Sawyer had changed into an oversized t-shirt and started pacing the floor waiting for Eric to come back. She kept looking at the clock as the hours passed getting more worried as it got closer and closer to dawn. She turned when the door opened. Eric walked in and she was shocked. His hair was messed up and his suit jacket had bloody spots on it. He pulled it off and she saw his torn black shirt underneath. She went over to him and shoved him against the door with her ability and ran her hands over him.
"Are you alright?" she demanded.
"I needed to feed," he said pulling away and undoing the buttons on his shirt.
"Is the person still alive?" she asked watching as he pulled the shirt off.
"I believe so."
Eric sat on the bed and pulled his shoes off. He looked at Sawyer. She walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer resting his face against her stomach. He closed his eyes and just listened to the heartbeats of the twins. He felt Sawyer run her hands though his hair and he held her closer.
"What's wrong, Eric?" she asked.
"This, this is wrong," he answered pulling away and looking at her. He saw the hurt on her face and felt it in his chest. She pulled away but he took her hand.
"So, you don't want this anymore?"
"No, you misunderstand. This is wrong because you... You deserve better than me. You and those children deserve happiness."
"Eric, you're scaring me."
"I am scaring myself. I shouldn't... I am sorry I ever touched you."
"No, I won't let you do this. There is something more to it. Don't lie to me or push me away. I am not going to go easily."
Sawyer straddled Eric's lap and felt his arms come around her. She leaned in and kissed him hard on the mouth. She pulled away and rested her forehead against his. She gently stroked the hair at the back of his neck as she waited for him to say something. She felt him run his hand down her back and then slip under her shirt and toy with her boy cut panties.
"I fear that something will happen to you because of me. Tonight... It proved that to me. You were putting yourself in danger for me when I should have been the one protecting you," he told her softly.
"I only did it because I know how they operate. And... I don't want you dealing with it. I feel like it is my problem," Sawyer answered.
"Your problems are mine, Vacker. You are mine."
"I am not a possession, Eric, I am a person."
"A person that I... I care about. I never thought I would care about any human and in my thousand years, I have seen many humans who impressed me but... None as beautiful or as alive as you."
Eric pulled away and looked at Sawyer. He saw the tears roll down her cheeks. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her deeply letting his tongue roam her mouth. He turned and laid her on the bed holding his body over hers. He pulled away from the kiss and was glad that he had avoided talking about what was really bothering him. He had left the room and begun to think about Godric. He had started to think about what Godric had said to him before dying. It wasn't much and Eric wished that he had been more. Being with Sawyer, Eric was reliving that night over and over and he was starting to feel the loss of his maker more. He knew it was because Sawyer was making him feel more period. She was making him feel emotions he hadn't felt since he was human.
"Stay with me while I sleep," he asked her looking in her eyes.
"I wasn't planning on leaving you," she answered smiling at him.
Sawyer watched as Eric stood up and pulled off his pants leaving him naked. He climbed in bed beside her and gently pulled off her t-shirt. She smiled when he tossed it aside and pulled her body against his. She felt him run his hand over her stomach and she hated to admit it but she was starting to feel a connection to the babies growing inside of her.
"You are still wearing too much clothing," he whispered running his finger in between the waistband of her panties and her skin.
"Go to sleep Eric," she answered kissing his neck gently.
Eric held her against him and fell asleep feeling her breath on his chest. He told himself that he was in too deep now; he couldn't walk away from her. He knew that just feeling so much for her was going to get him into trouble; in fact it already had but he didn't care. He couldn't let go of the first person who loved him in over a thousand years. He didn't have the strength.
Sawyer sucked in a breath when Sookie hugged her tight. She looked at Eric but he wasn't helping her out of this one. Sawyer finally got away from Sookie only to have Bill pull her in a hug. And that was when Sookie started in on the lectures. Sawyer saw the smirk on Eric's face and was glad that he was back to normal. She had been watching him closely and was worried about him. The three hour plane ride from Tulsa had been filled with silence between them. The only noise had been Pam chatting about everything under the sun. She pulled away from Bill and then held her hand up to Hoyt and Jessica.
