Marina had no idea how to tell her brother that she knew where the sheriff that he thought was missing was so she chose to keep it herself instead. If she told him then he'd tell Isabel and then they'd all come in guns blazing and shit would go south. 

"Would you like a moment to gather your thoughts, Ms. Maria?" Godric asks the woman as she turns to face him. It's been two weeks since he was 'captured' and they have learnt quite a bit about each other in that time frame.

Godric could sense that his progeny was worried for him but he'd closed off their bond from his end so that Eric couldn't use it to track him down.

Godric doesn't know how she managed to get him to open up to her but open up she did.

He'd been surprised to find himself telling her about his progenies, Eric and Nora, and his grand-progeny, Pamela, and how they each entered his life, with both of his progenies on the brink of death.

"Hmm?" she asks him. She hadn't heard a thing he said. She was too busy stressing about what she and her brother had been talking about.

According to Joseph the vampires of Texas were discreetly searching for Godric but the prime suspect for his disappearance was the Fellowship and they were trying to gather evidence to see whether an attack on the Fellowship was well worth the risk or not.

Isabel was the only one thinking rationally about Godric's disappearance because apparently Godric's other underling Stan was ready to rip into every single person on the Fellowship grounds.

"Is everything alright with you? You seem...disoriented tonight" he says to her as she goes to grab a seat in the chair a few feet from his cell.

"Joe told me something this morning" she reveals. The early hours of the morning just before the sun was about to rise was when she would call her brother and they would chat. "He said that the vampires of Dallas are searching for you" she adds.

"I would expect nothing less" he replies. It's true. As sheriff it is completely understandable that they would search for him if he disappears.

"Surely you realise now how catastrophic it'll be if word gets out that you're here?" she adds.

The Fellowship and the vampires already have a terrible history given that Steve Newlim accused vampires of killing his family.

"You are the only one who has this knowledge and you haven't shared it with your brother yet" he points out.

"I'm tempted to" she replies.

"But you wouldn't" he replies with honesty, "you aren't the oath breaking type" he responds. He'd made her swear that she would not tell Joseph or Isabel that he was with the Fellowship.

"Then maybe I should start becoming one" she retorts with a scowl as she bites on the end of the pen that she held in her hands. "Joe says that the only person keeping them from storming this place is Isabel" she adds.

"She always had been the more rational of my underlings" he adds.

"As opposed to Stan?" she asks him. She's never met the vampire but she has heard Joe and Isabel mention him numerous times. Mostly about how he'd give Isabel grey hairs, which is hard to do considering she's a vampire and she doesn't age.

"Stan has not yet accepted that we coexist with humans" he replies. His underling still saw humans as weaklings and food, not at all their equals.

Years ago Godric had been the same but he doesn't feel that he thinks like a vampire anymore.

"Stan's actions aren't on you" she points out.

"I am his sheriff. I am responsible for the actions of all the vampires in my area" he adds. He manages to sound guilty and heavy hearted even in his monotone voice, that's quite a feat.

"There you go again with that 'I'm responsible for everyone else bullshit" she sighs with an eyeroll, "everyone is responsible for themselves, sheriff. If a vampire goes out and attacks and kills someone how is that your fault?" she asks him.

"As sheriff––"

"I'm going to cut you right there" she interjects, "you are like a governing body and your job is to maintain the peace between vampires and humans. To push forward vampire-human relations if you will. One thing you are not – and I repeat, are NOT – is responsible for the poor actions of the vampires in your area" she informs him firmly as Godric sighs at the stubbornness that he hears in her voice.

"Do you always speak about everything with such passion?" he asks her.

"Yeah, I like to think so" she says with a light laugh that he's gotten quite used to hearing.

"And it doesn't exhaust you?"

"Nope" she says, popping the p. "I enjoy it" she admits.

"What interested you in a career in journalism of all things?" he asks her out of curiosity.

"My Dad" she admits, "he used to call me his little detective. I would drive him and my mother up the wall with my inquisitive nature. I wanted to know everything!" she adds with a light giggle at the memories. "I wanted to know the who, the what, the where and the how of anything and everything" she admits as her smile falls a bit and Godric assumes that she's thinking of a sad memory now.

Not even Joseph had gone in-depth about what had really happened to their parents.

"And then one night we were coming back from a fishing trip that they always took us on and something appeared out of nowhere and caused my Dad to swerve to try and avoid hitting it" she says as she recalls those dark memories, "the loss of control caused our car to overturn and then all I remember after that is darkness" she adds.

"And that is how you lost your parents?" he asks her.

"I know that you're thinking and no, it wasn't vampires" Marina comments. "It was...something else" she adds softly.

"How can you know for sure?"

"Because we have no idea where they are" Marina informs him as he quirks a confused brow at this. "They just...disappeared as if they had never been there" she adds, "when the police found me and Joe we were all bloody and had a few broken bones but our parents were nowhere to be found" she adds.

