This is my first True Blood fan-fiction story. I've read all of Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series and she's the sole creator/ owner of all of her wonderful characters. HBO and Alan Ball own the TV series True Blood. I'm just an obsessed fan totally in love with their entire world. I can't wait until the new book comes out and the next season airs.( I'm also very poor so pretty please no lawsuits .) Here is my humble way to fill the empty void that is my sex life LOL, a fantasy about my favorite couple-Eric and Sookie. This takes place after From Dead to Worse so possible spoilers ahead. This is my version of how Eric the Viking was turned Vampire and why he is so fascinated with Sookie . Ever wonder why he really allowed himself to be blood bonded with her ? Why when he lost his memory he wound up running along the road just outside of Sookie's house? Why was Niall forbidden to have contact with Sookie until now? Here's my take on these and other pressing plot questions. I'm not sure how to rate this so I'll go for M (Mature) to be on the safe side. BTW- Song lyrics included are an English translation from Sweden's national anthem and Songs by Night Wish and Evanessence I searched for the perfect ones to fit the story . I think I found them. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. Rated M

Ever Dream

ca. 1009 A.D.- A thundering chorus of heavy boots stomping on the rough stone floor mixed with the bellowing voices of his fellow warriors.

" Eirikr !", "Eirikr !", "Eirikr!"

An echo built upon itself to reverberate against the walls inside the great hall. His senses heightened by spiking adrenaline and drink, his own excitement rose as he listened.

" Thou ancient, thou unbound, thou north of the far." "In beauty and quiet I love thee." " I hail thee thou fairest of lands upon the earth," " Thy sun, thy heaven above, thy land so green". " Thou rest on thy memories from great days of yore," " When all through the world thy name was carried ." " In thee I will live , in thee I will die, forever in thou north land."

Their guttural chants continued in song accompanied by the loud pounding of their steins across the sturdy wooden tables. Spurred on by the spirit of the celebration he joined in. His voice rang out deep and strong and true. Their words spoke of past battles, both lost and won. Of galling bitter defeats, the parched throats and burning empty bellies. Then followed the sweet rewards of victory, her heady fragrant brews and rich sumptuous feasts. Tales of icy cold churning seas and balmy calm starlight nights.

They sang of despised enemies fiercely forced down and the courageous friends who had fallen fighting at their sides. They sang for the beloved ones left behind, several who were taken before their time. A few who had seen many seasons come and go, then they too had died. They sang as tribute to their gods, Odin, Thor and Frey.

Lastly a funeral dirge for their late King Hjalmar whom fate had called to pass over to Vahalla. His grave war wound had been beyond even his master healer's help. The time had come for his son Prince Eirikr to assume the throne. The circle could not be broken, this cycle of man. He needed to take a mate , a wife . She would warm his bed, bear his sons and share his life.


He was indeed ready now, oh so ready for this night to unfold. This was his right of passage. He would have the ultimate prize. She would be his bonded and his alone. As was the usual custom a woman had been chosen from the group obtained during the last raid. She was young and pure, a virgin reserved for the new King. To us this may sound barbaric, but in reality it was not. Primitive perhaps, but it had always been this way under King Hjalmar. No one thought to question it. At a battle's end all of the surviving women, children and whatever elderly remained were rescued and taught the traditions of his kind. Anything less would have been far too cruel. If left alone and weak without their male warriors to protect and provide for them, ultimately they surely would have perished .

Most of the other Nordic bands belittled Eirikr's father for his acceptance of captured slaves into the general populace. The other bands bragged that they slaughtered all enemies, women and children included. They were stupid and shortsighted. This blending of the clans ensured a much more diverse and healthy genetic pool from which any future generations were born. The Folkvardr , the guardians, they knew that excessive inbreeding within a herd was bad. The Rune Stones tracked all of the unions of both human and livestock. They followed the offspring produced. The watchers expected much from this fresh couple.

The girl held such promise, she was extraordinarily beautiful , possessing a quick wit and a kind nature. Plus she had been a Chieftain's only daughter. It was also rumored that she had inherited a special gift of magic from her mother's side, the "Fea." It remained to be seen if that were true and if so how she would weld that power. The tribe name "Fea" was an ancestral term from her own language , it had never been encountered before. The Folkvardr would soon be unable to forget the symbol or it's meaning. Neither would King Eirikr.


The air was brisk outside , puffs of steam floated around his face as he walked from the great hall to the long house. His head cleared , he felt refreshed invigorated even. The moon shown full and bright in the ebony sky. The star marks twinkled pinpoints of light overhead. He was able to pick out the eyes of Thjazi,-the twins, Friggas Distaff, the Hunter and Oden's Wain. A good omen he thought to himself. The other warriors would probably partake until dawn and then pass out where they collapsed. He chuckled at the comedic scene he imagined he would find in the morning. Dismissing the image from his mind he reflected on the moment before him. This first night with his new Queen was sacred. No one dared to interrupt their privacy, they were to be left alone.

As he approached a single grizzled hulking sentry leaning against the door stiffened sword in hand. Seeing that it was King Eirikr he bowed his head and respectfully stepped aside.

"Thank-you Gunnarr",

the King smiled.

" You are vigilant as always."

Gunnarr had been his father's lead man at arms and then the Prince's private instructor in hand to hand combat. They still practiced daily using all of the axes and blades Gunnarr so meticulously fashioned. The Prince , now King, could easily best even the most powerful and determined of opponents in their maneuvers, thanks in part to Gunnarr's expert training.

"You may go now , your duty is fulfilled ." " We will be fine, I will keep her safe myself."

Eirikr's voice was confident and his grin grew wider at Gunnarr's slightly raised eyebrow. The old soldier harrumphed counting silently to himself the many times that he had heard that before. As a boy the young Prince had been very good at getting into all kinds of trouble. With adolescence he had grown tall, fair haired and handsome. He began to catch the young ladies interests and discovered a new kind of mischief to dally with. By the time he was twenty-five summers matured his frame had filled out completely with wide shoulders , a deep chest, lean hips and long strong limbs. Now the female gender of any age found him to be almost irresistible. This sometimes created a lot of friction between the maids of the village and their partners. Yes, Gunnarr sighed, is was good for everyone involved that Eirikr was now crowned King and married.

Not without a little pride in the outcome, Gunnarr gathered himself up and prepared to go home to his own better half . He craved some of her delicious food and ale, her ample bosomed companionship and their soft warm bed . His stomach was growling and his bones and backside were complaining . He dared a bit of patriarchal advice as he turned to leave.

" As your father is not here to say it, I will stand in his stead this one and only conversation." "To be his vessel of speech in deference to his wisdom and to our shared great affection for you."

Gunnar actually found himself blushing a bit considering the topic at hand, yet he continued.

"Be patient and gentle at the first." " Don't let your wild passions over rule you." " Show her that you are the one in control but allow her to set the pace." " Earn her trust, give her some tender pleasure before you take your own." "That is how to win her heart." " Be faithful to her and she will continue to be loyal to you ." " "Honor your vows seriously," " You will not live to regret it." " Remember you are our King, and she is now our Queen."

Eirikr pondered Gunnarr's counsel as he observed him trek homeward. He had already planned to heed that same recommendation from the start . It was rather irritating though, did everyone assume that he always acted the cock among the hens? He had never intentionally set out to seduce any of the women he had previously been involved with. In fact he had found that the more he had ignored them, the more bold and persistent they had become.

