Chapter 21

During the drive, Sookie had explained what had transpired to cause her to take off as she did. Eric was not pleased and he showed it. Eric was silent most of the drive and Pam sat in downtime in the backseat as well. Sookie was so tired from her recent activity that she slept a good part of the drive herself as they traveled back to the King's complex.

The three arrived just before midnight. Sookie woke at the sound of Eric speaking to the guards at the gate. She sat up straighter in the seat and tried to shake off her sleepy state. Yawning, Sookie stretched as best she could in the cramped car as Eric pulled up to the front of the building and stopped the car. In Vampire speed, Eric was out of the car and around to open her car door. Sookie took his hand and allowed him to help her out. She wondered if Eric was still very mad.

The moment Sookie was to her feet, Eric pulled her into a kiss that could have produced its own lightening sparks. Eric crammed his tongue so far down Sookie's throat she felt like he was searching for something. His hands roamed all over her body also greedily reaching and squeezing. Eric was acting like she had been gone for ages and he was reacquainting himself to her body.

Well, if he wanted to do that, she was not stopping him. Sookie moaned and leaned into the kiss even more. Sookie's hands had already wrapped around Eric's strong neck so she began to run her hands down his back to feel the wonderful muscles that rippled as he stroked her. Soon her hands made there way down to his absolutely fabulous ass and she began to reacquaint her own self.

Sookie and Eric heard Pam clear her throat to try to interrupt the kiss but neither chose to stop. "I guess you two made up. Eric you always enjoyed a good fight so I guess Sookie will bring you many in your lifetime together, she is such a magnet for trouble. However much I am enjoying this show, I must break this up because it is almost midnight and I think it might be a good idea to call the Queen before she gets too antsy and does something to your little Fae's brother." Pam advised in a deadpan voice.

Sookie and Eric broke the kiss. Sookie was panting for breath but Eric didn't have to breath so he just stood there looking into Sookie's eyes, still holding her firmly in his arms. Sookie could see in his eyes that he was just as shaken as she was. Finally, Eric spoke. "Lover, we must go speak to the King and then place a call to Sophie-Ann. I don't know if the vampires have reached her yet to inform her of what has transpired but we must not take the chance as your brother's safety is at risk."

Sookie nodded and followed Eric as he guided both her and Pam in to find the King. Stan was sitting at his desk signing an endless stack of papers. It seemed that being King was not all fun and parties. He looked up as they entered the room. "Eric, I see you found your missing bonded and also found your missing child as well."

"King, I did find Sookie and luckily for both of us Pam had found her first. When I arrived they were at the border of our states and under attack from Sophie-Ann's vampires. When I first arrived there were about twenty but as we fought the numbers grew to over sixty." Eric explained.

"Sixty! Eric, I had heard the stories about your battle skills but this is even difficult for me to believe you walked away from with no sword or weapons to help you in this battle." The King seemed taken back.

"I assure you the numbers were daunting for even both Pam and I. It was Sookie that saved us all." Eric looked down at Sookie with such love and admiration that she could feel her bones turn to mush and puddle at her own two feet.

"Ms. Stackhouse, how very exciting, I knew of your telepathic powers but what could you possibly had done in such an attack?" The king questioned Sookie.

Sookie had to swallow a few times to get her voice back. Eric continued to stare at her with such emotion that she had to break the eye contact in order to get her senses to respond to the king. "I don't know if you heard, but in my recent activities with the King of Arkansas, I found that sometimes I could control a spark of electricity from my hands. This is some kind of Fae ability that has just come out in the past few months and I had not been able to master it. I did spend some time practicing before Eric brought me here but I was never able to get enough strength in it to do any true damage until now."

"That is amazing. So these sparks have grown enough to harm vampires?" The king asked curiously.

"Yes, apparently they have enough power in them now that they cause vampires to burst into flames and turn to ash." Sookie replied cautiously.

The king's eyes grew large as he took in what the Fae telepath had just said. "Tell me Ms. Stackhouse do you have to touch these vampires or could you do this standing in front of them."

"At first when I discovered this ability I had to touch the person to shock them with the electricity. Now I have been able to gather enough strength to push the electrical sparks out away from my body many feet to reach my target." Sookie replied. "I also am able to expand the radius of this spark; I guess I call it, to encompass more than one vampire at a time. I was doing this with both hands so I was able to hit several vampires with each bolt."

