AN: Thank you to ebbygrace23855, janiaco, Millarca666, Virala, Angie, evasmomforever, mindy781, ashmo2000, RamintaD, nordiclover, laacford, suzyq59, Aura1324, vilannh, Baronessjai, sebeaver, Mikaelv, ILoveVikings, midnightopheliac and ljhjelm49 for reviewing xx
Disclaimer: all rights go to Charlaine Harris
Chapter thirty-seven
Sookie's POV
I must admit I was reluctant when Eric told me we would be flying to Dallas, I also felt very deterred when he told me I would be flying alone because he would be resting in the coffin, which would also be on the plane in a secure storage area. But not only that, I am solely responsible for him being shipped off of the plane safely. Eric did try to assure me that he would be waking up at the time we landed, so at least I wouldn't have to go to the hotel on my own without him. But that still doesn't calm my jittery nerves. I keep my eyes closed as I breathe deeply, trying to ignore the fact that I am on a plane that is God knows how far off of the ground. I have had nightmares regarding planes falling and crashing, and because I'm getting stressed, my walls are beginning to crumble in my head, leaving my mind open to people's thoughts. I can't say any of these thoughts are exactly pleasant either. I hate this. I need Eric.
"Are you okay, ma'am? Can I offer you some water?" I open my eyes to find a kind, fair faced woman smiling at me. She does look genuinely concerned for me. I smile at her in assurance, but I'm sure my pale complexion doesn't quite soothe her.
"Water would be lovely," I thank her as she passes me a fresh, cold, unopened bottle. She assures me that everything is okay and that we will be landing shortly before moving on further down the plane aisle. I instantly take great comfort in that as I breathe out a sigh of relief. I take those few moments of calmness to assess my attire. Pam helped me with my outfit yesterday ready for before we had to fly over here. She suggested I wear a red playsuit with a black belt around my waist. She also insisted that I wear a black leather jacket over it as well as wearing sexy lingerie, including stockings, and a pair of black heels. But they are only small heels so I can walk in them luckily. I must admit the lingerie she has gotten me to wear under this is a little…out of my comfort zone. But she said that chances were, Eric was going to want a little alone time with me tonight. I couldn't complain about that, it would be nice to have some alone time with him. So I went along with it, and I know for a fact that Eric is going to love it.
The lingerie is black and red and the colours have been intertwined in a passionate composition of tulle and lace. It's also decorated with satin bows and does come with a G-string, which I know for a fact Eric has always wanted me in. Even the bra is very delicate and barely contains my breasts. I take a deep breath as we all get asked to put our seatbelts on, my nails digging into the arms of the chair as we land. The second we land I cheer inwardly while jumping out of my seat and heading off of the plane. The first thing I notice as I begin to slide through the crowds is that the sun is almost fully set, which means Eric will be rising soon. I quickly head over to where Eric's coffin should be coming off; after all, I promised him I would make sure he was shipped off safely. As I am waiting a man who appears to be a priest approaches me, but I do not pay him much attention. I'm still rather frazzled and nauseas from my first plane ride.
"Excuse me, dear, may I be of assistance to you?" I look at him briefly, trying to decode what he's saying. I feel terrible.
"Why do I need assistance?" I probe curiously.
"For your situation, dear," He tells me, his eyes shifting around him, but I don't really pay it no mind as I turn back to watching the cargo being brought off of the plane. Eric's coffin must be coming off soon. It's getting cold and I would like to get to the hotel where I can have a little rest. I soon decide to walk over and inquire about where Eric's coffin is, but as I walk along I find the priest stalking me. "Dear, please listen, you need my help," I ignore him again, but when he persists in trying to gain my attention I begin to sense danger. But just as I, and presumably him as well, spot Eric's coffin coming off of the plane he grabs me roughly, trying to drag me with him. I scream and dig my heels in the ground, trying to shake him off. I look over at Eric's coffin desperately as the sun finally disappears, the coffin lid flying open as he bursts out of the coffin and shoots after the man in a blur.
I stand there, my heart pounding as I look around me. I have no idea where Eric has gone. I think he chased after that priest. Luckily he soon returns to me, his hands resting on my shoulders as he looks me over frantically.
"Are you okay, Lover? Did he harm you?" He asks frantically, making me shake my head.
"No, I'm okay. But why did he try to take me?" I wonder aloud, Eric glancing in the direction he ran away in. I wonder where he went to.
