A/N: This chapter is at the very least a T+, and if I am honest with myself it is an M. However, I am NOT changing the rating of the entire piece. One chapter does not deserve a whole rating change I think. You can skip this chapter if you are so inclined (so far feedback indicates at least a few of you will NOT be so inclined ) and I will summarize in an author's note in the next chapter. You have been warned. Enjoy the ride.

Paradise Within…Happier Far

Chapter 7

I see the questions in your eyes
I know what's weighing on your mind
But you can be sure I know my part
cause I'll stand beside you through the years
You'll only cry those happy tears
And though I'll make mistakes
I'll never break your heart.

I'll give you everything I can
I'll build your dreams with these two hands
We'll hang some memories on the wall
And when there's silver in your hair
You won't have to ask if I still care
cause as time turns the page
My love won't age at all.

I swear
By the moon and stars in the sky
I'll be there
I swear
Like the shadow that's by your side
I'll be there
For better or worse
Till death do us part
I'll love you with every beat of my heart
I swear.

I Swear, John Michael Montgomery (edited)

Eric walked into Sookie's room 45 minutes after she had left him and Randall Corey deep in discussions about the house. It was longer than he had hoped it would take, but at least for the most part, all the decisions had been made and progress would be quick. The room was lit only with fragrant candles, dozens of them, with their flames flickering along the walls. The bed had been turned down and the curtains and blinds drawn shut. There was soft music from a CD he must have left here of his native music playing from somewhere. His heart leapt at how beautiful it all was, and he hadn't even seen Sookie yet. He followed the floral scent of her into her large bathroom where she soaked quietly in the huge cast iron tub. Flower petals were sprinkled on top of the water and he could see the steam rising from the water.

Eric sat on the edge of the tub, taking her in. Her hair was wet and combed back from her cherubic face. Her eyes were closed although he knew she knew he was there.

"You are so beautiful, Sookie. After all I have done in my life how could I ever have been blessed with you in my life?" His voice was a whisper carried over the steam to her ears, deeply felt emotions melting her from the inside out.

"Maybe it is me who has been blessed with you, Eric Northman. My life has been difficult, I am cursed with a 'gift' that no one should have to endure, and you offer me a blessed silence packaged in a beautiful, warm, and loving man. I think I have been blessed." When she started speaking her eyes opened and looked right into his very soul, and yes, she did believe he had a soul. How could one love without one? Her voice was deep with need and pent-up passion of years of wanting what he was about to provide her. Then she closed her eyes again, laughing at him a little, "Are you to remain in your clothing for the rest of the night or do you plan to join me?"

Her eyes remained half-lidded not wanting to miss a second of Eric's disrobing, but he didn't take but seconds anyway. Another time would be slower. Eric had stripped his black tank and red silk shirt off, along with his jeans and boots and entered the hot water. The water sloshed over the side as he maneuvered around Sookie's slippery body. Never opening her eyes, she laughed and gave a false sigh, "Yet, more cleaning I suppose…" referring to the water splashed onto the floor.

Eric laughed and floated his large body over hers, looking down on her face, willing her eyes to open and look into his. Sookie did open her eyes and looked deep into his as his mouth moved towards hers. She licked her lips in anticipation, his lips touching hers lightly. He kissed her without pressure, allowing her to take the lead if she wanted. He knew, at least with this part, she was perfectly willing to do so. She pressed her lips back to his, letting her body float up to meet his in the water. As hers met his, she gasped into his mouth. Eric broke away from their kiss, smiling at her shock.

"Eric, there is no way THAT is going to fit in THERE!" She was suddenly terrified.

Eric soothed her kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe, relaxing. "Yes, my love. The two are meant to fit together. I will prepare you enough that you will stretch to accommodate me in every way. It will hurt the first time, I won't lie to you, but I will have you so busy with other pleasures, you won't be able to tell the pleasure from the pain."

"I thought I was ready, but perhaps I am not. I'm scared Eric." Sookie's voice was a quiet frightened whisper.

