A/N: I do not own any characters or the world of True Blood, but I do like to play in it.
I'm glad you guys are having as much fun with the idea of vamps at Disneyworld as I am. BTW, sorry I haven't been able to reply to individual reviews lately. The site did something so the links to reply don't work anymore. I do still absolutely love hearing from you and what you think of the fic both good and bad so please keep em coming!
"So, what did you think of Bakareh?"
"I think he's bat shit crazy," she replied honestly. "You gotta keep him on a short leash Eric before he does something nuts. He is just trouble looking for a place to happen."
"And how do you suggest I leash a vampire that is easily three times as old as I am?" He raised a single brow. "The best I can hope for is to keep him happy and distracted while he's here and hope that he goes home without causing too much of a ruckus. Then he's Seraphine's problem."
Sookie went to his side, insinuating herself into his lap, knowing that he drew comfort from being able to touch her. "Are you really gonna let him go to Disneyworld?" Her thoughts went back to the girl who had spilled her own blood, wondering if it was out of being glamoured or devotion. He wouldn't be able to pull something like that in a public place. Did he understand that? Or was he too convinced of his divine right to do as he pleased?
"I have made inquiries into privately opening the park for our delegates on Wednesday night," Eric nodded, sifting his fingers through her wealth of blonde hair.
"You think they'll go for that?" Disney didn't seem to go hand in hand with bloodsuckers.
"You'd be surprised how motivated even the most squeamish can be by money. Or failing that, it might necessitate a visit in person to grease the wheels."
"You mean compel them into agreeing."
"It is less messy than the alternative," he shrugged.
"Which is?"
"We kill the gate guards and storm the magic kingdom," Eric grinned, extending his fangs for effect. Sookie joined him in laughter, mostly convinced that he was just kidding about that last bit. Mostly.
Disneyworld was both more and less fun than Sookie thought it would be. On the plus side the vampire contingent had the park to themselves so there were no huge lines like there normally would have been. And for once she didn't have to worry about money, Eric bought her everything she showed the least bit of interest in and she had to remember not to exclaim over a new find every time she walked into a store or it got added to the growing pile of shopping bags that followed behind, carried by a vampire lackey that she had dubbed Buddy. (as in "thanks for holding that Buddy!")
On the down side it was less fun than she'd thought it would be to run around with Eric who wasn't thrilled by the idea of spending the night at the huge complex. Not that it was entirely his fault, it had to be a security nightmare to try and keep the delegates safe and secure over such a large area and Eric spent more time with his senses extended as though he expected attack at any time than enjoying the rides. And of course the factions separated to invade the park, spreading his security efforts thinly but Sookie couldn't think what trouble they could be expecting in such a place. Especially with it closed to the general public.
Eric did seem to enjoy the rollercoasters though; especially Space Mountain and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, wanting to ride them twice in a row. Sookie was eager to see everything the park had to offer, afraid she wouldn't get to experience it all in one night. Her spirits were high along with her energy level; ever since drinking Eric's blood she'd found herself full of vigor, her stamina nearly doubling. Unconcerned with Eric's worries about security, she tried to relax and have a good time. And if the park employees looked a little uncomfortable with their undead guests… well, she was used to being looked at that way because of the company she kept and tried not to let it bother her.
They were about to pass by yet another souvenir shop when she heard her name called in a high, piping voice. "Sookie Stackhouse!" As if there was another Sookie nearby that needed the distinction of her last name in the greeting…
Stopped in her tracks, Sookie peered into the well lit windows, surprised to see Bakareh and his entourage crammed into the little shop. Ducking her head in, she gave him a strained smile, grateful to have Eric at her back. "Hey there your Majesty. Are you having fun now?"
"Indeed, this is a fantastical place," the child king beamed, in the process of trying on a series of hats which were the main focus of the gift store.
"Well I'm glad you found something to brighten your visit." Sookie gave him a little nod, intending on ducking right back out but the king had other plans.
"Bide a moment, we are trying on hats."
"I… alright," Sookie's smile stretched a little wider, looking over her shoulder to Eric who had fallen strangely silent behind her. He seemed to be having a silent conversation with Seraphine across the room. She noticed that Rob was also there, laden with purchases and her heart went out to him for having been reduced to the role of pack horse.
"Try something on," Bakareh demanded, placing a set of mouse ears atop his smooth pate.
Eric's hand at her elbow steered Sookie deeper into the shop and he reached for a hat at random, setting it on her head. Sookie took one look at the hat in the mirror, her nose wrinkling with distaste as she hastily removed it. "Not really my style…" she murmured.
