A/N: We see that Nikki is Eric's prisoner. Somehow explaining to her that it's for her own good isn't going the way that he expected.

Chapter 9

I

Nikki opened her eyes and, as her last memories came flooding back, she sat up with a start. That sudden movement caused her head to painfully throb and she almost had to lie back down. Her mind was groggy and she tried to clear the cobwebs out of her head. She was on a soft bed, but she wasn't sure exactly were that bed was. There weren't any windows in this small room. She could see from the light coming from a tiny attached bath. There was some typical Fangtasia artwork on the walls and she realized that she was probably somewhere at the bar. This was probably a room Eric used for his sexual liaisons. Except, why hadn't she seen it before? He had sex with her in his office here and not this room. Maybe, she realized with a chill, he had only made this room up for her. The fact that he had been planning for a while to hold her captive made her fearful. You played right into his hands, you dummy, she told herself. Her eyes moved to the only way in or out of the room and she saw that it was a reinforced metal door that had been obviously chosen to keep her contained. She could try to blast it, but the room was small and the resulting back blast from using her power in such a confined space could injure her. That's all she needed was for Eric to have an excuse to give her his healing blood. Drink his blood and you were finished, her mind warned her. He would always have a power over you. He would also be able to find her no matter where she tried to hide. Nikki hugged herself and wondered if he hadn't somehow already managed to get his blood inside of her. Those dreams that she kept having of him were now very ominous indeed, especially the last one in which she couldn't remember the details. If it hadn't been a dream, had he glamoured her? But, vampires couldn't glamour fairies. Could they? Her head hurt from thinking so hard and she ran her hands over her robe. It was still the only thing that she was wearing. There were not any closets or dressers in the room, so there weren't any clothes left out for her to put on. It was just like him to keep her in this state. She slowly got out of bed and moved to the door. She turned the doorknob, but it was locked tight. It didn't even shake in it's holdings when she tried to rattle it. What was this thing made of? Solid lead? She turned away and her eyes fell on a platter of food and a bottle of water left on the nightstand. At least, he was showing enough compassion to not attempt to starve her. Of course, it was in his interest to keep her alive. He wouldn't want all that delicious fairy blood to go to waste, now would he? She uttered a sigh and took in a deep breath. That was when her sensitive nose detected that she smelled. Or rather, she reeked of her own body odor and vampire cum. A little calling card from him and nothing said vampire possession more emphatically than having his smell all over her. She turned her head to the bathroom. A shower would wash away his scent. But, getting out of this prison wasn't going to be as easy.

She had dosed off when she heard someone at her door.

"Hello, Number One," said Eric, from outside.

Nikki cautiously opened her eyes and sat upright. She clutched the satin sheet over her and waited as Eric unlocked the door and stepped into the room. His size was overpowering in the small space of the room. It only succeeded in making her feel seriously under-matched against him. He was wearing a black tee shirt and pants. His uniform that she knew so well. She shrank back against the headboard. She tried to calm down, but a wave of anger bubbled under her skin and threatened to erupt. Eric passed his eyes to the nightstand and took in the untouched food and water.

"You need to eat to keep your strength up," he said with a little frown.

"Why? So, that you'll be able to feed on me longer?" she asked.

"If it was just your blood that I wanted, I could drink you right now and nothing you could do would prevent that," he said.

Nikki shivered in fear and anger. "I'm not so easy to control," she said.

"You're still no match for me in a fight," said Eric. "No fairy is."

"So, I'm your pet fairy? Is that the way it's going to be?" asked Nikki.

"I brought you here for your own good," replied Eric.

"Really? I'm having a hard time understanding how drugging and kidnapping me is for my own good," said Nikki.

"Your ex-boyfriend won't be the only fairy that comes looking for you, fairy princess," said Eric. "But, no fairy, no matter how crazy they are, would dare approach you as long as you're with me."

He did have a point, thought Nikki. As far as she knew, she and her sister were the only fairies crazy enough to seek out vampires. Still, there was more to Eric's little offer than that.

"You protect me and I give you the sole rights to myself? Is that how this little bargain is supposed to work out?" asked Nikki.

"I'm not asking for anything that you haven't already given to me. Freely given to me," said Eric. "The only difference is that you aren't deceiving me, anymore."

"I did tell you who I was before you decided to pillage me like I was some sort of Viking loot," she replied.

"Wrong, your lies caught up with you and you were forced to admit who you were to me," said Eric with a smile. "Nice try, but I'm not buying your turning over a new leaf act."

Nikki suppressed her simmering rage because it wouldn't get her anywhere right now. She was completely under his control. But, things wouldn't always be that way, she thought.

"You have been stringing me along all this time," she said. "You've been waiting for your chance to gain the upper-hand."

