"Thank you for putting up, but in case you didn't hear me before, I am no longer working at the local bar and grill. The only people you should have to worry about are Jason, Lafayette, Tara and maybe Sam if he shows up but I doubt he will since I told him off."

"Yes, why did you quit?" I can feel that it makes him happy to be able to say that sentence, since he'd never liked Sam, and had once said that I was above the place.

"You."

He looks surprised, but doesn't mind the idea as he arches an eyebrow. "What did I do?"

"Sam said something about Bill being gone, and vampires being out of my life. I accidentally let it slip that I was technically still working for you, and he blew a gasket yelling that I would end up tricked into being a vampire's blood slave to a whole room full of people. If I hadn't reminded him that while he had lied to me on a regular basis but you hadn't yet and then quit, he still would have gotten messed up since Lafayette 'bout came through the kitchen window when he heard Sam. He walked out with me, and is looking around for a new cooking job. If you know of any, I would appreciate it if you let him know."

Nodding, he seems to mull it over for a second. "I can come up with something, as a token of my thanks for being so ready to defend you. We should also send a crew to fix up the little things around your house before anyone moves in, to protect yourself for liability."

"We?"

"What's mine is to be yours, and what's yours is to be mine. No property in my care will fall into disrepair, especially not the house you grew up in. Arlene will have a handyman on call to bother whenever things need fixed."

For the first second I want to argue, but then I remind myself that I'm not the one who's going to be living there, and what he had said about our things was true. "Just the small things?"

"Sure." He avoids eye contact, and my argument leaves me as he drops to my neck and sucks harshly with blunt teeth.

"You really know how to distract a girl." I breathe out, and he chuckles.

"I believe it is time for me to get ready, and get a meal into you before we have to go to the airport."

"How about you? Thirsty?" His grin is devilish, but he stands from the bed, pulling me to rise next to him.

"I only need to really feed once every couple of days, but I may enjoy a taste every now and then without really drinking." A knock on the door stops him from saying anymore, and he opens it without a word to allow Godric to enter.

"Had I known you still needed to get yourself together I would have waited." He gives a shake of the head to Eric, who looks shocked to see Godric scold him, and the elder vampire looks at me as he winks when Eric can't see. "How about you get yourself together, since I will be joining you on your flight, and I will take Ms. Stackhouse to eat something at the restaurant."

"This'll be nice, you can tell me all of the embarrassing stories from Eric's younger days."

"Don't you tell her anything." He demands, looking at his maker who just cracks a smile and holds out his arm to me. I give Eric a quick kiss, and go with Godric who is silent and stoic as we travel down in the elevator. The waiter gives me a dubious look, which I dutifully ignore, and we are seated in a table not far from the exit.

"So what is it that brought you to Eric?" He asks as soon as the waiter is gone, and I'm caught off guard for a second before I think of an answer.

I explain about Rene, and what had happened after Bill disappeared. He listens without interrupting, and thinks for a moment afterward. "If you had Bill's blood when you met Eric, then it sounds as though he felt your attraction to him and tried to manipulate your emotions into disliking Eric."

"That sounds like Bill alright. The reason he moved into the house across the cemetery from mine was so that he could attempt to procure me for the queen of Louisiana by drowning me in his blood. I was thinking about it, and he fed me way more blood than he should have needed to when he saved me."

"Saved you?" He inquires, and I nod my head.

"Yeah he was late-" The second I say the last word it hits me. I feel Eric sort of grab me through the bond as I go on another emotional rollercoaster, and a minute later I think I feel him moving closer which strangely calms me.

"Sookie?" Godric asks, and I realize that I had stopped without explanation and been quiet in my own little world as he'd been staring at me.

"Sorry, yeah, I just figured something out."

"Sookie?" Eric is there, his hair still wet, but fully dressed and he sits down as he pulls me slightly to be flush against his side.

"When Bill saved me, it was because he was late meeting me after work. The drainers that I saved him from the night before showed up from nowhere, and jumped me. But after everything I've learned, I think he put them up to attacking me since they already had a reason and he probably didn't think I'd suspect anything." Growling, Eric is clearly unhappy and his arm appears around my shoulders as I try to feel out the bond. Apart from feeling generally angry, he is also extremely protective of me, and seems to be calculating at the same time.

