"Sookie, the reason I did not come to you when you were kidnapped, is simply that Niall would not let me."
"Niall... what?!?"
"Lover, Niall knew that only Bill and myself had had your blood. Of the two of us, of course I am bonded to you, and also I am the better tracker. He knew I would be able to find you faster than Bill. But your grandfather is a very wise man, Sookie. He knew what you just said, that if I ever left you, you... would not want to go on. He also knows that you can live without Bill. He took Bill with him because he knew that if he took me, and something were to happen to me, that you would not want to continue. He values you very much, just as I do.
Lover, as you can imagine, I did not agree willingly to his plan. It took your grandfather, Pam, and a strong dose of fae magic before I agreed. I only agreed because I knew that Niall's blood tie to you is even stronger than my own. Sookie, well, I don't compare what I went through with what you went through, but it was torture for me to hear you calling me, to feel your pain and be so helpless. It took almost every vampire in my area to keep me restrained and I still almost destroyed Fangtasia. We have only just gotten it put to rights.
When I got to the hospital and I saw what they did to you, my beautiful beloved, I did the only thing I could. I healed you, as much as I could in the time I had, and then I went and took what vengeance I could. Beloved, I would've been there every night, caring for you, had you not sent me away. I do not care about the scars that bother you, the Sookie I love is on the inside. It is as I told you that night, 'you are still whole, you are still a person.' It is the person I love, not just the body. I love the person inside, but I will worship your body every night for the rest of your life if you will let me."
I sat there, stunned, my feet dangling off his lap. Whatever I expected to hear, it was not that. "You mean... my own grandfather wouldn't let you come to me? When he knew how much I needed you?"
"Lover, I hate it as much as you. But, I respected him as your family, and I knew he could find you faster than even I could. My only goal was finding you and getting you out - by whatever means were fastest."
I sat quietly on his lap, processing the information I had just been given. Not in any of my weeks of pondering and puzzling did I come up with this. Eric tiring of me, yes. Eric detained by vampire politics, sure. This was uncharted territory for us. The Viking on whose lap I sat had admitted he loved me, didn't care that I came in a pretty little package, and respected my family? These were all big things, in and of themselves.
I could feel Eric playing with a strand of my hair. He was hesitant about something, didn't want to ask until I was ready to talk again. I pulled myself out of my musings, looked in his eyes. "Eric?"
"Sookie, we need to discuss these...visions of yours more."