Weekly Challenge 24
I'll give you the gun when it's loaded
Thanks for the opportunity to express my creativity with these wonderful characters created by Charlain Harris.
Synopsis: Are the rumors true? Did Eric and Sookie break up? Is Eric dating someone new? Is there hope for he and Sookie?
So How Do You REALLY Feel?
"Yes. Yes. YES! OK! See you later," barked Eric as he put down the phone. He snarled. She should not be bothering me while I am working, he thought. Sometimes he wished she wouldn't bother him at all. But, she is a current convenient source of fresh blood and an adequate fuck for the time being, he thought rationally. But, of course, she did not taste any different than any other human. He had no passion for her. Not like with… He stopped his thought mid sentence as he felt the familiar stab in his heart; he was sure felt more painful, than any stake could be.
He focused on his work, deciding which bands to bring into Fangtasia for the fall. His current food supply used to be with the leader of a famous vampire band, perhaps she could be of some use. His mind drifted again, as it did so often lately. He found himself thinking of what he no longer had-- her soft skin, her hair as bright as the sun itself, and her gentle smile. He once again felt the ache in his entire body, and found himself contemplating what had transpired. The banging on the door interrupted his thoughts and brought a welcome respite to his anguish.
"Enter," he whispered, barely able to speak due to a lump in his throat. Pam came into his office. She stared at him as she sat down in the big chair in front of his desk.
"What," he said without looking up.
"I am concerned, Eric." She said, "We all are."
"Our suppliers have assured me that the Royal Vintage Blood and the extra order of Gray Goose will be here for the weekend crowd," he sighed. "No need to worry."
Pam rose and slammed her hands on his desktop so quickly that Eric was taken by surprise.
"You know damn well I am not talking about the bar order," she said, exasperated. "You are listless. You are not happy, you are never even angry anymore and you rarely take flight. You stay in this office and feed from that ginger-haired fang banging whore who passes herself around to any vampire with a well known name! She is dragging you down into the gutter, and I won't stand for it! Her 'I am a bright, sweet misunderstood young lady' act may have suckered you in for the moment, but I see her for what she is and I clearly see what she is doing to you. Even your hair is dull and well….lifeless!" Yelled Pam, not being able to resist the pun. "You need to deal with what happened between you and Sookie. I think you should see a psychologist that specializes in vampire-human relationships."
Eric jumped up with his fangs extended. "I do not need to see a shrink," he growled. "Sookie rescinded my invitation and said she didn't want to be with me, regardless of the bond. I have moved on." He said dispassionately.
"She rescinded your invitation after your last ridiculous tirade over her attention to Bill, who told you himself there was nothing going on between them." Pam growled right back at him.
"Nevertheless," lamented Eric.
"Of course you have never said anything in anger that you didn't mean."'
"You are playing coy, Pam. You know I didn't mean the things I said to her and she should have known that as well."
"Oh, I forgot she can read vampire minds as well as human minds, Eric!
"You are being sarcastic, Pam? "He shoved back from his desk, and stared intently at her. He saw the distress in her face.
"I know you are concerned my child," he said gently, "and I know you miss Sookie almost as much as I do. I miss her taste and her smell. My body is racked with pain when I think of her caressing me, and when I remember the feeling of her body against mine. I long to bite into her and taste her sweetness again. I long to pass the nights ravaging her body and exploring her mind; but it is not to be. What you don't know, is that I tried to apologize, to make amends, but she wouldn't hear me out. So it is what it is, and I have moved on with the ginger whore as you call her. I am glad you can tell me how you REALLY feel about it!"
"Moved on my ass!" Rumbled Pam, who was not about to let him off the hook. "You are with the whore because you wanted your emptiness sated, the emptiness you had for so long that Sookie filled. So you grabbed the first thing that threw herself at you. You forget I know you well, Sheriff. Be that as it may, I came to tell you Sookie is in the bar. She heard about the slut, your new companion, and is furious.
Eric moved towards Pam in a vampire flash. "Why didn't you tell me?" he snarled.
