Set after Dead to the World and before Dead as a Doornail. What repercussions does Sookie keeping her secret have?
Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own anything. All characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, I just hope I am doing them justice.
Chapter 1 – Shopping for Trouble
Claudine's eyes were suddenly wary although the smile did not fade from her lips, the effect was oddly disquieting. She looked at a point behind Sookie's shoulders. "Hello tall, dead and handsome." Sookie knew immediately that Eric was approaching the table.
"Good evening Claudine, you smell delectable as always." He flashed her a winning smile, but his eyes were slightly glazed. "Sookie, what a pleasant surprise." He shifted his gaze, and Sookie was not sure if the hunger there was for her or Claudine.
"Eric, it's not a surprise, you always know where I am." Sookie shot back, fighting his charm and the feelings his presence always threatened to ignite within her. "Since you tricked me into drinking your blood in Dallas and you healed me in Mississippi."
"True, and interestingly, it has been stronger since I stayed at your house. Now why would that be? I wonder under what circumstances you would have consumed more of my blood." He raised his eyebrows inquiringly.
Thankful for her years of hiding her feelings she replied ambiguously. "We did fight in the Witch war." Of course the blood exchange was during some really hot sex, but Eric didn't know that and she wanted to keep it that way. "Why are you here Eric?"
"Now why would I be at a shopping mall? Believe it or not, I am here to shop. However, I was pleased when I felt that you were here." He sat down at their small food court table, though by his posture you would think he was on his throne at Fangtasia. "What are you two ladies doing tonight?" His smile was charming but his nostrils kept flaring this close to Claudine, who scooted her chair to opposite the vampire.
"Working," Claudine began, "Sookie just happened to stop by about the time of my dinner break." She eyed him suspiciously, "It seems quite the coincidence that you show up here when Sookie is here."
Eric pretended to be hurt, "So suspicious Claudine. But really there are only a few hours that I can visit human stores, from dusk to what 9pm? And since my business is open at night I have to go on a slow night, and the slowest night at Fangtasia is Tuesday, and that's tonight."
While it made sense, neither Claudine nor Sookie looked convinced. Claudine glanced at her watch. "Sookie, my break's just about over. Will you be all right or should I tell them something's come up?" She kept her eye on Eric though she turned her head to Sookie.
Sookie smiled, "It's okay Claudine, I think I can handle Eric."
"Anytime." Eric said suggestively, Sookie rolled her eyes.
Claudine stood and Sookie did too and gave her a hug. "Do I get a hug?" Eric asked Claudine innocently as he, too stood.
"I don't hug anything without a heart beat. Watch yourself vampire, anything happens to my girl here and you'll be wishing you never smelled a fairy." The look she gave him said that that was not an empty threat. Eric inclined his head to her and while at first Sookie thought he was mocking her fairy godmother, when she saw his expression she realized he was acknowledging the power behind the threat.
Sookie watched Claudine walk off and then turned to Eric. "What was that all about?" she asked him.
"One-on-one I could easily take Claudine or Claude and maybe both together. But fairies are strong, and there are more around than you would think. Since you have been assigned a guardian by the fey, you have a powerful protector among them. It would be foolish of me to not take it seriously."
"So did you really come here to shop?"
"I truthfully did, of course once I sensed you here I sought you out." He stepped closer to her, his fangs running out slightly. "However now that you smell so enticing I might change my plans."
She held up a hand to preserve a modicum of personal space. "Really? How so?"
"I think I am going to spend my evening with you."
"And if my plans did not include you?" She asked.
"What were your plans?"
"I was going to do some shopping and head back to Bon Temps."
"Well then, we can shop together." He moved beside her and offered his arm.
She didn't take it, "Eric, I'm just going to buy a couple of outfits, you really want to follow me around?"
"Actually I'm here to buy a gift for Pam, her vampire birthday is coming up and she does love presents. You can help me pick out something for her." he raised an eyebrow, silently challenging her to fight that argument.
