From Chapter 11

Once we got back to Godric's place, and I had moved all of my things into Eric's room (since I had already slept there once, I figured it would just be convenient to stay), and came out to find Godric sitting on the couch, still cradling Lilliana in his lap.

"Well, um, if you two are okay here, I think I might head over to Fangtasia," I said.

Godric looked up at me with a smile. "Oh?"

"Yes, I would say that, at this point, Eric and I have a LOT to discuss."

"Yes, I believe I agree with that," he said with a chuckle. "Please, go and enjoy yourself. I would just ask that you try to be back before sunrise, so that I know someone is here with Lilliana, and so that I can reset all of the security codes before taking my rest."

"Sure thing." I walked over and pressed a light kiss to Ana's head, and she reached out and held my hand for a moment, and then found myself walking to my car, feeling my heartbeat speed up with the prospects of seeing Eric.

Chapter 13

SPOV

I was nervous when I pulled into the parking lot at Fangtasia, because Eric's corvette was the only other car in the lot. Was something wrong? But, it finally dawned on me that, being a Monday, the bar was closed. I parked as close to the employee entrance as I could. I was standing in front of the door, hand raised and ready to knock, and I froze. Was I really ready for this? Everything Godric told me earlier about the blood exchanges, and Bill's betrayal had thrown me for a loop. I was about ready to turn around and jump back in my car, but then, my mind flashed back to my dinner with Ana. I had promised her that I would give her some alone time with Godric, and she, in return, promised to tell him she loved him. I couldn't go back to the house right now. And, if I wasn't there, wasn't the safest place to be in Eric's presence? Because, let's face it, no matter what else is involved, I know that Eric would not allow someone to hurt me. I raised my hand, and firmly knocked.

After a moment, the door swung open to reveal Eric, wearing black and navy track pants, a black wife beater, and flip flops. He gave me the ever-present 'Eric-smirk,' (half a smirk on his lips and one eyebrow raised) and motioned with his hand for me to come in. I followed him to his office, and he gestured for me to have a seat on the leather couch, while he sat in the comfortable chair behind his desk. I noted, offhand, that he had some soft jazz music playing in the background. We just stared at each other for a moment, until I realized that since I had come to see him, he was waiting for me to speak first.

"You changed your clothes." Yeah, that's all I could think of for the moment.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, well, I figured if I had to be here doing unpleasant paperwork, I might as well be as comfortable as possible. You look quite comfortable yourself. I see you happen to be wearing a shirt for my bar, in what just happens to be my size."

"Yes, well, I guess that's what happens when you show me a place to spend the night without telling me it's your room."

"Hmm, well played. So, I supposed you're here in part to keep your word to Ana about giving her alone time to confess her undying love to my maker?"

What the hell? How did he know about that? He must've figured out what I was thinking, because he quickly said, "Just before you left from the restaurant, Ana hugged me and whispered something in my ear, remember? Ana told me that you had finally given her the courage to tell him she loved him. Thank you for that, I've been trying to encourage her on it for at least the past two years."

"How long have you known that she loved him?"

"Mmm, let's see. The first time I met her was in the summer when she was 16. I figured it out by our next visit the following winter, so, 3 years. However, I've known since even before I met her, that Godric is in love with her, as well."

My eyes opened so wide I thought they might pop right out of my head! "He loves her too? Then why the hell haven't they been together?"

"Well, for one thing, he was very adamant that she be allowed to focus all of her attention on completely her studies. Plus, she was still quite young at the time. And then there's always the fact that he thinks that he is a monster unworthy of her love and affection."

He said the last part as if he was reading a weather report.

"Godric's not a monster."

"No, he isn't. Now. However, in his mind, he has been one for the better part of 2000 years. He sees her as being pure and innocent. An angel. And the last thing an angel deserves is the devil for her lover."

I could see his point. Just as I was about to speak again, his cell phone began ringing. He looked to see who it was, and then answered while putting one finger in the air, letting me know that we'd get back to this conversation in a moment.

"Calm down, Ana. Tell me what's going on." I could only hear one side of the conversation, and in my head I was picturing all kinds of horrible things that could've happened to Ana since I'd left.

