CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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          THE ROOM WAS COVERED IN DUST, PARTS OF CONCRETE AND GLASS SHARDS LITTERED AROUND THE HOME. You could barely see two fingers in front of your eyes due to the dust that floated through the air. The floor was wet, water pipes had burst and vampires had exploded from the impact of the bomb.

Dakota could practically smell the scent of burned flesh and blood and it was nauseating. The woman was sprawled on the wooden floor, head aching from the blast. Slowly, she managed to push herself up to see her legs and dress covered in vampire guts. Blood ran down her legs and she grimaced, shaking them to get some of it off.

It was oddly quiet in the room as some still tried to get over the shock of what had happened, and as Dakota turned her head she saw Eric on the floor beside her. He looked much the same as she did, though he did have wounds of his own. He had his eyes closed and the woman crawled over to him, worried.

"Eric," she shook his shoulder.

He wasn't dead, or there would be no Eric at all. He opened his eyes, though squinting as his eyes found hers, pained expression on his face. He had shielded her from the blast, throwing himself before her when Luke had pulled the trigger. Eric was covered in shards of silver that had penetrated deep within his skin.

"Fuck," she breathed, hands hovering over him. "what can I do?"

"Nothing," he grunted, unable to move. "I can already feel them pushing themselves out. Just give it a moment."

He was right, as Dakota watched him in worry she saw how his skin healed, pushing the shards of silver toward the surface. She flicked them off the moment they reached the surface of his skin and Eric let out a relieved sigh at the feeling. He sat up, resting on his elbows as he watched her brush the last few pieces of silver off of him.

"Why on earth would you do that? You could have died."

Eric hadn't seemed to care as he cradled her head away from the blast and he shrugged his shoulders. "Pam would have my head. I think she has taken a liking toward you and she doesn't like anyone."

"You're a fucking idiot." He grinned, liking it when she swore. "I gotta find Jason." she urged, getting to her feet and calling out for her cousin.

Dakota had no idea where Jason was, he had disappeared after he'd spoke to Godric and she hadn't seen him since. God, she really hoped he wasn't anywhere near the blast and panic bubbled within her chest as she looked around the room frantically, calling out his name.

"Kota?"

Jason's head popped out from behind a hole in the wall, eyes wide. He didn't seem to be in pain, just covered in dust, not a speck of blood on him and she sighed in relief as she rushed over to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I knew him!" said Jason, still in shock. "I fucking knew him, Kota."

"It's okay," she shushed him. "we're okay."

As she let go of her cousin she took in the real damage to the home. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed, there was a small fire coming from the hallway, the walls were splattered with blood, cries could be heard from all over the home and body parts of human companions were thrown across the room. It was a sight that would haunt her nightmares for awhile.

The woman tried not to gag as parts of a vamp slid down the wall in a big blop of slime.

"We need to get out of here," she muttered, turning to Eric who had gotten up from the floor, glancing around the room. "before someone else decides to finish the job."

A cold hand wrapped itself around her forearm and Dakota turned to see Godric beside her, brows furrowed. He seemed worried as he looked at her, then to his progeny. There was a sadness behind his eyes as he took in his broken home. The vampires that did survive had stumbled into the room in search of their sheriff.

"Six of us are dead, three human companions." he said mournfully. "They might come back. Head back to Hotel Carmilla, they've been alerted, security is in place."

Godric made no move to leave the room as he watched the vampires from his nest leave. Eric gave a nod to his maker, guiding Dakota and Jason from the home.

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THE WATER THAT POOLED AT HER FEET HAD TURNED PINK AS THE SHOWER WASHED AWAY ALL THE BLOOD AND GRIME FROM HER BODY. The hot water ran through her hair, bubbles of soap running through the long blonde strands. It felt good to wash off the stench of human remains.

It was early in the morning and Eric had dropped her and Jason off at her hotel room before he had disappeared into his own, dead for the day.

