What good is a life,

With no one to share,

The light of the moon,

The honor of a swear?

The kingdom of men,

Is hollow within,

Without depth,

Without the care,

That it takes to make a perfect love – Gavin Degraw

Sookie POV

Eric gets grumpier and grumpier as we get closer to Fangtasia. I know enough now to not ask any more questions after he hangs up the phone. He doesn't really say much, nothing actually, but that is more of a sign of just how upset he is. Though we have had plenty of quiet car rides, he tends to hum at least during them. I don't even know if he realizes that he is doing it.

But now there is no humming. He's not even playing with my fingers or my hair like he tends to when he drives. Instead, his fingers are tight on the steering wheel, so tight in fact that his already very pale fingers are bone white. He's even letting out little growls every now and again, and not the cute growls he can make. No, these growls make it seem like someone is going to die.

Like real soon.

So I just stay quiet, feeling his tension rise in the car. I leave my arm and hand on the center consol just incase he feels the need to take my hand in his. I know I sometimes need to hold his as I am processing things. I try not to get offended though when my hand goes untouched through the entire ride.

It's a bit easier to do once we arrive at the bar. He's quick to my side of the car and his arm is around my shoulders as he walks me inside. As he opens the door, he gently kisses my forehead knowing that with his silence, I need it.

I was surprised when we walked through the parking lot at how empty it was. Fangtasia wasn't supposed to be closed tonight so the fact that it has obviously been closed down means the news we received tonight is especially bad. As I walk into the bar, I take notice that Thalia and Pam are the only ones left. Well, for vampires anyway. Ginger is currently cleaning the bar humming to herself. I get a big smile when she sees me and she drops everything to rush over and give me a hug, which I return. It has become obvious that Ginger likes hugs. As you can imagine working at a vampire bar, she doesn't get too many.

Eric let's me go so I can hug her but tells her that she can leave when we separate. He's right to do so. The less she knows, the safer she is. I know part of Eric wishes he could tell me to leave too for the same reason. But I'm already in pretty deep and at this point not having me know the truth about what is going on is more dangerous.

Without anyone else here, there is no need to go back to Eric's office to have whatever conversation we will be having. The problem is, no one seems to want to start this conversation and that right there tells me this is bad. I'm not quite sure what the difference is between this and Threadgill's proposal but with the way everyone is acting, this one could prove worse.

Much worse.

"The Queen called here before she called you," Pam starts, someone finally talking. "She didn't say much, but the fact that she was calling for you, I thought it would be smart to close the bar for the night."

Eric nods and tells her, "Smart choice." But then he stops talking. With the look Pam throws him at his return to silence, I see that she is just as lost as I am to what is going on. Well, I may actually have a step up on her. I at least know Sophie-Anne received another marriage proposal. Knowing vampires' phone etiquette, or should I say lack of phone etiquette, Sophie-Anne probably hung up as soon as she knew that Eric was not at the bar tonight, not really telling Pam much of anything. And though I know Eric won't be keeping this information from Pam and Thalia, I also know that it is not my place to bring it up.

So the three of us continue to look at Eric while he continues to look at well, nothing in particular. He finally sighs but I am surprised when he starts out his tale by saying, "Sookie had a visitor tonight."

That brings everyone's attention to me and suddenly I don't know how Eric lasted the long minutes he stayed in silence under our glares. I start to tell Thalia and Pam what happened while I was at Merlotte's. They seem more angry than worried as I start my tale, which does not really match Eric. Sure he is angry, but I can tell he is worried under the anger as well.

"The vampire told Sookie his name was Jonathon," Eric adds, watching both Thalia and Pam carefully, which means I am also watching Pam and Thalia carefully, hoping that I can get some sort of indication of what is going on from them. Pam asks, "Jonathon," before looking back and forth from Eric and I. "Do we know a Jonathon?" But it's Thalia that has my attention. Something like recognition crosses her eyes but her focus soon turns back to Eric as he continues to speak.

