Chapter 11

To His Knees

Sookie's eyes adjusted to the soft light of the sunset as she exited the dark hallway of Merlotte's. She closed and locked the back door feeling the cool wind at her back. She had assured Sam she was up to closing the bar tonight as he hadn't yet returned from his latest visit to Texas. He had wanted to give his mother as much support as he could after all the drama that had occurred. But at the same time he worried that he was taking advantage of Sookie after all she had been through. Several times she had to promise him she could manage and that he was in no way abusing their friendship. Every other night this week, Terry Bellfluere had taken care of closing but today he had told Sam over the phone that he had to take care of something that afternoon. Sam told Sookie to close the bar early if it wasn't too busy. Seeing as there were only a couple locals who didn't mind cutting their evening short Sookie had been able to do just that. The distraction of work was a welcome one but more than anything she just wanted to crawl beneath her soft blankets and let sleep take her away. Bed was calling to her and the idea of curling up in the warmth brought on a lovely wave of comfort. The quicker she got home the quicker she could enjoy that. She hopped into her car and sped out the parking lot towards home…towards her bed.

As she pulled her house keys from her bag Sookie thought she could see something moving through the trees at the edge of the woods. As the keys pushed into the lock and turned, she could see what the movement had been. Eric was striding through an opening in the woods and was making his way towards her. She was able to push her way in the door and slam it shut before he could catch her which she was sure would be his next action. But as she looked out the kitchen window she could see he was still striding at a human's pace towards the back porch. His steps were slow and heavy on the wood stairs and each thud rung in Sookie's ears making her quake and shudder with apprehension.

Her reaction to seeing him had wounded Eric but he persevered with his plan. He shook away the frustration and focused on pushing comfort through the door still shut in his face. The door wasn't the only barrier between them and his comfort was thrown back at him.

"Sookie?"

Don't know if I can do this. What does he expect of me?

"Eric, I really don't think I wanna open this door."

"I know. Would you mind if I just sit here on your porch for a while? I promise I'll stay quiet." His voice was muffled but she could hear the words and they stunned her.

After she pulled her jaw off the floor she managed to respond. "Why would you wanna just sit on my porch by yourself?"

To be near you; to have your scent; to know your safe; to hear the sound of your breathing.

"If it is the closest I can be to you then there is not one other place I want to be."

"Don't you have to be getting to Fangtasia soon?"

This is promising. She still speaking to me.

"Pam is perfectly capable of running the bar in my absence."

Sookie sighed, placed her hands flat upon the wood door and then leaned her head against them.

He's not going to leave is he? Even if he isn't able to come in inside he's going to sit out there and haunt me with his very presence. So much for a quiet, relaxing night.

She pounded her fist on the door, "Fine! Do as you wish!" she stalked away from the kitchen door and made her way to her bedroom. On her way she was shocked to find that the torn up hallway wall had been put to rights.

How did the wall…

"Eric!"

His ears perked up as he heard her yell for him but he knew immediately it was not a welcoming invitation back inside. He waited until she was at the door again.

"I am still here."

"It seems as if you cleverly hired someone last night to come and fix my wall while I was away at work today. But I wanna know how in the hell this person was able to enter my home while no one was here?!" she knew she didn't need to yell for the sake of his hearing through the door but it felt good to lay into him after this revelation.

"When I had your front door replaced I had the locksmith make a spare key which I hid in a safe place on your property."

"And you just thought you'd let some strange workman into my house while I wasn't here trusting that they wouldn't steal anything or…worse?"

"I would never put your possessions or your life in danger like that Sookie and you know it. I…"

"Ya could've fooled me!" Sookie interrupted.

"Let me finish!" heated irritation slipped through his voice before he could calm himself and continue. "I did NOT let a stranger into your home. I called Terry Bellfluere as I knew he has done renovations on your home before. He was suppose to inform you of the work I hired him to do before he came over. Did he not?"

Sookies eyes trailed down to her answering machine that was flashing one message. After pushing play and hearing Terry's message confirming Eric's explanation she sighed.

Eric felt the soft undercurrent of remorse and shame in the bond.

No. I am the one who should feel sorry.

"I regret my actions last night, my lover. I wish I could go back and say or do something differently. I did not mean to upset you so deeply that you deemed it necessary to bar me from your home." he paused for a reaction but got none. "I apologize, Sookie. I hope you can forgive me."

The long silence would have made him question whether she still stood at the door if he had not been able to feel her there. He could hear her sigh and then a strong surge of despair filled the bond and the darkness and depth of it brought him to his knees with a thump.

How is this possible? This power she has over me is staggering. This is very wrong.

