Hi everyone, hope you all had a great Christmas. This is a short chapter but I am posting two at once tonight so hopefully you'll forgive me :)

Disclaimer: Most characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

Chapter 52: Much Ado about Niall

Dating Don't: Families are funny things – they have their own rules about what's acceptable and what's not. Sometimes these rules don't follow societal norms, but that's OK, because they understand their own boundaries. However, don't expect to be immediately accepted as 'one-of–them', especially if 'they' are your favourite snack.

Frustratingly, Eric confiscated my car keys until the Dr gave me the all-clear to drive, meaning I was actually forced to rest. I tried Sam but he'd been informed of my 'bed-rest' orders too and wouldn't give me a lift out anywhere, though he was happy to run errands for me when he wasn't working. Even Oscar, begrudgingly, agreed with Eric, going so far as to forgive the vampire a little in the face of my forced care.

I was keeping Claudine at a distance since I'd had Eric's blood and knew supes could usually tell in the immediate aftermath. I spoke to her daily on the phone and was sure to reassure her I was well and far too busy for a visit. Even though I was bored and would have loved the company.

After giving him an earful about tattling to Eric about Oscar, and receiving his apology and assurances that he would not be sharing any more snippets from my private life, I spent quite a bit of time with Sam. It was mostly Dean that soothed me, as we watched films on my couch, I also found I could talk to Sam in a way I couldn't anyone else since he knew pretty much everything but wasn't directly involved so could give me a relatively impartial sympathetic ear.

We had many conversations, Sam told me about the sister he'd loved who had been killed in the cross-fire of supe politics which had led to him walking away from Loki and the guild; we talked about the nature of living in that world, near that world and oblivious to that world.

I knew that Sam had wanted to protect me, when he'd not told me about being a Shifter at first, then even after, about the politics the dangers and everything else to do with his supe life, but I'd still felt betrayed and in the end I hadn't been any safer, if anything my ignorance had led to more harm than good. I knew I needed to have a conversation with Eric and soon.

I had booked my taxi for after dark, laid out an outfit, and was planning my hair when the door went. I wasn't expecting Sam and Oscar was at work but I was too nervous about my plan to go to Eric that night and confess about my heritage to check before I opened the door.

It was Claudine, her beaming smile fell the second she saw me and she grabbed my arms. I could feel panic and concern emanating from her. I knew she could see the Eric in my blood, that she was aware I'd not only taken his blood but that we were more strongly linked. I immediately tried to 'share' back some of my feelings for Eric, my concern for him and my trust, she calmed a little but there was still fear and worry.

She looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry," she said. And she was, but she was still going to report what she'd seen.

I stood staring at the place where Claudine had been before she'd disappeared with a pop. Panic was shredding my insides and making my eyeballs throb.

With all my studying of fae rules and politics, I had come up with a solution, at least I had an idea I was pretty sure would work. If necessary I thought I could make it so that, not only would the fae have no reason to go after Eric but so they actually couldn't – though I had been hoping not to draw that much attention to him just in case.

But now I was out of time and if I wasn't careful Eric could be hurt or worse before I could prevent it, before I could take the necessary steps. The whole thing with Eric being arrested, and Morgan, and everything, had stopped me from putting my plan into action, now I cursed myself for not doing it anyway, for not finding a way before it was too late.

I needed to reach Eric, to speak to him and warn him. But the sun was up, he wouldn't be contactable for hours and I had no idea where he was resting for the day. I left him a message, then three more. It would be an anxious wait for the sun to set.

[~~~]

My nerves were a quivering mess by the time Eric let himself into the kitchen just after nightfall. Judging by the look on his face and the fact that he was tucking his phone in his pocket as he walked in, I suspected he'd come in response to my feelings and had only just listened to my messages.

I didn't waste any time, I had no idea how much danger he might be in.

"What do you know about Assynudes?" I asked him, foregoing the civil niceties like 'hello' and 'wow those jeans are tight'. His serious concern crumbled as he broke into hysterical laughter. I figured I'd pronounced it wrong again and waited impatiently for the laughing to stop.

When, instead of calming, he ended up bent over the table with his forehead on his arms laughing harder, I whacked his sexy behind with the skillet that had been on the sideboard. Had he been human this might have been overkill, but for Eric this was like a rap on the knuckles. It did sharpen his focus and he took the precaution of disarming me in case I wasn't done.