The waiter arrives with my food and makes a point of not looking at Eric, who's foul mood seems to be evident just from the atmosphere of the table. "Bill is being handled already." I remind him, and lean up to kiss his jaw before turning my attention to the food in front of me. Slowly his anger dissipates as his arm falls so that his hand can rub circles on my back. It's relaxing, and he and Godric talk quietly while I finish my stroganoff.

"Movers will be taking care of packing the rest of your things and moving the boxes to my house tonight, before we return there."

"What? Eric, I wanted to take care of that stuff myself." I argue, handing the waiter my plate as he looks on, surprised when I say something back to the vampire next to me.

"What's mine is yours." He reminds me with a smirk, and my jaw drops as I stare at him.

"You are ridiculous." I breathe out, and glance at Godric, who seems to be studying Eric.

"I do believe that if she asked, you would do anything." His voice sounds almost amused, and Eric gives him a dubious look.

"Can I have a Ferrari?" I ask jokingly, and Eric looks at me.

"What color?" He says without thought, and Godric laughs, making me chuckle as well.

Seeing the look on Eric's face, I frown. "I was kidding about the car."

"Too bad I took you seriously, because the color will have to be a surprise now."

"Don't you dare." I tell him seriously, but he just continues to smile, making me groan as I look at his maker. "I'm going to have to keep my joking within reason." He seems to crack a smile he didn't want to, and Eric chuckles next to me.

"Lover, you seem capable of something that I thought few could do which is amuse him." I blush with his pet name, but don't mind it and a minute later Godric sends his credit card off with the bill.

When we get into a black SUV, Godric gets into the driver seat and Eric pulls me against him in the back seat. Our bags and suit cases are already loaded into the back, and it takes just under an hour to pull onto a private air strip outside of the city.

Unlike the commercial airplane I had come in on, this is a white private jet with plush seats and a bar and lounge in the back. As soon as we get on, Godric sits up in the front row of seats with a book in his hand while Eric holds me steadily against his chest in a lounge seat. It's only a few minutes as the lone stewardess closes the door, straps herself in up front and the pilot announces we are taking off.

"This is much more relaxing than the first time." His chest shakes behind me in a chuckle, and he kisses my neck.

"Are you afraid of heights?" He sounds playful, and I think about it for a second.

"No, just the flying in a big tin can. Flying with you wasn't actually that bad." Pleased that I admit to enjoying flying with him, he gives me a kiss on the lips, before returning his lips to my neck. I don't notice when his fangs drop, but when he bites he takes a long lazy draw on my neck which sends sparks all the way to my toes. I stretch languidly against him, making him growl, before relaxing into his hold. "This seems to be a much better trip this time."

He seals the marks on my neck, then looks towards the bar. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Are you the bartender then?"

"Never before, but I can try my hand at it." Laughing, I give him a long kiss and as I stand up from his lap.

"How about I make my own drink, and you can watch to learn how?"

"At my age, I should not still be learning things from a small town waitress." I swat his shoulder as he follows me to the bar, and he leans against it with a smirk as I go behind the counter and start pulling out what I need. "This is a Whiskey Sour." He watches my hands, seeing exactly what I add and taking note when I add extra lemon. "If I get drunk, can you get drunk from drinking my blood?"

Laughing, he shakes his head, "No, it just makes you taste a little different."

I pick up my glass, taking a large drink without hesitation and swallowing quickly. Choking slightly, I can't miss the slight tingle that starts in my neck and starts to get worse as it reaches up into my jaw. My hands fly to my throat as the burning starts, quickly getting worse until my legs almost give out and Eric is picking me up in an instant. "What's wrong?" He asks urgently, and I almost cry when I speak.

"It burns." The pain of those two words is intense, and his fangs drop as he feels the pain resonate through the bond. Godric is there a second later, and Eric growls as he senses him getting closer, panting despite not needing the breath as he tries to control the urge to protect me.

"What did she drink?" He asks, and when Eric doesn't answer he looks at the glass and liquid that fell to the floor.

