A/N: Well, there was, for the first time this season, a lot of plot development in Ep. 4 "Crimes." Not just of Eric and Sookie, which there was far too little of, but in just about every other character thread. This fan was *much* happier with this episode, except for the lack of Eric of course. It is about time things started moving along. This episode generated a couple of different ways I could take my little vignette of Eric and Sookie, either of which would be suitable. So I wrote them both. Chapter 12 will be the first take on the completion of the kiss and bedroom scene. Chapter 13 will be a different take. For those who care, spoilers are ahead. Just taking them out to play, since HBO won't.
Waiting for Sunday
Chapter 12
You were way out of line, But, now I know. Thank you for making me Before I go, tell me... Either way I must say goodbye.
went and turned it all around on me again.
How can I not smell your lie
through the smoke and arrogance?
So, you will not get away with it again.
I'm distant in those hollow eyes
for I have reached my end.
So...
feel like I am guilty,
making it easy to murder your sweet memory.
Were you ever who you claimed yourself to be?
You're dead to me.
So I...
The Undertaker, Puscifer
Sookie lay on the brown-striped coverlet staring up at the ceiling. She was still dressed in the black leather get-up Janice had given her. The leather top and low riding pants were damp and itchy from the heat of Lou Pines Bar and her quick exit, leaving Alcide and the other weres as they shifted. That had come a little close! Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Tears trickled out of the corners of her eyes, leaving small black tracks along her temple and disappearing into the coal black wig. Sookie thought she had cried enough for a lifetime in the last twenty-four hours. Janice's words echoed in her mind…"If he stayed with her he would end up getting killed…." "She was his first love…he'd never met anyone like her…alive and all that shit…" At the time Janice had been talking about Alcide and Debbie Pelt, but it seemed like she could just as easily been talking about her and Bill.
"I mean really, how many bullets are you going to take for somebody?" "Bad things have to happen to you and those you love before you are really feeling alive…enough already."
How many people had told her something similar when she got involved with Bill? The list was long…Tara, Sam, Jason, even Eric. At least long given not very many would dare have told her anything at all.
Shit. Shit. Her small fist pounded into the bed beside her. What had Bill said? He never loved her. He'd made love to Lorena, ugh…and then he let her pant over his shoulder while he broke up with me over the phone! He said he had fucked her like only vampires can because he didn't have to hold back for fear of hurting her. He actually sounded pleased about that. I gave him everything…
Sookie was jerked out of her painful reverie by a tap on the glass. She wiped her eyes as she tried to focus on the man floating outside her window.
"What the hell?" She asked as she stood and went to the window.
Eric hovered outside the tall window. She cranked open the window and blinked at him.
"Good evening, Sookie," Eric's deep voice carried over the short distance into the room.
"You scared me to death," she paused, "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you to invite me in."
Her brows knitted, still stuck on the man slightly drifting 5 stories above the ground. "Can all vampires fly?"
Eric tilted his head carefully, a smirk firmly planted on his lips. "Can all humans sing?"
Sookie snorted, waving him in. "Are you kidding? I can't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it."
Eric laughed as he floated through the window and landed gently on the wooden floor. His eyes raked slowly over her black leather attired body. "Well, Miss Stackhouse, this is a different look for you."
Sookie nervously turned away from his watchful gaze, her hands rubbing against the leather pants nervously.
"Alcide and I went to a were bar tonight. I needed to…blend."
"Blend?" he snorted. "I suppose at least you didn't look like were-bait dressed that way. Could you be starting to show some good sense, Sookie?"
She whirled on him, irritated. "Shut up, Eric. You don't give me enough credit."
"Oh, Sookie, I give you plenty of credit. But your obsession with Bill, well…it leads you to do some stupid things."
"Yes, well. I suppose everyone knows how stupid I've been regarding Bill. Even you tried to tell me and I didn't listen." She swatted her hand harshly against the black streaming tears marking her cheeks.
Eric's brows knitted in concern, "What has happened?"
"I've been a fool, Eric," she spat. "You were right all along. Do you feel better now?"
"Sookie, I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about. I came because I felt your pain last night, but it wasn't physical pain. And then tonight, I felt your fear. But I have no idea what has caused either."
Sookie grasped the short black wig and pulled it off her head, releasing her blonde hair and letting her fingers run nervously through its length to fluff it, and relieve her itchy scalp. She ripped the black dangle earrings out of her ears as she began to pace the room.
"Bill broke up with me last night. Over the phone." Her voice was brittle and cold. Eric remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"Seems I made a bad choice. He says he never loved me, he," she paused as she thought about her word choice, "fucked Lorena and then let her breathe into the phone as he broke up with me. He talked about how much better sex was with her because he didn't have to hold back. I'm an idiot, Eric."
Eric caught Sookie in the middle of the room, bringing her to him, holding her arms against his chest as she fought him. She didn't even realize she was fighting him, crying again. Eric buried his hand in her soft blonde hair as he felt sobs rack her body. Her arms slowly circled his hard body as she allowed all the pain and rage she thought she had released already to pour out over him and onto his black tank top.
