Love Beyond Time (True Blood)

1. The Past

 Everyone could tell that something was bothering the Sheriff. There was no light in his eyes, no shift in tone in voice, no visible emotion. Some may even say that he has lost his will or that he is tired of the same old things. Killing, feeding, commanding the same people, the same crime, and after 2, 000 years, nothing has changed with vampires. The majority remain as savage as they were born and after centuries of life, they have not learned to evolve. 

It was true. He was tired. And the only thing playing in his mind was the past. Call it reflection, call it trying to feel again. 

The night he made Nora, the night he made Eric, the night he himself was made by his sadistic master. His master, someone he never talks about, someone who he has never even named aloud, the one that took his life and heart twice. 

Godric doesn't regret killing him, he just has trouble forgiving him. There is a list that his maker, Cyprian, has done and it all starts with buying him. Slavery was common in Rome then, but not all slave owners were like Cyprian, who abused Godric in every possible way a vampire could abuse a human. He was merely a boy then, and he was still very young when he was turn into a vampire. And even as a vampire, Cyprian abused his power and didn't treat him any different as before. At first Godric didn't want to accept the moral nihilism that he came to live by for the first 1,000 years of his life. He tried to repress the savage, bloodthirsty, violent ways that were embedded in him by his maker. 

But the ultimate unforgivable sin was the murder of heart. The murder that made him have no regard for human life. His heart was in the human named Marcella, a roman young woman of his age whom he fell in love with. Marcella was the first person to act human towards him, she was kind, understanding, treated him equally, and showed him that there is beauty in life. She gave him love, which he gratefully took and gave as well. Appius, however, opposed the relationship and threatened to kill them both if Godric didn't glamour her to forget everything. That was the first time Appius gave Godric an option, and in return, Godric rose up and made Appius release him. Not wanting to be involved with Godric's crime, he granted release, and left. 

Marcella and Godric lived together happily and comfortably away from the Roman Empire but only for a few short time. Appius ascended the ranks of the ancient vampire councils, and led an expedition to expose Godric and Marcella. The punishment was the true death for Godric, and make Marcella a vampire. 

Godric wanted to make Marcella a vampire so they could be together for all eternity, but he was too hesitant to follow through. And he regrets being hesitant because Appius killed Marcella in front of Godric and in turn, Godric killed Appius. He tried to give his blood to Marcella, but she was gone. He interred her body in her native land, and from that moment, his humanity was stripped away. His home was the forest since he couldn't go back to civilization, and even when he did, he was violent. There was no right or wrong. There was only death or survival. 

Delaney was just another pastor's kid in the eyes of the world. Sweet, young, active in her community, loves kids, and has a loyal, God-fearing boyfriend. He was a student-athlete, a star in their high school, and is in love with his girlfriend. Despite having been dating for three years, Delaney doesn't think nor want to marry him. It's not because there is a lack of affection, but their parents already have a guest list and a savings account with a floor plan in the vault. She hasn't told them about her acceptance into an honors program in Italy. Her boyfriend, Adam, knows about Italy because he saw the letter in her room one time, and he also knows that Delaney has been hesitant when it comes to their future together. 

In Adam's perfect world, he would get a scholarship for football to go to University of Texas at Austin, Delaney would get in as an honors student there and maybe even become a cheerleader, the both would go to church on Sundays, and after graduating UT, Adam will propose at the Arboretum Garden at sunset, and she will say yes, and by the time they return from their honeymoon, their house will move in ready. But he knows that Delaney wants to travel and live and study in Europe, and as much as he supports her, he doesn't want her to leave.

In her own way, Delaney loves Adam and is very grateful for him in so many ways. But in a small corner in her heart, there has been a little tug that drives her away. A tug that makes her feel like its wrong to be with him, a tug she shakes away. 

A month ago, this young bright teenaged girl entered the doors of the Carmilla Hotel. She was wearing a light pink sundress paired with a denim jacket and flat sandals. Her light brown hair was in a ponytail, it was slightly curled, and by the look of the light makeup on her face, she was going somewhere afterwards. Entering the hotel was overwhelming for her, in fact, it felt wrong and she could feel her parents gasping behind her if they could see her now. At first she didn't think she'd have the guts to come, but you got to do what you got to do.

She wasn't the regular type the hotel checked in, and it was surprising to see someone of her likeliness there at sundown. The receptionist smiled, and greeted her.

"Welcome to the Carmilla Hotel. Do you have a reservation?" She asked politely.

"No m'am, I'm here to see someone. She's a guest here with her family, her name is Zoe Dawson." The girl responded.

And that's when two men and a woman walked into the lobby, on their way to the bar. One looked like one of those macho cowboys that own their land outside the city, the woman was very well dressed and looked as if she owned the place, and then there was a young man whose face looked so serene and austere. The three were all vampires. They saw her looking at them, and she made eye contact with one and felt her heart stop. For some reason it was like her should jumped out of her skin and ran to that stranger. A stranger that for some reason, looked familiar. 

"The Dawsons are checked in, I'll call Miss Zoe to inform her you are here. Can I take your name?"

The young man had to look twice to be reassured of who he just saw. A face too familiar as well, a face from a world of hundreds of years ago, so far away to be here, right now.

"Delaney Sawyer."