Rewind

by pendragon94

Oneshot, Eric and Sookie AU. I wondered what would happen if Sookie could go back and do things over, what would she do differently?

!I'm sorry for any spelling errors or anything that doesn't make sense, I didn't review this heavily before deciding to publish it. I will update this later !

My mind goes blank as I watch, my breath leaving me as I watch the pool of blood and gore spread across the floor. Eric had been there just a minute before, smiling at me with one of his rare but genuine smiles and I'd been about to ask him about taking me to dinner when the door had burst open. Armed individuals had stormed in, every vampire in sight being silvered to restrain them except for Eric who was immediately rushed and attacked. A stake was fired from some sort of gun going straight into his chest, his hands already occupied with two of the men who'd rushed him. His clothes collapsed with his flesh, no longer solid and existing and my knees hit the floor as I am unable to remain standing. They're ignoring the humans, assuming that I am one as well, grief and loss steamrolling through me. It feels as though my own light is burning me, half of it trying to go to Eric and heal him but being rebounded by the broken connection and retaliating.

It sounds like the ocean is in my ears, an incomprehensible roaring sound drowning out the sound of anything else around me as I don't hear any of the guns firing or the people shouting. Someone grabs my shoulder, but I feel them let go instantly a second later and I don't care, disconnected from the world as I stare at the remains of Eric.

"Sookie?" I'm stunned, Niall's voice in front of me and my eyes slowly shift upward to look him in the face. "Sookie, dear one, I know this is rather difficult, but I need you to come with me, alright? I'm going to take you away from the bar, do you understand?" He's speaking slowly, which I'm grateful for as it seems to take me longer than usually necessary to comprehend what he's saying.

Looking around, I see that the room is frozen, figuring out after a minute that he must have used some form of magic to stop time. I nod minutely, coming slowly to the conclusion that I can't stay here. My arm feels heavy, but I lift it, a flicker of surprise going over his face before he takes my hand. We've popped away as soon as he has a solid grip on my fingers.

We are standing in his office in the castle, papers and quills scattered around with a multitude of books on every surface.

"Dear, I know it is hard, but I need to ask you to let me in, alright? I'm just going to help you separate from your emotions for a few minutes. Just long enough to talk with you about a very serious matter. Can you let me in?" It takes a long minute of trying before I can grasp my shields, wrenching them lower a bit at a time as I feel him trying to gently get in. He purposely doesn't watch as the memory keeps playing over and over, Eric standing there one second and then gone the next, and instead takes a hold of my focus. Turning my mental sight away from the repeating images, he flips a switch I can't see and suddenly I feel numb all over. He fills my sight and I can feel the fog slowly thinning out of my mind, everything in me wanting to rush out but stopping as he puts a finger on my chin.

"Sookie…" He says gently, bringing my focus back to his face and I can see his expression soften when tears start to pour out. "I'm so sorry." He removes his finger from my chin and the salty liquid doesn't stop running down my cheeks.

I'm hugging him suddenly, my arms wrapped around him and he returns the embrace as I sob into his chest. Despite his best efforts, the numbing of my emotions barely touches the deep pain I feel but it makes it easier to think. A while later I stop shaking, the sharp edge in my gut having lessened somewhat and he keeps me hugged close even as I use a cloth he hands me to wipe my face.

"Now what I did in your head will start to undo itself soon, so I need you to listen, and I need you to make a decision. Can you do that?"

I nod, determined to at least try as he starts.

"There is a way that I can turn back time, but to do so would mean taking about a hundred years off your lifespan, which is several thousand years long. I know, I should have told you sooner, but I wanted you to enjoy your life to the fullest until you eventually realized you haven't aged since you were twenty-five. You can go back, and you can change things, make them different. You will remember everything, down to this very moment, but if we do this you will wake up at some point before Eric was given the true death. I know it may-."

"Let's do it." I interrupt him, a small smile forming as I come to terms with the fact that I will see Eric again.

"Sookie, I don't know if you understand. We must be careful, it's a very difficult and inaccurate thing to do, and if we go too far then Eric will not remember you. He will not remember the things that you did together or the events that occurred."

"If he doesn't remember I'll make him remember. Once I get close enough, I'll make sure he sees everything even if it's only my half of the memories. I trust Eric with my life, with or without knowing me, he was infatuated the moment he met me. He won't hurt me."

"I understand. I see that I cannot sway you to reconsider now that you know this is possible. Wait here and I will return with all we need." He moves away, leaving me on the bench alone and going through the door into the hallway. The moment the heavy wood shuts fully, a deafening silence fills the room and I'm left unable to allow myself to think of Eric without wanting to break down again. I reassure myself that I will see him again soon, as Niall is not one to lie to me on such matters and I'm working hard to stay placid as the numbness is wearing off. I can feel everything fully once more, but it has lessened, being muted for a time having calmed my emotions and I am grateful for the distraction as the door opens again.

Niall hands me a large jar of powdered quarts with a pouring spout and I stare at it curiously before looking back up at him. "The way this spell works, I cannot use it for myself. I can create and provide the energy and power, but you must be the one to use it. You must think very carefully and stay very focused on the moment you want to rewind to. This is very old magic, something my father taught me as a child, a sort of family secret as we must be very careful of who is aware of it. I've only used it a couple of times in my entire life. Like I said this is very old magic, so you must create a spell circle with the quartz, stand in the center, and I will transfer the magic onto you once you're ready."

It feels strange to walk, as though one of my legs isn't working but I can't figure out which. I look at him with concern and he understands what I can't put into words. "When you go back, your light will sense that Eric is around once more and stabilize, even if you've not yet had his blood. For now, its raging, but it won't last. I do suspect however that it may only take a single instance of blood exchange to fully bond you, whether he is prepared for that or not. Your light will remain twice bound to him, as it will not be affected by the time rolling back in the same way as Eric."

Resolving myself, I begin to pour, a perfect circle with a pentagram in the center on the stone floor a moment later. Standing in the center, I close my eyes, trying to pick the best moment to go back to and it strikes me that I can go back as far as I want. Yes. I mutter when I'm ready, a plan coming together, and I feel a foreign power pouring into me from where he stands in the room.

I squeeze my eyes tighter shut in surprise as it feels like I'm turning to stone, unable to move and almost panicking until I hear Niall shout that I need to relax and focus over the sound of papers flying through the room. I force myself to do so, relaxing my body and imaging the moment I need to return to in order to fix everything, and I gasp as I wake up in my bed a second later. Running downstairs, I see the evidence everywhere that it was all true, nothing of the past several years evident.

Finding my clunky old cell phone, I check the date and find myself needing to sit down as I now know for sure that it is one week after Gran passed away as well as the night before I slept with Bill for the first time. Searching within myself, I see that Niall was right about my light calming down, Eric's existence somewhere in the world seeming to have done the trick. Soon. I assure myself, before going to work making a list of things to do with the house.

It's dark outside, my cell phone having already told me it was the wee hours of the morning and I pop to a twenty-four-hour dollar store several hours drive away. Buying several large plastic storage totes, I return to the farm house only a few minutes after leaving and find that I am not alone. As I put the totes on the dining room table, I go to the door, whispering that Bill is uninvited inside before I open the door to face him. "Sookie, I seen the lights on, is everything alright? Do you need anything?"

I find myself sickened, as well as a little ashamed that I did not see through his over the top, saccharine nature when I was younger.

"You smell strange, are you alright?" I smack myself for not remembering that my body has not really changed at a glance but I'm far more fairy that I used to be as my spark is now suddenly fully matured.

Cloaking my scent quickly, I give him a half smile. "Bill, I've been thinking about it, and I would like to take a break from us. It's just, with Gran gone, I would like some time to myself. I'd appreciate if you keep an ear out at night while I'm sleeping, but I'd really like some alone time if you don't mind. At some point later, I'd like to rekindle things." Quite literally, I think to myself, imagining putting him on a pyre at some point in the future.

He's stoic, seeming to be thinking through his options as I stand purposefully out of his reach. If he tries to get to me he'll discover he's been uninvited, but otherwise he'll assume that he can still get in whenever. Finally, his features soften slightly, and he gives me an overly friendly smile. "Of course, I don't have plans to go anywhere so let me know if you need anything at all from me and I will be here. Please stay safe, and I will keep an eye out for anything or anyone unwelcome that may come around." I know he means Eric and smile, nodding as though I agree and closing the door after saying goodnight. His void gets off my property slowly, lingering as he likely watches to make sure I'm not leaving or doing anything audible.

I work until nearly noon the next day, sorting through things in the house and making phone calls to turn the power and other items over to Jason's name. A call to Gran's lawyer clears up the will and the deed to the house, giving everything over to Jason as I put together a cover story. My next phone call is to Sam, the bar sounding busy when Arlene answers. "Sookie, are you okay?" She asks after she realizes who it is, sounding as though she's set her tray down and prepared to talk for a long time.

"Yeah, but can I talk to Sam? I had a couple questions for him."

"Sure, hang on and I'll grab him." I mark the lids of the totes as I listen to the bar in the background.

"Sookie?"

"Hey, Sam, I was wondering if you'd be free to talk if I came in? I wanted to sit down with you for a few minutes."

