A Drop of True Blood
Miniseries: Vows of Midnight
"Concentrate." Eric whispered, "Remember what I told you. Try to put a barrier or a shield around the part of your mind you want hidden. Imagine a gate or a door so you can control what you want to display or things you want to stay concealed." Eric said to her gently, smiling at her as he took in the deep concentration that was etched into her facial expression.
They had been working rather vigorously at increasing Robyn's telepathic ability while Eric had been trying to refine the small amounts he already had. The Viking Vampire knew that the only reason they were able to undergo these changes at all was due to her werewolf imprint, his claim on her and the fact that he was her maker.
However, he knew how to shield his mind from beings like the Fae. They were unable to hear Vampire thoughts because of the shield that was unconsciously formed around his mind when he was turned, but for Robyn it was a different story due to her hybrid status.
So that's how the pair of them found themselves sitting opposite each other, their legs crossed as they felt the soothing gentle breeze of the long summer nights in Louisiana, their garden flourishing with life; insects were flying, the flowers were blossoming and the beautiful shrubs and trees swayed warmly in the low lights that etched the horizon of their garden.
"That's right, keep the barrier closed off, I don't want to feel anything from you" Eric responded but he was unable to continue and prevent the deep growl that rumbled from the bottom of his throat when he felt a rather heated thought pass towards him from Robyn. "Especially those ones min kärlek." Eric replied with a smile as he opened his eyes to look at Robyn who had furrowed her eyebrows to try and accomplish what it was Eric was asking of her.
"I'm trying." Robyn said with her own smirk "It's not easy considering I can feel you in my head and knowing your not wearing a shirt-"
"You asked me to be misleading." He countered, "It's not my fault you're so easily distracted"
"Well, excuse me for finding you so attractive." Robyn disputed as she opened her eyes, nudging his legs playfully as she allowed her eyes to trail over his handsomely chiseled chest that led to his molded shoulders and elegantly shaped arms and large hands.
"Don't forget my dear Robyn, that I am also trying to refine my skills and finding it increasingly difficult due to you being just as striking." Eric retorted, pointing his chin in her direction as he took in her body that was covered by her silk lace kimono that only travelled to the top of her thighs and revealed her underwear underneath.
"But you've had over a thousand years of practice. We've only been experimenting with this for a little over a year." Robyn expressed as she leant closer towards him, grasping hold of his cold hands in her as she felt his comforting gesture as he allowed his thumbs to run over her smooth skin.
"With things I've not had much experience with. Please Robyn, just try to-"
"Relax my mind, I know." Robyn interrupted as she rolled her eyes a little "I can't be dealing with all this hippy crap."
"Robyn…" Eric said with a smile, trailing off as his sentence died within his throat.
"I've got this, barrier, gate, keeping it closed." She mumbled as she closed her eyes once again and attempted to retreat back into her mind.
He studied her, causing Robyn to feel the simmering hunger and desire pointed in her direction as he continued to watch her. However, as she focused on what he was feeling, his anxiety and fear of her well being seemed to dominate everything as he thought of her. He knew that their life together was far from easy, as various disastrous situations involved them on a regular basis and he was terrified in a way she had never felt from him before. He was petrified of this bond that had not been heard of before, terrified of it being used against the pair of them which only stressed his point from before.
But, as he watched her concentrating, as he felt her fluctuating presence within his head he felt her own fear. She was comforted by knowing that he was constantly watching over her and feeling him within her own mind seemed to lift that worry from her shoulders. But, as she tried to regulate that pressure, as she tried to diminish his light that shone confidently within her mind he knew she was terrified of locking him away from her and then unable to revive their connection. He still had to reassure her that this would never happen due to the maker-progeny relationship they shared.
"I'm still here with you Robyn." He whispered, talking to her telepathically. "Do not worry about loosing me. I'll always be with you."
She focused on his voice. Followed his instructions of imagining a bright wall of light that surrounded his presence within her mind, her thoughts unable to penetrate the colorful barrier that reminded her of the Witch Marnie, and the barrier of sunlight she had surrounded her shop when Antonia possessed her.
