live in such a place, and also why they would abandon it.

She was taken aback as she looked above the bed to the wall. There hanging in an elegant thick frame was an old oil painting. Two characters were filling the canvas; a young man who was standing behind a woman sitting on a chair, presumably a couple as their hands were joined. The man seemed familiar to her; she remembered his face but couldn't place where from. The woman however, that was a different story. She had long flowing blond hair and smooth golden skin while her beautifully sculpted face held two daring and mysterious eyes.

The woman looked like Sookie.

"How did you get in here?"

Sookie jumped out of her skin as another woman suddenly appeared behind her.

"Sorry, we thought this place was abandoned. Do you live here?" she asked as she was met with a porcelain white face and raven black hair.

The woman stepped closer. "In a way I suppose. I'm… house sitting, until the owner returns. What is your name?"

"Sookie, and you?"

"Rose. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sookie."

"Sookie?" Jason called from downstairs. "Where you disappeared to?"

"My brother's looking for me, I better go." She made a run for the door.

"I can teach you how to keep their thoughts out of your head."

"What?" Sookie stopped in her tracks, her heart beginning to pound as she realised she may have just stumbled across another telepath.

'I can't make any guarantees, but one can only ever try. Meet me by the lake tomorrow, we'll begin.' Sookie was in awe as the women's thoughts entered her head and spoke to her mind directly. She quickly left the room and rushed down stairs, her heart racing.

"There you are! This place is giving us the creeps. We're leaving." Tara and the others had had enough adventuring for the day.

"Sorry," Sookie apologized as she followed them to the front door and headed for the car where Lafayette had already turned on the engine.

Sookie pulled into the driveway and the Mansion came into full view. Many years had passed since she was last here. She was no longer a scrawny, stoned fifteen year old, but she still felt the same curiosity spring in her that she'd felt so long ago. After meeting Rose that day, she never even thought to return to this place, or ask her what she had been doing there. She was in too much shock from finally finding another telepath, and then she simply forgot about what she had discovered that day.

As she grew closer to the house, she noted that it no longer looked abandoned. The paint was new and the cobble stones that had fallen out over the years had been put back in place. New timber had replaced others that had rotted and the gardens surrounding the house were no longer wild and growing all over the place. They had been cut back and the lawns were freshly mowed.

Sookie turned off the engine and stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her. She approached the house and walked up the steps to the balcony. She peeked in through a window to discover that the inside had also improved. The furniture was no longer covered with old sheets and cobwebs, the dust in the air was gone and leaves that once covered the floor had been swept out. She wondered if the original owner had finally returned, whoever that was, as she had never found out.

She hesitated for a moment before knocking on the front door. When no answer came, she tried to open it but it was locked. Wandering around the outside of the house, she noticed an unlatched window and opened it, helping herself inside despite the fact she was probably trespassing. However she didn't care as the need for answers and concrete evidence pushed her beyond her normal acceptable behaviour.

The inside was quiet and eerie, but this time the atmosphere was more homely and didn't make her skin crawl. Though the sun had almost set and the house was beginning to fill with darkness, she wasn't afraid.

She saw the main staircase and started heading for it when she noticed something else that caught her attention. A room off to the right of the staircase. As she passed through the large, open double doors and switched on the lights, she stopped in awe. The room she had entered was quite clearly a library whose walls were covered in old historical paintings depicting different eras over time.

She walked slowly around the room to observe them more closely and just what she was looking at began to sink in. Not only did she find the same painting that she had seen several years ago, but many others like it too, most with the faces of people she knew.

Some depicted groups, others were single portraits, but she knew the people in them all too well. Godric, Eric, herself and Rose... Rose was in the paintings too.

Clearly she was much older than Sookie had originally presumed, and with a lot more history than she had let on. The realisation only stirred more questions in her.

What was her connection in all of this?

Sookie turned away from the paintings and left the room, deciding that she'd learned enough from that room for now and turned her attention back to the main staircase.

When she reached the top of it, she peered to her right and saw the same room she had explored last time. She approached it and hesitantly opened up the brass door that had been painted and polished.

There was little light creeping in from the door while the room was shut off so no light from outside was entering it. Once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she discovered that it too had had a makeover.

However, time didn't permit her very long to study what those changes were. Suddenly she froze as she realised she wasn't the only one in the room. A figure was lying in the center of the massive bed.

Her curiosity got the best of her. She willed her legs to move and despite her pounding heart threatening to escape her chest, she some how managed to keep her feet steady.

She reached the bedside, her eyes now well adjusted to the dimness and she could see him a lot more clearly. Her lungs breathed so shallowly she wasn't sure if she were breathing at all as she looked over his mangled form. Her heart was so loud it was almost all she could hear.

