A/N: Disclaimer All characters belong to Charlaine Harris, I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Here's the next update, hope you like it.


Chapter 8

SPOV

The slight click of a door closing was all the warning I received before Eric launched himself over the back of the sofa to join me.

"That's a great look you've got going on there. Got anything less conspicuous?" He said with a broad grin. I turned slowly to look him in the eye and said with as much seriousness as I could muster.

"As a matter of fact, I have." I grinned right back at him as I showed him my new trick. I'd spent the last half hour playing with my glow, trying to tone it down a bit. All I managed was to change the colour. So now instead of glowing a warm yellow I was glowing a cool blue. I'd also managed a pale green glow about 10 minutes before Eric came in the room.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Impressive"

"Yeah it would be even more impressive if I could turn it off. I can't go out in public like this, I think we should call Dr Ludwig" I whined.

"What were you doing when it started? That may give us some idea as to what this actually is." He waved his hand in the air indicating my current glow.

"I was making some phone calls; Mr C is coming over for dinner tomorrow at 7 by the way. And I was asking Sam about time off, I didn't really tell him anything as to why I wanted the time and he blew up at me about getting involved in vamp bullshit, you know, his usual MO. So I kinda lost my temper with him and basically told him he was being a hypocrite, as neither of us are exactly 100% human and both of us are part of the Supernatural world whether we liked it or not." I explained in a bit of a rush, although the next bit I said quietly while bracing myself for the rush of emotion at Eric finally getting his own way.

"I quit and hung up on him" A wide grin spread across Eric's face at my statement.

"I was gonna quit anyhow, now I have my trust fund and all. Plus with all the Supes that seem to constantly be after me, it's only a matter of time before any of the customers get caught in the cross fire. I tried to explain that to Sam but he was so far into his righteousness rant, that I don't think he really grasped that part of the conversation." I sighed, sadness washing over me at the thought of my lost friendship.

Eric's chuckle brought me out of my wallowing. "I think I understand what's making your glow change. It appears to be linked to your emotions, your anger triggered it and then when you got sad just now, your glow changed to a deep blue."

"Great I'm a god damn mood ring!" I huffed. "Best call the hobbit and see if she can fix me, I'd ring her myself but I smashed my phone." I knew I was taking my bad mood out on Eric but I couldn't help it, it was like a compulsion. Plus I could really do without Dr Ludwig's own brand of snark right now.

"We are going to have to work on your control issues I think. If you are not in control of your emotions who knows what your spark will unleash." He looked down at me kindly and pulled out his phone to call the small doctor. Not trusting my mouth not to say anything else I didn't really mean, I just nodded at his opinion of my behaviour.

I stayed quiet while Eric was on the phone with the doctor. I was trying not to call her a hobbit in my mind in case I ever slipped up and called it her to her face, shuddering at the thought. I tuned my mind back to their conversation, she said to rest, eat plenty and she'll get the fairy guide out to me tomorrow. Basically everything she said the night before. After he ended the call, Eric stood up and left the room. He came back a few minutes later with a chicken sandwich.

"You must eat Sookie. Your spark is consuming your body's energy stores; if you don't replenish them you will become ill." He smiled kindly as he handed over the plate.

"I know Eric; I don't know why I'm so snappy. I really don't mean to be, I'm sorry and thank you for making me something to eat." I wasn't particularly hungry but as soon as the sandwich reached my lips I felt ravenous and devoured the whole thing in just a few minutes.

"Did you eat at all today?" He laughed at my very unladylike display. I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the kitchen, that sandwich had certainly broke the dam on my appetite. "For you information, yes I did eat today. I'm sure it's just the glow causing me to be hungrier." I said over my shoulder as I rummaged in the fridge to find something else to eat. Pulling out sausage, bacon and eggs, I was in the mood for breakfast. No idea why but that's what my body craved so I went with it. Eric casually leaned against the counter and watched me cook.

When my food was ready I plonked myself down in the nearest chair and began to dig in. After a minute or two, I thought it was high time I got the ball rolling and started asking some questions.

"Eric?" I smiled sweetly.

"Yes Sookie"

"Do you think you could get my pad from the sitting room? I have a mountain of questions to ask you." Taking another bite of eggs, I watched him vamp out of the room and back again. I found myself thinking that would be a really useful gift to have. Not like this stupid glow I had going on right now.

Pointing at the pad I gestured for him to read my notes while I finished eating.

"Which point would you like me to answer first?" He asked, while he continued to read.

"Erm… I think my main worry is what we're going to do about me not being a human mind reader anymore. I mean we have to come up with some kind of story to spin to everyone." I was truly worried about what we would say and getting everyone to believe it. Finally he sighed and looked back up at me.

"Honestly Sookie, I'm hoping to use your recent torture as the main excuse and getting Dr Ludwig to collaborate with us, giving strength to our story. It'll take some work to tie up any loose ends, but it's certainly a topic for us to discuss with Mr Cataliades tomorrow." He smiled at me before he continued, "We will come up with something and I will protect you, I just need you to trust me."

