Chapter Twenty Two:

It had been three days since meeting Sookie's grandmother, three days since her words wouldn't leave her alone.

Use it.

Use her gift.

But how exactly was Henley supposed to chitchat with ghosts to help her against Jackson? It wasn't exactly a useful ability. She didn't have super strength. She didn't turn into a raging monster when she was angry. She hadn't been bitten by a radioactive spider. She was just some useless medium that had no ide what was happening around her.

She was useless.

And she was going stir crazy.

Three days, and Henley had barely seen much other than the four walls of this house. She was more than grateful that Sookie was letting her stay here, and the Faerie was ever the sweet, southern host. But it had been three days of being cooped up, petrified that Jackson was going to pop up at any time. Henley was going crazy.

It also didn't help that a certain ghost wouldn't leave her the hell alone.

She understood he was only fulfilling his promise to not leave her like he had once before, but his damn gaze wouldn't leave her. She could feel his eyes boring right through her every single second of every single day. It was unnerving. She felt anxious whenever his gaze was on her, and that was always. She needed a break, a moment to just breathe.

Or else Jackson wouldn't be the only psychotic one around.

"Five minutes, Godric. Just give me five minutes without your staring," Henley grumbled.

"If you only told me what was frustrating you so, I could help," he offered.

Henley flopped onto the bed, an arm draping across her face in annoyance. "I don't want your help. I just want you to stop looking at me like that."

"I promised not to leave your side," Godric reminded.

"Five minutes."

"No."

She raised her arm back up, shooting the vampire a glare. "You left the other day in the cemetery."

An amused smile graced his lips, infuriating her further. Of course none of this bothered him. He was a ghost; he had an eternity of just sitting around doing nothing. "I was still there, just out of sight."

"We're now getting back into stalking territory," she groaned, rising up onto her elbows. "Seriously, Godric. I need five minutes. I feel like I'm suffocating. I can't leave the house, or else Eric will have a temper tantrum or you'll do your little parlour tricks – which you know drive me insane. So you're going to have to give me breathing room for five friggin minutes."

"I quite remember your own tantrum the last time I broke my promise," the vampire rose from his seat across the room. "I'm only saving myself from your anger.

Henley rolled her eyes. "You can just go poof if I get angry."

And he did go poof. Her jaw dropped open as she glanced around the room in search for the ghost. She even rose into a sitting position as she sought him out. But she was utterly alone besides Moony loyally lying beside the bed. Henley huffed in annoyance as she stood, crossing her arms as she glared where the ghost once was. This was exactly what she had asked for, of course, and yet she was pissed. She just couldn't seem to get her head straight when it came to Godric it seemed, and that just frustrated her even more.

He's just a ghost, Henley had to remind herself countless of times. "Just a stupid ghost."

"Well now, that's just rude."

Just like that, Godric was back. If he had even left.

"Godric!" she narrowed her eyes, jumping when he materialized right before her, so close that as she tried to distance herself, she only tumbled back onto the bed. "That's not nice, you know."

A smirk slid across his lips as his legs met with her own before leaning over her form. She was forced to lean back, resting against the palm of her hands. A hand came to rest on the bed beside her hip, their noses nearly touching. Henley attempted to move even further, but Godric wouldn't have it. His arm swiftly caught her around the waist, keeping her exactly where she was.

"Are you certain there isn't anything I can do to help you?" though his gaze was trained on hers, she could have sworn there was the briefest glance across her body. Her cheeks flushed at the thought, only causing a smirk to appear on his lips.

"No," she managed out, her mouth dry. Why was being so close to him making her feel like some self-conscious, giddy 13-year-old? "No I just, um, just need to, ah, just need to, well…"

Godric's head tilted to the side, his smirk widening. "I would be more than happy to help you in any way that is deemed necessary."

"No really, that's…" his arm tightened around her waist, leaving her blinking like a mad woman trying to figure out what she was even trying to say.

They stared at one another for what felt like ages to Henley, nether speaking. The only sound between them was her heavy breaths and wild heartbeat.

"Five minutes?"

"Huh?" her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

The vampire chuckled. "You requested five minutes."

"Right…" Henley attempted to clear her head, nodding a bit too vigorously. "Five minutes."

"I suppose I could check on my progeny; it has been a few days," Godric agree, though his grasp on her waist never wavered. "And perhaps I could spare you 10 minutes. But only 10 minutes. Is that understood? Not a minute more."

"Okay," Henley wanted to cringe at the squeak in her voice.