"Fae are allergic to lemon, as well as iron, and now that she's started using her light she must be unable to have it touch her. Your blood should be able to help."

Eric nods, returning to himself as he forces himself under control, and tears his wrist open before he offers it to me. The blood is like an instant cure, dousing the fire that had consumed my mouth and feeling like a cool wave as it makes its way down my throat. I pull at his wound until the skin heals, and sigh as he pulls his arm away, closing my eyes as it feels like I'm going to pass out. Sounds swim around me for a second, and then Eric's voice rings clearly in my ears. "Wake up for me, Sookie?" He sounds almost pleading, but I can't deny him what he wants and open my eyes to look at him. Grinning, he gives me a quick kiss, and I can almost feel his blood going to work chasing out the thing that was making me sick.

"Lemon is like poison to the fae. It would have absorbed instantly. It will be burned out shortly." Godric says, and I see him sitting on the opposite couch, giving Eric a serious look. "I would hope that you wouldn't force me to restrain you should she be hurt near me, since I can guarantee that I would never be the cause of her harm." Eric nods to his maker, accepting his promise, and giving me a serious look.

"You may be one of the most well protected fae in the world."

Giving him a kiss, I turn into his chest as he's already holding me bridal style and I close my eyes as I'm suddenly tired. "I'll try to be worth it."

"I think you're already worth it." Godric says before Eric can reply, and I smile, accepting the compliment.

"You want to know a secret?" I stage whisper comically to Eric, and he leans closer with a small smile. "I like my father in law."

The stoic vampire in question cracks with laughter, unable to contain himself as Eric also chuckles reluctantly, and I yawn as the elder recomposes himself. "You should sleep." Eric says, kissing my temple, and I just hum in agreement. I'm not even jostled as he settles us onto the couch, him holding me against him when at some point a minute later a blanket appears over us and I drift off.

I come back slowly, not having moved as it feels like the plane is descending, and I peek at Eric in the bond and by cracking my eye open. He's quiet, feeling completely content to hold me although there is a small underlying stream of emotions that tells me he is still conscious. His eyes are closed, and he's holding me so that he is able to lean over me comfortably.

He opens his eyes slowly when I put my hand on the side of his face, feeling his stubble against my palm as he smiles slightly. "I feel much better now."

"As do I then, since you do. I was quite… distraught when I didn't know what was making you burn like that. Had it been anyone but Godric that approached, I'm not sure what would have happened." I nod, understanding as I had felt his mindless urge to keep me safe from further harm.

"It feels like I'm all healed up now." I reassure him, stretching out in his lap and making him stare down at me hungrily. Thinking about how much time we have left before we are to return to Shreveport, I give him a heated look, and lean up to straddle him as I kiss him soundly. "Do you want to finish the bond?" I ask, breathing into his ear and he pulls back to look me in the eye.

"This will be the third time." I nod, this fact not lost on me. "It will be permanent, and you will be unable to ever leave me, are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't." The look on my face makes it clear that I am serious, and his fangs drop before he gives me a gentle kiss. "I want you, and I don't want to ever stop having you." I tell him, and he grins wider as he pulls a small dagger from seemingly nowhere, plunging it into his neck several inches deep. He barely flinches, but I jump at the suddenness of it, giving him a scolding look. "Don't do that without warning me." I lean closer and the blade is gone a second later, leaving me to seal my lips to the wound before the blood can drip out and stain his shirt. He leans in, kissing and scraping with his fangs as he finds the right spot.

We pull from each other at the same time, and the bond explodes as we feel every little thing from each other, even the smallest flitting emotions open to see as we are completely enveloped in each other. I do my best not to be overwhelmed as he seems to have no problem processing what he's getting from me, and a second later I feel like I've gotten the hang of it. Mine, all mine, no one else's and I will protect what is mine. My Sookie. My fae. My love.

Fear strikes me as I realize that I've just heard his thoughts, and while every aspect of them makes me want to melt against him, I can't deny that I'm afraid of being able to hear vampire thoughts. The mark heals on his neck and I lean up. "I heard you." I barely say it, right into his ear, and he stiffens for a second. "My Eric. My Vampire. My love." I repeat back to him as he sends me comfort and reassurance, letting me know that it's okay. He seals his bite a moment later, and I guide his head back up to look at me. "Try to glamour me?"