"Relax; she is with Felicia and Indira. But seriously, Eric, I've never seen her as enraged as she is right now. She even brought a shotgun with her." said Pam with a slight smirk.
"A shotgun? Sookie with a shotgun?" Eric raised his eyebrow. "What is she going to do with a shotgun?" he wondered aloud. "Bring her to me."
As Pam went to get Sookie, Eric deliberated on this situation. He hated to admit it, but Pam was right. He was tired of the emptiness inside of him. Tired of looking for a companion. With Sookie, he thought his quest had come to an end. So when she banned him, he did indeed pick up the first thing that showed him attention and affection, tramp or no tramp. He scowled at his own weakness. He thought he would do anything to have Sookie back. His feelings and passion for her were so intense. They had shared so much. He was sure he loved her, but caring about a human was so difficult and vampire human couples usually did not last long. The odds were against them from the start.
Suddenly, Sookie burst through his door, shotgun and all. He could see she meant business.
"Hello lover." Eric said as he grinned at the site of an armed Sookie. "It has been awhile. Are you here to shoot me?"
"Shut up Eric. I'm not here to shoot you. I've come for that fake cunt you've been snacking on." Sookie had never thought, much less said the word "cunt" before. But, she had to admit it felt pretty good to say aloud, so she said it again. "The stupid CUNT!" She thought the word certainly fit the person (and she used the term loosely.)
"If you want her gone, Sookie, you only have to ask. Now give me the gun. "Said Eric, throwing all of his influence at her.
"I'll give you the fucking gun when it's loaded and after I blow her ignorant head off." She stopped for a breath. "How could you Eric? Instead of trying to work things out, you pick up a used up fang banging, name dropping slut???
"I tried to work things out with you Sookie and you wouldn't talk to me." Said Eric quietly.
"I was so mad Eric."
"And now you are calm enough to blow someone's head off?" he smirked.
Sookie sat down in his chair, her eyes welling with tears. "I didn't expect us to break-up, and I didn't expect you to feed and sleep with someone else."
"And I didn't expect you to talk to me again. It has been months. I have missed you terribly. She was a replacement for you, Sookie. Someone to fill a void. She means nothing and I would throw her away in a moment for a true companion with whom I could build something."
Sookie let out a sigh. "We have so much going against us, don't we Eric? We are both stubborn, neither of us wants to change or compromise. Lets face it, relationships are all about compromise. Is it worth it to even attempt to be together again? " she asked, with hope in her voice and in her heart.
He sat beside her and took her hand. "I don't know, Lover. But, I know I am a hollow shell and in pain without you."
"I feel the same," said Sookie, "And it is not just the bond."
"No, it is deeper than the bond. Shall we try again my lover? I am more than willing, but, you cannot rescind my invitation whenever you get upset. We cannot run from each other during times of intense emotion. "
"I know. I will try to keep my temper, and listen and talk things out. And I will make a promise not to run, or chase you away. You have to understand, it is you I am with. I am committed to you. That doesn't change. Even if I talk to Bill, Sam, Quinn, or the salesman at the Super-Save-a-Bunch.".
"You are right lover. I become irrationally jealous of you. If we are going to last together, it will be hard work, and will take a lot of trust. As you said, we need to be a committed to remain together, even when things are rocky." Eric said with a hopeful smile in his eyes. "But I look forward to the challenge."
"As do I Eric. Let's try again." Sookie said tenderly.
He leaned in to kiss her, hungry for the taste of her lips. As he did, his evening meal strolled through the door, followed by Pam, telling her she couldn't go in.
Sookie had heard the bitch coming in her head. Before anyone (including the tramp) knew what was happening, Sookie grabbed the gun, stood and turned. She leveled the gun at the fangbanger's head and fired, hitting her dead center between the eyes.
Time seemed to stop for a moment.
"Oh, and Eric? One more thing." Sookie said as she tossed the shotgun aside. "No more fangbanger sluts. I'll wait for you at the bar."
Pam and Eric, showing full fang looked at each other stunned, and then laughed. "I told you she will make a great vampire," said Eric with a lighter heart than he had felt in months. Then he turned, and whistling, began to clean up the mess.