Addicted To Love

by BonTempsBaby

Sequel to "Pour Some Sugar On Me". Sookie and Eric come to terms with their new relationship. Very romantic, with more action in second half. Told from multiple POV's. Rated M for mature situations. Eric/Sookie/Bill/Pam

36. Chapter 36

Authors notes: Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been down with a virus. I'm better now, but still playing catch-up. I hope you like this chapter. It features our favorite Knight. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 36

Sookie's POV: Valhalla

Heart pounding away in my chest, I watched my vampire stride out the door with his posse. When he was in motion like that, he was just so beautiful, so strong, so... perfect that he completely took my breath away. True to form, Eric hadn't even taken the time to change his clothes into more "King-like" attire; but with a touch of pride, I realized that it didn't matter one whit. Even though he was wearing the same t-shirt, jeans, and boots that he had donned for a night at home, he was still unmistakably the biggest, baddest vampire in this territory. He was absolutely oozing power and authority, and I almost wished I could see the faces of these dumb-ass vampires up in Magnolia when Hurricane Eric rolled into town. I tried my best to convince myself that this little disciplinary trip was really not so dangerous. After all, I had personally seen the Viking handle a full-out battle for a territory with total composure, so I shouldn't let my self get so worked up over a nest of vampires in Arkansas... but still, I was a wife. It was kind of my job to worry.

Letting my vampires go off without me was excruciating, in more ways than one. Next to the dull ache of separation, the hardest part would be wondering what the heck was happening. All the Bond could tell me was that Eric was okay but not much else, and if something bad happened to any one of them I would be too far away to do anything about it. I knew that if I had begged Eric to let me go, he would have taken me, but I was also smart enough to know that I shouldn't. It was one of those "vampire-only" affairs where my telepathy was completely useless and therefore I was only a liability. The last thing he needed was his mostly-human wife tagging along slowing him down. When we were first engaged (and back when he was still Sheriff), I had frequently wished that Eric had a safer sort of job... like bank president or college professor... now to my amazement I discovered that I no longer wanted that at all. Being a vampire and a warrior was such a huge part of the Viking's very essence that I wouldn't change it if I could. He was perfectly suited to be King and now I couldn't imagine him being anything else... but even so, it still scared the beejeebers out of me when he went off to fight.

Since Eric was the perfect vampire King, I had to at least take a stab at being a good Queen. The only example of Queenly behavior that I had to go by was Rhiannon's, which I had already put to use on a couple of occasions earlier in the evening. In fact, I was beginning to wish that I had paid closer attention while I was in the Portal. It was hard to picture her crying or whining while Niall went off to take care of his Royal business, so I tried my best to put on a brave face for Eric's departure... and succeeded admirably as far as everyone but Eric himself was concerned. The Bond made sure that he knew exactly how crummy I really felt. However, I took comfort in the fact that I wasn't alone. After having centuries to perfect his poker face, the Viking looked calm, cool, and amused, but inside, his true emotions told a much different story. While part of him was completely confident and itching for a fight, the other part was as irritated and unhappy at our separation as I was.

After giving me a kiss that I could feel through every inch of my body, my vampire had turned and calmly walked away. I was struggling desperately to keep the waterworks under control for once, and I was doing pretty good, too... until he gave me that last glance over his shoulder. One look at those cool blue eyes and it took every ounce of will-power I had to keep from bursting into tears. As it was, the very second he was out the door, two fat teardrops spilled over and ran down my cheeks. Robert slipped up beside me and offered me a pristine handkerchief from his breast pocket. In a soothing tone, he said, "Do not worry, ma petite. If I thought there was any real danger I would never have allowed them to go without me. It is imperative to nip this sort of thing in the bud immediately, but it also provides an opportunity for all of them to have a little fun. The Viking does love a good brawl."

Taking the small white square of cloth from his hand, I dabbed at my tears. Trying not to sound pitiful, I said, "I know. When Beuford announced what the head of that nest in Magnolia said, Eric was pretty angry... but also, he was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. As strange as it seems to me, fighting makes him happy. I guess I had better get used to it."

"I confess, for men like us, there is nothing more invigorating than a good skirmish. The timing is unfortunate, of course. Given how recently your Bond has been repaired, this separation must be quite painful."

Giving a big sniff, I said shakily, "Yes, it is... and I've already been through a whole day of it. I I went over to Bon Temps today to visit friends and check on my house, and I was uncomfortable the entire time I was away."

"Forgive me for asking, but if it is so uncomfortable, then why do you insist on being away from your Bonded? I understand there will always be occasions like tonight when it is unavoidable, but would it not be simpler to stay closer to home?"

"I guess it would be," I said rather glumly, "Eric told me that the Bond would not always be like this... that someday we will be able to be away from each other for longer periods of time without these crazy side effects. Do you know how long it will take for that to happen?"

"Unfortunately, no," he replied, "The last Bonded pair of my acquaintance was free of the worst of it within about a year or so, but I imagine each Bond is slightly different. Who can say? It may be different for you. It may be that the Bond becomes tighter each time it has to be repaired."

Sighing heavily, I said, "That's what I figured you were going to say."

Robert regarded me silently for a moment. "It sounds as if you find your Bond too...confining," he said finally, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Don't get me wrong. I love being Eric's Twice-Bonded, and I wouldn't change it even if I could. The thing is, there are lots of things I should be doing during the day. Believe it or not, I had a life of my own before I married Eric and I need to maintain it."

"Yes, you are an extraordinarily independent creature, aren't you? It must be your Fairy nature. Most Bonded humans are perfectly content to stay with their vampires. However, if you are missing your old life so terribly, you should tell Eric," stated the Knight, "He will go to any lengths necessary to keep you happy. If it requires him going to rest in Bon Temps so that you can be in your old environment during the daylight, I have absolutely no doubt he will do it. If your house is unsuitable, he can take shelter with Bill until other accommodations can be made. Security will be somewhat problematic, of course... but I am certain I can devise something effective."

If anyone had told me just a few short months ago that the arrogant, supremely self-centered Eric Northman would ever give up his creature comforts just to keep me happy, I would have told them that they had lost their marbles. Now I knew what Robert said was true. My Bonded would do just about anything to please me, even if it meant spending his days in the seriously creepy crawl space under Bill Compton's house. I knew the Viking had experienced far, far worse conditions in his long existence as vampire, but I still found the whole idea completely distasteful. My vampire had earned his place as King and deserved to go to his rest in comfort and luxury, not under Bill's house or even squeezed into the barely-big-enough-for-Viking-vampires hidey-hole in my guest bedroom closet. Besides, neither my house or Bill's would allow Eric and me to sleep together past dawn, which was completely unacceptable as far as I was concerned.

Still, the very idea of poor Bill being forced into hosting a little vampire sleep-over with his former rival made me smile a little. I was pretty sure Eric would turn out to be the worst under-house guest in history. Suddenly, an mental image skittered through my head of Bill, Robert, and Eric huddling around the big fireplace in the old Compton living room. Robert, who was sporting a"I heart NYC" t-shirt and a pair of multi-colored boxers, was very dramatically telling the other two a scary story before bedtime. Bill was clad in a pair of Roy Rogers jammies and the Viking was resplendent in footed pajamas completely covered in yellow smiley faces. Now my little smile became a full blown grin. Chuckling, I said, "Robert, I bet if Bill thought Eric was going to be staying with him for any length of time, he'd find some urgent reason to go back to Peru."

The Knight gave me an amused look. With a slight twinkle in his eyes, he said, "Oh, you might be surprised. I think Bill would be glad to share his accommodations with the Viking. I stayed with him recently and he was a most congenial host. Despite the rather rustic sleeping arrangements, I felt quite at home."

Bill? A congenial host? When we were dating he had never particularly cared for vampire visitors all that much, but maybe it was just because he was afraid for me to be around them. Shaking my head, I said, "Still, I don't want to put anybody out on my account. To be perfectly honest, I would just as soon have stayed home today anyway. Almost the minute I left, I knew it was a mistake. It was just too soon to be away."

"Then why in heaven's name did you go?"

"I promised Amelia I would have lunch with her, and I would have felt rotten for backing out," I said truthfully, "Robert, I swear, I am always so torn... my heart tells me I should be with my vampire, and yet my head says that I should still be doing the same things I've always done. Maybe I'm afraid I'll end up loosing my own identity if I don't."

