It was now or never. Fangtasia had been closed for the night and Sookie was safely ensconced in Eric's office. Bill was hanging from chains in the basement, more than likely. Questions and answers were needed but she wasn't sure what she could and couldn't say. Her entire life from the time she had been taken until this point in time had been carefully orchestrated by the Ancient Pythoness. She had worked hard to make Sookie aware of the consequences of revealing too much information too soon.

Feeling the chill in the air of the office, knowing that part of it was Eric's arctic glare at her and Pam's loyalty to protect her maker, Sookie sighed. This was harder than she had hoped it would be. After all, she had been thought dead for over a thousand years. Her Viking barely had a chance to know her, his mate, before she had been taken from him. Not knowing what else to say or do Sookie wondered if continuing their conversation in Swedish was the best.

Being a sheriff did not grant anyone special immunity from the stupidity of kings and queens. While she didn't know if Eric would have warranted having his office bugged for any reason she wasn't going to take that chance. Of the vampires that she knew, 3 spoke Swedish and two Old Norse. It was safe to say either of those languages would have been beneficial to her.

"Min kärlek, it really is me. I swear by the oath the Ancient Pythoness made me take that I am alive and standing in front of you."

She wanted to shake him and tell him that he knew what to do to challenge her claims. All it would take was blood. Her blood on his lips would be enough for him to know everything that had happened. Yet she doubted that he'd be willing to share his blood with her. Blood was sacred. That was something her father had taught her. While she was human and couldn't make vampires, she understood the nature of sharing blood. It was supposed to be done rarely and for specific purposes. That is how her father taught her. .

"You look just like her: Like the woman I loved all those years ago, the one who was taken from me. Knulla! You even smell like her." Eric's tone showed his confusion. He'd seen this woman enter his club and make her way to him. She'd bowed before him and spoken in his native tongue of a promise, a loyalty. Blood will out of course. He would be a fool not to act on this.

Realizing that she wasn't going to get anywhere by just standing around, Sookie did the one thing she thought she would never do again. Picking up a letter opener from Eric's desk, one that was very sharp, she sliced her wrist. Either he would let her bleed to death or he would partake and understand.

The scent of fae blood rending the air was enough to snap Eric's control. It wasn't just the fae blood but he was quite sure that he was smelling the blood of his mate again. A smell that he'd only had once or twice before she went missing. A smell that had been burned into his memory for a thousand years.

The more Eric stared at Sookie the more curiosity he could feel from his bond with his Maker. Their bonds to Sookie had been gone for many years, and he knew that if she truly was who she claimed then only with a blood bond would they be burst wide open again. He wondered if it was time. time for them to find out how Susannah had been taken from them.

Her blood was calling to him and Eric couldn't fight it. Pulling the blonde woman into his arms and sinking his fangs into the wrist that was bleeding he let the flavor of her blood flow over his tongue. Oh he hadn't tasted her in such a long while. The truth was there in the blood, showing him everything that had happened.

When he'd taken enough to ascertain that she was who she claimed she was, Eric pulled back and paused for a moment before presenting her with his bloody wrist. They were bonding again, Pam was their witness. It wasn't as if they hadn't had an almost permanent bond before. This would be the second of three. He needed this, they both needed this. The bond and then answers.

When Sookie pulled away, both of their wrists closing, she sagged a moment. It had been far too long since both had connected on that level and she'd felt a bond. She would need to do a blood exchange with her father to have their bonds renewed but starting with her mate seemed like the right move.

After a moment of gathering herself Sookie turned to look at Eric. She knew that the Viking could be hard and unforgiving but at the same time to those he loved he loved so deeply he could be extremely loving and giving; she could see it in his eyes.

"Answers, yes?"

Before she could start their conversation Sookie was picked up and placed on Eric's lap on the couch in his office. Pam was leaning against his desk. Both were curious, she could feel it. Her bond with Eric was singing with happiness and insecurity and she could feel Pam as an extension of Eric.

This wasn't exactly the type of conversation that one should have in the back office of Fangtasia but it needed to be said. There were things, matters at hand, that needed to be addressed and Sookie knew that.

"Pam. I understand that all of this must be a shock to you, especially with me being human. I don't mean to intrude on the relationship that you have with Eric. I know what the bond is like between maker and child, but I also know the bond between mates."

