A/N: Welcome to the Darklands, a place of mystery and adventure. I hope you enjoy the journey I'm about to take you on. It will be long and full of twists and turns with little hints hidden along the way. As always, I really appreciate your reviews and comments. It means a lot to me that you enjoy my work, and I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it.

Prelude

"You should not have come."

Those were the words he'd said to her after he'd snapped the neck of a large man who had nearly raped her. She couldn't imagine what would have become of her if Godric hadn't done what he did.

"Retract your fangs, now."

Those were the words he said sternly and without weakness as he held Bill's maker, Lorena by the throat. Her jealousy and obsession with Bill Compton blinded her. Her sanity was all but gone, lost to the passage of time and sadistic thirst for life. She would have killed Sookie without hesitation if Godric hadn't of stopped her.

"She is unharmed, I shielded her."

Those were the reassuring words he chose, as her brother Jason frantically looked for her after the Fellowship of the Sun blew his nest up via a suicide bomber.

He had been her savior three times all in the same day, and now it was her turn to try to give the same kindness back. She knew little about him, of his background or the many things he'd seen over his timeless existence. But she could see the pain in his eyes, could relate to it and understand his thirst for freedom from it.

She knew many evil deeds bloodied his past. But time moves forward, and people change. Even 2100-year-old vampires. She wasn't sure exactly just what she could do for him, she only knew in the depth of her heart that she didn't like watching him suffer. She had to try to ease it in the very least.

So, pushing her relationship with Bill to the side and forgetting about everything that had been troubling her lately, she gathered up her courage and pulled her wrecked nerves together. She let her feet do the work for her as she let her mind run with many thoughts and possible outcomes for what she was about to attempt. Approaching the door, she raised her fist to knock but did not get the chance to as he had heard her footsteps and smelled her luxurious blood.

The handle rotated as the door was opened from the other side.

"Miss Stackhouse," Godric appeared from behind it. "I trust all is well?"

"Yes..." for a moment she found her throat wouldn't produce words and she quickly tried to catch her breath before she made herself look dim-witted. "I'm sorry, I know you probably want to be alone but, I just wanted to thank you… for everything."

He graced her with a humble smile that even though was small, still made her chest sink and her insides tremble. "You could never disturb me, and you're welcome Miss Stackhouse."

"Call me Sookie" she insisted, displaying a nervous smile.

"Sookie…" he repeated her name. She found herself being reeled in by the sound of his voice alone. It lacked Bills southern accent and robustness but was somehow more compelling and comforting. "Please, come in."

He stepped aside to allow her to enter and closed the door behind her. "Can I get you anything? A glass of water perhaps?"

"No, thank you." She politely replied, not forgetting the manners she'd been raised with.

He sat down on one of the couches situated near the middle of the room and gestured for her to join him. She did so without hesitation, holding her hands together firmly as they began to shake with nervousness, just being in his presence made her tremble. He was incredibly intimidating, but not in a bad way. She wasn't afraid of him, she was in awe. He commanded a level of power and wisdom that other vampires could only dream of.

He noticed her anxiety and took hold of her hands with his own "You need not fear, little one, I will not harm you."

This she knew, he had protected her three times in a single night. His lips curved into a sweet smile. Her heart fluttered under his charm at both the sight of his bittersweetness and the use of such a nickname. She understood it was not to belittle her, but rather to state his affection and protectiveness.

"I don't, it's just…" her eyes dropped to her lap, trying to hide the emotions that threatened to spill from them.

Sensing this, he cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand and gently lifted her gaze back to him. "Whatever it is that is troubling you Sookie, you can say without fear of judgment or mockery on my part."

His touch calmed her, and she allowed herself to breathe deeply. "Actually Godric, I came tonight to see if there was anything I could do for you. I saw the pain in your eyes, pain that I just couldn't ignore."

There was that little smile again, the one that just managed to peek through in the inner battle for release from his suffering. She felt drawn to him somehow. She wasn't just curious and genuinely wanted to learn more about him because of her tender-heartedness.

"For what it is worth, I consider you an honored friend and you have the kindest of hearts. But there is nothing that can take back what has already occurred; my burdens, my guilt, is too heavy for even the greatest forgiveness to lighten."

Tears began to form in her eyes, even though they had only known each other for a few days, she felt as if she had known him for much longer. His pain was becoming her pain. His silvery blue eyes bore into hers. She felt her skin growing hot and for a fleeting moment, she felt as if she were gazing straight into his soul. She could feel his entire life story, all his joy, all his hurt. She knew deep down what he was planning to do, and she didn't like it.

"I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to live for so long and to see so many horrible things, to even be part of them. But suicide? Surely there is another option besides the true death."

"You are incredibly sweet and innocent Sookie. If you knew even a fraction of the atrocities I have committed, you would not think so highly of me."

"I don't care what you did in the past, the present is all that matters."