Robert didn't answer right away. He was obviously giving my words some serious consideration, which I found very nice. Eventually he said, "Eric is the kind of vampire who will always demand a great deal of your time and attention. There is no getting around that... but as for you losing your identity, I find that highly unlikely. You are his perfect mate in that you are every bit as strong willed as he is. It is not in your nature to be a... what is the word?... a doormat. Now, as for your dilemma... I think you are having trouble letting go of your old routines, not because you miss your old life so much, but because you think you ought to. Not once have I heard you say, 'I went to Bon Temps today because I really wanted to go."

I opened my mouth to argue, but then shut it. Maybe he was right. Maybe I had really gone more out of a sense of obligation than any true desire to go. While I was chewing over that, he continued, "One of the hardest lessons I had to learn as vampire was taught to me by your husband. To be content with my life, I had to let go of the past and keep moving forward. I had to learn to be adaptable. You and your Bonded are in the process of building a new life together. It is a very complex one, and will require more time, effort, and adaptability than most. It will certainly require a re-alignment of your priorities. My advice is this: if your past routines no longer suit you, discard them without guilt. For the things that you still find important, find a way to make them work for you. For example, I know you are still very attached to your friend Amelia. Instead of going to her, why not invite her here? You could have had a chef come to Valhalla and prepare you both a marvelous luncheon... and you would have not had to suffer the pangs of separation from your vampire. I imagine the lovely little Witch would have enjoyed that every bit as much as dining in Bon Temps."

Given her current condition, I doubt she would have enjoyed lunch if Emeril Lagasse himself had prepared it... but I got Robert's drift. "I suppose you're right," I acknowledged, "My Gran used to tell me that there was more than one way to skin a cat."

"Oh? To what purpose did she put the skins?"

Fondly, I said, "Robert, sweetie, it's just an expression. It means there is always more than one way of doing things."

"Ah, yes... I see. A very wise woman, your grandmother," he said, "As you pointed out earlier, this particular restriction of the Bond truly will not last forever. A year... two years... it will pass in the blink of an eye. In the meantime, rejoice in the closeness you share with your Bonded."

Giving him a soft smile, I said, "Thanks for the talk, Robert. I'll think about everything you said. Now, enough about me and my problems. I know you need to get going. Since I'm staying in town tonight, I need to grab a few things before we get on the road. I'll meet you back here in just a few minutes."

With that, I hurried down to the bedroom and rounded up my gear. I still had some clothes at the Shreveport house, but they were too heavy for this time of year. Also, I wanted to take some of the extra jars of lotions and creams that Aderyn had sent me. Since it might be a long time before Eric got home and I would probably be too worried to sleep, I wanted to take my needlework and a book to help pass the time. I thought about taking a quick shower, but decided that I really didn't want to wash my vampire's scent off of my skin just yet. I stuffed everything into a small bag and headed back upstairs. Robert was saying his goodbyes to Juanita in the foyer, as one of the Royal Guards toted his luggage down the stairs and piled it by the door. Holy cats! I had finally met someone who traveled with more stuff than Amelia! Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "Good heavens, Robert! Do you really pack all this every time you come for a visit?"

Thankfully, he didn't seem phased by my rudeness in the slightest. He gave me a very French shrug and said, "One must be prepared for all contingencies, no? The chances of finding suitable attire in this part of the world are exceedingly slim."

Cocking my head to one side, I gave him a once-over and said teasingly, "I don't know about that, Robert. You looked pretty darned good in those leather pants last night, and Bill told me that Pam bought them in Shreveport."

"I said suitable attire, not theatrical costuming," he retorted, "However, I do appreciate the compliment."

Suddenly, it hit me that Robert was really leaving. Even though I knew I would be seeing him again in a couple of weeks at Eric's Coronation, I was really going to miss him. From the very first time I met him, I had been crazy about him (well, really, what woman in her right mind wouldn't be?) but over the last couple of days our relationship seemed to have moved to a new level. It wasn't just because he had sworn to protect me, either, although I knew he had been quite serious about that. It was almost as if he was the older brother I had secretly longed for my whole life, an ubber-intelligent one without all the bad habits and self-centered nature of Jason... someone who gave me sound advise when asked for, hugs when I needed them, and would like me no matter what. Unfortunately, it seemed he would have to do it long-distance. Rather sadly, I said, "I wish you didn't live so far away, Robert. I'm going to miss you."

"My dear lady, I am prostate with grief at leaving you," he said lightly in his flowery, over-the-top French manner... but I looked into those lovely old eyes of his and saw real sadness there. "However, I imagine my Brother will require my assistance from time to time... and after all, I have pledged to you my protection and assistance. I will probably be here far too frequently and you will soon grow tired of this old face. Remember the old Chinese proverb "Guests, like fish, smell after three days."

At that, I had to laugh. "But you aren't exactly a guest!" I reassured him, "You are my husband's... brother, isn't that right? That means we are practically family! You will always have a place to rest in our home. In fact, I wish you would just leave some of your things in your room, so you don't have so much to tote the next time."

A pleased look crossed his handsome face and those fantastic eyes of his seemed to be glowing with some strong inner emotion. I found it slightly irritating that I had no idea exactly what it was. Apparently I had become spoiled by my ability to feel my other male vampire's emotions. With Robert, I had to figure out what he was feeling the old fashioned way... by guessing.

"That is certainly a gracious offer and imminently practical. I will gladly accept," said the Knight. He then looked up at the guard, who was now on his way down with another load. "Joseph, I have decided to leave most of my things here. Please take everything but those two small bags there back to my chamber," he ordered.

To the Guard's credit, he never so much as let out a sigh. Without hesitation, he wheeled around and headed straight back upstairs. An uncharacteristically solemn Juanita had been hovering in the background, but at this news she was suddenly beaming. To the Knight, she said, "If you will allow me, Sir Robert, I will see to the unpacking."

This seemed to suit everyone, so in a very few minutes all the bags had once again disappeared upstairs. I informed Juanita that Eric and I would be spending the night in Shreveport. I had discovered from Cooper that she had not had a single night off in my absence, and so I gave her the next day off. She never worked Sundays, so that would give her two days in a row. She protested that it wasn't necessary, but I thought she looked like she could use a rest. I told her that when she returned the following Monday, we'd start the process of hiring more help to replace the ones Eric had frightened away. Valhalla really was too big for one person to keep, especially if we were going to have our friends staying with us sometimes.

Joseph brought my Escalade around to the front of the house. I was a little surprised to find that he was going to act as chauffeur, with Robert and I both sitting in the seats behind him. Pam had once told me that the Knight practically never drove himself anywhere, but I found it a little strange being driven around in my own car. However, it would allow me to pay more attention to my friend instead of worrying about keeping my eyes on the road so I didn't object. We pulled out of the main gates and turned north towards the interstate. As we wound around the first curve, we pulled past a gravel drive leading off into the woods on the opposite side of the road from Valhalla. The minute we passed it, I saw a pair of headlights flash on, and a car pulled onto the road behind us. We had been traveling at a sedate pace, and the car was soon close behind us. In the glare of the headlights, it was impossible to see who was driving. Although neither of them said a word about it, I could tell that both vampires had taken notice. Conversationally, I said, "That drive leads up to an old farmhouse. I've never even seen the neighbors until now. I guess I should go over soon and introduce myself."

Joseph said, "Eric had us check out all the surrounding properties before you moved in. That place belongs to an old human couple. They almost never leave at night."

"So what?" I said, "Maybe they had company over or something."

Completely ignoring me, Joseph's eyes met Robert's in the rear view mirror, obviously awaiting orders. Calmly, Robert said, "Speed up. If they stay with us, then we'll see."

I felt the Escalade suddenly accelerating. For such a large vehicle, it certainly had some get up and go. I glanced back through the back window to see what would happen. The gap between the two vehicles began to widen, with no attempt on the part of the other car to catch us. Not having expected anything else, I said, "See? The Missus probably just sent the Mister out for some milk or something. Besides, what are you worried about? Eric is already miles and miles from here. Are you afraid my elderly neighbors might follow us and discover the entrance to the Bat Cave?"

Completely unfazed by my teasing, the Knight replied, "The King has entrusted his most precious possession into my care. It is my duty to take suitable precautions."