"FIne," she gave up, "I'll help you pick out something for her and that's it."
He smiled, but it wasn't a smirk of triumph, he looked genuinely happy that she had agreed. He stepped aside and gestured for her to proceed.
She started walking out of the food court and he fell into step next to her. She glanced up at him, "What were you thinking of getting her?"
"Clothes, she loves clothes, and shoes, but she orders those."
"Yeah, her shoes looked more expensive than what most of the stores around here carry." They reached the intersection where the food court connected to the rest of the mall. "Which way?"
"Down that way," and he pointed toward a shop that Sookie had always thought of as a doctors' wives store. They sold the upscale versions of the knit sets and soccer mom clothes that Pam seemed to favor when she was not on duty at Fangtasia. Sookie nodded and they walked toward the store in silence.
Shopping with Eric was actually fun. Pam had such a particular taste in clothes, and this shop certainly catered to it, that it was easy to find her something, the only problem was finding something she didn't already own. Sookie was amazed at the number of outfits that Eric shook his head at.
"Does she ever wear the same outfit twice?" Sookie asked in amazement.
"Oh yes, she usually wears one outfit into the bar, changes into her work clothes and then leaves in a different outfit." Eric shrugged, "In the time that she is from it was not unusual for the upper class to change outfits throughout the day."
"How many closets does she have?"
"She has converted two rooms to be closets, but she will need a third soon." He grinned. "Ah ha!" He said with triumph and held up an outfit that just screamed Pam. "I know she doesn't have this."
"How can you be sure?"
"Well, you have to notice Pam's outfits, I have learned that goes a long way towards placating her. And more importantly, she left an online catalog open to this outfit on the computer in my office." He grinned.
"She did not!" Sookie accused, she was never one to hint for a gift since money was so scarce when she was growing up.
"Pam is not shy about getting what she wants."
"No, she's not." Sookie agreed with a smile. "It is a lovely set, I know, why don't you get her that and I'll get her this scarf and earrings that match." In this shop even that was a strain on her budget.
Eric nodded and looked around, "What were you looking for?"
"Here? You're kidding right?" This just wasn't where she ever shopped. For one thing it was too expensive, for another it just wasn't her.
"No, what's wrong with here?"
"Well, it's hardly my style, and one of these outfits costs almost what I spend in a year on clothes."
"Surely you haven't spent the money you earned for hiding me?"
"No, but I'm not going to spend it on clothes."
"What are you going to spend it on?"
"I'm not, it's there for the next time I end up in the hospital, or when my car needs a repair or something breaks in my house. I've lived most of my life on the edge, just one paycheck from the poorhouse. I like knowing there's something between me and nothing."
"Very practical." There was something in his tone that she couldn't interpret.
"You're mocking me." She accused.
"No, I really admire that, it was very important among us."
"Us? You mean vampires?"
"Vikings. While the men were out for the summer the women had to run the farms, manage everything. Practicality was important."
"I've been told I was old-fashioned, I just didn't realize I was a thousand years out of date." She found a pair of solid-colored earrings that accented the outfit nicely. "These are nice. Do you think she'll like them?" She held them up for Eric to see.
"What are the posts made of?"
"Oh I didn't think of that." She checked the backs. "Looks like gold, or at least gold-plated."
"I think those will be good." He held up a red and white suit set. "You should get this." He said simply.
"Eric I told you I can't afford this store." She was looking at the suit, it was very sharp, but she had found that jackets have a way of gapping oddly since she was so busty. "Besides it's not me."
"I think it would look great on you. Try it on." He pushed it at her.
"I'm not going to try on something I can't afford."
"If it fits, I'll buy it for you."
"Eric you are not buying me clothes!" that just seemed too personal, especially after what had happened while he was staying with her.
"Why not?" He honestly looked puzzled by her refusal.
"Because I pay my own way in this world."