Eric's breath whispered into Sookie's soft hair as he held her tightly to him. Words he had not spoken in centuries flowed from his lips as he absorbed her pain. "Svass elska. Avalt fagr. Avalt hugr. Svass godr."
She couldn't understand the words from his native Norse language, but there was no mistaking the meaning, the emotion behind them. Tthe words, and the gentle deep caress of his voice soothed her.
Her arms moved to cling to him even tighter as her sobs turned into small hiccups and then into just quiet sighs. Eric gently pulled slightly away from her and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sookie. I really am." There was no gloating, no excitement, no 'I told you so' in his eyes. No pity, either. Just a genuine concern for her.
Indelicately, she wiped her running nose and eyes with the back of her hand and dropped her eyes from his. "I need to change and clean up."
Eric nodded and went to the window.
Sookie hesitated and then asked, "Are you leaving?" Her voice held a breath of hope that he wasn't.
"Do you want me to go?" Eric turned to look at her as she stood still trying to wipe the tears and drying mascara from her face. She looked so open and vulnerable.
Her eyes dropped to the floor and then quickly back to his eyes as she chewed on one side of her lip. "Not really." Her shoulder raised as she said, "Can you stay for a while?"
Eric just nodded and moved to take his now-moist leather jacket off. She waited until he sat down on the big chair near the bed before daring to leave to change.
A few minutes later, Sookie came back into the room. She had changed into some pajama pants and a red Fantasia t-shirt. Her hair was brushed straight and her face was scrubbed clean. And Eric thought he had never seen anyone so beautiful.
He stood nervously as she approached him.
Sookie stopped in front of him, her face upturned towards his. "Thank you for coming Eric. And well," she hesitated, not sure exactly what she wanted to thank him for, "for everything." One hand motioned to her face while the other touched the wet cloth that had absorbed her tears.
She leaned her forehead onto his chest, breathing in the scent of him.
Surprised, Sookie looked up into Eric's eyes. "You smell like the ocean in winter." She lifted her nose to his chest again, sniffing at the totem he wore around his neck. "How is that possible?"
Eric's eyes were large and intense. "It's not."
"Bill doesn't smell like anything at all. But you smell like the ocean…like the North Sea you played in as a child."
"How did you know that? No one, not even you could know…" Eric pulled her close to him, lifting her face to his, his blue eyes darkening with emotion.
Sookie smiled softly as she closed the small gap between their lips. "I'm smelling your memories." Her hand twisted into his soft hair on the back of his head, pulling him down to her lips, her other hand gripping his necklace in her palm.
Driven by her touch and pull their lips touched, softly at first and then she lifted herself onto her toes applying more pressure. Eric responded slowly, opening his cool lips to her warm ones, tasting the sweetness of the toothpaste she had used and the remaining salt of her tears.
With the first touch of tongues, Eric came out of the daze created by her admission she could smell his memories, and pulled her completely to him, taking charge of the kiss. His mouth covered hers, probing and stroking against her tongue and lips. He felt her breasts crushed against his still damp chest, and the instant heat that came alive in her body in response to his touch.
As one hand held her mouth to his, his arm lifted her small body along his and he let out a soft growl as her legs wrapped around his waist bringing her heated center against his hardened cock.
"Eric…" Sookie's breath whispered against his neck like silk as she rubbed her damp and hot core against him seeking some relief.
With a rumbling sob, Eric gently disentangled their bodies and let her drop her feet gently to the ground. "No, Sookie. Not like this."
Sookie tried to reach back to him, but Eric held her away. "No, Sookie."
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and hurt. "You are rejecting me?" After the near constant onslaught of Eric's desires, now that he could have her he was pushing her away?
"No, not rejecting Sookie. Don't think of it like that." His voice still held that deep rasp of aroused male.
"Then just how am I supposed to think of it?" Where whispered passion lived in her voice seconds before, now there was nothing but dripping sarcasm.
Eric closed his eyes and clinched his fist. "Bill just broke up with you Sookie. Not surprisingly, you are still hurt. You are vulnerable. And despite what you may think of me, I won't take advantage of that. Not with you." There, he sounded completely reasonable even when his body and his mind were screaming against this choice.
"Since when have you been so altruistic, Eric? All the sudden you are suffering a case of conscience?" Each word was punctuated with an angry stab into his chest.
Eric's voice dropped to a low and dangerous growl, as he shook his head. "Trust me Sookie, I don't want to have a conscience. And I'm sure no one would think of me as altruistic. But where you are concerned, I never cease to amaze myself. If someone had told me that I would be walking away from this opportunity, even a few minutes ago, I would have laughed. Now that it is here, well, here we are…"
The phone in Eric's pocket rang with Pam's ringtone, cutting the conversation short. Not breaking contact with Sookie's angry eyes, Eric answered abruptly. "I'm busy."
"We are being raided." Pam's voice was soft and all the sexy drawl façade was gone. He knew that was a very bad sign.
"Call the American Vampire League. Handle it. I'm busy with something else right now."
"It's not the police, Eric. The magistrar is here. The Queen has set you up."
