A/N: Warning—Eric is OOC by the end of this chapter, because in my A/U he would be sweet and gentle with Sookie, and wait for her, and care for her, and love her. As opposed to roughly taking her in a graveyard or the trunk of a car or whatever that is that Bill (who makes no appearance in this story) thinks he is doing while rutting roughly into Sookie. It sure doesn't look or sound like making love to me. She asks repeatedly in the books 'to be sweet' and is constantly put off to others' demands. I plan to give sweetness and tenderness to her. She deserves better.

Paradise Within…Happier Far

Chapter 2

Sure look good tonight
underneath the lights I see ya
Set the night on fire
Smell so good like sweet magnolia
That look in your eyes well well
there's no denyin'
Oh you got me hypnotized

Doesn't matter what you do
I'll keep comin back to you
Do whatever you want to
I'll keep comin' back

Everybody (everybody unwind)
Do you feel it? (if you feel it, feel the vibe)
Say you're gonna lose control (don't you wanna lose control?)
Everybody (everybody) come on (come on everyone)

Keep Coming Back, Marc Broussard

"God dammit!" Eric screamed into the silence of his room at his club. A week later, that Sookie woman was definitely under his skin. While he had been trying to glamour her and failed miserably, she had hypnotized him without even trying. Pam just smirked at him as he ranted and stomped around the enormous bed.

"Your glamour did not work on her obviously, Master. Perhaps she will need to be wooed the old fashion way." Her smirk continued.

"Get that smirk off your face, Pamela. This situation is anything but funny. I can't think of anyone else, I can hardly stand to drink from anyone else, I'm even finding myself preferring those damned bottled drinks to warm, on tap blood, fangbanger or not."

"I've noticed your lusts have not been quenched as well, as hard as you might try. Taking multiple lovers simultaneously would probably not be approved of by our virginal, precious little Miss Stackhouse." Pam was enjoying seeing her Master in such a state. It was new and a fascinating turn of events.

Eric drew himself up and poured his significant threatening persona at Pam. "She will never learn of that unless I choose to tell her. Do you understand?"

Pam, realizing the seriousness of the situation, had the grace to bow her head in agreement. She was quite good at keeping Eric's secrets, and nothing would change with this newest situation.

"Now Pam, help me remember how to 'woo' a woman. I'm not sure I ever have. Certainly not when I was alive, when raping and pillaging was the standard. I think I remember loving my wife and my children, but am sure we married to create good breeding stock, and there was no 'wooing' involved. During my time at the Tudor Court, I'm sure there was some rather involved Courting involved, but nothing I pretended to. I cannot seem to glamour her. I don't know why. She seems different. She even smells different, did you smell that as well or am I imagining things? My lust is taking me away I am afraid."

"No, Eric. She is different, her blood is different, and she does not smell like a regular human. If other vampires find her, she may find herself in trouble. She will need your protection, whether she wants it or not."

"It's not like I can walk into the bar, ask her out back, and just create a blood bond. She'll never go for that."

"No, she won't. She is smarter than she lets on I think. And I think she is very curious about vampires while very cautious as well. Perhaps a plan is in order."

"I don't want to manipulate her into caring for me. She must come to me of her own free will. I will not lie to her Pam. I want her for the long term. She is no fling for me."

"Then you need to visit her at Merlotte's and let her get to know you. Take walks with her. Send her flowers, nothing too overwhelming. She is a simple girl, and unlikely to appreciate elaborate attention, at least at first. Invite her to Fangtasia under your protection. Learn about her and let her learn about you. You are intimidating Eric. That works most of the time, but I think not with her. Visit her at her home, play games, watch movies. You are likely the most charismatic and gorgeous man within hundreds of miles. As hard as it might be, do not try to seduce her. Let her lead."

Eric looked at Pam pensively. "And you think this will work?"

"Perhaps. Your sheer charisma is enough for most. Adding a little more to it can't hurt. But you cannot try to glamour her. Even the lightest touch of the butterfly wings was too much for her sensitivities when you tried at the bar the other night."

"Yes, I shall have to apologize for that."

Pam's mouth opened in shock and she closed it just as quickly. Eric apologize? Unheard of.

Merlotte's was quiet late on Tuesday night. Sookie was mostly doing make-work, filling ketchup and mustard bottles, putting out napkins in their holders. Sam even let her walk around wearing her iPod while she worked. She sang the tune on her headphones and danced around the bar, uncaring who saw her. She knew it was just her and Sam this late anyway.

"I feel like a woman…" she sang as her body gyrated sexily. As the tune ended she realized it was not just Sam and her alone anymore. Sam's level of tension behind the bar had gone up and she turned to the void in the room. That is how she had come to think about the vampires, 'voids in the room'. She considered it a compliment, but wasn't sure they would. Sookie quickly removed her headphones where they joined her iPod in her green apron, and looked into the amused and mysterious black eyes of Eric Northman.

Shit. Well, just shit. Sookie wished the malicious vine kudzu outside would just wind its way inside and drag her out by her ankles. Her happy smile went on automatically as her nervousness skyrocketed. She watched Mr. Northman eyeing her pulse on her neck, knowing with just that glance he could sense exactly what she was feeling. Shit.

