Author's Note: The song that Sookie sang was written by Sir Harold Boulton (1884). The title: "All Through the Night". Copy Right, unknown. It is an old Welsh Folksong, the original title is "Ar Hyd y Nos".
Twenty-Nine
The First Night
The soft light of the evening sun fell on Eric's body like a dancer's movement. Gentle and carefully touched that pale pink torso, creating a view of a beautiful sillhouette of a Greek Statue.
Like always, Eric wore only his underwear – this time it was a pair of black boxers. Standing gracefully at the window with his back faced to Sookie he became unreal to her. His long blond was touched by the breeze, floating on the air made him look elegant and so poised.
Eric had slept the whole day. Sookie was worried to see him sleeping so deep on the bed like that. It looked like his chest didn't move at all. She had to put her hand on his chest to check if it moved or not and felt relieved when she felt his heart beat steadily.
Suddenly he turned around. His face was wet from tears. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"What?"
"The sun."
Sookie came closer to him. "Yes, it is."
"I wish Aude was here, with us." He smiled. "It will shock her to death to see me walking under the sun. I can't wait to see her open her mouth and not able to say anything. Like what you do sometimes…"
Sookie hugged him tightly. His body was warm but not as warm as hers now. For her, it was a bit cold actually. "Don't you want to eat anything, Eric?"
"I am not hungry." He said. He turned around. "I want to go to Leclerq." He said. "I want to see Aude…" he grinned. "I can't wait to see her…"
How can I tell him about Aude without destroying his own happiness of being human again?
"You're sad."
Sookie looked up to him. "I am not." Sookie tried to smile. "I am happy for you and Aude."
Eric kissed her. "Liar." He said and then he lifted her. "Oh-ho, you're heavy." He was out of balance and then they fell on the floor. "Ouch! My back hurts!."
"I am not heavy!" Sookie wanted to stand up, but Eric caught her hand and with one roll, she was already beneath him.
"You are so beautiful…and you're also curvy…just the way I like it." Then he kissed her.
Sookie ran her hands down his back. It was amazing how his warm temperature made his skin feel different. It was softer, her fingers become more sensitive and Eric seemed to be aroused more easily. Sookie could feel how hard he was through his black boxer had become pushing her jeans.
"Let's go to your room." He said, getting up.
He still doesn't want to do it here, in Aude's bedroom, not even on its floor…
Instead of walking away, Eric sat on the floor. He pulled her close and held her tight.
Sookie held him back. She must accept that this man loved his wife and he didn't want to betray his wife by having sex with another woman in her room meanwhile his wife was still alive. It was hard but she had to be able to accept that. Slowly Sookie released his hug. "Let's go." She said.
Eric looked at her as if he wanted to be sure. When he saw that she was smiling, he got up. Suddenly his body started shaking. For a while, Sookie thought it was because he had stood up too fast.
"My chest…" he said. "It's painful…"
"Eric…"
He grabbed his chest and moved backward looking for something to hold.
"Eric…"
He grabbed his chest tighter and looked like he wanted to throw up. He did. A stream of blood came out from his mouth, splashed her face and the floor. Eric was limp for a while and then fell to the floor. His legs and hands moved uncontrollably. God, he was having a seizure!
"Alcide!!" Sookie called out Alcide's name. "Alcide! Help!!"
Nobody came. Alcide must have been tired from last night. He must have been sleeping by now. She could run and try to find Alcide but then she must leave Eric alone. Seeing Eric like that, she didn't have the heart do it. God, what should she do?
Sookie stood there and watched him for she didn't know how long until senses came to her. She did the only thing she could. She put his head on her laps, tried to make him as comfortable as possible, and sang a song Gran always sang when she couldn't sleep.
Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee,
All through the night;
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night;
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loving vigil keeping,
All through the night
The sun set in the west. The darkness fell in hurry and covered the place in once. Sookie was still on the floor, holding Eric who was lying. He didn't move at all. His body was getting colder and colder.
Sookie felt her hands and laps were numb from holding him. They were also wet from the tears that ran down like rain. Her lips were trembled and her voice was sombre, but she kept on singing. She didn't know why she did it. She just knew that when she heard that song, she felt peaceful. Somehow, she hoped that Eric would feel the same too. If he must die this day…then let him die in peace.
Hark, a solemn bell is ringing,
Clear through the night;
You, my love, are heav'nward winging,
Home through the night.
Earthly dust from off thee shaken,
By good angels art though taken;
Soul immortal shalt though waken,
Home through the night.
"From where do you know that song?"
A soft voice made Sookie turn around. It was Godric and Pam.
Pam ran toward Eric. "Master…" she looked at Sookie. Tears ran down on her cheeks. She sat down and touched his face. "My dear master…" Then she kissed him and sucked at his mouth.
Sookie looked at her in awe. What was she doing?!
"Pam…" Godric's voice changed from soft one into a growl.
Like a little child who was being scolded at, Pam lifted her face. Her mouth was bloody. With a speed which couldn't follow by eyes, Godric took Pam, pushed her to the wall and kissed her – or at least that's what Sookie thought when she saw it, but no. Godric sucked her mouth, because after that, he bent over at the window and spitted out the blood. Without turning around, he said. "Please leave the room, Sookie."
Gently Sookie put Eric's head on the floor, and slowly she got up. Pam had to help her stand up because her legs were completely numb.
Waiting in the kitchen, Sookie's mind was wandering. She asked herself what was the purpose of all of these. Eric was dying, so was Aude. Others had nearly killed. She didn't know how Davydov was, but she believed he wasn't in the better condition, either. The love that Eric had for Aude was a kind of love that would destroy those who possessed it. It became dangerous, namely because it was destructive. Was it worth? Why had Godric agreed with it, knowing that they shared the same blood, he would also face the same danger?