I didn't say any more, I just folded my arms and waited for his answer with a 'no-nonsense' expression. His lips continued to twitch but he answered my question.

"An Asyniur is a type of fairy, a particularly vicious type for the most part. Generally speaking the only safe Asyniur is a dead Asyniur." He wasn't kidding now. I knew that expression, it was the one he wore when he was really excited about the prospect of hurting someone. "Why?" there was both danger and anticipation in his question.

I turned my back, not wanting to see his face when I confessed. "Because apparently I am one, a bit of one anyway. My granddad or someone …" I petered off when I was spun to face a very fangy looking Eric.

He was looking at me with intent and instinctively I tried to back away. His grip on me tightened in response and I felt a squirm of fear in my stomach. Hadn't he just told me how vicious my kind were? No doubt he understood immediately all the dangerous ramifications of being tied to me. Why hadn't I considered that telling him might make him see me as a threat?

Before I could mumble a sound he was on me, thrusting his face at my throat. Oh shit!

I felt his nose nuzzle against my skin, felt the broadening of his shoulders as he breathed deeply, then I felt a quick sharp scratch. Then licking. Then suckling. Eric let out a groan and remained latched on. I didn't think he'd bitten, he was just getting as much from the scratch as he could.

It took a moment to adjust from what I had expected, to what I then expected, to what had actually happened. Oh right, vampires and fairy blood.

I felt my spirits plummet. His words right after the first sharing came back to me again, as they had so often, shhh Sookie, it's just the blood that is all. Just the blood, just my blood that had his interest, and that was all.

"Er, Eric?" I tried to push him away. I might as well have tried to shift a building. "Eric, I really don't want to end up with a hicky, how would I explain that to Oscar?" I said trying to sound practical and keep all the hurt from my voice. Eric groaned again. I just knew he really wanted to bite me and enjoy the fae in my blood but he was holding back as much as he could.

There was another scratch, then more licking. I found I was fighting tears and rather than pushing him away I just clung to him, hoping I'd have myself under control before he looked at me.

I hadn't forgotten he could feel my emotions but his own were such a whirl I couldn't make them out at all. With all that going on I doubted he had time to consider mine. Even if he did, I suspected they were as turbulent as his and therefore hopefully as incomprehensible.

A thin circle of rich violet-blue, around large dilated black filled my vision and I realised he was looking at me but I wasn't sure when he'd moved.

"Did I hurt you?" Not trusting my voice I shook my head. I could feel the water level rise to the brim but managed to prevent it breaching the barriers. Eric frowned slightly and I could feel him probing at our blood-tie.

I forced down my upset, there was no time for this, the fae could be looking for Eric right now. In response to the shift in my emotions he set his confusion aside too and became business Eric, picking up on the need to focus. "When did you discover this, and how?" The importance was in his voice as well as his expression and I braced myself knowing he'd be furious at my answer.

I tried to speak, I really did, but though my mouth opened several times, nothing came out. Eric looked like he was filling in my silence for himself.

"This was what you didn't want to tell me about? What you were not sure you should tell me about?" He was angry, or tense at least, but he was trying to control it.

Though I hid my wince from him, he became aware he was gripping my arms too tightly and let go. I felt the loss of the contact immediately but given his mood it was maybe a good thing.

I finally found my voice.

"Yes." Even though I was avoiding his eye like a blue bottle avoids a fly-swat, I was aware his jaw was working. Automatically I started defending myself, despite knowing my arguments were weak and wouldn't mean a thing to Eric. "I didn't want to put you in danger or risk starting another vampire–fairy war, we'd only just calmed things down with the weres." The floodgates were opened and the backed up words started to pour out, tumbling over one another in their rush.

"I know I should have told you sooner but I was so confused at the time, with Bill, and the severing, and then we … well there was a lot going on." I draw in a large loud breath. "It was Loki who first told me, after I was ill." Eric looked outraged but I babbled on. "Plus Claudine told me it was a good thing I wasn't connected to Bill anymore because they'd have to kill him if I were, and Loki said the same thing, though I didn't know he was talking about me at the time, and, well, it was made pretty clear that if I had ties to a vampire, that it would be really bad, they didn't even want me working for you, and I wasn't even sure I believed it at first, and by the time I did … well ..."

