A/N: There were some last minutes things that needed to be tweaked in these early chapter so the story flows more smoothly. I believe that I owe two chapters. That is why there will be two but I am really trying to make it a habit to do a monster posting but I don't have much in the stash. With out further excuses, here you are!

Chapter 5

A few days later I'd gone to Bon Temps to do some housework and Niall was there seated on my porch. He wasn't alone. Behind the Sky Prince were two young-looking males in some kind of uniform. One of them was the male who had watched me at the wedding. The other was slightly taller with minty green eyes and an auburn mane.

Niall looked cool and I knew our game was back on. The other two with him, however, were vacillating between open aggression and disgust, so openly that they were both baring their sharp teeth. I utterly ignored them and continued making my way inside as if they weren't darkening my doorstep.

"Sit with me," Niall said. It wasn't a request. Taking an order from him would be the worst thing I could ever do. It had nothing to do with his guards being at my back. It would be seen as an act of submission and I just didn't bend. I kept walking as if I hadn't heard a thing.

"Enter," I countered. I opened the front door and walked in but I left it wide open behind me knowing he would follow.

I sat at the kitchen table and they joined me in the same formation. Niall sat and the other two flanked him.

"You owe The Sky Fae a blood debt," Niall started.

"A debt would suggest I borrowed or took that which wasn't my due," I retorted. "That is not the case."

This was Round Two and the gloves had come off as evidenced by the presence of his guards and his direct approach. The fact that I'd struck the first blow didn't help his mood either.

"You went too far and that is the common flaw in vampires. They believe savagery equals balance and respect."

"A savage would have slaughtered everyone on that ranch. Let me reassure you here and now, Prince, that I am very capable of savagery." My words were calm but I let the predator stand out in my eyes.

"Fortunately for you and yours, we vampires are not savages. We simply believe that the little fish should stay in the pond so as to avoid the sharks because sharks make no apologies to those who get in their way. We are sharks and, if you cannot see that, then you have no business sitting at my table."

With all the blood that Sai and I had shed when we caught up with Claudine, no one died. It would have been too easy for that to be taken as an act of war against all Fae. He either knew that or was hoping I didn't, or he was trying to gauge whether in fact I had avoided casualties on purpose.

"The only people you had the right to harm were Claudine and Fintan. You and your vampire harmed six others. You owe their families blood."

I waved my hand in a very regal manner to dismiss him. Both his guards growled, the taller one was inching forward. My expression said I could yawn though my conscience needled me. I'd just been so angry. I'd been set on making a point; setting an example that I didn't care who got caught in the crosshairs as I unleashed Sai. The memory of Claudine looking at me as if I was a monster came back but I shoved it away.

"I will say no more on this matter, Niall." My voice held a note of finality that I only had to use a few times in my life.

The auburn haired male growled. "Allow me the honor of killing this leech."

Point to me. I smiled, never taking my eyes off Niall. By speaking out of turn his lackey had shown a few things; lack of control, short sightedness, and an inability to sense danger in plain sight.

"Leave us," The Prince ordered.

They left with parting glowers aimed in my direction. "Colman is Claudine's mate. In addition to robbing Claudine of the Cluviel dor with which he gifted her, her recovery time caused them to miss her cycle; the only time they could hope to conceive a child."

In between conspiring to ruin my life, Claudine was trying to have a baby, which for the Fae was a hallowed thing because it was damn near impossible. It was another thing that was herding them toward certain extinction. I knew Niall had said that to get a reaction out of me. He was trying to measure my capacity for empathy. He wasn't the first to think I had no heart. I gave him nothing but I filed it away; knowing that it would, in fact, bother me but that would have to come later.

Niall smiled; it was an almost imperceptible thing. "Your ferocity and fighting skill is without question, yet your overall temperament is even, calm, pleasant really. You truly were brought up with utmost care, well educated in both worlds. The way you walk and talk, even the way you sit, is testament to that."

He waved his hand toward mine. They remained clasped in my lap with my thumbs steepled, my legs are crossed at the ankle, and my back straight with my shoulders squared. Of course my head was held high. This posture was so ingrained in me that I couldn't help it. He was an opponent and what he was seeing was my game face. If I wasn't getting harassed by him I would be shaking my ass to Beyoncé as I cleaned my house.

"It shames me to say this, but I envy the vampire that was able to shape you into what you are for you are everything a Princess should be."

That comment hit close to home. I blinked the pain away and nodded my head to hide it. "The Prince is most kind."

