A/N Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball own the rights to these characters.

Rated M for sexual content

I started wondering what happened between Godric and Eric after the bombing, but before the meeting with Nan.

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Something was wrong.

Eric knew something was seriously wrong with his Maker. A relationship built upon centuries creates a depth of intimacy that no human could comprehend. And as Eric stood in the destroyed nest of the Area 9 vampires of Dallas, he worried about Godric. Batting aside the fresh, unfiltered emotions flowing from the newly made connection with Sookie, he pondered what Godric's behavior might signify. Speaking to Godric hadn't helped, so maybe it was time for action.

With the sudden influx of injured humans and vampires the hotel Carmella was running a bit short on light tight rooms, so Eric invited Godric to share his. As he pulled off his dirty clothing he could hear Bill and Sookie entering their room across the hall with Sookie complaining loudly about Eric and Bill's low voice trying to sooth her. It made him smile but his attention was on the slight vampire standing next to the window gazing at the city lights. Godric showed no signs of wanting to remove his filthy, destroyed clothing . He stood motionless in front of the window and appeared to not hear Eric when he asked him if he wanted to use the shower first.

Eric spoke again. "Godric? You can use the shower. I can wait", he said.

"Thank you", his Maker responded in an absentminded way. Eric might as well have not been there. Seconds, then minutes ticked by and Godric still hadn't moved from the window.

It was like some pale, watery ghost was standing in place of his Maker. Eric blamed the Dallas vampires for this. Godric had given them so much and look what had happened. If it were not for Eric, Godric would still be in that church, secured with silver, waiting for that fool Newlin to gloat over his burning body. These Dallas vamps understood nothing of loyalty, but Eric did. Eric had been away from Godric for too long. Well, he could remedy that. He would spend time with him, bolster his spirits, remind him of good times and everything would be back to normal.

It would start now. "Come Godric, let's get you cleaned up", Eric said gently. He walked over, took his Maker's arm and tugged him towards the bathroom. Godric allowed him to lead him into the bathroom, but did nothing else. "You'll feel better after a nice shower", Eric murmured. He pulled Godric's grey shirt over his head and knelt at his feet to remove the shoes and slide the pants down slender hips.

Like most vampire friendly hotels, Hotel Carmella had luxurious bathrooms due to vampire's well known fondness for bathing. The shower stall was large enough for two, maybe even three people if they were friendly enough. Once Eric got the shower temperature pleasantly warm, he pushed his Maker under the spray. Godric stood like a docile child as Eric shampooed his hair thoroughly, making sure all the dust and debris from the explosion was removed. Then he soaped up his hands and washed Godric's body, checking for bits of glass or other shrapnel that may have remained. Godric still said nothing. His large eyes looked in Eric's direction, without seeing him, or so it felt.

"You see? That feels much nicer doesn't it?" Eric asked in an unnaturally high tone of voice. The silence in the shower stall was deafening and oppressive. He wanted to jar it loose of the sound of the running water. He quickly soaped up his own hair and got to work on cleaning himself. While doing so, he could feel the girl's emotions shift from anger and disgust(at him he assumed) to love and lust (for Compton he assumed). So Bill had managed to calm her down and she was bouncing back from the devastation at the nest it seemed. It had been a long time since he had shared blood with a human and he had forgotten how strong and chaotic their emotions were right after an exchange. And she was so young, not just physically. Just in the past couple hours of her drinking his blood, he had already experienced numerous fresh, lively emotions rolling into the dark well that was his vampire soul. It was quite pleasurable.

"You must really want her." Godric's words jarred Eric out of his musings since he had begun to think Godric was never going to speak at all.

"Who?"

"The blond human girl."

"Yes." There was no point in denying it. Godric knew Eric as well as Eric knew himself.

"You tricked her into drinking your blood?" Large questioning blue eyes, rimmed in long brown lashes stared up at him. Godric must have heard Sookie's big mouth when she came down the hall with Bill.

"Yes, I needed to make a point to her vampire companion."

"Why do you want this girl?" His Maker actually sounded curious. Eric was relieved. If he could get him talking, he could get him back to normal, of this he was certain.

"She's a telepath, so she's useful. She's pretty and smells good, so bedding her would be a pleasure. And judging by the smug look Compton has been wearing lately, her blood must be fantastic. Also, she's got.. ...", Eric searched for the word, "moxie."