"Try this then." With more care this time, Eric selected a purple princess hat with marabou trim and an attached veil. "Suitable for a queen," he murmured for her ears only.
"Yes, very fetching. You must all try on hats now," Bakareh agreed, passing another set of mouse ears to his closest attendant. By the time they were finished, each member of his entourage sported the mouse ears except for Seraphine who selected a jeweled tiara. Rob settled for a beret, though he didn't look terribly fond of the idea and Sookie kept her princess hat. Eric ignored the pirate hats that she'd thought he might choose given his interest in the ride and surprisingly chose a green Robin Hood hat.
"There, now we are American!" Bakareh chirped happily, striding out of the store while one of his people settled the bill. After that it was impossible to shake the child king who commanded them as if they were his own personal retinue and Eric politely acquiesced to his demands which thankfully weren't outrageous. But it was still an eye opener to Sookie to see Eric dance in attendance like that.
Contrary to his insistence that he was not a child, Bakareh did take a childish delight in the park's offerings, in particular he was captivated by the "It's a Small World" ride, insisting that they ride together over and over again while he jabbered on about having a similar ride built in his palace.
"Does he really have a palace?" Sookie murmured as the ride started up again for the fifth time.
"Oh yes, he had it built in the third century," Eric nodded, drawing his cellphone from his pocket, fingers tapping over the keys faster than the human eye could track. Less than two minutes later the ride ground to a halt and "technical difficulties" forced them to evacuate the ride and close it down for the night. It was the first time Sookie saw a genuine smile on Eric's face since they left the Pirates ride. The smile was short lived though as the pint sized king threw a temper tantrum fitting for any child. Only with the strength and speed of an ancient vampire, Bakareh was capable of causing considerably more harm than a tearsome two year old.
Eric and Seraphine intervened but not before serious damage had been caused and an argument ensued with the park management who demanded payment or they would all have to leave. While they were busy negotiating, Sookie kept out of the way, not wanting to add to the aggravation by wandering off where Eric would worry about her.
"Come to me, my child," Bakareh beckoned to Sookie, a bored expression on his face.
Immediately a flutter of worry went through her, but she did as he asked. "Did you need something?"
"I hunger, kneel before me." He spoke as one who was used to having his wishes instantly fulfilled.
"I… you can't eat me, I'm Eric's," she balked, not sure what else to say. Belonging to Eric had protected her from all other vampires in the past, even Queen Sophie-Anne; that had to count for something.
"He won't mind sharing," he waved away her concern.
The hell he wouldn't… "With all due respect your Majesty; I'm not your feed bag. They've got volunteers for stuff like that if you don't like the synthetic stuff." As much as she hated to suggest another human being in her place, Eric had explained to her that there were human donors ready and willing to be fed upon. And if they died in the process? Well, they signed a waiver beforehand.
Bakareh's head tilted to one side, as if he didn't comprehend her response. His eyes flashed and Sookie had the impression that he was trying to glamour her. "Kneel before me," he insisted again.
"No thank you," Sookie replied stubbornly, trying to keep the revulsion from her voice. "Maybe you shoulda ate before you came out?" It would take much longer to find a donor at the park than at the hotel where there were oodles of fangbangers hanging around like groupies.
The child king stared at her coldly, his eyes dark and fathomless. "Fine, you…" His hand shot out to point to the teenage girl standing at the control panel for the ride. "Come here." The girl's eyes glazed over and she abandoned her post obediently, coming to stand before him. "Kneel before me." The girl did as she was told, not even flinching as her bare knees came in contact with the pebbly asphalt.
Sookie's stomach churned; this wasn't a willing donor who had signed a release, albeit foolhardily, this was a girl being taken against her will, no matter how easily she had come at his call. A nervous glance was cast to Eric who still stood with Seraphine and Rob, haggling over the damage caused to the ride. "Your Majesty, I'm not sure this is the time or the place…"
Bakareh paid her no mind; his fangs were already extended as he approached the kneeling girl, her neck at a suitable level for his mouth. Without preamble, he fell to her throat, fangs sinking into the tender skin. The girl's whimper of pain reached Sookie's ears and she swallowed back a wave of revulsion, her eyes darting back to Eric again. Should she go get him? Or would Bakareh just drink his fill and let the girl go, no harm no foul? Surely he was used to eating without killing, otherwise he'd run out of servants faster'n Donald Trump.
