Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

A/N: Just a few things, before you go on to the story.

First: Raring is a Swedish endearment; it's less common than älskling is, and more old fashioned, and it means sweetheart/dear one. My Eric calls Sookie sweetheart fairly often when he's being a jackass, and I just love the idea of him calling her sweetheart in a very heartfelt way. Plus, älskling is used so much, and I wanted to try something new.

Second: Some of you have expressed your frustration with Sookie not trying to escape. I'm not going to wax poetic every time she has an opportunity to make a run for it; I've written in detail her thought process on why it's a bad idea to attempt an escape without a detailed plan. Maybe I haven't written it clearly enough that she'd rather secure her release without having to look over her shoulder the rest of her life, but that's her general idea, to get herself free in a smart way that won't get her, or her loved ones, hunted down. Eric found her before, his blood is in her, and he can find her again. Aside from that, though, this story isn't about her being an independent, single Sookie. It's about making them fall in love, and that is what I'm going to write. Please be patient, I promise Eric isn't using her as a doormat, she doesn't have Stockholm Syndrome, he's not treating her like a dog. He's a Vampire and he needs room for character growth.

I apologize for the long rant, but hopefully this will appease some of you who aren't a huge fan of this Sookie. We will get there!

All of your reviews keep me inspired! Keep 'em coming!

Previously:

"Why didn't you go? You could have made a run for it." One eyebrow was basically in his hair at this point, it had risen so high.

"Well, I mean, how far could I realistically get?" I felt a small twinge at this half-truth. Well, it was mostly truth. I decided against delving into why else I would stick around. Or why I felt less lonely, less despondent now. The two subjects were unrelated.

To his credit, Eric didn't press the issue. He stared at me for a few more moments, and I'd have given quite a bit to be able to read his mind.

Suddenly his whole face turned impassive, back to Sheriff mode. "We have someplace to be. The night will get cooler; I suggest you change into warmer clothing."

Was he concerned about my comfort? My heart lurched, but I ignored it. It's just weird to have someone look out for my well-being, even if it is just because I'm useful. My lurching heart sank momentarily. Can't have the telepath too cold to read a mind, now, can we? I turned and headed to my temporary bedroom to change into some jeans, a t-shirt, and a soft zip-up hoodie. A few minutes later, we were speeding away in his flashy sports car.

I spoke up, finally, tired of silence after a full day of it. "Where are we going?"

"We are going to the warehouse," Eric responded, "To discuss what we've learned through your gift. Pam will meet us there."

He was quiet for a moment, before adding, "And so is Godric. My Maker."

Godric, huh? I can't say I knew what to expect, but the Vampire standing in front if me was definitely not it. Pam and Eric seemed so much alike, I guess I just assumed this Godric would be a carbon copy of them. Or, since he came first, I guess they would be carbon copies of him.

Instead, Godric was a smaller, very young looking Vampire; where Eric and Pam were tall and fair, Godric was slight and dark. He also exuded calm, and his chocolate eyes were old, incredibly ancient. Eric was old, too, but his eyes didn't betray that; the opposite was true for his Maker.

What a strange dichotomy.

Eric and I had been more or less silent until we'd gotten to the office of the warehouse, where his Maker and his Child were waiting for us, all three generations in one spot.

Did that count as generations? Do Vampires care about that stuff? I made a mental note to ask later, when the time was more appropriate. Maybe one of them would give me a solid hour one night to fire off all of these inane questions.

Lost in my reverie, I almost didn't notice the curious look Godric himself was giving me until he spoke.

"Miss Stackhouse. You are my Child's telepath?"

I narrowed my eyes at him from my chair. He and Pam were flanking the Sheriff, like body guards. "Absolutely not. I am nothing to your Child but a prisoner."

He smiled softly, surprising me. "Yes, he's told me bit about that. Did he bother to explain to you the rules of our society?" I shook my head no, taking the time to cast a quick glare at Eric himself. "I see. Eric and I are Sheriffs of our own Areas; I oversee a portion of Texas. There are, however, monarchs of the states. Louisiana has a queen, and above her, there are other authorities. We police ourselves very diligently, Miss Stackhouse. I believe your brother committed a Blood Offense, yes?"