The pair of them had no idea if a telepathic creature would be able to detect their bond if they attempted to read Robyn's mind; Eric knew that Robyn and Sookie were still trying to rebuild the relationship that Sookie had taken for granted. This meant Sookie was unavailable to aid in his lovers training. This was a reason for the need he held for her to understand how to protect herself.
Robyn pictured a large door that glowed and shone against the barrier of light she had wrapped around Eric's mind and her own. She wrapped her imaginary hand around the door handle, giving it a tug to test its strength. The door opened a jar, allowing a few benign thoughts to slip though, smiling as she heard Eric chuckling as she repeated the chorus to 'Hushabye Mountain' before she pulled her hand back towards her and firmly closing the door.
Eric sighed, a little regretfully which caused Robyn's heart to swell as she realised she was locked tight and Eric's light was well protected. She remained as still as she could for a few moments, her resolve not breaking as the shield was firmly in place.
She still fought for control when she felt Eric's cold hand trailing up her side, closing around her arm and continuing it's path up to her clavicle, leaving Goosebumps in its wake and causing the hybrid to shiver.
Robyn knew she was at the next stage. Stage one, lock down her mind and keep it locked. A stage she knew would be harder to keep under control if she was placed into a stressful or emotional situation. She had to try and remain as calm and relaxed as she could, a difficult feat considering she was made of two creatures of darkness that both struggled to reign in their power and their anger.
The second stage was being able to keep her mind locked away when Eric or someone else touched her. The young werewolf-vampire hybrid knew this stage was going to be hard. She relished in feeling Eric's skin pressed to hers, the way her body seemed to react to him and the way he react to her made their bond automatically intensify resulting in the need to concentrate harder.
For the first couple of weeks, when they hard started to explore their new gift, Robyn struggled to stop the door from shaking when he had touched her; but when she had calmed herself, taking in a large breath of air she had managed to keep control. But right now, she could feel him just as strongly and as the pressure on her shoulder increased, Eric was letting her know that she was still silent in his mind.
Robyn was frustrated at herself that her fiancé found it so easy, even though he had tried to reassure her earlier with his protective comment. He almost had to beat it in to her at the beginning, defending her progress, telling her that when he had started his training with Godric he had struggled. He knew now that it was simply a reflex when he felt random mental attacks; it was a trait Eric knew Robyn would soon master. Robyn however, could only smile, as she knew even though this control had been beaten into her Vampire, he still couldn't help the stray thoughts slipping through when they made love.
It seemed that Robyn had become to involved in her thoughts and some scorching memories came with it, the door to the light barrier burst open and Eric growled a second before she found herself pulled onto his lap, one arm pressing her torso to his, one of his hands surged to the top of her ribs, his large hands grazing the side of her breasts.
She felt his lips pressing hard onto her, forcing himself onto her as the pair of them relished in the feel of the other. Evidently, they had finished their training for the time being.
0-0-0
It was a quite night at Fangtasia. Once they had prepared themselves for the night, Robyn and Eric had made their way to Fangtasia to aid the staff in opening the club. By one in the morning, only a few vampires were sitting around either in booths or at tables while a few human's danced or watched the vampire and human dancers.
Robyn was currently working. She was sitting at the bar, the bar lights shining on her figure enough so she was able to see her paperwork and the keyboard to her laptop. It seemed that many of the Shreveport Vampires had become accustomed to her presence, none of them now wanting to come up and smell her as if they were struggling to place her scent.
She was trying to focus, but with the splitting headache that had returned, with Pam standing at the doorway of Fangtasia and Eric sitting on his large throne working, Robyn had very little choice but to continue to look at the videos of auditions her agent had been forwarding to her.
None of the videos she had watched had caught her attention and she was beginning to think that maybe this association was a bad idea. However, she was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a large hand moving from her right shoulder and to her left as they moved around to her other side. Robyn simply looked up to notice Eric leaning his elbow on the bar, comfort shining within his eyes but not on his expression, he had a reputation to uphold after all.
"I take it you are still struggling to find someone?" Eric whispered as he looked towards Robyn who sat up, allowed her hands to run over her face, ignoring the feel of her scar as she let out the air in her lungs and looked up at her Fiancé.
"How could you tell?" She asked him dejectedly, dark circles hanging under her eyes as Eric looked at her exhaustion over the whole process of taking someone under her wing.