"Sookie, do not fear me. I can only see to your happiness. Follow my lead and I will take you to the highest peaks of happiness, over and over again."

Sookie looked in his eyes and read his honesty there. She felt him pick up the floral scented soap and start to use it to massage her body. He started with her feet, hitting all the pressure points to relax her. She slid her body further into the water and closed her eyes, giving her body into his care. His slippery hands massaged every toe on both feet, sliding up her ankles and calves, rubbing the tightness out of both. Soon he was at her muscled thighs, rubbing and tickling his finger along her inner thigh, making her wiggle and moan slightly. She was so sensitive she was embarrassed to feel herself already thrusting towards him.

"My, aren't we impatient, my lover." Eric whispered, pleased she was so responsive.

Sookie didn't say anything but opened her eyes half-way, lust and passion pouring from them into Eric's eyes.

Eric's fingers were wonderful. Who could have dreamed those long, delicate, deadly digits were possible of bringing such pleasure? He soaped his hands a little more and parted her womanly folds, hearing Sookie gasp again. She had never been touched in such a way, and while she had read many books on the subject she was ill prepared for the reality. His long fingers probed her wet channel delicately, while his thumb unerringly found that spot full of nerve endings which when touched caused Sookie's body to arch out of the tub, sending more water over the side. He continued his ministrations leaving Sookie breathless and wanting more. But Eric moved his large hands further up her body stroking her abdomen, feeling the aftershocks of her initial orgasm still pouring through her body. His slick hands reached her perfectly formed breasts, soap slicked hands covering them both, kneading them and plucking at the nipple. He brought his mouth to her body finally, sucking gently slowly increasing the tugging sensation until she cried out again in yet another orgasm.

"Eric, oh my God. Please, I can't take anymore."

"Oh my beloved, you can take so much more. I will show you just how much you can take, break your body into millions of pieces, and leave you crying for more." He gently lifted her body out of the tub, careful of the slippery water and carried her to the bed. This time he started at her mouth kissing, forcing her mouth to accept his tongue, pressing his lips against hers, her wanting and needing him against her. Soon his lips moved down her neck, leaving a beard rash behind him on her sensitive skin. That would heal soon enough with the blood exchange. He gorged himself on her nipples, his fangs completely extended but he held back. He was old and very able to control himself.

He slid his large body down her still wet and slick body kissing every inch as he went until he reached the apex at the center of her body, the core of her being. She gasped as she tried to pull away from him, but he held her still as his thumbs parted the blonde curls reaching for the swollen sensitive areas within. One thumb went again to that small nerve center, once again causing her body to arch on the bed. His tongue licked her folds, each and every one of them completely from back to front like a cat might lick her fur. Sookie's head was thrashing from side to side, her whimper becoming louder as her major orgasm built within her. Finally, Eric thrust his tongue into her hot wet channel, causing Sookie to come off the bed again. He thrust into her over and over as her wetness poured from her into his waiting mouth.

Without her realizing it, he replaced his tongue with his fingers stretching her slightly. First one finger, "God Sookie, you are so tight!" His voice was so deep he sounded almost animalistic. He was holding himself back, needing this to be gentle for her, but it was taking a toll on him. He pushed a second finger in gently, knowing this was starting to cause her some discomfort, and he allowed her to become used to his two fingers thrusting within her. She was keening by now, desperate for him to bring her to her release. He pushed a third finger inside, thrusting harder so she would get a sense of what it would feel like when he was inside her.

"Sookie, I know this might be uncomfortable right now, but this is similar to what it will feel like when I enter you. I want you to know what to expect."

Sookie's voice had an erotic and frantic edge to it. "Damnit Eric, if you don't move soon, I'm going to flip you over and impale myself on you. You will kill me soon if you don't finish this. I appreciate all the time, but believe me I am ready. NOW!"