"Of course, you know you don't even have to ask, is everything okay?" I'm warmed by the concern he shows, remembering how much he's always cared for me and feeling slightly bad that I could never reciprocate his more romantic feelings.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I'll be there in a little bit." In a short time, Eric would have demanded that I go to Dallas, so I am happy to have a chance at saving the house and my wardrobe before the maenad is around. Dressing in one of my old favorite outfits, I pack the rest away except for a couple things to wear the next day. Going to the library, I use one of the computers to complete several tasks including book plane tickets for Tara. I hoped to get her out and save her from any heartache by surprising her with a trip for herself and Lafayette to Rome. She'd talked about wanting to go when she was younger and had mentioned it a couple times over the years, so I know she'll be excited. Lafayette will also enjoy the free trip with his cousin. We would have had our big fight in a couple nights, so I know how to avoid that perfectly by having her out of the country. Luckily, I know they already have their passports from going to Mexico to party in Cancun during spring break a few years ago.

I get all the paperwork printed off and pay the librarian for the paper and computer time before leaving. Sorting it neatly as I stand in an alley nearby, I put it in my bag and pop to the woods nearby the bar. Nobody is in sight and there's no notice from anyone as I walk in the back, Sam in his office.

"Hey!" He seems excited to see me and I smile, closing the door before taking a seat across from him. "So, what's up?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could book Lafayette and Tara off from work for the next few weeks. I'm going to surprise them with a trip to Rome, Tara's always wanted to go, and I can't go so I know she'd enjoy Lafayette going with her."

"It might mean a few long shifts, but I'll make it work, maybe hire a few of the high school girls that applied recently. Wait, you said you can't go, why?" His face betrays him as he seems worried but doesn't want to voice it.

"I decided, since I don't have Gran to hold me here anymore, I'm going to go to college. The trip for Tara and Laf is sort of an apology. I'm going to have to apologize to you as well, since this means I'm quitting. I'm also apologizing to all of you, because I'm leaving tomorrow to go tour a college in Colorado, then a college in Massachusetts. I got early acceptance to both places starting in two weeks, so I need to pick one and figure out housing and all that. Jason's not talking to me right now, so when you see him can you tell him everything? Tell him to leave a message on my cell phone if he wants anything, and I'll call you to update you when I've got stuff figured out. I left the house to Jason and the utilities are all paid up for another two months. I was thinking maybe you could advise him on renting it out?" The lies roll off my tongue smoothly and I accredit it to my time spent watching Eric silver tongue his way out of countless situations.

He's stunned, running his hand through his hair like he does when he feels a bit overwhelmed. "Wow, you did all this in the last week?"

"Yeah, I also got everything packed up at the farmhouse that I want to keep. I'm going to put it in one of those storage pods and have it shipped wherever I decide to go."

His face hardens for a second as something occurs to him. "Where's Bill in all this?"

Glad I don't have to lie about this part, I smile brightly. "Actually, I broke up with him last night. He doesn't know I'm leaving, I wasn't planning to tell him, but I did tell him I need space, so he should stay away for a while. When he eventually comes snooping around just tell him the truth. I'm not worried about him, just let me know if he comes around."

"Well, what can I say?" He manages after a moment of silence. "I'm proud of you, Cher. You're making leaps and bounds in life. You know I'm in your corner, all the way. Should we call Tara and Lafayette in here? I'll also grab a bottle." He's getting into a celebratory mood, his thoughts fuzzy but I can hear he's elated that I've broken up with Bill. There's a sadness that I'll be leaving but he's happy and excited for what I have coming next in life and I'm relieved he's not bucking against my decisions.

Tara and Lafayette are incredibly excited when I tell them where I've arranged for them to go, especially when I hand them preloaded debit cards of spending money, so they can do fun stuff and not just sight see. We end up having a small party in the office as its midafternoon and not very busy, Arlene joining in and all of them congratulating me on going off to college. It's a pretty big thing to do so in these parts, so they're all thrilled that I'm going to try and move up in the world. By the time I get home I see that it's almost dark and I go about finishing up cleaning the house up before leaving the next morning, happy that Tara and Laf will be out of the way come morning. They were scheduled to leave from the Shreveport airport midmorning, so they needed to get up early and I was extremely happy they'd be out of the way. Sam was even nice enough to let them leave early to get ready to go.

A good night's sleep helps me reenergize and the storage container along with a man to help me load it arrives early the next morning. We get all the boxes and totes packed up along with the dining room table as I'm sure Jason won't miss it. He'd never really been sentimental, and I'd spent many hours restoring the table several years before Gran passed as a birthday present for her. After everything is secured so it won't move in the container, it's closed up and he hands me the key to the padlock that secures it, driving away with all of my current worldly possessions. The small amount of clothes and essentials I kept with me are in a small backpack I found in a closet, my purse done away to minimalize the things I'd travel with. Locking the house up, I pop to the bar and go straight to Sam's office.

"Sookie! I thought you'd be gone by now." He stands as he sees me coming into the doorway.

"My plane leaves soon, but Sam, I need you to listen. You know I have abilities, and sometimes I just know things." I hand him a sealed envelope, taking his hands between mine as he grasps it. "I need you to open this tomorrow morning, and don't question any of it. Please trust me, and do not open it until then. If you do as I wrote, everything should turn out okay, do you understand?"

He seems to feel how serious this is, nodding seriously. "Yeah, I got it. Don't read this until morning. No matter how much I want to." He adds the last part to break the tension and I smile. "I trust you, Sookie, so I promise."

"Thank you, and here's the keys to the farmhouse for Jason. Thank you, again, for everything." I feel a wetness creeping in around my eyes and I will it to go away.

Letting his hands go, I step back and turn to leave, but his hand lands on my shoulder. His face betrays his concern as he speaks. "Sookie… this feels like more than a 'see you later' kind of goodbye. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Later. I promise, I will come back later, and I will tell you everything. This isn't goodbye forever, but maybe for a while. I didn't lie about college, I'm going to do that, but there are some things I have to take care of first." My eyes glance down at his hand with the envelope and I look back up at him. "Burn that after you've memorized it and tell Bill about my college plans willingly but don't end up alone with him, so he doesn't glamour you for more."

"Ok, I get it, you're in deep. I'm going to trust you, because I've always trusted you, and I'm going to hold you to that promise to come back." Before releasing me, he glances to make sure nobody is within earshot, but I'd already checked for that. "You sent Tara and Laf away to be safe, didn't you?"

I smile painfully, not wanting to tell him anything too early. If the sequence of events goes off like it should, then everything should be okay, but I can't make him want to stop me.

As soon as I'm away from the bar I pop to Jackson, Mississippi, having looked up the exact location of Herveaux Construction's main office when I was at the library. I smile at Debbie Pelt as though I've never met her when she greets me, informing her of my name as I'd called the previous day to make an appointment. "Have a seat, he should be back here soon, he was jus' down the road lookin' at lumber."

"No problem." I dig around in her head, as I wasn't sure of where this would be in their lives and am relieved to find that this is before she's done anything detrimental to their relationship. I'd thought long and hard about it but seeing the thoughts of the Debbie Pelt before me I understand that it was the V that made her who she was when I met her previously. The werewolf before me is still unknowing of the perils to come, and I cast my net to find Alcide, gauging how much time I have until he gets back. "I have a small bit of business with Alcide, but I actually was wanting to speak with you, Debbie."

She's surprised, putting down the word search she was doing at her desk. "Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you, and I know you're a werewolf. I am here to help, and I mean you no harm, I promise." I say as I see her tensing, her eyes widening.

"What are you?" She says, my scent permeating the trailer now as I let down my cloak. "You ain't human, but you don't smell like anythin' real dangerous."

"I guess you could call me a seer, and I know what's going to happen in the next few years. Would you like to know?" I'm going to try to be as honest as possible, setting her on the right track in the process. Anything would be better than the fate they suffered before.

She hesitates, staring at me for a long second before speaking. "It's bad, isn't it?" I can see her memories, her mother telling her about other supernatural beings all through her childhood and as a result she is superstitious.

I can almost see her sizing me up as I stand slowly, walking over with care so she sees I'm not doing anything to threaten her and sit in the chair across from her. She allows me to take her hand, and I look her in the eye, hoping she will trust me. "You are going to meet a man who convinces you to do V, and he is going to push you down a very dark path. You will betray Alcide on every level, because you will not be yourself, and in the end, it will lead to your death as well as his. The destruction of both of your lives because you are his soul mate and it all goes wrong."

"I am?" She says, taking everything I said to heart and I see something fluttering through her mind. I'm taken aback, not knowing about it previously and I now understand how she may have been vulnerable enough in a weak moment to be convinced into taking vampire blood.

"Yes, and if you let me, I am going to help you because I know about what has been ailing you lately." I can see it in her head, her doctor telling her she may have trouble conceiving and her terror to reveal it to Alcide as he strongly wants kids someday.

"You can help? How?" Tears are going down her cheeks, and I smile understandingly as I can feel her trusting me quickly.

"I have a healing light and it will make everything better, if you'll let me?" I ask, reaching halfway for her stomach with my free hand. She looks down at my glowing palm, tapping it with her finger to test it is not dangerous before leaning back and nodding to me in agreement. My hand rests over her abdomen and I can sense the damage being repaired, my light once again within my full control as I instruct it to heal her fully and maybe even give her a small boost to fertility for the next couple of months. The pure power sinks past her shirt and into her flesh as she watches, and I can sense her relaxing, tension she didn't even realize was there now dissipating.

"I feel… better." She mutters, and I'm surprised when she hugs me suddenly. "I feel like things are going to get much better."