"It's settled then," his lips lowered, Henley's breath catching in her throat as she stared at him wide-eyed. What the hell? Was he going to kiss her? That wasn't even supposed to be possible. And even if this was entirely possible, a ghost and a human kissing wasn't…

His lips met her cheek.

Henley was pretty certain her face was a permanent shade of red at this point.

"I will see you shortly," Godric rose, but not yet releasing her. His grin told her he knew exactly what he had done to turn her inner thoughts insane. "Don't get yourself in any danger, my little troublemaker."

Before she could even utter a retort, the ghost had vanished. Without his hold, she felt back onto the bed, a groan following soon after.

Was it even possible that a ghost was likely going to be the end of her?

Sookie was placing leftovers in the fridge when there was a light tap on the front door. She froze as the possibilities swam through her head. What if it was Jackson? Sure, she doubted this powerful witch wouldn't exactly just knock on the front door, but what if he was trying to take them by surprise?

Well, she could do the same.

She reached out with her mind, searching for the thoughts of the possible intruder. She was welcomed by a void – a very familiar void at that.

Sookie couldn't help the smile that was threatening to cross her face as she hurried out of the kitchen and to the door, pulling it open without a second thought.

"Good evening, Miss Stackhouse," blue orbs raked across her form.

"Eric," she greeted, not able to hide the light shade of pink that tinted her cheeks. "I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."

"Yes, well unfortunately I have some business that needs to be seen to," his gaze flickered to the stairs behind the blonde. "Miss Martin hasn't gotten herself into trouble I hope."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "It's barely been 24 hours."

The Viking raised an eyebrow at the Faerie. "It's taken less time for you."

"I'm a magnet for trouble, remember?"

"Too well," he remembered fondly the times he had been there to swoop in and save the day. They both did, almost too well. Sookie even had to admit that she enjoyed it. He had turned out to be her dark knight in shining armour, and while she had never appreciated it in the past – thanks to Bill's influence – she could be thankful for it now.

"Oh, um, would you like to come in?" Sookie stepped back, hoping the vampire wouldn't decline.

"Are you sure that's what you want, Sookie?" Eric had let her go, after all. He had signed over her house, allowed her to rescind his invitation, and kept to himself. Even if all he wanted was to take her in his arms and ravish her. But he hadn't. It was the only time he hadn't been selfish. Because she deserved happiness. She deserved the world. And he couldn't exactly give her everything she wanted.

Of course, he didn't realize that all she desired was him.

"Mr. Northman, won't you please come in?" she invited softly, never take her gaze off of him.

A brief, warm smile slipped across his lips as he didn't hesitate in crossing the threshold. Her own smile widened, hopeful that this might be their first step in fixing the fragile relationship that they had. She had been truthful in her admission to Godric that morning; she wouldn't be able to bear it if Eric were to fall for his depression and meet the true death.

"I will not take this invitation lightly," he vowed to her. He had taken advantage of her far too many times.

"I know."

He could have stared at that smile all night, but unfortunately, he did have business there. "Is my new little troublemaker around?"

"She's likely upstairs. I haven't seen her since dinner," Sookie moved towards the stairs, her head tilting upwards. She sought out the medium's thoughts, but frowned when she found no other in the house. "Hm, well that's odd."

Eric suppressed a groan. He didn't like the sound of that. Couldn't he come across a human that didn't cause this much trouble? "What's odd?"

"I can't seem to…oh," Sookie closed her eyes, wincing as she realized what Henley had done. She couldn't exactly blame her; Sookie would have done the exact same thing if she had been cooped up for days on end, nothing else to do but worry about what might occur.

"Oh? There should be no 'oh'," Eric grunted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. These goddamn women will be the death of him. "Where is she?"

Sookie slowly pivoted around to face the vampire, chewing her bottom lip nervously. "Now don't be mad, Eric…"

"Where?"

"I'm not sure."

She didn't even bother to try and understand the string of words that came out of Eric's mouth as he quickly sped throughout the house in search for Henley. Just as she expected, the Viking couldn't find her, and his rage was evidence of that.

"Just once," he stormed down the stairs, every thundering step causing her rickety stairs to groan in protect. "It would be nice if you people weren't so goddamn stupid."

"She couldn't have gone far," Sookie offered. "She just went up there half an hour ago."

He just shook his head as he stalked from the house and down the porch steps. His eyes closed as he tried to calm his fury. If he didn't, he would likely tear the girl apart the moment he found her. Why did it have to be this girl that his maker had discovered, this idiotic fool that he had to have some connection to. Eric only had the patience to deal with one erratic human – and she wasn't even entirely human.

