Paradise Within…Happier Far
Chapter 6
This girl I know needs some shelter
She don't believe anyone can help her
She's doing so much harm, doing so much damage
But you don't want to get involved
You tell her she can manage.
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection
I stand in front of you
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection the force of the Blow
Protection
And you can't change the way she feels
But you could put your arms around her
I know you want to live yourself
But could you forgive yourself if you left her
Just the way you found her
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection
I stand in front of you
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection the force of the Blow
Protection
She's a girl and you're a boy
Sometimes you look so small, look so small
You've got a baby of your own
When your baby's grown, she'll be the one
To catch you when you fall
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection
I stand in front of you
I'll take the force of the blow
Protection the force of the Blow
Protection
You're a girl and I'm a boy
Sometimes you look so small, need some shelter
Just runnin' round and round, helter skelter
And I've leaned on me
Now you can lean on me
And that's more than love, that's the way it should be
Now I can't change the way you think
But I can put my arms around you
That's just part of the deal the force of the blow
Protection.
Protection, Everything but the Girl
Sookie woke to the smell of fried eggs, bacon, and could it be…biscuits? Gran! Her sleepy mind cleared and she realized it wasn't Gran downstairs making breakfast. That would be Sam. Good old Sam, always taking care of her. She brushed her teeth and hair and wandered following the wonderful smells into the kitchen. She laughed in a sad way. He had set most of the breakfast fixings on the floor, just as they would be arranged on a table, if she had one anymore. He smiled a good morning to her, and placed her breakfast in front of her as she sat on the floor.
"Guess I'll have to go get a table today." She said by way of a good morning. Her voice held a hint of laughter at her antics last night, but no regret. Sam was glad of that.
"I think that was what Eric was thinking too." He motioned to the envelope left on the fridge door. She got up and looked inside at a stack of hundred dollar bills. The note inside said as much…"You'll want to get a new table and chairs. This should cover it. And maybe some flowers for the room. The white room could use some color, don't you think? Time to make some happier memories for this room…E."
She laughed again. Looking around at the stark white and bright polished stainless surrounding her. He was right…flowers and a warm table were definitely in order.
"Sam…" she started to ask.
"I was already planning to. We'll leave as soon as the security people get here. Hopefully, we'll be able to get everything in my truck bed and I'll put it together for you later today."
"And Merlotte's?"
"It pretty much runs itself for a day or two. I've already called Terry to take care of it for a few days. Once Eric gets here tonight, I'll head over there for the evening."
Sookie smiled at him. "You have been busy. Now I'll get busy. Breakfast was great, Sam. Thank you. I'll go get cleaned up before the security people get here and then we can go. I'd rather not eat dinner on the floor. It needs to be cleaned again. I can still see little specks of blood buried in the grooves of the linoleum. I'll scrub it again before we put the table and chairs in this afternoon."
"Sookie, I'll clean it up after breakfast."
"No Sam, it is my job, my responsibility. My Gran kept her house spotless. I plan to do the same. It's enough for you to be here and take care of me a little bit. Just don't get used to it." She smiled again a little sadly and walked to her bedroom to shower and change for the day.
By the time she was ready to go, a whole army of trucks was parked in her front yard. Sam was out there talking to the man who looked like the foreman. He was built like a Freightliner truck, but his face looked intelligent and he was obviously listening to the instructions Sam had given him as well as reading the copious notes Eric had left. While Sookie had been in her room, she found a note from Eric hidden behind a few things along with his onyx ring with a stripe of Balmoral red granite running around the middle. Eric had told her the Balmoral granite was from Finland and represented a part of his heritage. While Eric wore it on his pinky finger, Sookie slid it onto her pointer finger. His note said he was close by, and with the ring, she felt closer to him still. That gave her more confidence and strength to face the day ahead. Rubbing the ring, she walked out the front door, ready to confront the man who was going to turn her house into some kind of fortress.
Sam introduced them. "Sookie Stackhouse, this is Randall Corey. He is the owner/foreman of this operation. They specialize in the work that Eric wants done."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Corey." She kept her shields up. She really didn't want to know what, if anything, this man thought of her.
"You can call me Randy, miss." His voice was soft and comforting. She sensed he might actually be easy to work with and would take her opinions into consideration.
"If it is just the same to you, I'll call you Mr. Corey until I feel more comfortable with you. I'm not sure what Eric included in the letter to you or what Sam has told you so far, but as far as I am concerned you should know that while I understand the need for the protection, I don't like it. I expect my childhood home, as dilapidated as it is to look exactly as it does today as much as is possible."
"I understand that you have this process done under duress. We will get started with the easy stuff today, and I will remain here tonight until Mr. Northman arrives and we can discuss some of the more challenging things he has in mind."
"More challenging things? Like what?"
"I would rather Mr. Northman discuss those with you, miss. It would be better coming from him. Just know that we are the best in the business for this sort of work, and everything will be handled discretely."
"I'm sure Mr. Northman and I will apparently have much to discuss tonight. I'll look forward to that conversation I'm sure." Her tone of voice left both men feeling very glad it wasn't either of them that would be having that conversation with Sookie. She was already pissed off and tired, by tonight she should have really worked herself into a snit. "And I appreciate your discretion, whatever it is we have to be discrete about. Sam, shall we?"
"Let's go find you a new table, Sookie."
