CHAPTER FOUR: Overdue

Eric wakes suddenly from a nightmare. Nightmare? He doesn't get nightmares! He doesn't dream! He's a vampire for fucks sake! Eric woke from the nightmare of Sookie's Uncle Bartlett manhandling and molesting his/hers/theirs four year old body. He had just shoved his fingers …. Ugh! Not going to finish that, he says to himself. Though he still feels the pain of those long fingers entering their body. He trembles.

Don't go there, he warns himself. He, too, has memories of times when he was sadistically violated by stronger, older vampires after he first left his Maker's side. His body shudders in revulsion, distaste and anger. His emotions go from one extreme to the other, absolute despair to berserker rage. He was raped, because they could and they wanted to rape. It didn't matter who they were violating, they wanted to rape. He knows now that rape is all about power, but what he didn't know, and now wishes to never know is how much more they could have done to him. Living/seeing, he's still not sure which, Sookie's memories of her Uncle's driving need to hurt her, just because he doesn't like young girls, and knowing that he was doing this not just for his sexual satisfaction but to make sure that his niece would always remember him when she was having sex was making him physically ill. His desire to embed his DNA into her body was overwhelming from Sookie's four year old memory.

He looks down at Sookie, at rest beside him. She is motionless. Motionless and dreamless. He hopes she's dreamless. You never knew with Sookie. She has always been extraordinary, and, an exception to many a rule. His poor Sookie, he mourns. Her childhood was full of hurt and insult until she, and that waste of space brother of hers, went to live with her beloved Grandmother.

Adele Stackhouse. He's sorry he never met her. Sookie practically worships the ground she walked on. He's sorry the former Billeh 'I love you Sookeh, you will be Mine!' Crompton didn't exist any longer to hang in his dungeon next to That Fucking Pam. He'd bet his vast fortune, that Crompton had something to do with the serial killer attacking her. It would have been what he'd have done, to isolate Sookie, so she'd rely on him more and more, making him her only friend. He knows Crompton. He's seen his and his Maker's depravity first hand. He's a devious pathetic excuse for a vampire. How unreal, what a muttonhead, having himself staked while lying in his own human grave. Dramatic ass!

He deliberately exhales the stale air from his lungs, a lazy smile on his face, it would've been nice he muses, the two 'FuckUps' shackled to the wall hanging side by side. Many a night he'd entertain himself giving those two a practical and extremely pain filled demonstration, well painful for them he snickers, of how unhappy he is with them. Nevermind, he consoles himself, That Fucking Pam is still about to be terrorised, that will have to do, he decides, torture Pam. That Fucking Pam is in for a painful and brutal recalibration with whips, knives and lots of bloody grisly torture.

Planning for That Fucking Pam's extracted and painful punishments will let him work through Sookie's memories, he theorises. Whips, chains, knives, molten silver and time spent in an ultra violet sun tanning bed are all in her not too distant future, he promises himself. Happy times for him, painfully unhappy times for her, he sniggers.

"What is Sookie doing to him?" he asks of himself. He doesn't act like this. "It's That Fucking Pam's fault, his new Childe is perfection" he decides. Sniggering to himself again at the idiocy of it all.

Cheered by these inspirational thoughts, Eric rises from their resting bed. Sookie doesn't move and Eric believes she shouldn't until the sun sets. Hopefully he'll have that free time each early evening and early morning, when she dies for the day, to carry out his duties. Eric glances down. Sookie is lifeless. He knows he should use this time, now, before she rises, to attend to his neglected Area Five business. He prides himself on his efficiency in carrying out his Sheriff duties. Bending over the bed he gently runs his left hand down her side. Caressing her. He marvels at her magnificence. Nothing about Sookie was ordinary and now as a vampire she's radiant. Another night, just me and my Childe, reinforcing the mated and Childe/Maker bonds. Tying us closer and closer. He never intends his mated beloved Childe to leave his side. They will walk the universe for eternity, side by side. She is Mine, my Childe, my bonded, my wife, my world. Together for the rest of our un-dead existences.

Eric flashes back to the nightmare. Bartlett is approaching, he can smell the repulsive human. Nightmares, he moans, dreading the thought of reliving Sookie's life every night for the rest of eternity. He understands now. His poor Childe suffered her Uncle Bartlett, but worst is the nightmare he experiences of what the Uncle intended to do to when he could get her alone. At aged four she wouldn't have understood how evil he was. "Another thing Crompton fucked up" he thinks, "giving the prick an easy and fast death".