"Okay, let's consider this part of our business arrangement. I already told you I will need you for a conference in March. Consider this work clothes." He held it out to her again. When she looked like she was wavering a bit he added. "If it will make you feel better I can hold onto it until the conference."
"I don't look good in jackets like that." She protested.
"Try it, you might be surprised."
She took the hanger, "Fine just to show you." and headed off into the dressing room. Shaking her head and mumbling about stubborn vampires she undressed, and tried on the outfit. Much to her surprised it fit perfectly and didn't gap at all in the front even when the jacket was buttoned. If anything it de-emphasized her breasts. Sookie was trying to decide if that would be helpful or not if she was trying to get information from someone, but couldn't decide. Then it occurred to her how much her life had changed since Bill first walked into Merlotte's. She never would have thought of information gathering as a consideration in clothes shopping before. She tried a couple of different poses, hands on her hips, reaching up, bending down to pick something up, trying to get the jacket to be unflattering but she wasn't successful. Finally she headed out to show Eric.
"Well?" he asked fighting back a smile.
"That's what I was going to ask you." she turned slowly, "What do you think?"
"I knew I liked it. You were the one with doubts."
"Well it looks really good, better than I expected. But I am not sure if it is going to work for the job."
"Oh, why not?" he looked puzzled.
"Well, will I be there mainly to read minds or try to gather information?"
"Read minds, although any other information you can gather would, of course, be helpful. But what does that have to do with the outfit?"
"Well it downplays my bosom which, and believe me I am not bragging here, would be helpful if I am reading guys' minds since often all I get is 'wow, look at the rack on her'. Eric, don't laugh!" She had her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry, I hadn't considered that, although one can hardly blame them." Desire flamed briefly in his eyes but he doused it quickly. She rolled her eyes at him and tried to kill her reaction to his look as easily. "But if it will aid in your telepathy how would it not be suitable for the work?"
"Well, a lot of guys assume every well-endowed blonde is an idiot and they drop their guard and try to talk themselves up. They let things slip that they shouldn't but don't worry about it if they think I'm just a ditz." Eric looked annoyed at this bit of news.
"So you have lived your whole life with people thinking you were an idiot, and knowing that that is what they think?" He sounded outraged.
"Actually for the first 12 years most people just thought I was weird or crazy. But we've been through all this." She turned away quickly realizing that that conversation was when he was staying with her and he didn't remember it. "Let me go back and change into my clothes. If you want to get this I think it will work fine for the conference." She started to walk at a brisk pace to the dressing rooms.
Eric was leaning against the wall outside when she came out. He didn't say anything about her comment but was oddly quiet.
She handed him the suit and gathered her gifts for Pam, heading to the register without a word. After she paid and got a gift box she stepped aside for Eric to pay, he just handed the saleslady the outfit and gestured for Sookie to lead the way out of the store.
"Aren't you going to buy Pam's gift?" she asked curiously as they headed back into the mall.
"I put it on my account and they will have it delivered." Looking straight ahead he said quietly. "I do not recall us having that conversation."
"Well, it was while I was hiding you. I'm sorry I forgot." She looked down at her feet.
"I am sorry every day that I forgot." He said softly. "Sometimes you drop your guard and we seem so relaxed and close and comfortable with each other. More so than we ever did before that. And at other times you are so tense and nervous around me like you expect me to attack you." He turned his head away and said tensely. "Sookie, did I hurt you while you were protecting me?"
She stopped and turned him to face her, she could see blood pooling in the corners of his eyes. "Oh Eric, no, you didn't hurt me. I didn't know you had been worried about that. I'm sorry. I would have told you sooner if I had."
"You're not just saying that are you? I want the truth." His hands were holding hers tightly, a little too much so.
"Other than you crunching my fingers right now," he loosened his grip, "you have never hurt me. In fact I would be dead without you." and she bit her lip. She had said more than she wanted to again.
"Why, what happened?" he looked very concerned.