He looks almost reluctant to do so, but finally nods and suddenly it feels like I'm captured by his gaze and can't look away. "Sookie… you will kiss me." I do so without control, only regaining myself after our lips have touched for a moment, and I smile up at him.

"Figures you'd use it for something like that." His salacious grin is endearing, and the plane touches down a second later. "Godric, can you try to glamour me?" I ask quietly, but loud enough that I know he will hear, as he's likely heard everything I've said.

When he appears sitting across from us, I can feel his influence trying to push into my head. "Sookie, you will slap Eric." I grin, but am relieved when it doesn't work, and Eric feels even more strongly so.

When we get to Fangtasia, the crowd is already packed, and it's like a whole new energy enters the bar as we come through the front door. Pam is carding people, and the crowd outside has also been invigorated to see Eric after his absence. I'm instantly receiving scathing looks as people see his arm around my waist, while the vampires all look curiously on, subtly scenting the air. I see more than a few heads turn when Godric follows us in a minute later, some of the vampires, and the human minds that were berating my every imperfection are suddenly turned on him as I relax. "Thanks." I whisper back at him, and he blinks, unsure what I'm thanking him for. "They aren't crucifying me so much now that they see a shiny new toy." He softly growls for the first time that I've heard, and I just smile gently as I realize that he doesn't like that they are thinking negative things about me. "I'm used to hearing it." I tell him, but that doesn't seem to really mollify him as Eric takes me to the bar and looks over. The vampire that replaced Long Shadow is a woman, tall and lanky with a tight patterned leather jumpsuit on and she moves with liquid smooth grace as she serves drinks. Her hair is cut short and spikey, sort of reminding me of Alice from the Twilight movies, not that I would ever have enough of a death wish to say so.

"Thalia." Eric says the name, and her eyes meet his as she continues to blindly hand off drinks. "This is my bonded." She gives me an even look, her eyes running over me before she gives him an approving nod. "She is much more reliable than Long Shadow." He murmurs in my ear, and I give her a smile.

"Can I get a gin and tonic?" Giving Eric a quick kiss, partially for myself and partially to play with the patrons, I assure him that I'll wait right here as he goes up to his throne. Godric takes a seat at an empty table not far from the stage after receiving a respectful nod from Thalia, and I can feel Eric's eyes burning a hole against me as soon as he sits down. When my glass comes I take a quick drink and set it on the counter, telling Thalia I'll be back for it before skipping up to the stage. There are murmurs from the crowd as I don't hesitate to set down on his knee and lean against him, and it feels like I'm better able to control the thoughts as I flit through them.

Maybe he's changed policy.

How come he hasn't thrown her across the room yet?

I hope I get to see some blood. There's no way he'll just sit there.

Oh, I'm definitely trying that soon… since it worked for her.

Giving him a fierce kiss, he doesn't protest as I sit up and straddle him on the throne, and he chuckles when I lean back with a grin. "Is that jealousy I feel?" He asks in a low timbre, and I shake my head.

"A lady does not get jealous." I tell him, sticking my nose in the air, and he laughs which is a first for many of the bar patrons to see or hear. "Can I use your computer?" I ask, and he nods as I stand. Giving him another quick peck on the lips, I retrieve my drink from the bar and go down the hallway past the bathrooms and employee break room to his office. The closing of the door blocks most of the noise from the bar, and it doesn't take me long to turn on the shiny new looking machine. Ignoring the files on his desktop, I go straight to the internet, and get started. My task involves several trips to the bar, where I get a refill of my drink an uncertain amount of times, and do my best to ignore the leering looks as the men at the bar see that I am getting more and tipsier.

Going to the high backed leather swivel chair, I've just returned to what I was doing despite being less able to concentrate, when a light tap sounds on the door. I look up at the door as it opens slowly, and a man steps inside before he closes it behind him. "Hey, drunk girl." He says, and I close the laptop in my muddled state of mind as I hide my grin and arch an eyebrow like Eric does. "If the vampire that runs the place catches you back here, he's going to end up play a deadly game with you."