I shrugged. "I guess. But I didn't."

Godric nodded. "I agree. You did not. This should not be your burden to bear. Your brother should not have been allowed to trade places with you." Eric whipped his head to his Maker, looking incredulous. I smirked. "Our blood is sacred, and it is in our nature to exact revenge when offenses have been made against our race, but retaliation should extend only to the perpetrator. However, as much as I disagree with my Child's decision, I respect and understand it. This is his Area, not mine."

I was fuming. What was the fucking point of telling me all of that? 'I wish I could help you, but, well, I just won't'? How sanctimonious.

Like Maker, like son, I thought, sourly. Both of 'em are assholes.

"Come now, sweetheart, don't be so angry," the Sheriff said cheekily, leaning back in his leather chair. "You've had several days to come to grips with this already." My response was to give him the finger, not caring how childish it made me look. He just laughed.

"Godric has joined us here to talk about the situation with Russell." His entire demeanor changed as he spat out the name, like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "While I am certain this is the same Vampire that used wolves to murder my human family, my Maker needs more convincing. We are going to do some reconnaissance. The plan is quite simple, and all the more likely to succeed because of it.

"All Vampires get restless after being settled for too long; as it so happens, Godric and I have been in our Sheriff positions for quite some time now, and it isn't beyond the pale for us to be ready to seek new horizons. We are going to approach Russell and ask permission to move to his state, with a human as a gesture of good will."

"Hold on, buddy," I interrupted, "I hope you aren't expecting me to be that human."

Eric's face hardened. "Of course not. You are too valuable." A brief flicker of warmth lit up my heart, like a candle in the dark, before logic snuffed it out quicker than a kid making a wish on a birthday cake. Of course I was valuable. I was his telepath.

Whatever. As long as I wasn't being put at risk, I didn't care. Right? Right.

Eric gazed at me curiously for a moment, then continued. "The human will look around during the day, gleaning whatever information could be useful, and when we rise the next day, you will relay their thoughts to me and we will go from there.

"Any questions?"

I chewed my lip, thinking. "Why do you need permission to move to his state? Is he the monarch of Mississippi? Which, by the way, is just plain crazy."

"It is just the way it is done, Miss Stackhouse," Godric answered in his calm, soft voice. "Both having the monarchs, and needing permission to relocate."

I nodded that I understood. "Okay, so, we're all going to infiltrate the lair of a murderous Vampire with an army of crazy, blood-drinking Weres—the same crime I'm being held for, despite the fact I didn't even commit it-hope that a human can sneak past the aforementioned Weres to find some sort of random information that might help you place this murderous Vampire at a crime over a thousand years old, and then we'll regroup and form another plan just as crazy as this one. Did I get all that right?"

Eric smirked. "Very good, Miss Stackhouse."

"Y'all are nuts."

Pam cackled, speaking for the first time in a while. "Life would be boring otherwise."

"Why not just…wait? And let him expose himself, instead of running off half-cocked? I mean, you just found out he could be the killer two nights ago. This seems pretty hasty to me."

Eric's face closed off, all trace of mirth gone. "I have waited far too long to bring my family to justice. If he hasn't exposed himself thus far, it's doubtful he ever will. Besides, Vampires don't value human life. He likely feels no guilt for his actions." Godric moved his ancient gaze to his Child, a mix of sadness and pity.

What's that about?

I sighed. "Fine. When do we leave?"

Eric tapped one finger on his desk, staring at me. "Soon. We still have many details to iron out. The rest of tonight, we will be planning for every eventuality; I always have a backup plan, sweetheart, despite what you think." I lifted an eyebrow at him; I didn't really doubt his intelligence, but I still wanted him to think that I did. "You won't be needed for the rest of the process. You may spend your time in the warehouse, but do not go outside. I have assigned your friend Alcide to guard you for the remainder of the night. You may go."

I was actually excited about seeing Alcide, so much so I didn't even care he'd dismissed me in such a rude manner; after a crappy day, I just needed a friendly face. Besides, I wanted to ask him about his crazy ex-girlfriend. Eric didn't seem too happy, but whatever. He could go suck an egg for all I cared.

