Disclaimer: All characters belong to Charlaine Harris.
A/N: I am so happy at the response this story has received. Not only am I getting really sweet reviews but I have people adding this story to their favorites, that just blows my mind. Many thanks to my Beta, Northwoman, without her, this chapter would be filled with about 50 unnecessary 'thats'. Yes, my addiction to the word 'that' is bad, very bad. Big thanks to my pre-reader Mazza666, I struggled with this chapter and she helped me get everything straight and back on course. I hope she doesn't mind me doing this but...CONGRATULATIONS! Her story 'Dark Side of the Light' reached over 1000 reviews today! She also posted the epilogue to her wonderful story so I'm sad it's come to an end, but I can't wait to see what she has in store for her readers next...
I woke up to the sound of bottles clinking in the distance. I was familiar with the sounds since I'd worked at a bar. Liquor bottles. . I looked at the bedside clock, 7:36 a.m. Hmm, Jason was hitting it a bit early, even for him. I can't say that I blamed him. He got some pretty big news the day before. I know if I'd had anything at the apartment after Eric and Pam left, I would have finished it off for sure. Not that it's right, but sometimes a numb mind is a good thing.
I was worried for Jason, none the less, so I got out of bed, put my robe over my Tweetie Bird pajamas and made my way into the kitchen. As soon as I opened my bedroom door, the smell of bacon hit my nose. Mmm, bacon. As wonderful as it smelled, I was pretty pissed at Jason for trying to fry bacon in an inebriated state. A grease fire is never a good way to start a day.
I picked up my pace but once I reached the kitchen, I halted in disbelief. There was Jason standing at the sink pouring out a bottle of Jose Cuervo. To his right were 5 or so bottles of various spirits with the lids removed and to his left was a trashcan. Bless his heart. Jase chucked the empty bottle of tequila into the trash and picked up the next in line and began to pour it out, too.
I walked up behind him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. I didn't say anything because really, this is his business and his demon. Truthfully, I was also afraid if I spoke I would break his resolve to finish the task. I started a pot of coffee since Jase gets his caffeine fix from Mt. Dew, and Mt. Dew in the morning is just plain yuck. I got my first look at the stove and was disappointed to see that it was bare. I looked around on the countertops and they were bare as well. I know I smelled bacon. I couldn't believe that Jase would fix breakfast for himself but not make any for me. Oh, well. I assumed he must have been in a fog and forgotten I was here. I went to the pantry to grab a box of cereal. Cookie Crisp? Really Jason, are you 5?
I sighed and reached for the offending box of sugar and artificial flavors when Jason stopped me.
"Your plate is in the oven, sis. You didn't actually think I'd forget your breakfast, did you?"
He shook his head as he pulled the plate out of the oven. I felt bad, I should have known better. I'd done the same thing for him countless times when he slept in. I don't know why it didn't dawn on me that he would do the same. I guess my brain was in a fog that morning too.
"Oops, sorry Jase. I wasn't thinking, I guess."
"S'okay, sister Sookie." He laughed at himself. He was such a dork at times.
I gave him a reassuring smile before I dug into the plate of goodness in front of me. Jason was a pretty good cook. He had learned from the best, just like I had. When we were younger, our Gran would let us help her in the kitchen to keep us from being 'under foot' as she used to say. Gran moved in with us when I was 3. She was my grandma on my daddy's side. As soon as she moved in, she took over the cooking duties since she was so good at it. I suspect it also had something to do with the fact that my mom wasn't so good at cooking but Gran never made her feel bad about it or anything. She just did it and took pleasure in seeing her family sit down together to enjoy a meal she prepared. My Gran passed in her sleep a year and a half before my parents died in the flood. I imagine she welcomed them to heaven with open arms and a pecan pie.
"Jase, these eggs are perfect, mmm, so good!" I barely had my words out before I shoveled in another forkful.
"Easy there, Sook. That plate ain't going anywhere." He made a pig noise. "The secret is evaporated milk. Regular milk makes eggs kind of watery but evaporated eggs make them creamy and fluffy. Just don't buy sweetened condensed milk by mistake. That just makes the eggs taste like shit."
His little egg spiel proved to be a mistake on his part. That was just a little too domestic for me to pass up an opportunity to harass him.
"Okay there, Rachael Ray, whatever you did worked because these eggs are pretty yummo."