"Well, you know, in Dallas when you shielded me from the blast." She didn't think he would buy that that was what she had meant but his face hardened and he let that and her hands drop.
He turned back to the way they had been headed. "What store did you want to go to?" he asked politely, like he was asking customers what table they wanted at Fangtasia.
"Maybe I should just head home, it's been a long day and I have a long drive."
"I'll walk you to your car." He volunteered.
"No, that's okay.." she started.
"I insist, it's late and this is not the best neighborhood. I know what lurks in the dark." he dropped into step beside her. Her mind filled in "big, scary, vampires" and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.
As they walked in silence she kept mentally adding to that list
Big, scary, sexy, vampires;
Big, scary, sexy, viking, vampires;
Big, scary, sexy, viking vampires that pout like little boys;
She was so busy trying to suppress her laughter that she hardly noticed when they had left the mall.
Big, scary, sexy, viking vampires that pout like little boys and are looking at me like he thinks I've gone insane. A snort escaped her lips.
He stopped "What is so funny?" he asked indignantly.
At the look on his face she actually started laughing. Trying to catch her breath she saw Eric, looking more and more annoyed and mentally added that to her checklist, annoyed, big, scary, sexy vampires pouting like little boys; and laughed harder. In the back of her mind she knew the laughter was just to relieve the stress that had been building within her. Taking a deep breath she dug her keys out of her purse so she had an excuse not to look at him and she found it easier to calm down that way. "Vampires are what lurk in the dark, not what protect you from the things that lurk."
He looked disappointed that that was the joke he expected something bigger apparently. "Smelling the way you do, you need someone to protect you from vampires."
Sniffing herself she asked, "What's wrong with the way I smell? I don't smell anything."
That was a mistake, he stepped in closer and held her lightly around the waist, "You smell like fairy, I've had to fight the urge to get this close all evening." he took one hand and smelled along her arm. "Your arms, your front," he did not bury his face in her chest but merely passed his head over her, like sampling perfume. "And I think her head was on this side of yours when you hugged." and he leaned in and nuzzled her neck, breathing in deeply as he did. Her pulse began to quicken, as she realized just how dangerous a position she was in. Her breath also quickened as her body responded to the nearness of his.
"Eric, stop." she brought her hands up between them and pushed ineffectually against his chest. "Please."
"You're frightened, that smells almost as enticing as the fairy. But there is something else, part of you does not want me to stop. How far is that part from winning?" He began to trail kisses along her neck and she heard the click of his fangs descending. She gasped in both fear and anticipation and she tried to fight the arousal, she thought the fear was good.
"Eric please don't do this."
"Don't bite you, or arouse you?" he continued up her neck and sucked on her earlobe.
"Both..neither. Eric, please let me go." And just like that he did. She was standing swaying by her car and he was about 10 feet away.
"Is this what you want?" he asked harshly, "Because it is not what your body is saying. You send very mixed signals Miss Stackhouse."
"I'm sorry..." she began. But he held a hand up.
"I think, perhaps, to keep you from having to apologize anymore we should keep our relationship on a strictly business level. That way you will not have to endure my attempts to discover what happened to me while I was incapacitated, even though I believe I have every right to know." Sookie blinked in surprise, she hadn't thought of it that way, how would she feel if she didn't know what she had done, what had been done to her for most of a week. "Nor will you have to deal with advances that you are ambivalent about. I will contact you with information about the conference or if I need your services in the interim. I ask that you contact me if you decide to tell me what happened to me or for business reasons only. Good night Miss Stackhouse." Without waiting for a reply he took off, literally.
Sookie sighed, that gave her a new perspective on "her secret" and she shuddered. She would feel so violated and worried. Obviously Eric had been worried about what he might have done to her, and with his strength and power he could potentially have wreaked a great deal of havoc. Not that he would necessarily feel guilty if he had, but at the very least he would have to know to expect any consequences.
Annoyed, big, scary, sexy, viking vampires pouting like little boys, but who really have the right to know.