A/N: This chapter was rather difficult to write, but I hope you enjoy a deeper look into Godric and Bryony's blossoming relationship. I figured they needed this before everything goes to hell in a handbasket in the next few chapters. To all my readers and/or reviewers, thank you! I appreciate you all! Midnat, as always you are amazing!

In this chapter the story starts to really earn it's 'M' rating. If you are underage then this is your warning.

The usual Disclaimer of I only own what my own mind has created. Everything else is just the community sandbox that I enjoy playing in. Enjoy!

Chapter 15

Dreaming

The sound of a crying baby pierced the air and Bryony looked around.

"Are we at a hospital?" she asked, before she caught sight of the beautiful red head holding a newborn baby. The baby's eyes opened, and the electric green color was a brighter version of the woman's own.

"Mum?" Bryony whispered. "That's…that's my mum."

Godric's hand gently grabbed hers as they watched the woman coo down at the newborn child. "She loved you very much."

"My precious little love," Lily Potter murmured. "How small you are to hold so much hope upon your shoulders."

The door opened and Godric and Bryony turned to face the newcomer.

"What the hell," she demanded, "was the Grand Pythoness doing at my birth?"

Before he could say anything Lily clutched the baby closer and looked with furious eyes at the Oracle and the two handmaidens that entered the room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, and her hand tightened on her wand. "My husband will be back any minute! You promised he would never know!"

"Relax, youngling." commanded the Ancient Pythoness. "I am merely here to see the child, and your husband is currently off with the dog and the wolf celebrating her birth. Does she carry the mark of an Omega?"

"Yes, she carries the mark…I cast the Obliviate spell on the midwife as you instructed and I have made sure to keep her swaddled around others until I can cast a stronger glamour to hide it. No one has seen her arm yet."

"And Dumbledore?"

Lily paused. "I don't think he will come. We were told of the prophecy five years ago and I doubt he believes she is a candidate for it, for all that she was born at the stroke of midnight on the last day of July. Neville was born immediately after the prophecy and he also fit's the description even though he has yet to show much accidental magic. Many believe him to be the Chosen One. Poor boy, he can barely go outside without guards around him. It's made him somewhat of a fearful child."

"No, young witch," the Ancient Pythoness murmured. "It was always to be the child of the Flower and the Stag that would fulfill that prophecy. No matter what year she, or he, had been born into. All possible futures held this one unchangeable fact."

Bryony clutched at Godric's hand. "What did she mean by 'she or he'?" she asked, shocked. "But…then why would mum and dad wait so long to have me? I was told by those who knew my parents that they had tried for years to get pregnant! Hagrid told me that they had even seen fertility experts! Everyone was surprised when mum finally became pregnant with me!"

Godric frowned and pulled his witch into his arms. He had a bad feeling about this, and as much as he wished it otherwise it seemed as if the Ancient Pythoness had interfered in her life as well as his.

Lily's eyes flashed fire and she jerked up in bed, only to hastily quiet her startled newborn. "If that is the case then why did you command me to wait five years to have her? Do you know the lies I had to tell my husband? The shame of being seemingly barren in the wizarding world? The fertility specialists he dragged me to? The war has only grown worse over the past five years and at any point we could have died! If it was to always be our child, what would have happened then?"

The Ancient Pythoness reached out and touched the baby's forehead with one wrinkled finger as her filmed over eyes looked down into innocent, bright green. "The small war between your kind is of little importance, young witch."

"How can you say that? We are losing! I have seen Professor Dumbledore grow more desperate with each passing year, and he is the only one Voldemort fears! We could be five years closer to freedom if you had not commanded me to wait!"

"Quiet, youngling! It is true, you could have become pregnant with a child, a male, in your first year of your mortal union. That child would have fulfilled the prophecy about Voldemort and lived a somewhat happy and content mortal existence. Yet he would not be what was needed to defeat the darkness I have seen to come after. The few paltry deaths in your little skirmish would be nothing to what would happen then."

Bryony trembled and felt sick to her stomach as she turned and looked up into her bonded's eyes. "I…I would have been a boy without her interference? How else would my life have been different?! Would my relatives have sold me if I were a boy and more 'useful' to have around the house?" she asked bitterly, and pleadingly looked up at her bonded for answers that he could not give her.

"I would have been the same age as Hermione, Neville and the others! I would not have been an Omega and would not have had to deal with a female witch's Maturity! Did my mum know what would happen to her? To me after they died and left me alone?" she cried out as her thoughts spiraled out of control.

She felt like her chest was growing tighter with every frantic heartbeat, and she could barely breathe. "I might never have met you, and even if I did, would we have Resonated?" her voice grew higher with her fear, and she clutched at her vampire's shirt with desperate fingers.

She remembered Luna's words from the Hotel Carmilla. They ran on repeat in her mind, seared into her memory. The idea that her precious bonded would have met the sun if she had not gone to Dallas when she did shattered her heart and ripped away what was left of her hold on her emotions. "Godric, I-I can't…I can't…." she gasped and clutched at her chest.

The images around her blurred as her magic began to boil dangerously under her skin in response to her panic. Memories of years of loneliness, pain, and self-doubt broke through her Occlumency shields and spilled like poison into her conscious mind in an endless feedback loop.

"No, no, no, no!" she sobbed and her knees buckled.

Strong arms surrounded her, and within the blink of an eye her back was against a sturdy wall as a tall body pressed into her front. A firm hand directed her face into a cool neck and the familiar scent of sandalwood and cedar began to break through her panic. Comfort, Care, Calm flew through their bond even as her ears began to pick up the soothing murmur of her bonded's voice as he crooned soft words to her in some ancient tongue. She gratefully leaned into the hand that caressed her hair, and with each pass it seemed to soothe some of the panic. She was surrounded by him…totally blocked from the world around them. Nothing could harm her here. He would not allow it.

She was safe.

The vise around her chest loosened, and gradually her breathing returned to normal. With supreme effort she shoved the memories back into their boxes.

"That's it, my heart, breathe in and out for me. Concentrate on my voice," came the firm command that demanded instant obedience.

Godric looked down at his pale little mate and growled. At her startled flinch he quickly changed to a soft purr, and apologetically nuzzled her cheek and licked away her tears. He could feel within their bond as she pulled herself together and regained her control. He was proud of her, of her strength, and gently lifted her chin until their eyes met. He brushed a loving kiss across her forehead and soothed a hand down her side to rest on her hip.

"I do not know if we would have had the same relationship if you were born male, little one, but I hope that fate would not be so unkind as to have had us never meet. Perhaps your life would have been easier in some ways, but who knows what other challenges you may have had in their place."

He carefully tucked a lock of hair behind her ear even as his heart ached at the thought of her not existing in this world. Of not having the warmth of their bonds within him as they walked together through the endlessly long years. The world without her laughter, and without the joy of holding her protectively as they awaited dawn's sleep was not one he ever wished to see. The Ancient Pythoness's actions towards he and his people were not ones he could forgive, but for making sure his little mate was born…for that he would offer her his undying gratitude.

"Do not dwell on the might-have-beens, witchling. You are here, now, and we are together and that is what is important."

Before she could do more than nod, their attention was dragged away by the Ancient Pythoness's words.

"Young witch, I must give the child a drop of my blood. It will strengthen her for what is to come."

Lily's loud denials were over ridden by Godric's feral growl, and Bryony looked up at her bonded and blinked in surprise. His eyes were completely black, but instead of fear she felt…oddly excited.

"Mine!" he growled, and crushed her tightly to him and sniffed deeply at her neck. Now that he was searching for it, he could smell the very faintest of traces of another vampire's scent. It was extremely faded, obviously years old, but it was there on his mate. The need to make sure she was his, and only his, made his instincts scream to bite her. He wanted his mark on her throat, her thigh, her breast, and to feed her so much of his blood that it would obliterate any other. He ached to plant his seed inside of her until his scent practically seeped from her every pore. So that none could doubt that she was willingly claimed by him and that torturous death would befall any who tried to take her from him. He felt his tenuous grip on his civilized mind begin to fall as he swept his hands firmly over his witch's body.