"Good, I hope they do. Please, stay away from any V. Spread the word as well, that werewolves are more likely to become addicted and subsequently die because of their connection to the moon, and the moon and nighttime's connection to the vampires. It may be a distant connection, but all supernatural are connected even if you detest each other and the V is especially dangerous for pack members to ingest. It will eventually make you go insane, no matter how small the amount is that you may take." I installed a small drug aversion into her mind before my light goes away, her own subconscious now likely to steer her away from V and any other addictive substances that aren't medically necessary. I'm just in time as well, standing as she releases me to go meet Alcide. "My scent is alluring to males, so just you wait until he comes in to find you." I say with a wink, masking it from myself as I leave the trailer.

"Mr. Herveaux, good to meet you." I greet him as he gets out of his truck, handing him an envelope. He opens it, his eyes bugging out and he stares back up at me.

"What is this, and who are you?" He's suspicious, and I smile as I had expected this.

"That is more than enough money to pay off your father's debts. All I ask is that you help a friend of mine, it'll be a trip for you and your most trusted packmates, so I included compensation for travel as well."

"How do you know who I am? Who are you?" He's more demanding this time, not sure how else to respond.

"I am a friend, I promise, and I'll throw in extra money after the job is done when I see you again. In there you'll find a name and an address, you need to be there tomorrow night. Only take the most level headed of your werewolf crew with you. This is one job you do not want to mess up on." He stares me down for a long moment as I smile brightly up at him, happy to see him alive and well and hoping what I did was enough to ensure his future with the woman he always really loved.

"I mean, you just handed me over a hundred grand, I kinda gotta accept." He fishes out the address, whistling to himself. "We'll have to leave early, but we should be able to get there by tomorrow afternoon."

"Enjoy your night." I pop away, leaving him likely very confused but motivated. I'm pleased things are going so well, my plan going into motion smoothly so far and I think Eric would be proud. Thinking of him makes my heart ache and I feel my light reaching for him gently but the connection has not been reformed yet and disappointment runs through me.

I almost want to go straight to Fangtasia at this moment, wait until it opens and demand to see Eric immediately if he's not on his throne for me to pop myself into his lap. But I know I cannot, not if everything is to work out the way I want it to.

My next destination is New York, at Nan Flanagan's main office, and it's almost sunset when I get there as I get something to eat first. The doors open a bit before dark and I loiter in the lobby until I see the woman herself getting ready to leave.

"Nan Flanagan!" I say her name with a touch of power, getting her attention as I hand her an envelope. "You need to read this, and if you just trust in this, your career will skyrocket while Steve Newlin goes down in ashes."

She glares at me and eyes the envelope suspiciously but takes it and I pop away a second later, knowing that I will definitely have her attention now that she's seen me disappear before her own eyes.

Appearing in a small alley between two close buildings, I grab my bag from where I'd left it and pop away again. The next part is more dangerous, since I know that the Dallas vampires are not ones to let just anyone near Godric without cause.

I get myself a rental car, not wanting to make any of the vampires suspicious of me in a negative way before I get to see Godric. Pulling up outside the nest, I don't notice the shift as nobody was expected and a few vampires station themselves near the door. Isabel, luckily, is the one who answers the door, but I feel bad as I remember what Hugo is actively doing behind her back.

"Can I help you?" She asks, the inside of the house dead silent and if I didn't know any better I'd assume that she were a woman alone in her own home.

"Yes, I was hoping to speak to Godric. There is some valuable information I have for him regarding the fellowship of the sun."

"How did you know where to find us?" She demands tensely, her friendly demeanor gone.

"Please, I think Godric would rather hear this information himself. I'd also appreciate if Stan not grab me as he seems to be planning to do, Eric would not be happy if he did." I'm hoping against hope that nobody will contact Eric, and as long as I can get out of here before he shows up even if they do contact him then I'll be in the clear.

"You know Eric?" Her face has softened slightly, and I hear Godric from within before I can reply.

"Isabel, show her in. Stan back off." I nod to her appreciatively which she seems unsure about as I walk past, doing my best to ignore the threatening gazes of the vampires all around the room. I find myself nervous as I realize that part of my ego in the past was knowing that I'd have Eric at my back in a fight although I'm sure I could handle myself, there are still a lot of vampire's present.

Godric is sitting in his chair, nothing seeming to faze him as I smile politely. I can feel myself wanting to cry, but I cannot do so and instead stand a few feet away before reaching out the paper in my hand. "You would likely not like these things heard by others, so I wrote them down." It had taken a while to compile everything into only a single page, front and back, but I think I did a good job as his eyes scan the paper and his expression does not change. The tension in the room is palpable as all of the vampires wait for any possible order from their Sheriff. "Come back to my office." There's whispers as Godric hasn't taken a human to his office of his own volition in many years, according to the thoughts of Hugo who I've been keeping a tab on as he stands in a corner at my back.

"So, you wrote here you can give me physical proof, how is that?" He looks surprised when I reach for a pen on his desk and the notepad he has sitting to the side, beginning to draw out a map of the village from when Eric was human. I'd once relived the memory with him, the images burned into my memory and I draw it precisely as he showed it to me. "What is this?" He asks, his voice without inflection as it's been since I walked in, although I'm sure he knows already.

"This is Eric's village, as I remember it from Eric sharing the memories with me. His little sister, mother and father were all slaughtered by wolves, along with the rest of his village. I didn't write that part down because it's not really known by anyone but us and him, and I'd actually appreciate if you burned that paper. Many of those things haven't happened yet." He flicks his hand, the paper crumpled into a wad going into a fireplace in the corner before he hits the button and its incinerated instantly.

"So then do you plan to stop me from meeting the sun?" He questions, staring me down.

Smiling, I reach out hesitantly and take his hand which he allows. Trying to feel into his void, I attempt to share memories with him as I'd done with Eric in the past and I hope it works as I try to show him everything I felt comfortable divulging of our private times together to corroborate the letter I'd written. It had contained all of the relevant things and different tidbits from our relationship, explaining briefly what happened and why I'm here. "No. I just wanted to make sure that if nothing else, you will know that you were successful in making him into an incredible vampire capable of compassion. I also wanted to inform you of the snake Hugo, and to tell you that I will be taking down the fellowship of the sun. I'm heading there, as soon as I leave here, to release the vampires they have captive. I alerted Nan Flanagan of what she needs to do to see the fellowship gone permanently, so you won't be able to give yourself to them. I doubt I could ever sway the mind of a vampire as old as you are, but I wanted you to know everything before you go leaving Eric alone."

"Eric is alone right now. If what you claim is true, then you are also alone and being separated from him is causing you constant pain. Why not return to him, are you not his?" He asks, and I feel indignation.

"I am his, and I belong to nobody else. But I am tired of the problems I have been tasked to endure. I am ending the fellowship, then I am ending Russell Edgington." Godric stands, growling lowly and suddenly his hand in my grasp has twisted and taken my hand tightly into his.

"You would threaten a vampire monarch?" He questions, and I nod resolutely.

"Russell runs a pack of V addicted wolves, he has for over a thousand years and his wolves are the ones who destroyed Eric's human family." He releases me as I shock him with my light, looking surprised by the amount of pain it gave him for only feeling it for a second. It's the first emotion other than anger I've seen from him so far this night. "I will destroy him, and when I go back to Eric, I will give him his father's crown back as a gift."

The phone on his desk is ringing a second later and my heart stops as I glance down and see that it is Eric's phone number. Hitting speaker, Godric answers it and I hear his voice filling the room.

"Master, I felt you were in pain a moment ago. What happened?" I can't help it as I sink to sit in the chair behind me, tears instantly pouring down my cheeks as I hear his voice, caught off guard. His maker eyes me curiously for a moment before looking down at the phone.

"I am fine Eric, but I must go. Contact me again should you need anything." He's silent as he hangs up the phone and I stare down at my hands, the tears dripping against my will as I try to make them stop.

I pop to stand next to him with a thought, taking his hand as he doesn't react and wrenching his void closer to myself mentally as I let him feel the fullness of my pain. The images of Eric being destroyed fill my mind and I let him see them as well, his other hand cracking the wood of his desk as he grips it in order to not crush my hand.

Dropping his hand I step back, looking at him with tears still in my eyes before he has a tissue in his hand from somewhere and hands it to me.

"I find that I must apologize, as I had not honestly believed you until a moment ago." His tone is solemn and quiet.

"It's okay. The whole reason that I came here was because I wanted you to know how much he is loved, and that even if you do decide to leave us, I will do my best to care for him. When I get back to him, I am going to be sharing all of my memories with him. If there is anything you wish him to know, I would carry the message."

He nods, not saying anything, but finally looks me in the eye after staring off into space as he composes his thoughts. "I will tell Eric my sentiments myself, as it would seem you have convinced me that my existence has not yet run its course. Is there anything I can do to assist with your endeavor against Russell?"

"No, I believe I have it covered, so I will not need any help. Thank you though, for deciding to stay. I hope to see you again soon."

"Would anyone know, if you were to get in trouble?" He asks suddenly as I'm about to pop away and I shake my head.

"No… If I were to die, then Eric would never really have known me enough to need to mourn me should I perish at this point. That's why I came back this far. I wanted to stop the worst of our problems from every happening, so it required me to come back to a time when Eric barely knows me."

He seems thoughtful for a second before stepping closer. "Would you take a drop of my blood? At my age all it would take is a drop, for me to be able to find you no matter how far you are. I would wish to try and assist you should I feel that you are in peril."