I stifled an urge to roll my eyes and sigh. I made up my mind to pay the old couple a visit soon, and take them some cookies or something. To change the subject, I said, "Robert, I wanted to ask you something before you go home. It's about Eric's Coronation. I want to get him a gift to commemorate it, but I haven't got a clue what is appropriate for something like this. Can you give me some ideas?"

Looking at me in surprise, Robert said, "Eric will not be expecting a gift from you. Believe me, my Lady, a gift is completely unnecessary."

"Oh, come on!" I said, "Everybody loves presents, even Vikings."

The Knight smiled and replied, "True enough, but really... you have returned to him. That is gift enough."

Shaking my head, I said, "That's sweet, but I still want to give him something cool. You've known him a long time. What sort of things does he like?"

Realizing that this was a serious question, he gave it some thought and we spent the ride into town kicking around suitable ideas. What does one give a vampire who could easily buy absolutely anything he wanted? We thought about many things, but nothing seemed quite right. Hopefully, something good would occur to me in the next week or two. Once we hit the city lights, I said, "Listen, Robert, I know you told Eric you would take me out to eat, but it really isn't necessary. I know it's a long trip back to New York and you'd probably like to get there way before dawn. There is a Jack in the Box not far from the airport. I can run by there after we drop you off."

The Knight just looked at me with a puzzled look on his face. "What on earth is a Jack in the Box?" he asked blankly.

Oh... of course. Most vampires over a certain age knew very little about any human food, but most especially fast-food. I explained, "It's a type of restaurant that caters to people in a hurry. You don't even have to get out of your car. You drive up to a window and they give your food in a paper sack. It's quick and convenient."

"How do they know what it is that you wish to eat?" he asked curiously.

"Well, before you get to the window, there is a big sign in the driveway with a menu printed on it. There is a two-way speaker so you can tell your order to the person inside... although a lot of the time the speaker doesn't work too well and you end up having to yell at each other. By the time you get to the window, your order is ready to go."

All the time I was explaining this, he was peering at me strangely, obviously trying to figure out if I was pulling his leg. He said faintly, "... I see. May I inquire as to what sorts of food these establishments offer? It must be quite good to go through such antics to obtain it."

I answered honestly, "Not particularly good, no... just quick and cheap. At Jack in the Box, they serve French fries, several types of hamburgers, and my personal favorite.... Monster Tacos."

Robert asked in alarm, "Really? What sorts of monsters do they use?"

Honestly, sometimes teasing vampires was just too easy. I was tempted to say don't worry, they quit using vampires because they were just too tough with as straight a face as I could muster, but decided to be nice instead. "Monster as in "large," not as in "scary supernatural creature," I reassured him, but then I couldn't help myself from adding, "Although... no one is sure what the meat really is. Let's pull through and I'll get one, and maybe you can figure it out."

Now the Knight was looking positively scandalized. "Absolutely not." he said firmly, "I told your Bonded that I would make sure you ate a decent meal... which to my mind means inside a respectable establishment which has tables covered in linen and which serves meat not of suspicious origin. This meal should be served by a well trained waiter on china and not from a sack of paper!" After that, he added a few more forceful comments in French, and although I couldn't actually understand the words, his meaning was quite clear. Now I really was laughing out loud. "All right!" I conceded, "A respectable restaurant it shall be, if you're sure you have the time."

"My dear Lady, I cherish every minute of our time together. Do not worry your lovely head about my schedule. I have a travel coffin on board the airplane and if necessary can be transported back to my home during the daylight hours."

Not long after that, I found myself standing in the entry to Julius' restaurant. As paranoid as ever, Robert posted Joseph at the front door, to keep an eye out for potential trouble. The owner himself came forward to greet us, saying that the Viking had already called and told him to expect us. He said, "It is a lovely evening and our outside deck is open. Would you prefer to sit inside or out?"

Outside sounded nice, so he led us through the building and then out onto a multi-level wooden deck. It was surrounded by large old trees and lush well-lit landscaping. Tiny white lights were strung around and all the tables were covered in pristine white linen tablecloths (much to Robert's approval) and each one had small hurricane lamps burning in the center. Soft music was playing from some concealed outdoor speakers. It was all very romantic and I was surprised that Eric hadn't asked to be seated outside the last time we came, but then I remembered it had been much cooler on that occasion. Even though he was not subject to the cold, my vampire was always worried about me catching a chill. In fact, even now there was still just a tinge of coolness in the air. It was fairly late, but the restaurant still had several tables of diners both indoors and out. Julius seated us in the far corner of the lower deck well away from the other patrons.

As soon as we were comfortably seated, a waiter came out to take our drink orders. In spite of my earlier protests, I found myself suddenly hungry and I studied the menu with interest. In the end, instead of being adventurous I decided on a spinach salad and a steak. I figured I needed it to pump up the old blood count. I couldn't resist running my fingertips over the puncture marks on my neck and smiling to myself. Since my homecoming, my vampire seemed to be nearly insatiable and I had no intention of giving him the slightest reason to take even one drop less... I was enjoying our little ritual way too much. According to Dr. Ludwig, he could drink as much of my blood as he wanted without harming me, but he still seemed a bit worried about taking too much.

The drinks came right away and we sipped them as we waited on my food. Robert glanced around in satisfaction and said, "You see? This is much more civilized than a hasty meal eaten in a car."

I had to agree... except that now I wished we had chosen to eat inside. It was a tad cooler than I had anticipated. My dress had no sleeves and I couldn't quite repress a shiver. Ever the gentleman, Robert stood, slipped off the jacket to his suit, draped it around my shoulders and then sat back in his chair. "Better now?" he asked solicitously.

"Yes, much better, thanks," Through a gap in the canopy of trees, I could see the moon smiling down on us. "Isn't the moon beautiful tonight?" I said conversationally, "Like I mentioned earlier, I was visiting some friends today at the bar where I used to work, and I couldn't figure out why everyone was acting so aggressively. Most of them are shifters of one sort or another, but I had completely forgotten that tomorrow night is the full moon. Duh!"

"Yes, the two-natured can get testy at this time of month," he said a bit condescendingly, "To be quite honest, I was somewhat concerned when I discovered you were out after dark with your Werewolf bodyguard," he said, "However, Eric seems to trust him."

"Cooper? He's a sweetheart. After dark he was a little more restless than usual, but other than that he was fine."

"You must be very careful whom you trust, ma petite. Even those who are normally trustworthy may have times when they are not. One day very soon you and I must have a long talk about personal security," the Knight said very seriously.

Oh, boy, another male intent on lecturing me about security! Still, somehow it didn't seem so bad coming from Robert. After all, he was in the security business... among other things. I figured like all really old vampires, he had his fingers in lots of pies. It occurred to me that I really didn't know all that much about Robert. I regarded him thoughtfully. The very picture of elegance, he was sitting back in his chair, long legs crossed, casually twirling a long-stemmed glass between two fingers. The light from the hurricane lamp danced gently over his handsome features as he sipped his blood. For about the hundredth time, I thought about what a hunk he was. No wonder Pam couldn't resist him, even though I knew she had a clear preference for females. I had been shocked to my core to discover that she would rather go to a fight with the Viking than have a few last minutes alone with her lover. Her goodbyes had been a bit frosty, too, and I was dying to know what was going on... but it was really none of my business. Still, our cozy, shadowy corner of the deck was very intimate and seemed perfect for shared confidences. As much as I was yearning for my Bonded and wished we weren't apart, I recognized that this was a very unique opportunity. I was hardly ever alone with Robert, and somehow I knew that no matter what I asked him tonight, he would tell me what I wanted to know without hesitation. I led into the subject by commenting, "Pam once told me that it was you who trained her as a fighter, not Eric. I was a bit surprised by that."

"That is not entirely accurate. As her Maker, the Viking did of course teach her how to protect herself in average situations, but Pamela wanted more. Although she has a warrior's soul and a natural affinity for fighting, she was very stubborn in those days and not easy to teach. He tried hard to instruct her, but by that time they had been together long enough that she had reach the rebellious stage. You should have heard the arguments between the two of them! In order to keep the peace, I stepped in and took over her training. Once I seduced her, it became much easier. She wanted to please me, you see."

Even though it still made me extremely uncomfortable to think about Pam and my husband having sex, I was still curious enough to ask, "Didn't Eric mind you having... relations with her? He's usually so... possessive."

