Chapter 14

"Oh my God!" Sookie shrieked, and all but lunged herself off Godric's lap and into the passenger seat. "Oh my God, where are my panties!"

Godric used a little vampire speed to put himself to rights while Sookie was fumbling to put her bra and dress back on. Godric then used a little vampire speed to help her and just when she looked presentable again there was a knock on the driver's side window.

Godric pushed the button to lower the window, and remembered at the last moment to tuck his fangs away before he smiled at the police officer. "Good evening, officer. Was there a problem?"

The police officer, a middle-aged man with a round face and even rounder belly, leaned forward to look inside the car.

"Hi!" Sookie said with a little wave. Godric had never seen her blush as much as she did at that moment, and that was saying something.

"Evening," the police officer said. "License and registration, please."

Godric pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his pants and handed over his driver's license, and then he got the registration from the glove compartment.

"Mr Gaulman? You a vampire?" the police officer asked as he noticed the special V mark on Godric's license.

"Indeed I am," Godric replied, unfazed.

"And this is..." the police officer shone his flashlight on Sookie's face.

Sookie held up a hand to ward of the light. "I'm his girlfriend. Sookie Stackhouse. From Bon Temps. We were just on our way home."

"And you thought to make a stop here in the woods...why?" the police officer shone his flashlight around the car until he found Sookie's panties hanging from the rear view mirror. "I think I can see why."

Godric shrugged. "We're young and in love, officer. Sometimes the mood just strikes."

"According to your license, you're 2000 years old," the police officer said sceptically.

"Young at heart, officer," Godric replied with his sweetest smile.

"Right. Well, according to Louisiana law, you're only allowed to be young at heart and in love in the privacy of your own home, if you get my meaning, Mr Gaulman."

"I understand."

"You're still getting a ticket."

Sookie groaned beside him, but Godric was only amused, and waited patiently until the police officer was done writing him his ticket and handed it to him.

"You have a nice night, y'all," the police officer said with a nod and strolled back to his patrol car.

Sookie buried her face in both her hands and made a very strange sound. It was something between a shriek and a giggle. "I can't believe we just got fined for having sex in public! Oh my God!"

"Indecent public exposure," Godric said as he studied the ticket in his hands. He tucked it away in the pocket of his pants and buckled his seatbelt.

"Still!" Sookie almost doubled over with laughter. "What is it with us tonight? We keep getting caught!"

"We're just lucky that way," Godric said with a chuckle and backed the car out of the dirt road and back onto the main road. He wasn't worried in the least.

"I hope nobody ever finds out about this," Sookie said with a sigh. She plucked her panties from the rear view mirror and, after glancing around the dark road to make sure nobody was watching, wormed them on quickly before buckling up her seatbelt. Then she sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. Ten minutes later, she was asleep.

Godric smiled at her and got his phone out. He sent Eric a text message:

I just got a ticket for Indecent Public Exposure! $150!

Predictably, ten seconds later, his phone rang. Godric answered it quickly before it could wake up Sookie. The moment he held it up to his ear, he heard Eric's rancorous laughter.

"Been taking Sookie for a little test ride in her new car?" Eric finally managed to say.

"Something like that," Godric replied.

"Why didn't you just glamour the cop?"

Godric shrugged. "This was more fun. Sookie smells so delicious when she blushes, and she was blushing a lot when the police officer questioned us. Besides, I've never had a ticket for indecent public exposure before."

"Congratulations," Eric said with a chuckle. "Did you at least get to finish before you were interrupted?"

"Oh yes, we finished," Godric said, amused. "Have you any news on your thief?"

Eric sighed. "Pam got him talking. Turns out, his maker, Hot Rain, needed some cash for something, and since Longshadow had just made a few bad investments himself, he thought he could borrow it from the bar."

Godric snorted. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Keep him in silver for a while and then send him back to his maker with a request to teach him better manners."

"Any chance of getting the money back?"