After a moment of panicked confusion he realized what he was now feeling was fear. How long had it been since he had felt this particular emotion? During his time under Hallow's curse he had felt it but as himself, the indestructible Sherriff…he couldn't remember the last time he had felt frightened about anything.

And so the unbreakable Sherriff was brought to his knees by a mere mortal girl.

"What's the point?" her voice sobered Eric from his silent turmoil. To him the sound was angelic but the emotions motivating her words were vile and bitter.

"Lover?" he asked softly as his head lifted slightly.

"What is the point of forgiving you, Eric? You're just gonna waltz in here as if you're some kind of white knight saving the princess. You'll take whatever satisfaction you need to claim from me and then disappear…AGAIN! LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!!!"

"Sookie…" for once the great Viking was speechless. This was not going well and he needed to think fast but the intense heat coming from her was scalding his very core. Anger and resentment lashed at him like a silver coated whip and he doubled over onto his hands and knees.

"Sookie please! No more!" his words seem to spur her on and the bond suddenly exploded with boiling rage. Sookie's hate was silently screeching at him and there was no refuge for the battered vampire. He had the choice to either run or endure this. Though how many thousands of miles he would need to put between them before finding even a sliver of peace he couldn't be sure.

Not fully knowing why…he decided he would bear it.

"You don't deserve my forgiveness!"

By the time Sookie had the door open he had placed his forehead on the wood porch with both arms covering his head. She lunged for him with clawed hands and shrieked with unbridled fury. Her arms along with most of her torso crashed down onto his back and she began pounding her fists onto his spine. Eric could feel her beating him but the physical attack was not anything compared to the white hot wrath pouring into him.

"I hate you! I hate you!" She was wailing now but through her sobs Eric could feel an almost imperceptible crack in the wall she had firmly placed between their bond.

Sookie lifted herself up and shoved him with her foot to the side. He rolled over and his lower back slammed into the wood column holding up the house's awning.

Eric laid there on his side with his eyes shut as Sookie approached. She straddled his shoulders and lifted her right fist up above his jaw.

Yes. Unleash it on me, Sookie. Your pain. Your suffering. I will take it.

She straddled his shoulders and lifted her right fist up above his jaw.

"You betrayed me!" and down came her fist making contact with the concrete jaw bone. "You forced yourself on me!" another punch. "You tortured me!" and another. "You took advantage of me! You conspired against me! You took me for granted! YOU ABONDOND ME!!!" With each blow Eric could feel Sookie's wall being chipped away bit by bit. The adrenaline rush prevented her from feeling it when she fractured her wrist against his solid face. There was now a small cut on Eric's cheek that was rapidly healing. The slight smear of his blood briefly excited her and for a short instant she felt the urge to lick his wound. But she swiftly brushed away the impulse.

Without further pause Eric opened his eyes and looked up into Sookie's. She looked like a wreck. Her hair was matted, the flesh around her eyes was red and inflamed, moisture was leaking from her eyes and nose and her ragged breath came out in primal grunts.

And yet even now she enchants me with her ethereal beauty.

Eric pushed through soothing comfort as fervently as he possibly could.

He not only felt it penetrate through the bond, he could see her physical reaction to it. Sookie lost her balance as she grasped herself just below her breasts. Eric was able to slide himself back and upwards with his feet quick enough to catch her. She fell directly into his arms and he cradled her immediately. She started to struggle and whimper with a look of sheer panic and dread in her eyes. Eric just squeezed tighter and silently cursed the two fairies responsible for his bonded's currently state. But after the tirade of accusations she had leveled him with he now knew that there were far more layers to Sookie's break down than the one he was sure of. Her recovery from all this was going to take time.

Time is what she needs and that is what I will give her.

More tears came flowing out of Sookie as she fought against Eric's embrace.

"Let me go………..Let me go, Eric, just let me go." there was heart wrenching anguish in her voice and it made Eric see the double meaning in her words.

She is not just asking me to release her from my arms she is wanting me to forget her…to move on and never look back.

"That is now impossible, lover. The point of no return was past some time ago."

Eric could see the overwhelming exhaustion behind her eyes and attempted to imbue his strength into his bonded.

"Aaaahhh." She crumpled inward and clawed at her chest again. "Stop it! Stop it!" It had been so long since she had felt Eric's emotions and the sensation of feeling them push into her was too much. The hole, inside Sookie, that they had left behind was now sore and raw. Eric wanted so badly for her to feel him again and to know his…adoration and affection. But to fill it so quickly and forcibly was like…

You fucking fool! You're raping her!

He lifted one hand to stroke her head and nuzzled his nose into her scalp. "Sorry, I'm so sorry. I just want you to feel my…"

"Take me inside, Eric. Please. I just wanna go to bed."