"By the fact that your head is pounding with a headache and your getting more and more anxious about finding someone."
"You can tell all that from the other side of the room?"
"You forget my dear Robyn, but I know you far better than anyone." He responded with a small smile as he cupped her scared cheek and placed a very delicate kiss to her hair. Robyn rejoiced in the attention she was getting from him, comforted by his public display of affection, his comforting scent wafting to his nose as he refused to remove himself to far from her. "But I believe I may have found you someone who may capture your attention."
"Really?" Robyn as incredulously, one of her eyebrows rising as she allowed a small smirk to fall onto her features. "You're going to give me advice on music." Robyn replied with a cheeky tone that Eric simply smiled at.
"My music taste is not as bad as you are to believe."
"Eric, Swedish folk music from the Sixteen hundreds is not the kind of music I want attached to my name." Robyn replied, her face lightening as a very beautiful smile she saved only for him washed onto her features, teasing him as Eric tried to feign hurt, only to end up smiling a very goofy smile of his own.
"That Robyn Herveaux was very cheeky of you." Eric replied, turning his attention from her and down towards the computer that sat in front of him. Robyn simply laughed, a genuine laugh Eric had not heard for a while, never having heard her laugh when she was working on her association.
"Can you tell me a little about the artist your going to show me?" Robyn asked as Eric continued to pull up Youtube.
"I don't know much about him. He's Swedish and he took part in a singing contest I think, but I don't think he has had many prospects since then."
"What's his name?"
"Robin Stjernberg."
"Robin? Are you just making this up?" Robyn whined, not really finding the humour in the coincidence that was her and his name.
"No my dear, not at all." Eric responded with a chuckle as he looked down at Robyn who still held a very strong expression that displayed to him just how skeptical she was. "Trust me." Eric finished as he handed her the headphones that were plugged into the laptop before he watched and studied her expression as she watched the young lad performing and singing.
Eric waited patiently for her to finished, his eyes never leaving hers as he watched a variety of different emotions flitting across her features, sometimes two at a time as she watched the young man, the old vampire hoping he had made a last impression. At least Robyn had watched the video right till the end instead of only half the video. She removed the headphone and placed them back to the table top and turning towards Eric, nothing but seriousness evident on her face,
"Well, I don't know about you, but I think it's going to get a little confusing during the next few weeks." Robyn replied, still not really showing any emotions.
"Why is that?"
"Because there will be two Robyn's in the recording studio and working together." The young hybrid replied, a tongue in the cheek smile shining on her lips, as Eric's own understanding washed into his expression.
"I take it you agree with my impeccable music tastes." Eric questioned, eyebrows raised.
"Well, I don't know about impeccable." Robyn laughed before she leant forward and placed a very gentle kiss to his lips.
0-0-0
Eric had turned left and through the large gate and driveway that led to the house that they shared. He quickly changed into first gear, allowing the car's engine to purr up the large hillside and towards the house that was embedded beautifully into the woodland that surrounded them.
Robyn removed her seatbelt that had been over her torso, grasped hold of the straps of her laptop bag and was about to pull open the door just for Eric to rush, at vampire speed, to her side of the car and opened her door, helping her out of the car and then pulling her closer to his side as they headed towards the large oak door that let them into the home they shared.
The young werewolf pulled out her keys, shoving them into the lock before she pushed open the heavy door. Eric took her laptop from her shoulder while his fiancé continued to take off her shoes. Robyn simply smiled when she watched Eric head further into the house as Robyn moved into the lounge to take in Alcide's form draped over the large sofa.
Alcide smiled to his sister, noticing how she herself gave one of her own as she shoved his legs from the sofa, crashed onto the soft material before dragging his legs back to rest on her knees. He lifted the remote control for the TV set, turning down the volume as he looked back towards his sister who simply looked at him expectantly.
"Did you do it?" Robyn asked him, her eyebrows raised as she hoped and prayed her brother finally got of his lazy bottom to do something productive instead of moping around after the breakdown of his relationship with Debbie.
"Do what?" Alcide asked, a large smile on his expression that caused Robyn to smack him in the arm, causing the werewolf to feign hurt.