She blushed as his hands moved down her sides and back, and squeaked in surprise when he ran a possessive hand over her bottom. "Um, Godric?" she asked. For a moment she was embarrassed at how much she loved him touching her, before she realized just why he had turned into a cave-vampire.

He was jealous. Practically seething with it.

She bit her lip to stop from telling him how cute he looked all growly with his fangs out as he got worked up over blood given to her fourteen years ago. Blood that had obviously saved her life.

"Mine." he growled again, and leaned down to seductively rub his fangs over her neck. His mate's sudden giggles were not the passion filled moans he had hoped for, and he lifted his head and glared.

"Seriously, Godric?" she said, and grinned up at her ruffled vampire. "You know I'm yours, silly vampire. Who else's would I be? I can't believe you turned cave-vampire because of something that happened years ago! Yours is the only blood I have ever, and will ever, willingly take. Now fangs up and shush, I want to hear what's going on!" She snickered at his grumpy face, and her heart melted at his decidedly pouty expression.

With a glance at her currently quiet mum, she quickly leaned up and nuzzled his throat and whispered, "We can exchange blood later if it'll make you feel better." She teasingly nipped at the soft skin under his jaw. "I promise, Mr. Cave-Vampire, I'm all yours." She gave a startled yelp at the sudden light swat on her backside, and playfully sulked at the mock-irritated look on his face.

He leaned down and traced a single finger over her carotid artery and whispered darkly into her ear. "I'll hold you to that, my witchling."

The feel of his cool lips as they brushed against her ear made her whimper as a rush of heat swept through her. She shifted restlessly, but the ache only increased as he gently guided her to rest against his body and ghosted his hands down her spine.

"Bryony." he breathed, and she shivered at the deep yearning she felt across their bond.

She leaned her forehead against his chest and snuggled closer into his arms as her head grew foggy. She wanted…she wanted…she wasn't sure what she wanted as her breathing grew ragged. She needed to be closer to him, to surround herself, and drown herself, in him. She felt unsteady, like she was on the verge of something new and wonderful…and when she looked up into grey eyes turned soft and tender she knew he would catch her if she should fall.

They leaned closer and her eyes fluttered as she waited for whatever would happen next. The sudden, sharp words behind them made them spring apart and turn their reluctant attention back to the images from the past.

Godric reached down and laced his fingers through his witch's hand. She had not left him alone to face his demons, and he would rather walk into the sun than leave her.

"You want to give my newborn baby your blood?! Are you insane?" Lily snapped. She glanced nervously at the door, worried her husband, or their friends, would come back to soon. "Do you even know what it will do to her?"

"She will not take it directly from my veins, so the only side effects will be her greater resistance to harm. Every month one of my handmaidens will appear and give her the dose, and you will not interfere. Much rides on her survival, and while you cannot be glamoured I would hate for something…untoward…to happen to your human family."

Lily's eyes widened in anger, and her magic began to rise in the room. "You saved my life as a small child when my family was attacked by vampires while camping, and I know my magic binds me to you until I have repaid the life debt. You glamoured my parents so that they refused to let me go to Beauxbaton Academy, and five years ago you demanded that I wait to have children, and to tell no one of your interference. I have done everything you asked, and now you threaten me? Perhaps it's true that vampires have no honor!"

"Impudent child!" the Ancient Pythoness snapped. "I have manipulated entire civilizations over the last 3000 years to bring about one slim chance of a possible future for all of us. A future that now partly rests upon the shoulders of the babe in your arms. Of her surviving and making a thousand correct choices between now and adulthood. Do you really think your pitiful mortal concerns bother me?"

"Please," Lily begged. "She is my child. Do as you like to me, but leave her alone."

The Oracle sighed and shook her head. "Young witch, I do what I must so that she has a chance to survive. If you interfere, your child will die like so many others…and any chance of a possible future for all our kinds will end with her. That I can promise you. As it is, her path is filled with danger that not even my visions can totally save her from. Great patches of her life are hidden from me, and I may only interfere at several key points."

"My husband and I will not allow harm to come to her." Lily said, even as her heart knew that in these desperate times there was no guarantee that they would live to protect their child to adulthood. A feeling that only increased when she saw the pitying look the ancient woman gave her.

Tears streaked her face as she realized just what the vampire was silently telling her. "Please…is there nothing that can be done?"

"What can be done, young one, has been done. Some actions must come to pass, for the future is not always fluid."

Lily pressed a desperate kiss to her now sobbing baby's forehead. "Your blood will keep her alive?"

"Hopefully. As I said, nothing is guaranteed. Even I can only manipulate the future but so much."

She nodded and pushed the blanket away from the baby's chin. "Do as you must, then."

After the blood had been carefully placed on the baby's tongue, the vampires turned to leave the room.

"Your Grace!" Lily called out.

The old vampire stopped but did not turn.

"You have said she will know darkness…but is there a chance that she will be happy? Or will she face it alone?"

For a moment the witch was sure that the Oracle would refuse to answer.

"Hers is not the only life to have been so altered." the Ancient Pythoness said, and her words practically dripped in weariness before she vamp sped away, leaving behind a desperately sobbing new mother.

"Holy shit." Bryony whispered. "That's why I survived the Killing Curse. Not because I am an Omega, not because of my mom's sacrifice, or because of sheer dumb luck, but because for months one of the oldest vampires in the world gave me her blood."

The memory changed, and Godric grinned at the scene in the kitchen. It was suddenly rather obvious where his witchling had gotten her messy black hair from, although red highlights clearly came from her mother.

"He loved you very much," he said as they watched James Potter dance around the kitchen holding a squealing baby Bryony. The radio in the background played a slow waltz and the man moved easily around the table and chairs.

Bryony tearfully laughed, "That's probably the only time I've ever managed to dance a waltz correctly. They tried to teach us in school but it didn't go well for me."

Godric tucked her into his side and carefully smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear as looked at her with wise, knowing eyes. "Enjoy the moment and the chance to see a memory of your family, little one. I know it's hard not to feel bitterness for what you lost, but we cannot change the past."

Bryony leaned forward and tucked her head into his neck for a moment and breathed him in. His scent calmed her and gave her the strength to continue even though it felt like her heart was breaking. With a deep breath she shifted so that while her head lay on her vampire's chest she could also watch the memories of her family.

"Da!" the baby giggled when he playfully tossed her up into the air.

"Bry-Bry, who is daddy's little miracle princess?" the obviously dotting father said to the child as they swung around in circles to the beat of the music. "Who is going to grow up and be an amazing witch just like her mummy and make all the boys fall at her feet? Who's going to have the most over-protective daddy in the world? Bry-Bry is!" he gleefully sang and the baby laughed and clapped her hands.

Bryony's heart hurt and she cuddled further into Godric as they watched her dad and her past self dance around the kitchen as her mum cooked on the stove. Lily looked pale with dark circles under her eyes, and at her husband's words, they saw her look of guilt.

"James," Lily asked, and they saw how her hands shook on the ladle. "I know how purebloods feel about boys. Does it…does it bother you that Bry is a girl? That it took us so long to have her?"

The man looked up in surprise as he carefully removed the baby's hand from his glasses. "No, I am just happy that we were able to have a child at all, Tiger-Lily. As for the time it took, such things happen when they will. There was nothing wrong with either of us that the mediwizards could discover. Perhaps Magic blessed us when it did for a reason. I'm actually glad it took so long! I know that we fit the prophecy, but it was Neville that was born immediately after it was given, and although it makes me feel bad to say it, I would rather he were the Chosen One and not my pretty little princess."

Bryony's hands wrapped tighter around her vampire when she saw how her mum's shoulders trembled. "Godric, this is so unfair. He never even knew. Why didn't she tell him?"

"Mama sad!" the baby cried out, and began to sob.

