Sorry about the long wait. I'm working 6 days a week and long hours. There is barely time to sleep and eat. ;) Please R&R!

Ch. 4 Flicker

The room finally stopped spinning and Delphine blinked hard before forcing herself to look at the man named Eric. She had never met anyone so intimidating before but she could feel waves of emotions rolling off of him and she knew she had nothing to fear. He wouldn't harm her. She passed a hand through her hair and took a step towards the door. She hadn't invited him in and she wasn't about too. The step she took was enough for Bill to understand her intentions and he put himself in front of her and faced Eric.

''Eric.'' He started. But the tall blond man waved him off with a flip of his hand.

''Enough. I won't harm her. I simply want to talk.'' He extended his hand for Delphine to take and this time she did not hesitate and took it. The smile on his lips was smug and almost predatory. When he arched his eyebrow at Bill, Delphine felt goosebumps rise on her arms but with a gentle tug on her hand she was following him out the door.

He let go of her hand once they had made it down the steps of the front porch and they walked for about a minute and neither of them said anything. A look back at the house confirmed that Sookie and Bill had gone back inside but Delphine was sure they were watching from somewhere and when she looked up she saw the curtains of the second floor move. At least someone was watching out for her.

When they had made it halfway to the path leading to the street, Eric stopped under one of the willows and turned back to her.

''Do you know who I am?''

Delphine was taken aback. What did he expect from her? She had only met the man. ''I'm sorry. I don't think we've ever met. Am I supposed to know you?''

''My name is Eric Northman.'' He cocked his head and stood in front of her, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Delphine gasped. Of course she knew him. ''Eric Northman? Sheriff of area 5?''

He didn't acknowledge her question but raised an eyebrow again. Delphine took it as a yes. She took another step closer to him and he stood still. ''I know who you are. I've heard a lot about you.'' She dropped her head. '' I'm very sorry for your loss. He was your maker wasn't he?''

The only answer she got from him was a rough ''Yes.'' And he turned away from her.

'' I've heard about you too… vaguely. I still have no idea who you are.'' His voice seemed angry, almost possessive and Delphine was curious.

''What have you heard? Did he tell you?''

''No. Godric never talked about you directly. At least that's what I've heard. I hadn't seen him for years before he was taken by the Fellowship.'' He only turned his head halfway around and Delphine had to walk to face him again.

''What did you hear?''

''That you were special to him. But he never claimed you… or tasted you.'' His words made Delphine feel uneasy and she stared at her shoes for a second.

''What makes you so special, that I have no idea. But he apparently was adamant on protecting you because here you are.''

Delphine frowned. ''What do mean 'here you are'? ''

''I mean, there is no way that you'd still be alive if you've been around vampires smelling so delicious if Godric hadn't protected you.''

Delphine couldn't do anything but stare at Eric. ''What? But it's like you said. He never claimed me. I was fair game… how is that protecting me?''

Eric scoffed. ''Godric didn't need to claim you. People just knew, that's all. They wouldn't dare mess with someone as strong as him. Which brings me to my next question: Why you?''

''Why me what?'' Delphine didn't feel like talking about her story so she stalled even if she knew that Eric probably saw right through her game.

He advanced and towered over her menacingly. ''Tell me.''

Delphine finally gave in and sighed. ''It's a long story.''

'' Well, you're lucky, because I have nothing but free time.''

If she was about to pour her heart out here, Delphine wasn't about to do it standing in the middle of the path. She sat down and put her back against the willow. '' I was 18 when I met him. I left this club back when I was in Dallas and I was walking home. Two guys had followed me out of the club and I only realised that when I was alone about a block from my place. Long story short, next thing I know, one of them grabs me by the arm and drags me on the side of a building. It was dark and I could barely see the two guys but they beat me up pretty bad and then one of them tried to take off my blouse while the other one had his hand over my mouth so I couldn't scream. Seconds later, I was pushed aside, and I could hear these awful screams. The only thing I saw was a shadow but when the screams stopped, Godric was there. I couldn't move because both my legs were broken and I could barely breathe but when I woke up hours later, I was in an apartment and I was completely healed.''

