AN/ Thanks so much for all of your reviews. It made my day. Sorry this is late getting out to you but I kind of sort of got distracted with the Supernatural premire tonight. I was lost in Deans salty goodness...yummy.
This story is unbeta'd all mistakes are mine..sorry about that.
Disclaimer: Not mine
I whirled around and walked down the hall way, feeling like a condemned woman. I swear I could feel Eric's hot breath beating down my neck, even though I knew that wasn't possible. He would have to be crouched over me like an ogre and I had a feeling he was too vainglorious for that. Nope, Eric was definitely not in the same league as Shrek. Although I was hoping he had some hidden layers like him. Why I was comparing the two at the moment, I couldn't tell you other then he was acting like an overbearing beast and Shrek was Alex's favorite movie.
Reality was setting in. What I had was a pissed off super star that was releasing little puffs of steam as he placed a steel hand on the small of my back, guiding me to my doom. Like if he didn't lead me there I was going to run. As if that would happen. I am not a runner and I don't leave if things get hard. Hello, single Mom here.
I just wouldn't have chosen Merlotte's as the place to air our business. If Eric didn't see the problem then we would handle it here. It really made no difference to me if the town saw or heard his eruption. Heck, it wouldn't be the first time that happened.
He might be a movie star and have more money than God but around here, everyone knew the truth of it. They remembered the little boy with bruises and dirt, knew the surly teenager with a bad temper, kicking ass and taking names later. There wasn't a person in Bon Temps that had messed with Eric that hadn't toted an ass whipping for their effort. Throw Jason in the mix and they had one hell of a time proving which one was tougher.
On Eric's part, it was understandable. He hadn't come from much. I don't mean money. Nope he has always had enough of that. I mean his parents. They had been no account white trash drunks. Mean ones at that. See people have this misconception that white trash comes from low class poor people. Not true. Eric's father had been the riches people to ever hit Bon Temps. His wife was a socialite form New Orleans. We use to joke and call her "Queen Sophie Ann." Never had two such sorry people graced this earth. Both drank, whored around and neglected their son. Sophie had even hit on Jason a time or two which surprised no one. It sure as heck shocked us when she took off with our cousin Hadley.
Victor Manning Northman had been an abusive a-hole that knocked his wife and kid around, along with anyone else that had tried to oppose him. He was without a shadow of doubt the most disgusting man I had ever had the pleasure to meet. There were things that happened with that man that I still to this day, tried hard as hell to block out. I would be lying if I said I was sorry that he and Sophie were gone. I wasn't. The world was a better place without them in it.
So it was no surprise to me that Eric could be fierce. He had to be in order to survive them. Eric wouldn't hurt me, I knew that. As long as I had known him, he had never laid a hurtful hand on a woman. But that did not mean I wanted to be on the receiving end of his anger. I'd rather pass thank you very much.
I hadn't realized I had stopped moving until I felt Eric prod me in the back. "Stop stalling Sookie." His voice was a little gruff but it hadn't reach scary yet. Thank God for small favors.
"Eric, we really should go somewhere more private." The more I thought about it, the more I really didn't want to do this here. We needed to be able to sit down and talk about this with cool level heads. I had a feeling that wasn't going to happen hanging out by the dumpster in the back of Merlotte's.
"I don't know if you are familiar with my life Sookie but there is no such thing as privacy for me anymore." Eric gave me a gentle push and set me back in motion. Crap on crackers, this really was gonna happen here.
"Unless you want to loose that hand hollywood, I strongly suggest you take it the fuck off her now." Alcide stood in the open door way of Sam's office. He was standing with is hands bracing either side of the frame. He looked like he was ready to strike at any moment. Knowing Howler the way I did, he probably heard Eric and I talking, decided to walk out to see if I was okay and got to witness Eric's little nudge.
"Lands sake, Alcide." I walked over to him and placed my hand on his chest, tying to smooth his ruffled feathers. "Its fine. He wasn't hurting me."
Alcide glared at Eric over my head. "He better not if he knows whats good for him. Maybe you forgot this out in the glittering land of tinsel town but around here, we don't take to men putting their hands on our women."
"Alcide it was nothing." I stood up on tip toes and pulled his head down so he could look me in the eye and know I was telling the truth. "I got this. Eric would never hurt me. I leaned forward and kissed his grizzled cheek. "Trust me."