Sookie had power, maybe even enough to shake the ancient vampire loose from his victim, but she wasn't sure what the ramifications would be for her actions; especially with such an unstable individual. But as the feeding went on and on, Sookie decided she couldn't just idly sit by without at least letting the others know about it. She strode up to Seraphine and laid a hand on her cool arm. "You'd better keep your master in check before we've got a serious problem on our hands," she said softly, not wanting to draw too much attention from the human employees present. Seraphine's eyes widened slightly and she withdrew to speak at her King's side, though it seemed to fall upon deaf ears.
Finally either the King's belly was full or whatever she was saying penetrated the fog of feeding and he let go of the girl, who slumped to the ground. "Uh oh…" Sookie could almost see the headlines now. Young Girl Succumbs to Bloodlust as Vampires Invade Disneyworld. Rob was kneeling by the girl's side, hand to her throat but from the expression on his face, he wasn't finding a pulse.
"Hey, what's going on over there?" The man Eric was arguing with noticed the ruckus, his eyes on the girl.
"Nothing," Eric said smoothly, exerting his influence over the man and Sookie wondered why he hadn't just done so from the get go? Secretly she suspected that he enjoyed the haggling, maybe it was a throwback to his earlier years? "You will send me a bill and we will never speak of this again. You may go now."
"I think he mighta killed her, what are we gonna do?" Sookie whispered as they approached the King who looked well pleased with himself, unconcerned with any mess he might have left behind.
"We'll handle it," Eric returned, giving her hand a brief squeeze. "Is she…?"
"Yeah, she's a goner," Rob nodded, still squatting beside the body.
Sookie stared down at the girl. Fifteen minutes ago she'd been alive, just another day at work. Now… she tried not to think that it might have been her lying there if she had been at all susceptible to vampire mind games.
"I want to ride the monorail," Bakareh declared, walking away without a backwards glance. Seraphine flashed an apologetic glance before trailing after him along with the rest of his escort.
"That poor girl… what are we gonna do? Disney's gonna freak about this for sure and when the news gets ahold of this…" Sookie knew it'd be a huge blow to the strides the Vampires had made since Russell Edgington's debacle on the nightly news a few months back.
"Rob?"
All it took was the single word from Eric and Rob gave a single nod, reaching out to cradle the girl's body in his arms, he rose gracefully to his feet.
"What are you gonna do with her?" Sookie asked.
"I know how to take care of a body," Rob replied, his face passive but Sookie could hear the frown in his voice. For a moment she considered asking him exactly how that was, but she thought better of it. Maybe she didn't want to know.
After that Sookie had less of a taste for enjoying herself at the amusement park, but Eric had to stick around until the last of the delegates was ready to leave. "I should have stopped him. I should have let him drink from me when he asked," she murmured, her spirits about as down in the dumps as they could get.
"He sought to feed from you?" Eric's eyes snapped with anger and the growl in his voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"But I said no and then he got that poor girl…" Sookie nodded.
"I see," Eric said simply, his face shuttered and Sookie was too distracted by her own misery to read too much into his tone. "Would you like me to have you escorted back to the hotel?"
"No, I'll stay here with you just in case." She didn't say in case of what, but truth be told, Sookie wasn't eager to leave his side just yet.
They walked in companionable silence for a while, each lost to their own thoughts before Eric seemed to come to some kind of decision. "Come Beloved, it's time to go."
There were still vampires in the park and Sookie regarded him with some surprise. "I thought you had to stay til the end?"
"My staff can manage, I have more important matters to attend to," he replied cryptically and Sookie was too worn out to argue. Once they returned to the hotel she expected him to excuse himself to go attend to those important matters, but instead he accompanied her back to the suite, pulling her into the bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he tugged her into his lap, fingers finding their way to tangle through her hair, an action that never failed to soothe him.
"What is it? What's wrong? Is it that girl the King killed? Is that gonna cause a lot of problems for you?" She asked, draping her arm around his broad shoulders.
"No, Rob will handle it. I'm more worried about what else I might have lost tonight," Eric looked into her eyes. "I should have done something a long time ago, but I've been putting it off, waiting until I was certain you were ready."
"Ready for what?" He had her full attention now, having no idea what he was talking about, but she sensed it was something important.
"I want you to take my blood again."
"Uh okay, we could do that,' she nodded. It wasn't exactly her thing in the same way it was his, but she liked giving him that pleasure and forging that connection with him.
"Before we do so, I need you to understand that change between us. Once you taste my blood a third time we will become bonded."
Her brows rose a fraction, she already thought their bond was pretty strong. "Well what are we now?"
