Never been much for writing love letters,
A bunch of wildflowers seem to say it much better
So if you're asking on how I feel about me and you
Yeah we ride like a Cadillac
Run like a deer
Girl I ain't just whistling Dixie to tickle your ear
Tied tied a little rope in a double square knot
What I'm trying to say in the most romantic way that I got,
Is that I like you a lot, I like you a lot, a whole lot – Jake Owen
Eric POV
I do not know exactly what I was expecting when I extended my arm to hand Sookie the rose and wished her a happy Valentine's Day. Maybe I expected one of her classic smiles, the kind that lights up her face and makes her eyes sparkle. Maybe I imagined her running into my arms and wrapping herself around me in a hug. Okay, so maybe I had thought about what I expected but I definitely did not see this as an option.
No, out of all the reactions I thought possible, this was not one of them. I did not see her bursting into tears at my words.
I was looking forward to tonight. I had made plans for tonight. I had been upset when Brigant had wanted to meet tonight of all nights. I have thoughts that he picked tonight purposely, knowing its significance in the human world, in his great-granddaughter's world. Much like the spell he performed tonight probably had two purposes. Oh I have no doubt that he did not want to be overheard but I also doubt that he was not looking for a reaction from me as well.
I however, refused to give him the satisfaction and in regards to Valentine's Day well, I would just have to make other plans. That was my thought at least until I saw what my simple rose did to her. Maybe, I would not be making plans to make up for the missed ones if this was her reaction.
I throw the rose over my shoulder and take two steps towards her before I stop. I do not know what upset her but I do know that I do not want to upset her even more. I look at her hoping for some hint of what I did that caused her to get so upset. I do not have too much time to think it over however, because she is soon launching herself into my arms and saying something that I cannot make out – even with my vampire ears. All I keep doing is whispering apologies into her ear and hoping that she will be able to forgive whatever I did to make her cry.
After she calms down, she pulls back and with the smile on her face I would have liked to see at my words she says, "You remembered Valentine's Day."
"I am sorry," I tell her still confused about her reactions and what my reactions to them should be. If Pam were present, she would have some of that advice from the Dear Abby woman she reads. Alas, I am on my own in this.
"No," she says shaking her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. I just can't believe you remembered." Then she looks sheepish before hanging her head and saying quietly, "Especially, when I didn't."
It is times like this when I wish that I were the one gifted with telepathy. After centuries of living amongst them and learning all that I could about them for survival, it is this little human in my arms that I find most confounding. Crying at my words would usually be a symbol that she is upset. But now her voice and the smile on her face tells me she is anything but upset.
Color me confused.
"I thought that this holiday was important to humans, especially to those in a relationship," I say to her. I wanted to add especially to women in those relationships, but did not want to press my luck now that she is smiling.
"It is," she tells me softly. "I just never really had a reason to celebrate before."
"Either have I," I told her and she finally looks back up at me.
"You've had more than a thousand Valentine's Days," she tells me, disbelief in her voice.
"Not quite," I tell her with a bit of a smile. "We did not celebrate back when I was human in my part of the world so it was not something I carried into my vampire life as I started to travel. This is really my first reason to celebrate."
Sookie looks deep into my eyes as hers tell me everything yet nothing about how she is feeling. Many emotions pass through her eyes and through the bond we share. I am hoping, wishing that when the emotions stop, they land on one that shows she is happy, because that is all I wanted from this evening.
I am not sure exactly what I was going to say to Sookie at the restaurant when the waiter interrupted us. Similarly, I do not know whether I should be thanking the waiter or throttling him for the intrusion. I have been feeling something build in me for the last few weeks, longer if I am being honest with myself. Actually, if I am being honest with myself this something has been building since Sookie walked into my bar for the first time. What started out as simple curiosity and intrigue on her first visit has grown into something more, much more. I can no longer see my life without her in it. My goal every night is to simply make her smile. It has been hard to match what I feel for her into words that are strong enough to explain my feelings for her.
But I think I was going to try to do just that at the restaurant.
As I stared at Sookie before the waiter came over, I saw hope enter her eyes as if she too realized what I would be attempting to do. Part of me wishes the waiter never came to the table and I did not have to see the hope in her eyes dashed. I cannot deny though, that part of me was glad for the interruption. If I managed to form the words, I would not want to say them for the first time in the company of others. I am not trying to hide my feelings; in fact the opposite is true. I am finding it harder and harder to keep my feelings to myself. I just do not want an audience the first time I try to verbalize my feelings for Sookie.
