Find me here,

And speak to me.

I want to feel you,

I need to hear you.

You are the light,

That's leading me,

To the place,

Where I find peace again – Lifehouse

Eric POV

I do not think much when the phone rings. There is so much continuing to happen that phone calls are commonplace. I do have a rush of hope that this will be the call that helps to bring Sookie back to me, but that is my only conscious thought as I pick up the phone.

I did make a note that the number appearing on the display was unknown, but other than that I picked up the phone as soon as possible saying, "Northman." And when I hear the voice on the other end of the phone, that's when I lose almost all of the hope that had filled me.

I feel my children's concern as they must feel the fear that enters me when I hear that cold voice simply says, "Hello my child." And suddenly I know. I know why he is calling me right now, at this moment.

He has Sookie. My bastard of a maker has my bonded, my pledged, my wife.

Immediately I revert to the vampire I was centuries ago. I feel it happening in my bones, in my blood, and in my brain. I am becoming a lost little boy again and I have to do all I can to stop that, as it will accomplish nothing.

And that is probably what my maker will be counting on.

"Master," I say, thankful that I am able to keep my voice steady and strong while addressing him. I can feel Pam and Karin's reaction to hearing me say that as they have confirmation on who is on the other side of the line. With the feelings they got from me when I heard his voice, they probably already had an idea of who was on the line. After all these years, he can still elicit that kind of response from me.

I do not like it.

I refer to him as, 'Master,' for several reasons. The first of which is that I know he would prefer it and if my thoughts are correct and he does have Sookie, I have to play nice, for now at least. The second being it is just a force of habit, though this is a habit I hope I can end soon.

There is amusement in his voice as he tells me that he has missed me in the last centuries. He may be telling the truth but I am damn sure it is not my company that he has missed. "I have enjoyed being out on my own," I tell him. These words are the closest I can get right now to telling him how I really feel.

As I am talking, I search for the bond that I have with him as my maker hoping that since I am unable to find Sookie using the bond, I can use my maker to find her. It is not something I am usually aware of; I try to ignore it for the most part.

I am not sure that is something that I will be doing ever again.

I find the bond surprisingly intact, but when I probe it a little deeper I find it very confusing. It is impossible to get a read on it. It feels like he is standing next to me one second, and the next he is oceans away. He feels frustrated and angry and then he feels at happy and serene. The bond with him will be no help and something tells me that also is his doing.

After a minute without a response to my words, which I do not believe is a good thing, I ask, "Is there a reason for your call tonight, Master." I have to choke the word out but something about referring to him as that is less personal to me than saying his name; permission to say his name is something that I had to earn. His name for whatever reason is something that he liked to hear coming from my lips.

It is not something that I wish to give him now.

"I have a little bird that would like to speak to you," he tells me and I refuse to believe my maker would allow me to talk with Sookie. He would never allow me that caveat, that little bit of comfort that her voice would offer me. It is then that I realize that is exactly what my maker would have me do; not for the comfort it will offer me, but for the pain and grief it will.

Suddenly, I am much more worried for what I will hear if Sookie comes onto a line. I am not nervous enough to turn down the chance to speak with her though.

"I would appreciate that," I say to my maker and I know he is waiting for other words from me. Something else he made me do was thank him after his lessons, and I use the term lessons very loosely. "Thank you," I say to him and I feel Pam's hand on my shoulder as I do. I let her keep it there for second before slowly moving it and leaving the room. I will give them all an update after I speak with her but this is something I need to do alone.

For many reasons.

I may not be able to save myself from the anguish that may come with this call but I will sure as hell do everything I can to save the rest of my family from it. As I leave, I motion to Karin to try and track the call; it is a long shot and something that I doubt my maker would let slip through the cracks but I still cannot help but hope this call will change something, anything and help us learn where Sookie is.

I can her breathing when she finally comes on the line and I do not say anything at first. I just listen to the sound and take comfort in it, in the fact that she is still breathing. Then, just as I am about to say something, suddenly worried that the phone will be yanked from Sookie at any moment with no warning, she says, "Hello. Eric?" softly, hesitantly, with her own worry present in her voice.

If I had not already assumed that Appius had her, hearing her voice soon after hearing his would have killed me. As it is, the ache in my chest is much greater than I have imagined a stake to the chest would feel.

Right about now I would rather the stake if it meant Sookie was safe and out of the clutches of my maniac of a maker.

"I am here, Lover," I tell her my voice just as soft.

"Oh Eric," she says her voice shaky as she tries to hold in tears. "How are you," she gets out managing to hold in the tears that I can hear in her voice. The familiarity of it all, of her concerned with how I am doing as her life could possibly hang in the balance is nearly enough to send me to tears. I have little doubt that it would have if I were not convinced that Appius was still close listening to the conversation. I promised myself lifetimes ago he would never see or hear me or cry again.