Godric smiled at his using the old fashioned word. "You're not being completely honest with yourself my child."

Eric shrugged and tipped back his head to rinse the soap out. "I think these are all valid reasons to want her. Wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, they are", his Maker glanced up at him with a bemused expression." But being aware of one's own motivations is important for long term decisions."

Eric snorted. "Linking oneself to a human is hardly a long term decision."

"If you say so my child, but her vampire companion is devoted to her and willing to risk injury on her behalf…be careful."

Eric had to laugh at that, as he shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. "I am his sheriff and much older than he. I'm not worried."

Godric's voice became displeased, "Taking one's weaker rivals for granted is the mark of a fool. The list of men who have been destroyed by their inferiors is long. Do not become one of them. "

Eric lowered his head at the rebuke. "Yes Godric, I will think on what you have said. "

He held out one of the thick grey hotel robes and Godric stepped into it. Eric wrapped one around himself as well and as they made their way back into the sitting room, he once again took note of his Maker's poor color. No matter what his Maker had said, he needed to feed. And Eric suddenly realized he needed to feed as well. He had snacked at the Dallas nest, but with the damage done to his body from the explosion, the blood he had lost and Sookie drinking some of it; he needed to feed again. He would order two donors from room service. Once Eric fed, he was sure Godric would want to as well.

The male and female he ordered arrived promptly, wearing robes identical to his. The male was supposed to possess an unusual blood type, so Eric left him for Godric, hoping to entice him to taste the young man. The female had a body that would now be considered old fashioned. She had fleshy curves, with wide hips that one hundred years ago would have had men banging down her father's door. Her skin was lightly tanned from being outside, but the hair cascaded down her back in long dark waves. Eric pulled her onto his lap as he sat back on one of the sofas. Cradling her warmth, he murmured in her ear," What I can see is lovely, may I pull down your robe to see a little more?"

Brown eyes batted coyly,"Only if you promise to bite some part of it."

Eric chuckled low, enjoying the flirtation," Oh I can definitely promise that." He extended his fangs and pushed the robe off her shoulders exposing the full, soft breasts. Cupping a large nipple with one hand he added, "There's nothing like the real thing."

A throaty laugh erupted from the girl's throat and a small snicker creeped out from the young man. Eric realized he must be missing some joke, but it was of no matter. Leaning over her, he gripped the large breast harder and bit into the neck being eagerly exposed for him. Hot blood spurted down his throat and his moan matched the squirming girl's on his lap. He drank enough to clear his head and erase the tiny bits of fatique that had gripped his limbs. Once he was done licking the marks he had left, he sat back relaxed and comfortable.

Godric was sitting on the end of the other sofa, staring at the flames emanating from the fireplace. The young male donor sat as close as he dared, gazing plaintively at the older vampire. The young human might as well have been a stick of furniture. For the first time, Eric felt a flutter of fear at this behavior. He pulled the robe back around the girl on his lap, who was lying askew and obviously hopeful for further activity.

"Thank you", he said brusquely, " That will be all." The disappointment in both the young human's faces was evident as they obediently trooped out of the room. Kneeling at his Maker's feet, as he had thousands of times before, he asked," Why won't you feed? You must be hungry."

"I'm fine Eric. Thank you", Godric responded politely, like Eric was a stranger offering him an advertising leaflet on the street.

Godric had to be hungry and not just hungry, he had to be starving. Eric knew the signs and had noticed them when he had first gone into the church basement. It was impossible that Godric wasn't hungry. Vampires were driven by their hungers whether they be for blood, physical pleasure, or the hunt. These hungers were never completely sated.

Maybe Godric was embracing one of the Post Revelation Vampire's philosophies regarding humans? Thinking of Bill and his strange proclivities, Eric added," Would you like me to warm up a bottle of Trueblood from the minibar? It'll only take a moment and they have several flavors. " At this point, Eric would have been happy to choke down some of the vile metallic synthetic himself, if he could just get Godric to eat.

"No thank you."

The spike of ….fear ….crept into Eric again like a bleeding cancer that couldn't be eradicated. He had only seen vampires behave this way a few times in his thousand years and all of them had the same reason. Their ennui had consumed them to the point that survival no longer mattered to them. That couldn't be possible here. This was HIS Maker! His Maker would never decide that death was preferable to survival. It went against every lesson he'd ever taught Eric.

