AN: This chapter isn't much. It moves things along though.

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Chapter 37: In Such Endless Night

"I have more questions," I said after a few moments of silence.

"Of course you do," he said. I wiggled in his lap, trying to get off. He let me, although he playfully told me my manoeuvring wasn't getting the reaction from him that I intended. I blushed and sat back down on the couch.

"Where's Alina?" I asked. I was planning on leading this question into another one.

Eric leaned back into the cushions. "She's my second – she's running the states for the most part...I'll have to call her later for an update."

"Is that what a second does? Run things for the...first?" I asked confused. I really had no idea how this hierarchy for vampires really worked.

"That's what Alina does. I've been distracted, I have no patience for trivial issues at the moment," he reached out and grabbed my hand, starting to trace soothing circles into my palm.

"But, you're king," I said softly. "I don't see you sitting by and letting someone else do your work for you. That's not the Eric I know," I said.

He looked up from my hand, catching my eye. "It's been difficult to focus when all I think about is you."

"Me?"

"Us," he kissed my knuckles. "That's what I did for three months."

I breathed in shakily. "You...made Alina do all the work while you sat around? Yet, you had time to...be with other girls?"

"I was with other girls," he admitted. "We've established this."

It still cut to my heart. "Yeah. I don't want to know the specifics – it makes me sick to my stomach to think about it," I said. "But, was it like...every night? Did you just, like, break-up with me and then run off to have something new?" I hated asking that question. As much as I needed to know, I didn't want to know. I wish I could be one of those girls who just sits back and accepts that he was with others. I couldn't. It wasn't in my blood.

Eric's gaze was stern. "I didn't go looking for women, Sookie. I felt your absence too strongly to even think about who I was with. I imagined you were them every time."

I made a face. "That's disgusting."

"They were disgusting. They weren't you – that's all I wanted."

"Yet, you stayed away from me?" I shook my head. "I keep getting distracted. Every time I'm about to ask you something, I think of another question or you come up with an answer that makes me pause and think..." I was beginning to feel frustrated. I was too tired to think clearly. I wanted to get dressed out of these clothes and crawl into bed.

"Take your time."

I sighed. "Okay, I'll list it off and you answer as minimally as possible unless I want you to elaborate. Okay?"

"Yes."

"Did you have sex with Alina?"

"No." I was surprised by this. But I tried not to let that show.

"Did you have sex with more than five women?" I figured that was a safe number to ask about.

"No." Again, this surprised me, in my mind, I imagined a line-up of women he let ride him before calling out the next one. That was a vulgar visual that I never wanted to consider again.

"Did you have their blood?"

"I had more blood than I had sex."

"Is it still five and under?"

"Yes."

"You're not just confusing me – it wasn't like just five women but many times?"

"It was under five times," he clarified, he hesitated for a second, and then said: "And one man."

That sunk in for about a second and I made a decision. "Alright," I said, getting ready to get up, deciding I've had enough information for one night.

"Where are you going?" he asked, looking befuddled.

"Bed. I'm done. Night."

"No," he pulled me back onto the couch. "We're finishing this. No running. No waiting. Let's do this."

I sighed. He was right. I tried to gather up my thoughts realizing I needed to confirm a few things before anything else.

"To simplify, you broke up with me because you wanted me to stop doubting our future, you wanted me to come to you and tell you that this," I gestured to the two of us, "was happening."

"I wanted you to stop running."

I bit my tongue. "You broke up with me because I was unsure?"

"Yes."

I hit him as hard as I could on the chest. "That is so high-handed!"

His eyes flashed at my anger. "Sookie, you doubted us all the time. I could feel it. You were reluctant to believe that your love for me and mine for you was real. In some ways, I'm glad the bond is gone."

I stilled. "You're glad?"

"Yes. Now you must realize that we are right."

I gaped at him, catching flies.

"You kept the bullet."

"Yeah...and..."

"You kept it, and you didn't know why. But you did know, you just wouldn't admit it. You loved me even back then."

"You are an arrogant son of a bitch." I was swearing because I couldn't find any eloquent speech that could summarize his tactics.

