To my devoted readers, I apologize for making you wait this long for an update. There's absolutely no good excuse for this late update. Life got in the way and has lead me to exhaustion and no time to write. So I finally got something through to all three stories. I hope you enjoy them. Thank you for your support, patience, comments, favorites, and followers. Hugs and Kisses.

Characters belong to Charlene Harris and Alan Ball.

Chapter 9

Sookie went through the house looking for any of the beautiful paintings she can find. Something for Godric and for anyone else who is living in a horrible living situation within their paintings. Unfortunately she couldn't find anything. Her Gran as well as Mr. Edgington must have used every available painting that was in the house from their battle. Any other painting that was left over, Sookie considered them not interesting or uninhabitable. She was going to have to use Eric's credit card to buy paintings.

'This might actually be good' she thought sense she never went into town yet after the move. She grabbed her keys and Eric's credit card. As she went out the door, she gave Eric one last look at his painting. He just sat there and staring at her with no emotion. Sookie went out with a huff for she still had no idea about what's going on with his attitude.

She went into a Michaels arts and crafts store for some beautiful copy-cat paintings. As she was looking, her own thoughts about Eric were making her feel agitated. In fact it was making her talk to herself while she was in the store "What did he expect me to do with Officer Compton?! Say no, you can't come in? Let's raise more suspicions shall we?! What should have I done? Tell him the truth? Yeah I'll tell Mr. Compton that he was right on target about the whole thing about saying the incantation and Mr. Northman comes to life at night. That would put me in the psych ward." Some people were looking at her strangely for her little private outbursts. Which Sookie noticed with their staring. She then just kept her mouth shut with a little bit of embarrassment as she continued her searching for lovely background paintings.

Several paintings contained a beautiful log cabin in the country somewhere in the winter, others were on the beach, or enchanting fairy-like gardens. Sookie thought these would be good replacements for the horrible paintings. She gathered at least ten paintings, just in case they needed extra. This was a feeling that was in her stomach, like a gut feeling. As if someone was telling her she'll need extra.

When she was finishing shopping...she stopped...she paused...and looked around. Sookie could swear someone was watching her. There was no one that caught her eye, that gave her that 'being watched' feeling. She continued to move to go to the register. She walked cautiously and slowly as she was carrying some of the paintings. Now she felt like someone was behind her. Sookie turned her head quickly...still there was no one.

"Ms?" Sookie jumped as a sales associate came by. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's alright...I'm just very jumpy today." Sookie took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself.

"Do you need extra hands?" the sales associate noticed the gathering of paintings that Sookie wanted to bring home.

"Yes. I realized that I can carry only four paintings."

"No problem." The sales associate gathered some of the paintings and asked another associate to get the rest. "You have a thing for paintings I see. Are you an artist?"

"Nope, just needed some different decorations for the house." For a couple of minutes Sookie thought that feeling she had earlier was probably the sales associate with the exception of the creepy feeling she had. The feeling she had was a sense of danger and threat. Even though there was nothing there or out of the ordinary. She even tried to see if there were portrait paintings that captured someone. There was none.

"Thank you Ms. for shopping. I'll help you get these in your car."

"Thank You." Sookie said as she nodded.

As all of the paintings were in the car, that horrible feeling came up again. Sookie looked around for the threat. There were people walking by, in and out of the store. There was no way for her to pin point out who is giving her the creepy feeling. Maybe she was feeling paranoid? She needed to talk to Eric about that. Maybe he can calm her nerves. She drove off wanting to get home looking through the mirror making sure she wasn't being followed.

Sookie's paranoia was gone when she reached the gates of Northman Manor. Four at a time, she brought the paintings into the house. The sun was setting which Sookie immediately said the incantation of Eric's painting so he can come out immediately.

When the sun's light finally disappeared, the magic brought Eric out. Sookie actually watched the magic dust form a body and the image of Eric is gone from the painting. When Eric was completed, Sookie felt relief and relaxation take over. He was here. There's no harm coming to her. She felt secure when she's around him.

Eric gave off a little smile. "I thought you were angry with me?"

