Eric had been waiting for her to ask that question but he was still filled with anxiety. In all his 1000 years as a vampire he had never felt like this. He had looked death in the face and laughed, fought countless foe and won. But it was this human woman standing in front of him, waiting for him to speak, that truly terrified him. At first he had coveted her for her telepathic ability and what he could gain by controlling her. Then he found his actions and motivations affected by her and believed she had bewitched him. Then he had blamed his growing desire on her Fae blood. He had not understood his feelings for her until they had already overtaken him. Now it was to late too extricate himself from her. His Sookie, his bonded, his wife. Eric rose from the edge of the kitchen table and walked to the window. He looked out as if surveying the garden but he was just stalling. Coward, talk to her!He turned to face Sookie and saw she was now sitting at the table and watching him patiently. Eric sat at the table in the chair opposite her. She wanted to say something, to reassure him, but she wasn't certain what to say so she waited for him to speak. After a few minutes, he began.

"This is not easy for me Sookie. Once I have told you what happened I hope that you can understand and I pray that you can forgive me." He looked into her blue eyes and he prayed to Freya that she guide him in his decisions tonight. He feared that tonight he may loose her completely.

Sookie was struck by his words. What have you done? Why do you require my forgiveness? She wanted to ask these questions but when he took her hand she was silent. The sorrow and guilt she felt coming from Eric made her shiver. She wished this conversation was over already so that they could start some sort of normal relationship together. Maybe they could go on a date sometime soon? Did vampires even date? She didn't think so. Eric began to speak again.

"It was all my fault this happened. I brought you under the gaze of my enemies by bonding with you. I thought I could protect you but it only served to weaken my position and endanger you. I know you feel what happened is all your fault Sookie, but it is all mine. I drew you into this world and in trying to keep you close to me I almost got us both killed!"

"Eric, I don't...." Eric gestured for her Sookie to be silent and he continued.

"I was at Fangtasia the night you were taken. I text you letting you know that protection was coming. Dammit!I would have been with you....I could have killed those fucking Fairys....had it not been for him"

"Who?"

"Victor Madden"

Sookie gasped. His very name made her skin crawl. If ever there was a vampire to be afraid of it was Victor Madden.

"It was Victor. He was behind it all. He planned to get me out of the picture so he could 'save' you from Neave and Lochlan." Eric squeezed her hand a little to tightly, he felt her discomfort and loosened him grip. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "Sorry Dearest"

"How do you know this?"

"Victor himself told me his plan. Pam was with me. She held him off until I regained strength to fight. But by then he had fled."

"Wait a minute.....Victor tried to kill you off and usurp me......and he's still alive? Does Felipe know about this?"

"Yes and no, he knows Victor was here to oversee operations at Fangtasia the night you were taken but no one has seen him since. I assume Victor is biding his time and regrouping. By now Felipe suspects treachery. If Victor had wished to remain protected he would have gone back to Felipe immediately. My guess is that he is hiding out and plotting a hostile takeover."

"...Of Nevada?"

"No, lover, Victor is conniving and power hungry but he is not stupid. Felipe has had control of Nevada for over 80 years. He created the Las Vegas you see today. No, Victor wants Louisiana and he planned to use you as a bargaining chip. He would have demanded Felipe give him Louisiana in exchange for his very own telepath."

Sookie's head was swimming. She had thought being tortured was just about the worst thing that could or ever would happen to her. She had been wrong. "I think I'm going to be sick". Eric was on his feet and had her leaning over the kitchen sink as she vomited. In her mind she saw herself wearing a collar and leash as Victor handing her over to Felipe. She heaved again. He held her hair away from her face and stroked her back. After a few minutes, she was able to collect herself. Eric handed her a glass of water. Her mind began moving quickly now and logical conclusions were reached.

"He's still after me, isn't he? Oh Lord, he's going to come for me and there is no one left to stop him. Niall and Claudine are gone, Bill is sick, Amelia is gone, Pam and you are in Shreveport....." she felt a twinge of dishonestly coming from Eric. She looked at him. "What is it Eric, what aren't you telling me?"

"I haven't been back to Shreveport since you came home. I have been sleeping at Bill's and when I am not here with you, I am out there," he pointed out the window to the forest of trees, "watching and waiting. I know I should have told you sooner but you had been through so much already. I could see in your eyes that your spirit was waning. I could not bear to tell you it wasn't over yet"

Her heart ached to hear him say that. He had been watching over her all this time. She thought this over for a few minutes and then she spoke. "What do you see in my eyes now, Eric?"

She leaned in across the kitchen table. Eric leaned towards her, leaving only a hairs breadth between them. "The fire in your eyes has returned. You survived the assassins with your mind, body and soul intact and you will live to see Victors demise as I rip his body to shreds. You and I are the same Dearest, we are survivors. When all is against us, we are the ones to carry on. Ours is the hardest path to travel but travel it we must." Eric's gaze fell to her lips as he licked his own. He looked up again into her eyes. Sookie felt a flush move from her forehead to her toes. But it settled somewhere in between. Too soon, to close. She sat back.

"You should have told me. All this time I have been oblivious to the danger. There you go Eric, being as high-handed as ever." She said, imitating his earlier comment.