"I'll take it, thank you. I know that the blood is sacred to you, and I understand you do not give it to me lightly." He's pricked his finger faster than I can see, his fangs never even meeting my eyes before he holds out his hand, his fingertip swelling with a drop of blood. I remove it with a quick swipe of my tongue, making him shiver, and I think for a moment before I offer him my wrist.

"I know you've avoided feeding from anyone living, but if you were to drink, you likely would be rather replenished beyond what any human meal could provide. At your age, I think it will not be a problem for you to control yourself." I smile with sincerity, not wanting him to doubt my offer.

"What do you mean, control myself?" He inquires, curious about my statement.

"I am masking my scent." With that I drop the veil and I see him visibly tense as he holds back.

"I see." He eyes me uncertainly, but I don't miss the fact that his eyes keep flicking down to my neck.

"Godric, I trust that you will not harm me." I reiterate, holding my hand out once more and I'm not prepared to suddenly be in his lap on the couch, curled up against him as he leans over me with his nose running along my throat. A small voice in the back of my mind reminds me of his age, and the fact that no other fairy would likely survive such an encounter, but I swat it away, relaxing against him to further illustrate my trust. "You are the only other besides Eric that I would allow to bite me." I whisper against him.

"I thank you, fairy, for your offering of trust." He whispers, biting down nearly painlessly a second later and I don't know what to do as my mind is immediately fogged as though I could sleep at any moment.

Putting my weight against him, I hear him growling against me quietly and the sound is somehow the most threatening growl I've ever heard. I wonder if it's got something to do with his age and decide that it must as the depth of the audible threat to anyone who would enter the room is greater than I've heard from even Eric. It's a promise of death, and I fully realize why he's been called such as a nickname. I feel him stop pulling a moment later, his tongue swiping the marks to heal them, and he pulls away with a groan. "Hmm… if my child were to task your last nerve and you need a break, you are more than welcome to stay here, anytime. I do believe that I feel much better than I have in several decades." My eyes are half closed as he speaks, one of his arms keeping me from falling and he looks down with a slight frown. "I find that I must apologize for a second time tonight, as I did not intend to put you to sleep. It will wear off soon now that I've released you."

"Mm, it's 'kay. I've had a long day. Sleep would be nice." I say tiredly, not intending to actually do so.

"Then sleep, I will wake you in an hour or two, so you may continue on your way back to Eric." Considering my options, I don't get much of a chance to choose as I am unconscious before I can stop it from happening.

Opening my eyes, the fabric reminds me of many of Eric's shirts. For a split second I think that I am in his lap before I jolt slightly more awake and find Godric stopping me from falling out of his lap with a hand on my side. His other hand holds a book and I look up at him in surprise as I realize he allowed me to sleep on him this entire time. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-."

"You are quite alright, little one. I think I can see part of why my child would be so endeared with you. You are rather trusting, despite the fact that many in my nest likely assume I've killed you by now and am cleaning up the mess as I've not emerged for a few hours. I've enjoyed having you under my nose, and besides that, the thought of leaving the room with you sleeping in here alone and vulnerable was… uncomfortable."

"It's only Eric or now you that I would be this trusting with. Even the time before, when I only met you for a few minutes, I felt I could trust you." I say with a smile, stretching upward and giving him a kiss on the cheek before standing. "Thank you for protecting me."

"No need to thank me, just make sure you find your way back to my child and leave no trace of yourself on the property of Russell Edgington."

"That's the plan. I have a few smaller loose ends to tie up after Russell, but I should be with Eric soon. I can't wait." I say honestly, grinning and he gives a small smile back as I say goodbye and pop away.

It's less than an hour before sunrise, and I watch the horizon, waiting as I see the dust cloud getting closer. A convoy of news crews and large black vans, all equipped with blood and medical supplies for the vampires as long as Nan did her part right are coming down the long road to the remote fellowship compound. It didn't take me long to pop around the fellowship of the sun as most of the humans slept, preparing everything for just before news crews rolled in and I happily approach the vampires in special S.W.A.T. gear as they get out of their trucks. "Follow me, I'll show you to where your comrades are being held captive." They listen despite not knowing who I am, and I race ahead, popping yards forward at a time as they keep up with ease.

They get to see all of the fellowship members who were awake tied up and unconscious on the far end of the large room before I lead them to the side door. Going down the wide stairs, they watch me warily as they can feel the power radiating off of me and I allow them to see as I blow the heavy silver lined doors into the corner and away from them. "Please take the vampires as soon as I release them, they are starved, and I am the only one who will be able to open the silver locks quickly enough for this to be done by sunrise." I call out behind me before sprinting ahead, feeling them trailing behind me as I stretch out my arms and start to blow off all of the locks to the cell doors as I pass. Two at a time the vampires are freed as I run down the long underground corridor, at least forty cells with twenty on each side and I see the vampires in their riot gear handling the injured vampires and disappearing with them as they all move at super speed. "Make sure to move slow enough for the cameras to see everything! We want them condemned by their own actions! Check the arms rooms on the other side of the stairs landing, it's full of illegal ammunitions! Carry the worst of it out for the news vans to make a spectacle of them!" I call out as I run before I blow open the last two cells and pop back to the top by the news vans. None of them are looking backwards and I see Nan who glances towards me as she is speaking on camera, presumably live. I disappear before she can move or indicate that I'm there to anyone, heading for Mississippi.

I hang out at one of my favorite diners in Jackson, not going anywhere near vampires as dawn quickly approaches. I'm still there as I am thinking, reconsidering everything that should be happening and will end up happening. My food nearly falls out of my mouth when I consider something, and I pop straight into Godric's office, grabbing the paper pad on his desk and leaving a note before teleporting away again.

Returning to the restroom of the diner, I'd only been gone a moment, and nothing has changed as I return to my table as though nothing happened. When it's been daylight for a few hours I decide it's time to make my move. Making sure my scent is fully masked, I put on a hoodie that I'd packed into my bag to prevent any cameras from seeing my face before teleporting. I'd caught a glimpse of his bedroom in the past and I find I am right in thinking it was his bedroom, his body and the body of Talbot visible on the bed. I feel a little bad for Talbot, his attitude seeming to be one of someone more pleasant but his association with Russell making him too dangerous to leave running around.

Carefully positioning myself at the head of their bed, I position both stakes where they need to be before using my light to ensure they go right through the hearts. The two don't even wake to make a sound as they dissolve instantly, my next stop his office which is locked up tight to keep anyone else from entering. I have to make this look like a general burglary or it will be suspicious, so I take lots of the valuables into a bag I brought along with the crown. Although I pack the crown into a cushioned box I acquired at a craft store before nestling it amongst the other items. I pay similar attention to some other fragile pieces, ensuring that if cameras are watching the room they'll see I just don't want to break the valuables. Making sure not to look up, I keep the hood pulled tight and finally pop straight to the rental car still parked in front of Godric's nest. Putting everything into the trunk, I disappear back to Russell's house, my final goal in the library as I know he has a rare fae book that was lost long ago.

Popping straight into it, I put a multitude of books into a box I'd gotten from the trunk of the car, along with the one adorned with fae runes. They are a few with Celtic runes similar to something from Godric's time and I grab them as well, going to check the desk in the corner a second later to make sure there's no treasures hidden in the drawers. Three of the drawers slide open easily and contain miscellaneous junk, but the fourth drawer seems to be stuck and it takes a bit of force to pop open. I'm stunned for a second when I feel the stinging of something in my side and reach to remove it, pulling a needle from my flesh as I start to feel unsteady on my feet. I'm cursing whoever suggested that he should boobytrap a drawer in the desk as my vision blurs slightly. The book inside feels old and leather bound but I can't read it as my eyes wont focus, and I stumble to drop it into the box as I grip the table with one hand.

Grabbing the box, I teleport into the only semi-safe place I can currently think of even if it disrupts my plans, the floor of Godric's office greeting me as I fall onto it a moment later. I'm drained from the teleport but I know it was my best option, relying on my hope that the office is locked until Godric rises as I blackout.

"Sookie! Fairy! Wake up! You must wake, tell me what you need!" I don't know who is speaking to me but their voice is welcomed in my darkness, my body feeling like lead as I try to fight unconsciousness enough to respond.

"Child, I do not know how to fix this! I cannot contact other fairies!" Their voice is insistent as they seem to be arguing with someone and I suddenly feel that Eric is nearby. His familiar void is calling to my light, emboldening it as I wish to see him which is likely what woke me, our long-term separation having been harder on me than I thought it would be as I carry the ragged broken half of our twice over bond.

Someone's hand takes mine, their voice calling my name and I try to make sense of everything as I hastily shove a memory into their mind.

"What the fuck!" I hear someone shout, my mind beginning to shut down again even as I'm sure the voice was Eric's.

The next thing I know is a warmth spreading through me, starting in my stomach and reaching out into all parts of me as I grow progressively hotter. Realizing the poison is being burned out, I bare through it, slipping back under as I now will myself to let go of consciousness. I trust that I am safe as I am being healed.

When I begin to wake I find that I am paralyzed but able to hear, listening as I hear myself speaking and I recognize the dialogue from when I was in Godric's office earlier, but he must mute it as it goes silent after only a few innocuous lines. I hadn't realized he had cameras in the room and I am fleetingly chagrined that he has me on video sleeping on him like a child. "I believe she is who she says she is." Godric says and it seems to be the part of the video where I fell asleep.

"You let her sleep on you? What the fuck, Godric?"