Her dad placed the child into a high-chair, walked over to his wife, and kissed her forehead. "My beautiful wife, I am sorry that you had to deal with all the tongue-wagging and rumors when it took so long. I know they said it was because you were Muggleborn, but I knew the moment I saw you that one day you would be my wife. Even though it took years for you to give me the time of day. Merlin, I was such a prat back then." He gave a lopsided grin and winked as he tried to lighten his wife's obviously depressed mood. "Although I still think Harrietta would have been a lovely name!" he teased, and laughed when his wife rolled her eyes at the old joke. She swatted him with a dish towel and the two briefly kissed.

Suddenly a loud gong sounded through the house and the adults froze. "Lily, he's here! Take Bryony and run!"

"No, James! Please come with us!"

"I will hold them off! Go!"

They watched her mum grab the now screaming baby but before she could run towards the back door it exploded. Instead, she ran up the stairs as her husband guarded the base.

With a tortured look at her dad, Bryony tugged Godric's hand and followed her fleeing mother into the nursery.

"My little love, please forgive us for leaving you alone." she desperately whispered into her daughter's tearful face. "Know that our love for you will be with you always. I pray that the Ancient Pythoness is right and that you will not walk this path alone." With a final kiss she placed the baby down in the crib and sobbed when she heard her husband's voice go silent.

The sudden bloom of fire in front of her made her cry out in fear, her nerves tight with stress.

"Fawkes!" Bryony said. "That's Fawkes…he was Dumbledore's phoenix. Or rather, he's been every Light Lord's phoenix since before Hogwarts was founded."

The phoenix sang a soft, sad song and stuck out a letter filled claw.

"Fawkes? Did the Headmaster send you?" Lily desperately asked. "Please, can you take us to safety? Can you take Bryony?"

The phoenix shook his foot and Lily snatched at the letter and ripped it open. A small vial fell into her hand as she read. The letter fell to the floor as she hugged herself. She looked up at the phoenix. "Are you sure? Can this work?"

Fawkes nodded and moved over to stare down at the now softly sobbing baby. Slow, sinister sounding footsteps began to move up the stairs, and Lily's eyes hardened. With a quick movement she upended the vial of blood into her daughter's mouth and with a sudden jerk tossed her wand into a corner of the room.

"She tossed away her only weapon," Godric said, puzzled. "There was little chance she would win, but that makes no sense. Why would she not at least attempt to place wards around you?"

"I-I don't know." Bryony replied, but her eyes widened in shock when Fawkes quickly leaned over and cried silvery tears into her younger self's open mouth.

The phoenix looked up and gave a mournful, heartbreaking trill to the watching woman and flamed away just as the door burst open.

"Move aside, foolish girl!" shouted the tall robe-covered man.

"No, I beg you! Me for her! Let her live!" Lily shouted.

"No, mum! Please, run away! Please!" Bryony shouted, and Godric quickly pulled his flailing witch into his arms and moved into a corner of the room. Calm, Strength, Tenderness he sent across their bond as he purred. His witch slumped in his arms, and twisted to watch the travesty unfold with a look of absolute agony on her face.

"I sssaid ssstand assside!" came the now furiously sibilant hiss from the Dark Lord.

"No, take me instead!"

"Asss you wisssh!" he shouted. "Aveda Kedavra!"

Lily's body fell to the floor with a thud and her hair spread out around her like blood. So intent was he on the witch that the Dark Lord missed the red glow that briefly surrounded the wailing baby. He turned and walked to the crib, his wand held loosely in his hand.

"Sssuch a little thing to be sssuch trouble," the Dark Lord muttered in distaste. "Do not cry, for you will join your precious mother and father soon." He raised his wand, "Aveda Kedavra!"

The green light flashed, impacted the baby's forehead, and rebounded back on the startled Dark Lord. Unprepared, the curse hit him and his body disintegrated with only his wand and robe left behind. The power of the backlash made the house shake and a magical fire began to rage as smoke filled the room.

Before the scene could change Bryony twisted out of her bonded's arms and raced to see the letter Fawke's had brought her mother. Although it had already begun to burn she could still make out the writing.

"Godric, look at the signature! It's from the Ancient Pythoness!"

"What does it say, witchling?" he asked.

"It says, 'Prophecies by broken seers rarely see everything. Choose wisely.' Godric, this…this is another version of the prophecy Trelawney gave about my birth. It is a lot more specific than the one Dumbledore showed me."

"There has never been an Oracle as strong as the Ancient Pythoness." Godric said. "What does the prophecy say?"

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born at the moment the seventh month dies…Only Light and Dark creatures together can keep Magic's chosen child alive…Two immortal's gifts, strengthened and combined by love's willing mortal sacrifice…And the Dark Lord will mark the child as his equal, but the child will be a power that the Dark Lord understands not….The hidden Omega must fight for Balance as Magic cannot live where only one Court thrives…The one with the power to create the Balance will be born at the moment the seventh month dies."

Bryony fell to her knees next to her mum and reached out a shaking hand. "Thank you." she whispered. "Thank you for the life you gave me."

She looked up at Godric but before she could say anything the memory faded away as a loud noise split the air.

Bryony struggled with steel-like arms as she abruptly emerged from their dreams. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and that her vampire was still in his day sleep next to her. Although how even a vampire could sleep through the obnoxious alarm clock was beyond her. She had forgotten she had set it to wake her before sunset. If she was going to ward the house it needed to be done before anyone else was moving about and disrupting her runes.

It took several minutes of wiggling, but she finally escaped Godric's clutches and dashed to the bathroom. As soon as she had finished her morning routine she quickly cleaned up the broken glass and their clothes from the night before and thought about what they had learned. She was sad, she realized, and angry, but she was not heartbroken. "Godric was right," she thought. "It's best to be glad that I have at least a few memories of my parents and to concentrate on that rather than on what can never be."

Speaking of her vampire, she turned around and carefully pulled the blanket up to his chin and tucked him in. He might not get cold, but it made her feel better to care for him.

"Rest well, Godric. I will see you soon." she whispered into his ear and made her way upstairs with her bag of gems.

In the kitchen she made her way to the coffee machine and almost tripped over the bags and bags of clothes on the floor. An envelope with her name on it sat on the counter and she laughed when she opened it. Apparently Pam felt that her clothes were not appropriate for 'the bonded of a vampire of Godric's status'.

Bryony grinned and quickly went to work setting up the wards. The sooner she finished with that, the sooner she could dive into the bags of pretty clothes Pam had left her. She was determined to take Godric's advice to heart and to view her scars as badges of honor, and not a shameful secret. Perhaps she could even surprise her bonded with a pretty new outfit.

Godric awoke and frowned when he didn't have a little mate to snuggle with. He had gotten used to her being beside him when he rose, and he rather disliked the experience of waking alone. Not to mention he was worried on how she was dealing with the memories of her parent's death.

Soft laughter got his attention and he leaned up on an elbow as he watched his little witch twirl about in a gorgeous blue sundress with small white polka dots. His fangs throbbed and he growled. The dress was tight across her upper body before it flared gently at her hips and came to rest a few inches above her knees. He adored the way it flowed around her as she danced around the room. The dozens of bags on the floor told him that Pam had decided to go shopping for his little mate, and if the rest of her clothes were similar than he heartily approved.

"Godric! You're awake!" his little witch said, and ran her hands down the dress. "What do you think?"

"You are beyond lovely, witchling, but then I have always thought so. I am glad to see you are no longer hiding yourself behind your clothes, yet I missed having you in my arms when I awoke. How long have you been up?" His knowing eyes searched hers as he felt her sadness through their bond. "How are you feeling?"

"A few hours. I forgot I had set the alarm for earlier in the afternoon so I could set up the wards around the house. I'm…okay. I'm concentrating on what you told me, to look at the positive and not let the 'what if's' depress me. I want to think about it a bit before we talk about it, if that's okay. Did you continue to dream after I left?"

"No, little one. As soon as you departed my sleep became like any other." He raised a hand and cupped her chin. "Know that you may talk to me whenever you are ready."