"I doubt it," Eric said unconcerned. Godric knew Eric had plenty of money, and losing sixty thousand dollars wasn't going to hurt him in the least. "But at least we caught him before he could do any real damage. I've already put a call out for a new bartender. Unless you want the job?"

Godric laughed. "How nice of you to think of me, my child. But I must decline. I have better things to do with my time."

"Like Sookie?" Eric said with a knowing chuckle.

"Exactly." Godric ended the call and smiled to himself for the rest of the way to Bon Temps.

He parked the car beside Adele's little red tragedy, and woke Sookie up with a kiss.

"I fell asleep again," Sookie said, blinking her eyes open.

"Perhaps I wore you out." Godric kissed her again, but Sookie only half-heartedly responded. A wave of melancholy and sadness passed through her and Godric pulled back to look at her face.

"Are you all right?"

Sookie nodded while she stared down at her lap. "I had a weird dream just now."

"About what?" Godric asked. It had been 2000 years since he'd dreamed, but he could still remember some of the nightmares he had during his last years as a human.

"You and me," Sookie said with a pained sigh.

"Ah." Godric could guess what was on Sookie's mind, since she'd already touched on it earlier as a reason for their fight. "Would this have something to do with me being a vampire and you being a human?"

Sookie sniffled and refused to look him in the eye. "Yeah. How is this going to work? Long-term, I mean?"

Sliding his hand down Sookie's leg and resting it on her knee, Godric took his time to come up with an answer. He'd only thought briefly on this subject himself so far, but he knew without a doubt he did not want to lose his Sookie to some human disease or old age. He thought of Adele, and while he was quite fond of her, the idea of seeing Sookie as such a frail old woman, practically on death's door, made him shudder.

"This is not something we should be worrying about for the foreseeable future," Godric finally said. "But know that there are options other than you growing old."

Sookie swallowed. "You mean, make me a vampire?"

Godric nodded, anxious for Sookie's response.

"I don't even know if I want to be a vampire," Sookie said with a puzzled frown. Godric felt inexplicably relieved; at least she wasn't downright refusing his offer.

"It is not something you have to decide on today, or tomorrow, or even next year," Godric said with a smile as warm as he could make it. "But I do hope you'll consider it at some point. Just know that the option is open to you."

"Okay," Sookie said with a determined look. "I'll think about it."

"Thank you." Godric leaned closer for a kiss, and this time Sookie responded at once. "I would hate to lose you," Godric whispered against her lips.

"I would hate to lose you, too," Sookie said with a shy smile. "Do you want to come in?"

Godric gave her the kind of toothy smile that conveyed exactly what he hoped would happen once they got inside.

"Oh!" Sookie grinned, but her expression quickly became more serious while regret swept through her. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little sore right now. I'm not sure if I'm up for another round."

Godric sat up straighter. "Did I hurt you?" He did not like that idea at all. "I could give you more of my blood."

"No, no!" Sookie reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "You didn't hurt me. I'm just new at this, so I'm a little sore. I'm pretty sure it's normal. And besides," her smile turned shy, "I don't mind feeling the evidence of...you know."

"All right," Godric said dubiously. He still didn't like the idea of Sookie being sore because of something he'd done, but he'd accept her explanation. For now.

"We still have to watch the rest of Gone with the Wind," Sookie said hopefully. "We could cuddle on the couch."

"Let's do that," Godric agreed, because he did really like the idea of holding his Sookie in his arms for the rest of the night, movie or not.

Adele was already asleep, and after Sookie got herself a glass of sweet tea (and Godric declined her offer for a synthetic blood, since he didn't want to lose her taste in his mouth), they settled on the couch with the movie playing. Sookie buzzed with happiness and Godric soaked up her warmth, and they enjoyed the movie for a while until Sookie fell asleep in his arms.

Godric didn't move, but just held his human close, barely paying attention to the movie playing in the background. He'd meant it when he told Sookie he'd make her a vampire.

Even though he wasn't sure anymore if being a vampire was all it was cracked up to be, the thought of losing his Sookie was enough to cast those doubts from his mind.

He'd make her his for eternity in a heartbeat, that much he knew.

