AN: Here it is: The FINAL chapter. I can't believe I managed to complete this story! Just a reminder, there is no "past" version in this section, it's only the present. All I can say for this chapter is "you knew it was coming…."

After the case, Nicholas got to bask in the awe of the press. It was strange, because in the span of a few weeks I had watched this insecure, fledgling lawyer become a confident courtroom shark. I was proud of Nicholas, and it made me happy to see him get praised for winning such an enormous case.

Nicholas and I went to a small bar on the outskirts of Chicago to celebrate or victory. I doubted that he was much of a drinker since his tolerance was very low.

"Thank you, Juliana," he said as he set down his third gin and tonic, "For giving me a chance to represent you. Everyone wants me to be their layer now. Someone even called me to start a partnership for a law firm with him. Can you believe that? I'm just a public defender. I barely passed the BAR, I never thought this would happen to me." He was getting emotional from all the alcohol but I didn't mind since it was very entertaining.

I grinned, and cradled my fresh TrueBlood in my hands. "It's fine, Nicholas. I really should be thanking you for even trying to do this case. I know that you weren't exactly excited when you heard you were representing a vampire. But you did an excellent job and you deserve all the recognition you're getting now."

"Lets toast," Nicholas declared his voice a little louder than necessary, "to winning cases and kicking ass!" I laughed, and somewhat-less-enthusiastically clinked my glass to his.

On the TV, a local new station was covering our recent win, and the bartender recognized us. "Hey," she said, pointing to us, "You're that vampire and lawyer they're talking about on the news, aren't you?"

"Yep!" Nicholas affirmed proudly. I was a little less happy being recognized, since I knew not all humans would be pleased to hear a vampire got away with a mere "slap on the wrist."

"Congratulations. Here's some shots on the house."

She set two tequila shots down in front of us, but since I couldn't drink mine, Nicholas took both. He burped and I turned away from him. "Sorry, that was rude," He apologized bashfully.

"It's fine." It was nice to have a friend, it almost made me feel human again.

Nicholas suddenly paled, and seemed to look passed me. I turned around and saw Godric through the bar's giant windows staring right at us. "Is that him?" Nicholas asked. Even though he was straddling the fine line between drunk and wasted, he was still able to recognize the picture of Godric he had seen our first week together.

I was still looking at Godric. He didn't beckon at me, but I knew he wanted to speak to me. I sighed in frustration and turned away from him. "It is, isn't it?" As I laid eyes on Nicholas, a malicious though hit me, and I decided to act on that impulse. I leaned across the table and kissed Nicholas on the lips, trying to make it look passionate even though there was no feeling there. When Nicholas pulled away, I did not stop him. Quickly, I turned back around to see Godric, but he had turned his head to the side to avoid looking at me.

I smirked at my little action of revenge, but it vanished when Nicholas shouted at me, "Why did you do that?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Keep your voice down, we're in public."

"I don't want him to attack me!" The entire bar seemed to quiet a little at Nicholas's shouting, and I cringed at the negative attention. I wasn't trying to upset Nicholas, I was trying to upset Godric.

"He won't, trust me." But Nicholas seemed genuinely worried, and I felt bad for using him without his consent. "I'm sorry," I apologized, "I'll talk to him."

I left Nicholas at the bar and strolled to the door. Godric was still frozen at the window. "Why are you here?" I asked him. Sighing, he turned slightly to me.

"You're still trying to break my heart," he whispered.

"No, I'm trying to disappoint you like you disappointed me," I corrected.

Godric frowned and looked away from me. "I'm sorry I disappointed you. I'm sorry I've failed you. I-I should have never brought you into this world. You didn't deserve that… you deserved so much better than what I gave you."

"Godric, why are you apologizing for something I've long since forgiven you of? I'm mad that you left me to defend myself in court in front of the entire country- not that you turned me into a vampire 1800 years ago."

"Because I am sorry about that- I'm sorry about everything. I shouldn't have come into your life 1800 years ago, and I shouldn't have come into it a month ago. Every time I see you, I only cause you suffering."

"That's not true."

"You're too kind to me. You know what I've done to you."