"I personally don't know a Jonathon," he says. " But Sophie-Anne also received a marriage proposal tonight."

Pam scoffs and says, "Isn't that I little tacky? The goo of her husband isn't even completely soaked in the ground yet."

"It is soon. The proposal does not allow Sophie-Anne the mourning period given in these cases, regardless of any feelings involved. " It was true that there was no love between Sophie-Anne and Peter and it was obvious to just about everyone, especially with how their wedding turned out, so I am surprised to learn that vampires give mourning periods. Of course, Sophie-Anne had so far used hers to pretty much dismantle and rebuild her finally dead husband's state.

"The fact that the vampire who extended the proposal did so this soon, tells us plenty," Eric says. We all look at him, hoping that he will tell us just what exactly it means. Well, that is what I am hoping for anyway. Pam and Thalia may already have a good idea of what is going on.

"It tells us that he cares little for the usual procedures. It tells us that there is something he desperately wants."

"Who is it Eric," Pam asks and I think that is what we all want to know.

"De Castro." And with the name, everyone is back to looking at me. I shrug under their glare not understanding much at the moment. The name isn't familiar to me and surely figuring out what exactly is going on here is more important than gaping at me.

"And the vampire that visited you tonight was named Jonathon," Pam asks.

When I nod, she looks back to Eric who nods but never takes his eyes off of me. I see Thalia nod too and she looks like this just confirmed her previous thoughts. Pam takes out her phone and starts typing away at it. I turn my attention and ask Eric what exactly is going on.

My heart drops as Eric tells me, "Jonathon, the vampire that came to see you tonight, works for de Castro."

Eric POV

I cannot only feel Sookie as she takes in the information and starts to understand what it means, but I can also see her start to come apart before my eyes. It is one of the worst things that I have ever experienced in all of my many years. I would gladly take another few centuries with my maker if it would mean I would never see Sookie like this again.

I have already seen it too many times on her face in the little bit of time that we have been together. The first time I saw it was after Bill attacked her in the trunk. To think that in that particular situation, I wanted to see her fall apart, that wanted to see her sad because that at least meant she was feeling something. When I first opened that trunk and saw her in it, there was nothing showing on her face, nothing flashing through her eyes. I doubted what my ears were telling me as I listened to her heart beating much too fast, until she screamed as I tried to lift her from the trunk. It was only then that I believed she was alive. And in the next few hours, I saw the sadness appear on her face and in her eyes. And though even then I hated to see the look on her face, I was happy she was showing some emotion, any emotion.

But I did hate that sadness was the emotion that I saw on her face, just like at the moment I despise the fact that she is coming apart right before my eyes. I move over to her quickly and take her to sit in one of the booths, so I can explain everything while sitting down. I see Pam take out her phone and I know she will be sending messages to others across the state, well states really counting Arkansas, to see if anyone else had met anyone associated with Nevada tonight. I will have to call the Queen to let her know as well.

But first I need to explain to Sookie just what it is that is going on.

"Felipe de Castro is the vampire king of Nevada. He has long wanted to extend his borders but has never had both the opportunity and the means to do so."

"Nevada is no where near her though," Sookie says and I welcome her interruption. It shows that she is still here with me even as she processes the threat she was presented with tonight. "If he wanted to extend his borders, shouldn't he be looking closer to home?"

"Not actually extend his borders. De Castro has always been after power. It is what he has always wanted. By marrying Sophie-Anne he will not only get Louisiana but now Arkansas. It will also give him a base more centralized in the country should he decide he's not happy with three states. Plus," I add looking over to Pam and getting a shake of the head from her, "he will have access to whatever it is he wants."

Sookie looks between Pam and me in question, before Pam explains that she has been asking if anyone else had gotten any visitors or had seen any new vampires in the last few days. Everyone had given a resounding no but promised to be on the lookout. "So I am the only one De Castro deemed important enough to send someone to visit?"

"That's what it looks like," Pam says while I struggle to find the words that will make her feel protected and safe because she will be. I will make sure no one touches her.

