𝐈 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐔𝐏
do not be ashamed of the wars your soul has fought to save itself
VICTORIA BLINKED RAPIDLY, everything in front of her was blurry and hazy, and her ears were ringing loudly. A large weight was on her and she reached up with her hand to touch her forehead, and winced as she a wound. When she lowered her hand, she found blood on her fingertips and she groaned.
Looking up with blinking eyes, she noticed that Eric's body was laying over hers. She then looked around as her head throbbed painfully, and noticed bodies scattered everywhere. Blood was splattered all over the walls and floors, along with body parts and rubble.
"Oh, god!" She groaned and she felt Eric move slightly before he sat up, his chest and stomach healing slowly. She pulled herself up into a sitting position with shaky arms and hands that were scraping against glass, making her cry out in pain. "Where's Sookie?!" She exclaimed, her voice dry and scratchy as she looked around, and she sighed in slight relief to see Godric sitting up Sookie and feeding her some of his blood.
Bill rushed into the room and Eric turned to him. "Get the humans."
Bill's fangs dropped and he ran back out of the house in pursuit of the men with crossbows.
"Victoria..." Eric groaned out and turned to her. His eyebrows were furrowed and he growled when he saw her head injury along with the cuts on her palms. "Let me heal you."
Tori looked up at him abruptly, shaking her head. "I'm — I'm fine."
"You are not fine," Eric growled out and his fangs dropped with a click. "Let me heal you now."
Tori sighed and nodded, and she watched as he bit into his wrist, keeping eye contact with her. He then pulled her onto his lap and held his wrist to her mouth. She swallowed thickly and leaned forward, and began sucking his blood. She hates the taste of it, but when she saw his worried Eric was for her, she couldn't say no.
Pulling away, she wiped her mouth and turned to face Sookie and Godric who were standing now, both completely healed, but covered in dust and blood. Then, her eyes widened and she jumped up quickly. "Jason!"
"Jason!" Sookie shouted out as she walked over to her cousin.
They were both relieved when Jason moved into their line of sight, covered in blood and dust, but otherwise fine. "Yeah, okay."
Tori blew out a breath and turned to Eric who winked at her, making her roll her eyes. "I can't believe this happened."
"I can't either." Sookie studied her cousin and then narrowed her eyes at Eric. "Did you feed her your blood?"
Tori nodded. "He did."
"Now he has control over you," Sookie told her cousin and glared at Eric. "He wanted this all along."
Tori sighed as she reached forward and gripped Sookie's hand. "It's fine, I trust him. He has proven himself a friend."
"Everyone, please!" Isabel shouted as she addressed the room.
"Hey!" Jason shouted, dragging the attention to them. "Y'all listen up."
"They may come back," Godric told everyone as he stood close beside Sookie and Tori. "Go to the Hotel Carmilla. They've been alerted. Security is in place."
Tori turned to Eric and looked up at him before offering her hand. "You ready to go?"
Eric rose an amused brow before sweeping her up in his arms, and began vamp-speeding towards the hotel.
ONCE THEY ARRIVED at the hotel, Tori giggled as Eric sat her down on the couch. "That was fun." She sat up fully and turned to him with kind eyes. "Thank you so much for risking your life for mine. You are different than I thought you were, Eric."
The blue eyed vampire smirked over at her. "I am very much the man you thought I was. I could tear into your throat right now."
"You won't."
Suddenly, he was looming over her, his mouth close to her neck and she sucked in a shaky breath. It wasn't because she was scared, it was because she was kinda turned on. "I could drain you of all your blood."
"I know you could, but you won't because you don't want to." She turned her head so she could look him into his eyes. "Yesterday and today proves that you have a big heart, Eric, and yes, I trust you now... but, what you did to Lafayette still angers me."
"Good." He leaned back a little. "You shouldn't get too close to me."
She swallowed thickly as she looked down at his lips and then back up into his eyes. "I already am."
He growled as he looked her up and down. "I can sense your want and need." He grinned as her pupils dilated.
"Because of your blood?" She asked as she moved closer to him.
He nodded and laid his hand on her thigh, but as soon as his hand landed on her, she jumped up quickly, her heart pounding against her chest. Her brows eyes filled up with tears as she looked away from him, taking in deep breaths. "Are you alright?"