Eric determinedly strides to the ensuite bathroom. Intent on taking a long hot shower. Needing to wash away the imaginary touch of the paedophile Bartlett. That's what he was, not a 'funny Uncle' but a despicable paedophile whose death wasn't painful and protracted enough. There should have been strong clamps attached to his wasted body and hot irons inserted in places that hadn't ever seen the sun. Pain. Pain. And everlasting pain for the paedophile, the last thing he feels should have been agonising pain.

Walking out of the ensuite bathroom and towards his dressing room after showering, Eric remembers that Sookie doesn't have any clothes. Doctor Ludwig, must ring her he reminds himself, Doctor Ludwig had teleported Sookie directly to her hospital. She was due an update on Sookie's turning. Sookie had a soiled nightgown on at her farmhouse and when he got to the hospital she had a dreadful hospital issued gown on. That rag he'd thrown out when he bathed her, prior to her becoming his Childe. The t-shirt of his she is wearing is enough for him but he doesn't believe his Sookie will want to wear his shirts the rest of their existence. He smiles to himself as he remembers Sookie in her many sundresses and sighs, he'll miss those. Maybe he can convince her to continue to wear sundresses, even though the sun is lethal to her now. It would look funny a vampire dressing each night in sundresses. Shopping is required for his newest Childe, quality shopping, not that rubbish at that 'cheap as chips' Wal-Mart store where the unwashed frequent enmasse. Not for his Sookie. He will have to ease her into the 'money is no object' lifestyle. His mind is meandering again. Sookie's memories are causing him think the weirdest things.

He looks towards her, she is lying there untroubled. His Sookie is always full of energy, always in motion. Now she is so still, lying on their bed with her hair billowed creating a golden halo around her head on the pillow. It's an exquisite sight. He's got to rid her of her modesty, she has the perfect body, though it is on the thin side now since she had been so severely ill. Nevermind, he thinks, he has his Sookie, his beloved Childe. He will allow the universe to continue to exist.

If it wasn't for That Fucking Pam problem he'd be content. He heats some bagged blood he has in the downstairs mini fridge. Wanting to be there for his beautiful Childe when she wakes. They have a lot to do today. Sookie must be registered with the Authority as a new vampire by the end of the week. He doesn't believe in putting this off. If Sookie accepts who she is now, she needs to start off the right way. Eric knows that there's going to be issues, he hopes if she's busy she'll be more accepting of being his Childe. He is serious though, without Sookie there is no universe. They'll have to discuss their relationship after the donors for Sookie to feed have been dismissed. He wants her to have more fresh blood than the bagged. Bagged blood she can consume prior to her going to her rest. At his age he can get by on mainly bagged but his Childe is new and she needs to have the best and freshest for her to become stronger. There won't be any starving his Childe as punishment. She will be given access to fresh everything.

He estimates he has an hour left before Sookie rises. Time to do some work. People to play with, vampires to annoy, or end. First off, the New Blood bloodbag, Sarah Newlin. His Sookie won't be pleased to know he has her imprisoned and used as a personal keg for himself, That Fucking Pam and a select wealthy few to nearly drain repeatedly. She'd never understand his desire to make someone suffer endlessly. Nora, his scheming sister, dying in his arms succumbing to the Hepatitis-V virus. If he lets himself, his perfect memory will play out that scene on loop. He's a great believer in vengeance, smirks and remembers Russell Edgington exploding in his arms. Good times. Russell took a millennium to find, he feels proud to have avenged his family. Proud that the vow he'd made to his dying father that horrific night was fulfilled.

He needs to appoint a deputy Sheriff, a new second in command. Fucking Pam has problems, she will have bigger problems when he decides what her punishment is to be. How could she not tell him Sookie was so ill? Eric's determined to spend a lot of time with his new Childe. Sookie, he wants Sookie by his side. By his side, for eternity.