Delphine swore Eric's eyes had become darker when he heard the last sentence. '' He gave you his blood?''

She frowned. ''Yes. You seem surprise.''

He regained control of his emotions at once and his expression was unreadable again. ''It's just not the kind of thing that Godric did.''

''Well, he did. And the rest is history. We became friends; we were very close until the Fellowship screwed it all up. End of story.''

''Still haven't answered my question. Why you?''

Delphine was angry and she got up. ''I don't know why me!''

He stared her down. '' Tell me.''

That was it. He was trying to glamour her. She pushed him with all her strength but he barely took a step back. ''STOP IT! That crap doesn't work on me!''

Eric finally smiled and it was the scariest thing that she had ever seen. ''Interesting. What are you?''

''Enough.'' She walked away. ''I've had enough. Stay away from me.''

But the vampire wasn't about to let her go. In half a second he was in front of her and grabbed her arm so tight that Delphine winced.'' What are you that Godric wanted to protect so badly?''

''NOTHING!'' she tried to pull herself free and wondered why Bill or Sookie wasn't here already. They must have heard her. But when she turned around she realised that they were a lot farther from the house that she had thought and Eric had dragged her behind a tree.

Struggling to get out of his hold was useless and she stopped squirming because it only made him hold on tighter. She was almost pressed against his chest and she couldn't feel any warmth even through his thin white t-shirt. Vampires…

'' Do you know what he told me before he died? He told me to find you. WHY?'' Eric shook her and Delphine's eyes widened.

''You were there?''

His jaw clenched tighter. ''Yes.''

''Tell me!'' She struggled harder and didn't care about the pain anymore. ''TELL ME what happened to him.'' She started crying. ''Please.''

His words were dry and harsh. ''The sun.''

Her legs gave from under her and Eric had to grab her waist to prevent her from falling on the grass. ''No!'' she cried for a couple of minutes until her body stopped shaking. By then, she had crawled a couple of feet away from Eric who was still crouching down and staring at her. ''He had talked about it before you know. Just some stupid comments he made sometimes. We'd stay out until the sun was about to come up and he'd say how he didn't remember what it felt like to be in the sun and how it would be an incredible experience to feel it again. But we'd just laugh it off and go back inside you know. I never thought…''

Delphine was too hurt to finish her sentence.

Eric came closer and crouched again. ''I know you think this is something that you had to keep between you and Godric but one of the last thing he told me was to find you. You can imagine my surprise when I found you here.''

Delphine knew she had to tell him.

''What are you?'' he said. This time his tone was a little gentler and less commanding.

''He's the only one who knew about it. That's why he didn't want me to go around and tell everyone. He said he was protecting me.''

''Tell me. ''

''I don't know what I am. I just know that since I am very young I can do things. ''

''Like what?''

''I see people's auras. Their life force if you want. It's a halo we have around us all the time. I instantly know if someone has good or bad intentions, what they're feeling and a little of what they're thinking. I get flashes when people have very strong emotions.'' She stared at her shoes the entire time and when she looked up, Eric's expression hadn't changed.

''That's not all is it?''

How did he know? Delphine frowned. ''I can control emotions.''

''How?''

''I- I don't know! I know that I can influence the emotion of everyone around me just by thinking it and Godric didn't want people to know because he said that I would get into a lot of trouble.'' The last sentence came out all at once and Eric didn't say anything. He stood up and stared at her.

Delphine stayed on the ground and waited for him to say something. And reached and grabbed her arm before pulling her to her feet. '' I'll take you back to the house.''

She followed him and he muttered something that sound like good evening before he disappeared so fast that Delphine barely had time to blink.

That was definitely not the kind of evening that she wanted to have again.