Robert's even white teeth flashed in an amused smile. "No, of course not. I was his Brother and we shared nearly everything; but even if that had not been the case, Pamela was his child, not his mate. Their sexual relationship was merely physical and as with most Maker-child relationships, that part did not last very long. Mine never did, either."

I was amazed to learn that the Knight had children. No one had ever mentioned any, so I had always assumed that he had none. Still, I was much more interested in pursuing a topic a little closer to my heart. Quietly, I asked, "So Eric really didn't love her?" Pam had once told me as much, but I thought maybe she was just trying to keep me from being jealous of their relationship and causing trouble. It was silly of me to care one way or the other. It had been a really long time ago and it shouldn't matter, but... it did.

"No, my dear, they have always been very fond of each other, but he never loved her. In fact, I can say without hesitation that your Bonded has never truly loved anyone but you."

That gave me a serious case of the warm-fuzzies. I tried my best not to look gratified, but probably failed miserably. "What about you, Robert? Do you love Pam?"

Swirling the blood around in the glass, he peered down into it and said thoughtfully, "I imagine you have been told how unusual it is for vampires to love each other in a romantic way. I suppose I have come closest with her... but still, the answer is unfortunately no."

His voice contained a hint of sadness, and I wondered if Pam had learned to love him his answer would have been different. Softly, I asked, "Have you ever loved anybody?"

Robert's beautiful sea-green eyes took on a far-away look, as if he was remembering back across the centuries, "Oh, yes," he cried, his eyes twinkling merrily, "I am constantly in love! I could not exist without love! That is why I like human women so dearly... they never pass up an opportunity to fall in love.... even if it only lasts a few months or even just a few nights, the grande passion... it is so very wonderful, no?"

He was just so very French, I had to laugh out loud. I said, "You are the only vampire I've ever known who says that. I thought it was nearly impossible for vampires to fall in love with anybody."

Suddenly serious, he said, "To you, my Queen, I will tell the absolute truth. As much as I have longed for it, I have never truly been in love with anyone since I was made vampire. Instead, I pretend to myself to be in love, just because I wish so much that I could feel it once more. You see, I was passionately, head-over-heels in love only once... with my human wife." His mouth softened as he pictured her in his mind's eye. "Her name was Cèleste and she was the sweetest, most gentle creature imaginable. Every time I laid eyes on her, her beauty took my breath away. In turn, she thought the sun rose and set in my eyes and we were very happy together. We had only been married about eight months when I got her with child. We were both ecstatic that the good Lord had chosen to bless us so soon."

He paused for a moment to take another sip of blood before continuing, "The next few months were the happiest of our lives. There was nothing more pleasing to me than to see my woman swelling with the new life inside her. She was absolutely radiant. When her time finally came, she delivered to me a strong son, who coincidentally enough we named Guillaume... which means William in French. Within two years, we had a lovely daughter as well. I was the most content man you could imagine. My lands were very prosperous, I had a wonderful, fruitful wife and adorable children. Unlike some noblemen of the time, I loved my little family quite passionately. Another year passed, and when Celeste announced that she was once again in the family way, I was anxious to welcome another child into our growing brood."

Now his voice took on that cold, rather flat tone that I knew meant that we were coming to something that he still found painful even after all this time. I had wanted to know something about him, and I was getting it, in spades. I steeled myself to listen. Sure enough, he got right down to the bad part, "This time, things did not go so well. She died in childbirth, as so many young women did in those days and the babe did not survive, either. I was completely devastated, but at least I still had our other two children to comfort me... but by the next spring, they were both dead, too, killed by an illness that swept through the countryside that year. I nearly went mad from grief. I was a very devout Christian and spent so many hours praying for their souls that my knees actually began to bleed."

Instantly, tears welled up in my eyes. I managed to croak out, "Oh Robert! I am so sorry! That is just awful!" Almost unconsciously, I set down my drink and sat forward, offering him my hand. Without giving it much thought, he leaned forward and clasped my hand firmly in his much larger one. Even though we did not share a bond of any kind, I could sense the grief that still was deeply embedded in his soul, even after all these centuries. I wished that I could help ease that terrible pain, even if only for a moment, so I reached out and very deliberately began to stroke the back of his hand with my fingertips. As my healing magic began to flow through him, his body started to relax and the haunted expression began to fade from his eyes.

Soon, he was recovered enough to finish the story, "Not long afterward, I joined the Ordre du Temple and took myself off to the wars. I was fighting for the glory of God, and was convinced that if I died in battle I would be reunited with my wife and children as a reward for my efforts. It made me completely fearless, and soon I had gained the reputation as one of the fiercest fighters in all Christendom. Again, Fate intervened. Instead of dying in glory on the battlefield, I was taken by my Maker and turned into a dark, loathsome creature of the night. My very first thought once I realized what I had become was that I could never be reunited with my family... and the agony of that knowledge almost crushed me. The adjustment from devout Knight to vampire was extremely difficult and during those first months, I very nearly did go insane."

Instantly, the Knight's words brought to mind that amazing dream I had of Eric's life. I could only remember parts of it, but the scene of Robert being made vampire was quite vivid. Of course, it had only been a dream, but still, I had the eerie feeling that if I described my vision to Robert, he would confirm that it had happened just like I dreamed it. I very nearly told him all about it but at the last minute, I realized that he might not want me to be privy to all the gory details. Instead, I merely said, "I can only imagine how hard it must have been. How did you survive it?"

His next words confirmed what I already knew to be true. "It was your husband that saved me. I was perilously close to trying to greet the sun, but he took me in hand and very gradually, he taught me to enjoy my life again. For this reason, I owe him a debt I can never repay. I love him every bit as much as I loved my real flesh-and-blood brothers... maybe even more. His sorrows are mine, and his joys are mine as well... which is why I was so pleased when he found you. You are without a doubt the greatest blessing of his long life."

My mind was tumbling now, remembering all the times recently when I seemed to have dreamed something that later turned out to be real... like earlier today, when Sam told me about Eric throwing the jukebox out the window. I vaguely remembered dreaming that very thing... and what about the dream of Eric getting my nightie wet with his vampire tears? Again, I considered talking all this over with Robert, but decided that I had better think about it a little more first. I had been considered crazy most of my life due to my telepathy, and I couldn't bear it for my vampires to begin to think the same thing now. I said sincerely, "I'm glad you think so. You have been a wonderful friend to both of us. We might still be apart if not for you."

"I could not bear to see him lose you," the Knight said simply, "I know the pain of losing the love of your life. I would have moved heaven and earth to reunite the two of you."

Even though Robert's words were quietly spoken, his eyes were blazing with intensity and I knew that he meant every word he said. He really would move heaven and earth to keep Eric and me together. At that minute, I was struck by the profound realization that Robert and I were bound together not only by his oath of loyalty or by my magic, but by the shared love of our Viking. I squeezed his hand to let him know just how I felt and a very tender moment passed between us. Now I was sadder than ever that he was leaving us. Unfortunately, it was at that very moment Julius slipped up from behind me to deliver my dinner to the table. Hastily, I withdrew my hand from Robert's and placed it in my lap. A rush of color rose to my cheeks. Although he was much too well-mannered to show it, what must Julius think? Here I was, in a very romantic setting, openly holding hands with a man other than my husband and staring into his eyes with obvious affection. Oh, dear God! When would I ever learn to think about my actions first?

It was a good thing Robert couldn't feel my emotions just then. I was completely mortified by my stupid behavior. I had been trying my hardest to be act more like a Queen, and now this! The minute Julius had disappeared back inside, I said in despair, "Oh, Robert! That had to look just awful! Do you think I should explain that nothing was going on between us or will that just make things look worse?"

For a moment, the Knight looked completely blank, obviously wondering what in the world I was talking about; but then, a moment later, it dawned on him what I meant. "Please do not worry yourself about Julius," he said soothingly, "I promise you, he will not give this a second thought. Julius is well aware of my relationship with you and the King, and it is perfectly acceptable for me to be escorting you tonight."

"Escorting me is one thing... holding hands is another! I thought no one was supposed to touch me but Eric... except that it seems to be okay when Pam and Bill do it. Robert, I have to tell you, I'm still a little hazy on vampire etiquette. Will you please explain this to me?"