With his frustration mounting, Eric nearly missed the gentle whisper that caressed his ear.

"The cemetery."

It could have just been the breeze, or his own thoughts playing tricks on him. But he could have sworn that was his maker's accent, his voice that he had just heard. Shaking his head, Eric had no time to consider the whisper, and instead moved towards the cemetery. Breeze or not, he wasn't exactly not going to listen to it.

Godric couldn't help but smile as he watched the confusion litter his child's face before he began stomping in the direction he knew Henley would be. The smile soon vanished when he thought of the foolish red head. 10 minutes. He had left for 10 minutes, and she had pulled this stunt.

Poor girl didn't realize that he now wouldn't be leaving her side for a single moment after tonight.

Henley knew this wasn't one of her brighter ideas. She understood the risks involved with sneaking out of the house, tip toeing right passed Sookie and out the front door. But as she entered the cemetery, all those thoughts drifted away. It wasn't often that she found herself comforted by the otherworldly feeling she got when surrounded by spirits. But ever since she had encountered Sookie's grandmother, a sense of calmness seemed to radiate from the cemetery.

And if there was one thing she needed in that moment, it was peace and quiet.

Eight minutes

She settled on the same bench she had joined Sookie's Gran on only days ago and gazed out across the cemetery. She could feel them, littering about. Not a single spirit bothered her however, even if a few did drift passed her, curious glanced sent in her direction when she accidentally caught their eye. It was as if each one knew she needed to be alone, that she needed just a moment of breathing room. It was relaxing even, something she never thought she would feel in the presence of the dead. Her entire life, it had been one anxiety attack after another. And now? It felt like just another evening.

Five minutes.

Henley knew she was going to have to hurry back inside in the next few minutes, or else Godric would return to find out she had snuck outside. Though really, in her defence, she hadn't exactly promised the vampire she would remain exactly where she was.

Three minutes.

Her nose scrunched up as she stood. She didn't move back towards the house, however, and instead travelled down one of the rows. Her fingers dancing across the headstones, reading each name, and feeling lighter at each silent prayer she sent every one. The ghosts were growing closer by now, but still, no one called out to her. It was nice.

"And what exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Crap," Henley's orbs dropped to her watch, groaning when she realized her mistake.

"Eleven minutes, little one. It's been 11 minutes," Godric's voice was in her ear, his breath falling on her exposed neck and causing her to shudder. "And where do I find you?"

"I meant to go back inside three minutes ago," she insisted, trying to step away from the vampire.

His hand came out to stop her, however, falling onto her stomach. Only his hand fell through her shirt, and straight to her bare skin. Goose bumps rose on her arms as he forced her backwards to meet his chest.

"How foolish are you?" his voice lowered, a hiss to his tone. "To be out here alone where Jackson could easily reach you."

"It was just for a few…" she trailed off at the sound of his growl. "I was fine."

Before he could utter another word, his progeny appeared before her, his eyes narrowed into slits. Godric sighed as he released her, Henley huffing when she stumbled at the loss of contact. She was quickly rewarded with Eric's hands curled around her arms and her back meeting with the nearest tree. She whimpered in pain, but the sound died the moment he bared his fangs down at her.

"What is it with you humans and endangering your lives?" Eric growled, his fingers digging into her arms.

"I was fine," Henley repeated, but when he squeezed her arms again, she had a feeling she was going to have a few more added bruises in the morning. "Really, I was…"

"Stop speaking. You make my ears bleed."

"Well then loosen up there, Hulk," she squirmed under his glare. "You're hurting me. Don't want to make that maker of yours mad, do you?"

His maker actually glared at her instead, causing a small pout to form on her lips. The warning had worked, however, the Viking shoving away from her and instead paced before her.

"Could you be anymore foolish? Do you have a death sentence?" he tossed her dark looks with every pass. "I can't keep my word to my maker if you wander off at every chance."

"Yeah well, you can't keep a girl locked up for days on end. I see the sun through a window now. It's driving me mad," Henley reasoned. "I just needed a few minutes to…"

"I don't care. You will stay inside from now on. Is that clear? I don't have time to keep track of your idiotic schemes. Do as I say," when Henley crossed her arms stubbornly, Eric stopped and curled his hands into tight fists. "Or else I'll be the one to end your miserable existence."

As much as she wanted to retort, she wasn't stupid enough to goad the Viking. He was furious enough; egging him on would only lead to more bruises. Or worse.

"Okay, I'm sorry. No more adventures ten feet from the front door," she pulled a face. "Now is there a reason you're here, or did you just want to ogle Sookie?"