Because it is becoming clearer and clearer to me just how I feel about her.
"So tonight could have been a first for both of us," she says. "I'm sorry I forgot. I'm sorry that tonight is the night Niall wanted to meet with us."
"There will be other nights," I tell her.
"No, Eric. This obviously meant a great deal to you. It would have meant a great deal to me if I had remembered what tonight was. I am sorry that I didn't remember. It makes me so happy that you did and I am just so sorry that your plans were ruined."
"So happy you were crying," I ask her.
"Exactly," she says wrapping her arms tightly around me. "Happy tears. So overwhelmingly happy, I cried."
"I am not sure I understand," I tell her. She lets go of me and when she steps back she has a little smirk on her face. "Let me see if I can show you," she says teasingly taking steps backward towards the bed. By the time she gets to the bed, she has managed to take off all of her clothes. By the end of the night, she has managed to show me that it is indeed possible to cry because you are so happy.
Sookie POV
I'm so not excited for the trip to New Orleans tomorrow night. Eric promises it will only be one night but with Sophie-Anne, and in fairness to her the unknown threats and anything I find out, who knows how long it will be really. It's not so much even dealing with the Queen or using my telepathy that's really bothering me, it's just more of the unknown.
To try and relax, I am currently heading to Merlotte's to grab dinner and hang out with Jason and some friends I haven't seen in a while. This was something Eric and I had spoke about and our stances on it were most surprising. He had been the one encouraging me to go out and see my brother while I had been the one hesitant to do so.
Quite the change.
I had been hesitant to go out with everything that has been going on especially with Niall's warning about what Eric explained were some psychotic fairies. I have never been one who was okay with simply sitting at home twiddling my thumbs and I don't think I will ever be okay doing so. In fact, concern for my safety barely crossed my mind. It was Eric's safety that I was more concerned with because I know that if something were to happen to me, Eric would do everything in his power to save me, even at his own detriment.
But Eric surprised me when he encouraged me to go out. He doubted the fairies Niall warned us of would be attacking now. He has faith in my great-grandfather that if the threat was imminent, we would have been told that. He also knew Sam would be at Merlotte's and though the two may never be best friends, Eric knows Sam wouldn't let anything happen to me.
That still didn't stop him from having five Weres protect me as well. In fact, I am currently in the car with Tray and Alcide and three more from their pack will be joining us at Merlotte's. Count in that Sam and my brother who would be there, and I have quite the group of protectors. It would only be for about two hours before Eric gets here anyway. He was going to meet me here. He was stopping back at my house to pick up the things I had wanted to grab the night we had to leave suddenly when the wards at Fangtasia went off. I made a list for him and he could get everything packed quickly to save time. Plus, without knowing anything more about that charm that we found, he is hesitant to have me handle it again and I can't say that I blame him.
The fact that I reacted to it but my brother and Eric didn't, was a tad worrisome. Eric wonders if it has to do with my so-called spark. That would seem to point in the direction of it being a fairy trinket. I would ask Niall, but I am not sure how much I can trust him at the moment. Eric agrees with me.
As we pull up to Merlotte's the excitement finally starts to build. I haven't exactly been living the life of a hermit, but I haven't seen my brother or my friends in a while. As I get out of the car and enter, I am even more thankful that Eric pushed me to do this. It's great to see everyone again. I spend the last of the late afternoon catching up with everyone and playing a few games of pool.
It is only a bit after nightfall but I am still watching for Eric. I know he won't be here until about an hour after sunset, but I can't help to look for him.
It's about twenty minutes away from the time I expect Eric to show up when I feel a void entering the bar. I had been keeping my shields down to make sure everything was okay. I don't even have to turn round to tell me that this void isn't Eric. I don't know how exactly I can tell, but I know it isn't. I hope it's a friendly vampire, maybe even Bubba, but I don't turn around to see who it is, not wanting to draw any attention to myself.
Right, because that always works fabulously.
Tray is standing across from me so he would be able to see the vampire. I look at him not liking the way he tenses up and take that, as the vampire that just walked through the door is definitely not a friend. I don't miss how Alcide moves slightly so instead of standing beside me, he is guarding my back.
