A/N: I'm so glad you all enjoyed the lemons in the last chapter, and the reveal of who Eric really is. Also, I was overwhelmed by the fact that this story has gotten over a thousand reviews. I'm humbled, and ever so thankful to all of you for taking the time to read it, and to leave reviews. Thank you all so much.
Oh, it looks like most of you preferred The Lemon Song, lol! So, in honor of that, I give you Eric's POV.
To Galla and Kristin, my ever awesome betas, you guys rock.
Enjoy.
Chapter 27
I smiled as I awoke, enjoying the sensation of her proximity, only a moment later I could sense her agitation about something. She wasn't scared, just upset. I dressed and went to her. I found her by the water. She seemed to be alone, but I could smell the Britlingens nearby.
I inhaled, and took in her scent, mingled with the salty spray of the water being kicked up by the wind. I watched for a moment as her hair danced along her back, and whipped about. I wanted to take her in my arms, feel the warmth of her against my cold skin. She wrapped her arms around herself, and then she spoke.
"That's you, isn't it? I mean some of the details seem wrong, but I know that's you."
I knew what she was referring to, and I'd hoped she would not notice the resemblance. I'd hoped that the vagaries of time would have dulled any artist's rendering of me, and for most of the world, that is exactly what happened. I should have known, however, that she would see right through to me.
"Yes," I sighed. "It has been so long . . . That man had not existed for nearly a thousand years when this was made. It's a twentieth-century rendering of what I looked like."
"I've always known you were old, but this . . . this is part of history, Eric," she said, and I could feel her confidence wane.
"We are all part of history, Sookie," I told her. I didn't tell her that for most humans, their part in that history is meaningless. Like fodder for the cannons, most human lives are notable only for the fact that they exist at all, and otherwise they blend into the faceless sea of humanity. How could I explain to her that those who truly affect history, those who have a special place in the events of the world are few, and far between? I had been observing human history for a thousand years, and the most striking thing about it was its plodding consistency. Sure, there had been discoveries, advances, and changes, but humanity itself, the passions, prejudices, loves and hatreds that defined the core of it—that had not changed in all that time.
She spun around, her eyes sparking with the need to argue. Her blond hair was blowing behind her, and cheeks were flushed pink from the wind. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment I was frozen in place, locked in her gaze. Then she shook her head, and proceeded to shout at me.
"Eric, don't trivialize this! Leif Erikson?! You are freaking Leif Erikson! 'Leif from California,'" she laughed, but it was a dry and brittle laugh. "Northman. Clever. You really are that, aren't you? A true north man."
"What do you want me to say, Sookie?" I asked her, as I took a step forward. As much as I wanted to hold her, I was hesitant to spook her.
"I don't know Eric. I just . . ." and she took a deep breath, "I don't want to fight. This wasn't how I thought tonight would go, it's just that this took me by surprise, and it's a little overwhelming." She stepped closer to me, closing the gap between us. "I'm sorry." And then she began to cry quietly.
I was still hesitant to touch her, but I needed to comfort her, and I reached out my hand and said, "Shh, my love." I held her face in my hand, and wiped away her tears, and when she leaned into my touch, for the first time in so many months, I pulled her into my arms. It felt so good to hold her again, to feel her body molded against mine, and to feel her warmth spread across my body. I remember thinking that I would never let her go again.
Then she whispered my name, and we looked at each other, and time ceased to exist. Only the two of us mattered in this world, and I was going to spend the rest of her relatively short life ensuring her happiness. For a brief moment, pain flared at the thought of her eventual demise, but I knew she did not want to be turned. She had not told me in so many words, but I'd seen her sympathy for the Were that Hadley had turned, and it was just something I'd sensed through the bond. Sookie had always despised her otherness, and embraced her humanity with everything she had. I could not see her give that up, and no matter how much I wanted to keep her with me for eternity, I would not go against her wishes. If she ever decided she wanted to remain with me, I would happily turn her, but I would never do so against her will. It had to be her choice.
The spell was broken, and the rest of the world returned. I took her by the hand and said, "Let's go, my love." I wanted to go back to the hotel, and shut ourselves off from the rest of the world. We needed to reconnect. I won't lie, I wanted her badly, but I was not going to press her. We would do things at her pace, in her time. One thing the centuries have taught me is patience. I just wanted her in my arms again.
She asked for a moment, and turned to look at the statue once again. I heard her laugh, wincing slightly at the bitterness there, and I wondered if she would ever laugh in a carefree manner again. I felt something across the bond. A sense of certainty, as if she'd made a decision. I cocked my head in her direction and she told me she was trying to get her sense of humor back. Then she walked back over to me, placed her hand in mine once more, and we made our way back to the hotel.
When we arrived at the suite, and she began to lead me to the bedroom, I hesitated at the door. I did not want her to do this because she thought she had to. I did not want her to feel like it was something I was expecting after all this time, but she reached out to me and brought me in for a kiss. I held back at first, and then as her lips pressed against mine ...
[EDITED] SEE CHAPTER 1 NOTE
A/N: To answer AwesomeHaci1521316's question: Have you already known of Leif Erikson or did you do some research for this part? Great question. I knew about Leif Erikson, in a general sense. I knew who he was, and that he discovered North America hundreds of years before Columbus. However, I did not know the details of his history until I decided to write this story. I had to do a lot of research. Also, I did have to tweak and play with his date of death. What little information there is about that, indicates that he died around 1020 A.D., which means he was 50. We know Eric was not turned at 50, hence I made his maker able to glamour people so they could pretend for a while, and then made the implication that since there is so little information about his death, maybe he didn't die in 1020. Honestly, since CH first introduced him as Leif, when he was in disguise, I thought he was Leif Erikson. I wouldn't be surprised if that was originally her intent, but his date of death made it impossible for her.
I hope you all enjoyed your history lesson.