"It's wasn't the bond, Sookie. It was more. It is more."

"I'm going to grow old and die," I said frankly. "What happens then? When I'm all grey and wrinkly and slow and depleting? See, I don't think you've thought a lot about this either."

Eric's jaw tightened and his expression hardened. "You could become vampire."

"I won't," I said firmly. "You know that. I've talked to you. I'm human. Plus, I've seen how you are with Alina and Pam. The attraction goes away once you're immortal. Why would I set myself up for many lifetimes with you when it's going to fade anyway? Plus, eventually, I want to die. Living forever has no appeal to me."

He looked away, exasperated, frustrated. It was disconcerting to see. I hoped he had the answers. I really did. Finally he exhaled and said, "There are other ways."

"There are?" I asked sceptically.

"You're part fairy."

"So?"

"Do we know the ramifications?"

"I think Niall would have mentioned to me that I had an extra hundred years under my belt."

Eric frowned. "Maybe not. He's always been vague."

"Like you?" I scoffed.

"Yes, I suppose, although I do not enjoy being likened to a fairy."

"I'm a fairy and you always say we're alike," I said.

Eric smirked. "You have the privilege of being unique, the perfect blend of human and otherness."

I lightened. We were still at a crossroads. We still had made no real progress. The talking was good, but it didn't help us move forward into a relationship. It was pushing us further apart. "We don't have all the answers," I uttered softly. I gave him a weak smile. "I need sleep."

Eric put a hand to the back of my neck and pulled me in for a kiss. It wasn't as fevered as earlier in the hall. It was gentle, careful. I kissed him back for a little while before we separated in sync.

"Goodnight, dear one," he said, kissing my forehead. See, when he acts all sweet like that, it confuses the crap outta me.

"Night," I said, finally getting up. When I was alone in the room, I realized eventually Eric would have to crawl into the coffin. I eyed the box and rounded it to enter the washroom. I spent a decent amount of time wiping off all the makeup and letting my hair down. I stripped off my dress and got into my stretchy shorts and a loose tank to sleep in. It was rather cold. I could feel the air conditioning blasting into the room. I wondered if there was a way to fix that but was too tired. For once I flopped on my bed, I literally had about ten seconds of serious thinking before I couldn't recall a thing.

I woke up the next morning far earlier than I ever intended. It was eleven in the morning. I stretched out in the large bed by myself and looked over at the firmly shut coffin. I felt a twinge of guilt but we were not ready to share a bed again.

I crawled across it and then set my feet on the floor to attend to my human needs. I got dressed into the regular jean shorts and a white tank with light pink flowers on it. I ran a brush through my hair and then pulled it into a ponytail. I didn't want to sit around in the room all day so I left. I looked out into the morning through the gigantic window and beamed. It was so beautiful. I found a key waiting on the coffee table with a note from Eric:

For the one you lost.

I completely forgot about that and snatched it up, shoving it into my pocket. I pulled open the door to the hall to see Mick and Ian guarding along with two other weres I hadn't met before.

"Hey guys," I said, feeling friendlier to them after our day in the ocean.

"Did you have a nice evening, Sookie?" Mick asked me brightly.

I arched an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah, it was fine. A little overwhelming," I said. "So are you going to follow me? Or can we pretend that I'm wandering off on my own." I looked down the hall and saw several other guards standing outside rooms.

"If that's what you want," Ian said.

"No, it's fine, let's find some breakfast," I said. I tried to remember the way Eric lead us last night. We took a few wrong turns before eventually we found a very hung-over human who pointed us in the right direction. We went down a staircase I was unfamiliar with. It didn't lead down the front foyer but instead we found ourselves in a cramped hall. We wandered off and ran into a human maid who took it upon herself to lead us to where the breakfast buffet was.

We all ate happily, delving into eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, toast, pancakes, French toast – there was everything you can imagine. When we were stuffed we all let out a sigh of relief. They were very patient with me while I wandered the mansion. We walked into a theatre room where a twenty-four hour news station was playing and several humans were lounging in massive armchairs. We walked past a work-out facility and only found two girls chattering on the floor about their sexcapades last night. I winced and we continued on. We managed to find ourselves in the foyer after searching for about forty minutes only to realize we had the other half of the house to get to.

