Chapter 10

The rain had been coming down all evening, but the roads weren't really the muddy mess that they would be if we were in Bon Temps. I parked in the back of the club and knocked on the employee door. I had gotten used to walking in through the front door and greeting Pam, but tonight I didn't feel bad going straight to Eric's office. I knocked lightly, hoping that I wouldn't be interrupting anything. The door opened and I peeked inside. Eric was sitting on the corner of his desk in a tuxedo. I audibly gasped at how impressive he looked. His hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail with a leather cord. I hurried over and kissed him. "A tuxedo at Fangtasia, huh? What's going on?"

"Wow, Lover, look at you." He looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. "You look even more amazing than I thought you would." I turned around so that he could get a good look at me and he nodded his approval.

"So what is this surprise?" I was so happy to see him and be there in his arms. He took my hands and kissed me.

"Let's go." He stood to his full height and led me out to the club. I looked around and saw some familiar faces. Pam was there as usual in her spot by the door. She began coming towards us. I looked to my right and noticed Dottie, Tara and Sam standing by the bar. Jason was coming in the front door in a suit and tie. What in the world were they all doing here in Shreveport? I started towards them, but Eric held onto me.

"No, darling. There will be time for that. We have things to do." He kissed me and I felt all eyes on me. I heard the music fade and the room got quiet. Pam held up a microphone.

"So, I'm not good at these kinds of things. I'm just going to come out with it. We want to welcome back our Sheriff, Mr. Eric Northman. He survived a brutal attack that nearly claimed his life." Everyone clapped at this and a few of the humans whistled. Eric nodded deeply to the crowd. He was powerful and in his element. Pam strode over and handed the microphone to Eric. He took it and turned to me.

"I want to thank you all for coming this evening, it really means a lot to me and Sookie that you witness…. our wedding." I stood there with my mouth catching flies as Gran would say.

"I realized that I didn't get to ask you properly. But I have something I'd like to say first. We are getting married officially because we're in love, Sookie. As hard as I fought to deny it the first years that I knew you, I love you more than anything in this world. I want you as my wife and I don't want to wait another day to make you Sookie Northman. If you still want to marry me, if you will accept our strange, wonderful, improbable existence, marry me this night." He knelt in front of me and extended his hand. I nodded and pulled him up into my arms. I looked over at the Bon Temps contingent and could see a range of emotions from disgust (Sam), to elation (Tara). Everyone clapped for us, which was unusual for vampires but I took it for what it was.

Jason came to my side and kissed my cheek. I was worried about what he would think considering what I'd told him about my bond with Eric. He pulled me aside and whispered into my ear.

"Little Bit, if you love this man, marry him. Don't you worry what anyone else says. You deserve to be happy. I love you, Sook." I smiled and he kissed me on my forehead. I turned to the front of the bar where Thalia and a few others had been standing in front of an altar. Eric had expected me to say yes, but a tiny part of me, my independent streak, wondered what he would have done if I'd said no.

Eric pulled me into his arms again. We kissed and he spun me around. "The minister is ready for us and can get this done right now. If I could just have your ring back temporarily, I promise to give it back."

"I would love that." I looked at my brother and he gave me a big thumbs up. Sam didn't seem happy at all, but he was being gracious. Eric led me over to a woman in a flowing white robe with a purple sash over her shoulders. This had to be Cheryl Tatum. She was a famous judge who specialized in Human/Vampire weddings. I had seen her on the news defending vamps and humans who'd chosen to be legally married.

I realized that I didn't yet have Eric's ring, but that didn't matter, Eric wouldn't mind. Almost as if he'd read my mind, Bobby Burnham took my arm and handed me a black box that had the name of the designer whom we'd called a few days back. I opened the box and looked at the ring that I'd ordered. It was deep black in color, like onyx with intricate, but delicate gold carvings. It was far nicer than it had been described and I knew that Eric would love it. It reminded me of a Greek urn I'd seen at the Natural History Museum in King's County.

Cheryl Tatum welcomed both Eric and me to the altar and joined our hands. Bobby and Pam were on the left, representing Eric. A vamp I didn't know brought me a bouquet of Ravenwood roses and I smiled at her; either he had paid them to pull off the nicest approximation of a human wedding they could manage, or Eric had managed to find the most supportive vampires in Louisiana. Most vampires frown on marrying humans, so I would have put my money on the former, not the latter. Pam winked at me, and I thought that she and I just might become good friends after all.

Tara and Jason came to stand next to me. I handed Tara Eric's ring after Cheryl had said a little blessing over them. Pam held my ring and was to act as Eric's best vampire.