He thought this over for a moment before replying, "I know our ways seem very strange to you. I will try my best to explain. You see, Julius naturally assumes that I am a member of the King's Royal Nest. As Eric's Lieutenant's, the same would hold true for Pam and Bill. Any one of the nest may touch the Queen... in fact, it is the duty of the nest to care for and protect the Queen and any one of them may be called upon to escort her when the King is unavailable. This is expected and therefore no one will think it odd to see us alone together."

"But there is no Royal Nest!" I exclaimed rather forcefully, "Bill told me all about them once. He said that living in a nest makes vampires become meaner and more violent than they already are... and I know they share their humans. That is just so gross!"

Robert made one of his expressive noises, "Pfft! I should have known that you had heard something along those lines. I believe that Bill's own experiences of nest-living have not been good ones, and so his views are understandably skewed. While it is true that is sometimes the case that the nest becomes ever darker, it is not always the outcome. In fact, I believe you once visited Stan's nest in Dallas... did they seem so dreadful to you?"

To be honest, they had seemed pretty scary at the time, but that was before I knew much about vampires. Looking back, I realized that they hadn't been bad at all. "No... I suppose not," I replied slowly, "They really seemed upset when Farrell was taken, so I know they really cared about him. They would have done anything to get him back. Also, I never saw them sharing any of their humans, at least not openly."

"Perhaps if you knew a bit more about how a nest works, you would not find them so disturbing, " Robert said, "As a rule, they are formed voluntarily by like-minded vampires, both for protection and also for companionship. There are rituals involved to bind the nest together, but these ties are not permanent the way your Bond is. Some nests last only briefly, some last for centuries. There are certain obligations involved, of course. For example, if a nest-mate is in trouble, you will fight to protect him or her. You share what you have with your nest-mates... information, resources... and yes, in some cases but definitely not all, the humans are shared..." At that, I know I started to glower. A corner of his mouth twitched up, and he said, "My dear Sookie, you should see your face! You have learned to scowl exactly like the Viking! Before you get too upset, I must tell you that generally speaking, the humans in question have absolutely no objection."

Thinking back on the few times I had been witness to this type of behavior, I realized that what Robert said was true. The humans didn't seem to object at all... but did that make it all right? Robert continued, "Almost always, the oldest vampire in the nest is the leader and makes the rules and enforces them; therefore, the "personality" of the nest tends to be shaped by this Elder. Those nests that devolve into ever darker behavior are led by Elders who are themselves bent towards darkness. Tell me the truth... do you think that any nest led by your husband would be encouraged to behave badly?"

At an earlier time in his long life, it would have been entirely possible... but even though the Viking still had his dark moments, over all he was a pretty good guy. "No, not really," I said truthfully, "... but still! It sounds to me like everyone is already taking it for granted that Eric has a Royal Nest, whether it is true or not. Does that mean that all the other vampires think that y'all get to pass me around? No offense, but I don't care for that idea at all!"

Now Robert was slower than ever to respond. Obviously choosing his words very carefully, he answered, "I think what you say is true... most of the vampires of this state already assume that there is a Royal Nest, simply because that is the norm. However, you are already aware that you are not viewed as an ordinary human, due to your Twice-Bonded status. Since the very beginning, your Bonded has gone out of his way to make it clear to everyone of any importance that you are not shared and never will be. As for the lesser vampires of the territory, I suppose that it is inevitable there will be speculation as to what goes on behind the walls of the Residence... that is merely vampire nature... but do you really care so much about idle gossip?"

Rather bitterly, I replied, "People have been talking trash about me behind my back for nearly my whole life... I guess I shouldn't expect vampires to be any different."

"Talking... trash? I am unfamiliar with this term."

"Uh... you know, say bad things about me."

"My dear Queen, if anyone ever dares talk "trash" about you, they will have to answer to me!" Robert said indignantly, "No, the talk would undoubtedly be more in the way of admiration or perhaps even envy. To vampires, any woman who could single-handedly enthrall a nest such as ours would be viewed as a goddess!"

Sheesh! Vampires probably would take that view! How warped was that? Suddenly, I realized that Robert had perhaps just let more slip out than he had intended. I was not about to let him off the hook, either. It was obvious that he had been dancing all around this issue, probably because Eric told him to keep quiet on the subject. I was dying to know what was really going on and I was not about to let the subject drop. I decided on the spot that I was going to put the Knight's oath to the test. Quietly, I said, "Robert... you just said, 'a nest such as ours'. I want you to tell me the truth... has it been Eric's intention to form a Royal Nest all along? Do you already consider yourself a part of it?"

A sudden frown creased the Knight's brow and he stared at me very intently, as if gauging how likely I was to insist on an answer. Not about to back down, I held his gaze firmly with my own. He did not reply for a long time, and for a minute I thought he would refuse to tell me. Finally, though he sighed heavily and then said, "You are my Queen, and if you ask me a direct question, I will always tell you the truth... no matter how uncomfortable it may be for the both of us. In answer to your first question, I know for a fact that Eric has never had the slightest intention of deliberately forming a Royal Nest; however, in all honesty I must also inform you that it is my belief that a very unusual one has already formed.... and yes, I consider myself a member." He went on to tell me that he and Eric had discussed this very issue only a couple of hours earlier and what had been said. He concluded by saying, "... and his greatest misgiving seems to be that that you would be disturbed by the notion. Although we were interrupted before he could say so, I think it was his intention to give you time to adjust to the idea very gradually before discussing it with you. I have probably overstepped my bounds by telling you all of this... but you did ask me."

For the first time since I had met him, the Knight looked... distraught. I just couldn't look at him anymore, so I dropped my gaze. For a long time, I stared down at my uneaten food while about twenty different thoughts catapulted through my head. A Royal Nest, huh? Crap. What if I didn't want to live in a nest? What if I hated the idea of giving anyone else more ammunition to dis' me? I couldn't exactly get mad at Eric for this, because apparently this was something that he had not set out to do deliberately. Nevertheless, I was suddenly sick of weird things happening in my life over which I had no control. If I raised hell about the whole thing, would it make one bit of difference? Probably not... but I had to ask myself if I really hated the idea, or was I just being childish because "Fate" had once again interfered in my life. Rhiannon had once told me that there were always two paths... so maybe I could choose to change this if I wanted. So the question remained... how did I really feel about all of this? After giving me a few minutes, Robert said gently, "My Lady... Sookie. Look at me."

Slowly, I raised my eyes to his. He said, "Forget the word "nest." Before we left Valhalla this very evening, you told me that I was family and would always have a place to rest in your home... and I think you were being sincere. You have prepared places for Pam and Bill as well, so obviously you care for them, too. If you are willing to accept us, we will be your family and will cherish you and protect you with our lives. Am I so awful that you cannot think of me as... a very, very old uncle, perhaps? Pam and Bill could be... cousins."

The funny thing was, I already did think of them as family, and had been for a long time. In fact, it had only been a couple of hours ago that I was wishing that Robert was my brother instead of Jason. It didn't feel strange at all when the three of my vampires were staying with Eric and me at Valhalla. It felt... to be honest, it felt very satisfying in a way I couldn't even verbalize. I couldn't imagine my life without the three of them around. Overall, I guess it was pretty silly of me to get so hung up on a word. Robert was waiting patiently, his expression cool and remote. I didn't know him nearly as well as I did the others, but I fancied I could see a touch of anxiety in his old eyes. It was almost as if he was awaiting my answer to a marriage proposal... and I guess in a warped way, he was. Somehow I knew that if I rejected the whole idea out of hand, it would hurt him deeply, and I couldn't bring myself to do it... in fact, to my surprise I found that I didn't want to. I decided right then that I did have a choice... and I made it. Once I did, my spirits seemed to rise. To Robert, I said teasingly, "How about if I think of you as an older brother? I haven't always had the best of luck with uncles... and as for Bill, I guess I wouldn't be the first girl in the South to have ever slept with a cousin once or twice."

At my little joke, an absolutely devastating smile spread across the Knight's handsome face. He said, "I would be honored to be considered your brother... although a tad regretful that I didn't apply for the cousin's position first."

"So how is this all going to work? Is everyone coming to live with us now, or what?"

He shook his head, and replied, "I really have no answers. This is all completely unorthodox. As King and Elder, Eric will have to decide what to do. It is probably just as well that I am leaving for New York. He may not be too happy that I had this discussion with you before he had a chance to tell you himself, and he might be tempted to try to remove a limb or two."