He longed for the same sort of relationship that his father had shared with his mother. They had loved each other beyond measure. She and her second babe, his infant sister, had died in a difficult childbirth. Eirikr had seen only six winters and still he remembered how devastated his father had been. How much it had hurt, how sorely she was missed. It remained a tragedy that had changed their family for an entire decade. Finally his father had brought another partner into his house, Bergdis. She had been a widow with two toddlers to raise, a boy Tryggr, and a girl Dagny. She was a benevolent person and had cared for him the same as if he were one of her own. His father had been happy with her. Eirikr would see to it that she and her children would never want for anything. He owed her that much.

Well, no need to worry about the scores of empty headed fillies that threw themselves at him anymore. There was only one woman alive that he hoped to impress, Eydis, his Queen. Suddenly he felt nervous and unsure. Would she find him attractive enough? His intimate touch acceptable? What if she regarded him as offensive and rejected him? Could he bring himself to force her to bend to his will? He searched his conscience, no, never, he refused to abuse her . Realizing that he had been standing there anxiously gripping the door's latch so hard that his knuckles were pinched white he hastily pushed it open to enter. The weathered slab of pine swung fast smacking against the wall with a crash. This sent a shower of splinters across the threshold. Eydis jumped in fright at the abrupt noise, she was perched upon his bed, layers of furs pulled up tightly around her. Only her pale face and hands were visible. Her eyes were wide clear orbs of green , her russet locks untamed and curled into tendrils that poked out from beneath her bride's garland of flowers. Her lips were red and ripe, her chin was quivering as if she were fighting the urge to flee. Or weep ? By Odin he prayed not , he hated it when females cried...He swore into his sleeve at his stupidity as he shut the door and slipped the locking bolt securely into place.

" I am sorry if I startled you, sometimes I forget my own strength."

Eirikr stammered as he glanced about sheepishly. She lowered herself down to sit in the middle of the bed and as she curled her tiny feet under her he noticed that they were bare.


Still wrapped in her cocoon of furs softly she answered,

" Perhaps a mighty gust of wind caught the door as well, tis blustery your clime."

Her native accent lilting the words as she spoke in his language. It had a tinkling musical quality woven within it's texture. She smiled shyly and pointed at the glowing fire inside the hearth. Eirikr got the hint, no wonder she had been burrowing under every available fur in his household, she had been cold and had started the fire all by herself. Oh !,she will be much warmer very soon , he promised himself.

" I do not want you to catch a chill my wife",

He emphasized her title in a hushed alluring tone as he bent to add three more logs to the stack. He stoked the embers until the flames danced high. The way that he had said wife made her shiver and it was not from any draft in the room. He moved with the easy grace of a big lynx cat, a predatory one at that. During the simple ceremony that morning she had went through the motions required of her in a mental fog. Getting dressed, speaking her vows, exchanging the tokens. All she had paid attention to was him, she absorbed his every detail. He towered over her, he was the tallest man she had ever seen.

His long hair was flaxen and his body was utterly flawless, as if formed by the goddess herself. His voice was a base cadence and when their gaze met she felt a shock as if she had been struck by lightening. His eyes blazed like blue suns piercing into her very core.

" It is late, is there anything else you require of me wife, before we slumber?"

She could not think of a single thing to ask for to further stall him with. Honestly she was not even sure if she wanted to postpone their inevitable coupling.
"Water?,

Her voice croaked,

"ah Water?"

She repeated shakily.

" There is a bucket full of fresh on the table for whenever we need it" ,

He started casually removing his garments as he blew the candles out. Off went his boots, then his tunic and belt, his leggings and breeches last. Only her wedding gift to him remained around his neck. Shadows shielded her embarrassment as she saw him in all his naked glory. She sucked in her breath in awe, the flickering firelight had transformed him into a golden god . A very well endowed one to be precise.


Her heart was beating so fast she feared it would burst , she couldn't help it , she started to quake inside. He reached for the furs and pulled them down slowly revealing her unclothed form to him. It was his turn to be stunned , he blinked several times as if not trusting what he saw. She was the most exquisite creature he had ever dared to dream of.

He had realized that she was small, the top of her head had barely come up to the middle of his chest when they stood next to each other before the priestess. He had been encouraged to lean down, bending his knees a bit, when she had stretched up to fasten the amulet's chain. When he had clasped her hand in his own to place the ring on her finger, it had been so tiny that he feared damaging her somehow. He had fashioned the ring too large and it had been quite loose but she thanked him anyway and had worn it proudly. He had thought her childlike then, how wrong he had been.

Her curves were all womanly. Her breasts while not large were abundant enough on her delicate frame. Their flesh creamy and firm with rosebud pink nipples. Her waist narrowed to a sleek , supple stomach. Then her hips flared to meet her maidenhead and rounded bottom. Even her limbs were shapely and graceful. He ached to touch her, to taste her, every delectable inch of her .

"Eydis"

He rasped huskily ,

" Your name means island goddess, and that you are.""Even Freyja herself could not dare to compare to your splendor. "

He slid under the furs along side her carefully pressing his mouth to hers. He kissed her skillfully, plying and testing until she parted her lips to his prodding tongue. She was sweeter than honey nectar to him. Her brain froze , she should pretend to be coy, that was what he expected of her did he not? But the way he was jutting his tongue about, Frig! He was making it very difficult for her to concentrate on anything other than the sensual emotions rushing through her veins. Her body had become a traitor, responding to his on an entirely instinctual level. All she wanted was to be closer still, to inhale his scent ,a spicy mingling of pine, sandalwood, soap and male musk.

He deepened the kiss as she seemed to be enjoying it. His hands cradled her face caressing her cheeks, then he began to run his fingers through her hair. He nuzzled her neck kissing along her jaw. He halted for a second to be sure he had not imagined it, oh my ..unusual..the tips of her ears were pointed. He licked them with a tickle as light as a butterfly wing. She giggled and risked a taste of his ear lobe mmm yummy, salty from a fine sheen of sweat misting over him due to their tight proximity... and current activity .

" Oh!,"

he laughed at the unexpected wetness she had left there , she was proving to be an eager pupil. Perhaps old Gunnarr's warning was unwarranted.


"So you liked that hmmm.?",

He teased. He began to move down her smooth body kissing and licking at every pulse point, what his mouth missed his busy hands more than made up for.

"You are my King !"

She moaned as he sucked each of her nipples until they were hard peaks of need. She tugged at his hair as she held his head.

"Bheunas help me!"

She gushed. If she could she would crawl into his skin..The tingling in her breasts had migrated south and morphed into a throbbing empty void screaming to be filled up by him. Continuing his journey over her uncharted topography he stopped just above her sex,

"Look at me Lover, "

He commanded, she let her eyes lock with his as he lapped.

" Your smell !, your taste!, it intoxicates me !"..

He exclaimed as he settled himself between her legs. Swirling and nipping, giving lavishly he lathed her . She let out a groan of strangled desire as he inserted his long fingers deep into her maidenhead.

"Augh ! Yesss!, Eirikr !...ah!, oooh!,..your touch has magic ! I swear !"

Dexterously in and out, massaging in circles he stimulated her until she was slick and dripping with moisture.

"Oh!, don't stop !, please don't stop!,"

She begged exhaling unevenly as she undulated against him. She was riding a wave of molten heat, her first climax was close he could tell. She reached for his manhood , it was rigid and swollen and grew even greater under her grasp. She wanted to give as good as she got.