He lifted Sookie with ease and started towards the doorway. The memory of the last time he had carried her like this flashed through his thoughts.

She's so much lighter now. I can barely feel her weight in my arms! To keep her safe I have defended her with my sword; provided her with daytime protection; healed her wounds with my blood and willingly sacrificed my own freedom and autonomy to save her from that very same fate…but how in the fuck am I suppose to protect her from herself?

When he reached the doorframe he tested the threshold with his foot and found his limb was granted entrance. Her request to be carried inside had been invitation enough.

Eric sat Sookie gently down onto her bedside chair. She still clutched onto her invisible gaping chest wound as he pulled down her covers. Next he slowly knelt down keeping her locked in his gaze. At the first sign of flinching he would back away but as she seemed to have calmed ten-fold since attacking him he felt she could abide him touching her. While he unlaced and pulled off her shoes she stared into the void in front of her.

Eric slowly and tenderly gathered Sookie in his arms again and laid her onto the bed. She was staring blankly at the ceiling.

She will not be comfortable sleeping in her uniform. Do I dare?

Eric unbuttoned her black pants and watched her reaction closely as he pulled her zipper down. Her blank stare was frozen upwards and he could feel nothing other than calm contemplation from her in the bond. He pulled the ankles of her pant legs downwards revealing her belly…then her blue, see-through lace panties…tanned thighs…lean calves.

His cock immediately began to throb at the sight of her flesh and the hint of her pink lips beneath the blue lace.

You will stay in control of yourself Northman! Don't even fucking think about it, you foul beast!

Though painful, he managed to lean over her while tamping down his urge to ravage her in this vulnerable state. He was able to lift her into a sitting position to pull up her work shirt over her head and down her arms. Now there was cleavage to contend with. The two glowing orbs hypnotized him momentarily while his saliva glands went into over drive. He tried not to groan too loud when her breasts shifted under the lacy bra as he laid her back down.

He had spied her nightgown draped over her closet door when he first entered. He grabbed it and then sat back down beside her.

Eric debated with himself on whether to remove her bra. Though he knew his motivation was primarily selfish and lustful he reasoned that she would be far more comfortable without it. He once again lifted her shoulders upwards and deftly unclasped the undergarment. He pulled down each strap off her arms revealing her two perfect…lovely…soft…

Gods above give me strength!

His erection flexed and strained below the black denim. Eric had preferred wearing tight black denim for the past few decades. Perhaps it was a time for change. Tight pants did not lend themselves well to vampires who walk each night with a perma-boner.

If only she was less enticing. Less tantalizing. No matter where I am or what I am doing, just the mere thought of her naked brings forth my engorged hard-on. It's incredible how much this little human affects my libido. Never has any human woman ever elicited such fervor…such longing…such lustful urges to plunder her…ENOUGH!

He needed nothing more than to escape her presence so that she could escape his inappropriate cravings, untouched. Eric rolled up Sookie's nightgown so he could shimmy her hands and arms through the top and spread it down her body. He lowered her back down and rolled the bunched fabric down her chest. When his hand lightly brushed against one of her nipples he could feel it stiffen at his cold touch.

WANT HER SO BAD! WRIP OPEN THAT LACE AND... GODS ABOVE! HER SMELL IS DRIVING ME MAD!!!

Before the brain in his crotch could take over all motor-functions he quickly pulled down the dress to her hips and lifted them slightly to brush it underneath her. Sookie's thick blankets were pulled up to her chin in a millisecond and Eric shuddered against the arousal he had managed to conquer. Before he could escape this beguiling creature now nestled into her bed he felt her hand reach out under the covers and grab his.

"Sookie?"

Her lids were barely open and sleep had obviously begun to sweep her away. But first she whispered, "W-What's happening to me? I don't know who that was out there but I…"

"Shhh, Sookie. Rest now." He stroked her hair and then her soft cheek before tucking her hand back beneath her covers.

Needing one last breath of her irresistible scent he leaned down and chastely kissed her forehead.

He sighed heavily and pushed himself away from her bed not knowing where the strength he would need, in order to leave her, would come from.

It is a necessary evil if I am to save her.

He could feel a wave of calm on her end of the bond which made him only slightly more comfortable departing. He stepped towards her door but spun back round when he heard her speak his name.

"Eric."

"Yes, lover?"

Her voice would have been barely audible for human ears but he was able to pick up every glorious word.

"You know I don't hate you, right?" and after the muted whisper she was taken by sleep.

Before leaving Eric prayed to the god of dreams.

Morpheus I beseech you…have mercy on her this night.