She shakily looked up at him as he made his way over to her. "I just..." She gulped as she remembered Gabe's hands on her and the way he was about to unbuckle his belt. "I can't." She then quickly ran into the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her, knowing fully well that if Eric wanted in, he was going to get in.
"Open this door!" Eric shouted and then paused as he heard her crying on the other side of the door. "Victoria!" When she didn't answer, he grabbed the doorknob and broke it off, and then pushed the door open. He frowned at the sight of her sitting on the floor against the shower, sobbing into her hands.
"Go away," she whispered as she looked away from him, not wanting him to see her this way.
"If I could, I would've killed that human who touched you," he spat out and leaned down to her height. "I would've ripped into him like he was nothing. I would've tortured him so bad that he would be craving death."
When Tori looked up at him with her big eyes, his heart ached. It was weird and unknown of him to feel something for someone so fast, especially a human. But, she was special and had him hooked since the moment she walked into his club.
"I just keep picturing his hands over my body," she choked out and he clenched his jaw when he heard how broken she sounded. "Nothing like that has ever happened to me. You would think that after everything I have been through, I could get through this, but..." She shook her head as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's so scary and I can't help it."
Eric watched her as she began crying again and he didn't know what to do. He isn't good at comforting or trying to reassure someone, so, all he did was sit down beside her, and allow her to lay her head on his shoulder. He frowned down at her and knew that he was going to do everything in his power to protect her.
AFTER ERIC AND her found their way to the bed where she cuddled into him, crying, he had fallen asleep, but she couldn't. So, she just stayed there, looking up at the ceiling with dried tear streaks on her cheeks.
She turned to him slowly and watched as he didn't move a muscle, and then she slowly and quietly sat up. Taking one last glance at him, she walked out of the bedroom, and made her way out into the hallway. She took the elevator to the level her cousin was sleeping on, and knocked on the blonde's door.
Sookie had opened it after the first knock, and looked her cousin up and down with soft eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"
Tori sighed and shook her head. "Too many thoughts, not enough room."
Sookie nodded and brought the girl into the room, and they made their way through the living room area to Jessica's room where Jason was staying in seeing as the red head had left to Bon Temps. The blonde knocked on the door lightly and the boy opened the door slowly, and when he saw it was his cousin and sister, he opened it fully.
"We can't sleep," Tori whispered to him.
"Join the club," he muttered and they walked into the room, and sat down on the bed.
"Why were you there?" Victoria asked as she made herself comfortable, pulling one of the pillows up to her chest. "Why did you join the Fellowship?"
Jason sighed and bit his lip. "They made me think I was worth something."
"You were a star in Bon Temps," Sookie told him, shaking her head. "I was the throwaway. Everyone always thought you hung the moon."
Jason shook his head. "No, that ain't true. We'll, they like my athletics... and my good looks, my sex abilities but they don't like me for me. And Steve and Sarah, well, they acted like they did, before they tried to kill me. They stopped my mind from going around and around... thinking about... Well, other stuff."
Sookie tilted her head as Tori watched him with soft eyes. She knew his pain. He has lost a lot, including every girl he had feelings for.
"What other stuff?"
Jason only responded by the shake of his head.
Tori scooter closer to him, and laid her hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright, Jay. I know it's hard but we'll get through this." She reaches over and gripped Sookie's hand. "We have been through some shit, but..." She shook her head and faced him. "Soldiers of the Sun?" She sighed when he looked for. "They're terrible people because they don't believe in beings that are different than us. Imagine what Gran would say."
"She wouldn't want this for you," Sookie added softly.
He clenched his jaw as he at them. "Don't — Don't talk about Gran. I won't talk about her." He shrugged Tori's hand off of him, and turned away from them. "I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I don't — Because I don't want to feel anything," his voice broke as he spoke.
"But we have to talk about her," Sookie said softly and he turned to face them with tears in his eyes. "We can't stop remembering her or loving her because it hurts too much."
"God knows at this point, I want to stop feeling, too," Tori spoke off, her voice cracking. "Especially what happened last night. I—" Her bottom lip trembled. "I have lost so much, but giving up and not feeling something isn't who I am, and it isn't who you are, Jason. Do you really want to be like — like Rene? He didn't feel anything and that's why he killed people. It's just not... humane. We are meant to feel and move on, and become a stronger and better version of ourselves." She took in a shaky breath and grabbed his hand. "Gran would never stop loving us, would she?"