As Cheryl officiated our ceremony, we vowed to love each other, care for each other and support each other in times of need. Eric never took his eyes off me. Pam dabbed at her eyes. This was my life now, part fairy, wife of a vampire and sister to a were-panther. I looked up at Eric and wondered about all the things that I still didn't know about him. There was time.

In less than ten minutes, my vampire was truly mine. We kissed just after I slipped his ring on. He gazed at it in the candlelight and I held onto him; my husband, my lover, my friend.

Pam took the microphone again and presented us: Mr. and Mrs. Eric and Sookie Northman. There was more clapping, and then there were glasses filled with blood and champagne. Tara took my roses and handed me a glass. I kissed her cheek and we hugged. It felt good to have my friends there after being surrounded by the undead for such a long stretch. I quietly wondered if I could convince Tara to move closer to Shreveport.

Sam made his way over to me, gave me a kiss on the cheek and held my hands.

"Sookie, I hope you're happy. I hope that he lives up to everything that he promised you and I hope that you'll keep in touch with your family and friends. Don't let him become your whole world okay?"

"You don't have to worry about me, Sam. I can take care of myself. Eric is a good man, trust me when I tell you that. He is very complex."

"You don't necessarily need complex. Sometimes, life just needs to be simple."

"I'm part fairy, Sam, what part of that is simple? Just be happy for me, please? You've been such a dear friend—"

"I am happy for you, Sook, I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't think it's fair that the bastard has everything including looks. Now he has you. But you've got my blessing and I came to tell you that."

"Not that I'd ever need it Sam Merlotte, but thank you anyway."

I saw the crowd parting as if a large wave had surged over them. Eric turned me towards a photographer who had been quietly snapping pictures in the background. There was more noise behind us and Eric turned around very quickly. I turned to see what had captured his attention. Quinn stood behind us with the microphone in his hand. This was the worst thing ever. I hoped that maybe he would just say one or two stupid things and then leave; it was just like him to ruin my wedding.

"I won't keep you, I know you're anxious to get your hands on his money and he's ready to get you home so he can play with his food. I just wanted to say congratulations to the happy couple."

Eric looked as if he could dismember Quinn. His fangs were out and I wasn't sure that I could stop him or if I even wanted to. Suddenly, Eric turned and stared at me. He looked horrified and I started to get scared. I had never seen anything publicly upset Eric. I wasn't sure what was happening. Quinn spoke into the microphone again, "Oh, that? Yeah, I figured you'd recognize that smell. Sookie and I met up this afternoon. Did she tell you? By the way, thanks for letting me fuck your wife one last time. She's a hellcat. You've got your hands full."

"Quinn, you lying son of a bitch. I did no such thing." I rushed towards him, but Eric had already moved so quickly that no one saw him until he reached Quinn's throat. Several vampires were on him and they dragged Quinn outside. I didn't see what happened to him, I rushed to Eric's side. I looked at him, but couldn't read what I was seeing. He was staring down at me and all I could do was shake my head.

"You've got to know that I didn't…. I swear it, Eric. I swear it. Quinn tried to rape me and I didn't want you to kill him so I didn't tell you," Eric moved silently past me. I looked at Sam, Tara and Dottie. None would make eye contact with me. "You guys know that I wouldn't do that, right?" Tara put her hand on my arm.

"Sookie, it doesn't matter what he said. Eric will understand."

"You guys think I did it don't you? Well screw all of you."

I ran to Eric's office and got my purse. I was humiliated. My friends and family thought I was a cheater and a liar. More importantly, Eric wouldn't want me now. I was so angry that my hands were shaking as I put my keys in the car door. Angry tears came then, and I could barely see as I backed out of the parking lot. Quinn couldn't have ruined me more if he'd cut my heart out. Eric looked so hurt. I screamed in fury, not caring about how loud I was.

I knew that I should slow down, but I had to get away. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to face any of those people again. Why had Quinn done this? Why? Just because I wouldn't date him? How could someone do this to another human being? No, this had to be something more between Eric and Quinn. There had always been the subtext of something awful beneath their interactions. I had always just assumed that Quinn thought Eric thought himself better than Quinn because Vampires do tend to look down on others. But this, this was low even for Quinn. I thought back to him holding me against the door and it made me feel sick. I felt my stomach rising into my throat and pulled the car over. I threw myself out of the door and was sick on the side of the road. I sat in the grass and cried and cried, not caring how soaked I became.

After a while, I got back in the car and drove to Gran's house. It was all I had left in the world.