"He disappeared before I could get to him. I am unsure as to where he went off to. I could not find him when I followed him into the building, maybe he is working with a Vampire and they assisted him in his escape, but I wasn't going to waste my time trying to find him. You are my concern, Sookie, it is your safety that I am worried about," He cups my cheek lightly before kissing my forehead. I smile as I hug him, Eric holding me closely, his arm wrapping around me tightly. I can sense that he is still on edge; I can feel it through our bond.
"Come, Lover, let us get to the hotel; we can concern ourselves with this later on. Right now I wish to get you out of here," Eric tells me before yelling over to the two men bringing his coffin down. "If I discover even one scratch on there, I swear…" Eric lets the threat drop menacingly, all of them gulping while nodding. I roll my eyes at him. We soon get into a taxi that takes us to our hotel, Eric tipping the driver before we get out, a young man walking out of the hotel to greet us.
"You must be Mr Northman, we have been looking forward to your arrival all day," The boy, Barry his nametag says, informs us while holding out his hand for Eric, I quickly shake my head at him, Barry retracting his hand while apologising. I think the hotel needs to train him a bit further when approaching vampires. As he takes our bags inside I let my shields down, only to find out something very interesting. He's a telepath, too! Another telepath. I cannot help smiling broadly as the excitement fills me, but I make sure to keep this information to myself. I don't want to single him out, especially not in the open when Vampires are about.
"I will be back in a second, Lover, you rest in the lobby," Eric tells me, making me nod as I head over to one of the couches where I sit down, feeling thankful to be sat somewhere comfortable. I wasn't exactly comfortable on the plane or in the cab, so my back is playing up a bit. After a few minutes Eric is in front of me where he offers me his hand, I accept it as he helps me up.
"I have placed the bags in our room," He assures me, making me smile. I hope we can go up there now; I really need to lie down for a little bit. But sadly that doesn't happen; instead we are greeted by a very beautiful Vampire woman. She has long sensual dark hair and the most mesmerising eyes. Her figure alone could bring any man to their knees in desire of her. She is stunning.
"You two had better come with me, Stan is waiting,"
"Who are you?" I ask first. I refuse to go anywhere until I know her name.
"Isabel Beaumont," She introduces herself, but before I can ask any further questions Eric ushers me out of the building and into her car. We all remain quiet on the journey there, but I do keep sneaking Eric glances. He knows I'm curious and that I'm on edge. The second we arrive we all pile out of the car before following the female Vampire inside the large building. We follow her down the hallway where she leads us into a large meeting room. In the middle of the room there is a long, large table with many chairs placed around it. She gets us all to sit down before leaving the room. I turn to Eric.
"Where are we? Who is she?"
"She is part of Stan's nest and this is his main building where they all reside. He is the Vampire we are meeting with, she is just a Vampire who assists him," Eric informs me, making me nod before the door opens and two men and that Isabel woman walk in again.
"Eric, it is good to see you, I am glad you and your bonded could come and assist me," The male Vampire thanks Eric as he sits opposite us, the woman and the other male sitting down together on the other side of him.
"Sookie, this is Stan Davis, he is the Area Six Sheriff. Farrell is part of his nest as you are already aware of," Eric introduces me to him; I smile and nod my head in polite acknowledgment. But my eyes soon land on the human male who is looking at me appreciatively. I look at Eric uncomfortably, his hand resting on my thigh under the table. It is the only physical form of comfort he can offer me at this moment, but he is sending lots of emotional comfort through the bond.
"I'm sure you are already acquainted with Isabel," Stan motions to her before he points towards the man. "And that man is Hugo Ayres. He represented me in court and won my case,"
"He is also my Lover," Isabel notes thoughtfully while taking his hand tenderly in hers. I cannot help but widen my eyes slightly. She just showed him public affection. Eric has never shown me anything like that in front of other Vampires, other than Pam obviously.
"Let's get down to business," Stan states while placing his clasped hands on the table.
"Where should we begin?" Eric probes, Stan only looking at me in answer.
"We require you to listen into the minds of the humans we believe have information on Farrell's disappearance, they may even have some information on Godfrey's disappearance as well,"
"I can do that, on one condition," I state. I have my own rules and I will stand by them.
"The contract never mentioned any conditions," Stan growls while leaning back in his chair, his annoyed gaze falling on Eric. I can feel Eric tensing beside me. He thinks I am playing an extremely dangerous game, and he's right. I am. But I will stand up for what I believe in.
"If I do this, I ask that all the humans are released and are not harmed,"
"But what if they are guilty?"