Godric had been right, the entire hotel had security walking around, eyes sharp to any humans that might have ill intentions toward them. They had no idea if the Fellowship would send more bombers, and it was something they didn't want to find out.

As Dakota stepped out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around her hair, drying off quickly and pulling on her sleep shirt. With her hand, she wiped away the condensation on the mirror and frowned at herself. Being locked up in a basement with zero to no sleep really did horrible things for the bags underneath her eyes.

"Can't sleep?" she asked as she got out of the bathroom, seeing her cousin on the bed flipping through channels on tv.

"Nah," he sighed, shutting the device off and scooting to rest against the headboard.

Dakota sat beside him, running the towel through her hair before throwing it to the carpeted floor. She was worried about her cousin, he had been quiet since they'd gotten to the hotel and he seemed more distant than usual. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he nodded, though he didn't seem too convinced of himself. "I just regret coming here, is all."

"Was The Fellowship the 'Malboro Baptist' church you told me about?" asked Dakota, as she faced him. Jason did the same, crossing his legs as he rested his elbows on his knees. He had told her about church camp at Merlotte's the week before.

"It was," he confirmed. "I know I lied. I shouldn't have, but they made me think I was worth something."

"You are worth something," she frowned. "you are a star in Bon Temps. Everyone always thought you hung the moon."

"No, that ain't true." he said, though his cheeks tinted crimson slightly. "Well, they like my athletics, and my good looks ... and my sex abilities, but they don't like me for me."

"That is not true, Jason." she announced, brows furrowed, affronted he would even think like that. "You're amazing, don't let anyone make you doubt yourself."

Jason shot her a small smile, shrugging his shoulders before continuing, "And Steve and Sarah, well, they acted like they did care, before they tried to kill me. They stopped my mind from going around and around thinking about ... well, other stuff."

"What other stuff?" she asked, though her cousin shook his head, not wanting to elaborate. "But Soldiers of the Sun? Didn't you for one second think what gran would say? Guns and suicide bombers? That's not like you at all."

"Don't," he began, eyes brimming with tears. "don't talk about gran. I won't talk about her, I can't."

"Why?" asked Dakota. "you've barely spoken of her since ..."

"Because I ... because I don't wanna feel anythin'."

Her heart ached for Jason. He always put up such a brave face, ignoring his own feelings and pretending not to care about anything. He hadn't always been like that, it began when his parents died that Jason shut off his true feelings for anyone.

"We have to talk about her." tried Dakota. "We can't stop remembering her or loving her because it hurts too much. She's never stop loving us, would she?"

"No,"

"We'll keep her alive in our hearts, and our prayers." said Dakota, silent tears streaming down her face. "That's the way it's gotta be."

"And our mamas," sniffed Jason. "and our fathers?"

Dakota grabbed his hand between hers, moving her thumb over his skin of his palm in comfort. "That's right, just like them."

"Our whole family is gone, Kota." he said, eyes falling to their hands intertwined. "It's just us and Sook. Everybody who counts. We're all alone. We're all that's left. I'm sorry about everything I ever done to you and Sook. I'm a dumbass fuck-up."

"You wouldn't be if you used your brain instead of just letting it take up space in your skull." she joked and he smacked her shoulder with a frown. "I love you, Jason. No matter what. Even if I want to stick your head in a bucket and kick it around the yard sometimes."

"And I love you," he smiled, genuinely as he squeezed her hand in his. "even though I wish you cooked for me more."

Dakota let out a laugh, shaking her head in amusement. "I will make you whatever you want when we get back home." His eyes lit up and the woman brought him into a hug as Jason rested his head in the crook of her neck. Dakota smiled softly, planting a kiss on his cheek as she released him. "Now, enough with all this emotional stuff, let's see what's on tv, yeah?"

They scooted backwards to rest against the headboard as Dakota turned on the tv, immediately frowning at the people displayed on the screen.

"Can you believe they're on already?" scoffed Jason.

