A/N CTD 6 is almost done, too. :) So hopefully later this week.

Chapter 17

Eric watched their eyes glaze over, one girl at a time. One by one, they all walked to the exit. He'd seen that look thousands and thousands of times in the past thousand years. He'd been glamouring for most of it, after all.

When they were all back together, the girls started chattering away again without looking back, and headed towards the food court. He wondered if Sookie would ever stop surprising him. He turned back to her and grinned. "Well done. Someday soon we'll have to test your range."

She felt really fucking proud of herself, and she smiled back up at him. He kissed her, and they headed back out to the car.

He opened the car door for her and kissed her again before he closed it. He couldn't seem to help himself. He was drawn to her. To touch her. He wanted her all the time. He hadn't felt like this since his first century. Or maybe ever.

He got in the driver's side and found himself leaning over to kiss her again. When he pulled away, she smiled at him. "What's next?"

"I guess we'll go to Pam's. I need to work, and she has a computer that I can use. I will have Bobby bring more blood. I need him to run some errands during the day, anyway."

"Where does he get the blood?"

"There are underground blood-for-cash operations. The one he uses belongs to me."

When they got to Pam's, they got their bags out of the trunk and went inside. "You can look around. Get to know her a little better. By rights, all of this should belong to you. But, of course, no one can know that she was your maker. I will provide you with everything you need."

They carried her bags into Pam's room. He took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes. It gave him a pang to stay in here, but Pam had just moved out of his house and into her own a couple of months before, and had only light-proofed the one room so far. And he didn't think that Sookie would like to share a coffin in the spare bedroom.

He had the bond open, and she could feel how much this was affecting him. How sad he was. How much he'd loved Pam. The pain of his grief hurt her chest. She squeezed his hand and he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry you lost her."

"I know."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. He held her and buried his nose in her hair and was surprised that her scent already brought him much comfort. Even from the pain of grief. But she was taking care of him as much as he was taking care of her. During the fire, but not only that. He thought about Pam often - Sookie was one hell of a reminder - but Sookie reminded him in such a way that it didn't hurt as much. And it was mostly a good kind of hurt. It just kept Pam close, at least a little.

Eric held Sookie a little closer. "I am sorry that you lost her, too. She would have been an excellent maker."

She'd liked Pam ok. At least until she'd started biting her. Mostly, though, Sookie just felt sad for Eric. She knew that Eric was also an excellent maker. He grounded her. More often than not, at least. And, although she didn't mind having sex with girls sometimes, sex with Eric was mind-blowing. She couldn't imagine just fucking Pam and a bunch of human nobodies. She'd never been into indiscriminate fucking, and she didn't really care to start. And, although Jake and Alcide were good in bed, they didn't have a thousand years of practice.

He savored her scent for one last breath and then kissed her head. "I must call Bobby, and then get back to work."

"Ok."

He gave Sookie her new cell phone, kissed her again, and went to the office to make some more phone calls.

She looked longingly at the bed, and wished that she wasn't so horny for him all the fucking time. She'd been too overwhelmed to notice the first few days, more often than not, but it was like once the pump had been primed, she had turned into a goddamn nymphomaniac. She hoped that he would finish in time to fuck her again before sunrise. Maybe even twice. Even if they had already done it three times that night.

There wasn't room for her new clothes in Pam's closet, and she didn't want to mess with anything, so she set all of the bags in the corner. Eric had told her to look around at Pam's stuff to get to know her first maker a little, but she felt guilty and awkward and like she was intruding on something she shouldn't. They had come here after the fire, but Sookie had waited by the kitchen entry while Eric had found something he thought would fit.

She opened up the drawer of the vanity, but closed it again before she could take more than a cursory look. She just couldn't bring herself to snoop. Pam had been barely more than a stranger. Just a girl she was going to fuck once and never see again. Sookie didn't even know her last name.