"Do not worry Mistress. I am not upset. Eric has told me of you but we all thought you were dead." Pam's voice was soft and gentle. While most humans were beneath her there was something about this one that she liked. She'd been told the stories by Eric and Godric both about the human who meant so much to them. That human was sitting there, in her maker's lap now, one thousand years after she disappeared. It was hard to believe, but she could feel in her bond with Eric belief in who the woman was.

She was more than happy to know that her mistress was back. Pam might seem like a cold bitch at times but she really did care for both Eric and Godric. They were her blood, her family, and they had protected her. She was just curious about the whole situation with this woman, whom she knew as Susannah.

"Well everyone knows me now as Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse. I dropped Susannah a while ago. Even Father didn't really call me that unless I was in trouble. The world thinks I'm a simple barmaid from Bon Temps. Those closest to me now know that I'm telepathic. I've always been like this and no Eric, it hasn't gotten any better."

She frowned for a moment. Sookie had been warned by the two people that had helped keep her secret that her telepathy would only get better with her mate and father around. Yet she never understood why she was taken from them in the first place only to be reunited a thousand years later.

"I can't tell you much, not until he is here with us. Partly because if I do I'm quite certain the Ancient Pythoness would hurt me, granddaughter or not. She has a plan and we have to stick to it or else everything is going to be much worse. Final Death worse."

To say that Sookie was both scared and nervous would be an understatement. Her emotions were flittering between elation at finally renewing her bond with Eric and trepidation at explaining a lot of what was going on.

Feeling calm pushed towards her Sookie took a breath and tried to focus. Walking a razor's edge between what she knew and could say versus what she wanted to say was hard. She had no idea what was going to happen.

"I think I'll start by telling you some things that you need to know about your own area. Bon Temps has some drainers, and there's a serial killer on the loose. I don't know who he or she is, but I can give you the information on the drainers. In fact, Bill allowed himself to get drained by them. I don't know if he's just stupid or if he was hoping to try to get his blood into me. I really don't know. I can't read vampire minds. I just know that he shouldn't be in the area. There's no reason for it unless it is to find out about me."

Pausing a moment to let that sink in, Sookie heard the growl from both Eric and Pam. It seemed as if neither was willing to let anything happen to her. She personally did not know Bill Compton but she had an idea based upon her interaction with him that he was an idiot. Idiots were the worst. Much worse than spoiled brats. Idiots often didn't know they were the problem and therefore became even more of a pain.

"We'll find out more tomorrow. Pam has a way with getting the information that we need. After all, I taught her everything I know." Eric's voice was confident and warm. Pride was clear in his tone when he spoke of Pam and her talents.

Sookie could feel his pride through their bond too. Oh how she wished that she could have that kind of bond with someone. That Maker/Child bond but she'd never be able to turn anyone. Being human all this time, well it was a curse really. She used to have a very close bond with her father and with Eric and both of those were gone now. It was going to take work to get them back.

"Please understand that there's only so much that I am able to tell you, partly because I don't know everything. We both know how the AP works and how things are. Father has to know certain things too. Which reminds me, we need to go see him. Where has he been lately?"

Eric wondered for a moment if they hadn't told Sookie anything.

She knew where her father was but if she acted like she didn't it wouldn't hurt so much. Being so close to them and yet not being able to make a move until Compton made his was the hard part.

"Dallas. I've already requested that he come to us but we may need to go to him. Let me send him a message."

Eric grabbed his phone from his pocket and checked for messages. He had expected that Godric would be on his way but the note stated otherwise. Apparently there was some issue with the FOTS and he couldn't leave but they were welcome to come to him.

It was set then, Eric and Sookie would go to Dallas the next evening and Pam would stay behind to watch their guest and the bar. Not that she minded. Someone had to stay behind and watch things. Pam had actually volunteered so it wouldn't be such an odd situation.

Leaning her head on Eric's chest, Sookie yawned. She honestly was tired. The emotions of what she'd been through were getting to her. She felt as if she'd been crying for hours and it was enough to make her yawn even more.

"Come, min kärlek. Let's get you to bed. Dawn is approaching. We can discuss what happened tomorrow after we get to Dallas."