"No." He shook his head.
Sookie nodded with a small smile. "We'll keep her alive in our hearts... and our prayers. And that's the way it's gonna be."
"All the people that we have lost, we will keep them as a part of us. Yeah?" Tori said as she glanced between her cousins.
Sookie wiped away a fallen tear and smiled at them. "We are going to grow up and become a better version of ourselves like Tori said. We gotta stick together... and we gotta be good to each other... or we're letting them all down."
"Yeah." Jason nodded and then sighed. "I'm sorry about everything I ever done to the both of you. I'm a dumb-ass fuck-up."
Sookie smiled and chuckled lightly. "Yeah, but you wouldn't be if you used your brain instead of just letting it take up space in your skull. That's not dumb."
Tori grinned. "It's lazy."
"You think so?" He asked and they both nodded. "Well, I could try, I guess."
"I'm sorry too," Sookie said suddenly, "I always love you, Jason, even when I wanna stick your head in a bucket and kick it around in the yard."
Victoria giggled and nodded. "Same."
"And I love you both..." Jason then grinned. "Even though I wish you'd both cook for me more. And you were normal with normal boyfriends." He glanced to Tori and said, "that goes for you, too."
Victoria sighed. "Neither Sook or I had any say in being normal." She chewed on her lip as she thought back to her time before she and everyone else found out about the supernatural.
They laid down on the bed and Sookie turned on the television. She changed the channel to show Steve and Sarah Newlin talking with the vampire PR spokesperson Nan Flanagan.
"You believe that?" Jason frowned as he sat up. "They're on the tube already!"
"I hate him," Tori spat out as she sat up, too.
"You kidnapped a prominent member of our community," Nan reported.
Sarah frowned, "He volunteered."
Sookie turned to her brother. "Did he?"
"I didn't even know he was there," Jason told them with furrowed brows.
"He wanted to meet the sun," Steve stated and Tori opened her mouth in shock as she tried to process what was being said. "That's no crime."
"Because everyone wants to be burned at the stake," Nan replied sarcastically. "You use your tax-exempt religious institution as an anti-terrorist enclave."
"The Constitution gives us the right to defend ourselves," Steve defended his actions which made Tori growl in anger.
Nan frowned, "You attacked us."
"You murdered my father," Steve accused angrily.
"That's an allegation," the vampire stated. "This is a fact: You and your church armed a suicide bomber that killed vampires and humans."
"We are fighting for God's green earth and daytime and Christmas," Sarah informed and she just sounded insane. "And Easter eggs and all that is sacred and good. We are fighting for—"
"Human rights," Steve interrupted his wife who turned to him angrily.
Tori laughed as they began to argue on live television. "They are crazy."
"Fuck you, Newlins," Jason spat out and the girl's giggle and lay back with a sigh.
AFTER SPENDING THE day with Sookie and Jason, the girl's met up with the vampires in Bill and Sookie's room for a meeting.
Eric was instantly at the door, looking Tori up and down with narrowed eyes. "You were gone."
She frowned and then glanced at Sookie. "Oh! I spent the night with Sookie and Jason."
He frowned and then nodded before the three of them made their way into the room.
Victoria sat between Sookie and Eric, while her cousin sat beside her boyfriend. Godric and Isabel sat across from them, and Nan Flanagan was seated in a chair with two of her vampires behind.
Without missing a beat, Nan started the meeting, "Do you have any fucking idea of the PR mess you've made? And who had to fucking clean that shit up? Me. Not you, me." She looked from Eric, to Victoria, Bill, and Sookie. "I should drain every one of you bastards."
Eric kept his face impassive, though, Tori saw his finger twitch. "Stan went after the church on his own. None of us knew anything about it."
"Oh, really? Because everyone who met Stan in the last 300 years," Nan continued to talk, and Tori noticed as Sookie kept glancing at Godric with confused and lustful eyes. She frowned at her cousin and then remembered how the vampire had fed her blood after the explosion. "...knew he had a kink about slaughtering humans. But you, his next mates, his sheriff, had no clue."