Even though I knew Eric was older and theoretically stronger than Robert, the Knight was no slouch. Worriedly, I asked, "Could he really do that?"

Giving me a little grin, he said, "Under normal circumstances, who can say? My Brother may be older, but I am very tricky! However, now that I have recognized him as the Elder, I would be obliged to submit to his punishments or be banished from the nest. Do not worry so, my Lady. I was only teasing."

Letting out a little sigh of relief, I said, "That's good. So you all haven't even said anything to the others about this. Are you sure they are feeling this too, especially Pam? Are you sure she's so all-fired ready to be a member of this 'family'? She's obviously mad at me for leaving Eric."

"You are right. Until she gets past this anger, she may not be ready to admit her connection to this nest. It is true that she is angry at you for leaving her Maker... but I also think she is angry because you left her behind, as well," he said seriously, "Pamela dislikes having feelings, and despite herself, she has become extraordinarily fond of you. When you left without so much as a backward glance, you hurt her deeply."

Guiltily, I said, "I never thought of it that way. I knew I cared for her, but... she always seems so self-contained... Now I feel really awful. I want to make it up to her. Do you have any idea what I should do? I made Eric promise to stay out of it."

"Of course, given enough time I think the problem would resolve itself on its own... but I doubt the Viking will allow her rudeness to continue much longer no matter what you say. Let me see... Pamela is uncommonly fond of gifts. My advice is to buy her something very unusual or very expensive... preferably both.

"A gift?" I asked in surprise, "Wouldn't she think I was trying to buy my way out of trouble? I would rather try reasoning with her."

"Reason? Pam? Trust me, try the gift."

Turning over various items in my mind, I tried to decide what would be an appropriate gift for a female vampire of Pam's disposition. I didn't know the first thing about swords, and a new pair of fir-lined handcuffs would probably give her the wrong impression. She already had enough clothes to sink a battleship. I would love to have some perfume made up just for her, but I doubted there was anybody in these parts that did that sort of thing. Hmm. Unique and/or expensive... suddenly, I knew just the thing. "Robert, does Pam like jewelry?"

"Of course. Every female loves jewelry."

"All right then. I'll get Faeryn to make Pam something out of Fairy-stone," I said, suddenly excited by the prospect, "It doesn't get any more unique than that... and it will be a very personal gift, since I helped gather the stones myself! We found some really beautiful pink and gold stones down by the blue dragon's lair but Faeryn will have to use something besides silver to mount it. Maybe white gold... or platinum. What do you think of that idea?"

At first, I thought he was going to ask me to tell him about the dragon, but he surprised me. The minute I mentioned my friend's name, Robert's face lit up and his eyes began to glow. "Faeryn!" he said softly, and the way he said it made it sound like a caress, "She is quite enchanting, is she not? I was only able to speak to her for a brief time, but I could tell she was an amazing woman."

Wow! I guess my friend had made quite an impression on the Knight. Amused, I replied, "Yes, she is amazing. She is a talented painter and jewelry maker and very sweet-natured."

"And so beautiful!" he said enthusiastically, "Her hair is the most lovely shade of auburn I have ever seen, and those eyes of hers... do they really change color to match her surroundings?"

"Oh yes," I assured him, "Sometimes they are even lavender! I've never gotten around to asking her if they do it on their own, or if she does it on purpose."

"Utterly fascinating!" he exclaimed, "So tell me, where does she live when she is not in the Portal?" For the next little while, he quizzed me for every scrap of information I knew about the lovely half-Fairy. While we chatted, I finally got around to eating my dinner. I said, "You know, Robert, I suspect that Faeryn might be coming for a visit soon... would you like for me to let you know when it might be? Maybe you can arrange your schedule so that you can be back by then."

At first, he said, "Yes! Yes, I would love the opportunity to see her again... but..." A shadow passed over his face, and I knew something was troubling him. "She may very well not want to see me," he said slowly, "After all, I am vampire. To her, I am very dangerous and untrustworthy... not exactly the best qualities to seek in a new friend."

"Oh! I guess I never thought of that..." I said in dismay, "She's only half-Fairy, though... would you still want to drain her?"

"To be quite honest, I am not sure. I am old enough to resist her scent, just as I was able to resist yours last night... but if I ever tasted her blood, I really do not know if I could stop." Now he looked really sad. "As I understand it, Eric began to feed from you before your blood began to take on its stronger Fairy characteristics, so he was able to build an immunity to it gradually. I would not have that advantage. The risk would be... unacceptable."

"Does it have to come to that? Maybe we're jumping the gun a little bit here. Maybe you guys could just be... friends. Haven't you ever had a friend that you didn't feed from?"

Giving me the cutest little shrug, he answered, "Not really, no... except for you. For most human women, that is the main attraction, yes?" For emphasis, he flashed his really, really attractive fangs down and gave me a very sensual smile. Um. Wow. Older brother or not, those were some seriously sexy fangs... I felt a little weak in the knees, just looking at them. Before I started to drool, I said, "Okay, point taken. Still, if you are as attracted to her as I think you are, maybe we could figure something out."

Suddenly hopeful, he said, "Yes, I think it might be worth the effort. I will confess that I have not been so strongly taken with a woman in many a year. You Fairy women are quite irresistible, it seems... and not just in the traditional way."

"You vampire males are pretty hot stuff, too," I responded with a smile, "Now, Eric told me that you are interested in the Portal. Would you like to hear a few things about it?"

If I had offered to sit on his lap and let him drain me, I doubt he would have looked any happier. He said, "Of course! I have been burning with curiosity since your return... but was afraid you might not feel inclined to tell us much about it."

"Nobody told me I couldn't talk about it, so I guess it's okay. Hmm... where to start. Well, from a vampire's perspective I suppose the most interesting thing is that it's always daylight there."

"Always daylight?" he said rather faintly, "No wonder the legends say that vampires are taken there to burn. How horrible!"

I said soothingly, "I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. Other than that, it's a very beautiful place. There are forests and meadows and streams, similar to here but not quite the same. For example, some of the rocks there have a mixture of colors that swirl inside them... you know it as Fairy-stone... and many of the buildings there are made from it. The colors in the Portal tend to be more pastel than they are here. Everything there is soft and dreamy and very restful. Nobody ever gets in much of a hurry to do anything. In fact, taking long walks is the most popular pastime. Some Fairies find the whole place a bit dull. My friend Rhys says..." I stopped abruptly, instantly realizing my mistake.

Immediately, Robert narrowed his sea-green eyes and asked rather bluntly, "Who is this Rhys?"

"He's just one of the local Fairies," I said uneasily, "Kind of a friend of the family. No one important, really."

"I see," he said very carefully, "And did you spend a great deal of time alone with this unimportant Fairy?"

My very first response was irritation. "Older brother" or not, I figured nobody but my husband had the right to question me about other males... but I also knew that if this were Bill, we would probably be having an identical conversation. Vampire males were notoriously possessive to begin with, and now that I had mostly accepted this "nest" idea, it was only going to get worse. I could make a big deal about this now and start out our new "relationship" by trying to set some boundaries from the get-go... but since I had not gotten around to telling Eric about Rhys, maybe the better part of valor would be to keep the whole thing as low-key as possible at this point. As coolly as I could, I responded, "No, Niall was pretty strict about me being chaperoned most of the time." As far as it went, that was the truth.

The Knight looked quite relieved, "A very wise man, the Prince. He obviously realizes that a treasure should be guarded against thieves at all times... even friendly ones. Now, you were saying that the Portal seems a bit dull..."

"Well, I didn't think so. I loved it there. For one thing, my magic is much stronger there and I don't get nearly as tired when I use it. For example, I..."

I stopped in mid-sentence, since our waiter was bearing down on our table. He whisked away my now empty plate, and disappeared. Not a moment later, Julius himself appeared, proudly bearing a plate which he sat in front of me with an elegant flourish. He said proudly, "Ma'am, I would be honored if you would try our latest dessert creation. If you like it, I am going to name it "Sookie's Delight" in your honor."

I hadn't actually planned on eating dessert, but it looked too good to pass up... and besides, how many times does a girl get a chance to have a dessert named after her? I dipped a spoon into it, took a tiny bite and then sighed in bliss. I exclaimed, "Wow! Julius, this is just... marvelous! The chocolate in this is heavenly!"