"Everyone has regrets, Godric. But I don't regret you." When Godric didn't respond, I repeated my first question. "Why are you here?"

"I had to tell you some things." He reached for my hands, and I let him hold them. "I want you to know that you mean so much to me. You mean the world to me, and I am so proud of you. You have never, and you will never, disappoint me. Juliana, you are the most beautiful, clever, and strong vampire I could have ever hoped to create. I am honored to have had you in my life."

I frowned and asked, "Why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"

Godric was slow to respond, but then he replied, "It's because I am."

I felt my voice go up an octave. "W-What? Why? For how long?"

"I don't know. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again, but I hope so."

That's when I knew something was terribly wrong. He might never see me again? There were times in my very, very long life that I had thought I would never see Godric again, but we had always managed to find each other. The world was only so big. The only way we wouldn't be able to see each other was if…

"No! No. No, Godric, don't-" I began to plead when the realization hit me. The true death? What had happened to make him think that was an answer? Throughout my life, I had lost nearly everyone I had ever cared about. The only two people left were Godric and Eric. I refused to allow him to lower that number.

"You can't convince me otherwise, Juliana."

Blood tears had started to slide down my cheeks. "Please, Godric. If this is about me, then I'm sorry. I don't want this, I never wanted this."

"This isn't about you, Juliana. You have been the reason I've lived this long. But I know that it's my time." He was trying to be kind to lessen the blow, but it felt like my entire world was crashing down around me. I felt like I was suffocating, and kind words were not going to make me feel better about the situation.

My voice was breaking as I tried to hold back sobs. "How? How can you know that?"

"You won't understand until you feel it for yourself. But watching you be so brave during the past few weeks has really made me see that my time has come. A new era is emerging and I am confident you will be equipped to handle it. You have helped make a change in the world. I have not."

"I didn't want to make a change, Godric! I was just trying to be myself."

"And that is what I admire most about you. But now, now is my time to be myself. I wish I had made a change like you had."

I was squeezing his hands and shaking them, as if my force would be enough for him to stay. "You still can if you stay with me. We can be together now- King and Queen, Godric- just like you wanted. Please, Godric, reconsider. I would do anything."

"I want you to be happy, Juliana. And you and I both know that we have never been on the same page about that."

"Just because we haven't been on the same page doesn't mean we don't feel the same way about each other." I stared into his dark eyes, trying to will him to feel the same way he had so many centuries ago. "Don't you love me?"

His eyes softened. "I do love you, Juliana, more than you can possibly imagine."

"Then stay." Godric just sighed and looked down. "I love you," I told him, my voice wavering with emotion.

Godric looked back into my eyes and smiled. "I know, Juliana, trust me. I can feel it in you. You don't have to say it."

"But I want to say it. I want you to know. Please, Godric, I need you to stay."

"No, Juliana," Godric said on a long exhale. "That's just the thing. If I have learned anything over the centuries, it is that you don't need me. And neither does Eric, any more.

"I never told Eric this, because he never knew Marius. At least you have met him. I'm sure you remember what kind of vampire he was- very traditional, for his time. But then times started to change, the world was changing all around him. He told me that a great vampire does not wait for another to kill him, and he does not wish to live for all eternity. Humans only have a set amount of time, but vampires have the burden of determining their own. Marius said a great vampire changes the lives of some, and then knows when his time has come to an end. I know that I have done that with you and Eric, whether it was a good change or not, and now my time has come."

"No, Godric. Marius was wrong," I cried out in retort.

It was as if Godric didn't hear me. "I watched as he staked himself. I would not wish that on you or Eric."

"Please, Godric. You're making a mistake. I don't want you to go," I begged.

He released my hands and grabbed the sides of my face. He stroked my hair and kissed my cheek. "I don't want to hurt you, but I wanted you to know."

"No, no, no," I mumbled to myself.

Godric just sighed, "I'm sorry, Juliana. But there is one more thing: I don't want Eric to know."

"You ask too much of me."

"It is because I trust and respect you so much." Godric brushed a piece of my hair out of my face. "Do you believe in Heaven?"