"Ana, listen to me. He may be a vampire, but he's still a man. Seduce him."

WHAT? Did I seriously just hear Eric tell Ana to seduce Godric?

"No matter how hard he may try to deny it, I know that Godric desires you. Very much in fact. Seduce him. Now go." And with that, he shut his phone, and his gaze returned to me.

"Do you truly believe it will work?"

"It has to. I cannot think of two souls that deserve happiness more than Godric and Lilliana, and the only thing that will make both of them happy, is for them to be together." He had a sort of hopeful smile on his face when he said this. I was starting to see sides of Eric I'd never thought existed before. That brought my mind back to the reason I was here.

"Godric and I spoke tonight about the effects that drinking vampire blood can have on a human." I wasn't sure how else to start this discussion.

"Aww, yes. I had a feeling you were going to be asking him about that soon."

"Eric, why didn't you tell me before? Why didn't you tell me that Bill was tricking me into thinking I loved him, and hated you?"

"Sookie, honestly. Look into your heart and tell me this: If I had told you all of that, would you have believed me? Or would you have thought that I was just making things up in an attempt to get you into bed?"

Okay, so he had a point. "Fair enough. How long after I met you did you figure this all out?"

"Well, I suspected something wasn't quite right at our first meeting. At the time, I wasn't aware that you could not be glamoured, so I didn't think it was anything different. It struck me as a little odd that, when I would ask you whether or not you were contented to stay with Bill, you wouldn't answer for yourself, but only repeated what he had already said."

"Wow. I didn't realize I was doing that. This is all so new to me. I…." But I was unable to finish my sentence. I felt as if I was going to hyperventilate. He stood up from his chair, walked over, sat down on the couch next to me and pulled me into his lap.

"Sookie, just calm down and breathe. He no longer has any power over you. You are safe."

"It's just, how do I know what's true, and what was the lie. How do I know if I truly loved him, or if he just made me think I did?"

"Sookie, unfortunately, those kinds of questions cannot be answered right away. The more time that passes without his influence, your mind will clear, and you will be able to determine what was pushed upon you, and what was real."

"Do you even know why he did this to me?"

"No, I don't. But I can assure you, I am going to find out." A look of determination and outrage came over his face, and I prayed that never in my life would I have to see that expression directed towards me. It was terrifying. "I can tell you that he truly is in New Orleans, and that I have people there who are keeping an eye on him. If it looks like he is going to make a move to contact you, I will know about it. We will keep you safe. That is a promise." I'd never seen him look so sincere.

"Not to play devil's advocate, but, why? What am I to you that you'd do that?"

He smiled slightly and closed his eyes. "You are many things to me, Sookie. You are a telepath who can be extremely useful. You are the brave young woman who risked her own life to save a vampire she'd never met, and who most likely saved the life of my beloved sister. You are the first woman, save Ana, in over a thousand years who has actually made an attempt to see if there truly was a soul inside of this vampire. You are an incredibly beautiful, sexy woman, who I can't seem to keep out of my thoughts." He raised his hand and pushed my hair aside, and nuzzled my neck with his nose. He slowly began to placing soft kisses along my neck and up my cheek.

"Sookie?" His voice had taken on a husky tone, and I knew he was asking for my permission. I turned my head and looked into his eyes. How could any woman look in these cerulean blue eyes and not know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there truly was a soul in this man?

"Kiss me, Eric."

He softly put his lips to mine, and I put my arms around his neck, and shifted my legs so I was straddling him on the couch. I heard a growl rumble in his chest and he wrapped my arms about my waist and deepened the kiss. We stayed like that, exploring each other's mouths for several minutes. I finally broke the kiss when I felt my lungs would explode due to lack of oxygen. I leaned slightly forward and put my forehead against his.

"Eric, I'm frightened of what I'm feeling. I mean, I thought that I completely hated you and everything about you, and just when I thought I was beginning to see the softer, more vulnerable side of you, you tricked me into drinking your blood, and I was convinced that I hated you even more. And then, suddenly, with no time to evaluate what was going on, my emotions did an immediate turn and I started finding myself wanting you, wanting to be around you, wanting to get to know you. It's all happening so fast."