"Then punish them in some other way," I suggest, the two Vampires growling at me while narrowing their eyes at me in sync.
"You need to sort your bonded out, Northman, she is far too stubborn. She should never challenge Vampires, and the only reason she is being let off today is because we admire the courage. But I don't want to see it again," Stan almost hisses at Eric, making him nod. I know Eric is angered at me, I can feel that much through the bond, but I had to do what I had to do, whether he likes it or not. "As for you, Telepath, we will agree to that," I thank him quietly before he stands up, telling the other's to set the room up while he fetches the suspects.
Eric's POV
She has made me look like a fool; she has acted in every way I told her not to act. I laid out all of the rules to her, I told her exactly how she should act, I told her never to try and bargain with a Vampire unless the deal went through me. I was unaware of her wishes until then, and due to my lack of knowledge I was the one to experience their annoyance. They will view me in a different light for this. That is the last thing I need, I do not want to be viewed as the idiotic Vampire who gets ruled over by his own human. I will deal with her when we return to our hotel, and she is fully aware that she is in trouble. I thought we were passed the whole teacher-student stage by now. I stand by Sookie as she interviews each human, but so far we have found nothing of use. But this next person looks promising.
"Hi there, what's your name?" Sookie probes with a bright smile.
"Bethany," She tells Sookie nervously. "I haven't done anything, ya know," She quickly tries to assure Sookie, Sookie nodding as she takes the girl's hand in hers. Human comfort, I have always found it odd how humans always want to give it, even to complete strangers.
"Don't worry, I just want to ask a few questions, no harm will come to you," Sookie assures her again. I look up at Stan then who is watching Sookie intently, he is curious about her gift that much I can depict. Then again, I was very curious about her gift at first as well. We all watch in curiosity as Sookie begins to ask her simple questions, ones such as what her favourite hobby is and what her job is. Nothing which could possibly be of use in this investigation. However, she soon proves me wrong when she suddenly begins to deepen the questions subtly. She is delving into her mind now; the questions are just to relax her. Once relaxed, Sookie will have access to all her memories.
"Thank you, Bethany. You have been of great help," Sookie thanks her before Isabel guides her out of the room, Stan standing up and walking up to Sookie. She has discovered some information.
"Farrell was last seen entering the bathrooms at a Vamp bar called The Bat's Wing. He entered in there with a young looking blonde Vampire and neither were seen leaving the bathroom that night," Sookie informs us, causing Stan and I to share a look. "Eric, can I see that file again?" Sookie probes, I nod while passing her it, Sookie flipping through until she lands on a picture of Godfrey, the other missing Vampire. "He went into the bathrooms with him," Sookie points at Godfrey's picture. Stan and I look at each other again before looking at Isabel who glances at us and Hugo.
"Get the bouncer and Rachel in, they might know more," Stan orders Isabel as he rushes out of the room, obviously going to deal with something. I look at Sookie then where I place my hand on her shoulder, her looking up at me with her bright blue innocent eyes.
Within only moments of them entering the room Sookie discovers that the bouncer's memories have been erased, leaving him no good to us, and Rachel confides in us by informing us that she did see Godfrey outside the bar talking to a mysterious human. The second we remove them from the room, Stan re-enters with a piece of paper in hand that he lies out on the table.
"Godfrey is a renouncer," He announces, causing Isabel and I to peer over his shoulder and look over the information before him.
"A renouncer?" Sookie questions cautiously.
"A renouncer is a Vampire who retracts his Vampire status. He no longer wishes to be a Vampire, but instead wishes to be punished for it. Most renouncers meet the sun on their own accord. Godfrey seems to have taken another road," I inform her, Isabel now turning to talk to her.
"He has gone to the fellowship. He's given himself to them and we believe that Farrell may be a sacrifice. He doesn't want to die alone, so he's taken Farrell with him,"
"How can you be sure?" Hugo probes.
"The Fellowship have announced a lock-in, with two very special guests," Isabel tells him, my eyes glancing at Sookie who's eyes widen as she thinks about that.
"What are we going to do then?" Sookie inquires.
"There is only one thing we can do. We Vampires cannot go near there, but you and Hugo can. You two will go undercover," Isabel decides, causing Stan and me to look at her critically.
"Is that a wise decision?" I challenge. I do not like the idea of my Sookie being put in danger like this.
"It's the only way we can get them back, and Sookie signed a contract, so she's in our control," Isabel points out, making me growl lowly before shaking my head.
"Sookie, do you feel you can take part in this?" I ask her, my eyes meeting hers. I value her opinions more than anything, and I will not force her to do anything that she doesn't want to do.