"I need a few minutes to recover before y'all get your hugs in," she said.
"What were you thinking, Sawyer?" Sookie demanded.
"That I needed to keep the people I cared about safe," Sawyer answered.
"We're vampires," Jessica said earning her a look from both Eric and Bill, "What? We are."
"I know you are Jessica but these people... They destroy vampires using the most horrible, disturbing ways."
"I can't wait to eat them," Pam said and everyone turned to look at her, "Oh please like you weren't thinking it."
"I am just glad you're okay," Hoyt said hugging Sawyer.
"Me too. Who else would let me come over at three AM and talk about boys?" Jessica asked hugging Sawyer as well.
"Jessica, what have I told you about bothering people at all hours of the night?" Bill demanded.
"As fun as this is, Sawyer needs her rest," Eric said looking at all of them.
"Isabel demanded that you call her the minute you are here," Bill told him.
"And I will. Once I get Sawyer up to the room and settled in."
"Eric, you call Isabel. Sookie can help me unpack. And Jessica. Right girls?" Sawyer said needing some time away from Eric.
"Alright. Pam would you-."
"Eric, does it look like I want to play slumber party?"
Eric watched as Sawyer left with Sookie and Jessica. He was glad that she wasn't alone but he knew that something was up with her. He looked at Bill and Bill handed him the number. Eric walked away and watched as Pam flirted with Hoyt as he dialled the number. It made him smile at how uncomfortable Hoyt was getting.
"Hello," he heard Isabel say.
"We are here. I want Sawyer to rest before you speak to her tomorrow," Eric ordered every bit the sheriff in that moment.
"I can do that. As long as nothing happens between now and then."
"I assure you nothing will."
"Good. I shall see you tomorrow."
Eric hung up and looked at Bill when Bill walked over to him. He knew that the other vampire was not happy with this because it pulled Sookie into more trouble but Eric was glad he was there.
"Is everything alright?" Bill asked.
"Bill, nothing has been alright since I met Sawyer."
"I know that feeling."
"Soooo, did you and Eric-," Jessica started.
"Jessica!" Sookie exclaimed watching the red haired vampire bounce on the bed.
"What? Inquiring minds want to know."
"Not mine."
"Yes, we did, and no Jess you are not getting details," Sawyer said putting some of her clothes in the drawers.
"Rats."
"Sawyer, are you alright? I mean since when do you want to be away from Eric?" Sookie asked sensing that something was up.
Sawyer went over to the bed and sat on it. She smiled when Jessica wrapped her arms around her. She looked at Jessica then looked at Sookie. They had known Eric longer; maybe they could help her figure out what was going on with him.
"I'm worried about Eric. He's been acting weird," she said.
"Eric is weird," Jessica said.
"She has a point," Sookie said.
"Well, weirder than usual. When he found me he... He said he wasn't going to lose someone else he cared about."
Sookie looked away. She knew what Eric had been talking about. She looked at Sawyer and saw how much her friend really was worried about Eric. She knew it wasn't her place to say anything but she knew that Sawyer needed answers and she wondered if Eric would ever give them to her. She went over and sat beside Sawyer and took her hand.
"It's about Godric, his maker," Sookie said.
"Wait, you mean the vampire that went all French toast on the roof of this motel?" Jessica asked.
"Jessica, that isn't a nice way of putting it."
"Sorry, but that was Eric's maker?"
"Yes. I was with him at the end."
"What did he say?" Sawyer asked looking at Sookie.
"He asked me to watch over Eric and that... Eric being so cold was partly his doing. He was at peace with dying though. Eric was the one who wasn't."
"How bad did he freak out?"
"He pleaded with Godric not to do it. On his knees, it was heartbreaking to watch. He even tried to get Godric to agree to let him die with him."
Sawyer got up and walked away from the bed. She started to pace tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned and looked at Sookie and Jessica. They both looked at her worried. She leaned against the wall and fiddled with her necklaces.
