Sorry for the wait, but I am having a fabulous vacation! Hope you all enjoy this, and as always, I love reviews!
Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is the originator and author of this series, I am only a cheap imitator.
"Are you alright? Has the vampire left?"
Eric had the audacity to sound worried about her while willfully deceiving her.
"No, Bill is still here... and apparently, he is the only one being honest with me."
"Bill?" The Sheriff was obviously confused by her familiar use of the new vampire's first name. "Sookie, what has he been telling you?" He asked worriedly.
"I don't know, Eric. Why don't you tell me since you are the one keeping secrets? Bill told me about the driveway." Money had always been a point of contention for the girl who had grown-up without much of it. Eric had a tendency to throw his around.
Sookie did not understand the word that came across the cell phone, but it definitely sounded like a curse word. He was not happy that she had discovered his secret.
"I was going to surprise you tonight when you got home, but I suppose it is too late now. You had mentioned the expense of getting your driveway re-graveled, so I got it paved for you instead. I wanted to say thank you for being so understanding about my schedule. I know it is not how either of us would like."
Her anger balloon was officially popped. "Oh, thank you! That was really sweet of you!" It was all too often that she was left feeling dumb after jumping to a conclusion with Eric.
"Not to mention, it was cheaper than continuing to fix the paint job on my car." She could hear the mischievous grin in his voice.
She must have been giddy over such a thoughtful gift and the prospect of seeing him on one of his work nights because his comment did not even phase her. "Don't you dare ruin this moment Eric!" That might have sounded angry had she not been smiling the whole time. The thought of a night spent with Eric was enough to make any girl happy.
"Sookie, I need you to focus for a moment." His voice had gotten serious again, so she knew it was back to business Eric. "Who is Bill?"
"He is the vampire who moved into that old house across from mine. Turns out he is a Compton. He seems nice, probably just hasn't had time to check in with you." It was a reasonable explanation for the vampire who seemed like such a southern gentleman.
The other side was silent for a moment. Sookie actually looked at the phone to see if maybe the line had dropped, but she had full bars, a rarity in Bon Temps.
"Hand him the phone." Eric's voice came over the line once again.
"I can't just hand my phone to a stranger." The explanation fell short, as she knew it would.
"Either give him the phone or I am flying over there." Something about his voice made it clear the second option was not a good one.
"Fine..." She sulked all the way back out to the dining room, but her childishness was over by the time customers could see her. The phone was out in front of her like it had been meant for her Bill the entire time.
"Mr. Compton, Bill." She corrected herself. "I have someone on the line who would like to speak with you."
It sounded overly formal even to her, but then she was speaking on behalf of a vampire sheriff. And Sookie could not very well say the Sheriff of Area Five was calling, that would raise too many questions by the human patrons who were watching, and Bill might not know who Eric was by name. She had to hope he would simply take the phone, if only out of curiosity. Things were too complicated.
He took the phone with a vampire version of a quizzical look but no questions. He went still as Eric began talking rapidly on the other end. Bill did not nod, blink or even breath as he listened. The one-sided conversation only lasted for a moment, and Sookie had not caught a word.
"Unfortunately, I do not believe that will be possible." Bill's voice was not as friendly as before.
Sookie would have loved to be able to read vampire minds when Eric spoke inaudibly again.
"I believe if you wait another day, you will find that to be true."
She did know which of them hung up first, but Bill snapped her phone shut without ever saying goodbye. Then again, that was not really odd for vampires. Her vampire customer did seem a little more withdrawn than before, but it was hard to tell.
"Well, Sookie, it was a pleasure to meet you." He put more money on the table than necessary for his drink, even with a generous tip.
"What'd he say?" She asked before he could leave.
"That is not really my place to say. I hope we will be able to speak again." He reached out and kissed the top of her hand.
"Yeah, me too." She replied. It was one of the nicest meetings she had ever had with a vampire.
He nodded to her and Sam before leaving.
"Sookie, what's going on?" Sam asked when she brought the empty bottle of True Blood to the bar.
"Sam, I can honestly say I got no idea." She sighed, wondering if this was going to change the tenor of her evening with Eric.
Godric had not developed Eric's appreciation of cars, so Sookie was not surprised to see him next to her own little car when she went out to the parking lot of Merlotte's. The old vampire did not even own one as far as she knew. She unlocked the car doors without saying anything to him.
"You could have come in." She informed him once they were both in the car.