I knew that got his goat. He hates Rachael Ray. Back before I moved out, I used to spend a majority of my time staring at the television. Since I wasn't really paying attention to what was on, I would just keep it on Food Network. Jason would try to hang out with me and keep me company but he could never sit through any of her shows. If he did manage, he would just mumble through it. It was usually something along the lines of 'Why does she bother saying EVOO? She just explains what it is half the time anyway." My favorite one was, 'She's too happy, I bet she mainlines Pixie Sticks."
"How dare you Sook! Everyone knows I'm more Paula Deen." He said, before returning to his bottle emptying task.
I rolled my eyes and resumed eating the creamy, yet fluffy eggs with gusto. So far the morning was going pretty darn good, great actually. I suppressed the nagging feelings of doom that had a way of creeping into my mind when things are going too well. Not that I hadn't been given mighty good reasons to feel that way. But I was trying to change my attitude, so negative thoughts had no place in my mind anymore.
Jason left for work, we never discussed what he did that morning, it just wasn't necessary. I knew he was just as determined as I was to change our courses for the better and I had faith in him, like I knew he had in me. Jason isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but he is just about the best big brother a girl could have.
I spent a good part of the day organizing the mess that my stuff had created in the house. By the time I finished, it looked pretty good if not a bit too cluttered. I was hot and sweaty and entertaining thoughts of a hot shower when my phone rang. I debated ignoring it but I knew I couldn't avoid the call forever so I reined in my temper and answered.
"Hello."
"What the hell, Sookie! What did you go and move out for?"
Sam was angry, and I was angry at him for having the nerve to be angry at me. I really wanted to tell him where he could shove his phone, instead I went with neutral and to the point in my reply.
"I moved because I no longer wanted to live there. And while I have you on the phone I'll tell you now, I won't be back to the bar. I am sorry for the short notice but I am sure you can find a replacement soon."
"That's not what I wanted at all, you don't have to move. And you always have a job at the bar."
"Look, I didn't base my decision on what you want. I meant what I said, I don't want to see you again and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't contact me, ever. I think we're done here."
"You don't know what you are getting yourself into, Sookie. You don't know Eric. He's a killer."
I should have hung up but I felt like it was my duty to defend Eric. I'd realized the night before that I was judging Eric and Pam pretty harshly at times just because they were vampires. I still hated Pam, I couldn't help it, but I saw that Eric wasn't so terribly different than he had been. He could feel, he could reason, and he knew the difference between right and wrong.
"Stop being a bigot, Sam. You of all people should understand being different. Eric is not a killer. He drinks blood but that doesn't mean that he's killed anyone he's fed from!"
I wasn't actually 100% positive about my last statement. But I just couldn't imagine Eric, vampire or not, killing anyone.
"That's where you are wrong. He has killed and he will kill again."
"What makes you so damn sure Sam?"
"I'm so damn sure because he's killed at least one shifter that I knew personally. Sookie, you need to forget Eric. Get your head out of your ass and listen to the facts. Pam is ruthless but she doesn't like blood on her hands, that's why she's got Eric."
My head was spinning. It couldn't be true.
"But Eric would never do that. You're wrong, you have him mixed up with someone else."
"God, Sookie you are so fucking naïve. You don't believe me? Fine, but your stubbornness is going to get you killed."
With that Sam hung up.
I needed to talk to Eric but it was still light outside. Plus, I had no idea how to contact him. I can't believe I forgot to get his cell number from him. Not being able to ask him was going to gnaw at me until it opened a big ol' gaping hole of doubt. If you asked me before I talked with Sam if Eric and I could make it work, I would have said 100% yes. But now I wasn't so sure. I hoped Sam was wrong but if he wasn't… I just couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of Eric as a killer. I kept telling myself that there were two sides to every story and that I owed it to Eric to hear his side of things. He'd said he'd done 'deplorable' things. Is that what he meant? Was he some sort of assassin for Pam or something? Maybe the people he killed were bad, or maybe he had to do it to protect Pam. I couldn't believe I was trying to justify the idea of Eric killing anyone. Maybe Sam was right, maybe I was naïve.