There was a games room with air hockey, ping pong, pool...there were a few men tossing around, but for the most part it seemed like everyone was still sleeping. I walked on toward another room that had double doors. It was slightly ajar and I peeked in to find the biggest library ever. It reminded me of the one in Beauty and the Beast. In fact, it was like an exact replica. My eyes widened at its beauty.

"Do you want us to wait out here?" Ian asked. I could tell from the looks on their faces they'd prefer we stuck around the games' room more. I nodded at them and they stood at the entrance.

I wandered in looking at the catalogued expanse. It was enormous. I walked up and down the isle's looking up at the high ceiling that probably stretched all the way to the third floor and shelves and shelves of books with ladders so high just so you could see what books they had to offer up at that height. There were a few windows just as long that brought in a beautiful daytime light. My mouth was hung open when I heard a little gasp. I looked over in the center of the room there were comfy couches where you could bring a book and read.

There was a girl on the sofa, who was staring at me, her big brown eyes wide. Her hair was rather long and it was brown with blond highlights that were natural enough when you lived in sunny California. She was smaller than me but she wasn't skinny, she looked to be a healthy weight. She was also very young.

"Hi," I smiled cautiously. She honestly looked scared out of her mind. She closed the book in her lap and held it tight to her chest. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse!" And then suddenly I was snatched around the neck. I felt big arms lock around me. The hand crushing my neck let go to cover my mouth faster than I could blink. I was pulled up into the chest and I saw the girl flinch at the movement. I thought it was a general attack until I saw that she was perfectly unharmed.

"Who are you?" A face was in my line of vision. I read their minds to find they were both weres, but when I delved into the girl's mind, it was blank.

I screamed into the hand and then I heard Mick and Ian dart into the library.

The were who was questioning me, while the other still gripped me, pulled out a gun and pointed it at my weres. "Do not make any rash movements."

"She is Eric Northman's," Ian said quickly. "Let go of her."

The were holding me slowly released me, my feet dropping back onto the ground. I wheezed, trying to regain composure. Oh wow, all this for a girl? I looked at her and she gave me a curious look, her fear, dissipated.

"Did I offend someone?" I asked, truly confused.

"Hi," the girl said, waving at me. How old was this girl? She had were guards so she was obviously important. Why couldn't I hear her thoughts?

"Hi," I said to her again, more sceptical now.

She looked at her two weres that had to have been twice the size of mine. "Dave, Matt, could you step aside?" she asked them.

In a flash they disappeared and I wondered if they were crouching behind a shelf or something.

"You can tell yours to relax as well," she said. "You can look around if you want. Sorry about that. Dave and Matt are just very protective," she shrugged and gave me a beautiful smile. I nodded numbly and gave my two guards an okay. They slunk off, calmly. "What did you say your name was?"

There was no way this girl could hurt me. I stepped forward. "Um, Sookie Stackhouse." I still felt a bit disoriented. I sat on the couch across from her, my heart rate slowing down.

"I'm Layla," she said, holding out her hand. I reached forward and shook it.

"No last name?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "It's meaningless now," she revealed. I didn't know what that meant but I was kind of intrigued.

I observed her as she went back to her book, cool as ever. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" I asked pulling her out of her zone.

"Eighteen," she smiled sheepishly.

"You look younger than that."

"Thanks?" she was staring at me oddly for a long time. "You're not completely human, are you?"

I exchanged the strange look. "Neither are you."

"Are you the telepath?" she asked, looking excited now.

Hmph. Who the hell did she know that gave her that kind of information? "I am."

"Can you read my thoughts?" she looked scared and excited at the prospect.

"Nope. What are you?"

She suddenly seemed to clamp up. "I don't think it'd be a good idea if I told you..." She moved off her couch and sat next to me. "You're part fairy?" she asked, her eyes gleaming.

"Yes, are you?" I said, not liking the interrogation from the young girl. She sat back and nodded, tapping her nose.