"My son was not sure of your reaction to my appearance." Her car was still driving nicely after it had gotten back from the garage.
"I'm always happy to see you, Godric. But I guess you aren't gonna tell me what is going on."
"Eric did not want you traveling alone back to your home, so I offered my services as an escort. He will be over later than expected if you can stay awake."
He probably knew what she meant, but she decided not to leave it be. "You got time to hang around until then?"
"It would be my pleasure."
They passed a moment in silence.
"Do you know anything about this Bill Compton guy?" She asked nonchalantly.
"I had never heard the name before tonight, but that is what is keeping Eric. He is trying to find out as much as he can."
"I see."
"You do seem to attract more than your share of trouble, and I find it odd that an unknown vampire would move in across from you, then visit your place of employment."
"Only it's his family house, that means something here in the South, and Merlotte's is really the only place in town to get a drink at night. Plus, he couldn't of known he was gonna be in my section when he set out. Arlene was supposed to be working as well."
"Those are valid points, but in our world, coincidences are rare."
"He didn't seem like a bad guy."
"I am sure you are an excellent judge of character, but it would be a tragedy for this to be the time you are mistaken."
"Yeah, I get that."
"I worry about you... as does Eric." He added the last part on quickly.
Was Godric embarrassed? Sookie desperately wanted to know, but she did not want to embarrass him further. It was just so rarely that he stumbled over words like that. Still, she left it alone.
As with many country homes, her driveway was not a short one. When they arrived, the entrance was blocked off. The concrete had been laid, faster than she thought possible, but it still wasn't dry.
"This is where Eric had planned on meeting you, so he could carry you to the house. He knew your feet would be tired after your shift."
"Awww..." Even though he had not been able to carry out his plan, she still greatly appreciated the thought he had put into it. This quite possibly would have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. "Damn you, Bill Compton." She whispered as they got out of the car.
"Sookie?" She may have whispered it, but she knew Godric had understood perfectly.
"If it hadn't been for him, this would have been a perfectly wonderful evening." His good first impression was taking a downward spiral, whether deserved or not. She realized it wasn't fair, but neither was having her first gift, that had managed to be a real surprise, ruined. She had always known every birthday or Christmas gift before she had even started unwrapping it.
She realized her car would have to stay out on the road for at least that night. It was a good thing she had done her grocery shopping earlier that week. Hopefully, someone would let her know when it would be okay to drive on. Maybe Jason knew how long things like that took.
"In my son's stead."
It was a strange sensation to be picked up by someone her height who looked even younger than she did. It was absolutely no time to protest as he set her down at the front door. Godric was even faster than Eric, and it took a moment for her stomach and voice to catch up with the rest of her body. Definitely no one could say he was trying to put the moves on her.
"Thanks." She finally managed. "Why don't we sit out here for a bit?"
It was fall, and the air was finally beginning to cool down. Sookie was a summer girl by nature, but she liked to enjoy the cooler weather while she could. Other vampires might have been insulted by the lack of invitation inside, but Godric had an open invitation that she doubted would ever be rescinded.
At a more human pace, Godric took a seat on the porch swing, leaving plenty of room for Sookie. The fact that he carried her was odd. It was one of the few times they had actually touched. She sat a proper distance away from him, studying him as he watched the stars.
"Why do you do that?"
"I am afraid I do not understand the question." He looked at her with his head tilted to the side as he tried to decipher Sookie's meaning.
"All vampires are different about touching I mean, you don't even shake hands, but you are worse."
"Most humans would not have noticed."
"I'm around you more than most humans."
"Quite true. It is not that I do not like humans, as I am sure you know. It is just difficult sometimes. I have not had human blood since even before the creation of synthetic blood. You would think eventually the thirst would fade, but that is simply not true. Part of that thirst is always with you, but I do not wish to partake."
"There are plenty of people more than willing to give, who'd probably enjoy the experience." Sure, it was a little uncomfortable to discuss with her "boyfriend's" "father," but if he was worried about hurting humans, he really didn't need to be.
"I existed for several centuries as most vampires, not caring about the lives I had taken. This is the sacrifice I have made in penance for those lives. No matter how long I live it will never be enough, but it seems the best repayment I can give. I keep my distance to keep my promise."
"That must be hard."
"Some humans make it harder than other, just as I am sure you are attracted to some sights or smells more than others. The fact that I am aware I now possess the self-control to consume without killing often gets in the way as my mind tries to rationalize this action. "
A thought struck her. "Do I make it hard?" Every vampire she had met commented on her scent. She did not like the idea of somehow causing Godric torment.