"Eirikr !, I wish to please you !, tell me what you like !, show me what to do!.."

Her hand was too small to encircle him completely so she pinned him between her palm and the satiny inside of her thigh, she stroked him nimbly sending a raging spike of flame straight to his groin. It nearly sent him over the edge but he held on to his control , barely... His own breathing drew ragged with his quickening pulse , her essence rang out to him like a siren's call. He shifted so that he bumped against her bud. Gliding aside her folds he used her own juices to lubricate his skin.

"Now !, Eydis !, Now!" ",Please ! lover !," "Say! you! are! ready! for me!, "

He implored.

"Yes !, Yes! Oh! Eirikr !"

She answered him, clinging to his kiss as he gingerly pressed into her entrance. He felt her tense and start to fret, she was sheathing him so tightly. A whimper escaped her lips ,

"ouch, ouch, ouch "...

"Hush, now, hush, lover, relax, relax",

He crooned in a soothing whisper as he pushed in a little further .

" I, promise, it, will, sting, only, a, moment, and ,then, I, swear , I , will, never, cause , you, pain , again. "

He thrust a third time and they were as one...


In Odin's name! They fit together as if created to, like pieces of a puzzle ….It felt so perfect !, so right !. Eirikr moved rocking with long even drives. Eydis hugged him to her, tears of joy running down her cheeks. He had not lied, it no longer hurt, it was pure rapture, being with him like this. She wrapped her legs around him and caught his rythym, lifting to meet him each time. He cupped her bottom adjusted his angle and dipped deeper still. They picked up the pace, moving in unison faster and harder until they were both floating on the cusps of their mutual release.

" Oh! My, Husband !", "Eirikr!", " I, am, your's, eternally !", " I , love , You !"

Eydis climaxed multiple times, her orgasms milking him to his own explosion...Just as he was ready to cry out in ecstasy....

"Lover !!!.".

Eydis's face swam out of focus. Blurring...her hair and eyes changed color , from russet to blond , from green to blue... SOOKIE!!!,

It , was , Sookie, he ,was , violently, spilling , his , seed , into !


2009A. woke with a jerk,... He was momentarily disoriented. Time had seemed to tumble in upon itself. He shook his head to fully clear it. . The damn dream again !!!, He had not had it in over nine hundred years,.. until six weeks ago. It was different lately. Now Sookie was in it towards the end. When he was first turned he had suffered haunting erotic visions of Eydis for years. Then as he began to adjust and think more like a vampire and less like a human, mercifully the dreams had stopped. Actually all of his dreams had ended after a while. He had totally regulated and submerged the bittersweet memories of his former life, along with it's pain eons ago.

Of course all of the pertinent details were readily available to him, like a computer file in his consciousness, and as if he were indeed a machine, any emotional connection to his past had been...deleted. Or so he had thought. Now mysteriously he was dreaming again, nearly every night, or should he say day? As a vampire he slept during the day to avoid the Sun, it would burn him to a crisp if he were exposed to it's rays for longer than a few minutes. He was awake and active at night., the Moon was not harmful to him at all, in fact he found it pleasant.

He groaned as he scooped some of the soil away from his body so he could turn over. He had a raging hard on and it was uncomfortable as hell. He was also starving,

Todhar ! ,

He wasn't sure if even an entire case of True Blood would suffice later. He needed some real relief and he needed it bad. He growled as he thought about Sookie, without a doubt she could feel his lust pulsing through their blood bond. He knew that she had picked up on a few intense emotional projections from him before. Normally she saw vampire minds as silent, blank, black holes, no live brain wave signatures at all. No readable thoughts He could also sense her growing frustration with their current situation. He was equally irritated. They still had not had their extremely important talk. So much had happened between them in such a short time..


Most of it , alright, all of it was a complicated mess, it was dangerous. Very dangerous, especially for Sookie. She was only a woman, a ,human woman, a mortal human woman. No, no that wasn't entirely true, she was a very special, human, woman. She was a telepath, that meant that she could read the thoughts of most beings from their brains, as long as they were still alive. There were only a few of them in the United States, and she was blood bonded to him.. Eric Northman Sheriff of area five.

The same Eric Northman that owned and operated Fangtasia , the hottest Vampire bar in the state of Louisiana. He was also an ex -Viking, not an ex- football player , an honest to goodness pagan warrior. He looked more like a Nordic God, all six feet five inches of him,. With his blond hair and blue eyes..he was a hunk and he knew it. Arrogance was his middle name, he had walked among the humans for over a thousand years. He had been there, done that with more people and in more places than he cared to think about....except for Sookie. She was on his mind constantly. She was distinctive, unique and... he was falling in love with her.

He had only recently admitted this to himself, how could he deny it after allowing himself to be blood bonded to her in Rhodes? They had all been attending a vampire conference there. Eric, Sookie, Pam his child and Bill, an underling.. Eric did save Sookie from being forced to bond with Andre, the Queen's child, whom nether Eric or Sookie had trusted. So Eric had volunteered. He had convinced himself it was purely to protect her as one of his business assets . Sookie had agreed , better the devil that you know sort of thing. Sookie had in turn saved Pam and himself along with many others after the hotel that they were staying in had been bombed by religious fanatics. She and another telepath Barry had used their gifts and had overheard the dreadful plan. She had made him get up and start moving only minutes before the detonation. It had been daylight still, both he and Pam had been burned by the sun, but they had healed, some had not been so lucky.

Then after regaining all of his memories of the lost time that he and Sookie had spent together, ( as, a ,couple, in ,her, house), he knew that their bond was stronger than ever. What he felt between them, it was love, not just lust . Even the simple incomplete version of himself had understood it, he had asked her to let him stay with her forever. The, good, sex,- the, laughter,- the, great, sex-, the, warm, companionship,- the, best, sex,- the, friendly, sharing, of, blood,- outstanding, sex. - Fighting in a war with, many, other, supes,- against, the, witches, who, had, wronged, him,- killing- a, were, a, bitch!, to, protect, Sookie,- and, then, disposing, of, the, body.- Soul-healing-sex. Hers, not, his,- he, didn't, presume, that, he, still, had, a , soul.


Granted he had not really been himself then, he had been under a witch's curse. The spell had made him lose all of his memory.
Yes the brilliant, calculating, intuitive machine that had been Eric's mind had been wiped clean. The night after the war, the night the curse was broken, the night he became himself again, unfortunately he forgot all about those precious hours alone with Sookie. Until the arrival of Felipe de Castro's coup. When it was over, sitting alone on Sookie's bed surrounded by her scent, every second of their shared experience had erupted from his latent id, leaving him dazed. Eric had tried to talk to Sookie about it then, but they were both in shock and were operating on emotional overload after that long stressful evening. Sookie had been exhausted and Eric sensed that he should not push her. Though he had insisted that they would talk about their time together soon, even as she hedged the issue.

He did have his hands full that night, having to deal with the new King. The weeks following that takeover were the most dangerous that he had been faced with since before the Second World War ,Oh ? (The human one.) So Eric stayed away from Sookie, to give her the time and space to ponder his place in her world. And he planned to continue to keep that place, for her safety. He had never informed her of his growing affection for her, not with words anyway.. He chose to show her how much he cared by his deeds instead. He made sure that she had whatever she needed to live her life comfortably. (Eric was loaded.)