I nearly skipped from the room, not bothering to close the door behind me in a fit of childishness. I thought I heard Godric chuckle and the low rumble of Eric's growl, but I didn't care to eavesdrop on them. I lowered my shields and searched the warehouse, listening for Alcide. As luck would have it, he was by the front door.

Must have arrived after me and Eric did.

As soon as I was in view, Alcide's face cracked into a grin. "Hey there, Sook," He greeted me, standing to give me a hug. I returned it gratefully.

"Hey, Alcide." I plopped into the vacant chair at the card table next to him. "What 'cha doin'?"

He shrugged. "Just playin' some cards. Wanna join?" I nodded, he shuffled a deck of well-loved cards, and he dealt us out. "Ever played War?"

"Yup! Me and Jase used to play when we were kids." I was glad he'd chose a game that didn't involve a lot of thought; I didn't want to interrupt our conversation every few seconds with "Go fish" or "Hit me".

"So," I ventured, once we both had all our cards dealt. "You had to work today?"

Alcide grimaced; I could tell he already knew where this conversation was going. "Yeah. I didn't know they'd be sending Debbie to spend the day with you, not until she was already there. She's a little…"

"Insane?" I supplied helpfully. He barked a laugh.

"Yeah, that'd be a word for it. What'd she say?"

I filled him in on our brief interactions, him giving a deep sigh when I told him what Debbie had said about their 'unfinished business'.

"Debbie's pretty possessive. We've been off-and-on for a while, but the last time we split I told her it was for good. She…gets into some pretty bad stuff, sometimes." In his head, I got just the barest glimpse of Debbie drinking what looked like blood. My eyes widened, and I barely caught myself before I asked him about it.

She's a blood addict, too. Should I have him tell Eric? He'd want to know. Oh, hell, I never told him I'm a telepath. But, shit, I told Debbie! I hadn't realized, in the heat of the moment earlier in the kitchen, I'd given myself away. Damndamndamn. Should I tell Alcide? Debbie might tell him…but they were apparently on the outs, and I didn't feel comfortable with telling him just yet. Sure, he was different, too; but he had a pack to run with, an entire race of two-natured people to make him feel like he wasn't a freak. I was alone, possibly the only mind-reader on the planet. Besides, not a lot of people wanted to be friends with someone who could hear their every thought.

As selfish as it was to keep my secret from him, I honestly needed all the friends I could get right now. I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"Sook?" Alcide touched my shoulder gently, bringing me out of my thoughts. "You alright?"

Thinking quick, I decided to play it off. "Yeah, just, I know what it's like to be brought down by someone else's bad habits." I gave a weak smile, hoping he'd take the joke at face value and move on. Thankfully, he did, and we resumed our card game.

"You meet Eric's Maker, Godric?" Alcide asked.

"Yup," I answered, exaggerating the 'p'. "He seems alright. Much different than what I would've thought he'd be like. Maybe more…"

"Murderous?" Alcide supplied. I giggled and nodded. "He's an alright guy. More humane than most Vamps are, that's for sure."

"I wonder why that is, though. I mean, Pam is just like Eric, so it only stands to reason Eric would be just like Godric."

"Godric's been around a long time. Could be he's calmed down in his old age." I laughed. "Now, this ain't confirmed, but rumor has it he's over twice Eric's age. One of the Weres in the Dallas packs majored in archaeology, specializing in the Iron Age. She's met Godric, and recognized his tattoos. Said it was Gallic in origin, so he's probably around two thousand years or so."

"Jesus. I can't even imagine that." I stayed quiet a moment, ruminating over everything he'd said. "How come you know all that?"

"Sometimes the packs will have a big gatherin', when there's super-moons and such. Me and her had a fling, and we still keep in touch from time to time. She figured I'd be interested in the information, seeing as his Child owns my dad's debt."

We kept at our card game, not saying too much to each other, until I spoke up. "So if you had to work today, why are you here now? I thought a Vampire usually babysat me at night."

Alcide lifted his gaze from the cards to me. "Maybe he thought you could use the friendship."

I gave him a disparaging look. "Well, that's a flawed argument if I ever heard one. First, Eric said himself he wanted me to be lonely. Second, he doesn't really seem to like you."