Huh. "But not fully?"

"Half," she said.

My eyes widened. That was a lot of fairy. "I'm guessing Caleb told you about me," I whispered getting excited. I slid closer to her.

She nodded slowly. "I don't think he wanted us to meet...At least not yet."

I thought back to last night and to everything Caleb ever said to me. "Did he build this house for you?" I have no idea why that was my first question. I had better ones, I swear.

She looked around, her brows furrowing. "Not really. I mean, partly, I guess. But he needed a common ground, where he could bring people and show off. He has about five other houses just in California."

I thought back to his heavy flirtation last night and the times before that. "But, he wants me," I blurted, confused. I felt awful for saying that right away – what a self-centered response? Where did I learn such rudeness? Gran would scold me for my behaviour.

The girl's expression darkened and she looked pissed off. "He wants a lot of things," she said rather snippily. "I'd advise you to ignore him, but it'd be pointless. If he really wants you, then that's it for you."

I felt my blood go cold, her tone was detached, her demeanour resolved. I opened my mouth to ask her more when I heard someone running, flat-footed across the library. I looked over at Dylan who entered, horrified at the two of us conversing on one couch.

"Oh, God. Layla, what the hell are you doing? You should go back upstairs!" Dylan coughed, winded from his running. He was acting as if he just walked in on a horrible murder scene – he was sweaty, disgruntled and disturbed.

Just as suddenly as Dylan ordered Layla upstairs, were her guards, Matt and Dave all up in Dylan's space. He shrieked at their speed and invasion.

"Dave, Matt, you know what Caleb said. He's going to be so pissed and he'll probably blame it on me," Dylan whined.

"It's just the library," Layla said. "No fangbanger would want to read after partying all night." I wondered what she did all night; she sure as hell wasn't at the party. If she was a half-fairy, then that would be too dangerous for her at a party full of vampires.

"Regardless!" Dylan cried, looking distressed at the situation. "Caleb is going to hear about this. You're going to get in trouble; I'm going to get in trouble – Dave, Matt you're already on a fine line with him! Get!" he shooed her like she were a dog.

Speaking of dogs, Matt and Dave were growling severely at Dylan.

"Sorry guys, but I'm more scared of Caleb then you two. Say goodbye to Miss Stackhouse, kiddo," Dylan sighed.

Layla stood up, rolling her eyes. "It was nice to meet you Sookie. I will see you again tomorrow."

"No you will not!" Dylan stamped his foot, looking flustered. "Go! Layla! Go!"

I watched the young girl get up and leave with her two guards flanking her sides. I really wanted to see her again tomorrow. I had so many more questions. I looked up at Dylan who was attempting to relax by taking deep dramatic breaths.

"We'll start the interviews, okay? Great," he walked off and I guess he expected me to follow him.

Only four people showed up for their interviews when ten were scheduled to be interrogated by scary Sookie Stackhouse. The four employees of the Queen of British Columbia and Yukon didn't have anything interesting to think of for me to read. One was stealing jewellery from the queen, but other than that it was pretty tame. I wondered what Caleb wanted me to do this for. He spoke of them upsetting his humans, but what did that mean? Were they upsetting Layla? What did she mean to him? And if she meant anything, why was he after me? Did he want a collection of fairies? Did he want me for my telepathy?

We headed back to our room after Dylan brushed me off, still freaked out about me meeting Layla, it seemed. She was apparently a huge secret for Caleb. I thought about this when I got back to the room I lounged on the couch and opened the cupboard to watch some TV. I started to watch old episodes of Friends, which were playing back to back. Mick and Ian joined me. Ian sat at the end of my couch near my feet. At some point I must have fallen asleep because when I heard the sound of the television being turned off, I woke up.

Ian and Mick had passed out too and my feet were touching Ian's thighs. I looked up and Eric was staring down at me. I yawned.

"Pull your feet away from him," he said lowly. I rolled my eyes and did so, sitting up.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep. I have to get ready."

"I might get you new guards," he said.

I scowled. "Why? Because their good looking?"

Eric smiled. "Would you like it if I had females as my guard?"