"About the table miss," Randall interrupted. "I saw pieces of it scattered all over the side yard. Would you like for us to get all the pieces and haul it away for you? The blood on the table might raise suspicions."
"That would be very kind of you Mr. Corey. I'm afraid I got very angry last night after the murderer killed my cat and left her for me to find."
"I'm sorry about your cat, miss. And if that is what happens when you get angry, I'm sure I would not want to be on the receiving end."
Sookie and Sam both laughed. "You are only human, or perhaps something more so you should try not to incur my wrath. However, a vampire is something else entirely since all my strength in all my rage does very little to move them even an inch." With that Sam opened the door for Sookie to get in his truck and they left for Shreveport to shop.
By the time Eric rose and drove up the driveway in fresh clothes, giving nothing away as to where he had been during the night, the new kitchen table had been set up complete with flowers in the center and hanging from the wall space in the kitchen. It did look quite beautiful and very different from how it once was. She had chosen a table with white legs and a warm brown butcher block table top. The chairs were a combination of the two. There was a very beautiful arrangement of flowers in the center of the table in a stainless steel vase. Sookie was very pleased with how it had all turned out. Sam and Mr. Corey sat at the table while she served them spaghetti waiting for Eric to arrive. Mr. Corey had lay what looked like architectural plans in the corner to discuss with Eric and Sookie when Eric finally arrived.
When she heard Eric's car come up the driveway, Sookie ran outside and into his waiting arms. The day had been long without him, and despite what she feared would be a difficult evening ahead, she had missed him desperately. He kissed her gently but with a passion that showed just how much he had missed her as well. They wandered up to the front screened porch and entered. The kitchen door was still sealed until it could be completely repaired from her rant the night before.
Eric drank two True Bloods while the other three finished their dinner. Sam left to return to the bar, saying he would return at dawn the next day. Sookie would not be left alone for a moment. After Sam left, Randall Corey brought out the plans and spread them on the new table. Eric had expressed earlier how nice the room looked with the new table and the flowers and pictures everywhere. Sookie had blushed at the praise, but was glad he approved.
The plans were detailed and Sookie listened while she washed up the dishes. When they started talking about new siding, iron grills on the window, and room darkening metal on at least one room, she panicked.
"ERIC! I told you the house had to be left looking just like it does now. You are talking about making changes that will make it look completely different. No! You promised me." Sookie's voice was rising dangerously.
Randall Corey decided now was a good time to take a smoke break outside, leaving the couple some privacy to discuss the changes.
Eric waited until he could tell Randall was a good ways away from the house before responding to Sookie.
"Sookie, when we first talked, we were talking about the screens and doors. Then I decided that I wanted to make this a place I could stay with you as well, during the day. The house from the outside will look like we put a new coat of paint on it and fixed some of the boards. The changes will be undetectable to the eye."
"How?"
"We will replace the siding with fireproof siding. The windows will be replaced with break proof glass. Each window will have a small awning over it, decorative looking but will hide an iron chain mail that will keep people and vampires out. Your bedroom will have hidden iron shutters that will drop down at dawn and rise up at dusk to protect my sleep. That way I can sleep with you as long as you wish to sleep next to my body during the day and I will not have to leave you. The tin roof is good so nothing will have to be done about that. The doors will be replaced with iron doors with a sheet of silver in the middle to protect from both humans and vampires. You can choose the colors of the doors, awnings, even add shutters if you'd like. To everyone else, it will look like we have added a few decorative additions and fixed the place up a bit."
"You are doing all this so that I can sleep next to you in the morning or as I nap during the day?" Sookie's voice held a note of awe and love in it.
"And to completely protect you from anyone, of any kind that would seek to harm you." Eric said, his voice also full of love and his need to protect her.
Sookie twisted his ring around her finger, then looked up at him and said simply. "Ok, then. Do it. I choose shiny black doors on all the doors, clear glass and screen doors on every door. Black fake shutters on all the windows unless you think the kind that close are necessary, and black little awnings to hide the chain mail window things. And I still want the siding white. Is that all that you will need from me? Oh, and I want those window that have the crank openings on the inside, not the sliders."
"All this you shall have, and more. I will call Randall in and we will go over it all together. I love you Sookie. You must realize that."
"And I love you. You are doing this to sleep next to me whenever I wish it, which is all the time. How can I not love you for that alone, no matter what else you have done or will do for me? And Eric, I think tonight, we should begin to build that blood bond. I have a feeling that will become very important in the days ahead. How many exchanges are required to complete it?"
"You are sure tonight is the night? You know it is not just an exchange of blood." Eric's voice was tentative, afraid she would turn him away with that reminder.
"I know what is entailed and I welcome it. How many exchanges are required to complete the bond?" She said confidently.
"Three."
"Can we do it all in one night?"
"Can you keep up?" Eric issued a challenge to Sookie.
"If your blood can heal me and make it not hurt after repeated times, I can keep up. Rumor has it you are an extremely good lover, without compare even. Three times may not be enough."
"I accept the challenge, lover."
"Good, let's hurry with our business here and move on to the more important part of the evening, lover…" Sookie mimicked Eric's endearment towards her.
Eric laughed and moved like lightening to the doorway, calling Randall to the table. He was now very motivated to get started and get finished with Mr. Corey, so he could get started with Sookie. Yes, indeed. Very motivated.