She leaned over to kiss his cheek and Godric was briefly distracted by the neckline of her dress and her lovely scent. He shifted when he felt himself stir, and roughly cleared his throat. His witch was pale, and besides the sadness he could also sense exhaustion and stress. In fact, their bond felt tight and uncomfortable, and he made a quick decision.

"Bryony, did Pamela buy you a bathing suit?"

"Yes, why?" she asked.

"There is little we can do to find the Necromancers before they strike. Also, the meeting with the pack of the abducted wolves, and with the local wizards, is not until much later tonight. You have already warded the nest and I think we both could use some rest and relaxation. My son has a lovely pool in the backyard, my witch. Let us go utilize it."

She smiled but shyly admitted, "I actually don't know how to swim."

Godric took a deep breath of her rising scent and bit back a growl. "Then I will teach you. Give me a few minutes to make some phone calls and then the first half of the night will be ours."

Fifteen minutes later Godric returned dressed in his never before worn black swim shorts, and thanked the gods that Pamela had thought to add such a garment to his wardrobe. Vampires were not shy and he had never bothered with clothes before when he had desired a swim. He knew, however, that his witchling was not ready for such a large step. Besides, he had a sinking feeling that his patience and control would soon be stressed to the breaking point.

As he came back into the room he absentmindedly closed his cell phone as he thought about Isabel's concerns over the increasing Fellowship of the Rising Sun influence in Dallas. The King had resisted when he had attempted to resign, and Godric had reluctantly agreed to go on an indefinite hiatus. Isabel was the de facto Sheriff in his absence, and while she had not wanted to disturb him during his Courtship, which she had already known about as vampire's were horrible gossipers especially with the invention of texting, she had badly wished for his advice.

Godric walked into their bedroom and came to an abrupt stop. His little mate was on their bed with the tip of her tongue barely visible between her lips as she concentrated on her task. Yet that delectable sight was not what made his heart melt. In her lap she had his shirt from the previous night that had gotten slightly torn along the seam. He watched as she carefully laid down neat rows of stitches and wondered if he had ever had someone care for him in such a way.

It had been at least five centuries since he had last been in the financial situation to need to have his clothes mended rather than to just buy new. Even then he had had to pay a local woman to do it for him as he had no mate or companion to take such care of him. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft exclamation.

"Damn it!" she grumbled when the needle slipped into her finger. A sudden warmth across the bond caught her attention and she smiled up at her bonded. The look in his eyes made her blush and she was unable to take her gaze off of his towel wrapped body.

"May I, witchling?" he asked huskily.

At her wide-eyed look he picked up her hand and looked at the bright red bead of blood on her finger as it slowly moved down into her palm. His gaze rose and never left hers as he bent his head and softly licked the drop in her palm. The growl that rumbled through his chest made the small hand held so softly in his, tremble. He never took his eyes away from hers as he slowly, carefully, swept the tip of his tongue up the small red trail to her sluggishly bleeding finger.

"May I?" he asked again, and smiled darkly as she took in a deep, shuddering breath and nodded. With exquisite care he took the tip of her finger into his mouth, and purred. With slow, even strokes he ran his tongue over the wound again and again before he finally bathed it with his healing blood. He couldn't wait until she was ready for him, ready for what he so wished to give her, and judging by the look in her eyes and the delicate scent of arousal in the air, his future mate was not adverse to his attentions.

With a soft pop he released her finger and smiled at her glazed look.

"Ready to go swimming, witchling?"

Godric watched from the edge of the pool as his little mate-to-be walked back into the house, her skin still damp and her bikini clinging to every soft curve. The past hour of teaching her how to swim had been the sweetest of tortures…and one he had barely survived with his dignity intact. Her barely clothed body and slick skin had made it hard, in more ways than one, to concentrate on the lesson.

Her innocent touches as she clung to his shoulders and wrapped herself around him had almost tested him to the breaking point. He could feel his son's amusement at his plight and, with uncharacteristic grumpiness, he firmly closed their link.

He scowled down at his body's reaction and felt like the actual teenager his eternal youth made him appear to be as he shook with suppressed lust. His mind flashed back to her wet form and how she had pressed against him, their bodies only separated by two flimsy pieces of sodden cloth.

He clenched his eyes tightly shut, just the thought of finally being with her, having her under him as he slid into her tight warmth made the semi-hard erection he'd hidden firm so fast that his shorts were in danger of splitting under the pressure. He grabbed the concrete edge of the pool with one hand and leaned his forehead against his arm while the other slid reluctantly into his swim trunks. In his depression he had not even bothered to masturbate in several years, and the feel of his hand around his hardness made a bolt of intense pleasure shoot through his spine.

Quickly, he muffled the bonds with his little witchling before she could notice his actions. She was not ready for him, but he refused to satisfy his passion with any other but her. He needed this release if he was going to find the strength to go through a proper courtship, and to give her the time to get used to his male form. She had been abused enough without her feeling like he expected immediate sexual gratification from her just because they were courting, no matter what vampire tradition or instincts had to say about it!

His hand moved roughly up and down his length, and he groaned as heat quickly pooled in his groin. His thoughts wandered, and he fantasized how it could have gone during their swim lesson, of her turning in his arms and looking up at him, her green eyes bright with desire, trust, and curiosity. He knew that with as close as they had become there would be few chances of privacy where he could assuage his needs in this way, and with desperate relief he allowed himself to fully give in to his fantasy.

He imagined his beautiful mate's impish smile as she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his stomach to teasingly play with the waistband of his shorts. With a single fingertip she stroked over his bulge, and pressed just enough to feel it through the cloth but nowhere near as firm as he wished. He could feel through the bond her curiosity, and he was willing to let her look and touch to her heart's content. He hissed in a deep breathe when she finally eased open the snap, slipped her hand inside, and wrapped around where he ached the most for her touch.

He indulgently smiled at her shocked expression, his height may be shorter than was now standard for males, but he had always been very well endowed. Slowly, with soft hesitant strokes, she moved her hand over his throbbing erection and rubbed her thumb lightly over his tip before she slid it back down to the base. He shuddered as the pleasure quickly mounted and pooled in his groin, and heat spread through his body as he helplessly moaned her name.

He gripped the concrete ledge in front of him and wished that it was her body he held and worshiped instead of just a fantasy's. He wanted his real witchling to pant hotly in his ear as she told him how much she needed him, wanted him buried so deeply inside her that they both forgot where one ended and the next began. Until their bond was filled with pleasure, tenderness and a happiness that they both were so in need of. His hand moved faster as he thought of the ways he would show her how much he treasured and desired her.

He thought of his Bryony, and how she would eagerly move her hand faster, and with increased confidence, over his length when she realized exactly how much pleasure she gave him. How he adored her, and how she saw beyond the vampire and the monster to the man underneath. His groaned as he once more willingly lost himself within his fantasy.

Their mutual passion blazed along their bonds as she sobbed and begged for him to bite her, to let her bite him and make them one. She whispered that she was only his and he was only hers. That she claimed him above all others, and that she would stay with him….forever….

Growling at the words, at his heart's deepest and most hidden desire spoken aloud by his mate, Godric ripped their bottoms away and pinned her high against the side of the pool. The water churned violently around them, but all he could see were that her lovely breasts, though still covered by her top, were now at the perfect height to be worshipped by his mouth. With blunt teeth he pulled the cup of her bathing suit down until her pert nipple was finally free. With a groan, his teeth snicked down from his aching gums and he dragged them lightly across the top of her breast before he took her nipple into his mouth and lathed it with his tongue. Her cries of pleasure spurred him on, and he moaned in denial when her hands fisted in his hair and tugged him away from his prize.

They locked eyes and he purred when she carefully, knowingly, caressed his fangs from root to tip. With eager fingers he moved to circle and tease her opening before he slipped them inside, stretching her for what was to come. He smiled darkly up at her as he felt her wetness increase ten-fold when he moved his thumb up to firmly rub against her nub.