"Yes, I can do it," Sookie nods while standing up, asking if she can look at the sheet Stan brought in, making Stan nod as he passes her it.
"Then it is sorted. I expect you two to infiltrate the Fellowship tomorrow morning," Stan decides while sitting down, Hugo and Sookie both nodding in agreement. I still do not approve of the situation though. I do not like the idea of Sookie going into the Fellowship, which is full of psychotic idiots, with a man to whom I am not familiar with. I have seen the way he looks at her, and that alone has caused me to become on edge.
"We need a good cover for this to work. They'll know who we are, me especially. I am rather well-known after representing you, Stan, in court," Hugo points out, making us all nod. It is a very well-known fact, especially around these areas, that Hugo is on our side, he works alongside us, and the word has been spreading around regarding Sookie's connection to me and I her.
"I guess we could go under cover as boyfriend and girlfriend. Tell them we are engaged and are looking for a place to which we can wed, we will tell them we agree with their beliefs and that we would be honoured to get married there. I'll even make sure to tell them that we want to have a look around their church first," Hugo tells us.
"That is genius, Hugo," Isabel compliments, causing her to kiss him softly. I look over at Sookie who sighs while looking down. She feels upset about something, but as to what I do not know, but I will find out. I do not like the thought of her being blue. Sookie soon looks at me desperately, a clear sign that she is ready to leave. I go and stand beside her where we make our leave. Sookie remains silent throughout our journey home, she does not even breathe a word to me, nor does she send anything down the bond to me. She is keeping to herself.
"Sookie," I call out to her when we finally get into our hotel room, but all she does is head towards the bathroom, but I reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her to me. "Sookie," I repeat more softly. She looks down then. "Lover, what is wrong?"
"You're mad at me for speaking out," She states, but I know that isn't what is bothering her. She knows that I cannot remain angry at her for long; I love her too much for that, no matter how much I am reluctant to admit it.
"Sookie, I know you well enough to know that my own opinion does not matter when it comes to your beliefs. You did right to stand up and bargain with them, no matter what the effects. I will admit I was not pleased, I would have hoped you would have run it by me first, but that does not matter. You are my bonded, you have the same rights as I do now, you are not viewed as a pet anymore, you have nothing to fear," I assure her while cupping her cheek in my hand. "What I would like to know, Lover, is what has you so down,"
"That Isabel woman showed a lot of…well…affection towards Hugo. She did a public display of it," Sookie notes thoughtfully while sitting down on the bed, a small sigh leaving her lips. I understand completely now. I perch myself beside her, my arm wrapping around her as my other hand gently turns her face towards mine. I kiss her softly, Sookie responding immediately.
"Do you rate public affection highly?" I probe as she rests her head on my shoulder. I can feel how tense her body is, but I believe it is due to other reasons. I wonder if the flight was uncomfortable for her. I know many humans find those chairs irritating.
"I don't… It's not necessary, but it would be nice," Sookie admits, making me smile as I kiss her again. If that is how she feels, then that is what shall happen. I shall show her affection even when we are in public. I know I fear for her safety, but am I really doing any harm by just giving her a kiss or holding her hand in front of others? For all they know I could just be keeping her sweet, but only we shall know the true meaning behind the tiny gestures.
"I am sorry, Lover,"
"There is no need to be sorry, Eric, really. I shouldn't expect you to do that anyway. Just knowing that you love me and that I mean something to you is enough,"
"But it is not. You want a relationship which resembles that of a human one, public affection is very highly rated among humans, you often see them on the benches in parks getting far too close, and I believe you want something along the lines of that," I challenge her, knowing full well that deep down that is the truth, even if my Lover does not wish to admit it to me. She fears my reaction; I can sense that from her. She does not want to make me feel as though I have failed her, but then again she fears that I will be angered with her for wanting what I would normally define as idiotic and useless. I have always been of the opinion that public affection proves nothing; it is just a simple, blatant statement humans use to announce their claim on the human they are engaged with. But for my Lover I am willing to change my beliefs. I only wish to do what will make her smile.
"Eric, I just want you as you are. I don't want to change you or how you show your affection to me," I pull her to me then, my lips holding hers as I kiss her deeply, refusing to release her from my hold.
"What if I wanted to change for you?" I murmur against her lips, Sookie clasping my face lightly as she kisses me again, our lips never parting as I lie her down on the bed, my hand undoing each button on her playsuit. "Would you like a massage, Lover?" I breathe in her ear while kissing her neck. I only suggest this because I felt her small agony when I laid her down, I could almost feel the vibration of the twinge in her back.