Isabel frowned from her spot beside Godric. "And how were we to know that this time he meant it?"
"Not my problem," Nan spat and then turned to Godric who wouldn't look up from his gaze on the floor. "Yours."
Eric's composure fell and he growled. "Don't talk to him that way."
"Don't talk to me that way," Nan spoke harshly to Eric. "Let's get to the point," Nan went from Eric to Godric. "How'd they manage to abduct you?"
"They would have taken one of us sooner or later. I offered myself," Godric spoke softly and he glanced to Tori when he felt her gaze on him.
"Why?" Nan asked with incredulously.
Godric looked to her. "Why not?"
Nan frowned, "They wanted you to meet the sun, and you were willing?"
Victoria saw Eric's eyes lower with sadness and she reached over, placing her hand over his. When he turned to her, she sent him a small, but comforting smile.
"What do you think?" The two-thousand-year old vampire asked.
Nan blinked in surprise. "I think you are out of your mind." She then looked around the room, "And then I hear about a traitor."
"Irrelevant," Godric replied as Isabel looked down to her lap. "Only a rumor. I'll take full responsibility."
Nan voice held authority, "You bet you will."
Eric scowled, "You cold bitch."
Nan looked to everyone in the room with narrowed eyes. "Listen, this is a national vampire disaster and nobody at the top has any sympathy for any of you. Sheriff, you fucked up. You're fired."
Godric nodded, and spoke almost immediately, "I agree. Of course. Isabel should take over. She had no part in my disgrace."
Isabel frowned at her leader. "Godric, fight back."
Victoria frowned as she watched Godric and she got a bad feeling in her gut when he seemed to give himself over to the vampire haters, and now doesn't seem to care that he isn't Sheriff anymore.
"What are you saying? She's a bureaucrat," Eric told his Maker. "Don't take shit from her."
Nan glared at the blonde male vampire. "You want to lose your area Viking?"
Victoria glared at her as she squeezed Eric's hand. Though, it didn't calm him, and he glared at the vampire. "Oh, you don't have that power."
"Hey, I'm on TV," Nan challenged, smugly. "Try me."
"I'm to blame," Isabel spoke up and everyone turned to her. "I should have contained Stan the second Godric went missing."
"Isabel," Godric reprimanded before continuing, "I remove myself from all positions of authority."
Nan nodded. "Works for me."
Victoria clenched her jaw as she didn't want Godric to seem useless and that he wasn't any help. "Godric rescued me from a really large rapist who probably would have killed me too." When Nan went to open her mouth, Tori growled. "Listen to me, and shut up." All the vampires turned to her, surprise by her braveness. "He rescued humans in that church, plus a whole lot of vampires. You think it's a PR mess now?" She narrowed her eyes. "It could have been a hundred, a million, times worse. You should thank him."
Nan looked at them in disbelief. "For getting kidnapped? For attracting a suicide bomber? For piss-poor judgment? I think not."
"Victoria..." Godric spoke softly and the doppelgänger turned to him with wide eyes. "It doesn't matter."
"It does!" Victoria shouted as she shook her head. "I am not going to let this bitch be mean to you. You helped me and you saved my cousin who could've been killed in the explosion. Honestly, you're one of the best vampires I have ever met that hasn't tried to kill me or hurt someone I love. I owe you so much and I'm not going to give up."
Nan narrowed her eyes at the human and rose a brow. "You got guys, kid, I'll give you that much." She then turned to Godric who smiled at Tori. "Tell me about the bombing, please. Every single detail."
"A boy walked in the lair. I thought he was someone's human companion. He stated his name, then claimed he had a message from Steve Newlin. He opened his jacket and caused the bomb to explode," Godric recounted the sort version of what had happened.
"What a fucking fiasco," Nan frowned, glancing at everyone. "You're lucky I don't send you all to the Magister. Godric, come to my suite and fill out the forms."
"Soon. First I have something to say.... I'm sorry. I apologize for all the harm I've caused... for all our lost ones, human and vampire. I will make amends. I swear it," the older vampire's words had a sense of finality to them.
Victoria swallowed thickly as she realized what was happening almost immediately.
"Take it easy. It's just a few signatures," Nan spoke up and left, her vampires following her.