He had always been diplomatic in the way that he had handled this, Sookie was thoroughly an independent and modern woman. She detested being thought of as kept. That would make her a whore, and promiscuous she definitely was not. She insisted on working a full time job as a waitress at Merlotte's, a local bar in Bon Temps. Eric wasn't too happy about this, her boss Sam was a shifter. One who Eric perceived as a possible threat because Sam the Dog longed to be more than just her boss. This made Eric long to bite him. The Hell with whatever Cesar the freaking dog whisperer recommended. Calm and submissive my ass. Sookie still lived in Bon Temps, hanging on to her family's old Victorian farm house. Her Grandmother Adel Stackhouse had shared it with her up until her death, ( at the hands of a murderer.) Sookie now had two temporary roommates, both female, both witches, good ones supposedly though after the war with Marnie Stonebrook, (Hallow)and her curse, Eric had a very low opinion of witches. He remembered the Spanish Inquisition, and the Salem trials. The roommates names were Amelia Carmichael and Octavia something???.. Oh well ,they helped to ease Sookie's loneliness at least .


He would rather have been the one to do that as well. For the time being he had to content himself with overseeing her protection and buying her things. Items on the list included a new warm winter coat,(after the old one was stained with blood and brain matter), a working cell phone,(after he'd had to crush the other one), some stylish clothes- lingerie included, a truckload of gravel for her driveway, a kitchen remodel after a fire (arson), a secure front door, (after the antique one was smashed down by a were-tiger). Some other additions were body work on her car..(the removal of vampire ash and slime on the undercarriage was no extra charge), airline tickets and hotel rooms for a trip or two . Do a few of these items sound a bit weird to you ?

Well that pretty much describes Sookie's world. If Eric's middle name was confidence then Sookie's would be weird. Of course most of the strangeness came into her life after she started dating a lower ranking vampire, Bill Compton. Who as it turned out was a consummate liar and a spy who had cheated on Sookie with his maker Lorena. The same Lorena who Sookie had been forced to kill (in self defense) with a stake through the vampire's heart. Eric absolutely loathed Bill., for lots of reasons , the prime one being his previous contact with Sookie. ( Him being the one to steal her virginity and all.) Yes, Eric had added thief to the list of crimes that he suspected Bill was capable of, though as yet he had no real proof in which he could back up that claim. Eric also knew that Bill had been physically rough with Sookie, once raping her while locked in the trunk of a car. Admittedly Bill had been tortured and awoke in a blind panic of pain, hunger and lust. He was far too immature, he needed to be taught to rein in his baser impulses .

Sadly, it was ironic that everything that Eric had bought for Sookie was for the most part replacements for things she lost due to her contact with him and his fellow Vampires, and occasionally other less desirable Supes. At least he tried to reassure himself that Sookie no longer desired any of them. Those damn Shifters, Weres, Witches, Demons. Did I mention her lingerie ?


Picturing Sookie in her latest set of filmy lace underthings was not helping Eric with his current state of arousal. Even the loose soil filtering around his "gracious plenty" (as Sookie had called it) was too much contact for his most sensitive of organs. He was completely naked, here under six feet of Mother Earth's best. He rolled over again restlessly trying to get more comfortable. He had left his black jeans and Fangtasia t-shirt wrapped in a sealed plastic bundle hidden under a grove of trees about a mile away. Normally he didn't sleep in the ground, he preferred his king sized bed, complete with a Temp-O-Pedic heated memory foam mattress, accented with fluffy pillows and a crimson satin sheet and comforter set. That was at his current safe-house. In a pinch when work demanded it, he would rest in his coffin hidden beneath his office at Fangtasia.

However, since the takeover by the King of Nevada, Felipe de Castro, Eric had not had more than a few moments of privacy to let his guard down and honestly relax in over a month. (As much as he allowed himself to relax that is.) His every move had been watched, oh so politely, by Felipe's bodyguards and muscle vamps. The King's lawyers and accountants had monitored the books, his business advisors held boring organizational seminars, after meetings with Pam and himself, then more sessions with the other employees, Vamp and human. Background checks and references that Eric had already cleared had been re-examined and double checked. Policies and procedures had been re-written. Even the customers had been asked to fill out a ratings questionnaire . Welcome to Corporate America, vampire style, deadly organized chaos.

Finally Felipe had been satisfied that he could trust Eric and his group( for the foreseeable future). That trust was owed mostly due to another one of Sookie's timely and heroic rescues, this one involving the King , Eric and Sam the dog. (Using her car as a sacrificial weapon), she had saved them from being slain by the demented berserker bodyguard Sigebert. He had been a leftover from Sophie Anne Leclerq's court .(She had been the Queen of Louisiana, killed for the second time, her final death, in the coup takeover by Felipe). By doing so Sookie had also caught Felipe's notice in so far as he had observed the power of the blood bond between Eric and his sweet telepath. (Not to mention Sookie's beautiful body.)


That made Eric very nervous, and that was another reason he had been staying away from her. He had to keep her safe, the more unimportant to him personally that she seemed the better. It was a fine line that Eric walked concerning her. She had to be perceived as one of "his" valuable business commodities so that other vampires would not try to force her to work for them, (or try to feed from her.) But she could not be thought of as so irreplaceable that others would use her as a tool to control him. Felipe de Castro had helped Eric more than he knew, he had given Eric and his group of vampires, (Pam, Bill, Bubba, anyone who owed fealty to Eric and the state of Louisiana) permission to offer Sookie formal protection in the form of a binding legal contract. What this meant was that if Sookie called any of them for help, the vamps were obligated to come, even if it meant risking their own lives. This was Felipe's way of repaying Sookie for services rendered.

(Eric had taken a huge risk by planting the idea in Felipe's mind using his secret power of suggestion.) Felipe may be the King of Louisiana right now, but Eric was far, far older, and much more powerful in his own way. Besides Eric had already been a King once in his former existence, it had not really worked out to his benefit. Felipe had not felt a thing and would forever take the credit of the statutory action. The King and his entourage had left to go back to Nevada last night. Eric could expect a visit once a month from one of the King's reps., Sandy Sechrest.

Alone at last, Eric had seized the chance for some down time, hence the golf course get away. No one would think to look for him here under this large patch of a sand trap. He had left Pam in charge of Fangtasia. He vaguely wondered what time it was? He should have brought his watch, dirt or no dirt. He listened carefully , his vampire audio was far superior compared to an ordinary human beings. He could make out the winter birds chirping mixed with the wind whistling in the trees. The rest of the daytime noises of a leaf blower and gas generator running were all overhead. Then further away the soft crunch made as the tires of a golf cart passed over the gravel. Some avid player was braving the chill to get in one last round before the threat of snow closed the course for the season..

I wonder if Sookie could "hear" me if I "called?"
He stretched out through the bond to Sookie.

"Lover, What time is it?"..

.He got a sudden burst of mixed feeling from her- surprise, anger, desire, jealousy, worry and longing.

She answered in her head,

"Oh hello Eric, long time , no see. You have the nerve to contact me now, after weeks of silence, only to ask me what time it is? I've been worried sick, wondering how you were?, what was going on?...Wait!, I really don't want to know. It's all Vamp politics anyway. Hold on, he felt her pause reading the clock upon the wall in her bedroom. It's 2;45 in the afternoon, I was getting ready for work..Where are you?, why don't you have your watch on? Why are you awake so early? Fear flooded over her. Are you?,.. are we in danger?!!!

" Calm yourself Lover, I am fine, wonderful in fact. The King and his minions have gone back home to Nevada. I wish to see you tonight,

(translation I wish to have sex with you tonight.)