It sounds as though his outburst leaves Godric unhappy. "Child, if you do not calm yourself, you will regret it. Tell me you do not sense it… it feels like her very blood is calling to you, I can feel it through you."

"We will see when she rises, likely soon as she seems to be stirring and then we'll sort this out." He says harshly, trying to brush him off.

"If you do not want her, then I will claim her, she was quite a pleasure to have the company of." A fierce snarling sounds right in front of me and it seems that Eric has placed himself between myself and his maker, Godric giving a hard laugh a second later. "I do not know why you deny it, you cannot lie to me."

"What if I do not want to claim a mate? It is just another distraction that I have to keep watch over." I'm slightly hurt by his words, the feeling of rejection bouncing through me and I mentally turn him away, putting in the effort to stop him from feeling anything from me.

"Well, I would say she might be somewhat aware of what is happening, at least enough to understand that you are trying to turn her away. She let me feel her pain, the pain of a broken bond, would you like to experience that?" It seems he doesn't wait for an answer as Eric grunts loudly.

"Enough!" He calls out nearly breathless a moment later, silence filling the room for a long time.

"The memory she put into my head, it was one of me feeding her my blood in some other place, and I get the feeling that she was poisoned in some way then as well. That's why she showed it to me, to show me she needed my blood. But the way I was holding her in the memory, the way I was touching her as she drank and the way it made her feel… I wanted to do it myself instead of just watching." Something akin to defeat is in his quiet tone as he admits it to Godric.

"Then go ahead, I doubt she will attack you." He says just before someone knocks on the door and I hear Eric growling. I'm being held an instant later, Eric's skin touching me making me more insistent that I want to wake up but my body refuses, leaving me slightly disgruntled.

"What?" I hear Godric across the room, slightly muffled to hint that he may have stepped outside the door rather than letting anyone inside. There's the sound of papers being flipped through after he closes the door again and he speaks finally after a while. "It would seem that the poison was likely a lethal paralyzer, meant to paralyze the very heart and lungs after it's been in the system for long enough and strong enough to take down a werewolf in a few minutes. I'm impressed she made it until we rose. He apparently orders large quantities every time his house has the security redone. You stopped her life from being in danger, but it could be a bit before the residual paralyzing effect wears off. She will be fine."

I can feel it as he seems to release a breath, his arms relaxing a bit around me and I wish that I could move to hold him as well. I hear the door open and shut and I wonder if Godric left, checking to confirm the only void in the room is Eric's.

"What do I do with you?" He whispers, truly seeming to be unsure.

I try to open up to him despite there being no bond, the skin of his arms touching me, and I use the connection to send him a memory of us lounging together on a beach at night. It keeps going as I run into the water and he chases me, his feelings of enjoyment thrumming through me as he'd followed me through the water faster than I was capable. But none the less enjoying the game as I tried repeatedly to escape on the deserted beach.

"How is that possible?" He asks breathlessly, not seeming to understand.

The next thing I send him is a series of moments when he's done loving things, the actions usually seeming second nature as I'm normally with him everywhere. The way he holds me on the throne, the way he smiles when he hands me anything I ask for, the fingers running patterns into my skin as his arm is around me when we walk places and many more. He stiffens against me before I feel him scenting my throat close up and I drop my scent barrier instantly, wanting him to really smell me. His growl is loud as he holds me tighter and I wonder at what he is going to do.

"I feel like I've had you before in a daydream." He murmurs into my ear, his lips brushing against my skin and I can feel goose bumps rising. We stay locked together as he stops moving, his arms wrapped completely around me, and I enjoy the closeness silently.

I drift off after a time, waking beside him on an unfamiliar bed an unknown amount of time later, but I assume its daylight again as Eric is dead for the day. I am sore and can freely move now but I decidedly don't do more than curl closer, lying nearly atop him as I arrange myself in my usually favored position with my head on his chest and one of my legs between his before drifting off again.

The growling surrounding me makes me smile as I come back to consciousness, stretching slightly before pushing myself up against Eric as he is above me. "Mornin', darlin'." I mutter groggily, kissing his bare chest as he stares down at me before I remember everything. "I'm sorry, you're probably not used to that."

"No, but I could very easily become used to it." He growls louder, his lips meeting mine a moment later.

He takes my breath away just as he's always done, his weight comfortable as he's lowered himself partially onto me to get closer. "Who do you belong to?" I can hear the possessiveness in his tone, remembering that this is new for him.

Chuckling, I'm not surprised as he arches an eyebrow. "You, I'm yours, Eric. I have been for several years in my mind."

Growling, he leans in to run his nose over my neck. "If only I'd taken you sooner, before Compton came around."

"Oh, I probably would have been even more annoyed by you before finally giving in to being with you. You are quite cocky and high handed, and I once worried you would not be such a caring individual, I though that for a long time in fact. I know better now of course." Running my hand up over his chest, I rub my palm over his shoulder and sink my fingers into his hair. My other hand wraps around his side, using my fingers to draw circles on him through his shirt as he kisses me again. His growling is more of a purr as I message his scalp with my fingertips, his fangs bared when he groans, his back arching as I run my nails over the skin beneath his shirt. "Besides, now I already know what you like." I strike when I scratch down his back again and his eyes close, my blunt teeth lightly biting his neck and he snarles loudly, vibrating against me.

"Fucking seductress." He rumbles the words before moving faster than I can see, his mouth falling to my neck and kissing along my skin. Focusing slightly, he freezes as I show him the moments we bonded previously, both times in the throes of passion. I can't help it when the heartache grips me, an image of him being staked slipping in as tears come forth.

"I'm sorry." I mumble, a tremble to my voice and he pulls back, staring down at me with his face emotionless.

"You need to stop apologizing." He says sternly, and I'm surprised when he kisses me gently, the kiss a distraction as I open my eyes a moment later to discover I'm sitting in his lap rather than laying beneath him. "None will take us apart now."

"I know. Especially since the next few years should now be peaceful. I've eliminated most of the big threats. I was on my way to take care of the rest after I handled Russell, his actions in the future were going to subsequently cause of lot of issues for all vampires so that should all be changed for the better now."

"I will assist you with the rest of the cleanup then. What an advantage, to know what is to come."

"Yes, but I still want to be careful. I'd rather do it myself and then come back here in a couple of days-."

"Sookie." He cuts me off, looking at me seriously. "Do you really believe I will allow you to just run off and get into danger without me there?"

I snort, not what he was expecting, and put a hand to his cheek before kissing him. "I love you, but you are not yet attached to me. If I die trying to eliminate the threats before they come for us, then you will still be able to move on. Not having this danger magnet around would keep you relatively safe."

His growl changes enough for me to frown, not sure what his emotions are as I cannot feel them anymore. "You wrongfully blame yourself for not protecting me or doing more to stop it before it happened, but it happened none the less and we will move forward from here. Whether or not we have a bond any longer, I do not feel unattached to you." I find myself smiling as I remember how long it took for Eric to straight out say that he loved me.

"Then trust me, that I will be back before too much time has passed." I give him a kiss, silently hoping he will forgive me and I pop away from him a second later. A snap of my fingers allows me to materialize clothes in a similar fashion to Niall but they're not as comfortable as store bought ones, my abilties as a seamstress on the beginner level.

I'm sure that Eric will be on the move to try and hunt me down as soon as he can, so I revise my plan before appearing in an alley nearby to Moon Goddess Emporium.

Marnie is behind the counter reading a book when I walk in, and she smiles at me expectantly. "Welcome to my Moon Goddess Emporium, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping to see if you could try to contact my friend? She passed away recently." She smiles, waving her hand over towards a table with two chairs in the corner and I sit a moment before she does as she comes around the counter.

"Of course, let us see what we can do."

I act disappointed when she can't find 'my friend', leaving after paying the fee for her time and feeling satisfied with myself. I'd used my light to place a ward around her mind to fend of anything with malicious intentions and most especially anyone who could possess or harm others. Making a note to check in on her around the time that she started talking to Antonia previously, I get out of sight before popping away again.

Appearing outside of Jason's house, I stay unseen but see him inside watching the TV with a beer in his hand and buzzed as he eats a late dinner. It's embarrassingly easy to get into his head, planting the seeds of an aversion to doing V as well as a few other drugs just in case. I'm soon confident that he'll at least avoid all the future problems he has associated with drugs as the magic takes root. I consider affecting him otherwise but decide against it, not wanting to meddle beyond what is necessary. Silently telling him I love him, I teleport to New Orleans, getting myself ready as I carefully make a sweatshirt with a snap and pull the hood up.

The queen's mansion is crawling with werewolves and vampires, guards prowling all over and I hesitate as I wonder if there's not a better way for this to happen. I've never been into her living quarters or private areas so daytime assault is not an option, my previous plan to get as close as possible for blowing her up with a ball of light and then popping away. Something occurs to me as I go over what I have left to do, and I decide to leave, popping away to the portal in the cemetery near the farmhouse.

Calling with my light for Niall, he appears seconds later, and I grin as he comes through the doorway. "Thank you for coming, I think I've figured almost everything out. Is everything okay on your side?"

"Yes, while you didn't do it intentionally, you did bring me back to a very good time to cut off and end Mab since I now know what she's up to. Fearie should be rather peaceful in just a couple of days of earth time. Was there something you needed from me?"

"Yes, I was trying to figure out what we're going to do about Warlow. Do you think we should end him or keep him trapped in his prison? I had wondered about keeping him contained until we can get rid of the last traces of Lilith."