I knew that not one of my reasons would count for squat with Eric, just as they wouldn't have with me had our situations been reversed. I took a shuddering breath.

"Sookie calm down," Eric ordered. I realised I was pulling at my hair and my face was stretched tight but I couldn't do anything about it.

He wrapped his arms around me and pinned me against his body. I was gasping for breath and shaking. Slowly I felt calm seep into me. I pressed my palms and cheek against his chest. We breathed together enjoying the extra press of contact at each inhale. Eric was calming himself and, by proxy, me.

"How are you doing that?" I asked.

"It is a form of meditation."

"Will you teach me?"

"Of course."

I knew he was still angry at me for not telling him, I needed to explain about the risk, about my concern for him, about how I was just trying to keep him safe no matter what it cost me, but I didn't get a chance to say any of that as there was a knock on my front door that I just knew preceded something bad.

Eric's fangs were out and he was snarling towards the porch.

"Fairies," he hissed, his eyes blazing. Wow he really hated my relatives.

"Eric … I'm …" With effort he dragged his eyes to mine, they softened immediately.

"Not you my Sookie, I do not mean you." He dusted his fingers down the side of my face drawing an involuntary smile.

"I know." I glanced towards the door. "You should go, it might not be ..." Fury flared in his eyes and I swallowed the last word. "They won't harm me Eric." I tried instead.

"They may not do anything they consider harmful perhaps but there are many different ways of viewing an action. Bill did not consider what he did to you harmful, but it was." There was no defence, I knew he was right, but I was still more worried about him than me. There was another knock on the door.

"I have to speak to them," I said. He paused then nodded.

"I'm not leaving," he determined. I clearly wasn't getting a say in that.

As I opened the door I found Claudine with a selection of fairies, all except her were wearing various coloured, robe-like clothes that fell like water from their shoulders. I was tempted to try putting my fingers through one to see if it was actually some sort of magically contained waterfall. Most of the fairies looked about the same age as Claudine but one was clearly much older and much much more powerful. His water-robes were golden and shone brightly as if lit from behind.

There was a long awkward pause as Eric and the older fairy glared at each other. I held my breath, waiting, and it felt like the world waited with me.

When nobody spoke, Claudine stepped forward a little and managed a smile that, while not as beaming as usual, was still warm.

"Sookie this is His Royal Highness Lord Niall of the Sky Fae, Supreme Ruler of the Fae-lands and Grand-Protector of the Asyniur," Claudine said very formally then she smiled at me. "And your Great-Grandfather on the paternal line."

I had been told of course but it was still a shock. I didn't know whether to curtsey, shake hands, hug him, or just laugh, so I did nothing.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you at last my dear Great-Granddaughter. Claudine tells me many wonderful things about you and I can see the wonderful glow of our line, it makes me very happy." I could see where Claudine got her beaming smile and I suspected that if Eric hadn't been hovering over my shoulder glaring at them, Niall would have wrapped me in a hug. I was kinda glad he didn't though, since his was the first time I was meeting him, and while beautiful he was definitely scary as well.

"Er … it's nice to meet you too. I'm sorry to be so blunt but I must ask you not to start killing anyone in my house. That goes for you too Eric," I said glancing over my shoulder at the Viking whose beautiful face currently held a not so beautiful snarl.

Niall smiled charmingly, even managing a small laugh. He looked to Claudine. "She is just as you describe, and so much like her Great Great Grandmother." Then he looked at me kindly. "While there is an issue regarding any connection between a fae and a vampire, you need not fear any killing today. Neither The Northman nor I can kill the other without great consequence."

He reminded me of the 'Great and Powerful Oz', both the scary floating head and the kinder old man behind the curtain. He gave me a brief smile that radiated warmth but then turned his eyes onto Eric and the warmth was sucked right away again.

There was hostility but also surprise. How did they know each other? I glanced at Eric, he too was surprised and hostile.

"What are you doing here Niall?" He asked.

"I am here to introduce my Great Granddaughter to a potential mate." I had a choking fit and Claudine slipped through the door and scooped me up, guiding me to the kitchen to get some water. She filled a glass from the faucet, while carefully avoiding the iron skillet, while the other fae filed into my living room.

