Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns all.

Rated M for several reasons.

Chpt 28 He is Eric

SPOV

Cursing I leap to my feet, hurrying through the throng toward the back and Eric's office, unsurprised when Thalia materialises at my shoulder, I know she's been keeping an eye on me all night.

I knock on Eric's door and then shove it open.

The vampires immediately stop talking and turn their attention to me with varying degrees of outrage.

Eric merely raises an eyebrow.

"Master, I apologise, if I may speak with you please?"

Ugh.

Eric rises fluidly and shoos me out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him and leaning down so I can whisper in his ear.

"We're about to be raided." I tell him urgently. "They're looking for Newlin and there are vampires with them."

"Stay here." He orders, returning to his office and presumably telling the others what's about to happen. In mere moments I plaster myself against the wall as the vampires blur past, Pam pausing to favour me with a fangy smile of what I can only assume is approval.

Thalia's gone too, leaving me alone in the hallway with Eric who draws me into his office and shuts the door firmly.

"He is gone." He murmurs, leading me across to the couch and indicating I should sit. "If you are able I would very much like to find out who has sent them here."

I nod.

"Relax." He suggests sensibly, settling himself behind his desk and lifting the lid of his laptop.

You relax, I've horrible feeling I'm about to lie to a policeman, we have laws about that sort of thing.

"So Ms Stackhouse." He says suddenly and a little loudly. "We will do the meeting with the development company of the 14th, if that is agreeable to you?"

"Um, yes?"

"Great." He closes the laptop lid with a click. "Then we have concluded our business here for the night. Shall we adjourn to my booth for a drink?"

He gets up and offers me his hand, and finally realising we're playing to an audience with supernatural hearing I take it and allow him to walk me back out to our booth. It also dawns on me that now might be one of those situations when being able to feel each other is a bonus, so I open the bond, feeling his surprised approval and the unexpected squeeze of his hand. A little too hard for a mere human – fairy hybrid, but a surprising gesture none the less, even if he can feel how anxious I am.

He's still radiating calm confidence as Ginger supplies us both with drinks and it doesn't slip for a moment as a bunch of cops and four vampires in black combat gear effectively storm the bar in a way definitely designed to frighten the contents.

Eric's lips quirk into a smile as unnecessary panic erupts around us and the human police make a great show of restoring order.

"May I speak with the owner of the bar?" The head cop asks loudly, casting his eyes around. "Eric Northman?"

"I am Eric Northman." Eric responds, gliding to his feet. "How may I help you?"

"Mr Northman, my name is Captain Henshaw, I have a warrant here to search your premises."

"So you have." Eric drawls, glancing at it as the man advances and hands it over. "May I ask what you are looking for?"

"Mr Northman we have reason to believe that the Reverend Steve Newlin, a suspect in a recent crime, is being held in your bar against his consent."

"Alright." Eric shrugs. "Although I would not call the bombing a crime, more of an obscenity."

I tune out as the cop continues to talk with Eric, ignoring the vampires who have taken up station in the four corners of the bar, focussing instead on the human minds.

They're really expecting to find Newlin here, possibly unlawfully vamped, but I can't work out why, there are only the fresh memories of their briefing at the station as they take down the names and addresses of the customers.

It seems to take forever, the bar eerie without the thumping music I'm accustomed to.

Finally it's my turn.

"Name?"

"Sookie Stackhouse."

. . . . bingo . . . .

"Address?"

I tell him, like he doesn't already know.

"Your reason for being here?"

"I belong to Eric Northman."

His head snaps up and I fight back my smirk at Eric's reaction.

"Excuse me?" He asks, while I delve through his mind some more.

"I belong to Eric Northman, I am his human."

"Um, Miss, slavery is illegal in this country."

"I didn't say I was a slave Officer, I merely said I was Eric's."

His mind is alive with the possibilities and I'm unsurprised that most of them are dirty, though I am surprised to find his reason for being interested in in the first place.

"Miss." His voice drops to a low whisper. "If you are here against your will . . . ."

"I'm not." I assure him as Eric comes to stand beside me. "I am perfectly happy being Eric's human, perhaps you would be so kind as to tell Mr Compton that when you see him again."