"Not a bad idea, let me see what I can do, and I'll make sure to come see you before too long passes. Do you know where to find the Lilith blood?"

"Yes, I remember the inside of the vampire authority, it should be simple. I was however wondering if you had any thoughts on Sophie-Anne? She's got several children as well as a lot of guards, but I've not been into her daytime quarters before, so I can't do it during the day." He seems to think of something and tells me to stay put, jumping back through the portal and it's nearly two hours before he comes back.

There's a slight redness to his face when he sees my expression. "I do apologize for the wait. It took a few minutes to put one together, since they're only still prototypes at this point."

Nodding, I take the box from him, starting to charge it as he raises an eyebrow. "I want to make sure nothing gets close to me before I grab Hadley. I'm assuming you'll take her?"

"Yes, she may not carry a spark but that could change after she spends a time in Fearie. I'll close this portal after I go through with her, so if you need anything you'll have to call my phone and wait." He glances at it, likely already starting to undo the magic that keeps it active.

"How do you think I should get in?" I ponder, wondering the best way to get in and out fastest.

Grinning, he pulls a paper from within his coat along with an envelope, a pen appearing with a snap of his fingers. It only takes a second as he scribbles several lines before sealing the page into the envelope and carefully writing the child queens name across it. "Take this, tell them you are a messenger for me. Get them both in a single room and grab her right after the light bomb goes off. She'll likely be less than cooperative so just come straight here, and I'll take her off your hands."

"Alright, I shouldn't be gone long, hopefully." Jumping to New Orleans I get to the mansion as quickly as possible, a man at the gate stopping me as I approach.

"I am here, with a message and gift from Niall for Sophie-Anne. If you'll radio inside, she'll likely wish to see me." He looks skeptical but does so, looking chagrined when a loud answer comes over his radio. "Go right in, ma'am."

Someone appears to escort me forward as I walk slowly and dutifully up the obvious path to inside. It's set up to look like a gaudy indoor beach and I see her sitting up on a lounge chair, rising as I enter. My scent is carefully masked, and I sense Hadley in another room as I smile at her politely. "Your majesty, I was sent by Niall with this gift and a letter for you."

I hold up the box, similar in appearance to an ornate Chinese lantern, the paper shades on the sides pulsating softly. Pulling the remote-control pin into my palm carefully, I keep it hidden as she prances forward, her hands pulling it from mine as she examines it. "What is it, does it do anything?"

"It will forever light your way, but I do not know what that means."

"Oh goody! A puzzle, I do love puzzles! Did you say you also have a message?" She looks over me as though examining and I nod my head cheerfully.

"Yes, he wrote this for you, asking that you read it in private. He also knows you have a descendent of one of our kind here and would like me to confirm her health before I leave her to stay in your care. He only wishes that she is happy." I intone, trying to keep it light so as not to raise any suspicions.

"Oh, you mean my dear, Hadley? Of course, she's couldn't be happier! I give her anything she asks for, after all. I'll call for her, she'll be in shortly." Turning away from me, she looks around before walking to a corner table and placing the light box in the center. "So, are you a fairy as well?" She questions, seeming to believe that she is entitled to know.

"Yes, that is why grandfather sent me, he was confident that I would have no problem taking care of this for him." I smile and she frowns slightly, looking me over more closely.

"Grandfather?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot to mention. I am Niall's granddaughter, the next in line for the crown." I don't miss the looks on the faces of the vampires around me and most especially the look worn by Sophie-Anne.

"You are a fairy princess?" Her tone is flat, her lips twitching into a sadistic smile just before Hadley walks in and sees me.

"Sookie!" She exclaims, running over to hug me and I thank my lucky stars.

"Hey, Had! Granddaddy sent me to check on you and give a gift to the queen for keeping you all these years. How have you been?" She looks confused, going to speak but is interrupted.

"Sookie!?" The queen exclaims, taking a step closer to us and I am careful as I prepare to hit the button at any second.

"Yes, that is my name. Do you know of me?" I act as though I'm thinking before looking at her brightly. "Oh, of course, I'm sure Bill has told you all about me." I say with an accusatory tone to my voice, hitting the button on my palm as I pull Hadley's shorter frame against me to hide her eyes from the light. "Had, keep your eyes closed." I order, and she obeys my tone of voice as I suspected she would after years of being with Sophie-Anne.

The room is filled with a blinding light, the entire house being engulfed as every vampire within is instantly ended. Teleporting, Hadley is shaken and looks at Niall uncertainly before looking at me. "What is goin' on Sook?"

"This is our granddaddy Niall, just trust him and I'll see you later." He gives me a small wave with one hand, keeping the other hand on her shoulder as I teleport away.

Burrell is asleep in his bed when I pop in, invading his mind without making a sound and I work to rearrange his prejudiced views. I take the liberty to fix his attitude towards Willa as well, hoping she will have a better future than that of a vampire child turned by someone who doesn't really want to turn her. I also make sure that her father has a distaste for blondes to help divert him from ever meeting up with Sarah Newlin. Willa is asleep in her room, not reacting to the small pop as I enter after I'm done in the other room. I only make a small change, tuning her obsession with vampires down to a more natural level of curiosity. She is otherwise a well-rounded teenager and I wonder if I'll ever see her again, leaving as the sky outside seems to be lightening.

Grabbing breakfast at a diner in Shreveport, I leave a generous tip for the waitress before walking out. Crossing the street, I go ahead into a jeweler that I had been waiting on to open for the day. The older gentleman behind the counter looks surprised to see someone in so early in the day and I smile warmly. "Good day, I was wanting to look at men's rings, can I see what you have in stock?" He shows me to a line of cases along one wall, men's jewelry displayed neatly with price tags hanging from everything.

I'm happy as the ring I want is already here and I don't have to wait, as I wasn't sure if he'd have it in the store yet. It's perfect, the same one I'd gotten for Eric before, and after picking the size I request to have it engraved unlike last time. Taking my receipt for payment, he tells me it will be ready in the afternoon and I thank him for his help.

The vampire authority is quiet, no humans allowed inside without a vampire escort and so it's nearly deserted during the day. I can sense werewolves above ground as they patrol the outside, but nobody is on the same level with me and I carefully remove the vial of Lilith's blood from its pedestal. I'd fully cloaked myself before coming in, knowing there would be hell to paid if this were ever traced back to me and I'm out within sixty seconds of arriving. A small fire in the woods behind the farmhouse is soon roaring and I wait until the coal bed is deep, the heat radiating off it intensely. Carefully removing the cap from the glass container, the red embers before me start sizzling as I slowly dribble the blood into it. It's effectively destroyed, nothing visibly left as I pile on a few smaller pieces of wood to fuel the flames for a while longer and I walk away. I'm not worried as I know it will burn itself out in the damp environment leaving nothing but ashes, and I appear in my old bedroom in the farmhouse, cautious but happy to see the place untouched.

Idly, I wonder if Sam has dispatched the maenad yet but decide to check on that later. Rays of midmorning sun are coming through the windows as I go to the bathroom, washing myself of the traces of ash from the fire and taking a break for a second as I consider my last task. I need to figure out how to get into the office of Mr. Gus to leave a business card with the hopes of kicking off New Blood faster than last time. It's not a thing that is desperately needed like last time, but it was a very successful business venture. It was also fast becoming a preferred alternative for TruBlood since it cost less to make and tasted better.

I'm about to leave the bathroom when something to my left distracts me and I turn slightly, shocked as a disturbance seems to be in the air itself. No.

This shouldn't be happening, it's not time for this yet, and I rack my brain as I try to figure this out before it strikes me that Warlow only came after my light had manifested last time. This time my light is already at full maturity and strength as I now have full control, something that he must be able to sense. I take a step back as a ripple of light appears, summoning my own portal abilities and I work to close it even as an incredible force on the other side tries to rip it wide open. I find myself reaching for Eric on instinct before realizing that I'm alone and that Niall is unreachable in the immediate future. I end up sealing the entire room, a temporary but powerful stasis that leaves me feeling weak as I'm not used to doing such things. A few more years and it would be a breeze just like it is for Niall, but my light is still growing as I'm young in fae age.

I teleport to Eric's office in Fangtasia, grabbing a stake and getting ready before heading back. Standing in the living room, I tuck the stake into my back pocket, disabling the status upstairs and waiting the few minutes before I hear footsteps.

"Please, come meet me." I call out and hear him stop moving before the upstairs room door opens and shuts, steps coming down the stairs and finally a man dressed in what appears to be newly made clothes comes into view. He gives me a quizzical look before smiling a half smile and striding forward cockily. "It's good to finally meet you." I say, trying to sound upbeat as I stifle my nerves.

"You are to be mine, then?" Without saying anything I motion him forward as though to embrace him, a large smile plastered on my face as he comes closer after a second. He doesn't seem to notice when one of my hands swipes the stake from my back pocket before I hug him, positioning it carefully as I look over his shoulder with the embrace. "Do you think I would not detect the deception?" I feel cold as I hear his menacing whisper, unmoving as I feel the point of what I believe to be the fireplace poker in my back. Crying out in agony as it suddenly pierces deeply into my abdomen, I summon all my will power and sink the stake into his back seeming to shock him.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of… if you wanted to stop me you should have killed me instantly." I curse as he twists and rips the fire poker back out, it's hook causing an immeasurable about of damage before I blast him away with my light in rage. He falls into the foyer in a puddle, nothing left of him as I collapse, gasping as I almost can't think beyond what I'm feeling.