The king actually stood up from his chair behind his desk now. He was genuinely shocked to hear this. Sookie began to worry that her life could now be in danger by all vampires regardless of the fact she did not intend harm to any of them if they did not try to harm her first. Eric felt her panic and he squeezed her hand in support as he pushed wave after wave of calm toward her. Sookie began to calm down and she waited for the King's reaction.

"Well, I guess I should count myself lucky that I am in your good graces." The King replied as he smiled down at Sookie.

Sookie smiled back up at the king "Your highness, you have been the gracious one. You took us in when we had no where to go. You offered us your home and protection from Sophie-Ann. We owe you more than we could ever repay. I promise to you, that you are not in any danger from me. I would never harm someone who has offered me such hospitality. You are in my debt." Sookie replied softly.

Eric squeezed Sookie's hand and she glanced over to see him smiling warmly at her. She must have responded appropriately to the King judging by the look in Eric's eyes and the feeling of pride shooting through the bond.

"You are most welcome, Ms. Stackhouse. Now what shall we do about your problem with Louisiana. I know you may have enjoyed my hospitality but you must want to return home soon." The King replied as he sat back down in his seat.

Eric responded. "Your majesty, at the end of the attack, about ten vampires who realized they would die if Sookie reached them began to run away. We expect they will return to the Queen and inform her of Sookie's abilities. We, however, do not know if they will reach the Queen before midnight and Sophie-Ann had sent word to Sookie during the day today that if Sookie did not come before her by midnight she would began to seriously harm Sookie's brother whom she has taken. I ask that you place a call to Sophie-Ann and try to buy us some time with some sort of negotiations. When you speak to her you can try to find out if the vampires have returned with the news. I think that once Sophie-Ann realizes the danger she would be in with Sookie's presence, she will rethink her plans."

"I see. That could work and for you both I will gladly be willing to help." The king smiled down at Sookie and reached for the phone. Moments later he had been connected to the Queen.

"Ah, Sophie-Ann, how are things going in your state?" The king opened the conversation. Vampires never asked how the other was doing because it was a moot point as they were always the same year after year, century after century.

Sookie could not hear the other side of the conversation but she knew that Eric and Pam could with their vampire hearing. Sookie remained silently planning to ask Eric to fill her in with anything important she might miss.

"Well, I am calling you because I have a very distraught little telepath sitting here in front of me. She tells me you sent word to her that you planned to harm her brother if she did not return to you by midnight. Now I understand you wish to have Sookie for your own but she has been staying in my complex and I have grown to like her company quite well. She is a delight and always so full of surprises." The king grinned at Sookie as he began to toy with Sophie-Ann.

Sophie-Ann spoke to Stan but Sookie could not hear her words. The king soon replied. "Now, now Sophie lets not all get worked up. I did not take he from you, she arrived at my door and asked if she could stay here a bit. I had no idea you had such a desire for her. She is just a little meek thing." The king began to grin wickedly. "I am sure we can come to some deal if we put our minds to it."

There was another pause while the Sophie-Ann replied to Stan. "My dear, I understand you wish to add Sookie to your retinue and get your sheriff back as well. But I must ask, why would you send so many vampires to acquire just one mere Human, part Fae?" The King began to bait her to the attack of tonight.

There was a slight pause; Sookie assumed she denied knowing what he spoke of. "Eric and Sookie tell me that they were ambushed by well over sixty vampires tonight as they tried to make their way back to your palace. Now, I can't imagine why you would deem to send so many vampires if you surely thought they would return to you on their own accord."

Sookie and Eric sat patiently waiting. Neither of them spoke and Pam appeared to have procured a file from somewhere and was working on her nails. The King continued. "After your attack, Eric and Sookie chose to return to me as I have been most hospitable" Stan actually winked at Sookie, "and they have asked me to call you and try to negotiate the release of Ms. Stackhouse's brother."

There was a long pause as Sookie assumed Sophie-Ann was explaining why she was not planning to release Jason. Sookie began to get anxious but Eric began to rub his thumb along the back of Sookie's hand that he had never released. The soothing gesture began to calm Sookie once again.

"I understand your point, Sophie-Ann. But I must ask, have any of your vampires returned yet from their mission to 'escort' Ms. Stackhouse and Eric to you? I really would like to know what your opinion is after you speak to your vampires and find out what prevented them from returning your precious telepath and favorite sheriff." Stan questioned.