Eric flashed her a little smile. "True."

"Bastard," she hissed, letting a little of her anger show.

"I've been called a lot worse," replied Eric.

"I believe that," said Nikki. "What's the bottom line here?"

Eric appraised her. Not once had she begged, but he had been sure that she wouldn't. He was sure that she was afraid for herself, yet she was carefully keeping her weaknesses hidden. As ever, she got straight to the point of the matter.

"You agree to stay under my protection and we continue on as we were doing," said Eric. "It's very simple."

Nothing was ever simple with a vampire, thought Nikki, especially this one. Stall him that was the only thing she could do.

"I need time to think things over," said Nikki. "But, can I have some clothes in the meantime?"

"No," said Eric. "I like you just the way you are, right now. "

"You can't keep me naked forever," Nikki said.

"I can try," replied Eric.

She decided to ask that question that weighed heavily on her mind. "Have you found some way to sneak your blood inside me?" she asked.

Eric gave her a naughty smirk. "Why can't you just admit that I don't need the power of my blood to make you fall for me?" he said.

"That's not answering my question," replied Nikki.

"And, I'm not going to answer it," said Eric. "Maybe, I have and maybe I haven't. But, I will tell you this. The only way that you are getting out of this room is to pledge yourself to me and drink my blood, either for the first time or again."

He held himself up straight and Nikki searched his face to see if there was a trace of mercy there. But, she couldn't read the blue eyes that stared back into hers. She had gazed into those eyes so often during sex and thought that she knew everything that lay behind them. But, she had been mistaken. Her eyes began to fill with tears and the image of Eric began to waver. She was angry at herself for showing a weakness to him, for letting him know that he had the power to hurt her. She tried to blink back her tears, but a lone tear coursed down her cheek.

"Please, don't do that," he said. "I don't like the way that it makes me feel."

"We can't have that," softly said Nikki, wiping at her eyes.

She could try to zap him, she thought. But, she doubted that she had the power to seriously harm him and she was still operating in the confines of this small room. The light could bounce off the walls and ricochet around the room and succeed in only injuring her. And even with everything that he had done to her, she didn't want to hurt him. Foolish lovesick girl, she chided herself. Yet, she reminded herself that though he had the power to take what he wanted from her, he wasn't. Yet, anyway.

"I'll leave alone to think things over," said Eric.

He turned back to the door to leave and said, "I just want to you to try to see the logic in what I am proposing. My intention is not to harm you."

"I'm sure that I will be thinking about nothing else," replied Nikki. "It's not like I have a lot of other diversions."

Nikki watched him leave and heard the lock slide home. You could have gotten out of here, if you would have just laid your neck bare before him. And spread your legs because vampires like their blood with a little sex. Of course, she would have also had to drink his blood. He wasn't going to let her off that easy. But, what if his blood was already inside of her? The tricky devil wouldn't tell her for sure if that had already happened. Vampire blood was supposed to taste sweet. Eric's kisses were the sweetest that she had ever tasted. If would have taken nothing to knick his tongue with a fang and let her suck his blood in a kiss. She shivered again and clutched the sheet around her. Yet, why not admit that? If he had that power over her, why not reveal it and show her how hopeless true escape from him would be? For once, she wished that her power of mind reading extended to the devious vampire mind of Eric Northman.

II

"Well?" asked Pam when Eric returned to his throne in the bar.

"She's being stubborn," replied Eric.

"You could just let her go as a gesture of good will," said Pam.

"And she might just decided to run back to fairy land," replied Eric. "If she returns to them, they won't allow her to leave again."

"Are you saying that you would miss her?" asked Pam.

Eric didn't reply and examined a group of tourists that were milling around the souvenir display case.

"Is it so hard to admit to her that you care about her?" asked Pam.

"You don't admit your weaknesses to someone like her," replied Eric.

"She's hardly more than a love-struck child," said Pam.

"Don't underestimate her," replied Eric. "She's more fairy than human."

Later on after closing, Eric approached her door. The room was located well out of sight where no one would come across it by accident. He would have never placed her in the dungeon, even though that might have gotten her attention more readily. No, this little room might be her prison, but it was as comfortable as possible. As he paused and listened with his vampire ears, he heard soft sobs that no human ear could have detected. That awful feeling began again and he sought a way to shut it off. Where had it come from? And more importantly, how could he make it go away? He was rooted to the spot, but he wanted to fly through the door and comfort her. He wanted to kiss away her tears. Her lips were so close and he would also have to stray there. How could he not give those full, soft lips his attentions? From there, he would pull apart that flimsy robe and kiss her pert breasts. Oh, just stop, he told himself. You're a vampire, have a little pride and stop mooning over her. But, his dick refused to listen. At the thought of kissing Nikki's delectable body, his dick had grown hard with need. It pressed against the confines of his jeans and demanded that he listen to it. A conversation played out in his head.

