All characters and rights belong to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.
In anticipation of hiding his movements and Sookie's he bought a car from a dealer with one of his false identities that no one knew about. Eric didn't wish to be seen, and driving was the easiest way to do that. At night he would drive while Sookie slept, and in the daytime he would sleep in the trunk while she drove. He'd stashed a blanket for Sookie. Of course, he wouldn't be telling her the truth, but it was a small deceit he was sure she would forgive in time. All he needed was for her to come with him willingly and quietly.
After three days of driving only at night, he pulled into some woods where the car would not be detected, and silently made his way on foot to Sookie's house. Eric was glad that she had not rescinded his invitation since last her saw her, and quietly made his way to her bedroom. Through the cool moonlight filtering in through her window, he saw her splayed out, her hair spread like a sunray, and he wanted to climb in bed with her, as he was once so free to do.
Shaking himself out of his fond memories and steeling himself for her initial anger at his intrusion, he put his hand over her mouth and whispered in her ear, "Wake up Sookie".
Sookie's eyes went wide when she opened them, and pressing his finger to his lips, he lifted his hand.
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Eric?" she whispered.
"I need your help with a very important and secret assignment, Sookie. I haven't been on a holiday. I've been on an important mission to find out which group of vampires is preying on humans in Wyoming." Eric responded. He knew he could get her to go with him if he told her humans were in danger. Her wish to protect humans, and stop killing would get her to go with him willingly. He fought the urge to smile at his own cleverness.
"What do you need me for, Eric?"
"I suspect that some humans are scouting for them, and I recalled that I knew a telepath," he said with a blank look on his face. He knew she distrusted him, and he used his blood to detect how she was receiving his lie. It seemed to be working.
"I need you to come to Wyoming with me, so that we can put a stop to this," Eric said.
Sookie narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do you care what happens to humans? You've never shown any concern for vampires hunting before."
Eric decided to go with partial truth, in order to make his story more convincing. "I don't. But I care if vampires get hurt when humans find out and start hunting us." Sookie looked and felt convinced by this.
"You must understand, Sookie, this needs to stay secret. I need you to meet me partway in Oklahoma City so that no one knows we're on this mission together. I've been told to keep this secret. I snuck back here tonight to ask for your help and no one knows I'm in the state. The hierarchy doesn't want anyone to catch wind of the scandal. Will you meet me there tomorrow night?"
Sookie considered it long and hard. On the one hand, she didn't want to go on a mission with Eric. But humans were being hurt. She'd want someone to put a stop to the killings. Since she could help, she thought it was her duty.
"Alright, Eric. I presume that I'll be paid for this. I can't work if I'm on a mission."
Eric let a small smile surface and said, "I can assure you you'll be taken care of completely, Sookie."
Sookie paused for a moment. "What will I tell everyone? I can't tell them I'm leaving town with you to go on a mission."
Eric had his response planned out, even though he was surprised that Sookie thought long enough to ask for a cover story before he could offer it. "Just tell people that you need to go and fix a family estate and visit with some distant relatives who contacted you from Oklahoma. No one can know our true destination, Sookie. Family is important to you, so no one will question that." She nodded her assent.
"How long will I be gone?"
"For a couple of weeks, maybe a month."
"Okay. Sam should be okay with me leaving. But can I tell him the real reason for leaving so that I can have a job to come back to?"
Eric shook his head. Once she came back, the very last thing she would need is a job at a bar, but he didn't tell her that. Instead he said, "You can't tell him before you leave, because the hierarchy want it kept secret. But once we solve this problem, we can tell him what you were really doing."
"Okay. I'll pack tomorrow and meet you. Where will we meet?"
"I'll meet you in the car park at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. I'll be there after full dark and wait for you if you don't get there in time." Eric handed her a map with directions marked clearly to the place he intended to meet her. He'd checked to make sure that there was no event there, and anticipated few people seeing them hop into his car.
Sookie nodded. "I'll see you there."
He stole out of her house as quietly as he came, and drove at great speed to beat the rising sun. Luckily he got to the outskirts of Oklahoma City, and burrowed quickly into the ground to await the next night.
MNMNMNMNMNM
The next night, Eric awoke invigorated. He could almost taste Sookie on his tongue. He couldn't wait for her to settle into the apartment. He wasn't foolish, he knew that Sookie would throw a tantrum with his plan, but some things mattered more than her anger.
He drove up to the meeting place, and was pleased to find Sookie waiting for him. He transferred all of her luggage into his own car and then followed her to a long term parking facility, where he paid the fee for them to keep her car safe. If he had his way, she wouldn't need it again. Eric never intended for her to have to leave his side.
The drive to Wyoming was a long grind, but his plan worked perfectly. On the third night, they arrived in Cheyenne. Their first detour was to pick up food for Sookie. Eric had told her that he had an apartment for her to stay in, so that she would pick up all those essentials. Of course, he paid for everything, and because she was there on official business, for once she didn't protest. Soon she wouldn't protest how much he gave her.