"I'm sure I can tip you for it afterwards," She whispers in a sultry voice while sitting up and taking off her playsuit, my eyes immediately devouring her body.
"Is this new?" I murmur while running my fingertips along her new lingerie, it is delicious. Very tasteful, and in my favourite colours as well.
"Just for you," She moans as I kiss her stomach before rolling her over so that I have access to her back. I rub my hands together, trying to warm them up as best I can for her. I know I am a very cold being, and therefore I do not want to inflict that on her during what should be a pleasurable massage. But warming a Vampire's hands is very difficult.
"Oh, wow," Sookie moans as I gentle massage her shoulders, my hands slowly making their way down her back, my arousal becoming unbearable as I touch each soft curve of her body. Her lingerie is not helping either. She is in a G-string. My fantasy. After a few moments I soon find myself unable to cope anymore, my hand snapping away her G-string with one quick flick. All Sookie can do is glance at me over her shoulder, one sexy eyebrow raised at me.
"Couldn't wait, big boy?"
"I have no patience when it comes to you," I tell her, Sookie giggling as she turns around so that she is sat in front of me, her hands tugging away my shirt before they work on my jeans.
"Fancy a new position?" She breathes in my ear before kissing down my neck as she pushes my jeans passed my hips. I growl while roughly pulling her to me, my lips finding her's where I scrape my fangs on her lower lip, causing it to leak a little bit of blood. I suck on her lower lip lightly, making her moan further as she pulls out my member, her warm hand wrapping around me where she slowly starts to stroke me.
"Choose a position," I order her while pulling her hand away from my cock. I want to be in her now.
"I know you've always wanted to do me doggy style," She reveals, surprising me. I never told her anything of the sort, unless…I did inform Pam of my desires, she must have passed on the message. I grin at her, my tongue licking across my lips as I nod. Sookie smirks while moving onto all fours, her sultry smile being thrown at me over her shoulder.
"Come on then, I'm waiting," She whispers, making me groan through arousal as I place myself at her entrance, my hands gripping her hips forcefully as I slam into her. I carry on to thrust in and out of her like this, her only releasing moans of approval as she pushes back against my cock, her back arching inwards to allow me further access.
I soon reach around to fondle her breasts as I speed up to almost inhuman speeds.
"Eric!" Sookie screams out in warning, one of my hands moving to stroke her clit roughly until she finally meets her end, her release drowning my cock as I explode inside of her. Sookie pants while falling onto her stomach where she rolls onto her back, only to find me climbing on top of her where I kiss her deeply, one of her legs hooking around my back.
"I love you," She tells me, making me kiss her again.
"And I love you, never forget that,"
"I would be an idiot if I did," She murmurs while pulling me back down again.
Sookie's POV
I look at myself in the mirror, only to find a large smile staring back at me. Eric and I enjoyed a night of passion, a night that reminds me so much of our first time together. I felt loved and wanted. He made me feel accepted; he made me feel like I was the only person in his world. He was focussed on me. He didn't care about anything else. I still cannot believe how fast he gets hard again. I swear to God it had only been like one minute before I felt his long hard cock poking my thigh again. I know the first sex session that night was more need and desire than love and nurturing, but all (yes, more than one) the times after that it was just basking in our love. At least, that's how I felt. Eric might have thought different, but he didn't let it on if he did. I run my fingers along the spaced bruises along my hips. I think it is safe to say that Eric might have been gripping me a tad too tight, but I'm not complaining. It felt great to be close to him, to enjoy some us time together. Even after we were finally finished we didn't just fall asleep, we stayed up a little longer talking, Eric telling me things he had never told me before. He told me how much he missed me while he was away. He told me everything that happened. He told me how he left his Maker on his own to come back to me.
I really do mean something to him. I did have to inquire about how he went on with his feeding while he was gone, and he did admit he had to feed off of a few volunteers, but he assured me it was nothing but feeding. He needed food, they were willing. It was ideal in his mind. I knew he wasn't lying to me about it, after all, I would have felt it through our bond if he was. I hurriedly tug on my sundress before rushing out of the room. Hugo should be here soon, I believe, however I still haven't managed to gather a disguise up yet. I'm in the hopes that maybe the hotel will have some I can borrow, at least that way I can return them afterwards. Evidence practically gone that way. I quickly ask the receptionist to bring anything knitted or tailored, or anything that could be used for a costume, up to my room. She says she'll try her best with a wary tone, but I do not pay her any mind as I spot Barry wandering through the lobby. I quickly chase after him.