She wondered what it would have been like if Hadley hadn't staked Pam. Maybe, if she were still Pam's, she wouldn't feel so crazy when she was near him. Or at least she wouldn't be so crazy about him. She assumed that she would have seen him sometimes, since he was Pam's maker and they lived in the same city, but she doubted that he would have had much to do with her if they weren't together all the time. And if he didn't feel so responsible for her well-being. After all, they wouldn't have exchanged blood, so he likely wouldn't have wanted to fuck her at all. At least other than maybe a once or twice kind of thing. Would she have been satisfied with that? And if she could stop loving him right then, would she even want to? Without the bond, they wouldn't feel this way about each other. Is that what she even wanted? She hated that Pam had gone to her final death, for Eric's sake, but, deep down inside, she wouldn't want anyone but Eric to be her maker. No matter how scared her feelings made her. She didn't want to freak out again.

They had been so busy since they'd left New Orleans. It hit her just how much she missed her family there. And, dammit, she needed someone to talk to. She turned on her cell phone and called her wolves. Maria-Star answered.

"Maria-Star! I miss the heck out of you."

"Sunshine! The guys aren't here, but I'm so glad you called. How are you? Are you ok? Is he treating you well? I've been so worried about you."

Sookie sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm ok, but I miss you guys so much. Life has just been really crazy."

"You're telling me. I'm being fucked ragged."

Sookie laughed. "Twice the work, but twice the fun."

"Speaking of fun… Are you and Eric fucking yet? He is so gorgeous. Vamp or not, I'd be tempted."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Maria-Star, I'm a vamp, and you just about fucked me a few days ago!"

"That's different, Sookie. You're different. You aren't like them. You're… Well, you're Sunshine. Vamp or not. Now, tell me all about it. You totally fucked him, right?"

Sookie smiled. And she would have blushed if she still could have. Which was totally crazy, considering who she was talking to. "Yeah."

"Is he good in bed? Do you bite each other? Does he have a big dick? Spill the beans, girl!"

"It's kind of crazy how good it is. I mean, the guys are great, but he's just… Good doesn't come close."

"And?"

Sookie giggled. "We bite each other pretty much every time, and it is like instant orgasm. And he's even bigger than Alcide. And he knows how to use it."

"Does he treat you right?"

Sookie didn't answer for a moment or two. "He has been really great. Amazing, really. Not cold or dark or scary at all. Not with me."

Maria-Star paused for a moment, too. "Holy shit. You're already in love with him!"

"No! We… He's my maker now. It's just the bond. He said that having sex and exchanging blood would make it stronger." And God knows they did enough of that.

Maria-Star didn't sound convinced. "If you say so. I'm sorry, Sook, but we're just about out of minutes."

"Oh! Of course. I'm sorry. Give me a call when you get some more? When the guys are around? I miss y'all so much."

"I love you, Sunshine."

"Love you, too."

Sookie ended the call, and she hated that it had kind of made her feel a whole lot worse instead of better. She was even more confused than she had been before. She knew that she loved him, but was she in love with him? Would she still feel this way without the bond? She didn't really know, and it wasn't like she could ask him. All she knew was that she certainly had never felt like this before.

She heard the door open, but she didn't really want to deal with Bobby, so she stayed put. She kept a close ear out for his thoughts, though. Bobby went into the kitchen and put several somethings in the fridge, and then found Eric in the office. Sookie could easily overhear their conversation. Couldn't help but hear it, really.

"Bobby, did you get the blood?"

"Of course, Master."

"Good. I spoke with the insurance agent and told her that I'm out of town and that I would send my representative by. She's expecting you tomorrow morning at 10."

"Anything else?"

Sookie heard Eric's chair scrape against the floor and a drawer opening and then closing. "Mail these. And I left your phone number with the police. They may contact you during the day. I told them that I was out of town as well."

"Yes, sir."

Bobby turned around and started to leave, but paused for a moment or two in the office doorway. He walked out of the house without saying anything else. Eric got back to work.

"Eric?"

He looked up from the computer monitor and Sookie was standing in the doorway this time. Her brows were furrowed in anger, but she was also radiating vulnerability.

"What is the matter, Sookie?"

"Bobby was the one who set the fire."