The human blinks and I push further into his mind, undoing Bill's glamour and instructions easily. He shakes his head as if to clear it and wanders off to get Ginger's details.

"I am assuming." Eric drawls. "That you will be explaining this to me later?"

"You assume correctly." I inform him crisply, somewhat pleased with myself.

"Mr Northman. We are ready to begin the search now."

"Of course." Eric nods politely. "I am sure you have no objections if my 'assistant' accompanies me?"

"None at all Sir."

"Sookie. Come."

I feel annoyed. And then I feel his amusement at my annoyance. Jerk. And then he takes my hand again and I don't know what to feel.

They trash the shop housing all the merchandise. Then the stockroom, the employee lounge, Pam's office and finally Eric's. Every cupboard and wall is assaulted and all the false ceilings are brought down, the dust is making me cough. And then they ask if he has a hidden basement.

"Of course." Eric responds. "I am vampire, naturally I have a secret lair."

I can feel myself tensing up as he leads us back around the bar and into the hallway with the hidden door. This time he flicks a switch and floods the stairwell with harsh white light.

We all file down into the completely empty space.

"What do you use it for?" Henshaw asks, turning in a slow circle as his officers poke and prod the walls.

"Entertaining?" Eric chuckles. "I occasionally use it for just what you humans would expect. Some women find it exciting."

Henshaw is sceptical, thinking it doesn't look much like a sex dungeon.

"But mostly I just use it for additional storage."

"You're not using it now?"

"No. I have been away on business, as I am sure you know, the stock has run down somewhat in my absence."

Henshaw huffs.

"Will there be anything else?" Eric asks.

"Not for the moment Mr Northman. I see no evidence that Steve Newlin has been held here, though I would like to take a statement from you on your movements since the Rhodes bombing."

"Not a problem." Eric is already leading us all back up the stairs. "Do you mind if I ask what or who sent you on this apparently wild goose chase in search of the missing Reverend?"

"I can't answer that Mr Northman. I'm sorry."

But he can think it. And he does.

"Very well Captain, I understand."

We're back in the main bar now, just Eric's vampires and Henshaw's team remaining. Ginger fetches Eric a bottled blood and a gin for me, while he mostly tells Hargreaves the truth about his movements for the last two days. No one asks the 'assistant' anything.

Finally they're all gone and Eric barks rapid orders at Pam and his vampires before ushering me back to his office. I take my gin, sure this conversation, no matter how pleased I am about what I managed to do, is going to make him angry with me. I guess I must be getting used to it.

I settle myself on the couch and busy myself with my drink while Eric folds himself into his chair and tents his fingers, basting me in curiosity rather than asking me a direct question.

I sigh. Because I'm going to tell him as much of the truth as I can, a sort of we're in this together' peace offering which I hope will deflect him from the things I can't tell him.

"In Rhodes, when you glamoured Tammy, I was in her head and I sort of worked out how you did it. I already knew what a glamoured mind felt like, it's a bit like a Rubik's cube where someone's cheated by re-doing the stickers. Looks right by isn't.

The cop that came to take my details had been glamoured and he recognised my name. He'd been told to engineer a situation where it looked like I was being held against my will so they could take me away from you.

Bill did it."

Okay. Not yet annoyed.

"I unglamoured him."

Nope. Still not annoyed. Interested maybe?

"Bill is expecting him to call him. But he won't, he's forgotten all about it."

"Interesting." Is Eric's only comment.

I sip my gin and wait.

"Anything else?"

"Bill glamoured him at the police station. So he must be near here somewhere."

Eric blinks, practically an involuntary facial tick where he's concerned.

"When you asked the Captain who put him up to this he thought about them."

"I was hoping he might." Eric nods.

"I didn't recognise the guy, but I'm assuming he's some local bigwig by the tone of the Captain's thoughts. Casey Mulligan."

"I am aware of him."

"I did recognise the vampire who was waiting for him in the limo when he left the police station before the raid."

Up goes the eyebrow, along with a sharp spike in Eric's curiosity.

"He was at the Summit but I can't remember who Pam said he was, I'll need to describe him to her."

"Pam!"

"Eric?" She enquires, sweeping the door open dramatically.