Godric's fist moved frantically up and down his length, all patience abandoned as he desperately reached for his release. The fantasy only fueled his need and drove him to the breaking point, yet something was missing…something kept him from being able to finally find completion. With a desperate, ache filled groan, he reluctantly turned back to his fantasy. A fantasy that he realized would never, could never, be enough.

In his mind, he could practically hear her heated moans as her hips moved frantically against him, as she searched for what she knew he could give her. She gasped and her inner walls fluttered when he crooked his fingers and stroked until he found that spot that made her shake and sob. She desperately babbled as she told him that she needed him to hurry, that they could take it slow next time, but that he had to be inside her right now or she would combust….

Godric growled and gripped the concrete ledge as the pressure built in his groin. Why could he not find completion? He needed to, rather desperately, but he stayed hovering on the edge of madness as his hand moved with lightning speed over his flesh. He yearned for her, for the real her, and barely controlled his instincts that said that his mate was nearby. To rise from the pool, rip through the house and everyone that stood in his way, until he found her and claimed her completely, and as often as possible, until the sun forced his slumber. Only the thought of hurting her, of pushing her too far and too fast kept him in his self imposed hell and he desperately tried to submerge himself in his fantasy once more.

He little mate clawed at his shoulders and down into the small of his back. He arched forward at her touch and nipped playfully at her neck. With a last brush of his thumb that made her sob, he removed his fingers, and finally replaced it with his throbbing length. He gritted his teeth and prayed to the gods of old for patience and control as he rubbed his hardness teasingly against her entrance. With stern hands and a warning growl he controlled the desperate movements of her hips, unwilling to allow her to thrust herself upon him and perhaps cause damage. Instead, he coated himself with her wetness and when he was sure he could proceed, slowly eased inside. The feeling of her warmth and softness as it parted before him and then wrapped snuggly around his cock made him shudder as his little witch whimpered. She was warm, and so very wet, and her scent surrounded him and welcomed him home after he had wandered alone for 2000 years. Their bonds were fully open and he lovingly kissed and soothed her through her nerves as she finally took him in to the hilt. They were one and together and they were home.

With quick shallow thrusts that alternated with slow deep ones, he taught her to accept the pleasure he could give her, had been born to give to her and only her…his bonded and his true mate. That there would only ever be pleasure between them, and that he would give her nothing that she did not agree with or ask for. He would use every trick learned over his centuries of life to worship and make love to her as she deserved. She was the promise that had kept him going for 2000 years and he would spend forever loving her.

Forever.

Godric's hand slid roughly down his length as he chased his pleasure, even as he ached that such a dream was not yet reality. His hips moved desperately and the water churned and splashed around him as he viciously snarled into the night air. He was close…so very close…but still some part of him searched for that illusive intangible need that demanded to be filled before he could find his release. He needed this so badly that it actually hurt, and he gasped as he turned back to his daydream one final time.

His witchling's moans were now continuous, her soft thighs the perfect cradle to his own forceful thrusts as he reached down to rub her nub in counterpoint. She shuddered under him as he drove into her depths and she leaned back and barred her throat to him. Just as he felt her inner tremors that signaled the beginning of her orgasm he struck and the feel of his fangs sliding into her throat as his cock slid into her warmth brought him even further to the edge. He drank deeply as he drove his hips frantically into her, desperate for his own release.

"Godric…my Godric…I love you!" she screamed as she helplessly bore down like a vise on his cock, and Godric's eyes popped open and his entire body seized as the most powerful orgasm of his existence moved through him like a tsunami. He felt something crumble underneath him, but he was helplessly caught in the spiraling pleasure of his witchling's words and his own ecstasy.

Minutes…eons…an eternity later he finally came back to himself and shakily laughed. He was purring so loudly that his entire body shook with the vibrations, and he felt more relaxed than in recent memory. Startled, he looked down and saw dust and chunks of concrete from where he had shattered the rim of the pool in his pleasure.

He sighed as his son's burst of amusement filtered across their closed bond at the rather apparent loss of his self control. He hoped that his Child had kept his witchling entertained while he had been otherwise…occupied. They were the two most important people in his life, and he hoped that Eric realized just how precious she was to him. After tonight and the presentation of his own Courtship gift, there would be no doubt in the Supernatural world that they fully belonged together. He smiled in giddy excitement as he imagined his witch's expression when she realized the magnitude of his gift and the strength of his regard for her.

He smirked. "Eric will be furious." he thought, and walked into the nest in search of his little mate.

Bryony bounced back into the house, pleased with how the swimming lesson had gone. She pulled a loose white dress over her damp body, and smiled when she saw that Eric and Pam were in the kitchen.

"Hi guys!" she said and moved eagerly to the fridge for some food. She shivered in the cool air conditioning and wished that the dress was a little warmer. "Or that she could wear Godric's clothes," she thought with a blush.

"Eric's head tilted slightly to the side and he past her out to the pool in surprise, and suddenly smirked. "Did you have a nice swim lesson, Snack?"

Pam stayed silent and watched as the witch made herself at home in the kitchen. She had no fear of them, and it was…odd.

"Yeah, it was great." She glanced at Pam and shifted nervously. "Um, Pam. Thank you for the clothes! They're so pretty and Godric said that I was 'beyond lovely' in a dress I showed him earlier! You didn't have to, but thank you."

Pam rolled her eyes. "It was part of my punishment, witch. Besides, with your new status you needed better clothes to go along with it. I did, however, tell Godric what jewelry and other accessories you would need. For a male he has exquisite taste in such things. Just not in his own personal clothing." she muttered.

"I like what Godric wears." Bryony grumbled, and ignored the comment about their Resonance and Blood Bond. "They're comfortable, and he looks really…nice." She blushed and looked away from the knowing look Eric gave her. After a moment she roughly cleared her throat, got up, and awkwardly hugged an appalled Pam.

"What the hell?!" Pam snarled, and at her Maker's warning growl barely refrained from shoving the stupid teacup witch across the room. "Why are you hugging me?" she finally demanded. "You're getting my outfit damp, which is a Gucci original and is, therefore, expensive."

Bryony hurriedly let go. "Sorry, was that wrong? It's just that vampires seem much more cuddly in a nest than I was expecting and I didn't exactly get all the way through that part of the book and I don't want to offend you! Godric has been a lot touchier lately, but I wasn't sure if it was because he said I was part of the nest or because we're Resonated. Or both."

Pam stared. "Idiot, he is acting like that because-."

Eric smoothly interrupted his progeny. "Snack, how far, exactly, did you get in the book?"

Bryony winced but answered honestly. "Well, the writing was really cramped and small, ya know? I'm not the fastest reader anyway, and then I still needed to make his bracelet. So I sort of…skipped around a bit. Why? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, worried. "I was going to read some more tonight when we go to Fangtasia."

Pam sucked in a shocked breath, but kept her mouth shut at her Maker's glare.

"Actually, Snack, I was going to ask if Pam could borrow the book first. It's part of her punishment since she never read it in the first place. She also is not a very fast reader, and it will take her several nights…perhaps even a few weeks….before she can return it to you." He looked pointedly at his progeny. "Isn't that right, Pamela."

At the sharp compulsion across their bond, Pam gave a stiff nod. "Yes. I'm a very…slow…reader."

Eric smiled, and Bryony blinked at the predatory look he gave her. "However, you can ask me if there are any questions you have about vampire etiquette that you may not want to bother Godric with. We are, after all…," he paused, and seemed to have some difficulty with the next word, "family."

Some vague sense of wrongness went through Bryony at the crafty look in the Viking's eyes. "Don't be silly," she thought. "He would never do anything to hurt Godric and by extension, myself." She was distracted from her thoughts, however, at Eric's next question.

"I liked the design on the wrist cuff you gave my Maker. What made you choose it?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, when Ginger came in with my drink I was startled and the book fell off the sofa. When I went to pick it up, the page it had opened to was one with several different designs on it. I needed something that would work with the spelled gems and it was pretty, plus I figured Godric would approve since it had to be a traditional design, right? He seems to really like it, he hasn't taken it off yet!" she beamed up at them.