Unable to contain myself, I laugh loudly, whatever my previous plan was forgotten. "Eric can play with me any time."

The guy chuckles despite himself, and it's only then that I really notice the slightly devious feel to his mind. Trying to force myself to sober up slightly, I push out towards his mind. Just need to get her out of here, then it'll all go easy. Just out of here, the back door is right there, no one will notice a drunken missing fangbanger. I cackle suddenly, making him jump, as the thought of this human man trying to abduct me for a quick fuck is too funny in my current state.

Something akin to giddiness sweeps up into me, and I chuckle as I lean back in the chair. "You better be careful… Rodney."

He was taking a step towards the desk, but stops when I say his name. "How'd you know my name?" He asks, and I smile like the Cheshire cat, spinning around the in the chair a few times without thought.

"The vampires aren't the only special ones here." I say, leaving the chair spinning empty as I appear lying on the leather couch. Putting my hands above my head, I stretch out, and the thought of sleep teases in the back of my mind. "Leave the door open a crack, I like this song." The words tumble slightly slurred from my mouth, but for some reason I try to sound authoritative. He does so robotically not even recognizing his actions as he's eyeing my body. I see through him that my shirt rode up to expose a lower patch of my stomach when I stretched, and he's transfixed on the patch of flesh.

Hell, I'll just fuck her here and leave her for that vampire to handle once I'm already gone. He's only partially drunk, but he is willfully ignorant as he doesn't further pursue how I knew his name. There's no recognition of what I made him do, and the ideas are suddenly too much as I start laughing loudly. I have no idea if this is because of the fae or the bond, but somehow it seems that I am able to glamour the man even without looking him in the eye.

"Turn around in a circle." I command, and his eyes glaze over for the second as he does so, before standing straight and continuing to stare at me as he doesn't remember what he just did. All he can think about is having sex with me, and I block those thoughts as I somehow still look into his head. Seeing what he's done to countless other girls, and knowing what he planned to try with me, I realize that he won't be long for this world no matter what. The thought would have bothered me at one time, what Eric will do to him, but I can't find any sympathy for him as I think it over for a second.

"First, I want a refill brought to me. Then I want you to go up to the stage and do exactly what I say." A fresh drink is brought to me by his hand a minute later, and he doesn't make a word of protest as he walks back out into the bar and steps up toward the stage. I can feel it through his head, having total control as he steps forward thoughtlessly, stopping in front of my bonded. Eric is playing with his cell phone, and ignores the human who has approached the stage.

"Your hair is like a girl." Despite the music, you could hear a pin drop as Eric's eyes are suddenly boring into the human, and I roar with laughter on the couch. I see Godric out of the corner of the humans eyes looking towards the office, but Eric doesn't waver as the human opens his mouth again. "But you're a very pretty girl. Just like the pretty one in your office." The growl coming out from Eric's chest makes the other humans back away from the stage, and he stands, making them back up further as Rodney is left alone at the base of the dais. Pam appears, taking his arm, and Eric feels unsure as he debates whether or not to follow her and the man downstairs. "What the hell?" He says the instance that I release my grip on him, pulling from his mind as he is already being yanked down the stairs to the basement.

I appear in Eric's chair behind him while he still has his back turned, and his intense irritation ebbs away as he senses I've moved and turns to see me smiling. "Is something wrong, min älskad?" An instant later he is kissing my neck as his hands are positioned on the arm rests, caging me in.

"So that is what you've been doing?" He asks in my ear, and I nod, checking the bond as he feels a little excited. "Did you learn very much?" His tone is enticing, and I squeak in surprise when I'm suddenly in his lap and he's sitting in the chair beneath me.

"Farlig." I say, poking him I'm the chest, and he grins. "Kraftfull. Lekfull. Vacker. Älskare."

"Did you only find pretty words?" He smiles again, and I give him a look of fake outrage.

"I only had a couple hours, give me a break. I'm sure it would be easier if you taught me." Nodding, he gives me a kiss, and looks over at Godric.

"Where will you be staying?"

"I purchased a house, and my day man should have already relocated my necessities. You two are free to go."

Looking towards the door, Eric summons Pam and she appears a second later. "Did you do what I told you?" She nods, and takes the chair as Eric stands up with me in his arms.