His glare never wavered, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Well?"

"Jackson is smart," he continued his pacing, all but ignoring that she was there. "My sources have found nothing other than what he wants the public to believe. I doubt that's even his name, just an identity he wants others to buy into."

"So he's a handsome, successful pediatrician with a very adorable dog that could do no wrong."

"Essentially," he ran his fingers through his slicked back locks.

Henley's shoulders dropped. "We know nothing. This psycho is literally two steps ahead of us, and we know nothing about who he is or what he wants."

"I've contacted those that owe me favours; all we can do is wait."

"I don't like waiting," she sighed heavily. Waiting was never good. It only gave Jackson longer to put together a foolproof plan and plenty of time to attack. They couldn't even protect themselves. They didn't know what to look for, what to expect. How were they going to manage to survive this witch? "What are we going to do, Eric?"

"You aren't going to have these escapades again," he told her pointedly. "We don't know where he is; he could be just biding his time until you're alone. You need to be more careful."

She knew he was right, but she hated it. One more day stuck in that house and she was going to lose it. But did she want to risk her life, or her sanity? The latter she could at least try to get back.

"Okay," Henley relented. "No more stupid ideas. Just…is there anything I can do? I feel useless just sitting here and waiting."

"Just stay alive," he motioned her forward. "Come, the longer you're out here, the more trouble you're likely to get yourself into. Now."

But she couldn't move. A hand was planted on her shoulder, forcing her to remain against the tree. Henley sent Godric an annoyed expression, but his frown never faltered as he kept his hold in place. When Eric growled, Henley rolled her eyes at the frustrating ghost.

"Henley," Eric warned.

"Well tell you're maker then!" Henley attempted to push the ghost away, but he wouldn't budge. "Godric."

"Tell him you'll be there momentarily. No harm will come to you," when Henley stared at him reluctantly, he added more pressure to her shoulder.

"Okay okay, Jesus," Henley shook her head, relaying the message to the Viking. "Don't give me that look, you big ogre. You're maker isn't giving me much of a choice here."

"Godric," Eric stared at where he assumed his maker to be.

"Make it known that he can consider this a maker's command."

She didn't understand what he meant, but she once again relayed his words. Eric, if possible, paled further before rushing back up to the house without another word. Her eyebrow rose in surprise; she would have to remember that in the future. Just throw out that message, pretend Godric was there, and maybe she could get the Viking to do as she pleased.

"I do hope you realize I am not leaving your side for a single moment."

"That might make things awkward when I have to go to the bathroom," she pointed out, only to huff when Godric's other hand met with her hip.

"This isn't time for jokes, Henley. You could have been in danger tonight. You could have been…"

Henley moved her hands in front of her, attempting to push Godric away. Instead, he remained exactly where he was, her hands now just resting on his chest. She frowned, but never moved them.

"I just needed to breathe, Godric. I needed to think without someone hovering around me every second of the day. Maybe sneaking out here wasn't exactly smart, but I needed it," she shot a glance around them, a smile almost breaking out at the calmness that was still settled in the air.

Godric raised an eyebrow in doubt. "You came to a cemetery to think?"

She only shrugged. It didn't make sense. But there had been a certain pull that tugged her into its depths. It was a tug she almost didn't want to leave. The spirits that floated about, they felt so harmless, so at peace, that it was like this nice little bubble that no one wanted to burst. It was unlike anything Henley had ever witnessed before. Usually the ghosts were erratic and determined to get her help. But these ones? It was as if they were content on exactly where they were, just as Sookie's Gran had been.

"It's different," it was the only way Henley could explain it. "Invigorating almost."

Godric's eyebrows furrowed at that. "You just continue to intrigue me, my little troublemaker."

"I feel like I should be insulted," she eyed him warily. "And lets not make that nickname a thing."

"Well perhaps you should stop finding yourself in trouble."

"I wasn't in trouble. The two of you just overreacted. Like father like son, I guess," Henley snorted. "Seriously, you both need to cool it just a smidge."

"I don't think I will ever be able to 'cool it' when it involves you," Godric admitted before his hand fell from her shoulder. "Eric's growing impatient."

A smirk grew. "Well then, maybe we should just wait a few more minutes."

"My child would not like that."

"Exactly."

A/N: Ignore the Marvel references. I'm obsessed and it snuck in there. Shhhh

I know there isn't much action happening at the moment, but I promise there will be plenty upcoming. I have some hilarious scenes upcoming in the next chapter as well as a scene with a deceased Bon Temps resident (any guesses on who? We've already had Gran) to tide you over until the huge story changer occurs.