"Um, Pam, are you okay?" she asked, worried at the chocking noises the younger vampire made.

"She's fine, Snack." Eric soothed. "True Blood is a bit of an acquired taste. Why don't you go get cleaned up?" he suggested, and again glanced outside with a wickedly amused expression. "I do think my Maker will be awhile before he joins you."

"Witchling?" he quietly called as he walked into their bedroom, finally somewhat relaxed from his poolside escapade. His son and grand progeny were on their way to deal with Area business before the werewolf meeting later in the evening. He was already moving towards the bathroom when he heard her reply.

"In here, Godric."

"Little one, I have a question about…." his words trailed off when he opened the door and saw his witchling sitting on the countertop, reading a book, still in her bathing suit…and with electric blue goo in her hair. It also smelled faintly floral. He stared, opened his mouth, paused, and then snapped it shut.

"When was the last time I had been struck speechless?" he wondered. Perhaps it had been when Pam had decided to redo his entire wardrobe during the disco craze. He still shuddered whenever he saw bell bottom jumpsuits.

"Its for my hair and keeps it from going crazy. Even with it's length, it sticks up in all directions if I don't use this potion once a week." she said nonchalantly, and turned a page.

"It's an…interesting…color, witchling." He may have had no female child, but he had lived in a nest with Isabel for decades, and had learned that sometimes it was better to err on the side of caution when it came to female grooming practices. He still remembered her appalled lecture when he had questioned why it had taken her an hour to decide between two pairs of the exact same style of black footwear.

She looked up and slyly grinned. "Worried it was going to turn blue?" she asked knowingly.

"I'm sure you would look lovely with any hair style or color." Godric replied diplomatically.

"Uh huh," she teased, "what about dreadlocks? You seemed rather fond of those in your vampire youth."

He laughed, and mused on how long it had been since more than loneliness and guilt had dogged his footsteps. Yet here and now he felt…alive. Happy. Content. "Yes, but then I would not have the pleasure of running my hands through your luscious locks."

"Don't blush, don't blush, don't…damn it!" she thought as she felt the heat move up her neck and over her cheeks. Shyly, she peeped up at him from under her lashes, unsure how to deal with the new emotions. Things were different and it made her…uneasy. Excited. Confused.

Definitely confused.

She hurriedly looked away from those warm, intimate eyes and fidgeted with her obviously well read book.

"What are you reading?" he asked softly and slowly moved towards his skittish mate.

"'Wild Magic' by Tamora Pierce. Thalia gave it to me as a child when I was healing. I was so angry and scared and lost within my own head and I guess she thought it would give me something else to think about. Plus she was appalled that I didn't really know how to read."

She laughed and the bond was filled with wry affection at the contrariness of the cranky female vampire. "She dragged me into a bookstore one night and glamoured the poor clerk to 'Bring me age appropriate happy books so that the small human could learn to not be an uneducated blood bag' and he brought me books by Tamora Pierce. This one is my favorite." She blushed, embarrassed, and clutched the book tighter to her chest as she nervously cleared her throat. "I might also have had a rather embarrassing hero-worship crush on Numair, who was one of the main characters."

He stared at her and his lips began to twitch. "You had romantic feelings towards a fictional character?" he asked, and it took all his centuries of self-control to keep his voice even. Unfortunately he couldn't suppress the amusement that flew through their bond, and he grinned at her sulky expression.

"Hey, to a damaged, lonely kid he was awesome! He's a powerful mage, one of the strongest of his kind, and he ends up protecting and teaching an orphan girl who learns that what she thought made her a freak actually made her special. That she could protect herself and others, and she found people who would appreciate her. They actually marry each other in one of the following books, and he's so gentle and kind to her, but he kicks arse when he needs to. It's a great story…just maybe not on the same literary snob level as some of the weighty classics that I'm sure you've read." she muttered.

Godric almost commented on how her life seemed to reflect her novel, but he did not want to bring up their future marriage and pledge until after he had given her his own courting gift.

"So, this Numair…was he very handsome? Smart? Funny?" he teased, and laughed as his witchling's face turned an even deeper red. He loved when she blushed, it made her smell even more delicious, and his.

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked. Although she tried to keep her face angry their bond hummed with her amusement.

"Me, my witch? I would never tease you about your childhood fictional crush! What is it that young girls do? Draw their name, and that of their infatuation, in hearts all over their books? Should I check your novel for such whimsical adornments?" He blinked and looked down when a glob of blue goo splattered across his chest.

"Oops." Bryony called out in a sing-song voice. "I must have…slipped."

They stared at each other, and they both slowly grinned. With an excited bounce, Bryony eased off the counter, and they began to circle each other in the large bathroom.

"Witchling, are you sure you want to do this?" Godric teased.

"Why? Are you scared because you know you're going to lose?" she snarked back, and ran her hands through her hair until they held globs of blue in each palm. "Prepare to smell like a flower, Sir Godric!"

For a moment they watched each other with narrowed eyes, then with an excited war cry she lunged, and blue goo flew everywhere.

Ten minutes later, she finally collapsed. "I give up!" she wheezed and grinned at her blue painted vampire on the floor next to her. She was particularly proud of the smear across his forehead and left ear. Her magic sung under her skin and she laughed wildly at the feeling. The extra speed at had given her had been just enough that her vampire had had to work at least a little for his victory.

"I told you that 'Resistance is futile'." he murmured, and pulled her to lay with her head on his shoulder.

"'Star Trek: The Next Generation'? Are you a Trekkie, Godric?" she giggled and absentmindedly kissed his shoulder as she snuggled closer.

"It was an interesting show, and the reruns came on late in the evening, so some of the nest's human companions enjoyed watching it," he defended. "Besides, knowing pop culture references was key to blending in, and until recently the ability to pretend to be human was necessary. Luckily enough if I did misstep I could, because of my accent, blame it on being 'foreign'. Although with the invention of the internet ignorance became harder to hide behind." Quickly he got to his feet and easily pulled her up to rest against him.

"We are filthy, little one." he said, and rubbed at a blue smear under her eye with his thumb. He paused, something in the bond told him that she was upset, but before he could ask she spoke.

"I don't want you to." she blurted, and her hands clenched on his sides.

"Hmm?" he asked, somewhat distracted by the feel of her body against his own. He loved the fact that she was not a stick figure like so many females tried to be in the current era. He was beyond thankful that he had had his release in the pool, but to his dismay he felt himself begin to stir once more.

"I don't want you to pretend to be human for me. I like you, Godric. Not some…some…fake human version of you."

His eyes softened and he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. "With you, witchling, I do not feel a need to pretend. Have we not already seen some of the worst of each other? Yet we are both still here."

At her sad look he murmured, "What is wrong, my witch? I can feel your sorrow."

"It's silly," she said, and looked away and down at his bare chest. Embarrassed, she absentmindedly ran her fingers across his shoulders and down the ridged muscles of his toned stomach. When she reached his belly button, she circled it before she feathered her fingers across his suddenly clenched abdomen. She grinned in amusement as she twirled her fingers through the scant hair he had there. She jumped in surprise when he abruptly grabbed her hand and raised it to his lips for a lingering kiss.

"What is silly?" he asked roughly, even as his hands settled on her hips and eased her slightly away from him.

She frowned at the distance now between them, and found that she didn't like it. "It's silly that I want to apologize for taking so long to be born. That you've been alone for so many years. I saw how your nestmates and the other Sheriffs treated you. Did you have anyone besides Eric that you could relax with? To be yourself with? To have fun with?"

Tenderness flooded their bond and she basked in his warm emotions. The look in his eyes, however, made her blush and she wanted to both move closer, and move away from him.

"Surviving as a vampire, especially in the first 1500 years of my 'life' involved little relaxation or play, witchling. You saw how I lived before I Turned Eric, and after that I had the responsibility of training him to survive as a vampire. By the time we separated after WWII I had already been offered the position of Sheriff for the Dallas Area, and then there was The Great Revelation."