"Vampire. Summit. Name."

Her eyebrow goes up. Vampires might not be biologically related but they sure pick up a lot from their 'parents'.

"He was about average height. Dark hair. Medium build. You particularly didn't approve of him. Used to be somebody's second in command."

"Victor Madden." Eric growls.

"Well." Pam smirks. "Since I'm not needed I'll get back to counting tonight's meagre takings and preparing for tomorrow night's rush."

The door closes behind her.

My own eyebrow goes up and Eric chuckles wryly.

"Our appeal will be considerably enhanced. Takings will be through the roof for weeks."

"Ah." I return my attention to my drink.

I can't tell what he's feeling, like his speed of movement his emotions are often too fast for me to latch onto.

"I still cannot trust you." He says after a while.

"Why thank you." I huff. "I'll decide how to take that later if you don't mind."

He chuckles again and then sobers, the steely determination coming from him even has me sitting up and squaring my shoulders.

"I will have Thalia take you home. I still have much I need to do tonight."

"Home?" I ask hopefully.

"One of my homes." He clarifies. "She will guard you until I return."

I open my mouth to object but he beats me to it.

"Amongst other things it is my responsibility to protect you. Bill has failed to acquire you tonight and I cannot simply allow him, or whoever is instructing him, another opportunity. Unless of course you would rather be acquired by Bill than stay with me?"

I swallow a slug of gin and glare at him mutinously. Way to put me on the spot Eric.

"Our bond is still open Ms Stackhouse." He comments idly. "So you might as well be honest."

"Fine. I'd rather stay with you."

Jerk. I almost close the bond, but that probably isn't a good way to gain his trust.

Instead of the amusement I was expecting at my mini burst of anger, I feel his curiosity again.

And then its subsumed in determination and he's on his feet, barking orders.

In no time at all I'm out the door, secured in a car with Thalia at the wheel, speeding away into the darkness like a starlet escaping the paparazzi.

"Princess has protected Master this night." She informs me.

"Not really. He'd have worked it out on his own."

"Perhaps. No one can think of everything." She says reverting to perfect English. "Sometimes it takes two to make things work."

"What happened to Newlin?"

"Sharp sword." She says simply.

"Yours?"

"It is the sharpest." She titters. "Eric is very fond of his big hack and slash Viking sword but mine cuts with more precision."

I shiver and her titter turns into a laugh.

"I will teach you if you like."

"To use a sword?" My voice squeaks.

"Why not?" She shrugs. "You are part of the supernatural world. You should be able to defend yourself."

I don't know what to say to that or how I feel about it.

"Fairies are good with swords." She adds, glancing at me slyly.

"They are?"

"You do not know much about who you are, do you?"

"I'm a waitress . . . ." I begin my usual refrain, squirming in my seat with the growing discomfort of it.

Sharp curiosity grips me. At this distance, really?

The whole car starts ringing and Thalia thumbs a button on the steering wheel to answer it.

"Yes?"

"My human is distressed."

Eric.

"Has been blown up, kidnapped, searched by police, bothered by Compton and is trapped in car with Thalia." She growls. "Master surprised?"

"You will not distress my human." He snaps. "I am trying to concentrate."

"Yes Master." She responds compliantly, ending the call.

"Opening your bond with Eric is a smart move." She tells me. "But I suggest you learn more subtle ways to control it."

I use deep even breaths to keep myself calm.

"He trusts you." I accuse, stung by the fact that fifty percent of his comfort zone might be working against him. She knows Niall after all and I clearly don't.

For some reason this makes her smile broadly.

"And so he should." She says with confidence. "Godric loved him and therefore so do I. I am not speaking as an enemy, I would have killed you already if I really thought you were a threat to him. I am speaking as a woman. He should not always be able to feel everything you feel, it could distract him and place him in danger. You must learn to temper your reactions."

"Don't you feel bad for not telling him what I am?" I ask, thinking of my recent trip down guilt street.

"No." She answers succinctly. "I promised the Prince I would not and it is not my responsibility. It is yours. The blood that flows through your veins will make no difference to Eric. You are still judging the book by its cover."

"Niall told me never to let vampires know what I am."

"He is not vampires. He is Eric."