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Disclaimer: As before. I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 37

"So, here's the plan, Sookie you are to be sitting over there, we will have five or six men around you at all times, not including your Vampire. From there can you identify the hostile perp?" Sookie nodded, and the detective continued. "Good, that is the easiest place for protection. James, here, is going into the building with a squad of about ten people using the roof entrance, we believe that the guy is based on the second floor. Before we go in, can you confirm that?"

Sookie stepped away from Detective Bellefleur. She took a deep breath and grasped Eric's hand. She reveled in his silence, and then lowered her shields, directing her attention towards the building, shutting out all of the static. She felt the anger radiating off of the victims, chose to avoid the angriest, and instead opted for one person who's brain waves seemed familiar and almost calming. She entered his head and saw that they were, indead, being held on the second floor. She tightened her grip on Eric's hand when she realized just who's brain she had entered. Eric looked down questioningly, recognizing her alarm.

"Is everything okay, lover?"

"Eric... one of the hostages... Alcide is in danger!" Eric leaned down and kissed her forehead, trying to calm her.

"Then we better get started, lover, we will get him out." Eric paused and looked at Andy. "Are you ready to go in?"

"You confirmed that we need to head to the second floor, right?" Sookie nodded and the detective shifted his attention to the officer who was going in. "James, put this in your ear," Andy said as he handed the officer a small wire, and James hastened to put it in his ear. "This is how we are going to communicate back and forth, the wire right here, gives us a visual, so we see what you do. If we tell you to come out, you need to leave immediately, do you understand?" James nodded and began to walk towards the building.

Sookie sat in her assigned seat, listening and blocking with all of her effort. She had, with some effort, isolated the thoughts of the criminal and she could tell that he was nervous, jumpy and terrified that he wasn't going to be able to get out alive. This wasn't a criminal who wanted to hurt anyone, or even one who had planned things out. The criminal, Mitch Michaels, suddenly noticed someone moving out of the corner of his eye. Sookie registered that it was Alcide. Holding on to the mind of Mitch, Sookie simultaneously reached out to Alcide. She concentrated all of her powers, the majority of her thoughts into sending calming images and feelings to Alcide. She sent an image of herself, trying to let him know that she was there to help.

Sookie? Are you there? Alcide's thoughts were bewildered, but he was no longer daring an escape, Sookie did what she could to send an affirmative thought. Are we getting out of here? Sookie sent more calming feelings, but concentrated her energy back on Mitch.

Mitch's thoughts showed that his feelings of fear were escalating very quickly. He saw everyone as a threat, and Alcide's movement sent him into near paranoia. She tried to calm him as she had for Alcide, but he was getting out of control too quickly. He didn't notice James and his squad at the door, ready to enter the room, but he did reach for his gun. Anxiously, he pointed the weapon at Alcide.

"Why'd you get up? Move again and you die! Move again and she dies!" Mitch moved the point of the weapon from Alcide to a child sitting against the wall. Alcide had noticed James near the door and wisely chose to say silent. Mitch paced back and forth, Sookie grasped Eric's hand tighter, Mitch's fear and madness coloring her own feelings. "Let that be to anyone. Anyone moves and this girl dies!" James reported down that he was unwilling to enter, fearful that he would kill the girl before he could get in. Sookie walked over to Andy.

"Let me go in."

"B-B-But, you have no training! I can't allow for this! You would become a liability to the parish." Eric walked up behind Sookie.

"Sookie, he's right, but not for the reasons he states. You can't go in. I won't allow it." Sookie whirled to face Eric, her anger rising. "It's not because I don't think that you would be unable to save them, or because I think that you are unable to do the job. It's because I can't bear to think of what I would do without you, or if you were to get hurt again." Sookie put an effort into tamping down her anger.

"I know better than any of your men how to approach because I will be able to tell for how long I have the element of surprise. Eric, you can come with me, I trust you to protect me if anything should happen, and you won't feel so helpless as if you would if you were to have to stay here." Sookie turned and walked away, leaving both men staring - and stuttering - at her retreating figure. Eric recovered first and quickly showed up beside her.

"Well, lover, as it seems I cannot change your mind, it looks like I have no choice but to help you. I will not allow you to be hurt, my love." Sookie looked up into the deep blue of Eric's eyes.

"I am not worried about me, love. I want you to keep yourself safe. I know that you will keep me safe, I know you will take care of me as you always have, but I don't think I could handle you getting hurt again, not because of me. I love you." Sookie stood on tip-toe, reaching up and kissing her Viking.

"I love you too." Eric whispered into her hair, holding her close. Sookie pulled away first, heading into the lobby, instead of entering from the roof. As they reached the door, a shot was fired from the second floor, knocking out the windows of the room where the victims were held.