"So what you're saying is that besides the last week of us knowing each other, you haven't had any fun in….what, decades?" she asked, shocked. Without waiting for a response, she turned and tugged him into the shower.

"Witchling?"

She beamed up at him. "We're both still in our swim gear and it'll be faster to rinse off together. C'mon, Sir Godric, we're wasting time!" she said, and pushed him under the warm water. Quickly she grabbed a washcloth and began to scrub at his chest and arms.

He stood for a moment, bemused by her mercurial mood shift and the fact that she was thoroughly, if quickly, washing him. He tensed when she moved the cloth over his lower stomach, and quickly stopped her. He took a deep, unnecessary breath, and pulled upon 2000 years of control to calm his suddenly very eager body. The confused look in her wide eyes, and trails of blue that slowly dripped down her face, made him softly laugh.

"What is the hurry, little one?" he finally asked after he had gotten his mirth under control.

She grinned and her excitement flew between them. "I know we have to go to Fangtasia later, but let's go do something fun. Just the two of us!" she bounced eagerly on her toes and grinned up at him. "You deserve to have fun, Godric, and I want to spend time with you too when we're not having to fight for our lives or while having some sort of emotional crisis."

He wasn't very familiar with modern day courtships, something he would have to soon fix considering his witchling was very much a modern woman, but he was pretty sure she had just asked him on what humans now called 'a date'. He had never gone on a date before.

He found the idea…pleasant. Extremely so.

"Perhaps I should call Isabel and ask her what humans enjoy doing on such outings," he pondered. The last time he had paid any attention to mortal courting practices had been in 1800's England when he had played the part of nobility. He vaguely remembered Eric 'paying court' to several women of the peerage, and he recollected that his Child had often sent the women flowers. It was probably a more appropriate gift than the salt, jewelry, furs, woven baskets, and weapons that men had gifted a woman's family back when he had been human.

"Was there someone from whom he should ask for permission to marry and pledge her?" he wondered. Did humans still do that nowadays? He sighed, apparently he needed to add 'Googling Human Mating Practices' to his ever expanding To Do list. Thank the gods that Isabel had insisted he needed to learn how to use the internet. Although he had put his foot down on getting a Facebook account after The Great Revelation. The last thing he needed were fangbangers with internet access trying to 'friend' him.

He turned his attention back to his excited witchling and worked his fingers through her goo covered hair. "What sort of outing did you have in mind, little one?"

The blissful look on her face as he massaged her scalp made him smile, and he enjoyed the simple intimacy of the moment. The last time they had bathed together had been under rather tense circumstances, and he enjoyed the current peace and quiet.

Bryony thought for a moment before she had an awesome idea. "How do you feel about stargazing? Does Shreveport have a planetarium? Or I guess we could find someplace and just park the car and look up?" she happily chattered.

Suddenly she was filled with doubt, and frowned. "Um…unless you think that's stupid or boring? I guess you're probably used to doing fancy things. Operas, ballets, and stuff?" She searched their bond, but it was still oddly muffled on his end. She was somewhat embarrassed by her impulsive idea, and hoped he didn't think her childish and dull.

He thought of the last 'fancy' gathering he had gone to, and how dreadfully uninterested he had been with it all. He often missed the simple times when he could travel for hours in solitude within the ancient forests, and found that the idea of a simple night of stargazing with his witch sounded wonderful.

"It's perfect, witchling."

"Awesome! Hey, how do you feel about giving me driving lessons later tonight? Do you think Eric would mind if we borrowed his car?"

"Where are we, exactly?" she asked as the car began to finally slow. It was a good thing she was used to riding a fast broom, because her vampire was a speed demon! If Eric had been home he probably would have put his foot down on them borrowing his Corvette, but with a mischievous grin that made her heart oddly skip a beat, Godric had suggested that it would do his Child good to have a little excitement in his life.

"He still had refused to let her drive though," she sulked. Godric squeezed her hand and she smiled at how happy and excited he felt over their bond. After they had showered he had vamp sped around the house and packed the car with 'necessities'. Whatever that meant.

"We're north of Shreveport, about ten miles from the city. Far enough for the light pollution to fade." Quickly he parked the car and before she could blink he had vamp sped to open her door.

She blushed and reached for his outstretched hand as he helped her from the car. "Such a gentleman!" she teased, and squeezed his hand when he laced their fingers together. The need to touch him, for him to touch her, had increased since their close call the previous evening. She loved that she had him all to herself for the next few hours for some proper cuddling and talking.

"One moment, witchling." he said and went to the trunk of the car.

She quietly waited while he placed a thick blanket down on the hood of the car, along with a bottle of water and a chocolate bar, and then plugged his ipod into a small speaker. Soft instrumental music began to play and she laughed when he easily picked her up and floated them to lay against the blanket covered windshield as they stared up at the sky above.

"So I take it these were the 'necessities' you packed?" she teased, and happily broke off a piece of warm chocolate. It was so hot out that it was quickly turning sticky, and she greedily licked her fingers clean of the delicious treat. Whoever had stocked Eric's house had done a fantastic job with their chocolate procurement. Not to mention her vampire got full marks for remembering her love of sweets.

A small sound got her attention and she looked to see his fixed gaze on her as she licked at her fingers. For a moment their bond hummed between them, until he closed his eyes and leaned back to look up at the stars. She blinked as the previous merriment and ease between them seemed to have melted away with the last of the chocolate.

"What do they look like to you with your vampire eyes?" she finally asked just to break the rather tense silence between them. She could barely see him in the dim light given off by the ipod but she knew he could see her perfectly.

"I have been a vampire so long that I have forgotten how human eyes see the stars." he said and the previous tension seemed gone as he reached up to thread a hand through her hair and gently tugged her down to him.

Excitement flooded the bond. "Do you trust me?" she asked, and her eyes sparkled with glee.

His answer was immediate. "Yes."

Carefully she measured the current strength of her magical core and the width of her pathways. They were mostly open, but she was still somewhat tired from the casting she had done at their home earlier. She had enough control for this.

"Legilimens," she whispered and reached for his mind with her own.

It was easy, so very easy to slip into his mind. Vampires were natural Occlumens, but as soon as her mind touched his, his shields blossomed opened, wrapped themselves protectively around her, and welcomed her home.

His mind was…beautifully complex. Calm. Serene. Kind. So very kind and compassionate, but she could see the shadows and knew that he was perfectly capable of extreme violence to protect what was his. She could feel the press of all his years, like a heavy weight against her as she was held with the gentlest of touches. She felt young, and she was compared to him, but also treasured and respected in a way that she never had been before.

"Hi," she whispered, suddenly shy.

"Hello, dear one." he replied, and she felt his gentle amusement and comfort caress her.

"Was there anything she was not willing to share with this man?" she thought. Their minds blended so easily together, and she felt his agreement. Absentmindedly she thought of the times Professor Snape had painfully taught her how to Occlude her mind and was relieved that there was no such pain with Godric. The protective anger he felt towards her surged forward and he wrapped his mind more fully around hers.

"Mine," he said. "No other will ever have this privilege. We are each others."

That warm feeling surged through her and into him as she did the mental equivalent of giving him a tight hug, before she somewhat clumsily dragged forward the memory from a few minutes ago when she looked up at the night sky. "This is what I see!"

Now that they were in the memory, their mental presence manifested as physical bodies and she turned and looked at Godric, but was surprised to find him starring at the image of himself, his brows furrowed.

"This is how you see me, little one?" he asked, surprised.

She looked from the frozen image of her vampire on the car to the identical one next to her. They both had the same gorgeously arched cheekbones, cupid bow mouth, and wise knowing eyes. He radiated safety, strength, and home to her. "Um…yeah. Why?"

He gave her a lopsided smile that made her stomach summersault and shook his head before he changed the subject. "This is how I see the stars, little one."

Bryony looked up, and gasped in joy at the millions of small stars that lit the night so brightly that she could easily see the clearing around them. They were beautiful, and were not just the pale white lights that she saw as a human, but instead the sky was filled with swatches of golds, yellows, and even a few splashes of soft red.