I'll be there at dark. Until then Lover. They had "heard" each other easily. Sublime.

Four more hours until sundown. He quieted his mind to complete the recharge of his supernatural batteries. Absently he wondered if he would have the dream again? Could it be more than just his libido creating the recurrence ? It may be a sign, a warning that something was not as it should be. He hoped it was not a fried connection or something bizarre like that, aka Elvis (Bubba.) Eric's brain had been traumatized enough over the past few months, not even death had effected him this much.

He had experienced flashes of insight before, his vampire magic mojo picking up on vibrations not to be ignored. Others had hinted that they shared this side of their affliction with him, but only the very old and the very powerful ones, like himself. For the most part it was an unspoken agreement not to openly flaunt this talent when amongst the younger vampires. Eric was talented at many things that he kept hidden.


Sookie had been in the shower going through her normal routine of preparing for work. Wash hair, rinse , apply conditioner, scrub face and body, shave legs and armpits while waiting for the conditioner to soak in a bit. Just as she stuck her head back into the warm spray to rinse her hair again, a wave of desire swept over her from out of the blue. It was so strong that it nearly brought her to her knees. Eric !

O.K , it wasn't some random rush of primal craving, the out of the blue in this case was a vivid illusion of Eric's blazing blue eyes piercing into hers as he pounded into someone ?, her?, like a bucking wild stallion. Seemingly with a mind of it's own her hand reached down to rub against her nub.. That one quick touch of stimulation was all she needed, in an instant she was coming, hard.

"Holy Christ!," "God Damn blood bond !",

She cursed breathlessly. Then feeling guilty about taking the lord's name in vain she whispered,

"Sorry Jesus."

Shaking as she shut the water off she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her . It was the middle of the afternoon , Eric should be sleeping.

What the hell was he doing?, more importantly who was he "doing it" with?

Jealousy, and hurt flared in her chest, redding her cheeks as tears stung her eyes. This situation of their's was impossible.

" I miss you so much and I know I shouldn't",

She whimpered into the empty room. To hell with him, he could do whatever, with whomever he wanted to, it really didn't matter to her. He hadn't called her himself in over two months. Oh, he had Pam check in with her weekly with phone calls, and he had texted Sam often. Once he even sent Bill over to Merlottes to speak to her and then report back to him.

She shut her eyes, dried her tears and began toweling her hair to calm down. Resolutely she decided to put all thoughts of him away for the rest of the day. She reinforced her mental barricades to block the bond, instead of a live hot wire between them , it mellowed to a slight hum in the background of her brain. Shit! She had to hustle or she would be late for her shift at Merlottes. Then ripping through her barricade like it was flimsy tissue paper Eric's sexy, sleepy, sword of a voice asked,

" Lover, What time is it?".

.It was 2;45 P.M... . After their brief mental "conversation" she knew there were no more reasons to postpone the inevitable. She would see Eric tonight , face to face and they would have their important discussion about the future of their relationship. It was going to be a longnight.

Merlottes was busier than usual for a weeknight. It was packed in fact. But Monday had sort of become the new Friday after Sam had bought the coolest forty two inch flat screen plasma TV. (That he proudly hung behind the bar.) Every football fan in town scrambled to get here, find a seat, and order their food before the big game started. Yep, Monday Night Football was a great success. Sookie was happy for Sam, her feet weren't so glad.

Sookie was hurriedly serving table nine's order .

"Here you go, the bacon cheeseburger basket with a coke," " and the chicken tenders with a salad, ranch right?..and a sweet iced tea.". Here's a new bottle of ketchup and some mustard, napkins..is there anything else I can get for you? "

She smiled widely feeling suddenly all warm and fuzzy. She turned around and saw the reason why walking through the door as if he owned the place. Eric the viking vampire quickly surveyed the restaurant and the bar. Everyone had pretty much stopped what they were doing and were staring at him in awe. Even the football fans switched their gaze from the TV to Eric, (and that was saying a lot.) He was rather mesmerizing.

His long hair caught the light, reflecting it's golden radiance, his skin glowed palely, his blue eyes smoldered dark and intense. Wearing an expensive navy silk shirt topped with a black leather jacket he looked like a model right out of a GQ catalog. Both pieces were expertly tailored to accent his wide shoulders, sculpted chest and muscled arms. Black jeans clung to his long strong legs, the large intricate bronze buckle on his belt still not completely hiding the abundant bulge behind his zipper. Heavy leather boots completed his ensemble. He smiled wickedly at Sookie and strode straight towards her .

"Lover!I've missed you !"

With that he swept her up against him , nearly crushing her in his embrace as he bent to kiss her passionately.

" Oh God !,"

Sookie absolutely melted, it felt so good to be in his arms!, he smelled great!, he tasted even better! We shouldn't be doing this here in front of everyone!. Oh to hell with it !

The empty tray she had been holding with her fingertips dropped to the floor as she clung to him, hungrily kissing him back. His hands roamed over her and he cupped her bottom lifting her up off the floor. Eric had no qualms about an audience, Sookie however flushed bright red as a roar of

"Whoo Hooo! You go girl !!!

Rang out from the bar.


Friendly laughter followed. Then the cheering section erupted for a different reason,

"All Right! Touchdown!" New Orleans Saints ! " " No way!, that was out of bounds !, that ref is blind!"

An Atlanta Falcons fan yelled. A whistle blew shrilly from the T V's speakers.

" Hold on , there's a flag on the play, the instant replay will determine the point. "

Sam held his hand up motioning for everyone to quiet down a bit. Glancing her way ,

"Ah Sookie sweetie pie?, will you two move out of the way?, the customers behind you can't see" .

She stopped kissing her vampire ( whose fangs had ran out) and she sort of kicked and wiggled her dangling legs..

"Eric, honey, stop it, put me down, please. " " We're in the way of the TV"..

Faster than the blink of an eye Eric carried her using his vampire speed to move them. They were now in the hallway near the back of the building by the restrooms. The employee entrance door was only a few feet away. She lowered her mental shields a little to try to sense the mood of the crowd after they just witnessed Eric's otherworldly show. Nope, nadda the only "program" that was on any patron's mind was the football game.

" Go Saints!, I hope they win I got fifty bucks riding on this game", " I wonder if it's gonna go into overtime?, I gotta be at work in an hour, I could try to get away with calling in sick.", " That sure is a nice TV , I'll have to ask Sam where he bought it, hell if he can afford it, I should be able to.", " Shit I spilled my beer, time to get another pitcher, waitress,where did she go?" " "Probably left with that big rich guy, lucky son of a gun." " I asked for extra mayo on this sub, but I think all it's got on it is the regular amount." " I gotta pee, where's the ladies room?" " Oh , there's that big blond stud muffin, crap she's still with him too." " Oh well, I'm too old for him anyway".. He'd make a great boy toy though, ha, ha, ha." " I'd better not have any more to drink , I have to drive Joe home, I don't need another DUI."

No one was thinking about Eric in a negative way at all, (she would have to tease him later about being called a boy toy at over a thousand years old and counting.) All they wanted from her was the usual waitress stuff. I guess it was true, the local vampires, or at least the ones from this state, were now included in the regular folks, good ol boys category.


Sookie grinned at Eric, then she remembered the unexpected afternoon rush of lust she had felt from him. Her smile slipped and Eric looked concerned .

" What's wrong?", " Come on Lover, let's leave this establishment and go back to your place."

Eric was wrapping his arms around her again.