The vampire walks up to the bar and seemingly ignores the tension from the three of us and from Sam behind the bar, and that is definitely not a good sign. As he asks for a bottled blood, I try to nonchalantly take a step towards Tray. Alcide follows my lead, laughing at something that Tray just said. I have no clue what it was as I am carefully keeping track of the void hoping that Eric will be here sooner than I think. I'm also hoping that Jason and Hoyt are drunk enough for their pool game to take a while to finish. Of course I am also hoping that this is simply a vampire that is passing through the area, but with my luck lately that is most likely not the case.
I have to give Tray and Alcide credit. They manage to keep up a conversation and I smile and nod, hopefully in spots that it makes sense to, all the while trying to keep calm. I know if I let my fear take over, Eric will be here as soon as he can, which would be a good thing. However, the vampire will also be able to sense my fear and again, I do not want to draw attention to myself.
But of course I find that no matter how hard I try, it's just not good enough.
All my control over my emotions, fear specifically, vanishes as I hear, "Miss Stackhouse. It's nice to meet you."
I swallow and make a decision and turn around to face him deciding that ignoring him would make the situation even worse. I have no doubt that Eric feels the change in my emotion as my fear escalates and something tells me that he is starting to head this way. "I wish I could say the same," I tell him and I can hear my voice shake.
The Weres form a half circle around me, as the three who had been sitting in a booth close by, also surround me now that the vampire has made contact. Sam also comes over to our section of the bar. I quickly glance over to my brother and Hoyt and see them laughing and focused on the game. Hopefully, they will stay that way.
The vampire's eyes don't leave mine but I can see him taking it all in. I only wish I knew what he was trying to figure out. "Now, Miss Stackhouse, these men are not really needed. I only wished to meet you."
"Well, you're already one step ahead of me. I don't even know your name."
At that he smiles, which does nothing to calm me. "Jonathon," he says. That doesn't help me at all. Granted I am sure I don't know them all yet but to my knowledge there is no Jonathon in the Area Five vampires. "I don't suppose I could convince you to take a walk with me," he asks, his eyes finally leaving mine to take in the five Weres that I have surrounding me. His smile becomes a smirk and Alcide takes another step closer to me at the sight of it.
"Not a chance," I tell him. I start to tell him that I am Eric's but he cuts me off saying, "I know, I know. You are the good Sherriff's of this delightful Area." I don't miss any of the sarcasm is his voice.
"Have you met him," I ask trying to figure out if he's checked in with Eric like a good little vampire. But his answer tells me nothing except more badness.
"You seem to have a good knowledge of our procedures," he says with all evidence of any smile or smirk off of his face. Usually, that would be a good thing, almost like wiping the pride off his face. But he is definitely not happy that I seem to have some idea of vampire protocol.
And unhappy vampires are definitely not good things. Jonathon starts to say something but something must catch his attention outside, as he briefly glances at the window before looking back to me. He barely finishes saying, "I must wish you a goodnight. Until we meet again Miss Stackhouse," before he is out the door of Merlotte's.
And that of course gets Jason's attention and as he takes in the men surrounding me, he drops his pool stick and comes over making sure I am okay. I am still looking at the door, hoping that Jonathon is gone for good. He didn't really do anything but his mere presence had been enough to give me a very bad feeling.
I flinch when the door I am still staring at bursts open but I don't even have enough time to hope it's not Jonathon again before I find myself wrapped in familiar arms. Eric holds me tight to him and I can feel his chest rumbling as he starts a low growl. I don't even know if he realizes he's doing it. It's not until my brother questions the sounds that he stops and lightens his hold on me but doesn't let me go completely.
And that is fine with me.
"Are you okay," he asks me. "You were scared."
"I was but I'm fine, Eric. Nothing happened to me."
"But what happened," he asks and I don't miss his nostrils flaring showing that he is trying to scent whatever it was that frightened me. I'm not able to get any of my explanation out before Eric says, "Vampire," with a growl, having smelled the presence of another one.
"Do you recognize the scent," Tray asks. Eric says he does not and asks if any of the Weres did. Head shaking all around.
"Wasn't he one of your guys," Jason asks looking confused.
"No he was not," Eric replies.
"Jason why don't you take Hoyt home," I tell him, trying to get him out of this situation. I know Eric won't want to say much with him here and the less he knows about the situation the better. Luckily for me, Hoyt is slumping against the wall showing just how many drinks he's had for the evening and Jason will need to get him home.