His smile widened, surely he hadn't been expecting me to thank him. I smiled too because he was trying to bait me with the most basic faery trick. Thanking a faery would indebt you to them for a bit.

"I considered the consequences of killing you," Niall continued without pause. "They are unfavorable even with your husband lacking a Queen to back any retaliation against my people. The Viking is an enemy I prefer not to incite. He can prove to be unpredictable, you know. Then there is your father."

That got a reaction out of me though it was slight. My shoulders tensed and my eyes narrowed only for a second but he didn't miss it.

"My spies say he has disavowed and exiled you," he waited as if I would supply an explanation. For some reason I did explain.

"We disagreed over my choice in a husband."

Niall nodded. "Well, the fact that he didn't kill you himself means it would be foolish for anyone to touch you. I am no fool. That leaves us few avenues for settling your debt in a peaceable manner."

I braced to act when he reached into his breast pocket. He unfolded a piece of paper and slid it to me. It was…my resume.

"How do I look?" I asked Eric.

"Like your clothes itch," He replied with a smile.

I scowled at him but the expression didn't hold, plus he was right. I couldn't keep my hands off myself. If I wasn't smoothing the grey pencil skirt, then I was tugging at the matching blazer. I'd selected this one after meticulous elimination rounds. I wanted to go with a pant suit. Eric had begged me not to.

"'You look like a particularly rebellious nun,'" He'd said.

I had to agree. The all-black suit had been two sizes too big as to hide my curves. The crisp button-down I wore underneath had been buttoned to my neck. In the end I needed to go with what gave me confidence. I went with the pencil skirt. It was classic with a pleated tail to mark it with modern style. I wore a blue silk camisole that complemented my eyes. I tied the look together with a pair of patent leather pumps. I felt confident and sexy, and that was the problem. I felt like I would be ogled, objectified, and not taken seriously. I dropped my hands and they slapped down at my sides gracelessly.

"Well?" I asked.

Response? Riotous laughter! I grabbed a pillow and assaulted him though I couldn't help but laugh. I knew that had been his aim, getting me to relax. The truth was I was nervous. He grabbed me and pinned me against the wall, careful not to wrinkle my suit. He eyes sparkled with amusement, and, when he brought his lips to mine, I felt his love even with the light peck.

"This isn't about Niall or the blood debt," He said cupping my face. "Niall doesn't want to fight with you or anyone else. We know that."

I nodded to agree. "I've never done anything like this. Nothing in my upbringing prepped me for having to actually try…it was always easy for me," I admitted.

Idly I wondered if this was what the first day of school had felt like for most people. I had no idea. I'd never interviewed for anything in my life. That included the prestigious elementary school I'd attended sporadically when I was younger. The school had required several rounds of interviews with the child and their family. My father had been more than a little scandalized.

'Humans, judging me and my daughter?' he'd asked Doctor Wexler. I hadn't been there but I had seen the conversation in the Doctor's mind later. It was one of the few times he had been afraid that my father would bite him. 'Meeting Sookie will be epitome of their insipid lives. Have her enrolled and inform them they are most welcome.'

I got in just like that. I went mostly because Amelia was enrolled but when I got bored I stopped. I never had a formal education in any other institutions either, never mind a job interview aside from Merlotte's, but that was different. I'd seen the job as an objective to an end goal.

"I'm not great with people, especially humans in social situations," I told him.

I had the tools to read and influence the action of mortals but I didn't want that either. I wanted to be liked. That sounded so juvenile but it was just the way I felt. Christ. Give me a vampire uprising to quash, a computer code to crack, or a thesis to write. This was impossible. I hated my nervousness but knew it was a normal part of being, well, normal, even though there was nothing normal about this job or me. This was the initial position I wanted at the University of Florida's research science division called Wyman Tech.

After layers of bullshit, it turned out that it was Niall's base of operations. That explained why I hadn't been able to get much information over the phone. Most likely they wanted me to come down for an interview so one of the Fae could screen me. This was how Niall wanted me to repay my debt. On the resume I'd sent them I'd accredited me as having a Doctorate in genetics. I'd never tried but I was sure I could have one if I wanted.

"Stop thinking about it," Eric said, running his hands over my body.

It was to straighten my clothes, but, cool as his hands were, they left a molten trail on my skin even through the barrier of my clothes.

"You emancipated two vampire Kingdoms. You faced off with regents from an entire territory single-handedly to do it. In comparison, this is nothing."