"I will not deny that yours is a particularly intoxicating scent, but you are the last human on earth I would ever bring to harm." He closed his eyes for a moment as if sensing something she could not.
"And now I must be on my way." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek as if to prove his point. "A pleasure as always."
"Night Godric." It was her second kiss of the evening but neither from the one vampire she wanted to kiss her.
Godric stepped off the porch and took off into the night air. Perhaps flying was a family trait, but Sookie had never seen Pam so much as float. Maybe lineage had nothing to do with it. Still, the mental image of Pam in a pink velour tracksuit, wobbling in the air, had Sookie laughing so hard, she missed Eric touching down on her front steps.
"Glad to see you are not angry anymore."
She jumped up from her seat, ran over and practically tackled Eric as he leaned down for her kiss. Their height difference had never been a real problem with one of them able to lift the other single-handedly. In no time, Sookie was seated on the porch railing, so they could both fully enjoy the long, intense kiss. All without so much as a pause in the passionate greeting.
"Thank you for my new driveway." She stroked his face as he broke away so she could breath.
"Now that was more the reaction I was hoping for." He smiled down at her, fangs beginning to show.
A few months of absolutely spectacular sex had given Sookie a better understanding of how people like Hugo could become addicted to it. Sookie twined her fingers in his beautiful head of hair and spoke softly. "I was hoping for a few more reactions myself." She felt a little silly saying things like that, but Eric did not seem to think it was silly at all.
His eyes lit up as his mouth crashed against hers again. He grabbed her thighs, hoisting her back up off the railing. They were as close as clothes allowed.
"Keys, or I will break this door down." He growled at her between kisses.
She managed to get her keys out of her pocket before he made good on his threat, but he had shoved her up against the door at that point. It was hard enough to unlock a door from that angle, add in the fact that Eric's lips had moved down to her neck, and it was practically a miracle when the latch clicked. They probably would have fallen over if Eric had not been the one holding them both up.
Eric seemed to find the distance to her bedroom too far a trek. He threw her down onto the couch instead. It actually moved, but the cushions were enough that she did not mind. He stood over her, studying her as if he had not seen her in ages. He sidled himself over top of her, and she slid up his t-shirt, her other hand running over his washboard abs.
He was in mood to take things slow. He pulled his t-shirt off the rest of the way, then ripped hers down the middle.
"Eric!" He had just ruined one of her work shirts.
"It was in my way." He said by way of explanation. He only got away with it because she was suddenly incapable of further protest. His tongue had slid under the front of her bra in exploration. Any coherent thoughts, past carnal ones, had left her.
Sookie did not quite remember when their pants had been removed, but her hands enjoyed his unencumbered form. From his perfectly formed buttocks, she moved around front to other well formed parts. Considering the sounds he was making, he must have enjoyed her enthusiastic appreciation.
She lost track of things momentarily when he reciprocated. Her eyes closed at the wonderful feelings his fingers were inspiring in her.
"Look at me, Sookie."
She had learned early on that eye contact really did it for him, but when she looked at him, it was more because his hand had stopped than because of his command. He seemed to find her little pout amusing.
"Not yet, lover."
He grabbed her bare hips and lifted her up, once he had her positioned, he closed the remaining distance between them slowly and deliberately, his blue eyes holding her own. It was an amazingly beautiful sensation. As they found their rhythm, the couch began to slide back and forth across the wooden floor. She could feel her own undoing on the horizon, so she shifted her body up. Eric, as in tune with her movements as ever, adjusted his grip and motion until he was surging up, instead of forward.
Eyes still locked, she kissed him as he continued his pursuit of both their ends. Her tongue slid across his fang just as the wave of pleasure finally overcame her completely. It only took a few drops of her blood before he joined her.
After a moment, they both fell back onto the couch, Sookie tucked under Eric's arm as they enjoyed the aftershocks of some pretty earthmoving sex.
"You managed to make me forget we need to talk."
"Almost, anyway." She said ruefully. Talks tended to mean bad things for them. "Couldn't you at least wait until after I shower?"
"I suppose so." She managed to disentangle herself from Eric, her shredded shirt falling to the floor. "Perhaps I should wash off as well." His eyes took in her bare figure hungrily.