Unluckily for Hoyt, his mother may kill him if she sees him like this. But Jason has been helping Hoyt avoid that for years. Hopefully, their luck hasn't run out.
Jason looks at the group of him before asking Eric, "Is my sister going to be okay?"
"I will make sure of it." Jason still looks hesitant to leave and it really means a lot to me. I wrap my arms around him and tell him that I will be fine. He kisses my check before telling me to call him if I need anything.
By this time we have caught a great deal of attention from the other patrons. Sam waves us into the back to use his office to talk while he tries to diffuse the situation out front. "Can you tell me anything about him," Eric asks and I love him even more for directing the question at me.
"He knew my name and said his name was Jonathon." I explain what happened when I basically asked if he had checked in with Eric.
"No he has not," Eric says before getting out his phone. He must have called Pam because he asks if any vampire has checked into the Area either in person or email so far tonight. By the look on his face, I know the answer is no.
"What does this mean," I ask.
"I do not know." I know he has some ideas though. I can see him working through them in his eyes. I am hoping that he will share them with me. Though a small part of me still wants to demand that he does just that, the larger part of me can rationalize that he has been more open with me rather than keep me in the dark. I have no reason to believe he would start doing so now.
Eric and Tray are discussing the situation while the other Weres and I listen in. An unknown vampire doesn't bode well for them either. Until we know who this Jonathon is and what he wants, it is decided that both the vampires and wolves will do nightly patrols to see if he is still in the Area – or if anyone else new is here too. After they have some plans in place, we start to leave the office. Well, most of us start to. Eric doesn't let me follow the Weres out. Instead he takes me into his arms again and I relax into him as the weight of what happened and what it could mean finally hits me.
I thought that I was scared when Jonathon was here but that is nothing compared to what I am now. I don't miss when I start shaking in Eric's arms. He starts whispering and humming softly into my ear and I realize that he probably knew this was coming. I just can't believe how dangerous this evening could have turned, and we still aren't sure of the consequences that will happen because of the events this evening.
As I start to calm down, Eric starts to ask me more questions about what happened but there is little more that I can tell him. After a few more minutes, he starts to lead me outside and I ask if we are heading to my house. I could really use some of my comfort items about now. Eric is one step ahead of me though and tells me, "I already have everything you wanted. I was just about done when I felt your fear spike."
I thank him and press a kiss to cheek while we walk. I don't ask him if he brought the little charm too. I really, really want to but I stop myself. The fact that I want to so badly though is a little worrisome.
Okay, maybe a lot worrisome.
As Eric leads me back to the car, he is very much searching our surroundings. Luckily, we make it into the car without an issue, though Eric nearly took out a tree when it's branch moved a weird way. "You said he knew you," he asks as he starts to drive away.
"My name at least. He called me 'Miss Stackhouse.' And he knew I am yours."
"Both are simple facts to find." I don't know if he is trying to comfort himself or me.
"But it feels more than that," I say carefully. I'm not even sure what I mean exactly, but his simple appearance felt like a threat itself.
"It does," he confirms. "Especially with everything else going on."
Eric's phone rings and we both tense at the ringtone that signals it is the Queen calling. Eric picks up the phone and if not for his vampire reflexes, I would be pulling the phone out of his hand while he drives. The tension in his shoulders becomes even more prevalent as the phone call continues, which does nothing to ease my mind.
When he hangs up he hits his hand against the steering wheel and I am just wondering what now? After a few seconds of silence go by, I softly say his name to bring him out of whatever thoughts he is having. He looks over to me and takes my hand in his. I can feel the tension it, but he is very gentle with me when he does so.
"The situation just got more complicated," he tells me before looking back to the road. "Sophie-Anne received another marriage proposal tonight."
"That's not good, is it," I ask.
"No it is not," he says and the car picks off speed as we head to Fangtasia to try to figure out just what the hell is going on.
Hello dear readers. Sorry for the delay on this and I hope that you've enjoyed it. We got a little bit on what Eric thinks of thinks and just where his mind is at, at the moment. We also got a few more clues to could be going one. Possibly. Maybe. We shall see ;)
I am hoping to get back to weekly updates but life isn't playing too nicely at the moment so we shall see. The next few chapters are pretty much done it's just a matter of adding some stuff in. Fingers crossed!