" I'll have to go ask Sam if I can take off a little early, we're awfully busy,"

Sookie informed him a tad testily..

"Please Lover", he said please , Eric never said please. Sookie caved.

" Let me make sure Holly and the new girl are OK with busing my tables later."" Give me a few minutes to check in one last time with my tabs, they're probably ready to tally up for the night. "

She wanted to get the tips that she had earned before Eric had interrupted her good service.

"All right Lover, I'll wait." " But try to hurry, or I'll begin to think that you're all work and no play," "and that would be sad because I know how much we both need to play right now."

He had released her from his arms but ran a finger lightly across the nipples of her breasts and down her stomach. Oh yeah, he was gonna jump her bones again, the first chance he got. And damn her eager body, she was dripping wet from her nether regions as she watched him waltz that perfect butt of his over to sit down on a stool at the bar. Sam greeted Eric politely, Eric asked about the game's score and ordered a true blood. Just one of the guys.,sigh

Not long after Sookie was finished with her customers. She had made about $60.00 in tips, not too bad all things considered. She went to thank Holly for her help, promising to cover for her when she needed an early out next week .(Her little boy's parent teacher conference.) Popping in Sam's office to grab her coat and purse she stepped into the ladies room for a quick potty break. She used a stall, washed her hands in the sink, looking in the mirror she saw that her pony tail was crooked. She might as well take it out, Eric preferred her hair down anyway. Running a comb through it to get the tangles out she tucked the green scrunchy into her purse. She decided to lightly touch up her make-up, some powder, blush, soft eye-shadow and a new strawberry kiwi lip gloss. A spritz of Obsession perfume and she was good to go.

Her tan was still holding up well, her peaches and cream complexion glowed with health. She was never one to over do it on the cosmetics, her style held a fresh faced appeal.


As she approached the bar Eric rose from his stool and like a proper gentleman he reached for her coat, held it up, helping her into it. He was standing behind her and carefully freed her long hair from beneath the coat's collar, gently threading his fingers through the silky tresses. Then he leaned in to whisper in her ear,

" Thank-you, it looks glorious when it's loose, and you smell delicious, Lover."

He noticed everything she had done. Sookie smiled as Eric took her hand in his.

" Night Sam, I'm leaving now, See you later."

Sam was standing behind the bar mixing drinks, he pivoted, pulling his attention from both the blender and the TV.

" Oh yeah, goodnight Sookie, night Eric, have a good time."

He smiled waving them off and returned to watching the game. Out the employee door they went. Strolling in the parking lot hand in hand Sookie tugged one way, Eric the other. Their cars were parked several spaces apart.

"Do you mind if we take my car?"

Eric had actually asked her. Though he was considering her used Malibu with an ill disguised groan of distaste and a raised eyebrow.

" I'll retrieve it for you later, or you can use the Corvett tomorrow, that is if we're not done talking until morning."

He managed to look completely innocent with big sad puppy dog eyes...for all of six seconds. Then his face cracked into a sly utterly Eric wicked grin. Sookie just laughed rolled her eyes and headed for the passenger side of his baby, his red convertible, ultra sleek, super fast, totally him, sports car.(At least he did have the top rolled up, a nod to the weather.) He didn't really mind the cold wind blowing his hair around , but Sookie did.

Eric was opening the car door for her before her hand had even brushed the handle-(vampire speed again.) Once she was settled into the luxurious leather seat, Eric reached across her, buckled the seatbelt and planted a luscious kiss on her lips. He was in the driver's seat before you could say Dale Earnhardt. A turn of the key and the car's powerful engine thundered to life. Since Eric had expensive taste, the car was equipped with all of the latest amenities and gadgets. The stereo automatically came on, Eric's I-Pod was set on a random shuffle of his favorites list. Sookie picked it up and began browsing through his album files. Eric put the car in gear and they nearly flew out of the parking lot, tires squealing. Eric drove they same way that the warrior in him fought, fearlessly unrestrained, unerringly accurate, and very, very fast.

Come to think of it, he did a lot of things in his life that way, Sookie snickered.


One of the I-Pod's complilation lists was a file titled Sookie's songs.

" Hmmm?"

She clicked on it and a song she didn't recognize started to play over the car's excellent speakers.

" Sweet little words made for silence, not talk, young heart for love, not heartache. Dark hair for catching the wind, not to veil the sight of a cold world. Kiss while your lips are still red, while he's still silent, Rest while bosom is still untouched, unveiled. Hold another hand while the hand's still without a tool. Drown into eyes while they're still blind, Love while the night still hides the withering dawn."...

It was a haunting and beautiful slow ballad. The male singer's voice was rich and deep, yet soft with tenderness about his love. Sookie could pick out a violin leading along with nearly a full orchestra of other instruments. It sounded vaguely Celtic.

" Who is this Eric?"

she asked.

" They're called Nightwish. They're a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. "" Do you like it?"

Sookie listened some more,

"Yes, it's lovely, a tad different, but nice." " Are they a vampire band?"

Eric smiled at her in an odd way,

" No, I don't believe so"." Not anyone that I know of ..yet.. "

Sookie shuffled through the list of song titles organized in "her" file, I wish I had an Angel, For the Heart I Once Had, A Final Dream, Amaranth, Ever Dream, Wake Me Up. None were any tracts that she herself owned or had ever even listened to. She flipped on a dome light in the dash so that she could read the small screen better.

"Eric, why did you title this file under Sookie's Songs?", " I didn't recommend any of these to you, did I?"

In the dim beam of the dome light Eric actually appeared to blush, how that was possible Sookie wasn't really sure,( he was always bragging about having seen it all,) but he definitely looked embarrassed. He averted his eyes and pretended to concentrate on the road. She knew he was dodging her question.. He could drive with his eyes closed if he wanted to, with his vampire vision he hadn't even turned on the headlights. (As usual.) What was up? Was he angry that she had peeked into his music files? Finally he answered her,

"Those are all songs that remind me of you," "I listen to them when I am missing you madly."

Then he locked his eyes onto hers and as serious as a heart attack added,

" As you can also tell, they're all on the most often played and highly rated categories as well".


Sookie was dumbfounded , nearly speechless...Eric had insisted that he had missed her, but she had assumed that he had just been trying to be polite, (and hoping that she would agree to have sex and share blood with him again.) Now here he was admitting to downloading a bunch of ??? for lack of a better word, Love Songs under her name. Of course what constituted a romantic theme for Eric had a bit more of a darker edge to it than most people's would. The first ballad had ended and the second song came on,

" I wish I had an angel, For one moment of love, I wish I had your angel tonight.

It nearly blasted Sookie out of her socks with it's goth rock inspired beat. The lyrics were a little daunting, did Eric really think of her as an angel?

Deep into a dying day, I took a step outside an innocent heart, prepare to hate me fall when I may. This night will hurt you like never before. Old loves they die hard, old lies they die harder. I wish I had an Angel for one moment of love, I wish I had your angel, Your Virgin Mary undone, I'm in love with my lust, burning angel wings to dust, I wish I had your angel tonight...

That part sent a shiver down her spine, she wasn't sure if it was from carnal knowledge of Eric's bedroom prowess or pure unadulterated fear. Wait a minute, a crazy idea was forming in her head.., Maybe Eric had been listening to his Sookie list, and missing her sooo much,..that he had performed a little Sexual Healing (thank-you Marvin Gaye) upon himself earlier this afternoon. That might explain a lot...Sookie really liked Marvin Gaye. She had to try to find out whether he had been alone then or not.( The viking not Marvin.) She wanted to know where she stood with him, to trust him fully again. Not as her beautiful cursed Eric, but as he was now, the real Eric Northman..