It's not as if he has to work. The immense wealth he has accumulated over his millennium gives him a myriad of options. He examines his resting Childe. She has struggled all of her human life financially to make ends meet. Whenever Sookie had extra money from work she'd undertaken for the Supernatural community, she shared it with her friends and that useless waste of space, her brother Jason. He is only too happy to criticise her and then demand a share of the money she had earned. Eric wonders what he will do now that he won't have a sister to take advantage of. Jason needs to be informed of his sister's new status. Eric scoffs to himself probably wouldn't notice anything till the next time he turns up at her farmhouse demanding a 'home cooked meal with all the trimmings'. That's one thing he'll stop; the flea ridden half panther, taking advantage of Sookie. She is his Childe, any claim he had of her as family is superseded by Eric as her Maker and her bonded.

Eric checks his emails. Nothing too important that would cause him to leave Sookie and have to go and attend to it personally. He can sit here and watch her. It may be his new favourite pastime.

He can feel in the bond that Sookie is beginning to rise. The humming becomes louder. He watches as her eyes open. They look directly at him. She smiles gently up at him as she stretches.

He smiles down at her. "My Childe, you rested well? There are donors waiting for us in the feeding room. You need to feed often. I don't want you getting weak Sookie, you were so ill. Feeding has to be your priority for the next two decades. I'll be closely monitoring your feeding and health. I don't want anything else to happen to you."

Sookie continues to smile at him. "I'm rested. Yes, I'm hungry, very hungry. Thankyou for asking" she replies.

"Come," he holds his hand out to her. "We'll feed then get ready for the night. At your age you will need to feed from two donors. I'll be ensuring that you feed each evening and have bagged blood prior to resting for the day," he explains to her as they proceed to the feeding room.

Entering the room, Eric directs Sookie to a reclining chair. "Today, my Childe, you will feed while lying down. This is the easiest way to access the arteries on the neck. Yesterday I wanted to have absolute control of you in case things got out of hand. Remember to prepare the donors area, don't just attack the neck. That would lead to scarring of the donor and a loss in our donor pool." Eric instructs her.

Sookie listens quietly to Eric, her hunger gnawing at her. She lays out on the recliner waiting for Eric to direct a donor to her. She is hungry, not ravenous like the previous night, but hungry and getting hungrier as she smells their delicious blood rushing through their bodies.

"Yes Eric." Sookie replies. "I'll be careful. You will be watching, won't you? I don't want to hurt anyone. You won't let me hurt them?" She entreats Eric. He knows through their bond her fear of hurting someone.

"I'll be beside you, my Childe." Eric reassures Sookie as he indicates to the closest female donor on the bench to approach them.

The donor is arranged horizontally alongside Sookie. "Now Sookie, just like yesterday. Remember to listen to their heartbeat and blood flow. This will let you know when to finish feeding." Eric reminds her.

Once the feeding has been completed and the donors dismissed, Eric and Sookie move to the lounge room. Sitting side by side, Eric clasps her hand in his. He turns to her, "I need you to listen and not speak or interrupt until I give you leave to do so." Then he continues.

"Sookie, when I drained you and fed you my blood, making you my Childe, I absorbed all you memories. Your entire life, what you remember of it was passed to me. Don't ask me how, I've never heard of this before. I need you to know as I've been distracted reliving your more intense memories in your human life. I will not tell anyone what has happened, me absorbing your life's memories, but, you need to be aware everything that you remember of your human life I now have knowledge of."

"You may speak, my Childe." Eric finishes.

He expects hysteria, tears or tantrums.

Sookie looks down at their joined hands. Then looks up to him.

"Eric. Eric, I don't know what to say. I have no idea. I'm sorry you have to live through my life. It was hard enough for me being despised by the townfolk, Uncle Bartlett and, and …"

"I just wanted you to know I have all you memories" Eric hurriedly interrupts. "You have nothing to be sorry for or ashamed of. I didn't know this could happen with a human fae hybrid being turned. I had never heard of anything like this in my entire existence."

"Oh my god", Sookie bends her head to her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Oh my god, everything." She shakes her head. "Everything?" She asks of him. Realisation of what he just revealed sinking in. "Oh my god. I'll never be able to look at you again, I'll be too embarrassed. OH. MY. GOD." She yells into the room.

She springs up from the lounge. Sookie vamp speeds from one end of the room to the other, a blur even to Eric's enhanced sight. Bouncing off the walls. "No. No. No. This isn't happening. Tell me it's not true. Tell me." She entreats Eric stopping suddenly in front of the sitting Eric, bloody tears running down her face. Embarrassment, shame and humiliation are the strongest emotions Eric feels through their bonds.