I'm so close… I think to myself. I'd even waited to seek out a ring for Eric until I was sure I'd get back to him.

Anger wells up in me as I stare at the bloody mess across the room with hatred, my rage building and compounding as I fuel it mentally. My spark finally rises, reacting to my emotions and I expend the energy as soon as I have built enough to teleport.

I see Eric's figure on the bed for a second as I lean back against the wall before my legs give out, my body beginning to feel numb and I somehow know I am going into shock as I hit the floor. I look up and it feels like it's in slow motion, my eyes focusing on the copious amount of blood on the wall.

That's not good.

There's no real feeling attached to the words, merely a statement that floats through my consciousness as I don't move. I don't register hearing anything, but an unknown amount of time later I suddenly see blue eyes staring into mine.

Why are you angry?

I want to ask, seeing his face contorted with emotion and his fangs bared as he speaks, but no words come from his mouth and my own lips do not seem to want to work.

White noise fills my ears, nothing to be heard as spots bloom across my vision and I see his savaged wrist getting closer before disappearing beneath my nose.

I don't know when I closed my eyes, but when I open them again, I'm lying on the bed as I continue to drink. Warmth has spread through me but apart from that I am numb, not understanding why but grateful for it as I remember what happened.

The ceiling is black above me when I wake, soft motion detecting lights turning on when I move slightly to roll over. A discolored white spot on the wall replaces the red streak that was there previously, my body feeling remarkably fully healed as I move slowly towards standing up. I take off the stained clothing, blanching slightly at how much I bled out as I see the back of my shirt and pants.

I make a note to myself to repay Godric for the cleaning that will need to be done to remove the blood from the bed.

Grabbing a towel from the closet, I turn on the shower and adjust the temperature until it's perfect, washing myself and rinsing away the soap when I feel the void moving in the other room. Drying off, I curse myself for not bringing clothes with me but at the same time hope to curb a certain vampires mood as he's likely unhappy with my previous disappearing act.

Eric growls as I come into view, pinning me to a wall instantly as his hands press to the wall on either side of me, his face less than an inch from mine. "You took off even after I told you not to."

A footage wheel of memories, mostly of me defying him, plays for him to see as our arms are touching. It's followed by a scene where he once divulged that my defiance is something he can't get enough of. Grinning broadly as he is stoic, I kiss him, leaning into him as his arms come around my back to hold me closer.

"This is different." He rumbles, leaning back slightly while I regain my breath. "You were nearly taken from the world, I had to bring you back from the brink."

"Eric, there is no reason for you to worry. Not anymore, now that it's all over. Things have been settled for us for the next several years. If I'm correct, I've covered all the bases although you'll have to deal with Nora when the time comes. I do not share." I say the last part sternly and he seems slightly surprised that I would bring her up. "The last time that I met her for the first time she tried to kill me, so she could keep you to herself. I will absolutely blow her away again although you didn't like that I did it last time, just be lucky I don't kill her."

He cracks a grin despite himself, his hand cupping the side of my cheek. "You are very alluring when you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous darlin', I'm territorial, and you are mine." I point into the center of his chest between us and he smirks, a look I've always loved while simultaneously wanting to smack it off his face.

"As you are mine, lover." The blue of his eyes seems brighter than a moment before, his fangs clicking as they descend, and he kisses me fiercely. I drag in a light-headed breath when he releases my lips, kissing down my jaw to tease the flesh beneath my ear.

"Eric… if we exchange, it will likely be a full bond and not just a newly started one. My light is already twice bound to you, that hasn't changed, it's just broken." His growl softens as he handles me gently, holding me against him with my legs wrapped around his waist.

"Perfect, I do not wish to wait." Taking one of his hands into mine, I lift it and show him his own wrist, his fangs sinking into it a moment later as he understands what I want. I latch on, the incredible nectar of his blood sliding over my tongue and he bites a second later, clutching me closer with his free arm as I hold the other immobile. I can feel the tears sliding over my face as my end of the bond comes to life, his emotions crashing into mine and relief sliding through me as the pain I'd been shielding all this time slips away. "Oh… my Sookie." He mutters seemingly unwittingly just after he's healed my neck. The skin beneath my lips has already healed and I throw my arms around his neck, kissing over his skin and beneath his jaw as I can't contain myself.

"I'm home…" I whisper, and I feel him stiffen slightly before he begins to rub small circles into my back, my tears sinking into his shirt as I press against him.

"You will never be homeless again." He says after a long silence, breaking the tension as I give a hard laugh.

"But how will I pay rent? I quit Merlottes." I grin, kissing him salaciously as he growls louder.

"I'm sure I can come up with something." His husky tone makes me smile warmly and a thought floats through my head.

"I would wish to tell you something first. The last time, for our first time, I'd already slept with Bill. This time however, I came back before that could happen. I've never been with a man in this body." His face is frozen, but I don't miss the fire in his eyes that ignites before my back is being pressed into the somehow clean sheets.

I'm laying across his chest a while later as he plays idly with a lock of my hair in one hand, the other messing with his cell phone as I'm relaxing with my eyes closed.

"Eric, I want to show you something." I mutter against him and I can feel that I have his attention as he drops the phone and focuses on the bond. I start from the beginning, the minutes and finally hours ticking by as I show him all the bad things that had happened on fast forward as I know he can gather it all. "I stopped all of that from happening, and I set everything into motion to hopefully avoid some of the lesser evils as well." Quickly running him through all the events in the past days, he stays quiet for a while before finally speaking.

"You wish to go to college?" He intones, his mind curious.

"That is your takeaway?" I chuckle, but pleasantly surprised at his inclination to indulge me.

"Yes, you tied everything up quite nicely, and I see that is where you want to go forward. What do you wish to do about Compton? He is still lurking around, although his future will be much different now that he cannot become king." He's thoughtful and quiet, waiting for my response.

"I don't know, perhaps wait for him to do something to be kicked out of the area and then send him back to his maker?" I test it in my mind, deciding it wouldn't be a bad outcome as long as he stays away.

"His maker is quite a distasteful individual however, so perhaps it would be best that I arrange for her to have an accident before he is cast out." I nod, decidedly not disagreeing as I know what Lorena is capable of.

"The only other thing to be done is to figure out where you want to live this time."

"What do you mean?"

His brow is furrowed, and I share the memory with him, our several nights long discussion stretching out as he'd been indecisive about where we would spend our days.

"How about we build something of our own this time?" I like the idea, warming to it instantly as I know Alcide's people can do most of the work and it'll be done right.

"I'd enjoy that, we can put in a nice big library… maybe a rooftop garden. What do you think?"

"Whatever you wish, I shall make it happen, but to the garden itself I'm sure you'll enjoy that. I could hire a professional to take cuttings from the remains of your grandmother's garden to get started with. It would certainly be somewhere for you to lounge around in the day."

I nearly open my mouth when the realization suddenly hits me that I haven't yet told him.

"What?" He asks carefully, a small smile on his lips in response to my excitement and the grin spreads across my face as I check the time.

"Put some pants on." I tell him as I stand to get into my own clothing and stopping him from putting on anything more than pants.

"Where are we going?" He frowns as I step towards the door, sunrise imminent as I can feel through his senses the nagging pull to stay safely in his resting place.

"Just take my hand." I request, and he does so instantly, my fingers twining with his.

He looks down as my hand glows within his, his brow furrowing as he looks back up at my beaming face. His frame goes rigid as the light spreads into him, not painful but verging on uncomfortable as it tingles intensely through every inch of flesh before settling down. "What did you do?" Kissing him, he accepts that it was nothing negative and I lean back just before teleporting us.

Hissing, his hand leaves mine as he raises his hand to shield himself, the sunlight bathing him startling him as he expects pain to start any second. Wrapping my arms around his back, he stiffens as he slowly lowers his hands, realizing that he's not in any pain. "Brigant is the name of the sky and light, in the ancient fae language. You are my bonded, my light belongs to you and no light will ever harm you again." I whisper into his back, washing him in my love silently as he stares out over the ocean. I'd popped us to a clifftop in Maine, the sun already risen here for early morning.

"Sookie…" He breathes out my name, not sure what else to say and I assure him with a small mental nudge that he doesn't have to say anything.

He turns, his hands going to either side of my face as he caresses me, his lips touching mine softly a second later. "I didn't get to surprise you last time." I blip the memory through his mind quickly, our first time discovering the sun immunity having been under dire circumstances. Niall had explained when we asked, and it had become a fact of life from then on.

"You've given me the sun…" His voice sounds strained and I am slightly remorseful as bloody tears come down his face.

This is the first time I've seen him cry now, the thought occurring to me, and I am reminded of the last time I seen him cry for the first time. I'm relived that it's not the same reason, Godric safe this time and no longer looking for the end of his undead life.

"I'm curious as to why you are relieved." He mutters, and I hesitate, his eyes boring into mine.

"The last time I seen you cry for the first time, it was a much different scenario."

He stiffens as I play the memories of those nights in Dallas, his eyes wide as he stares down at me. "You changed it… you didn't just give me the sun, you gave me Godric as well. I had wondered what had changed in the previous nights before he called me to his nest."

Leaning up slightly, I pull him the rest of the way down and kiss him again. "He is part of both of us, of course I was going to do all I could to save him."