He enjoyed Sookie being human. He enjoyed her tanned skin and her human sensibilities and the way she blushed, but losing those things would be a small price to pay if he could keep her by his side for centuries to come.

Sometime after the movie ended, Adele shuffled inside the living room, dressed in a nightgown and bathrobe. Her long, grey hair was braided down her back.

"Adele," Godric said as he glanced up at her from his position on the couch. Sookie was still sleeping peacefully in his arms. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh no," Adele said with a smile. She sat down in her overstuffed armchair. "But at my age, I can't get through a night without a trip or two to the bathroom." She regarded him for a few moments. "I'm glad to see you two have made up."

"You knew about our fight?" Godric asked, surprised.

"Knew?" Adele gave a quiet chuckle. "I practically had to spank some sense into that girl."

Godric grinned before he could help himself.

"When I got home from my Garden Society meeting, I found Sookie in tears, saying she might have just broken up with you accidentally. After I got the whole story out of her, I told her to just man up and apologize to you." Adele shook her head as she stared at her granddaughter.

"Thank you," Godric said, and he meant it. "I was very confused why she was angry with me."

"I know," Adele said with a sigh. "Sookie...she's a good girl with a big heart, but she's got friends that like to meddle and a brother who's got more brawn than brains. And she's never had someone special like you in her life before."

"I know," Godric agreed quietly. "This is new for me, too. But I am hopeful that we will work out our problems such as they are."

"I sure hope so," Adele said. "Sookie deserves to be loved." She gave Godric a look that brooked no argument. "And so do you."

It had been a long time since Godric had been struck speechless, but Adele had just managed to do it.

"Well, good night to you," Adele said with a most satisfied smile as she got up. "I'm sure you'll see Sookie to bed later."

"Good night," Godric finally managed to say while Adele shuffled back to her bedroom.

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When he got home, Godric proudly showed off his ticket. Eric seemed highly amused, much to Godric' satisfaction. He placed the ticket on his nightstand (he'd see to it that it got paid the next day), undressed, and got into bed.

He didn't even have to give a verbal invitation this time. One quirk of his eyebrow was enough for Eric to come snuggling. They remained quiet for a few moments while Godric stroked his fingers through Eric's hair and Eric sniffed Godric's throat.

"I don't think she's human," Eric finally said. Godric wasn't surprised his child had come to this conclusion.

"If she isn't, I doubt she knows about it," Godric replied. "I don't think Adele was lying when she told us her family history."

"Hmm." Eric cuddled a little closer. "So she's mostly human, with a little something else. Any idea what?"

"No," Godric said in all honesty. He'd give it some thought, but he hadn't been able to come up with an answer. Not that he cared what Sookie was exactly, as long as she was his.

"Maybe one of her ancestors was a powerful witch?" Eric suggested as he glanced up at Godric's face. "That might explain her telepathy. A residual magical power that passed through her line."

"But she doesn't taste like a witch." Godric had tasted enough witches in his lifetime to know Sookie wasn't one.

"I suppose not," Eric agreed. "She could have fae blood?"

"Eric," Godric said with a snort. "Don't be ridiculous. The fae have gone extinct a long time ago."

Eric pushed himself up on an elbow and stared down at Godric's face. "And yet they were reputed to have blood so sweet no vampire could resist. Have you ever tasted a fae?"

"No." Godric frowned as he mulled this over. "A few centuries after I was made a vampire, the last fae war took place, before they went extinct. But I was feral then, and I did not associate with other vampires, so I missed it."

"Then she could be part fae," Eric said with an expectant grin.

"I suppose she could be," Godric finally conceded. "Perhaps some fae blood got passed down in her family. But what does it matter?"

"It doesn't." Eric lowered his head back down against Godric's shoulder. "Just that it makes you the luckiest vampire I know."

Godric laughed. "Did I ever thank you for sending me after Sookie?"

"No, you didn't."

Godric patted Eric on his head. "Well then. Thank you, my child, for such a wonderful gift."