"Alcide! You know exactly what I'm telling you!" Robyn replied again, humour shining in her voice.
"You don't need to worry about me Robyn." Alcide started. "I got the commission, Herveaux Construction are now working on building a large housing estate." Her brother replied, just for the hybrid to shove her arms around his waist, thankful that her brother was finally achieving something. Eric took that moment to then join them.
0-0-0
Robyn had asked if they could undergo a few more exercises before they headed off to bed. She had progressed a fair bit earlier that day and she wanted to end a rather productive day in high spirits, and what better way could she do that than by spending time with her best friend and her lover.
Eric had brought in a huge lungful of unnecessary air before lifting his hands and resting his fingers to her temples, watching as her eyes fluttered closed before he himself closed his own eyes and concentrated on moving past her surprising formidable mental barrier they had been working on perfecting.
However, when he did gain entrance the sheer beauty of her mind took him aback. Never before had they worked on allowing him access to her mind, only ever protecting the bond and shielding her mind. He had never asked her to invite her inside and he could not help but shove his hands away from her temples, a mixture of confusing emotions flittering around him due to what he had just seen and experienced.
"What happened?" Robyn asked, her eyes snapping open to find his, grasping hold of his hands to try and calm him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," He said breathlessly, still struggling to comprehend everything, his eyes gazing deeply into hers "It's just you love me, deeply and completely."
"Well of course." Robyn said with a bewildered smirk on her lips as she squeezed Eric's hand. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
"I know," He said still staring at her in shocked disbelief. "It's just, you really love me; more than anything. I guess I never expected someone to love me as completely as you do. I'm a dark man sometimes Robyn, I was expecting you to run years ago."
"Giving into ones dark side never accomplishes anything, but believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing. I've found my happy ending Eric, your it, and true love isn't easy to find, but it must be fought for because once you find it, it can never be replaced." Robyn said passionately, lifting one of her hands to his cheek as she tried to make him see just how much he meant to her.
"I would rather die the true death than let you fill your heart with darkness my Robyn. No matter what you do. I will always find you." Eric replied, noting how Robyn was unable to prevent the single blood tear from falling down her cheek as she leant in for a kiss she eagerly retrieved before Eric lifted his hands again, and engulfed her mind with his.
The young hybrid still had her eyes firmly closed, contented as she felt Eric's large but soothing fingertips pressed to each of her temples. She was so wrapped up in feeling his emotions, concentrating on allowing him to do whatever it was he was trying to accomplish that she had failed to notice Eric asking her to open her eyes.
She flickered her eyes open, her violet eyes having to adjust to the sudden difference in light intensity from the one that she was expecting to see. Her surroundings were very dissimilar to her shared bedroom. The light tight blinds did not cover the large windows and the walls were not adjourned with expensive art. Instead, all Robyn could see was the vast wall to ceiling bookcases that spanned several floors, gathering dust or looking like they hadn't been touched in over a thousand years.
Robyn let her mouth hang open as she shoved her body away from Eric, lifting her hands so they were resting on the old carved metal railings that curled and intertwined in such intricate Viking patterns Robyn couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the railings that sat at the side of every level that curled in a circle, rising high above her head and fell several levels below her.
Eric could only watch her. Whenever he drew back into himself this was the place he gained comfort. This was his 'Memory Repository' everything he remembered, everything important that had happened, everything he knew he needed to remember he placed in this large area of his mind, a place he had never been able to let someone see. After all, this was very personal to him, he was sharing every intimate detail of himself and his past to Robyn, and taking in her astonished but extremely ecstatic expression he was surprised that he did not regret his decision.
"Where are we?" Robyn breathed as she turned around to face Eric who came to stand next to her, mirroring her posture of leaning against the railings as she spoke with him. "Is this some sort of, more advanced telepathic gift we seemed to have inherited?"
"I would assume so." Eric replied as he unfolded her arms and clung onto her hand a little as she looked up at him. "I have been curious to see if we were able to connect and communicate this way. It seems all our training and with the pair of us working to enhance our miniscule amounts of telepathic ability must have helped us to get to his point."
"So, I'm inside your head?"
"Your consciousness yes." Eric replied with a small smile "Right now, if Alcide was to come and find you, your physical body would be ticking over, like if you were meditating."