She released his hand, stood up and walked to the fridge. She suddenly felt exposed and leaned her back against the refrigerator, her arms crossed in front of her. Eric could feel her anxiety growing. Sookie wished she could crawl back into bed and pull to covers over her head. Because everyone knows the Bogeyman can't get you if he can't see you. She chuckled despite herself. "I still don't see why I am so damn important!"

Eric rose from his chair and walked towards her. When he was standing in front of her he slowly placed his hands gently on her waist. He looked down at her but she refused to look up at him.

"Felipe knows you are part Fae and telepathic. That is a very attractive package. Felipe wishes you where the jewel in his crown, so to speak. But because of our blood bond and our marriage you are off limits to him. He must ask my permission to have access to you. Same goes for all vampires. Victor would have killed me and blamed the Fae and no one would have been any the wiser. If Victor wanted to take Louisiana over by force, he would have. But that is not his style. Why should he take something when he can get it given to him. He is cunning and underhanded, and very devious."

Sookie was staring at the fabric of Erics' black singlet. Having him so close to her was eliciting feelings she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with. Dammit all to Hell, I'm sick of being afraid. She looked up at him and swallowed the lump in her throat. He had given her the answer to one question now she wanted another one answered.

"And what is my importance to you Eric? Am I a jewel in your crown too?"

Eric smiled that smile at her. She locked knees before they fell out from under her.

"No Sookie, you are just my jewel. I seek to protect you because I care deeply for you

She was stunned and flattered by his admission. She felt relieved to hear it.

"But Felipe wasn't weakened by my being bonded to you."

"I am not a threat to Felipe. Everyone knows I have no desire to rise above Sheriff. I do not lust after power. I retain my position to ensure our protection under Felipe's rule. I have already promised to make you available to him in a professional capacity at anytime. It was an act of self-preservation Lover."

"Self preservation? You think only of yourself?"

"No, I have done what it takes to retain my position so that we can be together. I am your Master and husband in the eyes of my kind and it is best that it remains as such. Otherwise you would be treated as the spoils of war."

Sookie was fitting the pieces together and the picture was not a pretty one. If she was not blood bonded to Eric she would have been up Shit Creek along time ago.

"Wait a minute, what did you mean before?"

"Which part requires your clarification dearest?"

"The part where you said Pam held Victor off until you had regained your strength? You were injured? How did that happen?"

"As I said, Victor planned it all. He plotted with Dermot's followers. Victor gave them all the information they needed to find you, on the condition he was allowed to participate in your torture. He knew that Neave and Lochlan would cause you immense pain and that, being your blood bonded, I would feel it too." Eric stopped talking and stood up. He walked to the window and looked out anxiously. He paced back and forth across the kitchen while Sookies' anxiety got the best of her.

"Is someone out there?" She whispered

"No one Dearest. Let me continue, Bill informed me the Were, Trey, was taken, and that he smelled Fairy in Trey's house. I ordered Bill to take you home and guard you until I arrived. I sent Pam direct to you but Victors followers ambushed her not far from the Fangtasia. I was about to leave and come to you when I felt your fear. Stronger than ever before, and then I felt nothing. I fell. I was on the floor unable to move. I thought the bond had been severed as I felt nothing. The only thing that crossed my mind was "she's gone". I thought you were dead. That's when Victor arrived. He knew what severing the bond would do to me and he took advantage of that. I was ready to give up and let him kill me."

"How could the bond have been severed when I was still alive?"

"I asked Niall that same question. He told me when the two assassins took you, they moved through the Fae realm to avoid detection. It is hard to explain but you could compare it to cell phone reception. Your 'signal' dropped out when you where taken into the Fae realm, so our bond was effectively 'cut off'. Soon after Victor began his attack I felt you again and I knew you were still alive. I regained some strength and was able to hold him off but then the pain began and I was immobile again. I thought the bond being severed was the worst thing I had ever felt. But knowing you were still alive, being tortured to death, was worse. Not in 1000 years have I felt pain such as that. I felt your pain as a human would. I was not there to save you Sookie, but I was right there with you." Eric stopped but Sookie urged him to continue

"As Victor stood over me he took great pleasure in telling me of his deviousness. He said he was going to dispatch me and blame the Fae. Then he was going to 'rescue' you from the assassins and offer you to Felipe." Eric angry welled up as he remembered Victors' words. But not before I have some fun with her. He pushed his fury back into its' cage and continued. "Before Victor could finish the job Pam attacked him. My child had heard my call and returned. She smelled Victor and was in the club and in between us before Victor could finish me off. That is when Victor fled. Soon after we left the bar, Bill called and informed us of your rescue and where you were taken."

'That is why you are killing me Sookie. Our blood bond is more than just a connection and it is no ordinary relationship. I live in you, as you live in me and we are inextricably tied until death." Eric cupped her face in his hands and spoke. "But it would not be as strong as it is if we did not love one another."

This admission sliced her to the heart. She couldn't feel anything but honesty through the bond. She knew it was true.

"Oh Eric, I'm so sorry. All this time I pushed you away and cursed you. I was blaming the bond for what I was too afraid to admit to myself."

"Sshhh Its alright Lover. You understand now and that's all that matters."

"No It's not enough. I need to show you."

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Don't worry, the Sookie-Nookie is coming! The update will be within a few days.