Two Souls, One Heart (based on the show True Blood)

A Reason To Live

"Sometimes even to live is an act of courage."

Dread owns her, pushing against her like an invisible windstorm. She sighs, reluctantly opening the bedroom door. The sight of her children nestled in the muscular arms of her vampire fills her heart with joy and like a veil, her worries momentarily lift and she smiles.

Eric is so tall; his large feet comically extend further than the length of the children's bed; the vampire is singing Valhal – The Viking War Song to his offspring as Tara quietly nears them, "Ask veit ek standa, heitir Yggdrasill - hár baðmr, ausinn, hvíta auri; þaðan koma döggvar, þærs í dala falla; stendr æ yfir grœnn...Urðar brunni."

Eric's old Norse accent is soothing, lulling his family into a serene place. He is hoping that this moment will not be the last. When he was turned into a vampire he was forbidden to see his human children grow. Now that he's been given another chance, he so desperately wants things to turn out differently. The handsome vampire leans in, kissing his son and daughter on the head.

Jessica snuggles close to her father, her deep emerald eyes peering into his icy sage gaze; she is hanging onto every word he says. While Godric's hazel eyes appraise his mother with a peaceful sleepy gaze.

"Make room for mommy," Godric yawns squeezing in even closer to Eric.

Tara maneuvers onto the bed, squeezing in close to Godric, she reaches her arm so that her arm covers Godric's shoulders and Eric's abdomen, and her fingers lightly brush Jessica's arm.

"There- I'm all settled in," Tara says to Godric, pressing closer to him, kissing the back of his sand-colored curls.

"I was just telling the children, home is wherever we are, together."

"Your father is right," Tara agrees, "home is a state of mind and you are at home wherever you are because we are all together."

Tara could feel the children's anxiety, as young as they are, Jessica and Godric are wise beyond their years. The Vampire and Witch offspring are unique in their abilities to emotionally connect to them, they can feel the concern, the danger looming near. The entire house could feel it too, the vampires, wolves, witches.

Without knocking, Cathy cracks open the door, slipping her head in slightly, "King Northman, My Supreme, Chancellor Nora is asking everyone to the great room," her, soft, age-worn eyes gaze directly at Tara, looking into the Aether's eyes dissolves her worry. The old woman smiles, not waiting for a response, and gently closes the door. After a moment, Tara gets up from the bed, taking Godric with her.

"Come here Jessica," Tara says and the little girl hops off the bed.

With both of them standing in front of her, she kisses them on the cheek, "Who loves you, babies?"

"You do!" They both say in unison.

"For how long?" She asks.

"Forever and ever." They say.

"That's right," she beams at them.

The twins hug their mother while she peppers them with more kisses.

Eric scoops both of them up onto his shoulders. The children squeal in delight as their very tall dad swiftly carries them out of the room. Outside the room, he gently places his little darlings down at his feet and lays his hands lightly on Tara's shoulder.

"My home is in your arms. I need only the love of my Queen and I trust only you to give," he kisses her forehead and she wraps her arms around him. "Call me and I come, ask and everything I am is yours." His eyes show a kind of gentle concern and she is soothed by it.