Eric walked into the queen's day room and stood by the pool as Sophie-Anne finished another game of Yahtzee. Eric had no doubt that she was winning; like always. He turned and looked at Bill and Bill gave him a look telling him not to do anything rash or stupid. Eric looked away from Bill so that he could resist the urge to scream at Bill that he would never do anything that could potentially hurt Sawyer or the twins. He would never put them in danger; he would especially not leave their fate to the whim of some spoiled queen.
"Sheriff Northman, I am glad that you could finally make it," Sophie-Anne said getting up her yellow sundress swirling around her as she walked over to him, "I am sure that those twins of yours have been keeping you busy," she said placing a kiss on his cheek. She leaned in close to his ear, "You are lucky I did not give the order to kill them when I had the chance."
Eric kept the fake smile on his face and held himself back from grabbing Sophie-Anne and shaking her. He looked down at her, "Yes, I did not know how much work babies could be."
"So much easier to eat them. William, nice to see you again," the queen said looking at Bill.
"Nice to see you again, as well, Your Highness," Bill said softly waiting for Sophie-Anne to make the first move. She offered him her hand and he took it and kissed it. He then pulled away and smiled at her.
"Eric, it is so nice of you to bring Bill with you. He can take my place at Yahtzee while we talk," Sophie-Anne said. Her tone was light but both Eric and Bill knew that it was an order more than it was a request.
Eric nodded at Bill when the other vampire looked at him. He watched as Bill walked over to the table and sat down. He turned and followed Sophie-Anne as she walked out of the room. He followed down the hall and clenched his fists at his sides. He was worried that as he was following the Queen that she had already acted against Sawyer and that whatever he agreed to would come too late. He watched as the Queen turned the corner and went into the room. Eric closed his eyes and sent a message to Pam. He knew that Pam would know to go to Sawyer first and not contact him. He had told her he would use their connection and if she felt his call to go immediately to Sawyer. He opened his eyes and then walked into the room. The door closed behind him and he thought it sounded like a coffin slamming shut.
Sawyer sipped her coffee and watched as Sookie rocked Ardith to sleep. Sookie had told Sawyer to relax and that she would look after the twins for an hour or so. Sawyer was grateful but she couldn't bring herself to go to bed and even lay down on the couch for a nap. She was scared if she closed her eyes that when she opened them her whole world would have fallen apart. She turned when she heard the door open. She got up and then placed her hand in her pocket for her silver chain. She had pulled it out of her desk where she had buried it in the bottom drawer. She walked towards the entrance hall. She stopped in relief when Pam appeared in the doorway of the living room. The relief then slipped away when she saw the look on Pam's face.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
"Nothing happened," Pam answered leaning in the doorway and trying to cover the look on her face.
"Pam, do not lie to me. Something happened and that's why you're here."
"Eric called me."
Sawyer frowned, "He's not here."
"I know he isn't," Pam sighed and knew that she was going to have to explain to Sawyer the connection a maker had with their child, "A maker can summon their child without using a telephone, speaking or anything. It is just this connection that a maker has with their child."
"And Eric did this tonight?"
"Yes, he did. I am sure he is speaking with the queen and she said something that made him worry. I am just here to ensure that you are safe."
"And what if they do come?" Sookie asked getting up and walking over to them carrying Ardith. Sawyer immediately took her daughter in her arms needing to feel the weight of her child in her arms.
Pam looked at Sawyer then looked at Ardith, "I will die before I let them harm Sawyer or the children," she met Sawyer's eyes and smiled, "I have known Eric for a century, Sawyer. I had come to think that I knew every one of his memories and every single one of his emotions and thoughts. You changed that, you changed him for the better. Hell, you changed me. I thought love was weak and only for the weakest of hearts," Pam looked directly at Sookie. Sookie glared at her and Pam looked back at Sawyer, "but you loving Eric has not made either of weak; it has made you stronger. Eric has not been this way as long as I can remember and I will not let anyone take away that happiness that you have brought him. Even if it is the supposed Queen of Louisiana."
Sawyer smiled and pulled Pam in a tight hug. She knew that Pam hated hugging but she just needed to hug her at that moment, "Thank you, Pam. I love you too."
"I never said I loved you," Pam said pushing Sawyer away.
"You didn't have to."
Sookie smiled when she saw how uncomfortable Pam was. She really hoped that everything would work out alright. She didn't think Sawyer could handle anything else going wrong in her life at the moment. Most of all she didn't think that Sawyer could handle anything happening to Eric. She looked at the clock and hoped that everything was going alright for Eric and Bill.
Eric sat in the chair across from Sophie-Anne as the queen lounged on a chaise looking at him. They had been this way for several minutes and Eric wondered why the queen was taking her time showing her anger. Eric watched her and then watched as she turned away from him and took something from the table next to the chaise. She tossed it at his feet and he saw that it was a picture of Sawyer with Ardith and Aleryck coming out of Sookie's house. Eric bent down and picked it up then looked up at the queen.