"I know Sookie. I know that it must be very confusing for you. Just know that I will not push you any further than you want to go. I will ignore what my own instincts are telling me follow your lead."

"Just what exactly are your instincts saying?"

"Well, they are telling me that I should rip your clothes from your body, and fuck you until you can't even remember your own name."

Okay. Not the answer I was expecting. I felt my body respond eagerly to his words, and noticed that he was very aware of it, too. He chuckled softly.

"However, I will not do that. Well, not now, at least. I know that once I have had you, I will want more and more, and if I were to take you now, you would end up resenting me afterwards. I will not take you to my bed until you ask me to."

"And, just how do you know that I will ask you to?"

"Sookie. Even if I couldn't smell your arousal, or feel the damp spot you are leaving on my pants through your own jeans, I would know."

Yup, Mr. Subtlety.

"Come, it will be sunrise soon, and I'm sure that Godric will want you there before he goes to rest for the day."

He stood and set me on my feet, and then took my hand and walked out of the bar with me. He looked at my car with distaste, and said, "I truly have no idea how that thing still runs."

"Hey, I like my car thank you very much." There was that eyebrow raising smirk. "Okay, so I don't like it a lot, but, it runs just fine, and I can't afford to get a new one."

"It may run just fine now, but who knows how long that will last," he said and leaned in to give me a quick kiss on the forehead as he made his way to his own car. I climbed behind the wheel of my nova, turned the key, nothing happened. I tried again, and got the same. He must have seen the look of frustration on my face, because next thing I knew, he was opening my door and taking me by the hand.

"I thought you said it runs. Was I mistaken?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just shush and give me a ride back to Godric's, will ya?"

"Of course. If you'd like, I can arrange for it to be towed to my mechanic's tomorrow."

"Eric, I'm not going to let you pay to fix my car."

"I wasn't offering to pay for it. I was offering to have it towed so that at least you can find out what the problem is."

"Fine, whatever. Let's just go home, please. I'm exhausted."

As we drove through the silent streets of Shreveport, I felt myself relax and begin to doze. Eric reached over, took my hand in his, and brought it to his lips and placed a kiss on the pulse point of my wrist. I closed my eyes and smiled, and left my hand in his.

After we had pulled into the garage at Godric's house, Eric walked in front of me, and still kept my hand firmly in his. He asked me what room I had decided to stay in, and smiled very widely when I told him I had chosen to continue sleeping in his. As we walked down the long corridor to the bedrooms, I saw him turn his head slightly, and it looked like he was listening to something in the distance. He chuckled, and as we walked into our bedroom (it wasn't just his room because I was staying there, and it wasn't just mine because his stuff was there, so, I guess it had to be ours), he leaned into my ear and said "It seems that Ana is quite the seductress, after all."

"You mean, she and Godric…?"

"Yes. It seems they have finally consummated their relationship." We both smiled at this. He, because he knew they both truly belonged with one another, and I, because I was happy that she was able to overcome her lack in self confidence and go after what she really wanted.

"You know, there's one thing I don't understand about Ana," I said to Eric as I walked to the closet to take my shoes off and find a pair of pajamas.

"And what is dear one?"

"She's very talented, sweet, honest, impossible not to like, and absolutely, incredibly drop-dead gorgeous. But, she doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence."

"Yes. That is a problem that Isabel and I have been noticing more and more frequently. I have never been able to put my finger on why she thinks so little of herself. I am hoping that Godric finally showing her his true feelings will help. Although, the attack on her by that pathetic creature, Mark, probably caused her to take several steps in the wrong direction."

I excused myself to go into the bathroom where I brushed my teeth, and changed into a pair of navy blue boy shorts and a white camisole.

"Eric, can I ask you something?" I asked when I came out of the bathroom.

"Anything."

"Will you stay here with me while you sleep? No sex, I just mean, will you hold me?"

"Of course. Anything for you."

I crawled into the bed and watched his pull his shirt and pants off, leaving him in only boxers, and then he climbed into bed with me, pulled my back to his chest, and wrapped his arm around me.

"G'night, Eric," I said sleepily.

"Goodnight, my Sookie. Rest well." And with that, I fell asleep in his arms, and had the most restful sleep I've had since before my Gran died.