With that, Eric stood with Sookie in his arms and vamped out of the bar; Pam would lock up. Taking to the air, Eric had no intention of letting her go back to Bon Temps tonight. No he would take her to his resting place. It was easier and closer.

The trip took only minutes and soon enough they were both tucked away inside one of his larger estates. The security locks clicked into place almost as soon as he went through the doors. They were cutting it close, time wise. Sookie was already asleep in his arms as Eric carried her to his room and dressed her for bed.

All he really did was strip her of her clothing and shoes and place her in one of his tanks before sliding her under the covers. He stripped and joined her. Given his age, he would be able to stay up past dawn, but not for long. He didn't like to anyway. Getting the bleeds was not pleasant for any vampire, no matter their age.

As he allowed himself to slip into downtime before his day death took him Eric contemplated what to do. He needed to be prepared for Godric's reaction. Both had lost someone very special to them and things were about to change. He wasn't sure if it was for the better yet. Only time would tell. He did know that he had ten centuries of practice to protect the blond that was in his bed. He had been young and weak the first time she had been taken. It would be the last time. He wasn't young and he sure as hell wasn't weak. No they would fight harder to protect her.

There was still the nagging feeling that something was missing in the scheme of things. What he couldn't understand was why his maker's maker would do this. Why would she get involved like this? It didn't make any sense.

Eric wasn't entirely stupid to the fact that there were power plays involved. Sophie Anne had made many enemies since Katrina. She was running the state into the ground and there were constant rumors of possible takeovers. The only thing stopping anyone was the fact that Eric was the oldest vampire in the state. No one was sure which side he would be on in the skirmish.

He'd been the sole reason that most of the people hadn't tried to take her out. After all, there were many who didn't want to have him as an underling, or force him out of his role as sheriff. Eric Northman as sheriff was a good thing for the state. He did not want to be king. The paperwork was too much, and he refused to relocate to New Orleans: He was happy in Shreveport.

Leaning over to watch Sookie for a moment, Eric couldn't believe that she was his bed, in his arms. Alive. When they had seen the amount of blood left from where she had been held and their bonds being fizzled out he was positive that she was dead. Yet here she was, still alive and human after ten centuries. He knew the story, that there had been a human turned and something went wrong. How Sookie was supposed to be a vampire but the essential spark that they hadn't known about had kept her human.

She was immortal, just like they were. She could be killed, just like her father and her mate.

Sookie was just more in a way. Sookie was a daywalker. She could be out in the sun, and if she truly allowed it her fangs would come down. He'd seen them before. He wondered if she still needed blood like she used too. Was human food enough? If she did need blood, would donor blood do?

There were so many things about her that he knew she used to need that he wondered how she survived without until now. He wondered if the Ancient Pythoness had something to do with it, but he would have to wait to find out how. They would be going to Dallas upon waking and Sookie would have to explain what happened then. At least she would only have to explain things once.

When day death finally took Eric he knew that unless something were seriously wrong he would not wake until two hours before sunset. At his age he was able to rise much sooner than most vampires. He would use that time to plan their trip and then, when it was finally dark, they would depart.

Sookie hadn't really slept well the last few nights so the exhaustion of it all had caught up with her. Exhaustion didn't seem to care that she had nightmares every time she closed her eyes. Nope, that was one thing she'd never told anyone. Not even those she considered friends now. They didn't need to know that she really could not sleep more than a few hours at a time.

Something strange was happening to her this time. It was like she was having a nightmare, but there was something there to protect her. Sookie had heard that there were rare times when a mate or maker couldn't be there and a blood tie with them could work to protect the one they loved.

Vampires that understood the blood could force it to do many things. Eric was dead for the day and yet she found herself in a warm cocoon. As if he was holding her both in the blood and in his arms. The nightmares abated for the first time in months. It was a strange sensation really; being able to sleep. It was that feeling of safety that helped her realize that despite everything she'd been through, there were still people that would protect her.

Letting her body relax even more into sleep, Sookie snuggled into Eric as much as she could. With him being dead for the day it would make it hard to shift positions, especially if he was holding her tightly. It wasn't that she cared. Her brain was silent, there were no thoughts around to bother her, nothing to disturb her rest. It was perhaps one of the best days' sleep she'd had in a good long while.