She went for her coolest voice, which she wished she had some ice to create it with since her throat had gone dry as well. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Mr. Northman. You are very far from your club, and I'm afraid we are just getting ready to close." Sookie wiped her hands on her dirty green apron, her eyes not leaving his. His eyes seemed to drill into her in all their blackness, but she was determined not to give way first.

"Sookie, I was hoping I could visit with you for a few minutes. Perhaps Mr. Merlotte would let you off the clock so we could share a drink in one of these booths, under his unerring supervision of course." There was mostly sarcasm in Eric's voice, but underneath it Sookie could barely make out a sense of hope.

"You want to have a drink with me and talk, while Sam supervises?" Sookie looked at him skeptically.

"Exactly. I know you fear me. This seems like the best way to help you over your fear. I have no intention of hurting you in anyway. In fact, I believe you may be in need of protection and I offer my services."

Sookie had no idea what to say to that. She finally turned away slightly from Eric and looked at Sam, who oh-so-helpfully shrugged his shoulders.

"Ok, then Mr. Northman. I'll get you a True Blood and myself a drink and we can sit and talk a while." Sookie motioned to a booth, warmed a True Blood, fixed herself a gin and tonic, and dimmed the lights slightly, much to Sam's chagrin. She just looked at him blankly and shrugged her shoulders as he had to her earlier.

Sookie returned to the booth sitting opposite Eric Northman, looking at him expectantly. "Was there something specific you wanted to talk about Mr. Northman?"

"Please call me Eric. And no, I guess nothing specific. This is awkward to me too. I tried to glamour you the other day in the bar, and it didn't work, except to make you uncomfortable, which was far from my intent. I apologize for that mistake."

"And what was your intent, Eric?" Sookie's voice held some contempt at the idea of someone trying to control her, but was also enjoying this ancient vampire's discomfort at both the apology (which she guessed he hadn't done in a very long time) and talking normally to a female human.

He stared at her, knowing it would be so easy to lie. But he really did believe she was different, he would keep coming back to her until he had won her over. Over to what he wasn't sure, but their lives were somehow intertwined and providence would surely reveal itself. He would not begin their lives together based on a lie, so he told the truth, as unflattering to him as it was.

"I tried to glamour you to seduce you, seduce your magnolia scented blood away from you, seduce your virginity away from you, bind you to me and only to me." Eric's voice was quiet with confusion at actually telling the truth to this tiny barmaid and shame at what he had admitted.

Sookie was silent when he finished. At the time, she had unconsciously known that was what he was doing, just as she had intuitively known how to block him from achieving his goal. Her brown eyes had not left his black ones when he had started to talk. She finally broke their whispered silence. "And now, Eric? Glamour doesn't seem to work on me, just as I cannot read your mind as I can everyone else's. It seems we are both held at a disadvantage being unable to use our usual skills. You cannot falsely seduce me, and I cannot tell if you are lying. What do you think that means?"

"In a thousand years, I have known few like you. I can only offer my word of honor as the warrior king I once was that I will not lie to you. There will only be truth between us, Sookie. In my world, the ancient word for truth was 'tryggo.' In Old Norse, it meant faith, word of honor, and belief. That gives you great power over me, even if you don't realize it yet."

"Any time a person offers to never lie to another, that gives one great power over the other. Truth is a powerful weapon Eric. It is not the possession of truth, but the success which attends the seeking after it, that enriches the seeker and brings happiness to him (Max Planck). Perhaps by telling me only truth, you have faith in me allowing me to have faith in you, you give me your word of honor allowing me to do the same, you believe in me as I come to believe in you, but only through your truth telling. Faith, honor, and belief come before seduction, or even love Eric. Do you agree?"

"Pam said she thought you were smarter than anyone gave you credit for. She is right. You are smart, clever, and wise, a dangerous and challenging combination for me to enjoy like I have not in centuries. Until there is trust built on truth between us, I promise there will be no seduction, but perhaps there will be a type of love? Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. I will never fail you Sookie. I have no idea why you are so different, or how I know our lives are destined to be intertwined in, dare I say it, love, but I know it is true. I have lived a thousand years until I found my destiny with you."

"Eric, you scare me when you talk that way. You are powerful, in life and in death. I don't understand the need that hums in me constantly wanting to be with you all the time. It's absurd, and yet it is happening. Every time I am with you I have a sense of déjà vu that overwhelms me. Do you know that word? Is there one in your native language that means the same thing? It is too soon to speak of love, so please don't. We cannot get caught up in some unknown magic of the past. We live now, very differently from each other. No matter the past, we have to forge our destinies together from here, and there is much to overcome."

"I know what déjà vu means, but cannot remember a word for it in the Old Norse. I do remember the word for destiny…'forlog.' Sookie, we share a destiny, and because of my age, it may be as old as time itself. All I ask is that you allow us to become friends, even lovers when you are ready, so we can follow our fate together. A great man who lived even long before I did, Marcus Aurelius, once said to accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart. This we must do, together, Sookie."

Sookie looked down at her now finished drink, shifting her napkin around. She knew he told the truth, she felt their connection all the way to the marrow of her bones. Fate pounded through her blood, and she knew she was somehow tied to this great Viking warrior vampire in a way neither of them understood.

"Together then my Great Warrior King," and she stood from the booth, replacing the glass in the dishwasher and his True Blood bottle in the recycling. Eric followed her out to her car as she waved a silent goodnight to Sam. And then Eric followed her safely home. He knew he would keep coming back, no matter what she did.

TBC

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