"I can't... I can't imagine how he felt," she whispered.
"I don't think any of us can. He hasn't talked about that day since it happened and I admit that that isn't healthy."
"Do you think he cared about his maker?" Jessica asked.
"He loved Godric. I think... I think Godric is the only person Eric has ever loved," Sawyer whispered.
Sookie looked at Sawyer and wanted to point out that she knew that Eric cared about her. She didn't get the chance though because there was a knock on the door. Jessica went and answered it and squealed when it was Hoyt standing there. Sookie saw Sawyer smiled softly as she watched Jessica and Hoyt together. Sookie went over to her and hugged her again. She was relieved when Sawyer hugged her back.
"I was worried about you. You aren't allowed to just take off like that," Sookie said pulling away.
"Sorry but I thought I was doing what was best," Sawyer said.
"You weren't. We are your family now and we care about you. If you need help, we are here for you."
"I'll remember that."
"Sawyer, Eric is on the roof and Sook, Bill is waiting for you in the restaurant downstairs," Hoyt said once he pulled himself away from Jessica.
"Where's Pam?" Sawyer asked.
"She went out... Somewhere," Hoyt said blushing.
Sawyer nodded. She looked at Sookie and knew that she was going to half to go face Eric on the roof. She was worried about what she would find.
Eric stood in the middle of the roof and remembered being there that dawn with Godric. He felt tears start to roll just thinking about it. He had begged Godric not to do it, that it wasn't right. Godric had refused to listen to him even when Eric had fallen to his knees begging. Eric turned and closed his eyes. He had never felt as helpless in all his thousand years as he had been when Godric had dismissed him. He couldn't even share the same fate as his maker. He turned when he smelt vanilla in the air. He didn't turn around. He didn't want Sawyer to see him like this.
Sawyer looked at Eric standing his back to her. He wore just a racer back tank top and a simple pair of black jeans but he still took her breath away. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She rested her head against his back and closed her eyes. She could feel him shaking and knew that he was crying.
"I tried to stop him," Eric whispered.
"I know. Sookie told me. She said Godric asked her to look after you. I guess that that's my job now. Think Godric would approve of me?" Sawyer asked gently running her hand over his stomach.
"I think he would. After he had a good laugh about me choosing a human as my companion," Eric answered smiling.
"Eric, honey it's okay to mourn him. You loved him. You spent a thousand years with him; I think that it's okay if you cry for him."
Eric turned around and buried his face in Sawyer's shoulder. He cried feeling her hand rubbing his back and her soothing words. He held her tight to him knowing he was ruining her white sundress with his blood tears but he didn't care. He had never let someone hold him and comfort him before. He pulled away and looked at Sawyer. She reached out and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks with her thumbs. She wasn't scared of him or his tears. She smiled at him and reached down and took his hand.
"Come on, I am really tired and feel sick so I think we should go back to our room and just watch bad TV," she told him.
"Why do you feel sick?" Eric asked concerned.
"Morning sickness. Except my little ones think that night time is morning."
Sawyer watched Eric as he kneeled down and leaned close to her stomach. She listened as he whispered some Swedish words to her babies. He then did something she did not expect; he leaned forward and kissed her stomach. She was shocked and touched. She felt tears come to her eyes as he stood up and smiled at her. She leaned against him and felt his arm come around her.
"What did you tell them?" she asked.
"Oh, just to go easy on you. And that they have plenty of time later on to cause you grief," Eric told her.
"But I... I'm not sure if I want them or not."
"You're sure. You are just scared of admitting it out loud."
Eric looked at Sawyer but she was silent. He was worried about her and this irrational fear of having these babies. He was a vampire who had spent a thousand years caring less about what humans did and it seemed like he cared more about the twins then she did. He held her closer and reminded himself to bring up the discussion when they got home. Right now they had too much to deal with and all Eric wanted to do was climb into the bed in their suite and hold her in his arms.