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She turned her head and smiled up at him, pushing her happiness through the bond. But she was still afraid, the cause of which had been plaguing her thoughts for weeks and she knew she had to say something. Before she could form the words to speak, Eric spoke.

"Sookie, I have something to tell you."

She pulled away from him and he let her go. His tone of voice was far from reassuring. She spun around to face him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong Lover, I swear. Nothing that can't be quickly put right." he said with more than a hint of swagger. She had no clue as to what he was saying. Eric reached a finger into the front pocket of his jeans and withdrew a small object. With his other hand he grasped Sookie left hand and kissed it. "In my eyes we are husband and wife but I know you don't see it the same way. I am hoping that this ring will change that. I love you Sookie. I want you to wear this ring and be my wife.

Sookie was dumbfounded. The pieces were falling into place. "You've got a lot of nerve, buster! First you trick me into marrying you, which is probably what set off Felipe in the first place, and now you have me here, alone, and you give me a wedding ring? What did you think I was going to do Eric? Squeal with delight and throw myself at you? Well, heres your answer Eric and it's a big 'Fuck You'" she yelled as she stormed off in the direction of the cabin leaving Eric holding the ring. She pushed against the flood of hurt she was feeling, his or hers but probably both. She didn't bother to look back, she knew he wasn't running after her. That thought stopped her in her tracks. I'm running from him again....dammit to Hell. She allowed herself a moment to calm down and think before her next action. She turned to face him and saw he was silently contemplating the ring he was still holding.

Eric hadn't thought she would react that way. Dammit Pam, you said all woman want a ring on their finger. Fortunatly he had half expected that reaction from her, she had every right to be angry at him, but if he was honest with himself he had hoped she would take the ring without question. He had laid his cards on the table for her to see. Now it was her turn.

"Eric, I.....I'm sorry," she whispered and she meant it. She didn't want to run from him anymore. Suck it up Sook! He loves you and you love him. Do I? Yeah, I do. I love him. Her thoughts became crystal clear.

He heard her but he would not look at her. He was done chasing her. It had been fun in the past, the thrill of the chase, but now he wanted, needed, her to come to him. He deposited the ring back in his pocket and began walking back to the cabin. As he passed Sookie he stopped and, looking at his feet, said "So am I Sookie...for every hurt I caused you." He tried to walk away but she grabbed his arm.

"Eric, please, look at me" she begged in a near whisper

He couldn't deny her anything. When he looked into her eyes he saw her remorse and sorrow. She could feel waves of emotion flowing between them. Sorrow, anger, regret. It pained her to feel his anguish. Wait...I can feel him! Holy Hell in a Handbasket. "Eric, I can feel you. It's like........nothing I have ever felt before. It tingles" she said and then giggled. Eric remained composed, giving her no signs. She had to come to her own realisation. She spoke again, "It is as if every fibre of my being is calling out to you. Like something parted that wants to be made whole again."

If his heart still beat it would have swelled as she said this. He finally spoke. "Now you understand what it is to be me, Sookie, every minute of every day."

"But why do I feel this now and not before. Nothing has changed."

"You have changed. You were not receptive to our bond, meaning what you felt was limited. But now......do not tell me how you feel, rather send it through the bond to me.

And she did. Wave upon wave of emotion crashed into him, so much of it that he actually staggered slightly. He had never felt anything like it before. He opened himself to it and everything he felt flowed back on to her.

"Oh Eric." was all he could say before she crashed into him. Lips pressed hard against lips. A tangle of limbs, hair and clothes. This was real. Really real. What she felt had nearly knocked her off her feet. Wait, she was off her feet, was she falling. No, Eric was carrying her into the cabin. Before she could blink, they were in their bedroom together. Eric undressed with vampiric swiftness, then all but ripped the clothes from Sookie slender frame. He lay her down gently on the bed and rested himself on top of her. He stroked a lock of hair out of her face and placed it behind her ear. He held her face between his two huge hands and gazed at her, the way a doting parent does a child. Sookie lay her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him. They lay there in each others arms, pushing and expanding the bond between them. They were talking to each other without saying a word. She was lost in the moment when she heard Eric uttering sweet nothings to her but when she saw his lips weren't moving she couldn't hide her anxiety from him. She had to tell him.

"Sookie, what's wrong. Something has darkened your eyes."

"I've kept something from you, but I never set out to keep secrets or lie to you. Please promise me nothing will change between us after I have told you this?" She sat up and wrapped the sheets around her naked form. Eric just sat there naked as a jaybird. A splendid jaybird Sookie thought, as her gaze followed Erics trail of wispy hair downwards. She snapped back to attention when Eric spoke.

"Sookie, nothing could change the way I feel about you. I promise nothing will change" he said, with the slightest hint of superiority.

"Okay, Eric I.....um, well" she said and then stopped.

"Out with it!" he said, motioning with his hands.

"Okay, okay," she said, shaking herself and flexing her fingers in a effort to phsyce herself up, "I...I can kinda, well sort of, sometimes...."

"Read vampire minds?" he said with a little smirk.

Sookie shot daggers at him with one look. "You already knew?" She felt deflated.