"Why would he send a scout out for me," Sookie asks.

"It could have been for a number of reasons. De Castro is obviously looking for information. We have to determine what exactly it is that he wants and make sure he doesn't get it."

"Could he have been the one behind everything with Threadgill?"

"I really do not think so," I respond before explaining why. "De Castro keeps his money in different banks scattered throughout the US."

"And the money Threadgill was receiving was coming from accounts outside the US," Sookie says and I cannot help but be proud that she has managed to put that together.

"Correct. Though I will suggest to Sophie-Anne that de Castro's accounts be monitored, something she will be able to do when considering his proposal, just in case something has changed."

"What if she looks to see if de Castro was receiving money around the same time that Threadgill was? Maybe the king of Nevada wasn't calling the plays but was still playing the game."

At her words, I press a hard kiss to her lips. First, I am happy that I understand her metaphor. Nevada may not have been behind everything but he may have also been working with Threadgill. Second, I have never once thought Sookie was not smart but her thinking continues to astound me. It is this thinking that will help keep her alive in my world and that of course is a goal of mine, my most important one actually.

"I will mention it to Sophie-Anne tonight," I tell her. "If de Castro was in on it from the beginning, it makes sense that he would be able to continue the plans quickly, which would account for the timing of the proposal."

Having all of the information that we know on the table, the four of us spend the next hour or so discussing what needs to be done in the immediate future. Originally the plan was for Pam to come to New Orleans with us but now I need her here with Thalia just in case something happens. Though with a proposal a takeover is unlikely, it is not out of the question. I speak to the Queen to let her know about Jonathon and ask if she would rather Sookie and I, because I am not letting her go alone since Jonathon had been looking for her, come down in a few days rather than tomorrow night so more arrangements can be made. Sophie-Anne surprises me when she actually takes a minute to think it over before deciding that our trip should happen tomorrow as scheduled. The chances of something happening tomorrow night is slimmer than something happening a few nights from now.

Pam is the one to call Tray and warn him that there may be new vampires in the Area and to watch out for them. As the Were has been in the past, he has also offered himself and his pack if we need them. This is why I always thought he should have been the one to lead the pack. Most Supes stick to their own, it is true but if that practice continues, it could mean the end for us all. If we all worked together, we can accomplish more and be able to fight back against attacks.

Pam had been the one to alert and talk to Tray more often lately. She has been seeing the Were a bit more often too. It was more sporadic when the witch was down in New Orleans, but now that she is back it has become more of a nightly thing. But I cannot deny that my child has been happier with this little arrangement so I keep my mouth shut.

But if those two hurt her they may just find their heads detached from their shoulders.

Once we think we have covered every possibility that could happen in the next few evenings, we all start to head home. Sookie is a bit tired, the events from earlier in the evening catching up with her, so I gently help her get ready for bed and see that she is tucked in. I then go back out to the car and bring in what I had collected from her house. Most of the items I leave in the closet for her to do with as she wishes. A blanket that I know her grandmother made however, replaces the comforter currently covering her. The only other thing I put away is the still unknown charm. That goes into my safe. Hopefully, determining what that object is can wait. Then I crawl into bed, take Sookie carefully in my arms, and simply watch her sleep, until the sun takes me to my rest.

The first thing I take notice of when I come out of my rest is that Sookie is in bed with me and I am grateful for it. I would not be lying if I said that I am afraid that one of these days she will not be. What has been going on lately has been a lot for me to process and this is all part of my world. Part of me would not be surprised if she wakes up one day and realizes it is all too much for her. But another part of me realizes that the day she does so may never come. What Sookie has been teaching me suggests that. These are lessons that I certainly hope are right.

When she notices that I am awake, she rolls closer to me and snuggles into my side. I wrap my arm around her and just enjoy the little bit of time we have before we head off to New Orleans, for hopefully just the night. I do not know what to hope for in this situation. If Sookie does learn anything the information will be useful but that could require us to stay a little longer. If she does not hear anything, we could probably leave tonight but we will be no closer to finding out anything.