"Yeah Alcide, she has this. Move along." Every ounce of frustration Eric was feeling came across with those words. I didn't need to be a telepath to know the thoughts running through their heads. One wrong move or word and it would be balls to the walls and I didn't want to get caught up in the crossfire.
"Eric don't antagonize." I shot him a dirty look over my shoulder. I'm not sure what I saw cross his features when Alcide decided to push his luck and place a hand on my bottom. It looked like rage but was gone so fast I didn't have time to ponder.
"Can we go Sookie? Before lumberjack here decides to start pissing on your leg to mark his territory?" I could feel a growl building up in Alcide's chest. This ain't gonna happen. I meant it. I was not going to be the blame for a bar room fight between two dunder heads.
"Enough." I looked up at Alcide with an unspoken plea on my lips. "I'll be right outside." He looked at Eric like he would love nothing more then to tear him limb from limb but conceded.
"I'll be right here if you need me." He patted me on the ass just to rub it in. "Remember that hollywood."
"Got it Jack." Eric reached for me and I reluctantly released my grasp on the rock that stood before me and crossed the threshold into utter darkness. Someone must have knocked the security lights out. I had to see Eric's face when I told him about Alex. I wanted to know if he felt joy in finding out about his son, or if his eyes were full of disbelief. I pulled his hand in mine and walked him over to a somewhat lit area out by the storage shed.
There were two crates that Arlene and Lafayette used when they snuck a smoke in every now and then. I sat down and gestured for Eric to have the other. It was kind of intimidating to say the least when he stood instead of sitting beside me. Eric was huge any given day but to be sitting while he was standing just made me realize how small I was in comparison to him. "Please sit Eric. This is hard enough without you standing over me."
Eric grunted and sat down beside me. He braced his elbows on his knees, tilting his fingers up to form a pyramid that he placed against his lips. "Tell me." I knew this was Eric's thinking pose. I had seen it many times growing up. It was nice to know not everything that I had known about him was gone. "Is it true?"
"Yes." I wasn't going to play around here. What would be the point? Eric knew that I was a virgin the night we had slept together. Heck my whole life had been spent waiting for him. Back then I had wanted him to be my first kiss, first love and first awakening into passion. He was all that I had ever wanted.
Eric's position never changed. There was no light in his eyes. No I'm a father. No denials. He was just eerily quiet and so very still. "Eric?"
"Give me a minute Sookie." Eric continued to look forward. His fingers began flexing in and out. Forming and reforming the pyramid.
"I tried to tell you. I never thought to keep him from you." I needed him to know that. I didn't want Eric to think that I was ashamed of him or what we had created. "I spoke to some guy that said he was your manager. He said that you didn't know me and hung up. I wasn't sure what to do after that."
"Can't you give me a fucking minute?" Eric flew up so fast he knocked over the crate. Pure rage flew off him as he kicked the crate, shattering it against the shed.
"Don't you dare curse at me Eric Northman. I understand you're mad but you don't use words like that around me." I brushed past him. "You stay out here and throw a fit. I don't care. I don't want anything from you. I told you what you wanted to know. Its up to you whether you accept it or deny it. When you want to talk calmly about it you know where to reach me."
"How could you have kept this from me Sookie?" Eric griped me around the arm and swung me back to face him. "I had a right to know I had a son."
"Didn't you hear me say I tried to reach you?" I snatched my arm away from him."You denied knowing me you SOB." I know not very mature but I couldn't say that word out loud. It was one of the forbidden ones.
"I never denied knowing you." Eric ran a hand through his hair so hard he must have torn some from the roots. He tossed his head back and stared up at the sky for a minute. He looked as if he wished he could fly so he could be anywhere but here. I can only imagine what he was going through. I had nine months to get use to the idea of being a parent. Eric had twenty minutes. I could give him a bit of understanding. "What was the managers name?"
"I think it was Bobby Burhman or something like that?" Did it really matter is what I wanted to ask but whatever. If Eric needed to know the name of the guy I would give it to him. Hopefully he would fire his snooty butt.
