A/N: Not entirely sure how I feel about this one, but it's just a little what-if that's been running around in my head since S6E1 (but I wanted to see how it was handled in S6E2 before doing anything). Also, Nora calling Sookie Eric's weakness kind of bugged me. Anyways, hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Weakness
The sound of Tara yelling reached the ears of the two vampires as they landed outside of Fangtasia. Concerned to hear no answering shouts from his progeny, Eric quicken his pace.
"What happened here?" he demanded, ignoring the disarray of the bar as he stalked over to a terrified looking Tara.
"Pam was shot and she won't let me in," Tara explained, looking up from where she had been pounding on his office door.
Eric felt the world shift at her words and his mind was wiped clean except for one thought: he was not going to lose her.
Without thinking, he broke down the door of his office, oblivious to the fact that Tara was still babbling her explanation next to him. He stopped short at the sight of his Child lying on the couch, gritting her teeth against the pain as she clutched her side.
"For f*ck's sake, Tara, I told you to stay away from me," she spat without opening her eyes.
Ignoring her words, Tara made to rush to her side but Eric grabbed her by the upper arm before she could even blink. "What. Happened?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous as he slowly turned to look down at her.
Behind him, Pam started a little in surprise and her hiss of pain from the sudden movement made his chest clench uncomfortably.
"I told you, she was shot," Tara explained.
Eric shifted his hold so that he had her by the throat, "Why?"
Tara dropped her gaze and Eric thrust her in Nora's direction, "Get her out of here," he ordered, ignoring Tara's protests as Nora dragged her away. He turned back to Pam, forgetting about everyone else as she looked up at him with pain filled eyes.
He was on his knees at her side in an instant.
"Don't f*cking touch me," she hissed, batting his hands away as he tried to look at her wound.
Eric glared down at her, "I am not going to let you die," he hissed back, making another attempt to assess the damage.
"I thought it might save you the trouble of having to kill me yourself," she replied, her sneer losing some of its effect as she cried out in pain as she instinctively jerked away from him.
"I said those words in anger, Pamela," he told her with forced patience, trapping both of her hands in one of his and looking down at the hole in her side. He frowned, "Why is the bullet still in there?"
"You meant them," she retorted through clenched teeth, holding back a scream of pain as he gingerly probed the wound with his free hand.
He winced as the bullet burned the tips of his fingers, "I really don't think this is the time to have this conversation," he told her sternly, looking around for something to extract the bullet.
"It never is the time," she grumbled.
Eric chose to ignore her comment as he smashed a nearby bottle; holding the broken fragment above the wound, he hesitated. "This is going to hurt," he said regretfully, looking down at her.
"Like you've never hurt me before," she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut.
Eric narrowed his eyes at her comment, but said nothing as he used the bottle to scoop the bullet out from her wound. Her agonised screams ripped through him and he impulsively crushed her to him once it was all over, forgetting all about the bullet.
"It's done," he whispered into her hair, "it's over. I'm sorry," he added, his voice dipping ever lower as he buried his face deeper into her hair, "I'm so sorry."
"I hate you," she murmured against his neck, balling the front of his jacket in her fists.
"I know."
"And I hate your sister."
Eric suppressed a smile as he kissed her temple, "I know."
"And Sookie," she added, so quietly he almost missed it and her broken tone cut him to the quick.
"You are the only woman I have chosen to share my existence with," he told her quietly, "releasing you isn't going to change that, Nora isn't going to change that." He paused and shifted so that he could see her face, "And Sookie isn't going to change that," he added, kissing her forehead, "you are mine, for better or worse."
She gave him a small smile, "A little less of the worse would be nice."
The corner of Eric's mouth twitched, "Once this is over, I'll see what I can do," he promised, kissing her forehead again.
"I'll hold you to that," she warned him, snuggling a little closer into his chest.
"I'd expect nothing less."
A few minutes later, curious to know why everything was so quiet, Nora peeped into the room. She cocked her head to the side as she watched her brother who was still on his knees and cradling his progeny in his arms, whispering words of comfort to her as she healed. The unusual bullet lay forgotten on the floor nearby.
She raised an eyebrow, perhaps she had been too hasty in labelling Sookie as he weakness.