"This is not going to be one of those showers. I am tired, and if we still need to talk, we are just going to wash off and get out." She informed him seriously.
"Of course." His voice did not sound as sincere as she would have wanted.
Once again, it was proven that Sookie did not possess the gift of foresight. After another hour, they emerged from the bathroom finally clean and incredibly satisfied with each other's company.
" I am going to put on some pajamas before our talk." She said as they dried each other off.
"I would prefer all of our business be conducted in the nude."
"We would not get much actual business done. So, 'serious talking' equals clothes. If you want me to actually hear you, I suggest you put on some clothes as well."
He reluctantly returned to the living room for his clothes as she found fresh underwear and an acceptable nightgown. When she returned to the living room, Eric was fully clothed and the couch was in its proper place again, a few new gouge marks on the floor.
"So?" She sat down across from him in one of the sofa chairs just as if they were in his office.
"Bill is not to be trusted." He was not one to mince words.
"Look, I am not happy he ruined your surprise either, but he could hardly have known that getting pavement would be a present." Now that she was happy again, she was able to be more generous than she had been earlier to Bill Compton.
"Sookie, I hope you do not think I am that petty."
"So, you aren't angry he ruined it?"
"That is not the point." He finally told her after they had a good stare off.
"That's what I thought." Her reply was a little triumphant.
Eric did not share her joking mood this time. "This is very important. Bill is here doing work for the Queen."
"Is that what you were talking about on the phone?"
"No."
She waited.
"Not completely. He hinted that might be the case."
"So, what did you say to him before that?"
"I told him you were mine, and he was to leave the area immediately." It was as matter-of-fact as a newscaster.
"Well, that was rude. He had not made any passes at me."
"Sookie, you cannot trust him."
"No, you do not want me to trust him because he is working for the Queen, but you work for the Queen too. Should I not trust you?"
"That is not amusing, Sookie." He did not approve of the smile on her face. "I have told you before that vampire politics are very complicated. Now, will you please listen to me and stay away from him?"
"It's a small town. I am going to see him, and I will not be rude to him when I do. It's just not the way I was raised, but I do promise not to take a six pack of bloods over to his house for girl talk, if that helps."
"It is something, I suppose." He did not look pleased.
"Look, I am yours. It isn't like he can just glamour me. If I understand things right, that means he would have to break some pretty big vamp rules to be a threat, and you know where to find him if he did."
"True, but I would rather it not come to that.""
"I'll be careful, I promise." She tried to reassure him.
"On that note, I would like you to consider a roommate."
"Eric, there really isn't anyone I know who would move in with me, and I am not inviting a stranger."
"No, no, not a stranger, but I could have Pam..."
"Please don't do that!" She cut that off before he could finish. "She and I are just starting to get along. If you force her to babysit me, she will hold it against me." It was true that Eric's right hand woman was finally starting to warm up to Sookie after almost a whole month without incident.
Apparently, she had enjoyed the story of Sookie facing down the maenad. It had probably been a little embellished, but if it won the she-vampire over, Sookie decided she could live with it. Now, Pam seemed to enjoy some of Sookie's more human tendency, and her ability to upset the human patrons of Fangtasia, which Pam was not allowed to do. Sookie loved Pam's unique sense of humor, a rarity amongst vampires.
"That is fair." He agreed with her. "Chow does not seem like a good choice."
"Definitely."
He raised an eyebrow at her in question.
"He kind of scares me." She admitted to him.
His laughter filled her living room. Obviously, he found it much more amusing than she did.
"Fine, not Chow." Eric said, once recovered.
"I'm not really comfortable enough with any of the other vampires in your area." She thought about it for a moment, trying to think who she felt comfortable with in her home. "You could have Alcide do it to pay off his debt to you."
"No." Apparently, he did not find that amusing at all.
"Good, then I can stay by myself." She was proud of her winning move but had spoken too soon.
"What about Godric?"
"You can't be seriously thinking of having your maker babysit me..."
"It would not be babysitting. He enjoys spending time with you anyway, and he does not seem to get along with the other vampires. It might benefit you both."
"I just don't know. I mean, if you think it would be better for him, then sure. I just don't want to be a burden." She yawned.
"I will speak with him about it on my own. For now, I need to get you in bed."
"I need to sleep, Eric." She informed his sly grin.
"That is what I meant, of course."
"Sure, it is..."He trailed behind her as she moved to her room.
Sookie fell asleep spooning with her own personal vampire god.