Steve and Sarah Newlin were on the screen, talking to Nan Flanagan, spokesperson for the American Vampire League. Steve sported a dark red mark on his forehead from where Jason had shot him with the paintball gun. Sarah looked stressed, dark marks underneath her eyes that makeup wasn't able to cover up.

"You kidnapped a prominent member of our community." accused Nan, face unmoving as she stared at the reverend distastefully.

Sarah gaped at her, affronted. "He volunteered!"

"Did he?" asked Dakota, glancing up at Jason.

"I didn't even know he was there." fretted the eldest Stackhouse.

"He came to us!" added Sarah.

"Because everyone wants to be burned at the stake?" Nan raised a brow, trying to keep her cool as she spoke with these hateful humans. "You use your tax-exempt and religious institution as and anti-vampire terrorist enclave. You send in a suicide bomber that killed vampires and humans alike."

"We are fighting for God's green earth and daytime and Christmas and Easter Eggs and all that's sacred and good! We are fighting for -" Sarah rambled, face turning a funny shade of red as she made herself more angrier with each word she spoke.

"Human rights!" Steve interrupted.

"May I finish my thought?" she glared, turning to her husband.

"What, you were done."

Sarah laughed humourlessly, shaking her head on live television. "If he's not the center of attention, he just flips out."

Dakota grimaced. "They're cuckoo."

"There's a witch and a son of a bitch. Fuck you, Newlin's."

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HIS FINGERS RAN DOWN THE NAKED SKIN OF HER WAIST AS ERIC TRAILED A PATERN DOWN TOWARD WHERE THE SHEETS POOLED AROUND THE CURVE OF HER HIPS. He gave her a toothy grin as her dark eyes found his ocean blue ones. Dakota really loved to stare at his eyes and count the specks of different kinds of colours within them.

When he reached her hips, he slowly moved his fingers back up her skin and toward her shoulder, leaving goosebumps in his wake. His eyes darkened when he noticed how her nipples hardened before his eyes. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing the inside of her palm lovingly.

"Finish your sentence." he murmured, planting another kiss on her skin.

"What was I saying?" She truly didn't remember what they were talking about, as if she'd just stepped into this moment a second ago.

"You were telling me why you'd be a terrible vampire and I was disagreeing."

Dakota scrunched up her nose. "Well, for starters I don't feel right without a tan." Eric laughed, showing teeth and all and it was a sight she could never get tired of. "It's true! And i'd rather be alive than undead. And then ya'll are always killing."

"You've killed a man." he stated.

"But that was for self-defense, not for lunch."

Dakota still had nightmares when she'd think about killing Rene, someone whom she had loved and trusted. How he had killed her grandmother was horrific. Though she had tried to give it a place, it never got easier and she frowned. Eric brushed a strand of hair from her face before entwining their fingers again, nuzzling into her hand.

"Oh, you'd adapt, like we all do." he said. "Trade the sun for moon and stars."

Their noses were almost touching as Dakota leaned in, feeling the chill of his naked body beside hers. The woman shook her head, slight smile on her features as she trailed her fingers up and down his chest.

"Uh-uh," she hummed. "not me, I want them all."

Another laugh bubbled from Eric's throat. "My girl is greedy."

"Yeah, I am."

"I love it." he pressed his lips to her own and her eyes closed automatically as she deepened the kiss. He moved his body so he was hovering over her own, skin pressing to hers in a cold comforting blanket. He pulled back, peppering her face in kisses. "You have the right temperament for a vampire."

"What?" she raised a brow. "I'm high maintenance, bloodthirsty and old as dirt?"

"Ah, bloodthirsty, yes."

"I am not!" she smacked at his shoulder, trying to glare but couldn't hold it so tried to hide a smile in his neck instead.

"Everybody thinks you're a darling, don't they?" he pulled away, holding her cheeks in his hands to get a good look at her.

"I am a darling." she defended.

