Disclaimer: Characters belong to CH, I'm just playing in her pool.

Chapter 21

Eric made it into the kitchen just as Sookie was pulling away from the sink. He pulled her into his arms, studying her for any sign of injury, simultaneously scanning the room for an intruder. When he was guaranteed of her safety, he relaxed his guard and turned to the sobbing woman in his arms.

"What happened, my love?"

"I was thinking about Gran, and I started crying, and I dropped a cup, that's all." Sookie snuggled into the arms of her would-be rescuer and quieted down. "Thank you for coming to save me from my glass," she said, her grief fading, replaced by the giggles. Eric enjoyed the change in her demeanor and kissed her forehead lightly, holding her closer.

"Don't worry. I won't let the mean old cup get you," Eric whispered into her hair with such sincerity that Sookie had to take a few minutes to stop laughing in order to respond.

"You. Are. Horrible," Sookie said, still gasping with laughter. "Let's go into the living room and get back to the book. I want to find out everything, while I still have the motivation to do it. I need you to ensure that I don't... give up. I can't just let this go, but that's what I want to do, because it is easier not no know." Eric studied her face and dropped a light kiss on her cheek.

"I will be with you through every step of this, holding you for comfort, and pushing you for continuance. We'll do it together, as partners." Eric's smile gave Sookie confidence, and she attempted to push out of his arms to head towards the couch. He held her tighter preventing movement, and lifted her, carrying her into the living room and settled into the exact position they were in for the unveiling of the letter. Sookie giggled.

"You know, if we're partners, you can't just carry me where you want me to be."

"I'll have you know, I was protecting you from any glass that may jump out the cupboard to attack you." Once again, tears clouded Sookie's vision, but these came from her laughter.

"You are incorrigible." Eric smiled, her laughter warming him. She is so beautiful when she smiles, he thought.

"Ah, but you love it." Eric kissed her, working hard to restrain himself so he could finish her familial discussion, then reached for the book. "Enough procrastinating, let's read."

"One thing first, Quinn. What's going to happen with him?" Eric sighed. He had hoped that she wouldn't bring up the weretiger.

"I've informed the King that I will handle him personally, so his punishment is at my discretion, not that of the King's. I assume that we can let him off with a harsh warning, if that's okay with you?"

"I want to see him..."

"The only way I can let you do that is if I go with you."

"Eric, I agreed to marry you. I am not going to sleep with someone else the first chance I get. I just want to talk to him."

"I understand that, but you are mine. I want to protect you --"

"Quinn wouldn't hurt me!"

"I don't trust him. I trust your judgment, but I also know what it's like to be in captivity. He won't be the same Quinn you knew. He hasn't been harmed, he's been fed regularly and treated basically like a guest, but he isn't permitted to leave until I speak with him."

"How long?" Sookie's voice was quiet, menacing.

"Four days."

"And you haven't seen him?! What is your problem?"

"Sookie think back on the past four days. I had better, and more important things to do. It isn't like I have been doing nothing. I have saved your life, met with the King, and done what I could to make things well between us. Honestly, do you regret any moment between us from the last four days?" Sookie sighed.

"No, I don't. I don't like that he's been in captivity for so long. Tomorrow night I want to see him, then you can tell him not to see me unsupervised, and we can go."

"Okay. And the rest of tonight?"

"We need to finish looking at this book." Sookie settled back into Eric's arms, and the argument seemed to be over. Eric thought it was a victory too easily achieved, but refrained from saying so, choosing instead to revel in the feeling of her soft body pressed against him. Sookie opened the book, this time without paper falling onto her lap, and saw a picture that seemed to be an older version of Niall. The caption stated that it was a picture of Ailbhe, Niall's great grandfather. Sookie looked at the picture with awe.

"It seems that his genes are quite dominant," Eric said, flipping the page to reveal others with the same general appearance as Niall and Ailbhe. Sookie was looking at all of the images with rapt attention. Eric struggled to see the resemblance between Sookie and her great-grandfather, but, having seen Freyja, any similarity was eclipsed by her likeness to the goddess. After a few minutes of flipping through pictures and description, Sookie got to her page. She leaned back and began to read aloud.

Ailbhe means White or World King in Irish