"Vampires–"

"It wasn't vampires" she cuts him off, deep in thought.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I saw a glimpse of it" Marina reveals. "It was like..." she trails off as she shakes her head at the memory. Her childhood therapist told her that it had all been nothing but an overactive childhood imagination and that her trauma had caused her to create a 'monster' as a way of coping. "Anyway, that's why I chose journalism. I wanted to bring peace to people with answers that the police and public authorities might not provide them with" she adds.

"To go further than other people dare to go" Godric comments as she nods at this. "A career in journalism is quite dangerous though" he adds, "some people don't like their truths being exposed" he points out wisely.

"No career is without its own fair share of dangers" she retorts dismissively. "Besides, I'm willing to take the risk with journalism" she adds.

"Your brother was right in stating that you are brave" Godric tells her.

"Courage. Stupidity. There's only a thin line that separates the two of them" she retorts with a dismissive, casual shrug of the shoulders.

"Why does it seem like your words are ambiguous?" he asks her as she chortles at this. It seemed an awful lot like she was calling him stupid or courageous for giving himself up to the Fellowship, and having spent 2 weeks talking to her it's more than likely the former.

"Take them how you will, sheriff" she replies with a laugh and a simple shrug.

Godric thinks of the story that she's shared with him about the disappearance of her parents. Vampires are more than capable of pulling off something like that. But what he finds strange is why they took the parents and left the kids.

Vampires who attack humans wouldn't just stop at attacking human kids too. In fact, they'd have probably started with the kids as they claim kids are more delicious.

"Don't think so much or you'll fry your brain" she teases with a half-hearted laugh.

"Pardon me for asking, Maria, but did they ever find the bodies of your parents?"

"No" she shakes her head. "Never did" she adds. "You know" she starts with a humorless laugh, "people actually said that they abandoned us" she adds, "but that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard" she says as she frowns at the memory. " I mean who would take their children on a fishing trip, wait for an accident to happen to them that might potentially kill them too and then take off after that?"

"The very idea is without substance" Godric agrees with her. The ignorance of humans never fails to surprise him.

"Tell that to the dumbass state attorney who had the case closed" she grumbles underneath her breath, knowing that he can hear her.

"What exactly was their line of argument? Your parents waited for the opportune moment and then abandoned you and your brother?" he asks her.

"It breaks my heart to say it but common sense isn't all that common, sheriff" she says with mock sadness. "Our conversation took a seriously dark turn" she says in hopes of steering their conversation in a lighter direction, "tell me about you" she adds.

"Me?" he asks in surprise. They've been talking for two weeks and she's never really asked him about himself aside from when she asked him about his accent.

"Yeah. About your life in Gaul and so forth" she adds.

"I'm afraid that conversation would be much darker than our previous one" he adds.

"Sheesh" she flinches at the thought. "I think we need to buy a bottle of vodka and some True Bloods and down some whenever our conversations turn dark" she adds as Godric regards the human in amusement. That emotion is a constant whenever he around her he's coming to find.

"I don't see the Fellowship being so accepting of you feeding their captive" he retorts.

"I'll sneak them in" she shrugs, "I have my ways, believe me" she says with a playful wink directed at him. "I have to get going before Gabe storms in here and beats me with socket wrench" she says as she starts to rise from her seat.

"You are not fond of him?"

"Gabe? Oh no, we're besties" she says sarcastically as she crosses her fingers, "just like this" she adds. "Never mind that he probably wishes that I was dead in a ditch somewhere and I wish that he was hit by a bus" she adds. "Besties for life" she says in a sing-song manner as she heads for the door. "See you tomorrow, sheriff" she adds.

He'd asked her to call him Godric but she refused. She didn't really tell him why she did.

"I look forward to our next conversation" he comments as she turns to face him with a genuinely happy smile.

"Me too" she replies as she walks out, frowning as she does.

"You were in there for longer than usual today" Gabe comments in a suspecting tone as he crosses his arms and watches her carefully.

"He had more to share" she replies.

"You better not be turning soft of us" he warns her, "because this church knows how to deal with vampire sympathizers" he threatens her as she glares at him. If looks could kill he'd be lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Vampire sympathizer? You better take take shit back" she hisses out venomously, projecting her hatred for him into her words. "I ain't no god damn vampire sympathizer and fuck you for thinking I am" she says.

"Well now, ain't we just a lil' too triggered" he says.

"You got a problem with me, Gabe?"

"I got my eye on you, Maria" he retorts. "I know that you're up to something an' I ain't gon' stop 'til I know just what it is" he adds.

"Then you're going to be searching for a long time, Gabe, because I have nothing to hide" she retorts in the strongest voice that she can muster. "But if you think that you're better handled to talk with the vampire then I'll gladly step aside and let you deal with him" with your podunk ass she adds internally.

"I'm watchin' you" he comments.

"Right back at you, buddy" she retorts firmly as she walks off. She can feel his eyes on her but she refuses to prove him right as she walks off at a cool pace. Internally she's a whirlwind of thoughts. If Gabe has his doubts about her then whose to say that Steve Newlin doesn't either.