His full body weight was on hers, but she didn't mind, she found it comforting as she ran her hands through his blonde locks. Eric brushed his thumb over her bottom lip and smiled. "Yeah, but you're ruthless when it comes to the people you love. You'll do anything for them. Your cousins, your friends ... me."

"The first time I met you," she began. "I thought you were just made of cold hard stone, and empty inside."

"And now?" he wondered.

"You're a big faker." she smiled. "You're deep, you feel and care. There's love in you."

"Only for you, Dakota."

Eric brought his lips to hers again and Dakota sighed happily, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Slowly, his body slipped away from hers and she opened her eyes, frowning in confusion. Her eyes widened when she saw a fully clothed Eric sitting at the foot of her bed, watching her with that infuriating smirk of his. He wore all black, and she could see the muscles of his biceps through the thin material.

God, she had another dream and she cussed herself for it, even though there was nothing she could do about it. The shower in the bathroom was on and Jason was no longer in the room, having disappeared to shower half an hour ago.

"Another dream?" he grinned, toying with the bedsheets beside him. His eyes were darker and she fought off the urge to smack him over the head. "Tell me, what were we doing? Anything dirty?"

Dakota only shot him a glare as she sat up, kicking his thigh through the covers, which made him chuckle. He really thought he could just barge into her room unannounced to watch her sleep and in times like this she was reminded how little he knew of boundaries sometimes.

"If I could dream," he began. "i'm sure they'd be filled with all sorts of dirty things about you."

"You're insufferable." Dakota glared. "I don't know why I helped you."

"Because you love me."

"I do," she nodded, though the glare never left her face. "during the day, when you're dead and I don't have to see your ugly face."

"You wound me." he barked out a laugh, patting her leg through the covers. "Anyway, you should get ready. Nan Flanagan is here and she has requested everyone to join her in Godric's room."

"The woman from tv?" she frowned. "What does she want?"

"Hell if I know." he shrugged, getting up from the bed and leaving her to get changed.

Dakota slipped from the bed, pulling on a pair of jeans quickly. Changing into a bra and button up blouse she slid on her shoes. The shower was still running and she could hear Jason sing softly trough the door. He would be fine on his own and Dakota left the room.

Eric was waiting for her by the door and led her to Godric's room, which was on the same floor as their own.

"While we're in there," began Eric, turning his head to look at her. "try not to speak unless you're spoken to. Nan isn't as kind in real life as she makes herself out to be on television."

"Okay," she nodded.

Inside she saw the Dallas sheriff and he offered her a genuine smile as she sat down beside him, Eric on her other side. Isabel sat in front of them, though she was staring at the floor, still upset about Hugo.

Nan Flanagan didn't acknowledge them as she talked away on the phone, two of her guards behind her with their arms crossed over their chest. The woman radiated arrogance and Dakota understood what Eric had meant when he said she was different than on television.

"Where do I even start?" she began, dropping her phone beside her on the chair. "Do you have any fucking idea of the PR mess you've made? And who has to fucking clean that shit up? Me. Not you, me. I should drain everyone of you."

"Stan went after the church on his own." said Eric. "None of us knew anything about it."

"Oh, really? Because everyone who met Stan in the last three hundred years knew that he had a kink about slaughtering humans. But you? His nest mates, his sheriff, had no clue?"

Isabel scoffed, shaking her head. "How are we supposed to know that this time he meant it?"

"Not my problem." she turned to Godric. "Yours."

Eric let out a snarl. "Don't talk to him that way."

"Don't talk to me that way." shot Nan, giving him a death stare. "Let's get to the point. How did they manage to abduct you?"

"They would have taken us sooner or later." said Godric, sigh escaping his lips as he looked at the blonde vampire. "I offered myself."

Eric who sat beside Dakota stiffened, he'd look like a statue if you saw him from afar. Normally, Dakota would have laid a hand on his knee to calm him down, but she didn't know how he'd react to it, not now.

"Why?"

"Why not." said Godric.