"Fuck being a vampire," it said to him. "Go in there and ask for forgiveness if that is what it takes."

"I don't make deals with a member of my anatomy," Eric replied to that mutinous member.

His dick throbbed. "You think with me more than you like to admit. Have I ever steered you wrong?" it said.

"As a matter of fact, there was the one time in Venice," replied Eric.

"Okay, once, I'll give you that. But, my track record on a whole is pretty damned good."

Eric tried to ignore his straining anatomy. But, he knew in a moment that he would soon have to take care of matters, personally.

"Loser," his dick seemed to laugh at him. "Go into your office and jerk yourself off. As if that is any substitute for what's inside of this room."

Maybe putting some space between himself and her would help. Eric walked quickly to his office and locked the door behind him. He leaned against the door and tried to clear his head. He tried to will his arousal away. But, the pressing bulge in his pants wouldn't go away. Send for one of the dancers, he thought. Splay her willing body out on your desk and fuck her like there's no tomorrow. Except, he didn't want anyone else. He closed his eyes and he could see Nikki in his mind's eye. Like his own personal movie theatre, the images played out on the inside of his eyelids. She was lying on the bed in just that short robe. Her hand trailed up her thigh and caressed her golden, sun-kissed flesh. He saw her slide her fingers into that soft, blonde hair between her legs as she arched her body onto the bed.

"Eric," she sighed as she began to pleasure herself.

His hands liberated his swollen member from his jeans and he moved his hand along his rigid shaft in perfect timing to Nikki's movements. He groaned deep in his throat as he gripped himself harder and his hips began to thrust with the motions. Need her, his body said to him. He was consumed by that need as he imagined Nikki splayed out on her soft satin sheets. She was panting now and her pink lips were parted as she moaned with desire. He wanted to touch her and give her that pleasure. He yearned to feel himself between her legs and to feel her underneath him as she writhed in ecstasy. Nikki stroked herself harder and slid a finger inside and Eric felt his knees almost buckle as he came in forceful jets that fell upon his carpet. He opened his eyes and found his hand around his still pulsing cock.

"Fuck," he said.

He put himself away and zipped his jeans as he eyed the mess on his floor. Should he send for Ginger to clean it up? He could think a little clearer, but it did little to lessen his desire for his sweet, little fairy. Had she cast some spell over him?

"I still want the real thing," said that aggravating voice in his head.

"Shut up," hissed Eric out loud.

III

Time started to lose it's meaning to Nikki. There weren't any windows in the room. So, she didn't know when the sun was up and the sun was down. Except that Eric would only come and visit her in the nighttime. She drank the water, but she refused to eat any of the food, which only served to aggravate Eric more. While he came to visit her, he didn't attempt to bite her or force himself upon her. But, he didn't let her go, either. She was sure that she had only been in this room a couple of nights, even if her stomach tried to convince her otherwise. Finally, she grew desperate enough to give in to his demands. When she heard a noise outside her door, she began to bang on it.

"Eric! Please, let me out," she cried. "I'll do what you ask of me."

There was a long silence and then she heard a woman's voice. "Uh, Eric is still asleep."

Nikki wondered whom she was talking to. She racked her brain and then remembered the blonde, ditzy human that worked for Eric and Pam at Fangtasia. Nikki smiled. Perfect, she thought.

"Oh, please, help me," cried Nikki. "I fell in the shower and broke my wrist."

"I can't let you out," replied Ginger.

"I need a fucking doctor. Do you hear me!" hissed Nikki. "Eric will be mad at you if I'm damaged and you don't help me."

"Shit," mumbled Ginger.

"Oh, I'm in such pain," sobbed Nikki. "Please, help me."

"I'll go look for a key," said Ginger.

"Try his office," replied Nikki.

Several long minutes passed and Nikki hoped desperately that Eric didn't sleep with the key to this door on him. Finally, she heard Ginger opening the door. The door swung open and Nikki saw Ginger dressed in a short skirt and a top that barely covered her breasts. Multiple fang marks were visible on her exposed skin. Nikki shuddered and wondered if Eric would have marked her like this.

"I found the key," she said with a look of accomplishment. "Are you okay?"

"I've never been better," replied Nikki.

As Ginger's brows knit with confusion, Nikki brought up her hand and summoned the light. A stream of light hit Ginger and knocked her several feet back and into the hallway wall. Ginger hung there was a split second and then slowly began to slide down the wall where she crumpled onto the floor. She was unmoving and still.

"All too easy," said Nikki, with a smile.

A/N: I enjoyed Eric's imaginary conversation with his mutinous member. But, poor Ginger, she always has to clean up the dirty work.