Chapter 7

Half an hour into the ride George still hadn't spoken. I had spent some time studying the interior of the car; it was obviously top of the range and made me feel very underdressed. I had pondered over this evenings events so far and was at a loss as to what Eric was up to. I couldn't understand why he would send someone else to pick me up and why he would not tell me ahead of time. I tried to remind myself that Eric wasn't used to sharing information, he lived in a world where his word was law and his underlings just followed blindly.

"Urm, George? Where are we going? Will it be much longer?" The silence was becoming uncomfortable.

"I'm afraid I have been instructed not to tell you where we are going. Are you in need of the bathroom?" I assumed it was Eric orchestrating this little trip, so maybe everyone avoiding my questions was on his orders.

"No I'm fine, just curious." It was nice he was thinking of possible needs, most vampires tended to forget things like bathroom breaks.

"I can tell you it won't be much longer."

"Have you been in area 5 long?" I thought it might be a bit rude to ask where he came from but maybe this question might open up a conversation.

"Not too long." As with most vampires George didn't seem to elaborate. His answer was short and sweet and to the point but it made conversing with him difficult.

"Do you like the area? I have lived here all my life and have never really travelled so this is all I know." In my effort to try and get George talking I was starting to ramble.

"It is as good as any other area. The Sheriff is fair and the work is not difficult, it will do for a time."

"I have heard Eric described that way before. Can I ask what it is that you do?" I know he was acting as chauffeur at the moment but I didn't want to upset him by assuming that was his main role if he did something more important.

"I am settling in, at the moment the Sheriff is deciding where to use my skills to be most effective." George was starting to be a little less formal and was becoming easier to talk to. I was dying to ask what his particular skills were but I couldn't think of a polite way to ask. I was about to open my mouth to ask another question when George stopped the car.

George opened my door and I scooted over and climbed out, in a very old fashioned gesture George held out his hand to help me. I took his hand and stood up. I looked around to find I was at a private airfield in Shreveport. I had travelled from here before when we went to Rhodes. I hope today's trip will be less stressful. There was a bubble of excitement brewing in my stomach. I was anticipating Eric's arrival. I knew I would feel calmer once we were together. I was getting used to the bond and the rush of feelings I would get whenever Eric came near, I still had a little doubt in the back of my mind that our relationship might be based on the bond rather than true feelings. I had thought this situation through many, many times. I had started to develop feelings for Eric before the bond was sealed, I knew when he was cursed and stayed with me that I could have fallen for him big time. I had to lock away all those feelings when the curse was broken and he had no memory of our time together. I had spent many weeks grieving for the relationship we could have had. I missed my Eric and I also missed the banter we had shared before the curse. Eric knew something had happened and it bugged him not knowing. He had kept his distance from me and that had hurt. We had come together in the end and we were working towards a relationship we could both be happy with. It wasn't easy but according to the advice columns all relationships have their issues.

George ushered me across to a waiting plane. It wasn't big but it was flash. It was a lovely cream colour with gold trim running from nose to tail. The door was open with little steps resting on the ground. I felt out of my depth. I was a simple girl from a simple town; this was so far from my normal life it felt like a dream. I was also worried that Eric still hadn't appeared, if this was all down to him why was he not here to enjoy it. It was worrying that he hadn't even called me; I looked at George and asked.

"You said you were taking me to Eric, so where is he?" I smiled to try not to seem rude.

"Do not worry Mrs Northman; we are on our way to meet with the Sheriff." He held out his hand toward the open door "After you."

I gently put my foot on the first step, not wanting my boots to clomp and make me even more ungainly. I was greeted by an attractive young woman in her early twenties. She wore her hair tied up in a very tight bun at the nape of her neck, she was wearing more make up than was needed at her tender age but it was flawless. Her uniform was colour coordinated with the plane; she was wearing a brown skirt to just below the knee with brown pumps to match and a tailored cream shirt with gold trim around the collar and sleeves. She stood to the side with a warm smile. I gave a quick scan to determine who or what was in and around the plane and discovered the stewardess was a were of some kind. There was someone in the cockpit but the brain signature was one I had only come across a few times. It was daemon; I wondered what kind but then thought it might be better not to know. The void that was George was directly behind me and there were two more voids (vampires) outside, I could pick up the faint hum of a human brain but they were too far away for me to really read. With that done I smiled back at the stewardess, not quite a genuine smile but not my crazy smile either.

"Good evening Mrs Northman, my name is Natalie and I'll be flying with you this evening. If you would follow me please." She turned and showed me to a collection of four huge seats, two facing two with a slim table between them. I had not travelled much by plane but I had never seen seats so big before, even in films or on the telly. Vampires sure did like to travel in style.

"This is your seat and Mr Heart will be seated opposite and I'll be just up there for takeoff but please don't hesitate to ask for anything. If you wouldn't mind being seated and fastening you seat belt for takeoff, we'll be airborne before you know it." I was getting little flashes from Natalie's mind, this was only her second flight and the first was a disaster. She had been given a warning already. She had spilt a drink on a very important statesman. I felt sorry for her because she was desperately trying to concentrate and be warm and friendly at the same time. She wanted to be professional and prove to her employers she could do this job. I smiled and thanked her and she moved to one side so George could sit opposite. So George was Mr Heart, I had wondered if I would be sat with a stranger.

"Mrs Northman would you like a hard candy to suck on for takeoff to try and help with your ears popping?" Natalie held out a tin of brightly colour cubes that were dusted with extra fine sugar.

"Oh, thank you Natalie that would be lovely, when do we take off?" I picked a pink one hoping it would be strawberry flavour but found it tasted like cherry, not my favourite but it was okay.

