Disclaimer: True Blood is the property of Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris. I am just playing.

Special Thanks to Julie for helping me refine everything, and to Sara for being my sounding board.

Chapter 4

The beginning of the ride was silent, each waiting for the other to be the first to speak. A thousand years had taught the Viking patience at the very least-he could wait, she could not.

"Are you going to tell me what you know or am I supposed to sit here and stew?" Sookie finally asked unable to hold her peace.

"I am tempted to let you stew, but you are far too beguiling in that dress for me to deny you anything." Eric's gave her an appreciative leer as his eyes traveled the length of her body.

"Dammit, Eric! I did not get in this car so you could flirt with me. Bill is in trouble, and you are wasting time!" Sookie scolded him sharply, though she could not keep herself from blushing.

"I think it would be quite rude of me not to mention the obvious," Eric said matter-of-factly. "I am being polite-you should try it. Things would go much better if you did."

Much better for you, you mean. Okay, he wants polite, I'll give him polite.

"Oh Eric!" Sookie began in her best Scarlet O'Hara swoon, fanning her self with her purse and batting eyelashes. "I am ever soooo grateful that you came to me in mah hour of need. I do declare, Mr. Northman, I don't know what I would have done without you! Merciful heavens, why you must have the most amazing sense of smell in the whole wide world! I would be positively tickled pink just to know what that fine, glorious nose of yours has sniffed out!"

Eric burst into laughter so gleeful Sookie had to join in.

"Why Miss Sookie," Eric tried out his Rhett Butler, before losing it completely and mangling the rest of his reply. "What gentleman [guffaw] could possibly [heeheehee] refuse such [snigger] a refined [pppllllpfff] and elegant [haaah!] request!"

Sookie let out a loud hoot followed by a honking snort that sent them both over the edge for another round of the giggles.

"Sookie, you surprise me," Eric casually remarked as their laughter was dying down. "Because I used to think you had no sense of humor."

Hearing him say the very words he had spoken to her in a dream brought her back to reality like a slap in the face. What is wrong with me? Why am I goofing around with Eric while Bill is being held hostage?? God, I'm an idiot. Sookie turned her face to the passenger window-watching but not seeing the night fly by.

He felt her sudden shift from silly to sullen, but did not question it. He had done his best to put her at ease, and she had delighted him with her humor. He owed her an answer.

"The other thing, the scent…was Lorena.." Eric afforded her an almost sorrowful gaze.

Sookie turned to look at him wide-eyed as a doe.

"I believe she had help. Weres of some kind…probably wolves. I caught a whiff of them outside."

She tried to formulate the word, 'werewolves' but she couldn't seem to get past the 'whe' sound.

Lorena and werewolves, she didn't know which one was worse, but together…the thought was too terrifying to put into words.

"Do you know where she would take him?" she managed to ask.

"Probably back to Mississippi-where she's from. But I cannot be sure." Eric gave her a sideways glance, and saw that she was processing it all in. He had to beat her to the punch.

"I blame myself for this, Sookie. I am not behind it, but Lorena would not have followed you here if I had not summoned her to Dallas."

"Well that's just great, Eric. Thank you so much." Sookie turned again to look out her window and fell silent.

"That is it? That is all you have to say?"

"Oh, I have plenty to say. It just wouldn't be very polite." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat to keep herself from slapping him upside the head.

After a few more minutes of utterly unbearable quiet, Sookie reached her limit-she was furious.

"You wanna know what I have to say? Okay, fine," she began in a sharp but even tone. "You're right, this is your fault. And don't pretend like your sorry about it, 'cause I know you're not. You may not be behind Bill being taken tonight, but it's no great loss to you either, is it?"

"Not exactly, no," Eric replied honestly.

"Right, it's not. It is to me, though. A great big 'ol huge loss. And why is that, Eric? Oh, yeah! Because you got it in your twisted head that you just had to have me for some reason. So you came up with a plan and invited that psycho bitch to Dallas to keep Bill away from me. Well, brav-fucking-o, Eric. She's got him, just like you wanted all along. And boy! Does that make me want to run straight into your arms. How could I resist your charms?" Sookie was yelling now, "You fucking bastard! I hate you. You make me sick!!"

Right as she finished her tirade Sookie picked up the ring box and threw it at his head, but he ducked and it hit the driver's window instead.

"Sookie..I.."

"Don't. Just don't." Sookie cut him off and turned her face away to hide her tears.

Eric pulled the car over to the side of the road, slowed down and came to a stop. He shifted to face her, but she twisted her head even further away, clearly refusing to talk to him further. So he shut off the engine, got out of the car and walked off out of sight.

Sookie took a deep breath and sighed. It was a welcome relief to be out of Eric's agitating presence. She used her shawl to dry her eyes and face and then closed her eyes. A wave of exhaustion rolled over her, drowning out what was left of her anger. The events of the past week were finally taking its toll.

She began to make a mental list of all the crazy things that had happened. First, she got scratched by a maenad and nearly died. Then in Dallas she'd been held prisoner for about two days and was almost raped. Next, a man decided to blow himself up inside a house with her in it, Eric tricked her into drinking his blood, and then she watched Godric burn on a rooftop as he met the dawn. She came back to Bon Temps and the whole town had gone mad, her house was in shambles and desecrated, her best friend possessed. Then the horrors of Maryann and her insane wedding, finding out she was something other than just human, watching Sam get stabbed next to a meat tree in her own front yard! When had this become her life? She had to laugh at how absurd her week had been.

Her thoughts turned to tonight's series of unfortunate events. She'd been so happy earlier when she decided to say yes to Bill, but he'd been snatched away before she had the chance to tell him. She foolishly wished he was with her now to help with his re-assuring calmness and quiet strength. A gut twisting pang filled her to her throat, reminding her just how alone she truly was.

"You can do this, Sookie Stackhouse," she told herself out loud. "You will find him and bring him home and marry him-end of story."

The little pep talk made her feel a bit better. At least she knew she had the determination to see it through, even if she had no idea how to go about it. She considered calling the police, or even the FBI, but she had no real proof he'd been kidnapped. No one had seen or heard a thing, and it appeared as if Bill had a temper tantrum and drove off. The only proof she had was the smell, but it seemed highly unlikely the law would launch a search based off that. As much as she hated to admit it-she needed Eric's help. He knew Lorena, knew the vampire world, and he owed her this.

Thinking of Eric made her wonder where he was. He'd been gone a long time, and she was tired. She unbuckled her seat belt, and twisted around to look out the rear window. Eric was standing, motionless, at least a couple hundred feet away in the middle of the breakdown lane, just staring off into the field.

With a heavy sigh, Sookie got out of the car and shut the door. She walked the few feet to the back of the corvette and then called out, "Eric?"

He turned to face her and slowly made his approach, and she was dreading every step.