"If only that were true, but my sins against humanity cannot be rectified. Only my death will satisfy and honor those whom I have wronged over the centuries."

She found herself growing more and more agitated. Was there nothing she could say to him to change his mind? Perhaps not. She guessed that as a vampire of his age, he would not plan something this big lightly. He had probably been thinking about it for many years and she began to wonder if she'd set out on a hopeless mission.

"When was the last time you fed?" She tried to steer the conversation in another direction.

"I do not-"

"When was the last time you fed?" She repeated the question, growing confident enough to interrupt him.

He rewarded her confidence with a small grin, "six months ago, for what little relevance it has."

"What! Six months?" She gasped. No wonder he was so pale. She thought it was due to his advanced age, but now she was beginning to realize there was much more to it than that.

"I am an ancient vampire little one, I require very little blood."

She moved closer to him and offered him her neck.

"Drink."

"I do not think your vampire companion would approve of me taking blood from you."

"That lying bastard can go screw himself for all I'm concerned. Drink."

He looked at her with hesitation, wanting to take up her offer and taste the sweet blood that ran through her veins. But his better judgment and finely tuned self-control held him back.

"If you are still going to go ahead with your original plan, then at least allow me to make your last night on Earth a nice one."

"You are sure?"

"Positively sure." She tucked her hair away, inviting him in.

His fangs clicked into place and he leaned forward. Running the tip of his nose down her skin, he inhaled deeply, bathing in her luxurious scent before burying his sharp incisors in her neck. She groaned at the sensation, but she didn't feel embarrassed or even cared as her heart sunk low in her chest and heat gathered between her legs.

Allowing his eyes to close, he savored every drop he took from her. She was sweet and delicate and tasted of sunlight. She was unlike anything he'd tasted in centuries. He wanted more but knew he had taken enough for one night and released her, with not a single drop spared.

She watched as her blood filled him, and the rosiness found its way back into his cheeks. He looked gorgeous, and she just couldn't help herself. She grabbed a hold of his white shirt and pulled them both forward until their lips met. She tasted her blood on his tongue but didn't care, choosing to ignore the metallic flavor as the kiss turned more feral and needing.

Her breath grew shallow as Godric slowly undid the front of her dress. Pearly white buttons ran all the way down and his eyes bore into hers with each one. Once more she was staring straight into his soul. She could see the wild animal he kept under lock inside a cage, waiting for the right moment to take over and spring free. He was filled with such passion and hunger to a magnitude she'd never witnessed before. It was as if her blood had been the key, and had released the beast within.

Each button revealed more of her luscious, golden skin until finally the straps fell from her shoulders and her naked body was revealed. His eyes took her in like a ravenous wolf. His hands ran up her thighs as he kissed her toned stomach. He wrapped an arm around the curve of her backside and pulled her in close; the thick muscles of his chest collided with hers as he held her gently to him. He was cold, the beat of his heart vacant, but it didn't bother her in the slightest.

She melted under his touch and the pit of her stomach fluttered like a thousand butterflies. A fire ignited between her thighs as he deepened the kiss. His tongue brushed against hers and she almost lost her sense of balance as he playfully nibbled at her lower lip.

He pulled back for a moment and traced the shell of her ear with his lips. He whispered something in an ancient language and even though she didn't understand the meaning of his words, they still sent a shiver down her spine.

Her eyes widened with surprise as he scooped her up with ease and took her to the bedroom faster than she could keep up with. He stripped his body in an instant and the next thing she knew she was lying on the bed, a plump silky pillow underneath her back that made her body curl into a more desirable position.

She was completely drawn into the experience as he settled between her thighs and placed his lips on hers. Kissing her deeply, he ran his fingers lightly up the side of her torso and across her chest where he cupped her left breast with the palm of his hand. Her heart pounded as she tilted her head back, exposing more of her sun-kissed skin.

She drew in a short breath as he traced the underside of her chin with his soft lips. He followed her artery down her neck, taking in each beat of her heart as it pumped from deep within her. He listened to her blood gush around her body, pulsating in perfect harmony.

She released a deep breath as his hand left her chest and slipped between their lower bodies, his lips taking the place where his hand once was. As he coated her in an ancient erotic oil, his fingers skilfully drew a variety of shapes into her flesh. The cold touch of his skin was not enough to keep her temperature in check and her skin flushed a brilliant shade of red. The pit of her stomach sank as she realized he was moving down her body until he reached her lower abdomen.

At first, she felt very hesitant, not wanting him to see her that close-up. But as he nestled himself deep in her, she gave into her inner self and lost her sense of modesty to pure sensation. It swept her body in an organismal wave, over and over again until she was tenderized into jelly. She gripped the sheets tightly as he refused to let her go.