She tried a casual approach,

"Eric were you by chance listening to your I-Pod before you "bonded me back" to ask me what time it was this afternoon?"

" What?,"" Why?", " No? Ha, ha.., no I had went aground to sleep," " I don't think soil would be very good for the headphones,"

He laughed again stroking her earlobe.

" You went aground!",

Sookie was surprised,

"You never sleep underground!", " Were you alone?" …

Eric gasped !

" What ???!!!" " Of course I was alone, that's the whole point, safe , secluded, undisturbed , sleep, like the dead , like a vampire. " "Sookie?",

He stared at her intently,

" Something is cooking in that lovely over active imagination of yours." " If you want to ask me a question, if you have an issue with me, just come right out and say it." "That is what tonight is all about, a new era of open communication between us". " Besides, I always adore it when you are direct."

" All right Eric, you asked for it!" "This afternoon I was in the shower getting ready for work and all of the sudden I was hotter than hades and feeling, you know, frisky, I had a, a, a ",

" An orgasm ? " You were pleasuring yourself?"

Eric's sardonic approval widened .

" No!, you perv !,"

She slapped his arm, not that he even flinched.

" Oh ! Me thinks thou lady does protest to much!"

Eric roared with laughter.

Sookie glared at him.

" No orgasm !, not yet !,"" I mean, I wasn't diddling myself," " Well I did later, when you, you, Ooooh you are so incredibly frustrating! Shit! "

She stammered and cursed when she was upset. Eric was thoroughly enjoying it. Sookie closed her eyes to calm down, counted to ten, then opened them again.

" Let's just say I had an event," "Well I don't know what it was really, my telepathy isn't supposed to work on you vamps."Maybe it's because of our whole blood bond thing, " "Oh fu....fiddlesticks !", "O.K., I received an extraordinarily ,vivid, detailed vision in my head of you, staring into my eyes, and...We, we were having incredible sex, at least you were, with somebody !", " A somebody who was not me!", " Cause Duh!, I wasn't really there with you, I was in my shower. !" It was so intense that all I had to do was barely touch myself and I came,"

she snapped her fingers, snap

"like that." " Eric", " "If you really were alone like you say, then why did I pick up on such a strong "horny" vibe from you right before you asked me , " Lover, What time is it?"

Sookie added wistfully,

" Maybe I'm not the only one who touches themselves when they're lonely ?"


Eric's smug satisfaction faded from his face. With a painful expression she had never seen him wear before, he rasped huskily..

" I was dreaming as I slept," " it's true that you must have sensed it through our bond as if it were real."

" You mean..like a wet dream? "

She gaped idiotically, rubbing against his leg, playing the feme fatile, trying to tease him into a better mood. It wasn't working. He grasped her fingers in his and brought them to his lips, they were both trembling slightly.

"Not a wet dream, per say, but close...oh so close."

He swallowed hard.

" Our bond," "It appears to be growing much more powerful and far reaching than I thought possible." " You are now able to see even into my dreams,"

His voice sounded strange, thick with conflicting emotions...She didn't know why but she wanted to cry.

" Is this a bad thing to occur between us ?", "Our bond getting so strong and everything?"
Eric reassured her,

"No Lover, only unprecedented." " We are already able to read each other's thoughts at will," " We are no longer limited to.. how did you put it before?" " Just occasional spurts of deep emotional outbursts."

Sookie lowered her lashes,

" I didn't realize you knew about those times ."

Eric patiently reminded her,

"The bond works both ways Sookie."

She commented defensively,

"Don't you all constantly talk to each other in much the same way?"

"Yes, but you are human."

Sookie continued ,

"And I thought vampires didn't dream,"

she hushed as he struggled to help her to understand his dilemma . Eric's answer was frightening,

"Most do not, at least after their transformation immersion is complete." " I hadn't actually dreamed in over nine hundred years...until six weeks ago."

" What are they about, your dreams?",

she guessed she knew the answer to that question,.. herself, his past life. She needn't say it, he did.

"Yes, you My Lover, and my past, including the time before I was turned vampire, and the years right after." " I cannot fully explain why my dreams have returned, it may be a residual effect due to Hallow's interference, possibly a reaction to recent stresses concerning the King's takeover, or they could be nothing except a fleeting fantasy fed by your seductive charms ."

He caressed her arm inviting her to snuggle in next to him as he drove.

" For the time being the answer eludes me," " I am ..ambiguous at best." " But you have to understand", "it is a sign of a change for me," " some kind of internal flux", "a warning perhaps", " I have had flashes of foreboding before." "Ones I cannot ignore, correction- ones we cannot ignore"


" Sookie, since we are so closely linked now, you must be extra vigilant, if you sense anything unusual , anything at all , you have to tell me right away." "It is for your own well being that I'm going to ask you this." " "I want you to come and live with me in one of my safe houses.", " This is our best protection against any outside forces that may intend us harm."

"Eric,!" " I can't just up and move in with you" " What about my house?" , " My job", "I..., "What would people think?"..

Eric silenced her argument with one grand quote,

" Like your favorite character from that old movie that you watch so often, Rhett Butler"," Frankly Sookie I don't give a damn !" Let those fools think whatever they like, as long as you are alive and by my side. " " Please, hear me out, I need to say this to you." " Sookie", " I owe you an apology". " I have made a grave error in my decision to maintain a distance from you over these last few months." " I know that I hurt you, and that was never my intention."" I'm so sorry" " I believed that the less attention I gave to you, the safer your life would be." " You have to admit that it seems to have worked, " " You've had no real problems from anyone in all this time have you?"

Sookie shook her head, "no problems".

He continued,.

"Not from the vamps, the were's or the shifters?"

Eric listed them in order..Sookie answered him honestly,

" No, everything has been pretty normal,well normal for me anyway."

Eric absorbed this , " Good", " that's good."

Now Sookie was irritated,

" Eric, since I'm now so far off the supe radar ," "Why on Earth would I want to move in with you and become a target again?"

She searched his face waiting for him to reveal his real reason for wanting to see her tonight. A part of her was praying,

Just, say, it, Eric, say, those, three, little, words ,that, you've, never, said, to, me, make my, heart, sing.

She was so sure that she finally had him figured out. He was such an actor , pretending to want to talk about their relationship. Ha! All this time he had probably been trying to figure out how to use her in one of his freaking Vampire political moves. She should just put out a "feeler" and read him using her telepathy, thanks to their all powerful blood bond he was no longer a closed book to her. Something had to be up?, Why else would he want to keep her so close to him all of the sudden?

Then it hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks, Eric Northman,big bad vampire, viking warrior, was a little afraid of her, telepathic, petite, human waitress, Sookie Stackhouse. Frightened vampires were a lot like a wounded animal, sometimes they would let you help, other times they bit your hand off. If it weren't so eerie it would be laughable.


Her hold over him via their bond was as strong as his was over her. They were each other's ying and yang. Could he be testing her, to see if he could trust her , with all, of, his, secrets ?

"Sookie,"

Eric pleaded,

" Do you still trust me as before?"

"Yes, " she answered him, " God knows why, but I always have."

Eric was still holding her hand, stroking it softly .

" Have I ever lied to you about anything truly important ?".

" No, not really."

Sookie's eyes met his.

