Bill Compton was on her in seconds but alas he was unable to move her, how could he? She was significantly older than him it was like trying to move a building from its foundations trying overpower a vampire one is younger than. Ingrid had Sookie firmly by the throat, if she wanted to kill her in that moment she could, she could squeeze the life out of the little insignificant speck and be rid of her. She was clawing at her hand, the little flashes her hands were giving off now fading and dulling.
"Eric, Pam! Stop her she's killing her!" Bill implored. Pam shrugged nonchalantly the ghost of an amused grin on her hot pink lips, Pam was more than pleased to watch that gash in a sundress finally get what was coming to her, she instead went to Eric, helping him up. "Sorry Bill, suddenly I am deaf and blind, stop what?" Pam said biting back the delight she was only too eager to exude at someone finally putting that fucking human in her place.
"You listen good you little cunt, I am back now, Eric will no longer be trailing after you, Eric will no longer be protecting you, Eric will no longer be available for you and your little boyfriend over there at a moments notice. His priorities have officially changed, and even attempt to so much as contemplate that little magic trick again and I will kill your entire hick town and leave you rotting alone in the middle of it. Am I making myself clear?" Ingrid was speaking so calmly, she sounded like she was discussing the weather not threatening a human. Sookie Stackhouse nodded earnestly, her face now read, a thin layer of sweat forming on her from struggling to get breath into her lungs.
In a blind panic Bill picked up a stool and smashed it over his knee, picking up one of the wooden shards he ran for Ingrid the shard aimed to stab her through the heart from behind. Before he had a chance to even get close to her Eric had Bill on the floor, his large figure looming over him "do you have a death wish Bill?" He said through gritted teeth, fangs exposed. In that moment Eric knew he would gladly pull Bill's heart out and show it to him before he died if he so much as looked at Ingrid in a menacing fashion. Finally, Eric heard Ingrid drop Sookie to the floor, she coughed and wheezed, gasping for air and gagging from the loss of oxygen. Dark violent bruising was already forming around her neck from the tight grip. Eric stood aside, in an instant Bill was by Sookies side, hauling her into his arms.
Ingrid tilted her head to the side, she was confused by this. Vampire women were more beautiful, more durable, more cultured... Yet he was tripping over himself for her, perhaps it was her scent. He was hanging on to a particularly delicious meal? Maybe.
"If you think we will be assisting you in the demise of Russell now you are both mistaken." Bill said biting into his arm and shoving it against Sookies lips.
"Oh make no mistake William, you will help us and until you do we are going to be everywhere. Every shift at Merlots, every little late night walk... We will see you there." Eric retorted. "Her shift is starting soon right? Well I don't know about you Ingrid, but I am a bit peckish, are you?" Eric grinned looking down at her.
"Funny you should say that. I am famished."
"The answer is no Eric, stay away." With that Bill moved as quick as his abilities would allow out of the bar, the waitress still in his arms.
With them gone Ingrid turned to Eric concern etched on her face for the first time "are you alright?" She frowned. Eric shook his head "No I am not alright, I just got landed on my ass by a human that wears floral in front of my wife." Eric all but grunted at her. He looked weak, he was meant to be the one to protect her, he was meant to be the strong one but instead he looked and felt like a weakling. Ingrid had been unphased by Sookies light, this did not surprise him, he was almost expecting that. What he was not expecting was to feel the way he did. He had just stood back and allowed her to fight his battles for him, she even threatened a human to leave him alone. As if she was some school yard bully!
Ingrid rolled her eyes throwing her hands up in the air clearly irritated "you fucking men and your pride, what did you expect me to do? Just let her do that to do without repercussions? Dream on Eric, fuck!"
"Yes, Ingrid that is exactly what I expected you to do not strangle her half to death administering threats on my behalf!" He shouted, usually when Eric raised his voice at anyone they were scared but her? Of course not, she folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at him "If you want to keep your balls attached to your body I would not do that again in a hurry, and stop calling me your wife I am not your fucking wife, now get your damn keys we have to go sit in that shit hole Merlots bar and watch that cunt you don't want me to kill." She was furious, was he protective over this human? This insignificant little thing? She turned her back on him and stormed to the car.
The car ride was a silent one, Erics knuckles were white against the steering wheel as he drove, he was frustrated, he did not want to argue with her, that is the last thing he wanted. He was fucking bad at this, after 1000 years of being cold and emotionless he was struggling at every turn to convey his feelings to her. He knew better to speak to her when she was like this, instead he sat there, stewing in his own melancholic thoughts.