The only thing I am sure that I am hoping for is that everyone makes it to the next sunrise.

Thalia POV

The two are quiet in the back of the car as I drive them to the airport, or at least they would be if I did not have vampire hearing. They are whispering non-sensical things to each other trying, and sometimes failing, to hold in their laughter. It's enough to bring a smile to my face.

Or at least it would if I smiled on a regular basis.

Though I cannot deny that I have been smiling more lately, a lot more in fact. I have not had too much to smile about in the last few centuries and though no one would say it to my face, even my fellow vampires were a bit scared of me. It got them to stay away from me. And for a long time I liked it. I enjoyed my solitary life.

But then the Northman called me here, to a rather populated state and Area. To say I was not pleased at first would be a bit of an understatement. Not only did he expect me to be around others, but to work closely with them. Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what he was thinking and if he hadn't earned my respect centuries ago, I would have given him a much different answer.

But I had been surprised with what I found when I got here.

What I found was a family long after I had stopped looking for one. My thoughts were not so different than the Viking's thoughts, though we had vastly different reasons for having them. Where Eric's thoughts came from centuries of abuse, mine came from loss. Both had the same outcome though.

It's funny because Eric credits Sookie for much of what has happened. He gives her credit for bringing everyone together. He gives her credit for loving him. He gives her credit for making him feel again. But he is missing where a great deal of that credit should go to. He gives himself no credit for what has happened between them, and that's where much of it should go as well.

He doesn't realize that if he were the type of vampire who really doesn't care, Sookie probably would not have gotten out of that trunk alive. Even after getting her out, he could have been done with her. But he wasn't. He has done all he can to make her safe but more importantly, he has done all he can to make her happy. He has gone above and beyond what the Queen would have wanted him to do to protect an asset. He has gone above and beyond simply claiming and protecting a human or a pet. Her safety and happiness are most important to him. If I hadn't have seen it in him, see what he is capable of and see what he is trying to build here without even realizing it, I may have left already. It's something that he should be proud of. It's something that I am eager to see what happens when he realizes it.

It's something that I didn't even know I was missing until I saw it again.

They grow a bit louder as I pull up to the private plane they will be using to fly to New Orleans. I get out of the car and check the surrounding area, knocking lightly on the door when I sense everything is as it should be. When Eric is out and agrees he helps Sookie from the car as I go and check the plane. It too seems fine and I tell him so. Eric nods and thanks me before turning to lead Sookie to the plane, taking their one suitcase. I am surprised to find the tiny, little, telepath wrapping her arms around me telling me goodbye. I don't know why it surprises me. It has become a common practice with her, so much so in fact that my arms find themselves wrapping around her too, telling her to make sure to be careful. She nods before pulling away and moving with Eric onto the plane, but they stop right before they reach the stairs to walk aboard. I immediately tense, wondering what the Sheriff picked up and what I had missed, as the vampire in question turns around. He picks up an arm and gestures in a direction. My attention almost moves in that direction, thinking that he is pointing to a threat, but before it can I realize he is pointing in the opposite direction before pointing back to the first. He is waving goodbye to me. He stopped to wave goodbye before entering the plane.

That, right there, is worth me staying and being whatever help I can be.

I raise my hand to give him a tiny one back and hear him say, "Have a good night, Thalia," before he turns around again.

I stay and watch them as they board as I will probably stay until the plane is in flight and I can no longer see it. Because that plane is transporting part of my family, and that is very precious cargo.

Hello dear readers. I hope that you have had a good week. Here is the next chapter and I do hope that you enjoyed it. We also get to hear from someone new in this chapter. Originally, I had taken this part out of this chapter and planned on hearing from Thalia a bit later in the story, but when talking to a reader about hearing from Thalia, I decided to put it back in. So I hope kinnik, and all other readers, enjoyed hearing some of her thoughts. (And that I didn't ruin the 'mystery' of her character which had been my concern.)

Thanks so much for reading and I appreciate all those taking the time to leave their thoughts and comments.