I am hoping that is a promise I am able to keep.

For a moment I am about to tell her not to worry about me but I know that would only because her to worry more and the sentiment would move back and forth between us. I do not know how long Appius will allow us to talk and I do not want to waste any time I am given. That is why I simply say, "Fine," although I am anything but fine.

Sookie would know that as well.

"Where are you," I say to her knowing there is no way that Appius will allow her to tell me but needing to take the chance all the same.

"In a room," she says, a tiny bit of sarcasm sneaking through her voice. "A big, empty room." There are millions of big, empty rooms across the country. That does nothing to help me locate her. "Sorry that doesn't narrow it down," she tells me knowing where my thoughts are. Her thoughts are probably in the same spot.

"Hey. That does not matter," I tell her even though we both know it does. "What matters is that we are talking to each other. What matters is that you are all right," I tell her, even though we both know that neither one of us is all right, will be all right until we are together.

She even laughs a bit at the absurdity of that statement and I hear her take a sharp intake of breath followed by a hiss that suggests that she is in pain. No, it does not suggest that she is in pain but it tells me without question. "You are hurt," I say to her clenching my fist.

"I am fine, Eric. Really, all things considered I'm fine."

"You are not. I can hear it in your voice." She continues to tell me that she is okay but I implore her to tell me why I can hear the pain in her voice, hear her breath hitch with pain when she moves. "I will be forced to think over reasons in my mind as I have nothing to consider but the worst."

I know that is something that she will understand having been there herself multiple times in the past. Not having the actual truth your brain goes through all the possibilities and mine tends to think the worst-case scenario. But I am talking to Sookie and I hear her breathing so I know that she is okay on that level; she is still alive, she is still human.

She sighs and I know she is about to tell me and I brace myself for what I may hear. "It's just my arm, Eric. I think it is broken."

Though relief fills me upon hearing what is causing her pain, a burning anger also starts to build. Sookie should not be hurt at all. I don't care if it's a broken bone or a simple hangnail. I hate the fact that she in pain right now. I hate the fact that she is with my maker right now. I hate the fact that he still makes me feel like a helpless little boy.

Helpless is something that I cannot afford to be right now. Helpless is not going to help me get Sookie back safely, but it is something that I feel is starting to steamroll me down. My concern is that I am not strong enough to stop it.

That concern is what my maker is probably counting on.

"I think I have to give the phone back now," Sookie says as the tears she has been working on holding back all phone call start to fall. I assume my maker got what he wanted; I now know that it is he who has Sookie and even better for him, I know she is hurt.

The worry in her voice makes me wish that I could reach through the phone and offer her comfort, or reach through the phone and separate my maker from his head. I do not know what he is doing to produce the amount of worry I hear in Sookie's voice. As much as I am not willing to end the phone call, I am also not willing to risk my maker's ire, not when I am who knows how far away and with so little information.

"I will get to you. I will get you out of there," I tell her hoping I can just make it through the rest of the phone call.

"I love you, Eric," she whispers. "Don't forget that. I love you so much,"

I am about to repeat the words back to her but I hear the phone moving through the air and my maker's voice saying, "Isn't she just so…sweet," a threat evident in his tone.

Anger starts to build in me again. Sookie deserved to hear the words from me. She deserved to get that reassurance and my maker would guess it was coming. All part of his plan I would assume. "What do you want," I say to him not willing, not able to play any games with him. I have to stay focused and to do that I have got to keep him out of my head. I have proven that I am inept at that in the past; I am hoping in the last few centuries, in the last few months I have improved at this.

"I want my child to remember what it is I taught him for the first few centuries of his vampire life. It seems to me you have forgotten my lessons."

I shut my eyes and hope that when I open them that I will be waking up from my day rest and Sookie will be lying in bed next to me; that all of this was the one, single dream I have had during my vampire life.

"I have never forgotten one of the things that you have done to me."

"Your actions as of late do not suggest that. I have decided that you need something of a refresher course."

"I can assure you that one is not needed. I remember everything that you have ever said to me, done to me, allowed others to do to me, forced me to do to others. I remember every millisecond of it. Even if I had somehow forgotten any of it, it all would have come rushing back tonight.

"Yes, I can imagine that you have had better nights. I think we both will agree that you have also had worse nights."

In the next second, centuries of torment enter my mind as I recall what has been done to me in the past. Similar to the humans saying their life has flashed before their minds, that is currently what I am seeing. I am again seeing the lessons I was taught. I am again seeing the games that were played on me, usually with me being the toy. I am again seeing and remembering and feeling all of the abuse.

