Don't You Wanna Stay?
Disclaimer: True Blood and its characters belong to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.
A/N: This chapter focuses more on Sookie and clarifying her storyline. Yes, including Eric who in my story speaks Norwegian along with Godric and Pam due to him living near the North Sea as a human.
Seven
Eric rose from his daysleep as the sun set. At once he felt inside of himself for the link to his pretty bonded. Her blood was unlike anything he's ever tasted before…definitely something more than human, especially with a Seraph guardian.
Some things could've been dismissed on their own as anomalies that occasionally occur within human bloodlines. The telepathy, having sweet blood or a sweet scent, even having a protector from one of the angelic castes isn't entirely outrageous. But when taken together…his Sookie is different, important. He may not know what she is at the moment but he's beginning to build a theory in his mind, one that grows stronger every time he sees her. She might even be royalty if the exchange between his Sookie and her Seraph friend the other night is to be believed.
Along with everything else he can't quite bring himself to believe that a creature as powerful and as ancient as she feels would call just anyone a Princess.
Even if that person is as amazing as his Sookie.
Rushing through showering, dressing, and feeding he zipped down a floor and knocked softly on her door. He has time for his speculations later, right now he wants some time alone with his bonded before the meeting with the AVL representative and general pain-in-his-ass Flanagan.
Maybe if she's bitchy enough Seren will go all Seraph on her. He thought absently. He'd pay a lot to watch the viper get handed her ass like Lorena and Bill the previous night.
A blushing Sookie opened the door, causing one eyebrow to arch over Eric's ice-blue eyes. He approved of the return of her sundresses and sandals, this time a white dress with blue flowers sprinkled over the bottom of the skirt and across the bodice with matching white wedges, although he wouldn't mind if Seren decides to dress her again sometime in the future. His Sookie likes bright colors and soft, floaty, feminine fabrics while her protector clearly favors the bold and the daring.
But then from what he's seen Seren can be much like himself at times.
"See something you like, min kjæreste?" (My lover.) He teased just to make her blush that much harder. There's something so tempting about watching all that exquisite blood pool just under the surface of her skin.
Rolling her eyes Sookie waves Eric into her hotel room. Her conversation with her friend had made it perfectly clear that she's going to have to have a sit-down with the arrogant playboy Viking before too much longer. Not that she's looking forward to coming clean. She just knows that he's the type to make her pay for anything he doesn't like in spades.
Ghosting her eyes over him as he moved into the suite she felt relieved that he's in his simple black T-shirts and matching jeans with boots. She didn't want to be mis-dressed for the coming meeting.
"How are you feeling today, min kjæreste?" He asked feeling the waves of anxiety and confusion begin to wash over him along with the faintest hint of arousal through their bond. They need to get her serenity up and running and then meet with his Maker before the meeting with the AVL. Everyone needs to be on the same page especially with Seren's wings having been out in front of Godric's entire nest the night before. He'd glamoured the humans but the vampires could be a potential problem depending on how the Seraph wants to play it.
Knowing he could feel her Sookie decided to suspend her normal mode of obstruction and went with being blunt as she gathered up her sweater for the meeting.
"Confused, anxious, worried about Seren outing herself." Sookie sighs, meeting his bright blue gaze with her worried brown. "I just want to go home and have everything go back to normal."
Moving out ahead of her into the hallway and escorting her up to Godric's room Eric points out:
"Home is possible but I'm afraid normal is going to be beyond you for the foreseeable future, sweet Sookie."
Grumbling a little she curses under her breath. "I'm unfortunately well aware of that."
Knocking on the door to Godric's room they grin at each other as two voices curse at them before a less-than-serene Godric opens the door, a wickedly-grinning Seren fixing her hair in a wall-mounted mirror just behind him.
xXxXxXxXx
What've you been up to? Sookie teases her mentor as Seren adjusts the hair rumpled during her heated make-out session with her Mate. What a ridiculous phrase. Making out. Two thousand year old vampires and five-thousand year old Seraphs don't make-out.
Scorching her with a glare Seren moves to sit beside her vampire as they all settle into the two couches in the suite's living room. During her parent's visit and the conference call with her three brothers that followed they'd decided on a course of action now that it's looking like her Seraph status is going to be hard if not impossible to contain.
"What's the likelihood of your entire nest keeping quiet about my rather obvious display of my wings last night?" She asks, turning in her seat to face Godric more fully.
Shaking his head, Eric rolls his eyes.
"Impossible." The Viking says. "Stan is one of the biggest gossips in Dallas. And Isabel isn't much better. The King of Texas is probably already well aware that some kind of angelic being was present in the nest and possibly knows that she was brought here by Sookie. The AVL might know as well…but probably not Flanagan. She's not well liked in the vampire world."
Seeing the concern on the Seraph's face Godric nods, confirming his child's assessment.
"Unfortunately in the heat of things everyone had dispersed before I thought to order them against speaking of you."