He barely resembled the man she knew from her dreams and from her memories, he was so frail and decrepit. He lay on his back, his hands resting on his waist. His normally pearly white skin was deep red and cracked, and in some areas, muscle and even bone was visible.

The hidden history between them felt like it was beginning to surface. Not specific memories, just the emotions. Their closeness, their deep empathy and love for each other. She knew him so well and he knew her. Seeing him in such a state made her heart ache and a tear streaked down her cheek.

She began to reach out with her hand, when suddenly his white eyes opened, making her jump.

"Godric?"

A piercing scream escaped her lips as he swiftly rose and lunged at her with instinctual need, his fangs already extended as he viciously buried them in her neck and began to drink.

Rose tossed her sleek black hair to one side and lowered her body till it was pressing against the flesh underneath her. She had no use for glamor, no desire to deceive or need to force them under her control. She easily trapped them in her captivating power and bewitched them with a simple glance.

She explored the young body under her with her porcelain hands and in return was granted a low whimper that brought the hunger out of her. Her sharp, pearly white fangs clicked into place as a second woman traced the ink serpent running down her spine with her plump lips. Rose grinned and grabbed her roughly by the throat, before placing her lips on hers in a tender but firm kiss.

Using her superior strength and speed, she switched their positions so she was hovering over the both of them.

She paused, an icy cold shiver running down her spine as a scream flowed through her mind telepathically.

Sookie was in trouble, she'd found Godric and their reunion wasn't a happy one.

'Fuck...' she cursed herself; she couldn't help her until she'd fed. Around Faeries she had the self control of a baby vampire and it took all her effort to not eat Sookie even when she wasn't hungry.

The scream lasted only a moment however as someone else came to her rescue and then... Sookie disappeared altogether. Her presence had simply gone like a light going out.

Internally, Rose filled with rage and anger, but she dared not to let it out. She swallowed her volatile, unstable nature as she always did and carried on like nothing had happened.

She gently traced the neck of one of the women and planted a soft kiss, before burying her fangs deep into her artery.

Her eyes closed as she let herself become lost in the sweet flavour of fresh blood, her thirst finally having a chance to be satiated, and her heavily tattooed body flexed under the dim light as she began to fill the empty shell that she was.

She retracted her fangs and perked her head up as the door to her private room was unlocked and opened.

"What do you want?" she snapped, angry that he'd disturbed her.

"Enjoying yourself as always I see." Speaking in swedish, Eric Northman appeared in the doorway, a smug smile planted on his face as he casually leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossing over his chest.

"Considering this place was built for me, I would think you'd expect nothing less. What is it?" her aura began to change from seductive and controlled to unchecked ravenous hunger.

"You said we needed to talk, so here I am."

"I'll talk when I'm ready. Now either join me or fuck off!" To emphasize her point, she grabbed the small wooden table from beside the bed and threw it at him.

He dodged it and it broke as it hit the wall. "My my, we are feisty tonight aren't we?" his smirk grew wider as he dared to tease, "maybe I'll watch."

"You know my taste buds have a fetish for ancient vampire blood. It would be wise of you to not test my patience." Her self-restraint wore thin and she growled waningly.

Knowing better than to get caught in a conflict between bloodthirsty vampires, her two female companions took the hint and quickly gathered themselves up before fleeing the room.

He was about to push her further with some snarky comeback, but she'd already had enough now that her dinner had left and she gave into her primal cravings. She lunged at him with her insane speed and held him firmly against the wall with her brute strength.

She took his hand in hers and raised his wrist to her lips. She pressed the palm of his hand to her mouth and punctured the skin with her sharp teeth, before retracting them. The two puncture holes dripped with his 1000 year old blood and she readily lapped it up until the wound closed. The taste alone however failed to satisfy her thirst.

She ran a hand over the buttons of his shirt, before firmly taking hold of the fabric and easily tearing it from his body in one swift motion. Her warm breath blew over his toned chest as she caressed his lean upper torso with her sleek fingers. She nibbled skillfully on the underside of his jaw, her plump lips planting tender kisses. She smirked as her touch brought his fangs out.

Moving down his bare chest, she buried her sharp lateral incisors deep into his flesh and began to drink steadily. He groaned at the sensation and was quite unfamiliar with the feeling. However, she was rough and didn't care if he was comfortable or not. He should not have pushed her.

"Aelia stop."

She retracted her fangs from Eric's chest and released her hold on him. The two vampires stood in awe as they saw Godric standing in the open doorway, completely healed and looking like his old self again.

She almost lost her breath, "father… "