Sookie and Bill sat in their room at the Hotel Carmilla, the silence between them uncomfortable. They had been fighting all morning.
Sookie was getting tired of how pissy Bill had been ever since she had accidently had Eric's blood. He kept saying it wasn't her fault but he sure kept bringing it up a lot and she couldn't help but think he really did blame her. He suddenly seemed so… insecure. Well actually, once she thought about it, he had always been kind of pissy and insecure. And secretive, stupidly secretive about everything.
She shook her head, how could she be thinking this way about Bill, he was her true love, right? Maybe this was one of the effects of Eric's blood? But if she understood how that worked, the blood should just make her more attracted to Eric, not less attracted to anyone else. A cynical part of her wondered if this had more to do with the fact that it had been a while since Bill had last given her his blood.
This led her thoughts to the dream she had had: talking to Eric in bed, Eric rolling on top of her and saying: "This is the beginning", passionate kisses. It had felt so real. She felt herself blush as she thought about it.
"Where is he?" stormed Bill as he kicked one of the two travel coffins on the floor. The man from Anubis Airline had dropped them off at the room since it was broad daylight outside, promising to come back for them in twenty minutes once the vampires were settled inside. It was now eighteen minutes later, and twenty-eight minutes after Eric Northman was supposed to meet them here.
There was a sharp knock at the door and Bill continued his angry march at vamp speed to open it. A tall figure dressed in black lounged against the doorframe.
"Well, speak of the Devil." Quipped Sookie.
Eric smirked in her direction. "Interesting," he said, sidestepping and completely ignoring a fuming Bill as he stalked toward her. "What were you saying about me?"
Now that she was looking him in the eye at such close range Sookie saw that his eyes were red, all traces of blood tears had been washed away but she firmly suspected he had been crying. Her own eyes started to well up as she remembered standing vigil with Godric as this day dawned. It was only early afternoon on the day that had taken his Maker. She knew that today his bluster must be half-hearted, a mask over his pain.
As if he could tell what she was thinking, Eric quickly turned to Bill. "Ready?" he asked with what sounded like a painful slap on the back.
Bill just sighed, clearly too tired to deal with Eric right now. Sookie had noticed that Bill was already starting to get the bleeds before the coffins arrived. No wonder he was cranky. Eric either must have either slept already today or not been affected as easily because he was older. She opened Bill's coffin for him and gave him a peck on the cheek as he settled in. Happy to close the lid on somebody who had been stressing her out all day she almost forgot about Eric until she had clicked Bill's coffin shut and looked up to see him sitting in his coffin, forearms resting on his knees and calmly staring at her. She realized he was probably looking at her cleavage in her low-cut yellow sundress as she leaned over. She straightened up and pulled her white cardigan closed, crossing her arms on her chest.
"Where's my kiss?" he was so smug. Sookie rolled her eyes. She thought she heard a "harrumph" from Bill's coffin. She picked her way over Bill to kneel beside Eric. She really felt for Eric and his loss and she was naturally tenderhearted even to snarky vampires, but also that cynical part of her knew that showing him that she could see his pain would annoy him greatly. Showing compassion would be a win-win.
She placed her warm little hand on his cold one, which clearly surprised him. "I'm so sorry about Godric. I can see how much you loved each other, I know you must be hurting today."
For a moment he held her gaze, his emotions exposed in his eyes until he recovered from the surprise and put his mask back on. He seemed on the verge of making a sarcastic reply until he suddenly turned toward the open door, fangs dropping. "Someone's coming." He growled.
Sookie froze, suddenly remembering the terrifying experience when they had arrived in Dallas when she was almost kidnapped. Could the Fellowship still be after them?
Before she could think, Eric's hand was over her mouth and with his other arm he pulled her at vamp speed into the coffin with him and shut the lid.
Blinking in the sudden darkness she realized she was trying to scream. Eric's hand pressed more firmly against her mouth. "Shhh!" he hissed in her ear, so close to her ear. "Listen to his thoughts."
Just then their feet were jarred and then their heads, they were being moved. Sookie battled to push down panic, fear, and unexpected arousal at being so close to Eric. Damn Eric and his damn blood.
She tried to listen for thoughts.
…Kill all those bastards…
Suddenly they lurched again, it felt like they were being rolled on a cart. Apparently this new upset of gravity had caused Eric's hand, no longer on Sookie's mouth to bounce down onto her right breast. Momentarily distracted from telepathy she reached up with her right hand, her left was pinned between her and Eric, to move it. Once she picked up the heavy hand however she had a dilemma, there seemed to be nowhere to put it except somewhere else on her body. She had ended up on her back in the foam-padded coffin with Eric lying on her left side, lying on his side facing her and almost on top of her. Realizing that the longer she hesitated the longer she was effectively holding hands with him she quickly chose her right hip.
"Mmm" he growled, as if someone had told him an interesting fact. "Okay." He gripped her hip firmly, pressing toward himself. They were already too close for her to move any closer, he just increased the pressure between them.
That would have to do, their lives might be in danger. She listened again.
There's no way Patty still has this many vacation days! I'm going to talk to Sean. I can't do these daytime shifts alone, why are these vampers so damn heavy?
They were being bumped around again, probably being put in the Anubis van, Sookie thought. "I don't think this guy means us any harm. He's just mad about work, it's the Anubis driver. I think it's safe for me to get out now."
"Safe for you maybe but not for me, Sookie. The Anubis vans are not light tight. I will be burned if we open the coffin now."
"What?" Sookie squeaked, she was trying to hit him but was unable to get her hand far enough away from him to pick up speed. It was more of a shove against his chest. "Are you saying I'm stuck in here until…"
Eric heaved a sigh that sounded significantly more amused than remorseful. "All the way to Louisiana, I'm afraid, yes."