He snorted. "He don't like me 'cause he's jealous we get along. I bet he just wishes he could spend as much time with you as I do."

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes, "He doesn't give a rat's ass about any of that."

"Yeah? So when he called me up and told me to come up here and keep you company, he really meant just keep you from runnin' off, huh?"

"Yup." I do admit that it made my insides feel squiggly at the prospect that Eric cared if I was lonely, not to mention him being jealous of Alcide for all our hugs and conversation, but I was still not letting myself think about why that would make me feel so warm.

"He likes you."

"He likes the way I smell. Even you said my scent is nice."

"I don't look at you like Eric does."

I sighed, exasperated. "Come on, Alcide, he looks at me like he wants to eat me." His eyebrows rose, a smirk playing on his lips. "Ugh. You know what I mean, not like…that. Besides, it hasn't even been a week."

Alcide shrugged. "Sometimes it don't even take that long."

I stared at him. "What the hell are you even talking about?"

He sighed. "Nothin', Sook. You're right, he probably just thinks you're a tasty snack, even if he ain't had a sip. Wanna play Slap Jack next?"

Reluctantly, I nodded, somehow both ready and unwilling to leave the conversation. It had certainly been a weird one. We played a slew of other card games, easing back into lighter conversation. My eyes got heavy at some point, and Alcide took mercy on me by showing me a cot kept in a side room for napping.

"Eric is okay with y'all catching some Z's on the job?" I mumbled sleepily, pulling the sheet back. He chuckled.

"There's always at least one guard awake here. Get some rest, Sook." I yawned and nodded, letting myself drift. I had gotten up early this morning.

It felt like only seconds later that I heard voices near me; without moving, I let my mind cast out to feel who it was. I felt Eric's mind first, mentally snuggling against the solid warmth of his void, like a cat rubbing against it's owner. The other mind felt similar to Pam's—both put me in mind of dark water, but where hers was more sticky-feeling, this one was buoyant. I assumed it was Godric's void, and that was confirmed when his voice came closer.

"You truly intend to keep her?"

"Yes, Godric. You know our laws better than anyone."

"But, surely, her help in solving this mystery would be enough to exonerate her of her brother's sins?"

"No. The Queen would have to be notified, and I would have to explain why she deserved freedom. As it is, I've already told her the drainer was detained and is being kept as my blood bag."

"But you've not fed from her." Eric was silent, so Godric continued. "Your claim of caring not for humans is weaker every day, my son. I can feel it."

Of course it's weak, I thought sleepily, He's trying to avenge his family's thousand-year-old murders. There's love in him somewhere.

I didn't hear Eric's reply; I was too tired to hold onto consciousness anymore, and I drifted off.

At some point, I felt myself being jostled, only this time I was annoyed enough to open my eyes. I was in my bed, Eric pulling my cover over me.

I must be dreaming, I smiled to myself.

"Thank you," I mumbled, letting my eyes close. Eric's cool fingers brushed my hair back from my temple gently.

A sweet dream.

"Sleep, Sookie." He murmured close to my ear.

"Alcide says you're jealous." The fingers stroking my hair back paused, barely, before resuming.

"Yes," Eric breathed.

"You haven't drank my blood," I whispered. If this were real, I'd never have the temerity to say this to his face; I wouldn't have had the courage to admit I'd been ruminating over this particular topic, especially to myself.

"No, I haven't, raring."

"Someone else?" Dream Eric was silent, his fingers still smoothing my hair back. It felt incredibly good. Extended periods of physical contact were rare for me, even from Gran, and I basked in the feeling. "Alcide said…'feed and fuck'…"

He laughed softly, his fingers switching from brushing my hair back to gently rubbing across my cheek. "Are you jealous?"

"Sometimes, maybe." I admitted. It was safe, I figured, to tell him now. If Dream Sookie and Dream Eric had an honest conversation, I wouldn't feel the urge to do it when I was awake. Right?

"Don't be," He murmured, his thumb tracing my lip as I smiled. "There's been no one. Go to sleep."

"Eric."

"Sookie."

"There's love in you, somewhere."

His cool lips pressed to my temple, lingering for a moment before retreating. "Sleep, raring."

I sighed contentedly, and the dream faded away.