"You're welcome," Eric grumbled. He even managed not to sound too disgruntled.

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When he woke up, Godric felt Sookie's emotions buzzing through himself. She was in turmoil; there was some pain and anger, but also relief and happiness. Godric reached for his phone and saw he had two text messages from Sookie.

Bartlett got arrested yesterday! Can you believe that? He confessed to molesting a whole bunch of girls!

And the next one read:

Did you have something to do with this?

Godric grinned. He knew Sookie would figure it out, and he was glad he'd stuck to his plan and not done what Eric had suggested. Sookie would have figured that out, too, even if they'd made it look like an accident.

Time to fess up.

Godric hit the speed dial, and Sookie answered almost immediately.

"Godric?"

"I just got your text messages," Godric said. "To answer your question, yes, I glamoured Bartlett into confessing to the police, but I made sure he would not mention you or your other relatives."

Sookie remained silent for a good long while. Her emotions were all over the place, and Godric feared he might have upset her, which had most certainly not been his intent.

"Thank you," Sookie finally whispered. "That's...I don't know...but thank you."

"You're welcome," Godric said, laying back down against the bed. "I tried to do what you wished."

"I know," Sookie said. "And I really appreciate that. And so does Gran."

"What shall we do tonight?" Godric asked.

"What do you mean?"

"It's your last night off before you start working for Eric officially. I thought we could do something."

"Oh, a date!" Sookie squealed for a second.

Godric laughed at her enthusiastic response. "But you will have to help me figure out what we'll do. I have never been on a date before."

"Well, usually people go out to dinner," Sookie said thoughtfully. "But I'm not sure that's something we could do."

"Why not?" Godric wouldn't mind watching Sookie eat delicious foods. "I'm sure Eric will know a vampire-friendly restaurant here in Shreveport. We'll go there."

"Okay!" All of Sookie's turmoil was gone now. She was only buzzing with warmth and happiness. "What time will you be here?"

"I'll fly over at first dark, and then we'll take your car." Godric wouldn't mind another unscheduled stop on a dark road, police interruption or not.

"See you then!"

Godric hung up the phone and stared up at the ceiling with a smile. For the first time in 2000 years, he was going on a date. With a human. It was a surprisingly pleasant thing to look forward to.

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Sookie flung herself into his arms the moment she opened the door. "Hi!"

"Hi," Godric said as he tried to keep his fangs in check. Sookie was wearing that white dress with red flowers, and all Godric wanted to do was push it up and thrust himself inside her.

"Hello, Godric," Adele said from behind his Sookie. "Won't you come in for a moment?"

Godric nodded and followed Sookie into the living room.

"It seems we have yet another thing to thank you for," Adele said with a warm smile. "Besides the fact that my brother is now paying for his crimes, finally, I also got a rather generous check in the mail today."

Godric merely shrugged, ignoring Sookie's inquisitive looks.

"It's an awful lot of money," Adele said. "I'm not even sure what to do with it."

"You could get your driveway fixed," Godric suggested with a hopeful look.

"You know, that might be a good idea," Adele said with a nod. "Lord knows that driveway needs fixing something bad."

Sookie beamed at him, and Godric slid his arm around her waist to pull her a little closer. Distantly, he heard a car approaching. He hoped it wasn't one of Sookie's meddling friends or her hostile brother.

"Did you find a restaurant?" Sookie asked with a bright smile.

"Yes, I made reservations. They serve French and Italian food, I have been told. Eric assures me the food is very good, and they have a good selection of synthetic bloods as well."

"Sounds great."

Before Godric could respond, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Sookie said and darted off while Godric remained standing in the middle of the living room.

Sookie opened the door, and at once Godric felt a swirl of conflicting emotions coming from his human.

"Oh my God! Hadley?"

A/N: Those two just can't catch a break, can they? You'll just have to wait and see how Hadley is going to mess things up. The next chapter should be up soon.

Thanks so much for reading and for your many wonderful comments. They make my day, and they keep me writing, so be sure to let me know what you think of the story!