I crossed my arms. "Apparently I have to worry about men too now, so..."

He pulled me into the bedroom, closing the door firmly before pushing me up against it.

"I don't think we're quite at this point where you can just pull me aside to make-out," I said as he pushed his erection into my stomach, nuzzling my neck and hair. I felt his lips brush my neck and I shivered. "Eric."

He pulled away and leaned over me, his arms braced against the wall on either side of my head, his height powerful as I looked up at him. "How was your day?" he asked me.

"I did the interviews."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not really. A lot of folks didn't show up."

"Mmm," his one arm broke from the wall and was playing with my hair. "I hate your hair."

"What?" I balked.

"It's short. I hate short hair on women. I loved yours, it was," he sniffed a lock, "a luxury. It held most of your delicious scent."

"I still have hair, I'm not bald," I pouted, feeling my self-esteem drop ten points at the jab at my hair. "If it makes you feel better I regret cutting it."

He exhaled noisily. "At least you weren't foolish enough to dye it."

"At least," I huffed. "Make it up to me."

"What, exactly? I owe you a lot."

I thought about that, logging it away for later. "For making fun of my hair."

"Alright," he arms snaked behind me, yanking me to his body and away from the door. "This," he pressed pointedly into my stomach, "is already up for you."

"Shut up, that's not what I want," I sighed. He pulled away, raising one brow, expectantly. "I want answers."

"More questions?"

"I don't think there's an end to my questions. I'll keep coming up with more, but this time I have a subject, it's part of what happened today."

"Ask away," he waved his hand and lounged on my bed, looking very comfortable. He tapped the empty space beside him. "Join me?" he teased. He looked so inviting, I felt lust barrel down toward me, nearly knocking me over, his sensuality intoxicating.

"No thanks, I'm good here," I said bashfully, not looking at the length of his body and the bulge in his pants. Instead of stretching out beside him, I crossed my legs and sat at the end of the bed. "I sort of go attacked today."

Eric sat up, his fangs down.

"Calm down! I'm fine, look!" I said. He was kneeling in front of me and he tilted my head.

"Who did this?!" he growled ferociously. I felt fear shake my bones.

"Do I have marks?" I asked. He lifted my arms inspecting for more bruises, and sniffed me again.

"You smell like fairy," he said.

"You're just realizing this now?"

"I was distracted by your feet touching the were!"

"Alright, calm down, Eric, back away for a moment," I said, shoving at him to let go. He reluctantly let go and sat back on his feet. It was an odd position for a vampire king, but he did it with such grace and without a leg cramp that I was envious of his skill.

I glanced at my arm and saw two distinctive finger marks on my right arm but none on my left. I touched my neck and assumed there was a bruise there as well.

"I wandered around with Mick and Ian and we came across a library. It was real nice -"

"I know the library. Get to the point."

I glared at him before continuing, "And there was this girl in there and she said hi to me and then all of sudden her weres grab me, all threatened."

"A girl?" Eric gave me a blank look.

"She told me she was half fairy and that she was, essentially, Caleb's and then Dylan came charging in all panicky and yelling at her guard and her about how Caleb was going to be really pissed that I found her."

Eric kept his face impassive, but his eyes were flickering, as I could practically see him thinking. "Most interesting," he said, freezing, like a statue.

I waited for a while, watching his unfocused gaze and his hunched body. He looked to be in downtime, which was sort of rude when I was right there waiting for him to respond. I gave him his moment of thought. I wondered if I could leave him and start getting ready for the party. I decided to give him a few more minutes before I moved on.

I began examining my nails and quickly deciding I needed to do them tomorrow, since it was too late to tonight, when Eric snapped his head up, his eyes on me.

"Did you figure anything out, Holmes?"

"No," he ignored my humour. "But we should definitely be on alert. If such a deal was made about you seeing this girl, then Caleb might be on the war path tonight. Get ready, and we'll talk before we leave."

He stretched off the bed fluidly, his expression dark as he thought over everything I just said. If Eric was cautious about this situation then it looked like we had another problem on our hands. Great.

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