The thought that the person who did all of that to me currently has Sookie is something that makes me feel physically ill. He has managed to provoke another feeling in me that I have never felt in my vampire life.

But the pain of all of that does not equate to the pain of Sookie being in his grasp. Pain with me I can deal with; but the pain of someone that I care about, someone that I love, I do not think that will ever be something that I learn how to deal with.

"I do not know if that is something that I can currently agree with," I say to him after seconds of silence.

"And that right there is the problem. It is a problem that I intend to make sure gets fixed," he says before ending the phone call abruptly. I quickly try to call the number back not wanting to further speak with him but not wanting my small connection to Sookie to be over yet but I hear the recording that the line is no longer in service. After mere seconds, Appius has already had the line disconnected. That does not bode well for having Felicia to try and trace the call.

I know that there is much still to do tonight regarding de Castro. I know there is much to do tonight regarding Sookie and getting her home safely. I know there is much to do tonight regarding Area Five and my duties of Sheriff. There is far too much that I have to do but I do not find myself heading back towards my living room to get started on the mountains of work that we have to accomplish to get Sookie home safe and to make sure she has a safe home to come back to.

Instead I find myself heading down into my basement room and lying on Sookie's side of the bed breathing in her scent that is quickly fading from the bedding. When the tears start to fall, I cannot stop them.

I do not even try.

Pam POV

I get why Eric leaves the room to talk to Sookie. I understand it. That doesn't mean that I have to like it. I don't have to like it at all.

I watch the hallway Eric walks through as he moves to the back of his house. It would be so simple to follow him and listen in; hell, I could probably get him to let me stay if I just follow him. But I stay out in the living for Eric, because I know it's not necessarily even what he wants at this point but it's what he needs.

He may have come a long way in the last few months but I know his maker still has a hold on him, will continue to have a hold on him as long as Appius still walks the planet.

I walk over to where Thalia is standing and ending a phone call. She tries to wipe away the trace of tears she had been crying but she's not quite fast enough for it to go completely unnoticed. Before I can say anything she tells me that Jason is on his way here. "He went to Fangtasia thinking we would be there. Felicia is bringing him here."

"He should stay here," I say thinking of his safety. If anyone were looking for a way to get to Sookie, to kick her when she's down, her family would be the best way to do it. Jason would be a good way to do it. We have to make sure that doesn't happen. We have to make sure that Sookie's brother, that our brother, makes it through this unscathed.

Sookie will finally end us if we don't.

"He's a mess Pam. I was so afraid he would do something stupid during the day." She doesn't say anymore and she doesn't have to. Thalia may be opening up but she will never be much of a talker. Still what she says, it holds a great deal of meaning. Thalia's reasons may be different but just like Eric she hasn't allowed herself to feel for a very long time. And now she's not only dealing with the loss of her friend but also dealing with her hurting brother. We are all hurting but we are going to need each other to get ourselves through this. That is something we cannot forget.

The front door opens and Octavia comes in followed closely by Amelia whose eyes are even more red-rimmed since the last time I saw her. For a second the worst works through my brain before I shove it the fuck out. It's not something that I want to think about at the moment and I am sure I would have been notified if something had changed for the worst with Tray.

I sure as hell better have been notified if something happened with Tray.

Amelia comes right over to me and my arms are around her before I can even think. I can honestly say that when I started with Amelia, I never expected it to last more than a few fun nights, especially with her withholding information in the beginning and Eric's general distaste for her. And I never expected to Tray to join in. But somewhere along the way this has become a regular occurrence in my life. I find myself not willing to give it up just yet.

I can't get the words out to ask but luckily Amelia says, "He's fine; well, at least no big change. I just can't sit there anymore," she says breaking down into sobs. "I just can't sit and stare at him anymore. And Sookie," she says while trying to pull herself together. "I have to do something to help find her."

"A simple location spell maybe able to help," she tells me. "I would need something of hers and hopefully the magic could use that to give us her location." I know that Octavia has said something similar before. I also know that she discounted the idea, saying with the probable power of the witch, it would probably be a waste of time.

I look to Octavia and the look on her face says it all; she still doesn't think it will work. If there is a witch working with Appius, which appears to be true with the concealment spell, a tracking spell would be the first thing they attempt to block. She will let Amelia do this thought, we both will. She needs to do something to feel like she is helping something, especially as nothing can help with Tray at the moment. I offered blood, but Ludwig aid it wouldn't work, could cause more trauma if it interferes with the healing brain.

We may as well try.