"We will taxi out on to the runway and be in the air in no time" She beamed at me and walked down the aisle to her seat by the door. I was surprised there was no safety demonstration but maybe they didn't need to on such a small plane.

I was looking out of the window as we turned on the runway and waited. I was starting to get jittery as I wasn't use to flying it made me a little nervous. I gripped the arms of the seat as we started to accelerate. I got a funny feeling in my tummy, like you get when an elevator goes down. We were in the air. I eased my grip of the arm rests and went back to looking out the window.

"Do you not like to fly?" George was watching me with interest.

"I don't do alot of flying so I'm just not use to it."

"It is a very efficient way to travel." George was looking distant as if he was remembering a time before planes. Who knows he might have known a time before trains and cars too.

"It's quick and easy if you have the money" I could have kicked myself! What I said was true but it made me sound like I was dirt poor.

"Everything has its price."

George and I fell silent for a time and Natalie came back up the aisle to see if we wanted anything to drink. I could feel the panic in her brain and thought I would not make her suffer so I said "No thank you I'm fine for now." I saw the relief flood her face before she snapped her smile back in place.

All this silence gave me plenty of time to think. I was surprised at myself for going along with tonight. I still wasn't sure what was going on with the vampire's, I know Victor would always be a constant problem until he met his final death, but both Eric and Pam were doing and saying things out of character. My life seemed to be a spiral of trouble, danger, secrets and half truths. There were so many things happening around me at the moment that I didn't know the full details of. Alcide was up to something, Sam was acting weird towards me, Dermot and Claude were trying to teach me about my fae heritage and then there was Bill. His behaviour in the bar was suspicious but I was reluctant to think it could be anything to endanger me.

We were on the plane for quite a while before Natalie came and asked us to refasten out belts for landing. I was trying to think about my old geography class and trying to work out how far we could have travelled. I must have been pulling a funny face while I concentrated as George felt the need to ask if I was okay more than once. The landing was smooth and painless, we taxied into a hanger and Natalie opened the door and lowered the steps. As we were leaving the plane I was enveloped by a very familiar feeling that made me concentrate with all my might. I could feel Eric; he was close and getting closer every second. Without even realising it I was making my way across the hanger to the huge open doors with my face hurting from grinning so wide. In the darkness the light from the runway seemed so bright, I could see a silhouette walking towards me and instantly knew it was my Viking. I stopped dead and held my breath; he carried on toward me till he was barely a foot away. I looked into his deep blue eyes, I ran my gaze up and down his full height unconsciously checking for any damage. There was still alot of unexplained goings on that had me worried. He took the extra step and I was in his arms, engulfed in his presence. He held me a long time just gently running his hands up and down my back. I pushed away enough to be able to look at him and then he kissed me, and boy was it a kiss! The longer the kiss lasted the more I lost myself in the moment, I was absentmindedly running my hands over his shoulder and through his hair and pulling myself as close to him as I could possibly get. I could feel his excitement at my closeness and in my excitement I pressed my hips into him. He groaned and broke off the kiss leaning down to my ear to whisper.

"Lover I don't think you want to continue as we have an audience." He raised his head and nodded towards George. I went bright red and hid my head in Eric's chest. He laughed at my embarrassment and hugged me close as he guided us back towards a waiting car. This one was white and huge. It was some kind of 4x4, the kind you need for off roading but usually seen being driven by posh mums running their kids to school.

Eric helped me up into the passenger seat, I was glad as I was not sure I could get up that high without making a fool of myself. He walked around the front of the car and said a few words to George then got in the driver's side. We pulled out of the airfield and onto the high way. I was feeling a great mixture of emotions, calm and at ease but curious as to where we were. I felt a twinge of anger about how Eric had orchestrated this evening and frustration at the delight I took at being in his company. I decided to start asking questions. Now he was with me and we were alone I might be able to get some straight answers, but knowing Eric I doubted it.

"Eric, I know you're up to something, and I'm hoping it's something pleasant but please tell me what's going on and where are we? I don't like being kept in the dark" I could feel my voice tighten as my frustration and anger bubbled just below the surface. I didn't want to ruin whatever Eric had planned but I was also reaching the end of my tolerance for being out of the loop.

"Sookie do you trust me?" He didn't look directly at me but I could tell he was glancing out the corner of his eyes. "I have told you that you are one of only two people I trust, I would never do anything to intentionally put you in harm's way."

"I know that and I appreciate it greatly. I do trust you but even you have to admit that you never fully disclose everything." I was picking my words carefully, I didn't want to upset Eric but I also wanted to make my point.

"You would not want to know about everything in my life; I have tried to include you. In the past we have not always been as close as we are now, I am trying to find the balance with what you want and what you need from me." I could see this was costing Eric, he was a proud man. It was obvious to me that he was trying very hard to think of me. It made me soften slightly.

"I know this is a work in progress, we need to talk more" At the look on his face I rushed to add "It doesn't need to be heavy and in-depth but we need to spend more time together just chatting. It would be nice to catch up on each other's day. Normal couple stuff." I giggled at the idea of our relationship being normal. A Viking vampire and a telepathic bar maid!

"Yes you are right; we need to spend more time with one another. This is the purpose of our trip. Three uninterrupted days for us to cement our relationship and maybe some become stronger together" He made it sound like we were going to one of those relationship counselling retreats.

"Are you going to answer my questions?" I had noticed he managed to deflect the conversation to avoid the subject of where we were, and what's been going on.

"You will have your answers, I promise. Can you wait till we get settled?" He looked at me with those piercing sapphire eyes. He raised one eyebrow and raised my hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back. He relaxed his grip and I turned my hand to cradle the side of his head and he closed his eyes for a second. As I pulled my hand away he kissed my palm. "We are nearly there."