To try to get my mind off of things I went to get the mail for Jason. There wasn't much in the way of good browsing material; I was hoping for a Pottery Barn catalogue or something but there weren't any. There was one interesting envelope addressed to Jason that I had an urge to open for him but I didn't. I took the mail into the house and put the stack of bills and such on the kitchen table with the strange envelope on top.
I finally took a shower to clean off the day's worth of dirt and sweat. I didn't have any plans for the evening so I put on some comfy lounging clothes, which for me meant stretchy yoga pants and a t-shirt. Thinking I might try to watch a movie, I went searching for Jason to see if he'd made it home from work and wanted to join me. I found him in the kitchen looking at the mystery envelope.
"Are you thinking it is going to open itself?" I asked.
"I have a weird feeling about it, Sook. You open it."
Umm, okay. That was different. His hesitance made me feel weird about the mystery envelope and suddenly I wasn't so keen on opening it either. I took it anyway because my curiosity got the best of me. I just hoped I wouldn't end up like the proverbial curious cat.
Inside was a beautiful handwritten invitation. The calligraphy was perfect and the whole thing looked very important. I carefully read what it said and to be sure, I read it again. My heart sank. I threw the card on the table. Jason was chomping at the bit to know what it said, but he still refused to read it himself so I was forced to say it out loud.
"Well?"
"There is a new club opening in Shreveport, you've been invited to the Grand Opening this Friday."
Jason sighed in relief. I'm glad he felt better but it didn't help my state of morose at all.
"That's not bad at all. In fact, it sounds like fun."
He wasn't scared of the card anymore so he picked it up for himself and read through the details. It took him a while for the information to sink in. When he finally looked at me I could tell he knew why I was so upset. He seemed to be suffering from a loss of vocal ability so he put his hand on mine and gave it a squeeze.
Jason had been invited to the grand opening of the first vampire bar in Shreveport, LA, called Fangtasia. The name was incredibly stupid and I was positive they must've hired the same marketing company as TruBlood to come up with something that lame. I bet they even invited Felipe de Castro, smarmy mustache and all, to the opening to elevate the lame factor. It wasn't the stupid name of the club that had me so upset, though.
You are cordially invited to the Grand Opening of the first Vampire Club in Shreveport,
Fangtasia
Friday at 8pm
Dress to impress
As an honored guest, owners Pamela Ravenscroft and Eric Northman
look forward to celebrating their achievement with you.
I couldn't believe it. Eric had gone into business with Pam. That was our dream. Just when I thought Pam couldn't take anything else from me she did. What was she going to do next, have our baby too? It was really starting to anger me that Eric was so enamored of her. She was horrible and selfish but he seemed to look up to her. I didn't understand but then Eric hadn't lost out, since he was opening the club he'd always wanted. To say I was bitter was an understatement.
I figured a similar invitation sat in my mailbox at the apartment so Jason and I went to check. On the way Jason stayed silent but kept doing that annoying inhale thing that people do when they are about to speak. Except he never said anything, it was grating on my nerves so I took the initiative.
"Just say whatever it is you have to say, Jason."
"I was just thinking about you being upset with Eric for owning the bar with that Pam lady."
"Yeah, I am." I said.
"But, I think maybe you shouldn't be so hard on Eric. 'Cause if Pam is like you say maybe she forced him."
"I don't know if that makes a difference."
"Why not? He's like a kid vampire right? So I was thinking it would be like if you got mad at a kid because their mom made them do something."
"Yeah, I guess. I don't know, that seems like a silly excuse. Eric is a grown man."
"Not really, Sookie. He's a vampire. I think… I think you need to stop trying to make him human again."
Huh, was that what I was trying to do? I didn't think so. I knew he wasn't human and I had accepted it. I was moving forward, or at least I thought I was. I guess I did spend an awful lot of time comparing and trying to find more and more things that made him like he used to be. I don't know. I had never been so confused. I wished there was someone I could talk to for advice. Someone that this had happened to before, but, according to Eric, relationships like we were going to try to have are rare. It made me wonder how many vampires had never seen their former loves again. That thought made me sad for them. I bet being a vampire is so lonely.
I had an invitation of my own but mine was personalized, by Pam. It was exactly the same as Jason's but written in a frilly script that I could only describe as ultra feminine.
It read:
Sookie,
You will attend, and you will dress nice.
You will be representing Eric and I, as Eric's escort.
If you embarrass us, it will not bode well for you.