" Let me ask you a question", "Do you trust me, really , totally trust me?"

He didn't hesitate a millisecond,

" Yes, as always Lover."

It didn't sound like he was lying, it didn't feel like he was lying. A sliver of a feeler crept out , she brushed his mind, with a feather light tickle, he was telling her the absolute truth. He trusted her. Astonishingly It was himself that he was unsure of, Why? She floated out like a soap bubble in a breeze. Eric was still working to convince her to go along with his plan.

" Haven't I always put your safety first, above my own?"

" OK, yes, more or less."

She owed him her life on more than one occasion, of course she had rescued him a time or two, so they were even on that score.

" Wouldn't you agree that I am an intelligent leader with sharp instincts?"

"Yes, sharp like your fangs. "" Mr. Modest too, "

She snorted, she couldn't help but grin.

" I don't imagine you could have survived as long as you have if you weren't."

He was pretty amazing to her..

"Sookie", " All of my instincts are screaming at me to be on the alert, and to keep you with me at all costs. " " I will beg if I have to."

That would be a first, he had never begged for anything in all of his life.

"Stay with me for a while, until", "what's the phrase I'm searching for" ?," my gut tells me that it is safe for you go back home. " " Think of this as a vacation," " I will see to it that you enjoy every luxury available to me ."

Eric's hand stopped stroking hers, and he entwined their fingers together tightly.

" Uh Oh, here it comes",

she held her breath.

"You must promise me one thing.." "Because of my current "dreamer status , for lack of a better term," " If I start to behave in an unstable errant manner" , "if you fear that I have become a danger to you myself, " "Then you and Pam must send me to my final death yourselves, to free her , and sever our blood bond."


In no way did she see that one coming !, She should have barged right into his brain when she first realized that she could.

"No!!! "I refuse to accept that as an option !," " We will research this whole stupid dream issue together." " I won't harm you Eric!," " I can't !"

, Is this it? The test , Would she have the courage to slay him if she thought her own life was in danger.?. She did not ever want to have to face that choice.. If Eric met his final death at her hands, then she doubted that she would want to live any longer herself. Sookie was weeping now, she had to tell him, to say the words even if he didn't.

."I , can't, hurt, you! ,because, I, love, you, Eric!,"" I, am , yours ! "

The red Corvett came to a screeching halt in the middle of the road, beyond the realm of human sight he moved, unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her to him. Kissing her over and over again, with unbridled abandon, his eyes glowed a blazing blue and his fangs flashed. Eric was releasing every pent up ounce of the passion, doubt, worry and fear that he had been bottling up since the King's Coup...and perhaps even before that...a millennium before. He held her quivering chin and peered into her eyes,

"Sookie !, Stackhouse! ," "know, this!", "I, love , you!, with, everything, that, I ,am !", "I, am now, yours ,as, well !".

They were moving from deep kissing to heaving petting and on their way to clamoring to remove any barriers of clothing between them. ( All in about sixty seconds.)


Eric had divested her of her coat and was running his hands up under her T-shirt. He deftly unclasped her bra and began caressing her breasts. His eager hands tweaked her nipples and his tongue flicked out for a taste. He grazed a fang across the tender pink flesh sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine. He opened his lips to suck on them, one at a time, into his hungry mouth, not yet biting to break the skin. Sookie moaned ,

" Oh Eric that feels so good!",

Her breasts were twin tingling peaks of need sending coils of heat straight to her core. She was practically straddling him as he sat in the driver's seat. There was no mistaking his intense desire, his fangs had run out completely and the seams on his jeans were strained almost to the point of bursting . Sookie struggled to loosen his belt, the huge bronze buckle that he always wore clanked against the gear shift. Vaguely she hoped the car's interior hadn't been scratched. Carefully she pulled down Eric's zipper, no underwear big surprise. This freed "Mr. Happy" who sprang forth at full attention. Eric growled deep in his throat as Sookie stroked him,

"Lover, I want you like never before!"

He flung her bra and it caught to hang on the rear view mirror like one of those silly cardboard Christmas Tree air- fresheners. Using his vamp strength he ripped her Merlotees white t-shirt in two , the tattered pieces falling to the floorboard. At the moment Sookie didn't even care, she had a dozen more just like it at home. She tried to jockey her position better so that she could remove her black slacks and thong .

"Lay back Lover, "

Eric commanded. Sookie slid over the gear shift again, ouch!, crap it had poked her in the side. She kicked her tennis shoes off and put her feet in Eric's lap. Eric had grabbed her feet and began to lick her toes.

"That tickles!",

She laughed . Grinning wickedly he let go of her feet and leaned over to peel her uniform pants down her legs. Eric stuffed them along with his leather jacket between the two seats. That was clever, it created a little cushion over that pesky gear shift. Her thong landed somewhere on the dash. Sookie climbed back over to Eric, unbuttoning his blue silk shirt. " God !, his chest was so magnificent.

" Take it off Eric, "

She mumbled into his mouth as he was kissing her. She itched to feel his bare skin against hers.


He complied happily, disposing of his shirt and shoving his jeans down to his knees.

"Now Lover, I need you now!",

He moved to lower herself onto his lap. Eric's large hands encircled her waist to guide her.

"Look into my eyes Lover,"

Eric whispered. That was his turn on, his thing. His eyes were blazing blue flames. He smiled,

"Now yield to me Lover."

Sookie hushed,

"Oh I'm yielding alright.""Yes!, Oh sweet Jesus!",

Sookie was reminded all over again exactly how blessed Eric's gracious plenty was.

" Ah!, that's right Lover,"

Eric groaned ,

"Open up for me fully, " "all of you." " I want to drink from the fountain that is you ."

Suddenly Eric was in her head as well as her body. "Tonight I will teach you just what loving me can really be."

As they united physically, two parts becoming the one whole, their minds merged. Sookie was enveloped by images flowing from his hidden depths. He showed her an ancient world born of fire and ice, of exploding volcanoes that sizzled and cracked the frozen glaciers. The opposing forces creating one of the first natural hot springs. The steaming water inviting a primitive couple wrapped in garments of heavy wool and cloaks of fur to join together. They acted out of an instinct for survival and the basic need to love and be loved. The man looked so much like Eric, with blond hair, longer and a bit untamed. His beard was thicker.

Sookie could feel his heart beating hard and fast deep inside his chest, his skin was tan and warm. His scent wild and raw, hints of forest pine, ocean and sky. Could this be Eric's first form?The woman was small like her, but her hair was russet, her eyes green and her ears were pointed. She was Fae! Her smell spoke of herbs and flowers and magic. Sookie should feel jealous or possibly hurt, but instead she felt a curious sense of kinship to her. The man's burning ache of need and the sensual heat of the mineral water bubbling away any of hers or the woman's cool resistance. The man took her swiftly, once, almost loosing control, then twice, the woman climaxing so hard she carried Sookie along with her, then both of them let out an urgent cry of building lust.

" Oh!, Yes, don't, stop!, Oh ! Please,! don't, stop!"


Eric let out that same cry and began to buck and rock beneath her.

" Yes!, you, are, mine!, We'll, arrive, there, together!, Lover !"

His long legs flexing, bracing his back against his car seat. Sookie rode him, up and down, bouncing so hard she hit her behind on the steering wheel. Was that the car's horn honking? It didn't matter. Another image flared between them, this time Sookie saw herself laying naked on a huge bearskin run in front of a roaring fire. The floor was rough hewed pine. To be continued...