Eric bought a good supply of True Blood. He didn't envision Sookie welcoming him feeding on her for a day or two until she settled down. While he could go out and hunt, she would surely protest this treatment, and he couldn't afford to upset his progress with her. They put the groceries into the car and made their way to the high-rise building they would be spending their time in.
He opened the gate, locked it behind them and put all of their packages in the lift. He fought to keep the smile off his face that he got her here. All he had to do was get her upstairs and get the things he needed, and then he would let her know what he had done. Of course, if Sookie protested now, he could force her to do what he wished, but he had no desire to hurt her and set them off on the wrong foot.
They reached the foyer he'd planned out, and Sookie thought of how professional it looked. There was a set of opaque tempered glass doors that were reinforced with wire. What she didn't know is that Eric had them cast personally so that they were shatterproof, and the wire was silver. If any vampire got an idea to burst the doors open, they would get a shock. Of course, with that delay he would be there, and unharmed by silver.
Eric transferred all of their packages and luggage into the foyer and then opened the heavy-duty lock, and showed her into her new residence.
Sookie, weary from the long drive only looked around in a cursory manner. She hadn't thought to ask about sleeping arrangements, but she was sure that somewhere in this building was a cozy hidey-hole for a vampire, so it didn't concern her.
Eric could feel her tiredness in his blood, and put the last part of his plan into action. This was the part where she might protest.
"Sookie, come take a seat in the kitchen. I have something very important to talk to you about before I can let you shower and sleep. I'll put the groceries away while I talk, and so you won't need to do anything tonight."
Sookie followed him wearily into the kitchen. It was lovely, and had smooth lines with stainless steel countertops and dark wood. She didn't register much more than that, other than it would be a nice kitchen to cook in. Eric took her weary reaction with pride.
With trepidation, he hoped that her tired state would lead to less reaction. "I need to take some blood and saliva, some hair and nail clippings from you. It's important that no vampires can track you here. I don't want to have any unwelcome visitors. What we do here is secret."
Sookie's eyes widened. She wasn't quite sure what he was asking for, but she thought she'd hear him out.
"I know you don't like the vampire blood ties you have already, and I've found a way to nullify them. If you give me this, your blood ties will leave you. I've engaged a witch to help make it so." He knew she didn't like the vampire blood ties, so he didn't tell her that after the spell was performed, her only tie in future would be with him. He judged her correctly because he could feel hope and excitement rising in her.
"Oh that would be wonderful, Eric!" Sookie was overjoyed at the idea of being free of the influence of vampire blood, no matter whose it was.
"Alright, well, just give me what I need and then I can use the spell. After that, you can go and shower. Your bedroom is down the end of the hall. The bathroom is the room on the left." While he felt her joy, it didn't please him that she wanted to be free of him so easily. He knew that soon she would be his alone, and didn't feel so bad about this move. It was just a matter of time before his blood only flowed into her.
He got the jar, and pierced her with a fang, letting her blood drip into the jar. She spit into it, and she gladly pulled a few hairs out and clipped off a nail. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and shooed her off in the direction of the bedroom.
On his nightly hunts, he'd picked up the other things he needed to make the spell work. From his pocket he pulled out the photograph of the burns patient in a coma he'd found in the local hospital. Once he put the photo in with the materials from Sookie, the witch had explained that the person whose photo was in there would now draw the blood ties to her. Sookie would be free to form new blood ties, as was her choice once the jar was sealed.
Eric went down to the ground floor and traveled to the lake nearby, threw the jar in. No one would disturb it down at the murky depths. As long as the jar remained undisturbed, the blood ties would stay with the subject of the photograph. If he killed the woman, then the ties would die with her. After he'd made sure that Sookie loved only him, and was bound to only him, he may just do that.
He made his way back to the high rise and let himself into the apartment. When he got there, he took Sookie's luggage and put it back into the foyer. He had clothes for her, so she wouldn't need anything else, and nothing from her former life. While he waited for her anger to subside, he could take it down to his resting place and her scent would surround him. He unlocked the office, and went in to do some work on the computer and check his email.
When he was sure he could hear Sookie's snores, he stole into the bedroom. She looked majestic lying there on the bed, surrounded by luxurious silks and nestled snuggly between the pillows. Entering the code for the wardrobe, he took out the clothes that she would be wearing tomorrow and put them on the couch at the end of the bed.
Eric longed to join her, but the time was not yet. He didn't want to make her skittish, and he didn't wish to be subject to her wrath when she found she was locked into his love nest. He made his way down to his resting place, taking her luggage with him, and full of anticipation for the reveal tomorrow. Now everything had been secured, and he was sure she'd be here, he would reveal his deception. Tomorrow he would tell her of his bait and switch.