Once I'd recovered, Claudine introduced me to each of the other younger fairies in turn. I noted she made particular fuss when it came to one called Preston. Eric and Niall continued to stare at each other, almost oblivious to anyone else, throughout. When everyone had been introduced there was an awkward pause during which, despite the hopes of some, it became clear Preston and I were not going to have an 'at-first-sight' moment.

The stillness was broken when Eric adjusted his shirt and somehow managed to move closer to me in doing so. The magical glow around my Great-Grandfather grew brighter and the atmosphere shifted from 'awkward' to hostile in one of my heart-beats.

"Sookie is not available for mating so you may as well send your pretty-boys here away," Eric said, throwing a snarl at the offending 'pretty-boys' who gave him ugly looks in return. You'd think he was an unwashed street urchin sitting on a debutant's white sofa, the sofa was not impressed by their reaction and they tried to supress their objections. Niall ignored the by-play, keeping focused on Eric.

"She has already suffered greatly at the hands of one vampire, I will not allow her to suffer that kind of damage again. She should be tied to a fairy who will commit to her as she needs."

"She is not full fairy, and she is already tied to me." Eric had managed to get up to speed very fast. My heart was thumping harder with every beat.

If I hadn't come to learn how quickly he could process, adjust and prepare whatever argument he needed, I'd have been suspicious that he'd had prior knowledge of my heritage and just hadn't let on. But I knew how easily he could give the appearance of being on top of a situation even as his mind reeled with new knowledge, it was just something he'd become good at over the centuries by necessity.

"My family line is not a power to be messed with as you well know. I will not have my blood in the power of a vampire," Niall decreed.

"Wait just a New York minute, don't I get a say in this?" I interrupted. Both looked at me stunned. Then, after a long silence in which I held my ground with a firm glare, Niall softened his face as well as his magical glow, making him easier to look at.

"Of course my dear, we are simply establishing your options. Now I know which vampire you have been trapped by, I hope to come to an alternative arrangement. But the decision is, of course, yours." Niall dismissed me and turned back to Eric who was ready with his next point.

"I have not trapped her, we have shared blood."

"You are not fully bonded, though I can see you've started the process – you know the consequences of doing that with one of the Fae Eric, the rules are very clear. Killing you is my right, it would end the tie and free her." The threat seemed very real to me and breathing was becoming harder but Eric didn't even blink. I moved slightly so I was more between them. Though I was sure they both noticed, neither reacted.

"Ending the tie that way could kill her too as you well know. Besides the injunction against blood tying is nihil ad rem. She is a hybrid and I had no idea she was one of the Fae when I initiated the bonding." He looked at me before adding in more gentle tones, "I only did it to protect her."

"Ppffftt." Niall dismissed Eric's attempt to reassure me. "She has the spark and it has been ignited, she has already been able to actively use her magic. I know you Rógaire ó Thuaidh, you want the power being tied to one of us will give you."

"If that were the case I would have bonded with her already, then there would be nothing anyone could do. As it is, you cannot take her without my permission. She carries my blood and my blood is mine regardless of where it resides as ratified by the Crepusculum treaty."

Vaguely I was aware that Niall was glowing brightly again and Eric was fangy, but my mind was too busy reeling from what I could make of the conversation. The sharing we'd done was part of some bigger process, some permanent thing that could not be undone.

Niall looked furious, then accepting, then thoughtful, in such quick succession that it was almost like seeing all three expressions at once. There was no doubt he was a terrifying being when he wanted to be and I realised that it was only politics preventing him from simply killing Eric to end the discussion.

I could feel the tension starting to build up within me but I was too focused on the discussion to try and calm myself. Niall looked at Eric with a more conciliatory expression that somehow still looked devious after a moment.

"There is no need for our long alliance to be broken over such a small issue. If it is true that your concern is for her safety, you have to acknowledge that she will be safer in Fae and blended to a Fae." He indicated the fae men stood before us. "It is only that your blood is in her that complicates the issue. You will start the process of severing your connection." In a flash I was nudged back and Eric was between me and the fairies. When he spoke his voice retained the same negotiating calm.

"She might not survive that. You say you know what she has already been through, would you risk her suffering more? Or do you not care as long as you can keep her from me?"

