|SEVEN|
TO FADE AWAY

Warning: thoughts of suicide in the chapter

        Eira stared at the body of her mother before she fell to her knees. She started to sob as she stared at the lifeless body before she crawled through the blood.

        She touched her mother gently before she shook her form as she pleaded, "Mom, wake up. Please, wake up. Wake up. Mom."

        "Please, don't leave me," she begged as she cried while staring into her mother's lifeless eyes. "Don't leave me."

           While she sobbed, Eric appeared behind the scene. He had felt her overwhelming sadness and knew that something was wrong. Although, he was still shocked.

             "Eric, you can turn her, right?" Eira sobbed. "Please, save her for me. Please."

              Eira stared at him with those green eyes. They were filled with endless tears and he wanted to stop it but he couldn't.

             "Eira," he said carefully as he came closer. "She's gone."

           "Don't say that," she said defensively as her lips trembled before she clung to her mother's form tightly. "She's not gone. She can't be. She wouldn't leave me...."

            _____

           Eric now held her in his arms bridal-style outside. He eventually got her to let go of her mother but now she clung to him outside with quiet, little hiccuped sobs.

       The police had been called and they were now taking the body of her mother out of the house. They tried to ask her questions but Eric answered them all for her.

       "She found her like that and she didn't see anything," Eric glared. "That's all."

          With his glare, they didn't dare come near her again to bother her with questions. They were all too scared of the vampire that cradled her ever so gently.

          Once they were gone, Eric took her back inside and up the stairs. He set her down in her room and she noticed that she soaked his shirt in blood. She looked down at herself to find herself covered in it.

        She let out a choked sob as she stared at it, "I can't look at this."

          "You won't have to," he pushed her gently towards the bathroom. "Go wash it off."

        She did as he commanded. She shuffled into the bathroom before peeling off her bloody clothes. Then she got in the shower and watched as her mother's blood was washed down the drain. She couldn't help but let out a sob at that.

    When she got out, she came out in just a bath robe. She got into bed as Eric held her after he had taken off his ruined shirt. She clung to him tightly as Eric caressed the top of her head. She uttered hopelessly, "Eric, what am I going to do? That was my mom..."

"Shh," Eric soothed. "Just go to sleep. I'll take care of you."

      She sniffled as she snuggled her head against his chest. She thought of his words as she closed her eyes. I'll take care of you. And she eventually was able to fall asleep.

       _____

       When she woke in the morning, Eric was gone as expected. She got up before she went downstairs. She stared at the spot where her mother died to find it completely spotless.

           As she stared at it, she thought about how it was the first day she spent without her mother in the world. She merely went back upstairs and cried herself to sleep.

          When she woke up again, it was nearing evening. She found a whole bunch of flowers and food on her porch. She picked what looked the most appetizing and carried it inside. She tried to eat it but she found she didn't have any appetite.

            So she went back up the stairs and hid herself away in the covers of her bed. She didn't feel like getting up again, ever.

          As soon as the sky was covered in darkness, Eric was in her room and beside her. He wrapped his arms around her as he noticed she was still in the robe she wore when he left her last.

         She sniffled as she shuffled closer to him. She stared at him as Eric caressed her cheeks softly, "Did you clean up...all the blood?"

            "I didn't want you to see it again," Eric said considerately as he gazed at her delicately.

              Eira couldn't manage a smile but she was grateful. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his ever so softly as they shared a short, sweet kiss.

          Eric blinked in a haze at the touch of her lips and the warmth he felt from it. She placed a hand on his cheek as she gave him a soft stare before she snuggled her head against his chest and wished the world away.

           _____

           The funeral.

          Eira was in the cemetery with the rest of the people who came to pay their respects. She sat in a chair as she stared at the casket while the ceremony went on.

         "Man, this town just keeps getting sadder and sadder," she heard Lafayette mutter.

           Then it was time for her to give a speech. She went up to the podium before she started to speak.

"My mom, Meredith Lockhart, was a doctor. A lifesaver," her lips trembled before she started to cry. "But I just really wish I could've saved hers..."

Eira covered her face in her hands as she started to sob rather heavily. Lafayette gently grabbed her to guide her back to her seat, "Come on, sweet thing."