Eric rises and gathers her in his arms. "This doesn't change anything. I thought you should know. I don't want secrets between the two of us. We have eternity, so we need to be completely honest and open with each other. Remember the bonds we share, they will let the other know when we aren't being truthful."

Sookie shakes her head, burrowing deeper into Eric's arms. He can, through their bond, feel her devastation that all her human secrets are now his. She's vibrating clutching onto him tighter and tighter. If weren't a vampire she would've broken at least three of his ribs, he thinks.

"Sookie, I've told you this as it's affecting our bond. You can feel that I am not wholly focussed. My mind is having flashbacks of your childhood. Your Uncle Bartlett, how you have minimised what he did to you. He didn't just attempt to molest you he did molest you. He put his fingers into you …"

"Eric" Sookie cuts in. "I know what he did to me. I was there. I also saw what he wanted to do too. None of this is new. I don't know if it's because I'm a vampire now but it doesn't hurt as much. What hurts, is, that you know it all and are reliving my nightmares, my life. Everyone has the right to privacy except when a telepath is around, of course." She smiles at him. "What you have relived of my life you need to build walls around. You need to shield yourself from the memories as much as possible. And I'm pretty sure in your 1000 years you've experienced worst. Don't lie to me. What happened. Happened. We need to deal with the now. I don't want to relive it all. If you do want to go through all of my human memories, close off the bond. I don't even want to feel it in our bond." She finishes.

"My Sookie," Eric hugs her to him inhaling her scent. "You are right in this. I hurt that you were hurt by those who were meant to love, cherish and keep you safe. Allow me my anger and outrage. Allow me to settle the memories into my psyche then we will speak of them no more. Your life is now an open book to me. Think of it this way, I will have an invaluable insight into the Stackhouse logic," he smirks at her.

Sookie rolls her eyes at him. She then deliberately changes the subject.

"What are we doing tonight?"

Eric smiles at the deliberate subject change. "I thought that we would go to Fangtasia. I need to put in an appearance to keep the money rolling in and for the vampires in my area to know that I am available to carry out the Sheriff duties. You, have shown exceptional control as a vampire," he praises her. "It will be a chance for you to discover what changes your telepathy has undergone too." He adds, "We need to know your capabilities, my love. Your strengths and your weaknesses."

"Great," Sookie exclaims. "What exactly am I to wear? Another of your t-shirts?" she asks.

"Ahh. Yes. The lack of clothes. Pam has a wardrobe full of clothes in her room here. Let's go look and see what is suitable," Eric encourages. He knew the lack of clothes would raise its head. He hope that Sookie is not the shopping manic that That Fucking Pam is. "We can go shopping later. It can be online if you wish or we can go visit some of the local boutiques later tonight"

"Sookie."

Sookie turns to him.

"Sookie I'm wealthy. Bill Gates wealthy. We will buy you whatever you want. You can shop to your heart's content. There is no need to ever worry about money again. I have enough. What I have is yours. You are my wife and Childe. We are wealthy, very wealthy." Eric tells her.

"I have always worked and paid for myself, Eric." Sookie replies to his disclosure. "This will take some time to adjust. Not having to worry how to pay the next bill and feed myself." She smiles at him "it'll be strange not to have money worries. But I want you to understand I don't want to spend your money on stupid things. I'm not a gold digger, Eric. You know how I feel about this."

As they enter Pam's room, Eric looks back at her and smiles. "I know Sookie. I know. Plus with your memories I am fully aware of how you feel about flouting wealth in peoples' faces."

"Eric." A stunned Sookie says. "There are more clothes here than at a boutique. When does she get the time to wear them? Some of the dresses still have the tags on them. Why does she need all this?" she asks of him. "Look, this wardrobe is full of new dresses and skirts. It's all new. Does she ever wear any of this?"

"Pam likes to shop. Now you know. Pam likes to shop with my money. Pam likes to shop frequently and often with my money," Eric tells Sookie.

"This is too much." She says shaking her head in disbelief. Then "look Eric, she has the latest dress from the Chanel collection. I saw it in a magazine the other month" she declares as she pulls a hanger of the rack holding the dress out.