Eric paused a moment before answering, "I'm coming."
As he started towards the window, Sookie could hear Pam's voice telling Eric to not come. "It's a trap. You cannot get caught." There was a pause as he heard through the phone a door open. Pam's Southern drawl was back in place as she clicked off the phone and put it away.
Sookie had heard enough on the phone and by the look on Eric's face knew it was very bad. All the anger she felt before the phone call evaporated as she heard Pam's panic on the other end of the phone. "What's happened?"
"I have to go." Eric grabbed for his jacket and moved towards the window.
"Eric, let me help. What has happened?"
"Sookie…" he stopped as he took in the fear in her eyes. "Are you afraid?"
Her eyes immediately dropped and her feet shuffled nervously until she looked up at him again, resolution on her face. "I'm afraid for you. For Pam. I couldn't hear what she said, but I've never heard her afraid before, and that I could hear."
Eric looked at her face, concern painted all over it, for him, for Pam. He was surprised and moved that she was afraid for them. He was torn between telling her everything and leaving without telling her anything. And if the magistrate did take them, he might never see her again.
"Sookie, things are going to get very very bad. The Queen has asked me to do something that is against our laws. If I disobeyed her, I could be killed for treason. A real death, not just a coffin without food for a while. If I did what she asked and got caught, then I would be just as guilty of an equal crime."
Sookie's eyes got big and she unconsciously reached for his arm. Eric continued as he took her into his arms, talking into the hair that rested on his chest. "The magistrar has come to the club. They will find what they were looking for. The Queen has betrayed me and Pam. We may or may not be given an opportunity for a trial, but regardless, we will not win."
Sookie sobbed softly as she heard what waited for him. "What did she have you do?"
"She was selling her blood, and I was brokering for her. The blood is considered sacred. To sell it is a crime that demands a real death."
"A real death. Eric, does that mean…" her voice cracked.
He squeezed her to him, wishing that he hadn't stopped what had started earlier. He would have liked for that to have been his last happy memory if this was to truly be his end.
"I have to go to Pam, to find out what has happened. For a vampire to sell his blood or to even give it to other's in any other way than to create a bond or to procreate, is criminal."
Sookie's head popped back, her eyes meeting his again. "Why would a vampire share his blood with an entire bar of werewolves?"
Confused at the sudden change of topic, Eric shook his head, "What?"
"Eric. Tonight…at Lou Pines. There was a vampire that went on stage, tore open his wrist and said some words that sounded German and then let his blood pour into these small cups that were then passed around to everyone there. Alcide and I didn't take any, but I think we were the only ones there that didn't."
Eric pulled Sookie away and held her by the shoulders. "Do you remember his name?"
Sookie knitted her brows, knowing it was important, trying to remember. "Alcide said he was an antique dealer in the area… Russell Eddington? Edginton? Does any of this make sense?"
Eric knew exactly how it made sense, but wasn't sure how it could help him right now. But he knew somehow it would be useful. "Sookie, you aren't safe here anymore. You have to leave. I'd fly you back now, but I have to hurry to Pam and I'll need my full strength to meet the magistrar. In the morning, have Alcide take you back to Bon Temps. Don't stay at your house. Stay with Jason. I'll have Alcide stay with you. Keep your brother and that shifter close too. If anyone finds out you know anything about this, you will be killed. You have become too dangerous to them."
Her hand went to his cheek and cupped his face in her palm. "Eric, what about you?"
He turned his face into her palm, letting his lips caress her palm as he spoke. "Sookie…" he paused, breathing her in… "if I can, I will come back for you. If I do not, know that it is because I am dead. A real death."
Sookie sobbed as he pulled away from her and went to the window sill. With a look back over his shoulder, he jumped off and took to the air.
TBC
Character pluses this episode (Best Lines will be in the next Chapter):
Bill breaking up with Sookie over the phone, while Sookie could listen to Lorena purr in the background. Huurah!
Mott is scary and really, really creepy.
Tara is just a whimpering, simpering idiot that gives women a bad name. Ugh.
Debbie Pelt..I hear Alanis Morisette I'm a Bitch ringing in my ears.
Jason taking down the latest great QB in a very classy way.
Jason stepping into Andy's…um…face in the bathroom.
Jessica being a hostess at Merlotte's.
Explaining how Bill was a "procurer." Now go procure.
Pam's quick thinking might actually pull Eric and her out of the current mess they find themselves. She is tough, and maybe even more devious than Eric. But loyal. I want her on my side!
A/N: And keep in mind, I haven't read the books, so really have no idea how much of what is going on in the series is in the books. So, if anyone wants to inform me please send me an email or PM. I'd love to know what is still true, or relatively true to the books WRT Eric, Bill, and Sookie, the sale of the blood, and the Queendom/Kingdom and their respective involvement in the sale of the blood. Don't worry about spoilers! I read the ending to books first. Sad to say, I've tried to read the books twice before and they don't hold my interest enough. I guess Alex has me enamored enough to keep watching and to be curious as to how this all works out for him. Chapter 13 will be one of those to appeal to my more um…mature audience. Hee, hee.
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