I didn't want to answer, because I didn't want to condone his actions. But the look of genuine anxiety in his eyes was enough for me to answer. "I believe there is peace for everyone in death."

"I hope you're right." Suddenly, Godric leaned into me and embraced me. His lips crashed into mine and an electric shock rattled my body. I allowed his tongue to slip between my lips as he kissed me more passionately and sweetly than I had ever been kissed before. Godric hands massaged my lower back, and I responded by reaching my hands up to grab his face. I never wanted that moment to end or him to leave. But as quickly as he had kissed me goodbye, he had vanished. I felt him pull away from me, and when I opened my eyes to find him- he was gone.

I stayed in my house for weeks, surviving only off my store of True Bloods. I never once left the house, nor did I allow any visitors. I felt like a prisoner on death row- except it was not my death that I was slowly waiting for- it was the breaking of my heart.

Nicholas tried to see me, but I refused to let him come in. He would never understand what I was going through, and explaining it to him would be just as painful as ripping out my heart again like Godric had just done to me. I knew he loved me, but that hardly gave me any solace. The worst part was knowing that my love wasn't enough to keep him here.

I wanted to stop him, but I knew that would be too cruel. I knew Godric well enough to know that when he was determined to do something, it was only a matter of time. Godric had told me he trusted me, and the truth was that I trusted him too. If he believed it was his time, then all I could do was grieve.

Many, many years ago, when I believed that Mae was my only friend, she had said talked freely about what it felt like to lose a maker: There's this cold despair, like you have nothing left in the world. She had said that maker and child were bound in the soul, and that each was an essential part of each other. She made it sound like losing a maker was the greatest tragedy in the world.

She had spoke from experience, and although I knew that it was coming, I couldn't help but live in denial that I would have to experience that as well. I told myself that Godric wasn't really going to end his life- that maybe he had changed his mind or that Eric had stopped him. Although I refused to believe that it was coming, in the back of my mind the dread was building.

And then it happened one night. Seemingly without warning, right as I was about to lie down for my day's rest, I felt this terrible pull at my heart. I thought I dying, that some crazy demon was trying to rip my soul right out of my being. I screamed as my heart filled with sadness, and I couldn't stop crying. I cried for hours, and eventually the sadness turned into emptiness. Whatever part of my being had been occupied by Godric was now gone, and in its space was nothing- not even sadness. The hole in my heart threatened to encompass my entire essence, and I felt myself losing even the memory of what it felt like to be happy, or in love. It was as though my entire world was devoid of life itself, and there was nothing and nobody that could make me ever feel again.

The depression and grief drove me insane. I stayed in my house for weeks on end, never even leaving my own bedroom or drinking any blood, not even the synthetic TrueBlood that I had been drinking for years. I had no hunger, only loneliness. Thinking about Godric only made the hole in my heart tear open more.

I was torn out of my grieving coma by the sound of my neighbor's dog barking. I'm sure it wasn't the first time in those weeks that dog had barked, but over my nearly incessant sobbing, it was the first time I had heard the dog. The noise caused me to jump, and for the first time since Godric' passing, I actually felt something that wasn't emptiness or sadness. Granted, it was fear, but still. Once the initial shock of the noise had passed, anger suddenly began to grow. And where sadness had failed to fill the hole in my heart Godric had left, at least anger managed to bandage it.

Anger turned to rage, and in an instant I went from being unable to leave my coffin to racing out of my house and into my neighbors backyard. The dog was just as terrified of me as I had been of it's noise, and shrunk in fear away from me. But it was too late for that. In a nanosecond I had ripped its head right off, and tossed the Chihuahua's remains to the ground. Another dog barked from across the street, and I zoomed over there and snapped the necks of two German Sheppard's. Down the road, I knew there was a poodle. And even though it made no noise, I went over there and killed it too. I didn't see the dogs as pets or innocent creatures; I only could see them as wolves and werewolves that had plagued me throughout my life. I ran around the neighborhood and slaughtered every dog, even going into peoples homes to do the job.