The funeral ended shortly after that and everyone gave her their condolences. The most genuine was Sookie as the woman placed a hand on her shoulder with a soft smile, "If you need anything, Eira, you just let me know."

But then everyone was gone. She was alone as she stared at the casket. She was practically catatonic as she just sat there and waited for it to be buried, six feet under the ground. Six feet...that separated the living and the dead and she wanted to take those six feet as she watched the casket get buried.

Once it was over, her feet carried her back home. As soon as she stepped into the house, she was reminded of how alone she was. Even though everyone gave her their condolences, they were just that: soothing words for the pitiful girl.

She'd always been that pitiful girl. The girl labeled an albino because of the way she looked even though she wasn't. No one could accept different but they could certainly pity it. It was why she didn't have any friends. Her only friend was her mother and that had been all she ever needed. She didn't know what to do without her.

She could only cry and when she got home, she took a shower to drown out her sobs. Once they died down, she let the tub fill with water and sat there in it.

She was hoping the warm water would soothe her but she could only hear the sound of silence. The silence that now made a home in her house, in her life. She'd never hear her mother's voice again and the thought turned her mind to a secret hell.

She started to cry again as sat in the water that turned cold. She shook her head at herself, wanting to stop feeling so sad. She doused her head under the water to shock herself with the cold instead of an empty feeling.

But as she did so, she kept her eyes open under the water. She started to wonder what it would be like to just fade away and let all of the heartache go. She wondered if she would see her mother as her lungs burned while she held her head under the water but then she thought of Eric.

         Her stomach churned at the thought of leaving him and she lifted her head out of the water, taking deep breaths. She thought about how he was an immortal and he wouldn't want her forever because he'd grow bored but she didn't care. She wanted him forever even if the care he bared her would fade away in his heart.

Her thoughts left Eric once her head was out of the water for a couple moments, she could hear knocking coming from her front door. She got of the tub before putting on a robe and heading downstairs. She was surprised to find Jason at the door.

"Jason?" she said as she let him in.

Jason had been high on V for a couple of days. But he'd heard rumors that she came into Merlotte's with a bite mark. He didn't want to believe it until now as he starred at the mark on her neck that was starting to scar.

"You've been with a fucking vampire, Eira?" his eyes blazed. "Are you out of your damn mind?"

Her eyes narrowed at him before they filled with tears, "I just buried my mother, Jason, and instead of asking how I am you come here to yell at me and judge my choices. Shame on you."

Jason blinked in confusion, "Buried your mother? She's...she's dead?"

She shook her head in disappointment at him as she sniffled, "Yes, Jason. The funeral was this morning..."

Her eyes turned into a glare, "Since it was so unimportant for you to be there, you can get out."

"Eira, I-I didn't know, okay?" Jason said softly. "I...fuck, I'm sorry."

Eira considered him for a moment before she was interrupted by glass breaking. The window right next to them broke as a flaming Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window.

         Her heart raced with fear as the glass shattered and Jason tackled her to the ground. He covered her body with his as they heard a shout outside, "Vampire fucker. Burn in Hell."

They heard the screech of tires as whoever it was drove off. But they had a much bigger problem as the Molotov cocktail hit the ground and the floor erupted in flames. She flicked her hand towards it and it quickly extinguished.

"Shit, we got lucky, uh?" Jason breathed in relief, not noticing that she controlled the fire as he looked down at her. "You alright?"

She merely nodded as she kept looking at the broken window. But Jason was only staring at her, thinking of how beautiful she was, and he thought back to when he first gained a huge crush on her.

       It was a birthday party of Sookie and she had been invited. He had come over to the party and somehow got roped into a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. Eira was the one in the closet.

                 He had opened the closet and she had a blindfold on. She was shaking like a leaf as he shut the door behind him. She was only seventeen.

                "Hey, there ain't no reason to be scared."

               "Jason?" she questioned.

               "Yeah, it's me."

                She took her blindfold off and looked up at him. There was only like a foot between them.

               "If I told you I didn't want to be kissed, would that be okay?"