The enraged look returned to Niall's face and stayed there. "She is of my line, her blood is mine, she is mine!"

"That doesn't make her less mine. And with my blood entwined with hers you cannot take her from me." My insides were expanding, pressing against the shell of my skin as the pressure continued to build. Had Eric been tricking and manipulating me from the start so I would be tied to him, just like Bill?

The thing keeping me silent, aside from the shock of what Eric had done, was that it sounded like the only thing stopping me from being taken to Fae as some sort of sex-slave, was whatever tie I had to Eric. Exactly what would happen to me there was one of the big holes in my knowledge, one that held my tongue. For once I was glad Eric could feel my emotions, since it wasn't safe to speak them.

If he noticed he gave no sign, he just continued to make his argument. "She has taken my blood of her own free will and the Superior Council declared back at the 235th union that the blood chosen supersedes the blood of birth."

Niall was unimpressed. "That applied to a vampire choosing a submissive bonding after the loss of their maker when contested by a Grandsire, and related to a single case in which the chosen sire was considerably more powerful than the Grandsire. The council will not view this situation the same way."

Couldn't they just be quiet for a minute? All these unions and treaties and cases, I couldn't keep up as my head grew fuzzier. The room started to spin but they continued to yell at each other.

"I also have a contract signed by her, a contract ratified by the demon lawyer." This revelation sure took the flutter from the fairy's wings. The other fae were all looking at each other in shock too. Eric was looking smug again and ran his fingers casually through his hair in celebration. The contract I'd signed was magical too? Had made me 'belong' to Eric in a way I definitely did not agree to?

I wanted to hurt Eric, I wanted him to be as miserable as me, to suffer for hours, for nights on end, but I couldn't let any of it show outside our blood, there was too much going on here that I didn't understand.

"You have to recognise that Sookie is under my control. If you want to have dealings with her, you can go through me, but I will not let you take her. If you doubt me then summon the council."

I'd read that furies were called upon to wreak vengeance, to make the guilty suffer - fury was what I felt towards Eric right now and I wanted him feel every bit of anger and betrayal that was storming through me. I pushed it at him but it was growing and filling me faster than I could siphon it towards him.

Niall was rebutting. "If the council is convened over this it places her at the centre of a process that will take more than her lifetime to complete. Not to mention at the eye of a storm that could kill us all."

Eric would be feeling my fury even more directly later, when I felt it was safe to express those feelings aloud – I might even re-acquaint him with my crossbow. First I had to establish that I was not leaving my house to go anywhere with anyone, that my life was mine, that my choices were mine. But I had no time to think let alone speak between the arguments flying back and forth.

"You know the council will uphold my claim." There was a spark of triumph in Eric's face but I suspected it was due to his bluff having paid off - I was pretty sure he didn't want whatever-council-it-was convened over this any more than Niall did.

I needed a minute, just a minute, so I could pull myself together but they pushed on, tit for tat, testosterone filling the air until it was too thick to breathe.

"She will become a target for those that would use her to their own ends." Niall's approach was that Eric was prepared to put me in danger when he was trying to protect me, which might have been more convincing if any of this was directed at me.

"As opposed to how you want to use her you mean?"

I couldn't focus, everything felt too loud, too close, too immediate. It was clear that Niall planned to remove me from my life to live whatever existence he deemed appropriate for 'his blood'. Honestly with all Niall's blood and Eric's blood didn't any of the haemoglobin running through my veins belong to me?

Eric and Niall were still arguing about who had the greater claim, the most rights, the biggest dick. I was sure that any minute now they were just going to grab an arm each and start pulling, literally.

"She is my family."

The fury inside me was so strong it was almost crippling.

"She is still mine."

Every inch of vein and artery throbbed and my head became fuzzy.

"You have tricked her into a connection."

I was certain my actual physical body was going to explode if I didn't let it out.

"To stop people like you doing worse."

I put my hands over my ears and closed my eyes.

"I just wish to protect her."

I scrunched my face, trying to contain it.

"I already do protect her."

I just needed a moment, they just needed to:

"STOP!" I yelled.

This time I felt it leave me, the energy. I understood it better now, but I still couldn't have prevented it from happening. Everyone was finally silent. But the loaded staring wasn't any better than the noise. I fisted one hand then wrapped the other around it trying to stop them from shaking. Preston and the other younger fairies picked themselves up off the floor looking upset. Claudine had ducked behind the couch.