Nan looked at him as if he'd grown an another head in the last few seconds. "They wanted you to meet the sun and you were willing?"

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I think you're out of your mind." said Nan, not believing what she was hearing. "And then I hear about a traitor."

Dakota glanced up at Isabel, who had gone awfully quiet as she thought about Hugo. He was long gone by now and she had decided not to follow after him, at least not now with everything that was going on.

"Irrelevant," said Godric with a shake of his head. "only a rumour. I take full responsibility."

"You bet you will." agreed Nan.

"You cold bitch." seethed Eric, scooting to the edge of his seat.

"Listen," she began, rolling her eyes. "this is a national vampire disaster and nobody at the top had any sympathy for any of you. Sheriff, you fucked up. You're fired."

"I agree, of course." nodded Godric, solemnly. "Isabel should take over. She had no part in my disgrace."

Isabel looked at her sheriff, brows furrowed as she shook her head. "Godric, fight back."

"What are you saying?" Eric barked, turning to his maker in anger. "She's a bureaucrat. You don't have to take shit from her!""

"You wanna lose your area, viking?" Nan challenged.

"You don't have that kind of power."

"Hey, i'm on tv. Try me."

"I'm to blame." confessed Isabel, trying to diffuse the tension in the room. Eric was about ready to rip the woman's head off, Godric seemed awfully content and Dakota had no idea what she was doing there in the first place. This didn't seem like the place for her to be at all. "I should have contained Stan the second Godric went missing."

"Isabel," Godric shot her a look before turning back to face Nan. "I remove myself from all positions of authority."

"Fine by me." Nan shrugged.

"Ms. Flanagan?" Dakota said, not being able to stop herself as Eric shot her a look that told her to shut the hell up. "Godric rescued me from a really bad rapist who probably would have killed me too. And then he rescued humans in that church plus a whole lot of vampires. You think it's a PR mess now? It could have been a hundred, a million times worse than this. You should thank him."

Godric scqueezed her knee, sending her a small smile while shaking his head. Dakota frowned but kept her mouth shut at his silent request.

"For getting kidnapped?" she raised a brow. "For attracting a suicide bomber? For piss poor judgement? I think not. Besides, you have nothing important to say, you're human. None of this concerns you."

Beside her, Eric let out a growl, quite literally and stood up angrily, ready to pounce as his fangs appeared. Godric called his name, sternly. Eric hesitated, though his glare never left Nan's face as he stood in the middle of the room.

"It doesn't matter." said Godric, after telling his progeny to sit back down.

"What a fucking fiasco." Nan glared. "You're lucky i'm not sending you all to The Magister. Godric, come to my suite to fill out all the forms."

"Soon," nodded Godric. "first i have something to say. I'm sorry. I apologise for all the harm I have caused, for our lost ones, human and vampire. I will make amends, I swear it."

"Take it easy, it's just a few signatures." Nan raised a brow.

The woman vampire stood up from her chair, pocketing her phone before leaving the room, giving them one last look in distaste. Her two guards followed after as she disappeared into the hallway, Isabel on their heels.

Eric didn't say a word as he got up as well, pacing the room back and forth. Godric followed, standing before him so Eric had nowhere to go. The viking watched his maker with a mixture of sadness and anger, you couldn't really tell because Eric usually hid away anything to do with feelings.

"No," breathed Eric.

"Look into my heart." said Godric, grabbing his progeny's hand and placing it where his heart would have been beating had he be alive.

"You have to listen to me." Eric tried, desperately.

"There's nothing to say."

All Dakota could do was watch the two of them from where she sat, she didn't know wether to leave the room or not. Eric's eyes were brimming with bloody tears, threatening to spill and it freaked her out. Dakota had never seen Eric like this and her heart ached for him. By now, she knew exactly what Godric had tried to do, what he wanted.

"There is." Eric insisted.

"On the roof," Godric said, giving him a sad smile, eyes falling on Dakota as he left the room.

Not sure if I am happy with this chapter, but alas, here we are.