What were these vampires for beings? They brought nothing but danger and death, and yet why she couldn't resist their presence, their charms, their wills. Their? No, it's more like Eric's. She couldn't resist Eric and the things around him; his charm, his presence…his touch.
"He'll be alright, Sookie." Godric's voice filled the room.
Sookie turned around. Godric's mouth was covered with blood, but he looked relieved. "It's his first day, he should have been more careful. He's not strong enough yet."
"I want to see him."
"Pamela is taking care of him." He said. Sookie wanted to talk back but the authority in his voice stopped her. "Come. You need some fresh air."
Cold wind of October touched Sookie's hair as she and Godric walked in the garden. Sookie hugged herself to give a bit warm to her body. Meanwhile Godric walked as if it was nothing. His thin t-shirt was blown by the wind but he didn't seem to be bothered.
"I want to thank you, Sookie." Godric said. " To be by him in this difficult moment. You really care about Eric, don't you?"
"I guess I do."
"He's always the lucky one, to be surrounded by women like you, Aude and Pamela." Godric smiled. "I tried to do what he did but it always turned out to be ridiculous. Women always treated me like a little child, a boy who needed the attention and love of a mother, and not a woman. And I always wonder why."
Sookie looked at him. Godric looked indeed very young. No wonder that many women had mistaken him for a child.
"Eric has behaved like a child in the past but women liked him anyway. Except with Aude. Aude was a child herself when he married her, therefore he was forced to act like a grown-up with her." Then Godric laughed. "I remember, he came to me one day, when they were just married, and he complained that his wife behaved like a child. She got very jealous when she caught him dancing around with women and drank from them. She locked herself in the room for almost a week and didn't let him touch her. He couldn't drink neither from her nor from other women, because Aude would get more and more jealous. He had to drink from men, and Eric didn't enjoy drinking from them so much. The women's blood tastes always better for him."
Hah, and I wonder why…
"I said to him that time, now you know what I feel. I was in Washington at that time and they were in New York. He flew for almost one hour only to complain about his wife, can you imagine that?"
He must have been very desperate but yeah, I can imagine that.
"When Aude was around forty, she did the same again. She felt that Eric didn't give her enough attention. She felt that Eric took advantage of the freedom that she gave him. He drank too much from the other women but not from her. He thought that Aude was being unfair and childish, locked her self up like that. He also thought that it would be a week like before but he miscalculated the behaviour of his stubborn wife. It was around a month before Aude finally forgave him. Lucky for him, I was also in New York at that time. He didn't have to fly that far and this time, it was Aude who ran after him, because he stayed with me for some days.
They are crazy about each other and I believe they will always be."
Godric asked her to sit down on the bank.
"Was that the reason why you agreed with his planning, knowing that it would possibly kill him?"
"No. I wouldn't let him going through this, had I not known that he has your blood in his body. You have a Fae blood, Sookie. I don't know who your parents are but I can sense that your blood is the strongest of their kind. With your blood in him, he will be safe from death. Besides, Aude and you have the oldest magic of all within you that would protect him from any harm during the transformation process."
"But I don't know any magic."
"Yes, you do. Love, Sookie. You and Aude love him." Godric took her hand. "I know it sounds banal and easy. But it is never banal or easy with love. You can neither predict nor control love. Love comes and goes as it pleases. Love changes you, protects you sometimes even encourages you to do things you never thought you would do.
I've lived too long to understand and feel the magic of love. I've taken advantage of my eternal life that I forgot love can also destroy you. I should've said no when Eric told me that he wanted to marry Aude in our way. Binding himself with her like this."
"Aude has broken the bond." Sookie said. "Eric promised me to break his when it's all over."
Godric looked surprise. "Did he?"
"Yes. Why?"
"He didn't want to do it, even when I told him so."
"You're his maker. Isn't he supposed to obey your command?"
"We are beyond that part, Sookie. I've never told him to do things he didn't want to do." Then he continued, "Maybe one day I will."
"Bill Compton told me that Eric's friend was the one who told him about this magic and the mushrooms. Do you know who it might be?"
Godric didn't answer immediately. His pale grey eyes stared at the sky. There's sadness in those eyes that made him suddenly look older. "Yes. Francesco Allevi."
Why did that name sound familiar? Sookie heard that name before but from where?
"I don't know from where he got the knowledge but it seems to work. I am not surprised that he knew, he is well-known and well-liked among the Wiccans, therefore he must have traded knowledge with them." Godric looked at her. "Even then, I want to apologize to you on the behalf of my son's name." he said.
Sookie felt very strange to hear Godric called Eric 'my son'. He looked much younger than him and yet he called him 'son'.
"I should've said no but I miscalculated the power of the spell." He smiled. "Old man's mistake."
That was even stranger than calling Eric 'my son'.
"Did Eric know the risk of the spell?"
"Yes. He would've called me and asked me to come, even when Bill hadn't come to find me. Eric knew he would put Pamela's life in danger. He loves her too, you know. He will never admit it but I know he does." Godric stood up. "Let's go and see him. I think he would be better by now."
They went inside.
"Godric, you asked about the song that I sang when you came. Why?"
"I knew somebody who likes singing that song too. An old bugger named Niall. It's been a while since I heard that song. Hmh…I wonder…"
About what?
But Sookie didn't get a chance to ask because Godric's and her attention were taken away by the view in front of them.
Eric and Pam were naked; kissing each other passionately and Pam's fangs were out and just about to be bored into Eric's neck. However, before that happened Godric had taken Pam away from Eric and threw her on the floor.