Eventually, I was spotted. It was a single woman, only a few houses down from me, who had a Jack Russell mix. I had to kill that dog- he never could shut up. But the lady saw me, and since I was drenched in my own bloody tears as well as the blood of every neighborhood dog, I had to kill her too. I didn't even drink from her, because I still couldn't muster up any appetite over my rage and grief. But I didn't want to leave her corpse there, so I carried it over to my house and left her in my living room.

A man across the street from me was calling for his dog, believing that he had run away, and so I left and killed him too. Soon, I was on a killing spree, and the entire street- regardless or sex, age, or race- lay dead in heaps in my living room. The floor was soaked with blood, as well as I, but I couldn't help myself. No matter what I did, I couldn't make myself feel any better.

After my killing spree, I went into hibernation again. I sat in my living room, surrounded by death, and cried. This time, however, I was alone for only a few days. I heard a soft tap on the roof of my house, and immediately ceased crying. It sounded like two people, and suddenly I felt hopeful. Godric and Eric, I immediately assumed, must have come to visit me. My blind hope caused me to jump out of my chair and race to the door. When I opened it, I saw Eric… but no Godric.

"Who is that?" I snapped.

Eric glanced a little to the side, as if he had forgotten a blonde woman in pale pink was with him. "That's Pam," he mildly introduced.

"Is she your progeny?" The word 'progeny' fell out of my mouth like acid.

"Yes." Eric pushed me slightly as he entered my home. Pam followed behind him carefully, looking around with a sadistic smirk at the piles of bodies. Eric looked a lot more concerned, and walked back over to me so that he could close the door.

I froze, as I felt a new wave of emotion engulf me- anger, pity, sadness. I did not have what Eric did. And then I remembered Godric, and said, "Is she everything you'd ever hoped she would be?"

Pam stepped forward at the question, so that she could see Eric's face. He turned to her and said softly, "Of course."

In a fit of rage, I dashed at Pam with such speed it startled even her, and grabbed her face, "I hate you," I hissed in Swedish, and then pushed her with all my strength until she hit the wall of my house, destroying it, and tumbled outside.

Eric immediately grabbed my arms and trapped them behind me. "Now that Godric is dead, you can kill me," I reminded him, "I would do it, if I were you."

"You are angry," was his only response, as he wrestled me down to my knees. "You don't want to die, you just want to feel."

"I don't want to feel this anymore," I told him, my voice cracking.

Eric sighed, as if he understood exactly what I meant. I watched as his head surveyed the room, observing the tremendous furry I had unleashed on the human inhabitants of my street. He nodded, and Pam walked back into what was left of my home. Her hair was a little disheveled in the back, but otherwise she was fine.

"Look at everything you've done," he told me, but at least for now I didn't want to see, so I shut my eyes to keep back more tears. "Everything you've done here is exactly what I feel like doing. We are not so different after all."

"No, we are very different, Eric," I hissed, wiggling in his grip in an effort to free myself. "Why haven't you done this? Is it because you're a Sherriff? A businessman? A Maker? You have responsibilities, a business, and beautiful progeny. I don't have any of that. You have a life outside of the one Godric gave you, that you created yourself. Godric was everything to me, and I didn't realize that until he was gone."

I finally managed to free myself from Eric, and scrambled off the ground that was saturated with the blood of over three dozen corpses. Eric looked at me with pity, but at the same time, empathy. "I know Godric meant a lot to you, Juliana. He meant a lot to me too."

I knew that was true. There was no denying that Godric and Eric had a special bond. But at that moment, it was hard for me to empathize with him. I could only handle my pain, and I didn't want to consider tackling what Eric must be going through.

Sighing, I sat down on my couch and put my head in my hands. I felt Eric's hand on my shoulder and he said, "You should come back to Shreveport with me."

I looked at his as if he were joking. "I don't belong in Shreveport. I don't belong anywhere."

"I can help you start a new life, if you trust me."

"I don't."

Eric groaned and removed his hand, only to crouch in front of me and grab both of my hands like Godric used to. "Godric would have wanted this. He would have wanted us to stay together, at least for a little while."

Again, I knew this was true. "Godric was always the happiest when we were all together."

Eric nodded and grinned at the thought. "We weren't always the happiest together, but he sure was."

"I'm sure we can manage to get along- at least for a little while."