"Barry," I yell out, the young man stopping to look at me curiously. He's confused and worried, but intrigued as to why I have stopped him. "You remember me from yesterday right? I showed up with a tall feller with blond hair? Looked kinda threatening?" I describe Eric to him as best as possible.
The only reason I choose Eric to focus on is because he is pretty unforgettable. Many have described him as being exactly that, and I used their mutual descriptions of him to help probe Barry's mind.
"Yeah, I remember ya. What is it exactly that I can help ya with?" He inquires while walking over to the breakfast table where he begins removing the cling-film off of the plates of food.
"Look, I don't want ya to freak, but I know that you're telepathic,"
"Lady, I think you might have a screw loose,"
"It's Sookie, and no I don't. I'm perfectly well. I know you're telepathic because I am too!" I tell him in a hushed whisper so that no one else hears us. It's not the kind of attention either of us want or need at this point.
"What?" He probes harshly, obviously not wanting to believe me, but all I can do in return is talk to him through our minds. He jumps back a step or two then.
"Oh, Jesus Christ, I didn't think I could do this," He thinks over to me, making me shrug lightly.
"Together we could discover the true depths of our gift," I think right back at him.
"No!" He hisses out loud at me, this time causing me to feel taken aback. "I don't want anyone knowing about this, especially not those bloodsuckers. And while you're with them, I don't want anything to do with ya," His mind yells at me as he storms passed me, causing me to stand there aghast. I can't believe that, but there isn't anything I can do sadly, meaning that I am left to just push that ambition out of the way for now. I grab a croissant before heading towards the elevator where the receptionist passes me a bag full of all the things I requested presumably. I thank her before heading back to my room where I rummage through the bag, pulling out potentially useful items. Hopefully I can create some sort of disguise out of this. I can't risk being caught out.
I eventually settle for wearing a dark brown wig that has been styled into a bob, a black skirt that comes to above my knee, and a knitted jumper I wear over one of my own shirts. I finish the look off by wearing black ballet shoes and applying light make-up. I look at myself in the mirror, trying to assess whether this outfit looks appropriate or not. I soon grab a pair of glasses to wear as well, just to finish the look. Perfect. I grab my bag before leaving the room, making sure the door is locked on my way out. Eric is dead to the world, therefore he is vulnerable and it's my job to make sure he is safe while I'm gone. Although, in saying that, he should arise from his slumber a lot earlier than normal considering that this is a Vampire hotel.
Upon arriving in the lounge I am greeted by Hugo who grins at me while assessing me. Just from the thoughts in his mind I can tell he is eager to inquire over my relationship with Eric. He seems to be obsessed with Vampires...
"So you're dating that blonde Vamp?" He glances over at me briefly before going back to watching the road.
"Yeah," I nod, already knowing where this conversation is going. Not only is he obsessed with Vamps, but he's also addicted to Vampire sex. He seems to think I might be addicted as well, but I'm not. I'm quite capable of controlling my desires, it's Eric who might be addicted to sex, not me. But I can hardly complain, I enjoy it. I love having Eric hold me close in his strong arms as he makes love to me, I've grown so accustomed to it.
"I take it you two have rocked the boat too then? Amazing isn't it?" He is getting far too liberated about this. He really is addicted.
"I would rather not discuss my private life, thank you very much," I grumble, my head turning towards the window where I watch all of the scenery go by.
"Sorry," He's not though. "Look, how about we discuss our ages and shit like that. We kinda need to solidify our disguises,"
"How old do I look to you?" To my knowledge he should be unaware of my true age, so this should be interesting.
"Twenty-one, twenty-two at the most,"
"Okay, so I'll be twenty-one, and I think you could pass for twenty-three," I decide. They seem like believable ages, and they seem like ideal ages to become engaged at. They're perfect really.
"I'll go with that. I'm actually twenty-five, what about you? You must be about twenty,"
"I'm eighteen," I inform him, his eyes widening. He wasn't expecting that, but that doesn't stop him from speculating about mine and Eric's relationship. He thinks Eric hit the jackpot getting with a sexy eighteen year old. But he does begin to think about Isabel soon after, and soon enough the graphics become far too inappropriate for my taste. I immediately slam my walls back up at this point.
"What are our professions gonna be?" I probe. We need to get our story straight right now.