Sighing Seren waves off his semi-apologetic tone. "It's my own fault after all. I'm the one who felt the need to use my wings when there were other measures that could've been taken had I thought of them at the time. It's of no consequence, a course of action has already been decided upon. What we need to do is make sure this Flanagan creature doesn't go poking her nose into Sookie's life."
"You mean the fact that she's Fae?" Godric clarified.
Trading an unsurprised glance Seren nods at Sookie. They knew it was only a matter of time before Eric figured it out especially with Seren slipping and calling Sookie Faeling. With everything going on among the Fallen and the Seraphs right now she hasn't been 100% on her game when it came to keeping secrets from the two vampires.
"Yes, for one." Sookie says. "That I'm a telepath for another. I've no more desire to be acquired by the AVL than I am to be taken by the human government. Which is what will happen if I'm not protected."
Godric and Eric trade a startled look. As vampires they rarely think of humans as any sort of threat. But the human American government would likely undergo all kinds of schemes and machinations to possess a real, powerful telepath.
"We're agreed then?" Seren asks. "We keep Sookie out of it. She's just Eric's human, nothing more, nothing less. Which means…" She gives her friend a stern look.
"Silent-Barbie Sookie is now operational." Sookie rolls her eyes with a sigh. She hates playing weak.
"Tá a fhios agam nach bhfuil tú liom é, ach tá sé an rogha is fearr atá againn." (I know you don't like it but it's the best option we have.)
"Tá sé rud ar bith. Tá mé díreach tuirseach de bheith ar mire Sookie." (It's nothing. I'm just tired of being crazy Sookie.)
Sookie waves off her concern as the group rises and moves towards the door.
Time to go bullshit a centuries old vampiress. Good thing she's got almost ten thousand years of experience backing her up in the form of a pair of ancient vampires and an even older Seraph.
xXxXxXxXx
Arriving at the meeting the foursome sat along one side of the conference table with a few other prominent members of the Dallas nest on the other. The vampires chat idly while waiting on Flanagan with the nestmates all stealing look at the sunglasses-wearing creature seated on the far left next to Ms. Stackhouse and at the opposite end from Godric with Eric between his Maker and his human, the scents on both females leaving little doubt that there is a connection between the two of them and the two vampires.
That didn't stop them on speculating about just what the brunette female actually is, none of them being old enough to remember or even to have heard of the angelic wars.
Entering the room with dramatic fanfare Nan Flanagan threw open the doors before marching to the head of the table and seating herself in a graceless rush.
"Let's get this going, people. I've got better things to do than clean up your messes." Her thin face drawn in severe lines she scanned the assembled with frigid blue eyes. "Where the fuck is Compton?"
"He's been banished from the area." Godric said in his calm, stoic manner, ignoring the glare from the AVL rep.
Cursing inwardly Flanagan wonders what her idiot protégé did to piss off one of the more powerful vampires in the country. Godric was a massive proponent of the mainstreaming movement even if his Sheriff progeny was more…ambivalent. He's a power not to be underestimated and now she has one more thing to worry about.
"Alright, what the fuck happened at that church?" With growing incredulity she listened to a carefully screened version of events from the two Sheriffs, occasionally asking for confirmation from Isabel or Stan.
Sighing at the end of the recital she made mental notes on the main points she's going to use to help declaw the FotS and Newlin.
"Would you be willing to let your human give an interview to the effect that Newlin wanted to kill her for her relationship with you?" She asks Eric carefully. The PR from that will go quite a way towards putting out the fires from the FotS situation.
"As long as it's tonight, yes. We're going back to my Area tomorrow." Eric nods shortly after thinking it over. Sookie kept her eyes lowered submissively during the whole process.
"I'll set it up. But," she looks at Godric. "You've fucked up, Sheriff. Someone has to pay for this mess and it's going to be you. You're being replaced."
Ignoring the protests from the other vampires, Godric rises one hand silencing them.
"I ask that my second Isabel replace me."
Nodding Flanagan agrees. The vampiress in question is already well-versed in running an area and is well-respected despite her recent infatuation with a human.
"Excellent, Sheriff you'll need to stay and sign a few papers along with Isabel. Everyone else you're…" before she could dismiss the vampires Seren interrupts her.
"There is something else you need to be made aware of."
Focusing for the first time on the female at the other end of the table as she rises Flanagan cocks her head. It's unheard of for a human to interrupt a vampire meeting.
"And what is that?" She asks with dismissive contempt.
"The AVL needs to order a gag order for the Dallas nest and anyone that they've contacted in the last twenty-four hours regarding the bombing and the events that followed."
"And why would that be?" Contempt nearly being replaced with rage Flanagan rose to her feet and placing her hands on the table leaned forward.
Propping one hip on the table and crossing her arms Seren unleashed her wings and removed her sunglasses, tapping them against her opposite arm.
"Because they saw my wings and the press conference with the angelic monarchies and the humans isn't until the morning."
Flanagan nearly choked on her own tongue. The angelic monarchies?
"That's…"
"Oh, I assure you it's very possible. We've been discussing 'coming out' if you will for some time now that the vampires have revealed themselves. My little…display from last night merely pushed up the time table."
Beside herself, Flanagan agreed to the gag order.