***Days Later***

"Eric, I'm really not sure this is right for me," I shifted uncomfortably next to the Viking. He glanced around his club with a smirk and then turned to me and laughed.

"You'll be fine, I promise. You've dealt with worse."

The club was bustling with humans dressed in skimpy, tight black leather- trying to impersonate the sexy, gothic vampires they had seen on TV. A nervous looking young man in his twenties ran up to me and asked, "Will you bite me, please?"

My nose crinkled up in disgust at the thought of biting him anywhere. "Definitely not. You probably taste like acne medication and deodorant."

"What?"

Eric bent down to his level and growled in his face, baring his fangs and causing the kid to jump. "Get lost," he hissed, and the poor man ran back into the crowd. The Viking straightened his back up again and the smirk returned to his face. "See? Not so bad."

The music was blaring and it was hard for me to think. I rubbed my fingers against my temple and said, "Fangtasia is punny and all, but I'm having my doubts." One of the dancers bent down from her pole to collect a tip from a customer, and I gasped as I saw way too much. "Yes, now I'm confident this isn't the right place for me. Thanks for the offer, Eric, but I'd rather sulk in Chicago then whore myself out in this southern slum."

Eric sighed and grabbed my shoulder to keep me from leaving. "First," he said flicking off one of his fingers as he began to count, "If you return to Chicago you will be arrested for murdering your entire street. I doubt the courts would let you walk twice in less than a year. Second, you and I both need to get Godric off our minds, at least for the time being. We need to heal, and we need to do it together. And thirdly, I am offended that you called my bar "southern slum.""

I laughed at the last part and said sarcastically, "My apologizes; I meant to say southern trash."

Eric pushed me lightly, and I pushed back a little harder, causing him to take a step back. The smirk fell from his face, and I was sure he was about to attack me when Pam slid up next to us. "Hmm," she cooed, eyeing me, "I could use someone like her at the door. The humans there don't respect Louis at all, so he lets anyone in. And you know how I can't stand to deal with them. How would you like to handle the door?"

Before I responded, I flickered my eyes to Eric. He seemed pleased with the idea, so I shrugged. "A bouncer? I doubt I look more intimidating than whoever Louis is."

"iIt doesn't matter how intimidating you look, honey, but how powerful you are. And there isn't anyone here more powerful than you." Eric made an insulted grumbled and Pam cocked an eyebrow at him. "There isn't."

"I'll try it."

She smirked, in a way that I thought was very Eric-esq, and linked arms with me. "Then follow me, chickapea." I threw Eric a reluctant glance, but allowed his progeny to lead me to the door. She dismissed a giant bald man, presumably Louis, and placed me in front of the line of humans.

"Now, I like to think of them as a flock of sheep, or a bunch of kindergartners. They need you to lead them where to go. And if they don't belong…" she pointed to an especially young looking boy in the line. "You!"

He looked around quickly and then pointed to himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You who looks like your ditching grammar school. Get the hell out of my line, because you're not coming in." The boy lowered his head and hurried away. The rest of the line got very quiet and stared at us. "See?" Pam snickered. "It's actually not so difficult."

I glanced at the line of humans that stretched nearly to the end of the parking lot and suddenly felt nervous. "Like a flock of sheep you said?"

"Mmhmm."

I took a deep breath and shouted, "ID's out! Under 21 and you're not getting in. And don't even try to show me a fake or bargain with me. I know what fakes look like, because I have one myself. And there's nothing you can say or do to change my mind."

Grinning, Pam put her hand on my shoulder. "I think you're going to be just fine."

I sighed, but for the first time since Godric' passing, I felt strong again. "I think I will be too."

AN: Thank you for all the continued support throughout the months it took me to write this story. Nine months, 180 reviews, and over ninety thousand words later, The Girl Who Said No to Death is finally complete. I really can't say thank you enough, since without all this support I would have never continued this story. It's strange to think that I only put the first chapter up without ever thinking anything would come of it! Thank you so much! I seriously considered listing all the people on who supported me, but since there's practically 180 of you It would have been too long. Thanks for helping me develop my confidence as a writer. Lots of love, Plaid Beans.