"Well see if it fits. Try it on," Eric encourages her. "Your sister won't mind. And if she does, she can blame me for letting you free in her wardrobe." Eric knows full well his eldest Childe will have a fit when she sees Sookie in her precious outfit. At the moment he has no patience for her. That Fucking Pam didn't tell him Sookie was ill, so too bad for Pam, what was hers is now Sookie's. She'll learn to share or not survive to complain."

He knows he has to address his errant Childe's behaviour. At the moment, his bonded is what he's concentrating on. A bit of distance may get his anger further under control, at least he hopes it will. Seeing Pam later tonight will give him some indication how he will be treating her in the immediate future. He clamps down on his anger and watches as Sookie shed his t-shirt.

"Will you need undergarments?" he asks. "I'm not sure her bras will fit you." He smiles at that thought and then the sight of her voluptuous breasts. They never fail to excite him.

"For some reason," Sookie tells him. "I should be fine without any undergarments. Now that I am vampire my boobs will never sag."

"Lucky me." Eric congratulates himself. Sookie glances over at him as her head pops out of the dress and rolls her eyes. Eric smiles back at her.

"You look delightful." He compliments Sookie.

"It's tight. Pam is smaller than me, that's for sure." Sookie responds. "It will have to do." She comments as she smooths an imaginary wrinkle from her right hip. She looks up at Eric and asks "am I ready for this?" The pale coloured empire waisted dress clings like a second skin to her abundant assets.

"If you're not, I'll have you out of Fangtasia immediately. You won't have to suffer like you did as a human Sookie. If you have to build larger and tougher shields so you aren't overpowered by the thoughts of the populace we'll do it together. I have your memories, I can assist. It's better to do this now," he reassures Sookie.

Sookie takes a confidence boosting, but totally unnecessary, breath and exhales slowly. She turns to Eric "let's do this. Get it over with. I'm nervous as all now, thinking about what could go wrong. I may end up insane overloaded with their thoughts."

"I'll be with you Sookie. Nothing will ever hurt you again." Eric promises her as he places his arm over her shoulder ushering her out of the bedroom and towards the garage.

"Eric" Sookie declares seeing the contents of the garage, "there's more cars here than you could ever drive. A hearse? Why do you have a hearse? It's a fricking large one. Why? You have three motorbikes! Again, why? You can't possibly drive all this. You have a Viper and a Mosler? These are cars to die for. Why do you insist on driving the Corvette?"

Sookie is firing questions and comments at him a mile a minute. Eric doesn't believe she expects an answer from him so stands and watches as she explore his garage. "Sookie. Sookie." He calls to her. "Pick a car. We're going to Fangtasia. Remember?" Urging her to indulge her inner car lover. He'll have look more closely at some of her enjoyable memories he didn't know she had any interest in cars. "Come on. Pick a car. They all are in working order. My dayman has them serviced regularly. Pick one, Sookie," he again urges her, amused at her behaviour.

"Stop laughing at me Eric." Sookie demands of him. "It's not often, in fact never, that I get to see so many different cars in one showroom. We'll take the Mosler, I've never been in that car. Only ever read about them in Jason's car magazine," she decides. Then muttering to herself, forgetting about supernatural hearing, "pretty sure I've never been in any of these cars except for the Corvette. Why would a full blooded male drive a puny Corvette when he has a Viper or a Mosler? Must be something to do with age, its so cliché." She finishes up

Eric removes the keys to the black Mosler from the wall key safe. "Come on. Let's go. If you're good I'll let you drive home. You don't know where we are. The house is adjacent to Cross Lake in Shreveport. The area is calming and you shouldn't be inundated with other people's thoughts out here as my estate is extensive." He lets Sookie know while walking towards her where she is standing beside his dark green Mosler. He clicks the remote unlocking the doors and leans down to open the passenger door for his Childe.

Sookie slides into the sports car seat smiling up at her Maker appreciating what a gentleman he is. She fastens her seatbelt automatically.

Eric folds himself into his seat. Looks at her and says "seatbelts are optional now. If we were to be involved in an accident it would take me longer to get you to safety as I'd have to get you out of your harness."

"It's ingrained in me, Eric. Always belt up. Gran was a stickler on that after Mom and Dad's car accident. It was always 'click it' when we got in the car with her. It's automatic when in any car."