Regards,
Pamela Ravenscroft
I couldn't believe the nerve of that woman, had she no shame? I was livid, maybe I didn't want to go to the damn grand opening. I certainly didn't like the idea of celebrating the opening of what was supposed to be my business with Eric. Not that Eric and I would have opened a vampire bar, but still. The cherry on top of the whole freakin' thing was the not so thinly veiled threat. 'It will not bode well for you.' I even hated the way snotty way she talked.
Even so, I wanted to see Eric. I knew without her demand I probably would have ended up going on my own. Now I would be Eric's escort. The idea filled me with anticipation and dread.
8888
I received the invite on Tuesday and the party was Friday. I'd hoped to see Eric before then so I could talk to him about the opening, among other things. I wanted to know how he ended up in business with his vampire mom. Plus I really needed to get to the bottom of the whole 'Eric as a homicidal maniac' persona that Sam had somewhat successfully planted in my mind. Not to mention what he had been up to the past two years, sex wise. The more I thought about all the things that might have been going on over the last two years, the more upset I became. I was a nervous wreck and only Eric would be able to make me feel better.
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings passed with no word from Eric. I had a bad feeling that the next time I saw him would be Friday night at Fangtasia. That certainly didn't sit well with me. Talk about an awkward night. And Pam would be there too, just hovering and eavesdropping, or worse yet, standing between Eric and me, the entire night. Somehow I didn't put it past her to do something like that and I didn't want, or need, a chaperone.
There was a knock on Jason's door midmorning Thursday. Jase was at work so I answered. At the door was a short, rather snooty looking, blond man with a smirk on his face.
"Ms. Stackhouse?" He asked.
"It's Mrs. Northman." I corrected, I hadn't been called Ms. Stackhouse in years.
I disliked the man, immediately.
"I am confused. I have a package for one Ms. Stackhouse, you fit the description I was given." He said, leering at my chest.
"Stackhouse is my maiden name." I said, not trying to hide my annoyance.
The man seemed confused for a second before a look of recognition dawned on his face.
"Yes, I see, in that case, my name is Robert Burnum, I work for Pamela Ravencroft. I have a package for you."
My interest was piqued, for sure. He handed me the box, and I begrudgingly accepted it. I didn't want anything from that woman except my man back.
"Well, thanks I guess."
"It is an honor to receive a gift from Pamela Ravenscroft. You should be more thankful." He said, scolding me like a child.
Oooookay, the man's jerk factor jumped ten-fold. His voice when he spoke about Pam had an undeniable hero worship to it, or worse, deity worship. One thing was sure, this Robert Burnum fella was an asshole.
"Whatever you say." I replied, not in the mood to argue with the weird man on Jason's porch.
I rudely closed the door on the boob staring asshole, ignoring my upbringing, and took the offending box to the couch. I brought it to my ear, checking for any ticking or other tell-tale sounds of possible bombs. I didn't really think I would hear anything, but hey you never know.
I unwrapped the package carefully, once inside I removed the tissue to discover a dress, a rather beautiful dress, in fact. I was pleasantly surprised, if not still guarded. Under the dress lay a matching clutch and heels. As I looked over the gifts I noticed an envelope that had fallen to the ground. My temper flared, remembering the last note I'd received from Pam. This one didn't disappoint.
Sookie,
I could not leave it to your judgment to dress appropriately.
Wear this dress and accessories to the Grand Opening.
Regards, Pamela
I was beyond mad and extremely insulted. It was obvious this woman thought very little of me. In truth, I didn't really care what she thought, but no one wants to be treated like an idiot. I was perfectly capable of dressing myself to go to a bar. I'd planned on wearing one of Eric's favorite dresses of mine, the white one with red flowers. I contemplated wearing it anyway, and to hell with Pam. That is until I looked at the dress she sent again.
It was a light silvery gray color strapless with a snug fitting bodice. The skirt had a series of tiers made out of soft tulle that draped perfectly to a few inches above my knees. It wasn't poofy or too girly but it didn't say 'I'm at a vampire bar' either. It was elegant and feminine and matched the clutch and pumps perfectly. After I tried the dress on, I realized it was the way to go.
I hated to admit it but Pam had good taste. As mad as I was at her high-handedness, I couldn't help feeling relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about wearing something inappropriate. The more I thought about my white dress, the more I decided it screamed 'vampire bait' and might make a better choice for a one on one evening with Eric.