"Like Teal'c from Stargate when he is partaking in Kel No Reem?" Robyn asked, her mind connecting the dots in a way only she could, her synonyms causing Eric to laugh and allowing Robyn to smile with him.
"Very much so. Like Tuvoks mind meld" Eric said as he answered her question and responding to her inner geek. "Would you like to look around?" Eric finished again, noting how Robyn nodded her head, grasped hold of his hand once again before being shown around the place.
"So where exactly are we?" Robyn stated, her other hand lifting to rest on his left bicep muscle, moving into him as she cuddled the arm that was holding her other hand.
"This is my 'Memory Repository' in here you will find all my memories, everything I have learnt like my knowledge and my skills."
"Does it keep expanding? Like growing with your experience?"
"Not anymore. It used to. But now whenever I learn something new I have to throw something out."
"Seriously?" Robyn gawked, her mind unable to comprehend what she was saying.
"Yeah. When I got the new computer I had to throw out all the files of my rock and roll lyrics."
"So that's why you only listen to Swedish folk." Robyn replied with a cheeky smile again.
"Watch it." Eric warned playfully "If you keep rubbing it in I might just have to burn the folder about Robin Stjernberg, then where will you be." Eric smiled
"I'm just teasing." Robyn beamed as she stood on her tiptoes and planted a small kiss to his lips. "What do you do with all the discarded files?"
"I burn them, in that furnace there." Eric replied, lifting his hand to show Robyn an ancient nineteen thirties furnace that was burning brightly. However, after Eric had shown her the young hybrid couldn't help but look around again.
She had noticed that as they moved deeper into the catacombs of Eric's mind, the outside walls of the 'Repository' were still lined with the high bookcases; but in the middle rows and rows of bookcases that held boxes containing files, various trinkets or objects littered shelves of the bookcases, each case labeled with whatever memories or information Eric had stored.
"What about the stuff you don't want to get rid of?"
"I take it to an office where I keep all my secrets."
"Am I in there?"
"Some of you, the parts that I want hidden from anyone who can beat my defenses, but no one has managed that yet."
"And the rest."
"You have a section all your own." Eric responded, having led her away from the furnace, climbing a few levels before they reached what seemed to be a less cluttered area of his mind. "Right here." Eric responded as he held out his hand towards a wooden door that had her name in intricate letters that shone in the dark light, he smiled before he reached into his pocket and removed a key to unlock the door.
Robyn just looked up at Eric again, a variety of different emotions flooding into her features as she tried to get her head around the whole mind thing. She had a room dedicated purely for her. He had placed very private things about her in his office so no one but he could look at them, and why the hell did the room smell like her?
"Robyn, are you okay?" Eric asked soothingly as he took in the conflict shining within her as she took in the room that she was standing in. Each 3 walls were lined high with bookcases that were jammed packed with old books. In the middle of the room sat a desk that was littered with pictures of the pair of them or just her, while her trinkets or pieces of jewelry she owned were lying lazily on the surface. The sheer amount of things that must have reminded Eric of her made her heart skip within her chest, as the intensity of his affection, the love that shone behind his cold exterior bewildered her.
"I have a whole room."
"You're the only one with a whole room." Eric started as he moved into one of the arm chairs, relaxing in the scent that was purely her as he continued to study her fingering the ridges of the ancient books that all had titles to his memories. "Pamela and Godric have a few sections up on level three, but I don't need to remember everything I shared with them. But with you, it is a different story, because everything about you is important." Eric finished, his last statement causing Robyn to snap her eyes towards him, emotion washing to her eyes as she tried to bite back the blood tears that were threatening to fall because of his declaration.
"I don't really know what to say." Robyn whispered as she turned to the ancient vampire.
"That's a first." He smiled which caused her own smile; a smile she saved only for him. "Did you want to take a look?"
"What would you suggest?" Robyn asked, not sure what Eric was really asking of her. Eric just smiled before he lifted his figure from the chair, headed towards one of the books he had watched on loop before the events of Dallas a few years ago. He smiled to himself when he found the book he was looking for. He passed it too her, taking in the confused expression before she took it into her hands, opened the book and she was transported into his memory.