"Something believable, we've got to make sure we know enough about it to be able to answer any questions on it,"
"I'm familiar with running a business,"
"What kind of business?"
"A bar,"
"Human or Vamp?"
"Both," They pretty much work in the same way. The only reason I know that is because I help Sam out with his bar as often as I can. I must admit I do like working there, he's a great boss and it's a lovely establishment.
"I don't think a bar is going to go down well with a religious group, especially not a Vamp bar. How about you run a family restaurant? That's similar principles to a bar,"
"Okay, so what about you?"
"The only thing I'm familiar with is being a lawyer,"
"We can't risk it," I point out. He nods while pulling into a space in the parking lot. We're here. Even the building looks dreary. I take a deep breath before getting out.
The second we knock on the door I get an immediate sense of nervousness from Hugo. Even his thoughts are muddled and jumping around frantically.
"Hello?" A young woman opens the door, her hazel eyes running over us both, that bright smile never once leaving her face. She looks and acts like an innocent angel.
"Hello, I'm Eugene and this here is my fiancée, Marilyn,"
"We were hoping to join your group and hopefully get married here,"
"We spoke on the phone this morning," It would seem Hugo is really playing this role; he's one step ahead each time. The woman grins wider while clapping her hands together excitedly.
"But of course! Please, do come in. I'm Sarah Newlin and my husband, Steve, is the leader of our little civilisation. He's been anticipating your arrival all morning," She informs us excitedly, but her thoughts betray her. She has indeed been expecting us, but for other reasons than this wedding. However, there isn't anything in her thoughts that causes me worry. She just seems very excited to show us around, she is already planning the route out in her head, but she doesn't seem bothered about us, it's almost as if...
"Sarah, honey, is that our guests?" A man, who I presume is Steve, probes while joining his wife, his arm wrapping around her, his smile just as bright as hers. I look up at Hugo to see him sweating slightly. His thoughts are still everywhere, it's like he's trying to hide something.
"Sweetie, I don't know if I feel well enough for this, maybe we should come back another day," I suggest, my own worry rising. Even I can tell that something is wrong here.
"Nonsense, you'll feel better as we go along, you must just be nervous," Steve notes thoughtfully, making me nod cautiously through a weary smile.
"Would you like some water at all?" Sarah asks. I immediately decline her offer. I don't trust these people.
"So how long have you two been together for?" Steve inquires as they begin to lead us around the building, Hugo gingerly and reluctantly taking my hand in his. It's just for show, he's chanting to himself in his head. But he's doing it to hide something; he knows I can read his mind better like this, which means he's trying to cover up something by chanting.
"Three years" I answer back with a smile of my own.
"Have you been engaged for long?" Sarah glances at us, that sickening smile still on her face.
"About eight months now," Hugo tells her, her thoughts screaming out the word 'liars'.
"Are you two planning on staying here for our lock down? It's all in preparation for our big event tomorrow morning,"
"What event would that be?" I probe Sarah. She smiles brightly at me.
"We have a Vampire who is committing suicide, meeting the sun; we have a news team arranged for it as well. It will be great for our campaign against those evil creatures," Steve notes thoughtfully, causing me to swallow hard as I gently tug on Hugo's hand while stopping in my tracks.
"I really do not feel well, and I hate to cut this short, but I really think we should go and come back another time when I feel better," I tell them, both of them laughing while shaking their heads.
"You're just nervous, dear," They point out in unison. I'm well passed nervous at this stage. All Hugo does is agree with them while tugging me along. This is a set up. Almost as if they had realised I had discovered their plan, several people come up behind Hugo and me and grab us roughly. I kick and scream, making sure to try and put up a good fight, while Hugo just walks along voluntarily. He's on their side.
"Get off of me!" I scream as they pull me down the stairs, but all they do is release their hold on me, causing me to fall down the stairs where I land with a crash at the bottom. But that doesn't stop me from thrashing around, trying my hardest to escape from them, but with very little luck as another well-built man joins in, picking me up with ease before throwing me into a cell where he slams the door shut. I groan while trying to sit up, my eyes falling on Hugo as he screams out at them. He's furious. He thought he was on their side, but they don't want him. He's been thrown into the cell beside mine. I stare at him with fury. If only looks could kill...
"We don't want anything to do with contaminated Fangbangers," Steve Newlin hisses at us before walking away with his wife. I roll over onto my side where I curl into myself. I think I might have cracked a rib or two falling down those stairs. I take my chance then to call out to Farrell. He must be in here, and chances are he is going to be awake. It's dark in here and I think we're underground, which means that he won't be able to detect the sun.