Reaching over and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I trust you Eric, I just want to be part of any decisions that are made and I need to know how it is gonna effect my life."

Looking back down at the list he casually threw in one of his own questions, "what am I feeling right now?" Slightly taken aback by the randomness of his question, I did what he asked and searched out that part of Eric that lived forever in the back of my mind. I must have passed over it twice before I actually pinned it down, and only then did I get a slight buzz that let me know he was alive.

"I don't have an answer for you Eric, I can barely feel you." I replied honestly. "Can you feel me?" I searched his eyes for the truth and all I could see was worry. I hated seeing Eric worried; it was not a good look on him and made me nervous as hell.

He contemplated his answer before he spoke, "No lover, I cannot feel your emotions anymore, I get enough to know you are alive no more, no less. I'm not entirely sure I would be able to track you should you be taken either and this worries me no end."

I was shocked. If anyone succeeded in taking me, Eric might not be able to find me. My mind raced through several scenarios before I blurted out. "I'm not safe here; I need to get home Eric."

"We should be fine here Lover, only two others know the location of this safe house, it is well protected." He was trying to reassure me, but my mind was far into panic mode now. My survival instincts had kicked in and I knew I needed to be safely back within the fae wards around my house. Throwing out my mental net to scan the surroundings, it calmed me slightly to find nothing but us.

"We still need to leave; Niall put really strong wards around my house. We will be safer within them. The only thing is we can't talk freely there. I wish there was a way for us to keep prying eyes and ears out. Plus I'd like to sweep for bugs before we go back. So many Supes have been in my house, it could have been so easy to plant something to keep tract of me. I am such a valuable asset after all." I said bitterly.

"A bug sweep I can manage, you'd need to speak to a witch if you wanted a concealment spell though. I can get the same company that sweeps my office out to your house probably tonight, so we can get to your house before dawn."

As Eric left the room to make his call, I thought about maybe asking Amelia if she knew how to do a concealment spell. If she didn't, Octavia still owes me for staying at my house all those months. If there was one good thing to come out of thinking of myself as a Supe, it was not to take favours for granted. You never know when you need help in return.

I'd sat there for maybe twenty minutes thinking about if I should call the witches to help me, when I realised Eric hadn't come back yet. Lifting myself out of the chair, I started to head toward the door to find him, when I noticed he was in the doorway glaring at me. Shocked at the look he was giving me I was dumfounded when he tapped on the air in front of him like he was a mime. The air visibly rippled. I just gaped. His face relaxed and he raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued now he had my attention.

"Eric?"

His mouth moved but I couldn't hear him. Confused I tried again. "Eric, what's going on? I can't hear you."

A slight smirk spread across his lips, before he gestured he'd be back in a second. Vamping away, he returned with another pen and legal pad. I sighed, we were back to playing super spy. Scribbling furiously for several seconds, he held up the pad and I stepped closer to read what he had written.

Somehow it appears you have managed to create a partial concealment ward, not only can we not hear each other but I cannot reach you. I think it may be similar it to the magic that keeps vampires out of a human's home. Try inviting me in, before we ring Ludwig?

I really did expect it to work when I issued his invitation. I was mistaken, but I tried not to laugh as I watched Eric bounce on to his butt after being rebounded from the barrier. He appeared to sigh and pull out his phone again; presumably to call the doctor about this little conundrum we'd got ourselves into. He really was being a good sport about this; the closest he had gotten to being angry with me was when he said I needed to learn control. But I'd say he was chiding me rather than being truly angry. A simple solution broke through my musing seemingly from nowhere. I stepped forward, gaining Eric's attention in the process and lifted a hand towards the barrier. Whereas Eric's huge hand caused ripples, mine just passed through it like my sudden thought told me it would. Grabbing Eric's hand, he allowed me to pull him through the barrier which glowed softly as he passed. Taking the phone from him, I began speaking to the doctor.

"Short version; I have it under control now, I got Eric across. Can I give you the long version tomorrow when you bring the fae guide to meet me?" Agreeing to my request, I hung up and faced the amused vampire next to me.

"Just how do you have it under control Lover?" He smirked at me.

"It just came to me, I know what I did, how to get someone across and how to do it again. The thing that's really cooked my noodle is how easy it was to do. I wasn't even making a conscious effort or anything."

"Can I make an observation?" I nodded my consent and he continued with his train of thought, "You seem rather calm about all this. I'm surprised and I must confess a little unnerved by the fact that from my previous experiences with you, you would not be taking it so calmly. How did you so eloquently put it before? Ah yes, this is not your usual MO."

Rolling my eyes at him, I grabbed my purse and headed to the door, calling over my shoulder. "Come on then you big Viking, I need to get home and practice my rather convenient new trick. We've got the whole journey back to talk about it."


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