I can tell when Eric is done with his phone call. His emotions that he was so careful to keep stable while he was on the phone, comes crashing down on him, crashing down on Karin and I. I look to Karin and find her turning her head to find my gaze as I am sure she feels what I do coming from Eric. It's grief, overwhelming grief and pain. I know Eric will want to be left alone, feeling like he does but I am also aware that being alone would not be good right now. I don't have any good news to tell him, but I refuse to allow him to wallow, even if at the moment I want to wallow with him.

Cue Karin. She was never much of one to wallow. She much prefers to deal with things and to move past them; she may just be the healthiest of us all in that aspect. That and for so many other reasons is why I am so glad that she is here with us now. We need to pull together as a family to make sure we can get out missing member home.

We both make our way out of the room, following the connection we have with our maker. I feel Karin's pain when we find him in his room, curled into himself on his bed, tears running down his face. I feel all of the emotions swirl through her as she sees our maker, the one vampire we will always view as the strongest, in the midst of a breakdown. I am sure she feels mine, as the same emotions are running through me. I have seen Eric break down before, often when the guilt takes over him. Guilt over Karin, the guilt over Sookie, but even I have never seen him this bad before.

We sit on the bed, surrounding him but staying quiet. He is aware of our presence but we will let him be the first to say something; or at least we will give him the opportunity to be the first to say something.

It takes ten minutes, ten minutes worth of my own worrisome thoughts before Eric says something. "He has her," he says, his voice hoarse, straining to get it out. Of course he starts with the obvious.

Karin and I look at each other. We need to push him but we will be walking a fine line. Push too softly and we could learn nothing; push too hard and we could break him even more.

"We will get her back, Eric," I tell her repeating a line that I have already repeated numerous times. I will have to tell him about Amelia's spell failing but now is definitely not the time to.

"Appius has her. I have spent centuries separated from my first child to avoid him getting a hold of her again. I spent more centuries not realizing how important both my children are to me. I know what my maker is capable of and that is something that I wanted to make sure never touched anyone I love ever again. But I have failed. I have let him capture the one person in my life who is the least likely to survive what he is going to dole out to her."

Karin tries to interject but Eric continues and says, "Her arm is broken. He's already broken her arm."

Karin looks over to me and I know we are thinking the same thing; as much as it kills me to think of Sookie in pain, a broken arm is nothing. We are lucky that's all it is and to make sure it stays that way, I've got to get my maker moving.

"You're wrong, Eric," I tell him my voice strong and sure. "Sookie is not the least likely to survive this. I would put money on her not only surviving this but for being the one that will shove a piece of wood into your maker's fucking chest. She's strong Eric. You know this. You saw what she survived. You know what she overcame already. And she's even stronger now for it. She will get through this. We will be able to get her out of there. You will go on your honeymoon and I will be taking Sookie shopping for it."

I see something return to Eric's eyes but I can tell that I haven't completely convinced him yet. I haven't told him anything he doesn't already know. He just needs to believe it.

Felicia suddenly charges into the room and I hear and am aware of her before I can even see her. Eric does not react at all to her sudden presence and I wonder if it is possible for vampires to go into shock. That's something I may have to ask Ludwig about.

Felicia has a very excited look on her face and as she is here, that means Jason is too. I make a mental note that this can no longer be Eric's most secure home. Too many people currently know its location. But all thought of that leaves my head as I hear Felicia shout, "I think I know where Sookie is!"

That gets Eric at least sitting up on the bed and speaking as he asks, "Where?"

Felicia starts explaining something about picking up a plane that appeared on radar suddenly appearing about fifteen minutes a little away from where the first plane must have landed. "It all makes sense if they switched planes hoping that would prevent us from tracking them."

"Do you know where that plane landed?" Eric asks, hope present in his voice. Okay, it may not be hope per say but he is sounding less depressed. It's still not what his usual response would be but it is something and that is what I need to work with.

Felicia nods before saying, "Oklahoma. It landed in Oklahoma."

Hello dear readers. I do hope that you have enjoyed this chapter, as we get another piece to the puzzle. I am loving all the thoughts on what really could be going on here and am interested to see how this adds into them. Thanks so much for reading. Now I am off to ponder The Walking Dead premier tonight.

Jackie69 – Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your thoughts. I'm so happy you thought the chapter was worth the wait. That's a very good way to describe Eric at the moment. He needs to find his strength; hopefully this chapter started him on the right path for that.

Jsm88 – I am sp happy that you enjoyed and thanks for letting me know.

Thanks to my other guest reviewers for this chapter. I really appreciate you stopping by to let me know your thoughts. On the question of how long will this one be – as of right now around 35 chapters, maybe a few less or a few more. This could change (it already has a I thought it would be around 30) but it will really depend on editing. I do have quite a bit to add in which could change the chapter count.