"They have become your world, Eric," she said sternly.
"I can still do my job," Eric stated putting the picture aside. He was tried not to get angry and launch himself at the queen. He was not going to provoke her into actually issuing the order to hurt Sawyer and the twins.
"Then why did you stop selling V? My people tell me there was a falling out over it with your human and you gave it up. Since when do humans rule you, Eric?"
Eric took a moment to answer. He knew he had to tread lightly because the queen fully expected him to lose it and to deny that Sawyer had any hold on him. He gave Sophie-Anne and small smile and shook his head, "Sawyer does rule me; she rules my heart," he admitted hoping that the uncharacteristic show of honesty would baffle the queen.
Sophie-Anne looked at Eric not showing her thoughts on her face but for several long moments, she didn't say anything. She turned away and looked at the wall then looked back at Eric, "You are being serious, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am. I did not stop selling V because of Sawyer, however. I stopped because too many vampires were beginning to become suspicious and one of the vampires in my Area actually went missing and it is believed that he was kidnapped to milk for his blood."
"This happened months ago. In fact it happened before your human, Sawyer," the queen said the name with contempt, "even show up in this state. Do you have any other excuses for me?"
Eric knew that there was no point in even trying. Sophie-Anne had made up her mind and had decided that she wanted to blame Sawyer and there was nothing Eric could do to change her mind, "No, you majesty, I do not."
"Good. I want you to listen very closely to what I have to say. I am going to give you two choices and I very much want you to think really hard on what you want to choose."
"Yes, your majesty."
"You get rid of this human and start acting like the hard cold asshole you were before or," the queen smiled and looked at Eric, "or you get to sit there and watch as I kill your human and eat those babies you love so much."
"That is not a choice, it's a threat."
Sophie-Anne smiled, "Oh, I know it may sound that way, but it really is a choice, Eric. I want to know how much you love this human and how soft have you actually become. I am hoping you choice option two. I may actually share their blood with you."
Eric sat there and felt his non beating heart break. He knew what he had to do to protect Sawyer and the twins. He just did not want to do it; he didn't want to give her up. Unfortunately, the queen was not giving him a choice in the matter.
"I will walk away from Sawyer and the children," he said grabbing the arm of the chair and squeezing it. The sound of wood splintering echoed in the room.
"I mean it Eric. I will have people watching you. You are to have nothing to do with her or her brats. If I so much as see you looking at her, I will rip her throat out. Understand?"
Eric grinded his teeth together, "I understand."
The queen smiled again and stood up, "Good. Let's go play Yahtzee."
Sawyer walked down the stairs after she had checked on the twins. She had managed to convince Pam to go back to Fangtasia, although she was convinced that Pam was standing watch outside. She walked into the kitchen and saw Sookie standing by the windows talking on the phone. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water trying not to listen in to the conversation.
"Bill, what are you saying?... She did that?... But... How is Eric taking it?... What do you mean he left?" Sookie said causing Sawyer to look her way.
Sookie turned and saw Sawyer watching her. She gave Sawyer a smile but she knew that her friend was not buying it. "Eric left and went god knows where, Sookie. I do not blame him. I cannot not imagine having to give up the one person you love. I could not give you up and I know it is harder on Eric. He has kept everyone at arms' length for two thousand years and now he has to give up the first person he has let close? I am surprised he didn't kill the queen," Sookie heard Bill tell her. She still could not believe the order that the queen had given Eric; give up Sawyer or watch her die.
"Bill, can you just find him and make sure he is okay?" Sookie asked seeing that Sawyer's eyes never left hers.
"I will try. Please do not try and tell Sawyer anything. I believe that Eric should be the one to tell her this."
"I'll try."
"Sookie-."
"Bye Bill."
Sawyer watched as Sookie hung up the phone. She looked at her friend and knew that something wasn't right. She looked away and looked at her water bottle. She placed it on the counter to stop herself from squeezing it tightly in her hands. She looked up when Sookie walked over to her.
"How bad is it?" she asked softly.
"Sawyer, Eric should be the one to tell you-."
"Sookie, please. I need to be prepared. What did the queen demand?"
Sookie looked down and knew that Sawyer was going to take this hard. She looked back up and into her friend's eyes, "The queen demanded that Eric leave you and the twins or she would kill all three of you and make him watch."
Sawyer stood there still. She heard Sookie's words again as she repeated them in her mind and then her whole world seemed to stop. She griped the counter tight and felt her legs give out from under her. She felt Sookie's arms come around her and she felt her whole body begin to shake. She shook her head and repeated 'No' over and over. She heard Sookie soothing her and then the reality of it sunk in and she began to cry. She had lost Eric and she suddenly felt like she had lost the other part of her soul.