Being afraid was an unfamiliar emotion for Eric. He was used to taking action when encountering problems and obstacles. Godric would not be tempted by human blood either fresh from the source or synthetic. Maybe Eric could tempt him another way. Vampire blood lust ran along the same track as other lusts. At this point, he was willing to try anything.

The foundation of his and Godric's relationship wasn't sexual, but based on companionship and love. While they saw themselves as family, they were still vampires with vampire drives. And this meant that during overpowering, exciting situations, they would cross the line into lovers. Pleasures of the flesh and blood ruled their lives or rather, gave their existence a reason to continue. Everything else was background.

His large hands rested on Godric's knees and gingerly shifted the grey robe aside, leery of another rebuke.

"Eric, what are you doing?" His Maker's large eyes peered at him from a very young face.

Running a thumb along the inside of the slender thigh, Eric glanced up through his blond eyelashes. "What does it look like I'm doing? "

"The donor female would have been happy to accommodate you."

"Maybe I had other pleasures on my mind", Eric murmured huskily as he allowed his robe to slide to the floor. He knew he was attractive and desirable to others. Women had found him desirable when he was human and after he was Turned, he had discovered the sensual pleasures of men as well. If he could stoke Godric's passions, then he could stimulate his bloodlust as well. He would gladly allow Godric to feed from him, then he could just replenish later.

On his knees, he pressed his face between the robe's folds and into Godric's chest and delicately licked one of the dark nipples. Fangs snapped down while nuzzling his chest underneath the tattoo necklace Eric had viewed for hundreds of years. His hips rocked gently against his Maker's legs as he started to wrap his arms around him.

Then Godric stood up. Catching Eric unawares, he ended up pushed back on to his backside on the carpet. He could only stare, confused as Godric was suddenly under the covers in the bed, without a backward glance.

As he made for the bed himself, the phone rang. He sighed and picked up.

"Yes"

"This is Nan, who is this?"

"Eric Northman, sheriff of Area 5 in Louisiana"

"Is Godric with you? He's not registered in the other rooms."

"Yes, he is. He can't come to the phone. He's resting right now."

"Whatever. Meeting. Bill Compton's suite. there, both of you." CLICK

Eric didn't bother telling his Maker about the conversation since he knew Godric would have been able to hear Nan's clipped, angry voice himself.

"There will be repercussions." Godric murmured with his back still turned to Eric.

"Why? The Fellowship bombed us. We are the victims here." Eric said defiantly.

"For me being in that church to begin with."

"No one has to know what really happened. Just tell them you were captured. No one else knows otherwise." Eric urged. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Sookie had seen Godric out, but she had thought he had "escaped". Eric could use this to their advantage if needed. And from what he'd seen in that basement, she would be grateful to Godric and be happy to support him. That was her nature. And given what Godric had saved her from, even Bill Compton would help.

Eric climbed into bed with Godric, snuffling his nose into the back of his neck. "NO ONE has to know the truth." He whispered. "Just tell them you were captured and then managed to escape, then this will all be fine."

"Yes, this is true. It will be." Godric answered and a deep heavy sigh slowly filled his soundless chest.

"That's right, nosy Nan won't know any different." Eric assured him.

He wrapped his long arms around the only constant solid thing that existed in his world. The world had changed, governments had risen and fallen, new religions blossomed and choked out the old ones, humans born, lived, and died by the millions. If he stopped and contemplated, his life was a blur in time. Godric was the only thing that mattered. He was the only person in the world who truly knew him, both the human face he presented to the world and the dark vampire that hovered underneath the surface, clawing to get out. And Godric loved Eric, just the way he was.

Eric shifted into his old language, that only Godric and he knew. He had taught Pam how to speak it , but she would never understand the purity of it, the context and myth that had been the Viking's tongue. She only understood its surface, being born on the cusp of the modern age as she was when science and reason began to overshadow God.

They spoke softly to one another for a while longer. Later on Eric wouldn't even be able to remember what they discussed. Only that it was so comforting to be able to speak to someone in the language of his people and be understood. As long as Godric was undead, Eric would never be alone.

They would attend this silly meeting, answer nosy Nan's questions, which were bound to be rude and accusatory and tomorrow was a new night. He and Godric had been through worse and come out survivors.

Everything was going to be fine.

THE END