I do not own these characters, but I am in love with them, and Charlaine Harris for creating them.
a/n – I was asked to provide more detail on the reference in Chapter 1 to Christopher Marlowe. He was a 16th century English poet who was known to have influenced Shakespeare. Really, I just mentioned him because I've always liked his poem 'The Passionate Shepherd to His Love', a line from which I used as the title to this story. However, since he died under somewhat mysterious circumstances, I enjoyed hinting that Eric Northman may have also appreciated his talents…………
Chapter 2
So I gave Sam my notice – I quit my job but not our friendship. For the next 2 weeks I commuted between Shreveport & Bon Temps. Sam found a replacement for me – no guilt. I tied up my loose ends and packed my stuff, and began my new life. I moved into Eric's beautiful, secure home on a secluded 5 acres in a gated community on the south shore of Cross Lake. I gradually shifted my periods of sleep and wakefulness, taking on "vampire hours". My life revolved around Eric & Fangtasia, so it made sense. We'd rise at sunset, greeting the night making love. Eric fed from me daily but as he's a very old vampire (32 going on 1,000) he didn't need much, and I've come to love the closeness it brings. I take just a little of his blood about once a week. We're finding that this not only strengthens our bond but it also sure helps keep my skin soft and smooth and my hair shiny. Another side affect, this one a bit unsettling, is that with the increased amount of vampire blood I've been ingesting, my telepathic ability is strengthening and I've begun to catch little snippets of vampire thought. Eric and I are biding our time to see how this plays out – for now it's our secret. No one has ever really studied long term human/vamp relationships, but some theorize that continual blood exchanges can prolong the human's life, which I would welcome. It's not that I need to live a long life, it's just that I can't bear to think of a day coming when we wouldn't be together. Eric has told me he'll be ready to meet the sun when that day comes.
Since I've been spending so much time at Fangtasia, I started helping out – anywhere and everywhere I'm needed. Sometimes I'll fill in for a waitress out sick. Sometimes I work the door. I'm even memorizing the bar book – I can make a mean Bloody Mary! Eric put me on the payroll but I'm working my butt off (I wish) so it's a fair exchange. I've been shocked at the acceptance I feel from everyone. It's not like the human community I was a part of – being telepathic, I learned early on that people thought I was strange. Well, duh, when you "hear" most of what I hear on a given day, slime running through people's minds, nasty thoughts – I guess your own facial expressions and reactions kind of look odd. To say I felt alienated is putting it mildly. But at Fangtasia, it's been different. Of course, everyone knows I am Eric's, and that alone gives me credibility. No one would dare say anything against the human belonging to the Sheriff of Louisiana Area 5. But I guess, I feel like I started out being accepted because of Eric, but now that I'm getting to know everyone here, I'm being accepted for me – Sookie Stackhouse.
I worried that all of this together time would start to wear on us. Familiarity breeds contempt, you know? But man, I love that vampire. I could be with him day in and day out for a thousand years and I would love him more every day. Ooops, I mean every night. We usually start the evenings out in his office – he'll be going over paperwork, making some plans for the bar, dealing with some Area 5 political issue. Knock on wood, since the horrible events after Katrina destroyed New Orleans and Nevada took over Louisiana, things have settled down. Eric has rightly earned the respect & confidence of our new King and he's been left to continue managing his area with pretty much a free hand.
Once in a while Eric Pam and I will have a brainstorming session to work through a problem or idea. Since we have so many human patrons at Fangtasia, I thought maybe we could add an appetizer menu. Human food is not usually on the radar of a vampire. But we've got these people hanging out here for hours, drinking and looking for fangbanging opportunities. Not only would it be better for them to cut some of that booze with a little food, but a great source of income for the bar. So we're working on a menu called "Little Bites" and I think it's going to go over well.
I was sitting on the leather couch and Eric was behind his desk, tilting back on his chair with his mile long legs casually resting on the desk top. We were discussing menu ideas when Pam walked into the office and smirked at me – looking me up and down in my Fangtasia outfit of the evening – black corset top with red embroidered roses that had embroidered blood drops dripping off of each thorn, and a knee length black cotton skirt with asymmetrical hem. I kept my spiky heels off in the office because they killed my feet, but out in the bar – well, you know some say you have to suffer to be beautiful.
"Sookie you look good enough to eat tonight".
"Pam, my lover is good enough to eat every night."
"I have no doubt. Master the vampire visiting from Mississippi is waiting to meet with you. This is the one Russell's second called us about. Will you see her now?"
Eric stood up, stretching a little. He does that just to torment me. "Yes Pam send her back here – Sookie why don't you stay. I always welcome your impressions".
"Sure. You know that's one of the reasons I love you so much – you trust me – that means so much to me"
"My lover, I trust you with my life - every part of it."
I walked over to my love, slid my arms under his, and pulled him close. "Do you know that I adore you?"
"Yes darling Sookie – I can feel you."
I couldn't help it – when he stood up like that he really lit my fire. I couldn't hold back another second. "Then feel this" I whispered as I pressed into him and pulled him down so I could devour his mouth. He met me with equal passion and then – Pam cleared her throat. Oh yeah – Pam.
"Later Viking."
"Without doubt lover."
Pam grinned. "You two are a never ending source of delight."
"We're so glad we can amuse you, Pam. Now please bring this visitor to our area back to my office."
With the slightest of bows, Pam said, "Yes Sheriff" and she disappeared like the wind.
TBC