A seagull overhead calls out loudly, breaking the moment for a second and he looks out towards the sea as he continues to embrace me. "Why have you been to this cliff before?" His curiosity gets the better of him as he knows I must have come here on a previous occasion.

"Stay here." I ask with a smile, teleporting to the Jeweler's in Shreveport a second later. The man behind the counter smiles as he recognizes me, offering to wrap it up with a ring box but I tell him it isn't necessary, teleporting back to stand before Eric as soon as I'm out of anyone's sight. The ring is hidden between my fingers and I hold my hands out, prompting him to do the same. Twining my fingers with his I carefully slip the ring onto his fourth finger and smile up at him, hugging him as he examines it. "This is where we got married."

His arms surround me as I'm lost in his kiss, a guttural tone to the growl distracting as I glance at the bond and notice the hunger he's ignoring. I realize he'd refrained from biting me earlier in the night besides bonding and look him in the eye when he pulls back. "You seem hungry, how much blood did you lose healing me?"

"You were nearly gone, and I refused to risk losing you, so I had to be sure I gave you enough." He says it as a matter of fact, smiling slightly.

"Well it did the trick, I seem to be fully healed." He stiffens as we pop, landing on the bed as I pull him to hover over me and bare my neck. "You need to feed." I hide my slight excitement, knowing that one of the perks of being bonded will make him quite happy. There's a look of concern on his face for a moment before I silently reassure him, and he leans in, teasing the skin with his lips and blunt teeth. A second later I feel the silent growl in his chest beneath my fingers and he bites painlessly, his entire frame covering mine comfortably on the bed. Taking his first pull, I can feel him holding back until I whisper into his ear. "Since we're bonded now, my spark will replenish my blood constantly. You can drink as long as you want, and I'll never run out as long as I'm not already injured."

His snarl erupts as he feels the truth of what I'm saying in the bond, now standing on the precipice of his restraint as I buzz happily in the bond. I step further into his mental space, putting a hand to the back of his self-control and pushing him over the cliff of being uninhibited. He clamps down harder, my mouth dropping open in a silent moan as I clutch myself to him. I'm delirious as he drinks slowly and steadily, floating happily in the bond surrounded by his presence.

I've got no idea how much time goes by when I hear a crash, Eric healing my neck a millisecond before turning and snarling viciously in full bloodlust. I'm shocked to see Godric inside the broken bedroom door and I'm even more surprised when Eric suddenly has Godric on his knees with a hand around his throat. The only explanation I have is the amount of blood he's drank from me and his own bloodlust as it doesn't appear that Godric is letting him get the upper hand on purpose.

"Eric, I command you to stand down." Godric speaks loudly and I feel as the conflict erupts in my bonded. My curiosity gets the better of me and I join my will with Eric's, helping him swat away the order from his maker who subsequently appears shocked.

I'm shocked when Godric is forced off his feet by a blow to the chest, going backwards into the wall next to the destroyed door. Eric starts stepping forward to continue his assault and I teleport in front of him, his advance stopped as I slide my arms around his sides. "Stop." I plead loudly, laying my head against his chest.

"Sookie, move!" I hear Godric demand and feel anger bubbling up despite my efforts.

"No! Why did you come in here?" There's no response before Eric's hands are on my shoulders and I look up at his face, rage written across his features. I reach into his side of the bond, his anger a rampaging force as I try to sooth him.

"I could feel his thirst being sated, I thought he was draining you after so long." Godric speaks calmly as he brushes himself off, staying by the door.

"He was only concerned." I mutter to Eric, reaching one hand up to wrap around the back of his neck before pulling him down to kiss me.

Shooing Godric away with my free hand, I wrap it around Eric's side as I feel the other void leaving the room. Eric's growl immediately lessens as we're alone again and I feel him backing off from the urge to fight someone.

Rubbing against him softly in the bond, I wash him in calm affection and he grins down at me as he pulls back, listening intently as I speak. "Are there anymore rooms here? I'll pop us in if you can picture one where we can rest for the day."

Reaching towards his mind, I see a space projected to me and chuckle as I recognize one of his bunker rooms in the middle of nowhere in the swamps of Louisiana. Popping us there, I'm pinned to the wall a second later but can't see anything as I don't have his night vision. I wonder if he can read my mind in the bond yet as he kisses me soundly before pulling back to speak. "Don't worry, I will see to you."

"Don't you mean see for me?" I wonder aloud.

"Hmm… no." He growls enticingly before I can feel my shorts and tank top being removed, his mouth locked to mine as I'm driven into distraction.

!

Two vampire monarchs being destroyed in their own mansions had of course caused an upset in the vampire authority, a special task force being put together to find the culprits. Eric and Godric suspected the intense investigation had more to do however with Lilith's blood than anything else, and it seemed to be a correct guess as time went on. After a while we heard less about the dead leads concerning the dead vampires and more about the missing 'vampire relic' taken from the authority headquarters. At first the missing blood had only been a rumor, but as time went on and the vampires in charge got more desperate, it became more widely known. Four months later and the authority had gotten quieter about any investigations, new monarchs were appointed, and life for the undead seemed to move on like normal.

Of course, for Eric, that meant everything was still sort of brand new. It was strange for us sometimes, when I'd make a joke off hand and he wouldn't get it, even though he used to and suddenly I'd have to remind myself that certain things didn't happen for this Eric. But after a vacation where we spent countless hours embraced in bed as I showed him everything from start to finish over the course of many days, it got much easier.

Glancing over at Pam, I see her look back a second later and I give a half smile as she continues to glower at everyone in the club. Our relationship hasn't improved much, but it's gone leaps and bounds compared to the first time I was getting to know her, and she at least doesn't openly hate me anymore. It helped that I had later gone back to the jeweler who designed Eric's ring and found several things that I gifted to her.

I step up from Eric's lap, walking behind his chair and through the curtains to a small room he built onto the side of the building. A mini fridge next to a large wall length couch is stocked with water for me as well as several bottles of the recently revealed NuBlood, a tiny logo in the bottom corner of the label branding it as a sister company of TruBlood as Mr. Gus had taken to the idea easily. He proved to be an excellent business partner after we laid out that we would do most of the work as long as he provided a facility for production.

After stroking the bond, Eric follows me in a moment later, the curtain shutting away the prying eyes behind him before he presses me back against the couch. His growl is quiet as he kisses me fiercely but I'm sure the other vampires can hear it, an obvious warning to stay out as he moves to my neck. Pushing him back, he sits up before I pop to be straddling him, leaning in as his arms snake completely around my mid-section. "It feels like you're hungry." I mutter into his ear, my skin bared before him as he tucks my hair out of the way with one hand.

"Hmm… but what is it I'm hungry for?" If it weren't for his dark tone of voice I'd laugh, instead squirming against him causing him to growl louder as I hear his fangs pop into place.

"Everything alright, big bad Viking? It would seem you're indecisive suddenly." His eyes are fiery when he looks up at me, a wicked grin on his face before my head is tilted and he bites down, unrelenting as I feel waves of endorphins coursing through me.

My hands go into his hair and my nails scratch his scalp, his growl much louder as he pulls harder. You don't play fair. I whisper into his mind, my amusement washed away fluidly as the bond pulsates in our happiness.

I don't immediately notice the commotion at the front door as several vampires push their way into the crowd, Eric bristling slightly against me as their scents mix into the air.

"Nothing to worry about, I'm yours." I whisper into his ear as I invade the minds of the intruder's human driver outside to check into everything. My light wells up and over in my heart as I pool my strength for several seconds, his tongue healing my neck before he pulls back in uncertainty as light fills our small space. White bolts of silk flow out as they materialize against my skin, the golden sun symbol of the royal sky fae largely adorning my back and chest as a floor length cloak finally fastens itself around my neck to finish the ensemble. Standing and pulling him up with me, I clasp his hand tightly as my light flows into his arm and over his skin. He looks down with surprise as the magic traces over his frame for a pattern, his old clothing gone in dust a second later as he's fitted into an outfit matching mine. "I can't wait." I mutter quietly, and he smirks as he takes my hand.

"Just follow my lead and say the right thing, at the right time." His tone is even and factual, his brow quirking when I roll my eyes.

"That's easier said than done." I joke quietly, and he chuckles in the bond as we step forward together. My scent is fully masked, and I look out at the crowd of nicely dressed vampires, werewolves and humans.

Niall performs our ceremony, my friends and vampire monarchs onlooking as we're bound together in matrimony. The final vampires to arrive were from the Authority, one of them writing everything down as it happens, and they leave silently not long after drinks start being served to the crowd. I say goodbye to everyone from Bon Temps and leave a note with Sam for Jason, simply informing him of my marriage and giving him my new phone number. He's had yet to speak with me willing, but Sam says it's more to do with shame over how he's been acting than any anger towards me anymore. Only time will tell how it will go with him.

Eric's private jet is waiting on a small air strip outside of town and we board it several hours before sunrise, getting ourselves settled into the lighttight bedroom as the flight is timed to land us an hour after sunset. "Are you ready?" He asks as we slowly move down the runway to get into a position to take off.

"As long as you're here, always." Putting my head on his shoulder, I relax as the plane turns and starts speeding up.

"Good, then I won't be letting you out of my sight." Taking his hand, I twine our fingers together and I can feel him practically purring in the bond.

"Good, I don't want you to. Besides, I've never been to Tokyo and I don't speak Japanese, so I'd probably end up lost or getting ripped off." He starts telling me of his times there with Godric in centuries past, our plane angling upwards and taking us into the sky as he speaks.