"We are bound now by love and custom, but this will physically change the bond between us. We will always be able to feel each other, similar to how I can sense your emotions now, but magnified a hundred fold."
"That doesn't sound so bad," she smiled, thinking it would be easier than trying to take a peek into his mind all the time and easier on her sense of ethics over doing so.
"You must be certain, there is no going back. Once it is done, it is not easily undone, we will be joined heart and soul," he cautioned her. "But it will be a bond that no other vampire can ignore. It will keep all others from demanding anything of you, including King Bakareh."
So that was what this was about. This was a different Eric, one that was offering her a choice instead of just making decisions to keep her safe and expecting her to live with it and she was stunned speechless for a moment before she replied. "Thank you for explaining it to me." Disappointment flickered over his face as he read a different answer into her words. "But you go first, okay?" Sookie wriggled on his lap, straddling him to offer her throat. "I gotta be in the mood for something like that."
Surprise was quickly supplanted by excitement and his eyes darkened with desire as his fangs extended with a snick. "I shall do my best to put you in the proper mood then, wife," he rumbled against her throat, lips brushing over the tender skin there even as his hands started to wander. With clever hands and mouth he brought her to a fevered state, nerve ends dancing under his care until she was begging him to take her, in every way. As he sank into her slick folds, Sookie's head fell back and Eric took what she offered, teeth sinking into the throb of her pulse with a passionate growl. Her teeth scraped ineffectually against his skin and Eric reached up to slice a small gash with his fingernail, revealing a few bright drops of blood.
Sookie's mouth closed over the wound, no longer squeamish over the salty taste of him, she was too distracted by his moans of pleasure that reverberated through her body as he thrust into her. She sucked hard, drawing more of his essence into her and then suddenly she could feel him inside and out as the bond between them deepened; his emotions flooding her as his pleasure magnified her own. It was more than enough to drive her over the edge and she came apart in his arms, her entire body trembling and shaking with the ripples of satisfaction from her release. Eric tumbled after her into sweet oblivion, his groans muffled against her throat. On and on it went, until gradually their bodies slowed, her heated flesh soothed by his cool limbs.
She could feel his deep satisfaction as a tangible thing, mirroring her own as he guided her gently onto the bed. "Wow," she breathed.
"That sums it up nicely," Eric chuckled, pulling her closer.
"You can really feel me too now, the way I can feel you?"
"Yes," he nodded with a smug grin. "No need to ask if it was good for you."
"Like you ever had to ask," she punched his shoulder playfully.
"You should get your rest tomorrow, no sneaking out during daylight hours to raise all manner of mischief."
"Who me?" She grinned wickedly, drowsy but feeling too good to fall asleep just yet. "What's so important about tomorrow?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? I've arranged for a formal ceremony for us. It seemed a good time with everyone gathered here anyway."
Her eyes narrowed. "No you didn't tell me anything. What kind of ceremony is this?"
"The arrangements have already been made. Your gown will be ready by tomorrow night and I have it under the highest authority that it is as lovely as you deserve." Eric pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Her mouth dropped open. "Are you talking about a wedding ceremony?"
"Of course, what else?"
Shock coursed through her. Sure they'd talked about having a real wedding before but after that not a peep, all of their attention sucked into the arrangements for the Gathering of vampires. While part of her was touched that he'd made the arrangements on her behalf, part of her was sorry not to have been involved in the decision making. Why was it always two steps forward one step back with him? "Look it's not that I don't appreciate the thought, I do. But I want my family and friends there when I get married. And I thought we were gonna get married back home with people we know," she replied.
"You know that we can not legally marry under your law."
He had her there.
"And would you find a clergyman to conduct the ceremony?"
Another good point, somehow she thought the Reverend would balk at being asked to join her to a dead person. "Well no…"
"Then the ceremony under vampire law is the only one with any validity."
"It doesn't change the fact that I'd like my family there," she pointed out, wondering if there was something else behind this sudden wedding or had he been planning it this way all along?
Eric leaned up on one elbow to look down at her. "Do you wish me to cancel?"
Sookie sensed that it would be very awkward for him to do so and she did want to marry him. After all they could always have another small private ceremony back home with people she knew. "No, I'm sure it'll be beautiful," she smiled up at him.
"Don't worry, you won't have to manage a single thing, I've taken care of all the details," Eric kissed her again, settling back down.
That was exactly what she was afraid of. Eric never did things halfway.
A/N: Getting close to the end of the fic I think, I can't believe it, this sucker is 38 chapters long! Anything else you guys want the answers to that I could bring into play in the remaining bits? Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Feedback is love people