Niall looked at me kindly, he had reacted least of everyone there but I had seen him tense.

"Great Granddaughter, we are not trying to rip you in two," he said sympathetically.

"Well it feels like it." I was trying to keep my back straight and my voice strong but I was embarrassed by my outburst (a word that had a whole new meaning since my fairy heritage had started to make itself known).

"I noticed," said Preston, rubbing his heart as if it had been a physical injury to his chest. His expression was kind and sympathetic.

"Sorry, I don't really have control over it, but that's how I feel." I wasn't sorry that Eric and Niall had gotten whacked, they deserved it, it was my life they were talking about and it was time they were reminded of the fact. But from what I could gather, the other fairies were as much bystanders as Eric and Niall were trying to make me. "In all this discussion not a single person has asked me what I want, neither of you were even looking at me, I feel like nothing more than a rope in your tug of war."

Eric hadn't spoken. He hadn't been thrown back like some of the others but he had visibly flinched which was the equivalent of being flung against the wall in anyone else. His gaze held a kind of fascination and he'd been edging closer as I spoke, a strange array of emotions crossing his face

Slowly he reached out a hand and pressed it to my chest, but he wasn't feeling up my breasts (for once), or even being deliberately soothing, though the contact did offer some comfort, not least that I could feel him and knew he cared about me whatever else he might get out of our tie.

I didn't soften my feelings towards him, he'd still lied and cheated and manipulated me, even after he knew what Bill had done. His fingers were stroking me gently, he was touching my heart. With great effort and control I kept my chin from wobbling and reinforced my steel magnolia.

"That's what you feel?" Eric asked in wonder, seemingly oblivious to everyone else in the room or anything that had been said since I'd exploded.

"Eric that is barely a fraction of what I feel right now, but don't you already know that?" I accused trying to still appear strong, though I was feeling drained which seemed to be a side-effect of expressing myself fae-style.

Eric put his arm around me to take some of my weight. I realised as he did how hard it had been holding myself up. I glanced around thinking. I should get everyone to sit, I didn't want to be 'snuggly' with Eric right now, though I also didn't want to risk Niall knowing I wasn't happy about the tie in case that was enough justification for him to take me away.

Eric was watching me sadly, he knew just how little I wanted to be near him right now, just as I could feel how much he wanted to be near me.

"It is different," he said. I got the impression he was searching his blood that was in me even more thoroughly than usual. "When I feel you, I sense your feelings but they are still in you. That was like, your feelings were in me, I was feeling them, personally, but they were yours." I could tell he was struggling to explain the difference.

"It is the difference between knowing what someone is feeling and feeling what they are feeling. You mean you were an active participant rather than merely an observer," clarified Niall, he was looking at Eric with renewed interest, there was less hostility than there had been.

I heard a car in the drive.

"Damn, it's Oscar," I pulled back from Eric not entirely sure how I had ended up in his arms so easily that I'd barely noticed it happening. Embarrassed I avoided his eye and addressed the room. "You all need to go." The gathered supes looked at me. Though they-all couldn't, or didn't at any rate, do it, Eric's raised eyebrow was mirrored on every face. If I wasn't so anxious and angry I would have laughed. Clearly they saw no reason for them to leave over a mere human.

"Look, I can hardly say 'sorry Oscar but you'll have to come back after my fairy relations and vampire … boss, have finished arguing about who gets to have ownership of me, I'll let you know how it goes.'"

I got a room full of frowns to my summing up of the situation so I tried a different tact. "He's a policeman and he's been antsy enough about Eric as it is. Plus y'all don't exactly pass for human in that get-up." I was trying to be polite but firm, anything to get them to leave, however they all looked at me like I'd been rude, except Eric who looked oddly pleased and was tickling a fang with his tongue.

Niall had been looking puzzled, and that remained dominant in his expression but he sighed and held up a hand. As soon as he did I heard the car turn around and head back up the drive.

"He forgot something, he'll be back later," explained my Great Grandfather.

Well, that's a useful little trick, if it worked on supes as well as humans I think I'd prefer that to whacking people with my PMS. Everyone was looking at each other waiting to see what would happen next.

I decided, my house, my rules.