I put the dress away and went to clean the kitchen. Cleaning helped me relax, which I needed to do desperately. My mind was swirling and none of the thoughts were comforting. Every time I thought about Eric, I would get a feeling in my stomach, and not the good kind. Gone were the butterflies and excitement at the idea of us being together, the feeling I had now was more like I had swallowed a boulder. My mouth was in a constant state of watering. That could only mean one thing, at some point I was going to vomit. In some ways, the way I felt now was worse than after Eric had died.
I never, ever had any doubts about Eric before, when he was human. I felt guilty at doubting our future, but so many things pointed to this being a bad idea. How in the world could I love a vampire, especially one with Pam as a maker? She controlled him like her puppet, that much was obvious and I sure as hell didn't want to be her puppet too.
In the end, I did throw up. The tension in my body had been too much for me to handle. Afterwards I felt a bit better but I decided the only way to make my mind stop was to take a nap. I took a Xanax and lay down, it didn't escape my attention that it was the second time I turned to pills to keep my mind off of the situation. Was I running from the situation, from my feelings? Yes. Did I care enough to throw the bottle of pills away? No.
Jason shook me awake a few hours later.
"Sook, that Pam woman is at the door." Jason said, his fear evident.
"Ok, tell her I'll be right there. Don't invite her in or even look her in the face for that matter."
So far, neither vampire had been able to glamour me but I didn't know if Jason was immune as well. Luckily for me Jason didn't argue. He didn't like for me to tell him what to do but under the circumstances he must have felt like I was some sort of authority on vampires and just took my word for it.
I splashed some water on my face and fixed my pony tail. I looked at my clothes, sweat pants and a Bon Temps high school tee-shirt, oh well, it would have to do.
I found Pam sitting on the porch swing. She was dressed to the nines, of course. She wore a fitted, button up shirt tucked into a pencil skirt, she accessorized with a wide leather belt and matching pumps. She exuded sex appeal and death, what a combination. I took in my outfit one more time and sighed.
"What can I do for you, Pam?" I asked.
"I need to speak with you about Eric." She replied.
Her tone scared me, she sounded determined and I just knew that she had changed her mind about me seeing Eric. Well, she had another thing coming if she thought that would be the end of things. I might not be too sure if things would work right now but I sure as hell wasn't going to let her make that decision for me and Eric.
She patted the space next to her on the swing. I really didn't want to sit next to the mistress of death but I didn't have a choice since that was the only other place to sit on the porch. I sat next to her but I placed my back against the side railing so I could face her more directly. I also pulled my knee up into the swing between us. Not that it would make a difference if she wanted to grab me but it made me feel slightly better about our seating arrangement.
"Is everything ok?" I asked, dubiously.
"No Sookie, everything is not ok, as you say. My child is in love with a blood bag." The words dripping off her tongue like venom.
Her words stung. Her disappointment rolled off of her in waves. She was upset that her child could love something that only amounted to dinner to her. But she had no idea what Eric and I had before she came along.
All of my feelings; the confusion, the anger, the hurt, the loss, rushed to the surface and try as I might to keep them smushed down inside they spewed forth from my lips.
"A blood bag! I am not a blood bag! I am human and so was Eric before you came along. What we had was perfect, and you took it! You murdered my husband and turned him into some sort of slave to you. Of course he loves me, we are soul mates, we were always meant to be together and you will never come between us!" I yelled, fury burning behind my eyes.
If I'd had a stake, I would have lunged for her in that moment. I would have killed her and that would have been the end of it and Eric would be mine again, fully. But I didn't have a stake, or the reflexes to move even one centimeter away from Pam before she had me pinned against the outside of the house by my shoulders.
"It appears you don't want to live, let alone see Eric again, if you think you can talk to me like that. I suggest you reign in your emotions, human. It would give me great pleasure to kill you for the disrespect you have shown me."
She let me down, adrenaline the only thing keeping me from falling to my knees. I was terrified but still determined. If it was my fate to die on that night then I would regardless of my words to her.
"Then why don't you? Why not kill me if you despise me being with Eric so much?"
"It is not my wish to cause Eric grief. But make no mistake, Eric's love for you is not a free pass.
I will kill you if necessary."