Sookie was so focused on what happened today that she forgot about how pissed she was at Eric for his attitude. "Oh...well...I still am." Eric arched his eyebrow in doubt. "A little bit, but something happened today."

"Other than a lovely visit from Officer Compton?" he said sarcastically.

"Eric! What was I supposed to do? Not let him in? That'll create more suspicions."

"You had the right idea to let him darling, but flirting with him was not."

"I wasn't flirting with him! He came on to me!"

"But you liked it!" Eric countered.

"Why should that matter? It's not like we're going out or anything right? It's almost like you're jealous." Eric didn't want to give away his feelings for her. For the reasons he doesn't reveal his true emotion, fear of rejection and the responsibility of him being her mentor.

"I'm not jealous, I just want you to be more careful with people around here. we had witchcraft papers all over the table! Just because the world in a little bit more tolerant than it used to be, doesn't mean the hatred for witches has stopped. In fact there are people out there who still think that witches worship the devil. Whoever this Compton is...you better be careful around him."

"Eric, you're over reacting. He was just doing his job. Just a check up, making sure that the intruder didn't come back." Sookie said the word intruder more loudly. For hinting Eric that it was really his fault that he made Sookie call the police for his pranks and hidden messages he left behind during his appearance and disappearance from the painting. "Speaking of intruders..."Sookie began with insecurity. "...have...have you ever experienced feeling someone following you or watching you, but there was no one there?"

Eric frowned for this kind of questioning, it's obvious to him that something happened to her today. "What happened Sookie?"

"That's the thing. Nothing happened...not yet. I felt like someone was watching me. Like their eyes was on me the whole time while I was shopping for the paintings. Except there was no one there. I tried to find someone who's watching me, but I couldn't find anyone."

Eric was still frowning and troubled. Unfortunately he wasn't there to give out his proper judgment. "Did a feeling of trouble or threat went to your stomach?"

"Yes." Sookie shook her head in a yes position. "But, I kept checking to see if there was anyone there and there was no one.

Eric had the look of concern on his face "I cannot say if someone followed you or not Sookie. But I have had that experience before where it did feel like someone followed me. The truth is that it could be more than just a person staring at you; it could be a spirit, a deity, or another supernatural being." Sookie just looked at him with a pause and with some worry on her face. "I'll do a protection spell on you or give you some kind of charm."

"So...I'm not going nuts or being paranoid?" Sookie asked.

"No. Even though I can't answer what was watching you, but I trust that you actually felt something threatening."

Sookie felt the nerves creeping in on her. Eric forgets that she's new to all of this. So far she has been handling well, and he needs to remind himself of that. He went to her using both of his strong hands to caress her face and looked into her blue eyes. In that moment she gazed into his ice blue eyes felt her breath being caught. He truly is a beautiful man "I'll never let harm get to you." His smooth masculine voice was music to her ears. His body was radiating heat on to her because he was so close.

Sookie's knees started to shake, she had to know . "Why do you care so much? Is it because your my mentor? You made a promise to my Gran? Am I just a student to you?"

Eric wanted to take her into his arms, put her on his bed, and have his way with her. Officer Compton's visit sparked something possessive in him. The need to claim her before someone else does. It's unnerving for him. Sookie has no idea how deep his desire can be. She immediately caught his attention when she went through the door the first time as a young woman. Eric knew that she has no idea how beautiful she is and how lovingly innocent. Which makes her more of a rare gem. Eric got closer to Sookie that his lips were barely touching her cheek as he spoke. "You are more than a student to me." Sookie's heartbeat had sped up so quickly that she thought she going to have a heart attack. "I just don't know what you are to me yet." Eric once again caressed her cheek and pressed his forehead against hers and breathed each other's air. Their breathing was getting heavy that it was making them both aroused.

Then he stepped away, not wanting to go any further. He didn't want to mess up what he and Sookie have been building in their relationship. Whatever relationship that maybe. "Let's see the paintings that you have brought back." he suggested. Sookie calmed herself from that arousing encounter. Eric had to sneakily rub himself from his hardness. He had to give himself relief before he had to back into the painting.