Her muscles were so overwhelmed, all she could do was lie there, trembling under his power. He rose above her and swung her legs over his shoulders, her back arched slowly as he entered her until he filled her completely. Her mouth was agape as he rocked her core and she lost herself to an experience she never imagined could exist. He flipped her, and she groaned as he took her from behind. His lips traced the curve of her back and he kissed each individual bone of her spine.

He fervently traced his lips down her neck and across her shoulder, his fingers gliding up the sides of her sleek torso. Her eyes fluttered as they moved to her chest where he pulled her upwards into a sitting position on his lap. A hand stayed glued to her plump chest where it massaged her gently, while the other stretched down past her abdomen until it stopped where they were joined. As he drew more shapes into her, her own hands found the back of his neck and she nestled his inch-long locks with her fingers. Orgasmic white light sparked across her eyes continuously and she begged him not to let it end.

He satiated both their caged desires and flipped her around once more, faster than she could see. He lifted her up and pressed her back to the wall. He held her firmly in place and tossed one of her legs over his shoulder. She was quite flexible and molded against him as he ravished her deeper than he had before. Daring to lead her into an even more intense experience of the physical world. She clawed at the thick muscles of his back, their lips joining ferociously, her tongue melting against his as they bonded and slid perfectly against each other.

After hours of relentlessness, they finally let each other go and collapsed to the bed under them. They lay next to each other, bathing in erotic bliss.

He looked at her and smiled, the first real genuine smile she had seen from him. "You have given me more than I deserve."

"Oh Godric, is my love not enough for you?"

"I am sorry, little one, it is not you. My heart is filled with grief, my mind with screams of torment, tainted with the scent of innocent blood. I cannot go on living with the burden of what I have done."

She didn't know what else she could say. She knew it was hopeless to keep asking and begging him to stay. So instead she decided it was better to accept his choice. They lay in each others company and just talked for a while, making the most of what little time he had left.

An hour before dawn, he got up from the bed and invited her to take a shower with him. As she stepped into the warm spray of water, he stood behind her, both sharing the water as they lathered each other. But as the suds washed away, so did her happiness. Tears began to fall down her cheeks at the thought of his passing.

"What is it little one?" Godric asked, taking her chin with his hand.

"It's just…" she sighed in defeat, knowing that there was no way she could change his mind "I'm sad…"

"I know," he tried to comfort her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a warm embrace, a kind gesture of love. The last time he would show love to anyone. He noticed the bite mark still on her neck and pricked his index finger with his fang. She tilted her neck as he rubbed a little of his blood into the wound. As it swiftly healed, she took hold of his finger and sucked the blood from it.

Godric breathed as he closed his eyes, a deeper connection forming between them. Sookie's emotions flooded him and he felt what she felt. "I can feel you..." He understood how deep her empathy went for him.

He looked her straight in the eye, "you are the most soulful, tender-hearted, and compassionate woman I have ever met, Sookie Stackhouse. Don't ever let the world change that. Don't let it harden you as it did me."

"I'll try." She replied softly.

He smiled before turning off the water. After they were dressed, Sookie sat back down on the couch where this had all begun. As she tied up her wet hair, Godric emerged from the bedroom, he held something shiny in his hand.

"Sookie, I would like to give you something."

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

He held out a piece of jewelry. It was a pendant, hanging from a long golden chain that was so shiny it looked just polished. A large dew drop shaped jewel was crowned with delicate golden flowers and leaves. The center of the flowers was made of smaller gems, and colors of red, blue and aqua dazzled in the light. The dewdrop was such a deep shade of purple it appeared almost black. She held it in the light and looked through it. There was some sort of ancient writing within the stone. It was stunning; as if it had come to life from a fantasy world.

"It is an Eternity stone. I was told that it has magical properties, though to its true origins or what it does exactly, I know not. In all the years I have had it, it has never displayed any such magic."

He dropped it into the palm of her hand, so she could look at it more closely.

"It's beautiful..." She remarked.

"It belonged to my mother. Though I no longer remember her face, I do remember her fondness for it."

"And you kept it safe all these centuries."

"With great difficulty," he added, "I entrust it to you now."

"I'm honored," she accepted the gift "I shall keep it safe for as long as I shall live."

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "My time has come little one, the sun is near rising."

They left the safety of the hotel suite and made their way up to the roof where Eric was already waiting. They said what they needed to say, and Eric left. As the sun was nearing the horizon, Godric pulled Sookie in for one final moment of affection. He wrapped his arms around her, their lips joining in a tender kiss. She wanted the moment to last forever, but she knew she had to let him go. When she took in his blood, she felt a glimpse of the pain he felt, and it was truly enormous. As much as it distressed her, she understood why this was his only option.

He smiled bittersweetly as he turned to face the rising sun, embracing his end. She had tried and failed, and as she said her last goodbye and Godric glowed with a beautiful blue flame, she cried for him, harder than she had ever cried before.