She didn't wish to cause Eric grief? Did she care for Eric? I found it hard to believe she had a caring bone in her body. I believed her when she said that she would kill me if she needed to and I didn't want to die by her hands. So I went against my grain and made the decision to do as she said and reign in my emotions, for the moment at least
More than ever I couldn't see how a relationship with Eric would work with Pam calling all the shots. With my new resolve, I dared to ask another question, and this one was a biggie.
"So what now?" I asked.
"You surprise me, Sookie. I thought I would have you running for the hills by now." She raised an eyebrow to me.
"I'm not a quitter."
"That pleases me. You will need your determination if you are to be Eric's paramour."
"I am more than his paramour, Pam. I am his wife."
I kept the anger out of my words and simply stated them as fact.
"In your heart only, Sookie, when he became vampire, you ceased to be married."
If she was baiting me I wasn't going to fall for it.
"So what now?" I asked again.
"Now you listen to me and keep that pretty mouth of yours closed." She smirked. "I have decided, for now at least, to allow Eric to see you in a personal capacity. However there are rules you must follow. I have already spoken to Eric and he has agreed in order to see you again."
I felt a little bit better knowing that Eric had already agreed to whatever it was that she was going to say. I didn't like the idea of rules for me and Eric, but I would at least listen before I made any judgments.
Pam continued. "First and foremost, Eric's top priority will always be vampires, or more precisely, me. You and your needs will always come second."
My chest tightened. I had always placed Eric first in my life and he had done the same for me. I couldn't imagine him agreeing to that. I forced myself to remain silent.
"Furthermore, when in the presence of other vampires you will appear as Eric's pet."
I bristled. I'd had enough, there was no way I was going to be Eric's pet. The idea sounded horrible to me even if I didn't know all the details. I didn't have to know them to know I wouldn't do it. I started to speak but Pam stopped me.
"Don't do it, Sookie. Listen to me before you make a mistake."
I bit my lip and nodded.
"You are not a pet in any sense to Eric. He loves you and respects you. This is for appearances sake only. Vampires do not respect others that hold humans in high regard. If others knew of your true relationship, it would be dangerous to Eric. He would appear weak, and in turn I might appear weak for allowing such a relationship. I cannot allow this.
"You share a last name so we will not keep your previous relationship a secret but it will appear that you have simply accepted your place as Eric's human. I think it's best that way.
"Protocol dictates that while in the presence of others you are not to look vampires in the eye which includes Eric. You must never speak unless spoken to first and you never walk in front of Eric or otherwise turn your back on him. Also, you must call me mistress and Eric, master.
"As Eric's maker you will show reverence to me, even in private. I will not put up with insolence and I will demand that Eric punish you if you disrespect me. However when no one else is present, humans included, you may call me Pam. Consider it an honor."
I stifled an eye roll. Pam was really too much. I had never met anyone so self absorbed.
"I believe that is enough information for now."
Pam started to walk towards her car and I followed. She turned towards me once she reached her vehicle.
"So the decision is yours, Sookie. If you can handle this and want to be with Eric, I expect you to arrive tomorrow ready to comply fully. If you do not feel it is something that you can do then simply stay home tomorrow. Personally, I'm not convinced you can do it but Eric has placed his faith in you."
I stopped Pam before she opened her car door. I couldn't believe what I was about to do, I swallowed my pride and even though I felt all kinds of nasty doing it, I spoke.
"Thank you for the dress, Pam. It is lovely." I smiled, albeit weakly.
Her expression softened. "You're welcome, Sookie. You know, I understand your apprehension. This situation isn't ideal for any of us but I have those I have to protect. I hope you decide to attend tomorrow… for Eric."
Pam climbed into her vehicle and left without another word. I was surprised by her admission and her sincerity. Hearing her speak of protecting people and her obvious concern for Eric placed a tiny seed in my mind that maybe she wasn't as bad as she seemed. Maybe.
I went back inside to contemplate my next move. I had to decide if I could live with the 'rules' that Pam put in place in order for me to see Eric. I had about 24 hours to decide and a lot of thinking to do.
No Eric in this chapter, I'm really sorry, but I couldn't just squeeze him in there gratuitously could I? I promise Eric is all over chapter 8. Until then, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on this chapter, even if it did depress you (Sorry AoifeNZ, I'm trying, I swear!)