"Mmmmm kinda, well sort of" he said, mocking her own words. She felt a wave of relief and the tension she had filled the room with dissapated. Eric had wondered when she might make mention of this little quirk of hers.

"How long have you known?"

"Since Rhodes. I guessed that you read Henriks thoughts, not those of his lawyer." There was one thing he had always wanted to know. "Sookie, have you ever heard my thoughts?"

She glanced away from him as her cheeks reddened. "Yes" was all she could say.

"Tell me," he said, more curious than cautious, "What did you hear?"

She was silent for a moment as she took stock of the situation. She had always expected this moment to be her last, when the vamps found out she could read their minds. But she felt at ease with Eric. She had once feared and hated him vehemently. She doubted she could ever feel that way about him again. Once you were in Sookie Stackhouses' heart, you never left. The guard she had spent her whole life putting up had, in 24 hours, come crashing down. And it was her Viking Vampire that had weilded the sledgehammer.

"I'm sure you'll think there is more to it but it was the night you staked Longshadow." she peeked up at him to gauge his expression but he was still wearing the smirk. Sometimes he is so self satisfied!

His thoughts drifted back to that night. Being a vampire as he was, his memory was impeccable and he recalled the night without flaw. His thoughts, he remembered, had mostly been of the blonde human woman sitting in his office. How wonderful she smelled. How she would look flushed and moaning underneath him. "And what did you hear?" he wondered.

"You were thinking that you could make me do anything you wanted just by threatening Bill or a loved one. You wanted to use and manipulate me for your own designs"

Eric face fell for an instant than he laughed out loud. "What's so funny, Eric?" she asked, slightly miffed at his jovial attitude.

"My dear Sookie, trust you to hear my thoughts at the exact moment I am thinking of something other than fucking you senseless!"

"Okay, it's not that funny. Stop laughing! I'm trying to be serious Eric!"

"Sorry Love, please continue. Was that the only time you have heard me?"

"No, I also heard you at the orgy I took you too."

"Oh yes, I remember that night." He said as her ran his hand up her thigh, waggling his brows at her, adding a suggestive wink. "Tell me Lover, did you again hear me plotting your demise?" he said oh-so-suggestively

"I don't think I want to tell you now."

"Okay, I'll play nice. Can I ask you have you heard any other Vampires? Bill Compton perhaps?" he asked with hint of jealously.

"Ah, no," she said before a reflective pause, "Maybe if I had heard his thoughts...."

"Don't Sookie, do not blame yourself for Comptons' weak character."

"I don't. And I don't regret any of it. It all brought me to this moment and this is where I want to be. It's not the dream I had as a little girl of a wonderful husband and gorgeous children. I grew out of that when I saw that I could have so much more. Excitement beyond a hum-drum Louisiana life, travel to exotic places, mixing with people who aren't afraid of me."

"I hope I have fufilled your childhood dream of a obtaining a wonderful husband?" he asked jokingly though Sookie could sense he needed validation.

"Yes, Eric, you have been and you will be a wonderful husband." she said, smiling as she held out her left hand.

Eric looked down at her outstretched hand. Quick as a wink he had retreived the ring from his pants pocket and returned to their bed. He took her hand in his and kissed it reverently.

"Sookie Stackhouse, will you wear this ring and be my wife?"

"Yes, I will." She found if strange that she was happier than she had ever been before. She wished she hadn't fought so hard against Eric for so long. All the running she did had only made her more miserable. Had I yeilded to him long ago would the situation be any different? Maybe this whole deal with Felipe wouldn't have unfolded as it has.She felt a sudden pang of guilt when she realised a lot of this was her fault. Her damn bull-headedness and naivity had seen her compromise her own and Erics safety. But would I want it any other way? Had it happened sooner would Eric and I have come to our 'understanding'? I doubt it. I would just be his retinue and a fuck probably. Doesn't bear thinking about.

Eric stared into the middle distance as he contemplated what to say next. "I understand your desire for children Sookie. My wife, I mean my first wife Aude, she loved children. I remember her heartbreak when she lost two of our children at birth."

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be. It was too long ago. How can anyone hold on to a hurt for that long? Not I."

They held each other gaze until Sookie looked down shyly at her hands. "I have already resigned myself to the fact that I will never have children"

"Why, there are ways you can have a child. I will give you everything you need and I will provide for your children."

"No, I cannot and I will not bring a child into my world. I have been close to death more times than I can recall. I can't have a child knowing full well the kind of life it would live. I have a hard enough time keeping myself alive, let alone a child. If I want this life, then something has to give. I can't have my cake and eat it too." she said as a rogue tear rolled down her cheek.

"Sookie," he said reaching out to her and swallowing her in his embrace, "I would give you anything your heart desired if you were to ask."

Sookie only wanted one thing and she let her body do the talking. When the sun rose they both slept like the dead.

In her dreams, Sookie found herself sitting at a table. She looked around and realised it was the restaurant that Eric had taken her to when she had been introduced to her Great Grandfather Niall. When her gaze returned to the table, the empty chair opposite her had been filled.

*************

Next chapter will be up tomorrow or the next day. Sorry for the delay in posting.