Obviously pleased, he said, "I'll tell the chef you said so. Now, if you don't mind my asking, were you ever able to get any information from the drainer I caught? Pam and Bill have both been somewhat evasive when I've asked about it."

Obviously, Julius had no idea that I had been on a slight "vacation." No wonder Pam and Bill had been so evasive. I looked at Robert to see if it was all right to tell him, and he nodded his approval. I gestured for Julius to join us, and while I ate my wonderful dessert Robert filled him in on what we had learned from his captive. We had barely begun when, Julius' girlfriend Jenna came outside and came straight to our table. To my surprise Julius stopped in mid-sentence, obviously not wanting her to overhear our conversation. I could tell that this was not lost on the girl. She came over and laid a hand casually on his shoulder and said, "Honey, we just had a table of six come in. I put them in the yellow room, is that okay? I know you wanted to close that room down for the night, but I thought..."

It sounded like she was getting wound up for a rather prolonged explanation. Interrupting her, he said evenly, "Jenna, I am rather busy just now. I'll be inside in a few minutes. Seat people wherever you like." He was clearly trying to tell her to stay the heck out of his business, but at least he was trying to be polite about it, especially for a vampire. Giving him an exasperated look, she said sharply, "Fine, but don't complain if they aren't where you would put them." She turned on her high heels and rather angrily strode back inside. Looking a bit embarrassed, Julius said, "My apologies for the interruption. Jenna knows nothing of vampire affairs, and I try to keep it that way."

Robert made a gesture indicating that it was of no consequence. It did not take too long to finish our talk or my treat. I needed to use the ladies' room, so I said, "Gentlemen, if you will excuse me, I need to go freshen up." They stood when I did, and Robert made a move like he was going to follow me inside. Holding out my hand in a "stop" gesture, I said, "Thanks, but I'd rather you just wait here. The facilities are right through the door there. I'll be perfectly safe inside, right, Julius?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Quite safe."

Robert said reluctantly, "Very well, if you insist. I will wait for you here."

What a worry wort! I gave him a quick smile of reassurance and headed inside. As I had told him, the bathrooms were just inside the back door and it took me little time to take care of my needs. I was just coming back out into the hallway when Jenna came popping out of the kitchen door. She took one look at me, and I could tell she had been crying. She said, "Hi. I met you before... it's Sookie, right? I thought you were married to the big blond vampire, Eric. Are you already with someone else now?"

I said evenly, "No, of course not. That is Eric's... brother, Robert. Eric was busy tonight, so he asked Robert to take me to dinner."

She looked me up and down, and I could see the wheels turning in her mind. I bet she had seen me holding hands with him, and was busy filling in the blanks... and I figured in her human mind, she was much more likely to be thinking of me as a skank than as a goddess. She said, "Huh. How interesting. I had no idea that vampires even had brothers. Of course, what I really know about vampires you could put on the head of a pin. Remember the last time you were here? You told me not to ask too many questions, because if I did I'd never get out of it? Well, I love Julius and I want to be a part of his life... but he just won't let me. He won't tell me anything and it's driving me crazy! How can we have a life together if he won't share?"

"Jenna, maybe that's his way of caring for you... maybe he's trying to protect you." Or maybe he didn't love her at all and didn't want her to know too many things about him. I really had no way of knowing for sure, but I still felt sorry for the girl. I said, "Trust me, there is a darker side to their lives. You might be a lot happier if you don't know."

"Well, if it's so bad, then how do you do it?" she asked, "I saw you all talking, thick as thieves. It's obvious you are right dead in the middle of all their secret vampire shit. What makes you so all-fired special?"

Tears were welling up in her eyes again, and I was trying not to take this personally. I could tell she wasn't really attacking me as much as she was just showing her frustration with the situation. I was just about to respond, when the back door jerked open and Julius stepped inside. I had no idea how much of our conversation he had overheard, but obviously it was enough to get him pretty stirred up. Normally he looked extraordinarily human, which was apparently one of his "talents," but just now, he looked exactly like what he was... a pissed-off vampire. His fangs down and eyes glowing like coals, he hissed, "Jenna! What are you saying! You need to apologize to Mrs. Northman, right now!"

Any woman with a lick of sense would have done exactly what he said and then made herself as scarce as possible, but this one was clearly much too overwrought to care. "Why should I?" she said belligerently, "She's just a human girl, the same as me! Why can you tell her things and not tell me? I just don't understand!"

If the situation was not awkward enough, the back door flew open once more, this time admitting the muscular figure of the Knight. I didn't know if he had gotten worried that I had been gone too long, or if he had overheard Julius' sharp words, but either way, it was obvious he was about to get the situation under control. In a protective motion, Robert inserted his body between me and Jenna. He and Julius now stood side-by-side, both glaring at the girl. "What is going on here?" he demanded.

The girl rolled looked back and forth at the two vampires, who were both so clearly set on defending me. In her overwrought state, this was the last straw. Tears streaming down her face, she looked straight at me and cried, "What is it with you! Are you fucking all of them? Is that why they trust you?"

Well, that did it. Robert had her by the neck and slammed up against the wall so fast I hadn't even seen him moving. Baring his Fangs at her, he growled, "You worthless human! Who do you think you are, speaking to her that way?" Somehow, his beautiful French accent made it sound even more deadly. Instantly, every bit of blood drained out of her face and I thought for a moment she was going to pass out from sheer terror.

As for me, it had been a really long day and I was already exhausted. The ache of separation from my vampire was not helping things. For the second time in one day, I had been attacked by someone's girlfriend for absolutely no reason. My lovely dinner with my Knight was now tainted with unpleasantness. I was definitely not in the mood for all of this drama, and I could feel my temper begin to rise. Clearly, it was time for me to take control of this situation and quickly. I had best start with the vampires. I had often seen people around Bon Temps keeping Pit Bulls as pets, but who obviously did not have a clue what to do with them. It always pissed me off, because if you are going to keep something so dangerous around for protection, you had best know how to control them. I was not going to be guilty of the same thing. In a no-bullshit tone, I commanded, "Robert! Put her down... now!"

Surprised, his head whipped around and it was the extremely dangerous vampire in him that stared back at me. It was completely amazing to me that someone so charming and elegant could also be so completely lethal. In a much softer tone, I said, "I mean it. Put her down."

Somewhat reluctantly, he did. She immediately drew in a deep breath and then started bawling loudly in great heaving sobs. The fact that she could still breathe enough to cry let me know that although Robert had scared the crap out of her, he hadn't really hurt her too badly. The Knight crossed his big muscular arms across his chest and stood next to me. He was still glowering, obviously willing to step back in at a moment's notice. I could see by Julius' expression that he had no idea what to do. He knew his duty was to me as his Queen, but I could tell he also felt sorry for his girlfriend and wanted to comfort her. Ignoring him for the moment, I stepped up closer to the crying girl and said coldly, "For Pete's sake, shut up. Do you want everybody in the restaurant to know your business... if they don't already? Have some dignity!"

Unbelievably, she actually did tone it down considerably. I said, "Okay, that's better. Now, Jenna, here's the deal. If you're determined to hang around with Supes, you had best learn that there is often more to people than meets the eye. You think I'm just like you... well, the fact of the matter is that I'm nothing like you. As any fool can see, I do hold a unique position in the vampire community and I'm proud of it. I earned these vampire's respect and trust, and not on my back, either. I can tell that you are frustrated with the way your life is going, but that's not my fault. Now, I am willing to let this incident pass, but don't ever talk to me like that again, you hear? And I might add, I don't need vampires to get my point across. I can kick your butt all on my own."

Through her tears, she raised her eyes to mine and nodded. Turning to Julius, I said, "Now, as for you... you have been dating this girl a long time. It is unrealistic to expect her to be happy not knowing anything about who you really are. Trust me... a frustrated woman of any species is a dangerous thing. It's clearly time for you to make a choice. If you love her and trust her, tell her a few things. If you don't, glamour her and kick her to the curb. If you decide to keep her, teach her some manners for her own good. If this had been Eric instead of Robert, you know we would not be having this discussion."

Obviously knowing quite well what Eric's response to this would have been, he looked a little sick. Bowing deeply from the waist, he said, "Yes, my Queen. I profoundly apologize for this incident and hope that you will see your way clear to forgetting it ever happened."