As they pulled into Merlots she rolled her eyes "what a fucking dump." She said climbing out of the car. Eric got out and walked alongside her he wanted to reach out and touch her, even put his hand on her back but he had a feeling she would rip his arm off if he tried it. When they entered the bar the smell of stale beer and sweaty humans hit them both instantly. It didn't take long for all eyes to be on them, Ingrid blended in easily but not when she was standing next to Eric who was built like a giant fucking tree. A skinny waitress with a bad red dye job approached them somewhat meekly.
"Hi, what can I do for y'all?" She said trying her best to plaster a smile on her face.
"Table for two please." Eric said giving her a smile, his smile to humans was unnerving, as if he was biting back saying something cruel at a moments notice.
Ingrid could hear how fast this ones heart was beating in her chest, she was scared of them, she knew they were vampires. This made her smile a little wider as she lead them to a booth in the corner. Eyes were still on them as she sat across the table from Eric.
"We will take 2 True Bloods." He said dismissively. His eyes scanned the room for Sookie, he smirked when he spotted her, she was at the cooks station with his favorite drug dealer Lafayette. "She's here." He nodded.
"You must be thrilled." She bit back.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"you do not want me to kill her, you certainly don't want me to hurt her and you're oh so happy to see her. I am not stupid."
He could have laughed, she really thought he still gave a flying fuck about the Stackhouse girl? "You are joking Ingrid. Right?"
"Do I look like I am joking!"
He shook his head "you can't kill her, we need her to get to Russell. Is this why you think I was mad? Fuck, Ingrid I am mad because while I got launched into a wall you defended my honor. I am meant to be the one protecting you, instead I look weak, useless. What kind of sheriff can't even take care of his own wi- mate." He said shaking his head.
Ingrid laughed, like, truly laughed... He was trying to be honest with her and she was laughing?!
"Ok, two Tru Bloods." The red headed waitress said all but throwing them at the table and swiftly walking away.
Ingrid composed herself and looked him dead in the eye "I thought you still had feelings for her." She said laughing to herself again. "That, over me, I was beyond offended."
Eric smirked shaking his head "she is a pawn, an object for us to get to Russell, nothing more. How could you even think that?"
"I am not stupid Eric I know you were trailing after her before I showed up give me a little credit please." She said shaking her head.
"Wait, you're jealous!" He suddenly exclaimed.
"Yes you are it's written all over your face you are jealous!"
"Oh fuck you."
Eric swallowed what was left of his pride and reached across the table "Ingrid, the day I found you... when I thought you died, I never recovered from that. For centuries I used women, trying to find a cheap imitation of you. When I thought you died any humanity I had left died with you... I had so much I wanted to say, so much I needed to say. I wanted to make you my wife, I have wanted to marry you since we were kids and you used to beat me up for my toys... I wanted us to have children, I wanted to make you queen of Sweden... I had all these plans, and then I found you lying in a pool of your own blood... Destroyed. I couldn't take it. I killed that part of myself that dreamed like that. But now you are back, with me, and I can't even shield you from a human with a sprinkling of fairy magic and that makes me... Uncomfortable."
She reached across the table and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. "You think I did not have those dreams for us? I did... But I thought the same as you. I thought you were in Valhalla all these centuries and it kills me. I am jealous and protective and territorial because I have only gotten you back and I am not letting you go again..."
His hand squeezed hers hard, they had both been pig headed and egotistical but now he knew they both had also been scared. "Besides if you had not been there Bill Compton would have plunged that stake into me and I would be dead for real. You do protect me Eric, we protect each other."
He nodded, he knew it was true... He lost his judgment around her, he didn't think straight and it drove him damn near insane, the things she did to him, her presence made him lose all logic and reason.
"I won't lose you again Ingrid, I should have tried to turn you that day and I didn't, I should have married you when I had the chance and I didn't. Well, I like to think after 1000 years I am old enough to have learned from my mistakes so be mine Ingrid. Really mine."
"Eric, are you asking to marry me in this fucking shit hole bar?"
"That is exactly what I am doing."
"Fine, lets do it."
"Ingrid, are you agreeing to marry me in this fucking shit hole bar."
She smirked, leaning over the table so her mouth was inches from his.
"That is exactly what I am doing."