Eric laughed huskily. She was probably going to be an insatiable lover, and once they started exchanging blood, even more so. Eric moved to her entrance and positioned himself while she tried to wiggle herself onto his staff. His body weight held her still and he kissed her again, hard, fangs fully extended. She scraped her tongue against them, starting to bleed into his mouth and he pulled away as he started rocking within her. He hit that tiny little piece of film blocking his entrance to her fully.

"Sookie, I want you to push against me as I push against you. Ok?"

She nodded her head and as he pushed he also pressed his fangs into the side of her breast, causing her to scream at both the pain and the pleasure she experienced simultaneously. He began sucking her blood at her breast, and she thought she had never felt anything so wonderful. He pumped deeply into her, hitting her cervix, her channel tightening and squeezing him, while he held himself back.

He took his sharpened nail and made a slit on his upper breast, still pulling blood from her breast, still pumping into her tight channel, he raised her head gently to the slit where his blood started to flow pushing her suddenly reluctant mouth to his chest. He had always been very good at multi-tasking. Once she tasted his ancient blood, she found it sweet and thick. It reminded her of one New Year's Eve when Sam had bought the staff this really good port and tiny chocolate cups to drink it out of. It was that kind of thick and sweet. As she drank and swallowed more and more, feeling him doing the same, pumping faster and faster into her. She felt that tightly coiled spring he had brought to life inside her begin to unwind, fast, powerful exploding within her bringing a scream from her lips as he reached his pinnacle as well screaming her name, Thor, and a word she had never heard before 'elska.'

Sookie fell back against the bed, exhausted, exhilarated, thrilled with her first experience. Eric lay off to the side of her closing her wound on her breast with blood he had taken from his open wound. It healed immediately. He then took more blood onto his fingers, and surprising Sookie, pressed them into her exceedingly abused core, rubbing his blood inside her. Whatever ache or pain she might have felt was gone completely. She sighed contentedly, thinking she would never be able to move again, thinking she never wanted to move again, and yet knowing she wanted more and more of Eric.

Eric whispered to her from his place on her chest while she ran her fingers through his long blonde hair. "Was it everything you had hoped for?" He sounded almost vulnerable instead of egotistical as she would have expected. She answered his vulnerability.

She sighed again as her heartbeat returned to something close to normal. "Eric, I have only read torrid fantasy romance books, so I had an expectation but of course no real experience. I can honestly say that far exceeded any expectation I could have ever had. I want you over and over again. Will it always be like that?"

"Perhaps not always. Sometimes it will be rough, for one or the other taking our own gratification, and without the blood exchange it is never as earth shattering but it can come close, sometimes it will be even slower, taking all night for one coupling…"

"Oh, Eric I couldn't bear that!"

Eric laughed again at her innocence. "Sometimes it will be primal, fast, furious, and other times it will be sublimely loving. But it will never again be your first time."

"Did we complete the first bonding?"

"Oh yes, and more. I took too much. I will be more careful the next times. I'm going to get up when I think my legs will hold me and get you some juice. It will help with the inevitable lightheadedness you will feel."

"Eric, I feel wonderful now. Why will I start to feel weak?"

"Because lover, I am taking your blood. You will need to start taking vitamins. If you don't want me to, I don't have to take your blood every time."

"Are you kidding? I never want to miss that! Just not on the neck, just places people won't see, ok?"

"As you wish, my lover."

Sookie slid down Eric's body until her face was even with his, pressing her body against his, feeling his already hardened staff.

She kissed him deeply, tasting her blood and her juices on him. "I think you lover are ready again. I know I am…" Her hand reached down between them, taking his largeness into her tiny hands, sliding her body even further down his. "Now make sure I'm doing this right…" as her tongue darted out to lick the cum off his hardened member.

Eric laughed delightedly, his husky laughter filled the room and her heart as she could feel his joy through the already forming bond. By the time he left her that night, they had confirmed their love and the steadfastness of their bond five times over. Sookie thought she could never be so happy. Eric was sure he had never been.

TBC

A/N: I got this out rather fast as I was in the mood to write and won't have much time for the next couple of days. I hope it was good for you. Review, review, review. Trust me… it keeps me writing faster than I might normally. Renee