"I would not mind holding while you speak to them. We can continue our negotiations once we are both on the same page. I will hold." Stan replied. He then turned to us. "Sophie-Ann said that she was told your welcoming party had returned and was requesting her audience. She has put me on hold to meet with them and find out why they failed to bring you to her. This is quit exciting! I love nothing more than to toy with the other royalties. Sookie, you are a delight. I really do enjoy having you here and will hate to see you go. But please know you, Eric, and Pam are welcomed anytime." The king spoke directly to Sookie.

Sookie supposed the king felt this battle was definitely in our pockets. He seemed to be celebrating the triumph before the Queen even returned to their conversation. Eric had sworn to her that once the Queen realized what Sookie could do to her then Sophie-Ann would not harm Jason. Eric said he expected the Queen to still try to barter for something in exchange for Jason's release. Sookie was nervous but she trusted Eric and hoped this plan worked.

"Yes, I am here." The King replied in the phone. There was silence on our end as apparently Sophie-Ann informed Stan what she had learned had transpired. "So Sophie-Ann, as you see it was probably a very good thing that Ms. Stackhouse and her party returned here. She was very upset and worried about her brother at the time we spoke and I would have hated to hear she took out her emotions on you in some uncivilized method." The king teased. He was obviously having a wonderful time. "I think you should promise her brother's safety because in the state she is in, I do fear for not only you but your entire retinue. You know Sophie-Ann that the Fae are known for being quiet temper mental. We must never provoke them because who knows what could happen." The king was all but glowing at his remarks. He truly loved putting Sophie-Ann in such a position. "I would suggest you give me your word as a Queen that no harm will come Jason or any of her other friends or family until she can come to meet with you in person to work this all out."

There was a pause as apparently Sophie Ann was responding. The King gave us thumbs up as he replied. "I am glad you agree to this. I will inform Eric and Ms. Stackhouse that you are willing to meet with them tomorrow night at midnight to work out arrangements. May I ask, what are you plans for your Sheriff?" The King questioned.

Eric seemed to lean forward a bit as he want to hear clearly what his fate would be in this matter. He had gone against her direct orders and removed her from the State of Louisiana. He obviously took Sookie for his own and this had highly upset the Queen. Punishment for such matters could be very high.

"Yes, Sophie-Ann, I understand that your sheriff disobeyed your direct orders. However, you must admit, that you would not have wished for Ms. Stackhouse to have sprang her surprise on you in person without any warning. As I can tell you when she gets upset she gets a little sparky." The King laughed at his own joke. "I also understand that Ms. Stackhouse has some affection towards the sheriff and she seems very loyal to him. I am afraid if I inform her you have plans of physical punishment against Eric she may become upset again. I strongly suggest you consider a monetary form of punishment that Ms. Stackhouse may be able to accept."

Sookie did not think Eric should have to pay the Queen penalties for his actions but it was far better than many other punishments she could come up with. Sookie looked over at Eric with a look of sorrow on her face but Eric only smiled at her hugely and continued to push reassurance through the bond.

"I am glad you agree. I will speak with Ms. Stackhouse and Eric. I will let them know you gave me your word that you will not allow any harm to come to Sookie's brother and that your plans for compensation for Eric's actions will be monetary and no true harm will come to him. I do not see any reason why they would not be there tomorrow night at midnight to meet with you. If there are any other problems with these arrangements, I will call you back." The King closed the deal. Everything seemed to be working as Eric planned.

"Oh, one last thing, if you intend to make Ms. Stackhouse and your Sheriff's life in Louisiana Hell, I would like to let you know that I extended an open invitation for them to return at any time to Texas and that they are welcomed to remain here if they so wish. I would truly appreciate a Sheriff such as Northman under my leadership. He is an excellent fighter and sheriff. I also have developed my own fondness of Ms. Stackhouse and I would not stand lightly if any harm was to ever visit her way as well." The King concluded, putting his own threat on the end. Sophie-Ann must be realizing that she was biting off more than she can chew if she was to continue with these threats on Sookie and Eric.

The King hung up the phone and he and Eric began to laugh a joyous sound. Things must have gone far better than they even hoped. Sookie was still worried about the upcoming meeting but if Eric was no longer concerned then she decided she could relax.

"Now if I could only be present when you two show up as a permanently bonded couple. Sophie-Ann would surely have an aneurysm if her blood still pumped through her brain." The king continued to roar with laugher and Sookie began to get a bit nervous once again.

TBC