"We have somewhere to go, before we go home?" I ask, and he just smirks, feeling a great deal of anticipation as we are suddenly outside. Being held bridal style, it's not nearly as scary as Eric floats us over buildings and streets.

He stops us outside a department store building, and he sets me on my feet before taking my hand and guiding me straight back through the clothes store and up to the top floor. When the elevator doors open, we step out onto a lush carpet and into a jeweler's office. Glass box display stands are everywhere, long display counters wrapping around the room on three sides.

"I have selected a ring for you, and while I guessed the size, I think it will fit well." I'm surprised, and look up at as he feels it through the bond.

"When did you have time for this?"

"Do you think I just play games on my phone all of the time?" His smirk is trademark, and I just start looking through a case of necklaces while he goes to talk to a woman at the register. A bracelet in the next case over catches my eye, and it looks like exactly something that Pam would wear.

"See something you like?" Eric appears at my side, looking into the glass case.

"Not me, but if you wanted to treat her, Pam would like that bracelet." He barely gives it a glance before he looks at the sales woman.

"I'll also take the gold and red diamonds bracelet." The lady nods as she walks behind the glass cases along the wall, pulling it out and setting it into a nice box before taking the tag and handing the box to him in a bag. A man comes out from a door by the register, and Eric turns to him as he gives me a smile and takes my hand to lead me next to him. The gentleman is wearing a nice vest with a tie and when he holds up a box, he's wearing pristine white gloves.

"Just as you ordered, Mr. Northman." Eric takes the box, opening it up and taking my hand as he slides a ring on my finger. I examine a large white diamond set in a cradle of what looks like a web of golden spider threads, with a smaller ruby on either side over the gold band.

It fits just right, and I stroke the bond lovingly. "precis rätt."

His grin is endearing, "Pretty words indeed." He mutters, and mindlessly hands over a black card to the woman that has reappeared behind the register before giving me a long kiss. A signature lands on the receipt without him even looking, and I smile as he pulls back and takes the bag with the box from her hand. His hand works over his cell phone for a second as he feels oddly devious, and he looks at me as he slips it in his pocket and takes my hand. "Would you like to shop for some clothes, or look at more jewelry? I asked Pam to bring a car to pick us up. We'll give her the bracelet, and then she'll return to Fangtasia while we go to get you some groceries down the street with the car. My home is not a far drive."

It's practically no time before Pam shows up, and Eric had talked me into a necklace. "Sookie picked this out for you." Eric says, putting the bag into her hand, and an instant later she is inspecting what was inside the box as she's torn it open with vampire speed.

"Hmm... I'm impressed. It would seem you have a sense of fashion after all. Dear Abby suggests that when you receive a gift you like, you reciprocate with your own token. What would you like?" Not really sure, I thank for a second before asking her for a piece of paper. Writing down what I have in mind, she reads the paper before securing it in her pocket away from Eric and giving me a sly grin before vanishing.

"Pamela is certainly taking a liking to you." Eric chuckles, and we only drive a block before pulling into a grocery store.

"Can you hand me that?" He's quick to pluck the box from the top shelf, and I grin widely as he hands it to me.

"What?" He asks, not understanding my amusement.

"Usually, when I go shopping, I can't reach when I want things on the top shelf. You make this much easier with the quiet as well." I've kept my mind focused on his void the whole time, not delving deeper to hear his thoughts as I just let his quiet remain as such so that I can avoid the thoughts of the people around us.

"I'm pleased to be of assistance." He grins, following me dutifully as we go up and down the aisles.

"Are these things good for you?" His question catches me off guard, and I look to see him examining one of the TV dinners that I had put in the cart.

"Not really, but they're edible. I don't always feel like taking the time to prepare a meal, so these are nice and easy." He seems to be considering something, and finally gives me a look.

"You should contact Lafayette, as I have a job for him. There is a guest house on my property, and he could live there if wishes to work as our chef. He will be given a monthly allowance to spend on whatever he wants, as well as full medical insurance for himself and his immediate family." When he says the last part, I know he wouldn't tell me this random detail without reason, and I remember my friend's mother who needs constant care.