As their mental contact began to fade, and as their minds reluctantly pulled apart, part of her considered, for the first time, what it would be like to be a vampire.

At the last moment before their minds separated, Godric heard her stray thought, and felt hope.

Bryony shifted and suppressed a miserable sigh as the humidity pressed down on her and seared the air in her lungs. She wished that she had thought to get her new clothes spelled with cooling charms, and was at the point she was willing to try and cast them herself regardless of any unfortunate consequences. With her luck she would accidentally create a mini glacier out of Eric's beloved Corvette. Somehow she had the impression he would be less than pleased.

She had traveled through warm countries before, but Louisiana was another level of hell entirely, and the weather was doing its best to ruin her outing with her bonded. The metal of the car burned through the blanket into her back, and she shifted again before she realized that there was one point on her body that was delightfully cool. She glanced down at their joined hands before she trailed her eyes up to her bonded…and had a brilliant idea.

She gave him her best smile. "Godric?"

"Yes, witchling?"

"Can you please take off your shirt?"

She watched him turn those gorgeous eyes away from the stars as he blinked down at her, and she felt that warm bubbling emotion again at his adorably confused look.

"May I ask why, little one?" he finally asked, even as he sat up and started to unbutton the simple grey shirt.

For a moment she forgot to answer as she watched the smooth way his muscles moved under his skin as his fingers flicked open each button. The way the open shirt framed his lean and muscular chest made her swallow heavily, and for some odd reason her mouth had gone dry. She loved his tattoos, loved how they looked on him and wanted to trace them with her fingers. Flustered, she raised her now warm bottle of water and took a deep sip before she remembered his question.

"It's hot," she finally answered.

He was immediately worried and asked, "Do we need to go, witchling? I do not wish for you to become unwell. I forget how easily humans are susceptible to different temperatures."

She shivered as he cupped her cheek and leaned gratefully into his cool palm. "No, I have an idea, though. I wish I could just cast a cooling charm, but my pathways are too open for such a small and contained spell. Who knows what could happen!"

She followed his gaze when he suddenly looked down, and blushed when she realized her hands had had a mind of their own, had finished unbuttoning his shirt, and now rested against his skin.

"What?" she asked, and laughed at his amused expression. With a quick move she pulled off her over-shirt shirt and shuffled closer before she finally gave up on any sort of manners and climbed eagerly into his lap so her back was to his front. She was glad she had put on a thin, camisole tank top under the shirt. Her vampire would be the perfect icepack to help cool her off in this horrible weather. Seriously, how did the humans here endure it?

With a gentle nudge she moved his tense form until they were again reclined back against the windshield as they looked up at the night sky. She sighed at the immediate relief from the heat and with a grateful wiggle she grabbed his arms and pulled them around her until she was surrounded by him. She gave another happy shimmy against her vampire chair, but stilled at his pained groan.

"Are you okay? Am I too heavy?" she asked, worried when he buried his face in her neck. She thought she felt fangs brush against her skin, but his muffled feelings within their bond confused her.

"No, you are not heavy, witchling." he said, but moved her slightly to the side so she rested against him, and not on him.

She stared, confused since she could feel that he was hiding something from her…but even while Resonated they were entitled to some privacy. They were so tightly bound that unless they muffled their bonds, which she hated, then the only thing she could do was to just not ask about what she felt from him.

With a sigh she used his shoulder as a pillow and cuddled as close to his blessedly cool form as she could. His chilly skin felt wonderful against her heated flesh, and she moaned softly in relief. The noise seemed to startle her vampire pillow, and his arm tightened around her even as he stared intently up at the sky with a pained frown.

"Are you sure you don't mind being my personal vampire icepack?" she asked and soothingly ran her free hand over his chest and stomach. Her vampire seemed unusually tense, and she pressed a reassuring kiss against his shoulder and teasingly nipped at him as she tried to get him to relax and smile. Unfortunately it seemed to only make his frown deepen. With a pout, she laid her head back down on his comfy shoulder and looked back up at the stars.

After a few minutes she heard a soft humming as the music played in the background. She propped her chin up on his shoulder and smiled. "You have a nice voice. Do you sing?"

Instead of answering, he pulled her to stand next to the car and she eagerly followed. He carefully arranged them and clasped his hand in hers and his other around her waist. "I don't know how to do this." she said softly, and looked up at him with wide eyes. "They tried to teach us at school, but nobody wanted to dance with me, and I was bad at it anyway."

"You just had the wrong partner, witchling. Do you trust me?" he mirrored her question from earlier.

"Always," she said.

"Then don't think, my heart, just follow my movements."

When he first moved them she jerked forward and stepped on his foot. "I'm sorry!" she said, and tried to pull away.

"No, little one." he crooned, and his thumb moved soothingly where it rested on her back. "Relax, feel me within our bond, feel the movements of my hands and body. Trust me to guide you in the direction you need to go. Don't look down, look up into my eyes, that's a good girl."

Her heart thumped and something about how he said that made her oddly excited. Shyly she met his eyes, and grew lost in his steady gaze until she realized that they were dancing a simple waltz together.

"I'm dancing!" she said in delight, and shivered when he smiled and pulled her closer to rest lightly against him. She was so lost in him, in the movements of their bodies as they danced, that at first she did not realize that the beautiful tenor voice belonged to him.

With sure steps and a deft touch he easily guided her around the dark meadow with only the stars above to light their way. She had no idea what the words of the song meant, but the look in his eyes, the soft stroke of his fingers against her waist, and the warmth within their bonds made her heart skip a beat and her knees grow weak.

As the song on the ipod came to and end, so too did his own words slowly trail off as he brought them to a gentle stop. With old world manners, he bowed over her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of her fingers even as his eyes never left hers. She gasped when his thumb brushed over the underside of her wrist, and she wondered how she had never known such an area was so sensitive. She began to tremble, and the moment stretched between them as her vampire straightened and began to lean down towards her.

The sudden noise of a ringing cell phone made him jerk back, and she was surprised to hear him curse in several languages.

Flustered, she turned away and raised her hands to her cheeks in an attempt to cool her blush. She wasn't sure what had just happened, or been about to happen, but the disappointment they both felt filled the bond.

Godric scowled and snapped the phone closed so hard that it almost shattered in his hands. With a glare at the offending piece of technology, he sent a burst of irritation across the Maker bond so that his son would be fully aware of his displeasure at the interruption.

He glanced at his flustered mate, and smiled at how she nervously paced in front of the car. Unfortunately the romantic mood between he and his bonded was now broken, but perhaps it was for the best since he had yet to give her his own Courting gift. Before their relationship could progress he wanted her to know, without any shadow of doubt, how much she meant to him, that he was not ashamed of her, and that he would never leave her. He knew how important those things were to his little mate from their dreams of her past. They were Resonated and while they had yet to say the words aloud, he could already feel the growing love she felt towards him, and had shown her his own in return. They had bestowed upon each other their blood, and soon he would give her such a gift that no Supernatural would ever be able to deny the strength of their commitment and bond to each other.

"We must leave, witchling. We are lucky to have gotten as much time as we have tonight."

She sighed. "Yeah, I know. Duty calls although I can't wait for us to be able to travel together once the Necromancers are dealt with."

Godric smiled, vamp sped to repack the car, and stopped in front of her before she could blink. He grinned fondly at her amused laughter at his antics. "I too look forward to our travels together where we can be in each others company without any other obligations but our own enjoyment. I have not had a vacation in a long, long time and never with such a companion." He rubbed the back of his fingers down her pink cheek as his voice went husky and his accent deepened. "I very, very much look forward to it, my little witch."

The look he gave her made her cheek heat even further against his cool palm and she blinked as he growled softly and obviously forced himself to step away. She took a deep, steadying breath, and cleared her throat. "Yeah, me too. I-I mean…." Incredibly flustered but unsure why, she trailed off and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, and suddenly had a brilliant idea!

She looked up and flashed her best smile at her Godric. "So…do you think I could drive Eric's car to Fangtasia?"