"Fuck" she whispers in near panic as she pulls out her phone and starts texting her sleeping brother. She isn't going to tell him about Godric because she promised not to but she is going to tell him that they probably won't be able to talk as much given that the Fellowship could smell a rat.

⚜️Dig Down Deep⚜️

"That Jason Stackhouse sure is cute ain't he?" Claire says with a dreamy sigh as she watches the newest youth member of the Fellowship as he sat with his friends.

"Oh yeah, he's a dream boat" Marina retorts sarcastically but Claire doesn't pick up on that as she sighs dreamily.

"I know right?" she says, "you should totally go out with Cecil" she says, referring to the only other African-American person in the Fellowship.

"My dream come true" Marina retorts sarcastically as she takes a sip of her water. This time Claire does pick up on the sarcasm.

"I swear Maria" Claire says in exasperation. "Cecil is handsome and y'all would simply be the cutest thing in the world since kittens" she gushes.

Because all black people should ONLY date other black people, right? Marina comments dryly internally. Claire was just another racist that was raised to pretend that they are anything but.

"Then why don't you date him?" Marina asks her. Claire's eyes go wide at this and Marina can see that she's the type that was raised to never bring a black man home or they'd be thrown out with a quickness.

"I - I like Jason" Claire retorts as if that answers everything.

Yeah right.

"Why?" Marina asks her dryly.

"Because he's...he's dreamy" she gushes with a dreamy sigh. "He's so handsome" he adds. "And he's savin' himself for his wife" she adds.

Marina chokes on her water at this. Now there's a joke if she ever heard one! Jason Stackhouse was definitely NOT a virgin, she could tell.

He was a player through and through.

"What? You don't think that's a good thing?" she asks Marina, misunderstanding the reason that Rina choked on her water.

"I think it's noble of him" Marina lies, "He's...as pure as they come" she says, biting on her lower lip to keep from laughing as Claire nods at this. Marina takes a sip of her water. She doesn't know Jason Stackhouse personally but she knows a player when she sees one and Jason has definitely popped his cherry.

A long time ago in fact.

Bless Claire's heart.

If Jason was a virgin then Marina herself was the virgin Mary.

⚜️Dig Down Deep⚜️

"Now Maria, you've become a member of this here family" Steve comments, "but it's been brought to my attention that you're something of a...vampire sympathizer" Steve adds.

Fucking Gabe!

"Me?" Marina asks with as much disgust as she can muster. "Pastor, did you hear these news from Gabe by any chance?" she asks him.

"Sure thing" he replies.

"It couldn't be the furtherest thing from the truth" Marina replies, "I hate vampires and anything connecting with those dead monsters" she adds.

"So Gabe's accusations are false?"

"Yes" Marina nods.

"Now why would he go and do that?"

Because I'm black and that alone makes me distrustful in his eyes.

"I don't know" Marina admits, "I'm just sad that he had to resort to such disgusting lies" she adds. "But then again poor Gabe did lose a wife to a vampire" she adds as Newlin's eyes widen at this.

"How - How did you know?" he asks her in shock, surprised that she knows this.

Because I overheard Sarah talking about it once. Duh!

"I'm studyin' psychology, pastor, which means that I read people" she replies. "Gabe's anger at losing his wife to a vampire is something he projects onto other women" she adds.

"He probably – no, I shouldn't even say it" she says as she pretends to be at odds about revealing something.

"What?" Steve asks, leaning closer in anticipation.

"He probably thinks all women want to..." she gives a dramatic shudder at this, "fornicate" she whispers shyly, "with those vampire dogs" she adds.

"To think such a thing is disgusting" he adds. "The ones who betray their race for those monsters are just as much monsters" he says.

"Amen, pastor. Amen" she says. Their conversation is cut by his secretary announcing that Jason Stackhouse was here to speak with him.

"You can return to work, Maria. And bless his holy light" he says as they rise from their seats.

"Bless his holy light" she comments with a tight smile as she heads for the door. She opens it and is met by the sight of Jason Stackhouse.

"Sorry" he says to Marina in his southern accent, "I - I didn't know you were still busy" he directs to Steve. "I can come back later if y'all like" he adds.

"No such thing!" Steve says a little too eagerly, "Maria here was just leaving, weren't you, Maria?!" he says as she turns to face him with a smile.

"Oh yes pastor" she says as she sidesteps Jason as he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, grinning at her as he does. What a flirt. "God bless y'all" she says as she closes the door behind her.

Seems like Claire isn't the only klutzy blonde in the Fellowship.

Newlin seemed rather excited to see Jason and Marina decides to investigate that when she gets the chance.

"Irony thou art sweet" Marina comments with a chuckle as she waves goodbye to Steve's secretary, Mrs. Nederburg as she walks out of his offices.

Jason probably doesn't even notice that Newlin has a crush on him. Then again given how he'd been staring at her like he took one too many blows to the head, she doesn't think that she's entirely surprised.

A/N: I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter.✌️