I nodded and tried to believe that. "You're okay with this?" I asked him, hooking my thumbs in the loops of his jeans to keep him even closer.

He smiled and nodded. "Initially no, not at all. I respect that you want to work, admire it even. I cannot accept that you feel you must do so to support us."

Oh, the complexities of having a penis. "I want to though."
He nodded and tucked that ever wayward curl from my face. "I know that now but then...I wanted nothing more to chain you to a stove." he said with a devilish grin.

I punched him but he only laughed outright. "I worry about you and I miss you every single second you are not within arms' reach. It makes it hard to let you out of my sight, never mind out of the state for days at a time."

I wrapped my arm around him again. I knew he missed me but I never really knew what it cost him to let me have my own life. It hadn't once occurred to me that it was a struggle for Eric to not lock me up in his coffin with him. It was and he didn't make it a problem for me because he knew how much I valued my freedom. If it was possible I loved him a little more. I couldn't tell him for some reason, I just hugged him tighter and he let me. When we finally pulled apart he was beaming a beatific smile at me.

"Seeing you like this, however," he said tracing my lips with his. "I understand you finding work isn't about guilt or money."

God! I loved him. Even if fate reached into my dreams and pulled out what I had believed was the perfect man, it wouldn't compare to Eric in the flesh. He knew me better than I knew myself. He was patient with me as I caught up with him on that knowledge. He told me the truth, pulled no punches, and he pushed me to never apologize for anything I felt. I wrapped my arms around him and hoped he could feel everything I didn't think I would ever be articulate enough around him to say. He held me tight.

When we pulled apart his smile turned mischievous. We both sensed the presence close by. My ride was here. "I know you can handle anyone foolish enough to give you trouble, faery especially."

At the answering growl, we grinned at each other. It wasn't very mature but it was so us. Eric walked me out. He held my hand and easily carried my duffle bag with the other. Preston was the faery who had come to scout me at the wedding and he was on the other side of the door.

"He's pretty," Eric said with a heavily lustful look at my chaperone. I played the game because it was fun, plus you should confuse your enemy at every opportunity.

"Told you he was," I said letting my voice go low and seductive. "I love his lips and you should hear him growl, it's…"

I pretended to shiver as if utterly delighted. Then, as if practiced, Eric and I were staring at him like he was chocolate or blood, or both in my case. The poor faery flushed and looked at us as though we were both nuts. He didn't know if he should take a fighting stance; guard his neck, his loins, or what. I swallowed my laughter and turned to Eric to hide my smile as he kissed me goodbye.

"Be sure to check in," He said. I love you was what I heard.

I nodded. "I will. Then again I might want you to hunt me down." Translation, if I don't call, do just that.

I'd never used the Fae mode of transportation before. It sucked so much more than I imagined. The journey was instantaneous. One second I was looking at Eric and the little farm house in Bon Temps that served as our second home. The next I was in a room that I didn't recognize. My senses went into hyper-drive to figure it out but I couldn't. I was so groggy. Black spots blinked in my vision. It took everything I could do to stay on my feet while not leaning on the faery who had ferried me here.

"This is your room," Preston said.

It was a faculty dorm. I wondered about how many of them were human. Already I picked up mental signatures of Weres. Would I be working with faeries as well as humans? Were the humans in the know? I had no idea. I pushed my curiosity and I placed my suitcase at the foot of my bed. There would be time to unpack and ponder everything later. Here in Florida the sun was shining and I had important people to meet.

I walked beside Preston when we exited the faculty hall and made our way to the Science Building. There, I was introduced to another faery though this one was built much like Eric, tall, broad-shouldered, and not even the lab coat he wore could hide his muscles. His face was all hard lines, strong jaw, and deep-seated citrine eyes. His hair was short for a faery. It was just a tad longer than military standard.

"Caspian, this is she," Preston said. "Sookie Stackhouse." Or The Devil incarnate, as his tone implied.

Sheesh, you beat up a house full of faeries and they started treating you like the goddamn Boogeyman.

This Caspian looked me over in open appreciation that somehow didn't feel like a leer. "It is a pleasure, Ms. Stackhouse," His smile was charming as he held his hand for me to shake. "I see that your beauty was understated."

I smiled politely and nodded my head in standard vampire greeting. "Likewise." Not really, I hadn't been told squat about with whom I would be working or on what I would be working. I'd assumed both were super-secret.

His smile was untouched. "This way."

I followed him into a security booth where I received my ID badges and then into a conference room where I would meet the rest of his team. I was nervous but I refused to let it show as I waited.