What other choice did she really have while staring down an angelic being?
xXxXxXxXx
Laughing Eric and Sookie entered his room, as it seemed more prudent for the women to stay with "their vampires" until they returned to Louisiana.
"I wish I had a camera." Eric said as he drops down onto the side of his bed. "I've never seen that battle-axe so flabbergasted as long as I've known her."
"Seren tends to have that effect." Sookie giggles, curling up in the chair next to his bed and propping her head on her fist. "It's the only perk of her position that I think she really enjoys."
"Her position?" That perked his interest. He knows she's powerful and someone you want on your side, she's proven that well over the last couple days. But a phrase like "her position" implies more than being a guardian to a Fae.
"Mmm," Sookie agrees with a yawn. "She some kind of higher up in the ranks from what I've gathered over the years. Has a lot of clout but I'm not sure how extensive it is." She hedges. Seren's position and the power that goes with it is her own to disclose.
"Min fe." (My fairy.) He said sobering and taking her hands. "It's been implied that you're my human now…in public and before an AVL rep. I know you're not…pleased with that turn of events but…"
"Shhh." Sookie removes one hand from his grasp and places it flat against his mouth. "I'm not stupid, Eric. I know that if I don't belong to someone I won't be at all. Not until my powers manifest. I know I need protection and honestly you're the only option I'm even mildly ok with. At least you've never lied to me."
"Compton?" He asked, arching a brow. "What was that all about last night?"
She sighs combing her hands through her hair and moving to sit next to him on the bed. "Promise to listen all the way through before you say anything?"
Eric thought for a second. "I'll try."
Sookie chuckles. "Like I said, at least you're honest with me."
Picking her up he positions himself against the headboard, stretching out his long 6' 4" form along the bed and placing her sideways across his lap, encircled in his arms.
"There," he said in satisfaction. "All ready for story time."
"Well," she thinks quickly trying to find a place to begin. "As far as Seren knows I'm a quarter-Fae but telepathy isn't a Fae trait so we're not sure where that came from. My grandmother had an affair with a Fae since Grampa Earl couldn't have kids. Then Daddy had me and Jason and Aunt Linda had Hadley. From what I understand none of them have the Fae spark."
"Except you." He says, filing away the name of Sookie's cousin. It sounded very familiar.
Nodding she sighed. "Except me. So my Fae grandfather called in some kind of debt with Seren's family to get a protector for me but I never met her until after my folks died. I guess she figured I could use a friend, someone to help me with my telepathy but she asked me to keep her secrets in return. It was a deal a lonely little girl couldn't refuse. I mean, suddenly I had my own angel looking out for me. But she has her own affairs, her own life to deal with and she can't look after me every minute. She'd been gone on Seraph business about two weeks when Bill showed up at the bar. I was just happy to have someone who seemed to understand me around again. Plus that trouble Jason was going through…"
She shakes her head, still upset at her vulnerability.
"It was too easy. Gran wanted to meet him so he took advantage of that and my own nature to set me up. The next thing I knew I had a lot of his blood in me and thinking clearly became a thing of the past. Especially after Gran was killed. I was just so stupid and weak." She twists her hands in frustration. "I knew better. That's what kills me every time I think about. Seren's warned me for years, ever since Hadley took off that I need to be careful. And I just forgot about that, forgot about everything she ever told me. And it's a mistake that would've killed me if she didn't come back."
"When was that?" Eric asked, controlling his need to shake her at the emotions coursing through them both. Even with a Seraph's counsel a twenty-five year old Fae/human is still no match for a century-and-a-half conniving vampire. One who'd made a name for himself both in cruelty and slaughter and as a procurer for a Queen.
"Three weeks ago." She answered. "And she immediately started cleaning up my mess. Turns out Mr. Southern Gentleman knew about my telepathy somehow and did some digging into my family. Might have even found out about me being Fae although we're not sure. He was going to bond with me and then take me to Sophie-Anne's court."
Eric growls at that. Doing such a thing is a direct violation of everything a bond means. It's supposed to be a declaration of protection and care not a tool to be exploited for foul intentions.
Laughing lightly Sookie rests her head against his hard chest. "That was Seren's response too. She wanted to stake them both and be done with it. But that's pretty much how she deals with problems. She takes them out. But…"
"You don't want her killing for you." He said recalling the overheard conversation from before the explosion.
"No, I don't." She whispers. "I love her and I worry for her. She's so much colder than she was. Whatever happened while she was gone changed her and not in a good way. Except…"
"Godric." He nods, knowing what she means. He's noticed a similar apathy coming from his Maker in recent years. "They're connected somehow. I think your guardian and my Maker just might save each other."
"I hope so," she snuggles farther into his chest as he presses a kiss to her hair. "I really hope so. They're both worth saving…I just want what's best for Seren and I think that it might be Godric."
Closing her eyes Sookie falls asleep in the arms of the badass Viking vampire that a week before she could barely tolerate. Despite how confusing everything has been and how much work there still is to get things figured out somehow she's never felt safer.
xXxXxXxXx