Eric stood in front of his Maker when the older vampire went to leave. "No."
Godric peered up at his Childe, "Look in my heart."
The blonde vampire frowned, his eyes full of sadness and disbelief. "You have to listen to me."
"There's nothing to say," Godric told him, shaking his head.
"There is," Eric insisted.
"On the roof," Godric told him, then walked out of the suite.
Bill took Godric's place in front of Eric, and glared up at the blonde. "We have a score to settle."
Eric's eyes were lowered to the ground as he spoke, "Not now."
Bill glared at him. "Yes, now."
Victoria picked up a remote and flung it at Bill who went to punch Eric. When Sookie's boyfriend turned to her, she glared at him. "Don't touch him."
At that time, Eric sped away to meet up with his Maker and Tori frowned, glancing to her cousin who nodded at her. "Go after him. I know you want to."
Victoria nodded and ran down the hall and up the Exit stairwell to find Eric talking with Godric on the roof.
"Two thousand years is enough," Godric was saying as she grew closer and Tori's heart broke when she saw Eric's facial expression.
Eric's voice broke, "I can't accept this. It's insanity."
"Our existence is insanity," Godric turned to face Eric. "We don't belong here."
"But we are here," Eric told him, trying to make a point.
"It's not right," Godric argued and Tori hurt the hurt in his voice. "We're not right."
Eric stood closer to Godric, begging him with his eyes. "You taught me there is no right and wrong only survival or death."
Godric smiled softly. "I told a lie, as it turns out."
"I will keep you alive by force," the blonde vampire insisted harshly.
"Even if you could," Godric tilted his head. "Why would you be so cruel?"
Eric choked back a cry and spoke in Swedish, "Godric, inte gör det." Godric, don't do it.
Godric smiled. "Det finns århundraden av tro och kärlek mellan oss." There are centuries of faith and love between us.
Eric bowed his head and began to cry tears of blood, "Snälla du. Snälla du." Please. Please. He dropped to his knees, "Snälla du. Godric." Please. Godric.
"Far. Bror. Son." Father. Brother. Son. Tori swallowed thickly as she saw how pained Eric was, and she vowed to try and ease that pain. "Let me go."
Eric calmed as if he found a solution and lifted his head to look at Godric's chest. "I won't let you die alone."
Godric smiled at his Childe. "Yes you will." Eric began to cry again, and he brushed a hand through the blonde vampire's hair and placed his hand on his Childe's shoulder. Eric looked up, and Godric said, "As your Maker... I command you."
Eric looked at him and stood up. Unable to do anything else, he walked to Victoria and looked back to his Maker. Tori's bottom lip began trembling, but she ignored her feelings and grabbed his hands making him look at her. "I'll stay with him," she said softly. "As long as it takes." He nodded and left as she walked up to Godric.
"It won't take long," Godric told her softly, "Not at my age."
Victoria wiped away a stray tear as she whispered, "You know, it wasn't very smart, with The Fellowship of the Sun."
The vampire agreed, "I know. I thought it might fix everything somehow. But I don't think like a vampire anymore." He looked to her. "Do you believe in God?"
"I use to," she told him as she walked up to his side.
He nodded and glanced to her. "If he's real... how will he punish me?"
She shook her head. "God doesn't punish. God forgives."
"I don't deserve it," he said and she saw him tremble slightly. "But I hope for it."
"We all do," she told him as she looked out at the horizon to see the sun slowly coming up. "We have all done bad things."
"You'll care for him?" Godric asked and turned to her. "Eric."
Victoria sighed and bit her lip. "I really want to. Especially now. But, you know how he is."
Godric smiled softly. "I can take the blame for that too."
She shook her head. "No. Everyone is themselves." Her eyes widened when she saw smoke begin to rise off of Godric. "Are you sure about this?" She asked, her voice cracking. "Aren't you afraid?"
"No," his voice held no panic as he looked back to her with a smile. "No, I'm full of joy."
She frowned as she tried to hold herself back. "But the pain."
"I want to burn," he told her simply and she choked back on a sob.
"I'm afraid for you," she voiced and then began sobbing, her shoulders shaking.
"A human with me at the end... and human tears. Two thousand years... and I can still be surprised." He laughed lightly and he watched her with kind eyes. "In this, I see God."