"Fuck. I don't need this shit right now." Eric yelled. I gave him the ticked off Mama look. You know the one. Arms on your hips, foot tapping the ground, eyes that said Oh no you just didn't. Eric looked at me with a bit of amusement touching his lips. "Sorry. I forgot how delicate you were with foul language." He shrugged his shoulders and chuffed at the the ground with the toe of his shoe. "If you knew the prick you would understand though. He was always doing what he thought was best for me."
"So you are saying that you had no idea that I had tried to contact you?" I didn't know what to think. It wasn't like he had checked on us in all this time. To me he might as well have written us off.
"Sookie I would never deny knowing any of you." Eric moved closer to me with a tender look on his face. He was blowing fast and cold, I didn't care to get caught up in it.
"Thats kind of funny Eric. Cause in all these years, you don't call, you don't write. Not that you needed too but it would have been nice to know that your head didn't get so darn big that you forgot the small people you left behind." I waved off what ever it was he tried to say. "Water under the bridge. What matters is our son. Are you interested in meeting him?"
"I haven't a clue Sookie. I feel blindsided here." Eric picked up some gravel and started tossing the little peebles against the shed. "Part of me doesn't want to even acknowledge your claim even though I know it could be true."
I sucked air into my lungs and swallowed my pain at his words. In a way I had no right to blame him. In others I could blame him alright and tell him to go and take a flying leap. "Its your choice Eric. No one is forcing your hand here. I said it before and I will say it again, just so we are clear, I do not want anything from you."
"Shit, Sookie. This just isn't coming out right." There went the hand through his hair again. He looked so lost. Sorry to say I didn't see it as my problem. I was proud of my son and had taken care of him from day one. I would continue to until my last breathe left my body. He was my heart and soul. If Eric could not or would not find a place in his heart for his son, it was no skin off my back. I was just relieved that Eric didn't seem to want to take Alex away. "I have no clue what to say."
"You at a loss for words. Never thought I would hear that happen." I snorted. I use to think Eric loved to talk just to hear himself speak. "But its understandable. Take your time Eric. We aren't going anywhere."
Eric sat down on the remaining crate and I left. To me there was nothing else to say until he had some time to think about my little reveal. I wasn't going to beg him. There was no need too. He either chose to be a part of his sons life or he didn't. We would go on with our lives either way.
I glanced at the clock on my way back into Merlotte's. My shift was up in the less than an hour. I breezed through my clean up and didn't say a word as Arlene helped herself to the tip the Dearborne's had left me. She was more then welcome to it.
Some of the crowd had left. Which was no surprise to me. Sam called last call at 12:30am sharp. Without Eric being here, there was really nothing to hold their interest. His companion was also gone. My stars his lady friend. I hadn't given her a thought at Jane's slip up. Good grief if that was his latest flavor, who knew how she was taking it? Maybe that was one of the reasons Eric seemed so upset?
I untied the apron from my waist on my way to clock out. I was done. I wanted nothing more than to go home and kiss my baby boy goodnight and fall into a dead sleep. Alcide was waiting for me as I rounded the corner.
"You alright darlin?" I found myself falling into his arms and crying before I could control it. I don't know why? Maybe I was on emotional overload or my time was coming on. All I knew was that I needed a good cry and those big strong arms in front of me seemed like the best place to fall apart. He pulled me in close, tucking my head under his chin. "I'll kill him for hurting you."
"Not his fault." I sobbed. It really wasn't. I knew that but maybe I was lying to myself to say how he reacted hadn't hurt. It had. But I would be stronger then this. I had never broken in all my years, so I wouldn't now. "Thank you Alcide."
He tilted my head up and brushed the tears from my face. He traced one that had fallen on my lips until the moisture was absorbed. "Sookie don't you know by now there is nothing I wouldn't do for you." I thought for a minute he was going to kiss me. I felt my eyelids dip down and my chin tilt up. I wanted him too in that instant. I wanted to know what it was to like to feel something other then pain.
It was probably better for us both when he instead dropped his hand away and lead me out to my car. He did kiss me on the head and close my door before he waved goodbye.
What was that? What had just happened there? And why was I upset that it didn't?
I drove the short distance home in a fog of confusion. What I needed was a hot shower, some Ben and Jerry's and a snuggle with my Alex. All the rest could wait. After all tomorrow was a new day. I would worry about it all then.