"Yes?" I hear a voice call out, I drag myself over to the cell bars where I try to glance through them; he must be in here further down the line.
"Farrell, are you okay?" I ask.
"As good as it gets, little missy. Now, who might you be?" He calls out, my eyes just about spotting him as he comes up closer to his bar cells. I notice then that he isn't touching them. Pure silver.
"We'll get ya outta here, don't you worry about that," I whisper very quietly, knowing that he will be able to hear me no matter what. You've got to love Vampire hearing.
I hurriedly scurry away from the bars as the guard comes over, smashing his baseball bat against the bars while growling for me to be quiet.
"Why are you helping them? They're psychopaths," I plead with the guard; all he can do is bark out a laugh while leaning against the cell bars.
"At least they aren't some fucking Fangbangers. Look at ya, ya a filthy lil Vampire fucking whore. You should be ashamed of yourself,"
"You only act like this because your jealous,"
"Jealous of the dead? Are you off your head?"
"You're jealous of their abilities. They will always be more advanced than you, especially in the bedroom," I didn't mean to say that, but he frustrated me. I don't understand why they cannot accept the Vampires!
"And you would know that would ya? Have ya even ever sampled a human guy's cock?" I stare at him then, my heartbeat racing as I try to scurry further away from him. I don't like the look in his eyes. I close my eyes while trying to contact Barry; I need him to hear me. I don't even know if this will work. But it has to… He soon answers me, telling me to leave him alone, but I instead tell him to warn Eric and the others, but I don't get to explain why as the cell door swings open, the guard waltzing in. I scream as he grabs me, holding me down as he undoes his jeans before trying to get between my legs. I kick and scream, his hand tearing my skirt before he slaps me, trying to get me to shut up. But I carry on thrashing, trying to kick him off. Soon enough there is a blur in the jail cell, the guard being held by his throat up in the air where he gets slammed against the wall. I stare at the Vampire stood there holding him.
"Godfrey?" I probe, his bright eyes looking at me sadly. He nods once.
"Has he harmed you?"
"Nothing serious," I assure him as I scramble up to my feet painfully. I have to lean against the wall as I try to adjust to this newfound agony.
"I did not want this to happen. The innocent should not be punished," He murmurs quietly.
"You're innocent, too, Godfrey, there is no need to feel guilty,"
"But there is. For you see I am a despicable person, I have done things I regret. I deserve to be punished, maybe, just maybe, if I accept my punishment, God may still allow me through the gates of heaven," He informs me with a small nod.
"You're repenting, but for what?" I wonder aloud, my mind thinking over some passages in the bible. Maybe I can think of some quotes or sections that he's focussed on, maybe I can use others to contradict his thinking.
"I harmed children. I would choose them wisely, take them, molest them and drain them. They barely got to live their lives," He whispers, a streak of red running down his cheek. He's crying blood. He truly hates himself for what he has done. He is indeed repenting, but he's harming himself at the same time. He's been punishing himself for years, decades, maybe even longer.
"You can change," I whisper, him shaking his head.
"I tried, but I cannot resist them. I do not deserve to have a second chance, nor do they deserve to lose their first chance at life. I am an obstruction to their development, I mentally scarred them, made them feel dirty and violated, and then I drank them dry. That is not how one's life should end, and it is not how one should live. I fear myself every day; I thought that by eliminating myself, I could protect them,"
"You care very deeply about them, something which isn't usually associated with Vampires,"
"I am still human in some ways, but every human has their faults, mine are just personified beyond the limit,"
"You seem keen to protect the innocent, yet you were going to take Farrell with you when you met the sun," I'm not trying to make him feel worse; I just want to understand the full circumstances about his reasoning. I just want to know all of the facts.
"I did not want to die alone," He admits, my eyes darting to the guard who has turned blue, Godfrey glances at him before releasing him, the man falling to the floor dead. "You see, I harm everyone,"
"You haven't harmed me. You saved me," He looks at me then.
"You are right, I did,"
"Godfrey, please come with me, I can help you; you shouldn't have to be the entertainment for these people. They are the bad guys; they get off on seeing you suffer. Don't give them the satisfaction," I try to reach out to him emotionally.
"Come, I will assist you in leaving here. Your friend will have to stay though, I cannot help you both without being caught or raising suspicion,"
"He's not my friend, he betrayed us,"
"Then he is a lost cause," Godfrey notes thoughtfully, his eyes glancing at the dead guard once more before motioning for me to follow him.