That last part was obviously a plea for me to keep this whole thing to myself and not share it with the King. Julius must have taken my words to heart, because he had just addressed me by my title in front of his human. Jenna had picked up on it instantly and said in confusion, "Queen? Vampires have Queens? But she's just a hu..." Before that last word could leave her lips, she clamped them tightly shut and looked at me a little fearfully. Julius took her arm firmly in his grasp, and said, "If you will excuse me, Ma'am, Jenna and I need some time alone."

I was still pretty cross about the whole thing, so I merely said, "Great. Now, I need to get Robert to the airport. Come on, Robert. Let's roll."

I put my hand on one muscular forearm, and tugged. The Knight gave the girl one last glare before obediently coming with me. He waited until he had me tucked safely back into the Escalade before commenting, "I wonder what he will choose to do. It is always dangerous to trust humans and particularly stupid ones."

Still not in the best of moods, I said sourly, "Watch it, buster. I'm still human."

Suddenly, Robert's own aggression vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Giving me a boyish grin he said, "I beg to disagree, my dear. You may have been born into their world, but by the way you just handled that situation, it is clear to both of us you have now grown past it. You are now unquestionably a vampire Queen, and I have never been prouder of anyone."

From Julius' restaurant, we headed straight to the airport. The Knight's jet was already fueled and waiting on the ramp. His steward Gerald came out and greeted me, and then asked about Eric and Pam. While we were chatting, Robert took Joseph aside and was clearly giving him some serious last-minute instructions for looking out after me. Once he was finished he came back over to say his goodbyes to me.

Now that it was really time for him to go, I had the most absurd urge to cry. Trying to keep my composure, I slipped off his jacket and handed it to him, and said, "Thanks again for everything, Robert. Have a safe trip."

Taking the jacket from my hands, he surprised me by bringing up to his face and inhaling the scent I had left on it. He let out a satisfied sigh, and said, "Mm. This will remind me of you on my way home. Now, I have instructed Joseph to take you straight home. Atticus is already there awaiting your arrival."

Suddenly, the strangest feeling started to build inside me. At first it was just a low buzz, but it grew rapidly, becoming more and more intense. It took me a minute to realize that it was a ferocious kind of excitement, and it was coming from the Viking. Oh crap! I knew that feeling! It meant... the fighting was just about to begin. Suddenly lightheaded, I let out a gasp. Robert looked at me in concern and asked, "Sookie? What is it?"

"The fighting... it's about to start!"

"You can feel it, even from this distance?" he asked incredulously.

I nodded mutely. Closing my eyes tightly, I tried to brace myself for what was to come. I felt a pair of strong arms slip around me as Robert pulled me close. Unfortunately, he and I did not share a blood tie, and so he could not literally absorb any of Eric's extremely intense vampire emotions the way Bill could... but it was comforting nonetheless. I rested my head on his shoulder, and waited. Only a second later, a burst of energy came through the Bond, and along with it came that dark sort of elation that had no human words to describe it... it was the part of my Viking's emotions that was purely vampire. Luckily for me, it turned out this really was a minor battle compared to the last one I had to endure. It only lasted a short time and overall, the whole experience had not been nearly as intense as the last time. I knew it was all over when a glow of satisfaction came through, letting me know things had gone well. Almost giddy with relief, I cried, "It's over! He's okay!"

I could feel laughter rumbling deep in the Knight's chest. "Of course he is, ma petite! Did you really expect any other outcome? You must learn to have more faith in your Viking." Kissing my hair, he gave me one last squeeze and let me go.

I laughed rather weakly, and said, "Give me a break! I'm getting better at it. I know one thing... no matter what I thought, it's much easier to actually be there. This not being able to see what's happening sucks."

Suddenly sober, he said, "I can only imagine. Are you certain you are all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. This time really wasn't too bad."

Looking me over carefully, he asked, "Shall I stay for a bit? You could come aboard and have a drink."

"No, really, I'm fine. You need to get going. I'm going to go straight home and get some rest."

Grinning, Robert said, "Try to get a nap. You will probably need your strength when your Bonded returns. You know how he is after a good fight."

Boy, did I! My temperature zoomed up a couple of degrees just thinking about the possibilities. I gave Robert one more big hug before sending him on his way. The last thing I said to him was, "Bye, Robert! Hurry back, now! I'm really going to miss you."

I stood on the ramp as the jet taxied out onto the runway and then took off. I watched it for a long time, until it finally disappeared into the night sky. My heart was heavy. In a very short time, I really had become attached to the Knight, and I hoped he wouldn't stay gone too long. Sighing, I walked back to the car and let Joseph drive me home.

Before too long, we were pulling up to the gates of our Shreveport house. As Robert had said, Atticus was already there waiting for us. Joseph helped carry my bag inside before bidding me a good night. Once he was gone and I had locked the door behind him, I headed straight for the bathroom. I took a long, hot shower and tried my best to let my mind go blank. It had been one hell of a day, and all the events were still whirling around in my mind in one big tangle. One thing was for sure. My vampire and I had some serious talking to do, but it wasn't going to be tonight.

As soon as I got out, I dried off and then spent some time rubbing in my special creams and lotions, finishing up by dotting on the tiniest hint of perfume. I pulled on a short silk nightie and covered it with a matching longer robe. Even though I was really exhausted, I decided to wait up for my vampire. I rummaged through my bag and pulled out my needlework supplies, and toted everything back into the living room. I curled up on the end of the sofa, and got to work. The rhythm of the needle dipping in and out of the canvas was soothing, and as I stitched, the tensions of the day started to smooth out. I began to get sleepy and was soon fighting to stay awake. Suddenly, a jolt of energy poured through me, and all thought of sleep left my brain. The Viking! He was near, and he was in a mood!

Sure enough, only a few minutes later I heard a car pulling up in the driveway. Tossing my needlework to one side, I jumped up, wrestled with the locks on the front door, and then flung it wide open. He and Bill were standing by Bill's open trunk, talking. They were both slightly disheveled, with a few rips in their clothes and a blood spot here and there, but nothing too major. Obviously, the Viking had been in too much of a rush to get home to take the time to clean up... which was just fine with me. Just as I came outside, Bill casually reached up and shut the lid. Eric turned his beautiful golden head in my direction and gave me the full triumphant Viking grin. God, was I glad to see him! His high spirits flowed through me, infecting me with his good mood. Barefooted, I ran across the brick pavers of the driveway and literally jumped into his arms, laughing like a maniac. Wrapping my legs and arms around him, I gave him about a hundred kisses all over his sweet but dirty face. I only stopped long enough to fling a "Hey, Bill!" in the other vampire's general direction. My lack of manners didn't seem to matter, though, because my dark vampire was grinning to beat the band, too. Holding me slightly away from him, Eric said sternly, "... and exactly what are you still doing awake at this hour, Beloved? I thought I told you to get some sleep!"

I knew he didn't mean it, though. He had wanted me to be awake, and we both knew it. I said, "You should know by now I'm very disobedient. I couldn't sleep until you got home. Let's go inside, and you two can tell me all about it."

Hesitating, Bill glanced down at his car. "I really should go if I'm going to get to the hotel before dawn."

"Nonsense," said the Viking, "You will stay here." Leaving no room for argument, he turned and toted me inside, chuckling the entire way. Bill followed behind, locking the front door firmly behind us. To my surprise, Eric did not set me down when we reached the living room, but kept right on going down the hallway. Supporting me easily with one hand, he opened the door to our chamber. Over his shoulder, he called to Bill, "Take your pick of the bedrooms. See you at first dark."

"Hey!" I protested, "He's a guest! I should help get him settled."

"Bill is perfectly capable of fending for himself," my vampire replied, "You have other pressing matters which require your full and undivided attention."

There was no mistaking the lust that was pouring through the Bond. Before I could spell "cat," I was laid down on the bed, my gown was history, and I was being feverishly kissed by a very amorous Viking. Obviously taking the time for foreplay was out of the question, and within seconds he had buried himself inside me up to the hilt. Ah! There was nothing to be done but hang on for dear life, and enjoy every minute of it. My last coherent thought before being completely consumed by our joint passions was that letting a vampire run off to a battle now and then did have it's advantages. A little bloodlust can be a wonderful thing. Yum!