                "Well, I certainly ain't gonna kiss you if you don't want to be."

               "Thanks, Jason," she smiled before she looked away bashfully. "Some girls in my class made me play this game; I haven't been kissed and they think I should've been."

               "A pretty thing like you, I'm surprised you haven't."

              She blushed before looking up at Jason shyly, "When I kiss someone, it'll mean a promise of forever."

               Jason was stunned for a moment before he swallowed, "Well, whoever he is, he's gonna be one lucky guy."

              And that was the moment he gained the biggest crush on Eira. The girl he could've kissed but didn't. The girl he wanted to kiss because forever sounded like a fever dream.

           Kissing her was what his mind was on as he gently pulled her to her feet. She was staring at the carnage that occurred while he was staring at her. With being high on V, he wasn't thinking straight as he admitted, "You're still the prettiest thing I've ever seen."

             Eira blinked in surprise before Jason said fiercely, "And no damn vampire deserves you."

            Her face was suddenly turned to him as he placed his hands on her cheeks. Then he pressed his lips to hers.

         She fought against his hold before she was able to pull her lips from his. She stared at him furiously before she slapped him.

         He grabbed his cheek, "Ow."

        "Don't you dare ever kiss me, Jason Stackhouse," she shouted. "Get out!"

          _____

         Eric awoke in his coffin at Fangtasia. He felt her fear when the glass broke and he immediately vamp sped out of his coffin and out of Fangtasia to go to her aid. He stopped as he got outside to realize it was daylight. He thought he'd start burning as he inspected his arm but nothing happened. But he didn't think about it too long before he took off again; this time, he flew.

____

           Suddenly, Eric appeared before them and her eyes widened in relief. He took in the state of her; how she was only wearing a robe and she was disheveled. But he was still confused.

      Whereas she had relief at Eric showing up, Jason jumped. But then he narrowed his eyes, "You know this damn vampire is gonna hurt you and you can't say I didn't tell you so."

Eric growled as he bared his fangs and Jason gulped. Eira glanced at Eric, knowing he had a short temper and she didn't want to reveal anything that would set it off until Jason was gone. She focused back on the person she thought was her friend, "Just get out, Jason!"

Jason stomped out and slammed the door on his way. She flinched before Eric retracted his fangs and she felt his fingers caress her cheek gently as he tilted her chin up, "What happened? Did he harm you?"

Oh lord. She dreaded having to tell him what Jason did. Knowing Eric, he would want to murder Jason. She wasn't even sure if she would be able to stop him.

"Not exactly," she said nervously before she gulped. "He kissed me."

His fangs dropped as he growled dangerously. He saw red. He moved towards the door but she jumped in front of him, pushing on his chest to make him stop.

"Eric, don't."

"Move," he ordered. "I will kill him."

              "No," she pleaded. "Eric, please."

             He stared down at her as he clenched his jaw. He wasn't very good at controlling his rage and at the thought someone, anyone, kissing her was a trigger. He needed a distraction and he had one.

            Eric leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It was not at all what she was expecting but her eyes fluttered closed as butterflies invaded her stomach. His mouth dominated hers as he kissed her desperately like he was trying to erase a stain and replace it with his own. She let him.

           She wrapped her arms around his neck and as his hands gripped her hips tightly. His touch made electricity dance in her veins. Her legs felt weak and she began to feel dizzy from the oxygen he consumed but she didn't want to stop. It was the way he kissed her like he was starving and she was the only one that could satisfy his hunger. She was lost to the vice that was his kiss.

           She wasn't even sure how long they kissed. It could've been hours until he pulled away and he muttered against her lips, "You're mine."

           "Yours," she stared at him in a daze.

            He gained a little grin which made her stomach do somersaults. He was so pretty when he smiled and his eyes shined so beautifully in....the light? She looked away from him towards the outside to see it was still daylight. But that didn't make any sense.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Eric, it's daylight."

             "It's your blood," Eric revealed. "It has to be."

           She blinked in surprise as Eric continued, "Which means...you're not just a witch."

                  Eira was acutely reminded of the birthmark of a sun of her shoulder. Her mother had said it had to do with her powers. Although, it seemed to be much more than that.