Godric walked closer to the ledge and faced the sun as he took off his white coat, and blue flames began to erupt from his chest.
Victoria began shaking her head, her mind running overtime, and her heart clenched. This was wrong, it didn't feel right. He didn't deserve to die, no matter how much he though he deserved it. There was hope and he wasn't seeing it.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you!" She cried out as she tackled him, ignoring the pain from the fire that reminded her of when Isabel — her birth mother — burned in front.
Seeing as he was weakened by the sun, she was able to drag him down the stairs, and she she quickly pulled off her jacket and flung it over him, trying to help as much as she could.
"I cannot and will not stand by and watch someone die in front of me. I've done it too many times already, and Eric needs you. I'm not going to allow him to go trough the pain of losing someone he loves. And you haven't lived through everything. You haven't even met the one yet. Please don't give up. Please," she rambled with tears flowing down her cheeks.
Godric painfully chuckled and laid his hand on her cheek. "You have so much faith in the world." He wiped away a stray tear from her cheek. "You are a wonderful creature and I would not feel right if I were to make you live with this burden on your chest." He nodded and pulled his hand away from her face. "I shall try and live a life... for you Victoria."
Victoria smiled and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you so much. You don't know how happy this will make Eric."
Godric smiled softly at her and she helped him stand up fully. "Thank you for caring for him." She bowed her head, blushing. "You should probably go to him."
She narrowed his eyes at him. "And you won't...?"
He shook his head. "I won't go out in the sun. I am of my word." He then gulped. "I will be going to my room and to rest. And you should go to yours, as well."
She shook her head. "I shall escort you to your room to make sure you get there safely."
He chuckled. "Alright."
AFTER MAKING SURE Godric made it back to his room safely, Tori made her way to her room.
She opened the door and looked up to see through the bedroom doorway that Eric was still awake. She was surprised to see him sitting on the bed with his shirt off. "Eric?" She murmured.
He looked up, though he didn't meet her eyes. and he had dried blood tears on his face and chest. "I didn't feel anything..."
Tori walked to where she was in front of him. "He's not gone. I saved him." She smiled lightly when he looked up at her with pure confusion and hurt. "I couldn't let another person die when I could do something about it. He's in his hotel room right now. I made sure that he went to bed, and I even went to the extent of having Isabel stand outside his room."
She got down on her knees and grabbed his face in her hands. "He's safe and I'm going to make sure he stays that way. Alright?" She looked into his eyes, and before anything else is said, her phone went off, and she gave him a comforting look before grabbing it, and answering it.
"Hello?" She said, as she walked into the bathroom and began wetting a towel.
"Victoria, I know you might be busy, but we have a plan to get rid of Klaus and his family, once and for all. And I knew you would want to be apart of it," Elena spoke through the phone. "And Alaric... well, there is a problem and I will explain everything later, you know, if you come."
Victoria swallowed thickly and stopped just before she exited the bathroom. "I um... I have something to do real quick, but I will be there by tomorrow. I gotta go. Bye, I love you." She hung up quickly and took in a breath before walking towards Eric who was already looking at her.
"You're trying to leave me too, aren't you?" He asked her, sighing.
"No," she immediately declined and bent down to his level, and began cleaning him off. "No. I just... this is something important, alright? And if something happens, you can sense if I'm in trouble and come save the day." She met his eyes with hers and then thought of something. "Is it alright if I take Godric with me?"
"What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Well... I have a friend named Caroline who has a personality that will lighten Godric's mood, and get him out of this state of mind. You do want Godric to be happy, right?" She asked hesitantly, hoping to not overstep a boundary that a Maker and Childe has. She doesn't want to upset Eric.
"Of course!" He exclaimed and then lowered his voice when he saw her flinch. "I'm... sorry."
She nodded and continued to get the blood off of him. "If something goes sideways, he'll be there for me. I mean... I know you have Sheriff duty, so I don't want to bother you with my—"
"Safety?" He interrupted her and grabbed her face. "I owe you everything." He looked her in the eyes and grinned softly. "If I even get a hint of fear from you, I am coming."
Tori smiled brightly and bit her lip. She tilted her head and then leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Deal?"
He watched her in awe as she pulled away. "Deal.