Eric has an image flash through his heard of an elderly white haired lady turning towards the backseat of an old car saying "click it" to Sookie and her brother before turning the engine over. He knows it will take time to sort through Sookie's memories. He also knows that he cannot allow her memories to distract him from his Childe, either one of them, nor from his day to day duties as Sheriff. He will have to spare a part of each night, once Sookie goes to rest, to go through some of her more mundane memories. He's well aware how distracting the flashback memories of her life are.

He turns the key in the ignition. The sound of the rumbling motor pleases him and by the feeling he gets through their bonds greatly pleases his youngest Childe too. "Why Sookie," he smirks at her, "I didn't know you were into cars that much? What other hidden depths are there to you my Childe?" He asks of her as he reverses out of the garage.

They drive through the night. Eric negotiating the roads and around other cars skilfully. "We are leaving the Cross Lake District of Shreveport. I like where my estate is situated as it gives me a reprieve from the humans I'm surrounded with nightly. Their noise and appalling stench is off putting at the best of times, but at Fangtasia it can be overpowering. If you need a break from it all tonight, let me know and I'll have you out of the main floor immediately. Your control will be tested. Remember, I will be with you the whole time." Eric explained as they drive towards the bar.

Sookie, being Sookie, is half listening to Eric and looking at the passing scenery. She really wants to drive the car they are in. Eric, being her Maker, is aware that his Childe isn't paying attention to him. He will be alert for any distress in her when they enter the main floor of the bar. He has yet to tell her that she will also be presented to the Area 5 Vampires as his Childe. He knows she isn't going to be impressed to be the center of attention, but it has to be done quickly as he is the Sheriff. He'll ride out her displeasure over this incident. Too much needs to be done to have the fight prior to her being introduced as his newest Childe. He knows she'll pitch a fit. If he can endure Pam's tantrums, Sookie will be easy to calm down.

Pam. That Fucking Pam! She better be on the door vetting the clientele not draining some fangbanger in his office. He doesn't want his office to stink of sex when he brings Sookie in. Sookie doesn't need this complication.

What to do about That Fucking Pam? Whips? Chains? Silver? Skinning her body? Sunlight? Starvation? Eric's amusing himself with various torture scenarios for his errant Childe as they pull into the Fangtasia parking lot. He hopes Sookie won't ask him what was giving him such delight she feels through their bonds.

Eric zips around to open the car door for Sookie. He know manners are important his Childe. A Southern Belle who expects to be treated as a lady. Her human memories, he noted, remembered every piece of rudeness or slight she's experienced. Her Gran had drummed manners into her from the time the family they would visit her and their Grandfather. Wanting to keep Sookie relaxed he holds her hand as they enter through the staff entrance of Fangtasia proceeding directly to his office.

He sits at his desk and indicates to Sookie she can sit on his lap. She rolls her eyes at him and settles into the couch along the wall.

"I have to go through some paperwork here. Are you okay there? Hungry? Do you need blood? Is there anything you need? Please let me know? You are the telepath not me." Eric says to her as he sifts through the papers in the middle of his desk. His attention on the invoices.

Sookie looks at him "Is there anything I can do?"

"Listen to the patrons Sookie. Is there anything I need to know about? Are we in danger?" Eric responds to her question.

"Already doing that," Sookie assures him. "Started listening the moment we pulled into the parking lot. My shields are a lot stronger. I can zero in on specific thoughts more easily. Being your Childe has made telepathy less of a curse Eric."

Eric can feel she is pleased with this revelation.

"Nothing much is happening" she tells him. "The needy want a vampire of their own and the visitors still want the thrill of being in a vampire bar. The either want to fuck you or be you. Sex. Sex. Sex. Take me. Take me. That's all that is going on tonight."

"Once I finish here we are going out to the bar." Eric lets her know. "In fact none of this is urgent." He places the paperwork back on the middle of his desk. "I can take it home with me and do it after you go to your day rest." He stands and walks around the desk holding his proffered hand out to his Childe. "Come on. Let's go enthral the vermin and introduce you to the Area vampires. Most of them know you but I have summoned all of them here to be introduced to you. All you have to do is smile and nod you head, you don't have to engage any of them in conversation. Don't attempt to shake their hands either. Vampires acknowledge each other they don't commonly touch unless aggressively or romantically," Eric finished up with as they approached his throne.