A/N: So, did E v. E whet your appetite for more? Any guesses about the hints? I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter. I was a bit worried that it might be too stomach turning, but y'all are really a sick, sick bunch! LOL! Thank you again for your wonderful reviews and pm's. They make my day, and make all the hard work worthwhile.

I also have to throw a whole lot of love to the ladies and gents, over at the LTEA thread at the HBO wiki, and my girls at the Northman thread at the Sookieverse. You are all such a fantastic support system for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As always, a big, HUGE thank you, and my undying gratitude to Gallathea and Kristin . . . The Betas . . . yes, those two mythic, goddess-like beings who keep my work from being meaningless piles of drivel.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter. *goes off and sits, and waits, and bites her nails*

Chapter 26

As soon as I woke up, I felt him. He was close, and I could feel his pull on me even though I knew he wasn't awake. With a soundless sigh, I got out of bed, and walked to the window. I looked over the little town I'd come to know so well over the last few months, and realized it was time to say goodbye. At breakfast I told the two Britlingens my plans, and we spent a last, lazy day, wandering around the small shops. I bought small gifts for Amelia and Sam. Somehow, I didn't think either Eric or Pam would want anything from this place.

After dinner that night, I packed my bags, and prepared for our flight the next morning. I didn't sleep at all, preferring instead to watch as one of the final nights of the Midnight Sun slipped away. I could feel him when he awoke, and I sensed his impatience and excitement. It made me smile, a genuine smile, for the first time in months.

Batanya and Clovache had been right. I needed Eric, and I needed to reclaim our link if I was ever going to get past what Craig did to me. I hoped I was ready. I wanted to be ready. I missed his touch. I can't say that I felt confident that I was okay. I knew that I wasn't. There was still a dark place inside my soul, but I hoped that with time, and Eric's love, it would start to recede. For now, I just had to keep trudging along.

I also had to deal with Craig, but that could keep for the moment. He wasn't going anywhere, but until he was no longer a threat to me and my loved ones, I would never feel safe. Then again, I wasn't sure I ever would. Being a mortal in a supernatural world was a risky proposition in the best of times. Being a part-fairy, telepathic mortal, and bonded to a thousand year old Viking? Well, that just painted a bigger target on my chest.

We landed in Trondheim in the early afternoon, and went straight to the hotel. It was a beautiful nineteenth-century building, and it just oozed luxury. I discovered later that it was also one of the few that had made accommodations for vampire guests. I could feel him sleeping in one of the rooms converted for vampire use. I was beginning to register us into the hotel, when the man at the front desk said, "Ah! Ms. Stackhouse, your room has already been arranged."

I looked at him suspiciously, and took a peek into his head, before shaking my head knowingly. Eric. A part of me wanted to be angry at him for presuming that I would come right to him, but another part of me, the part that was learning to accept Eric for who and what he was, decided to enjoy the gesture.

"And my companions?" I asked, gesturing to the Britlingens.

"Also arranged for. Please, follow me."

He led us to the elevator, then used a key card to access the top button. The penthouse. Of course. Only Eric. The room he led us into was unbelievable. It was a two-story suite, which had two bedrooms; one for me, and one for the Britlingens. The floors were cherry wood, and the décor was distinctly nautical. It was dressed in warm beiges, browns, and blues, and while it was very masculine, it felt so like Eric that I instantly felt comfortable in it.

After being shown around the suite, and tipping the bellman, I decided to take a bath and a nap. I woke up around six, but the sun would not set for a few more hours. I went downstairs to dinner with Batanya and Clovache, and then decided to go for a walk. I walked aimlessly, with no particular purpose. The city was beautiful, with old churches covered in gargoyles, and many buildings dating back to the eighteenth century. I walked some of the old cobblestone streets, and just wandered. The city is surrounded by water and canals, and I found myself drawn to the water. It was nearing nine, and I knew I should head back, but ahead I saw a statue and decided to indulge myself in one more bit of history and culture.

I looked up and . . . It couldn't be! I looked down at the plaque and began to read. When I finished, I felt Eric waking up, and I knew he would come to me, so I waited.

It didn't take long, and as I felt his approach, I asked Batanya and Clovache to make themselves scarce. I stood staring at the water, and felt him behind me. He did not make a move to touch me, and I could feel his uncertainty as to whether it would be welcome. I spoke first. "That's you, isn't it? I mean some of the details seem wrong, but I know that's you."

"Yes," he replied, with a sigh. "It has been so long . . . . That man had not existed for nearly a thousand years when this was made. It's a twentieth-century rendering of what I looked like."

"I've always known you were old, but this . . . this is part of history, Eric." I felt overwhelmed, and insignificant.

"We are all part of history, Sookie," he countered.

I turned to face him, and my breath caught in my throat. He was so beautiful. He was wearing jeans, and a lightweight black sweater, in a nod to the cool weather. His hair was held back at the nape of his neck, but strands were being torn loose by the wind that had kicked up and were dancing around his face. I nearly lost myself in his eyes, and the depths they held, but I shook my head.

"Eric, don't trivialize this! Leif Erikson?! You are freaking Leif Erikson!" I was nearly shouting at this point. "Leif from California," I laughed. If they only knew. "Northman. Clever. You really are that, aren't you? A true north man."

"What do you want me to say, Sookie?" He asked, and took a step toward me.

"I don't know Eric. I just . . ." and I took a deep breath, "I don't want to fight. This wasn't how I thought tonight would go, it's just that this just took me by surprise, and it's a little overwhelming." I stepped closer to him, closing the gap between us. "I'm sorry." And I began to cry quietly.

"Shh, my love." His large hand hesitantly reached out to me, and when I didn't flinch or pull away, he cupped my face and brushed aside my tears with his thumb. I leaned into his touch, grateful for it, for him, and so very grateful that instead of revulsion at the contact, I felt safety, and love. For the first time in months, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I might someday be whole again. He pulled me closer, enveloping me with his arms, and it felt like home.

"Eric," I whispered, and looked up at him. I gazed up into his eyes, and for an instant, everything else fell away. There was just us, and in that moment the rest of the world didn't matter. There were no psychotic telepaths, no revenge-crazed vampires, no bomb toting religious nuts, and no vampire politics. Eric bent his head, and as his lips brushed mine, I moaned with desire and need. It was all too brief, and then the moment passed, and the world came back into focus.

"Let's go, my love," he said, as he took me by the hand, and I knew he wanted to return to the hotel. We had a lot of time to make up for.

"Just a second, okay?" I asked, and turned back to the statue once more, marveling at the crazy twists and turns that my life had taken in a few short years, when it struck me. The irony of being there, in that place, was not lost on me. It was not intentional. Well, I meant to come there, but not for that reason. Freud would say I subconsciously chose it. I say fuck Freud. Sometimes a cigar really is just a cigar. I stood looking at the plaque, and shook my head. Even there, at the furthest reaches of just about anywhere, I couldn't escape him. I laughed. It was a dry, humorless laugh. The real ones had not yet returned to me. I didn't know if they ever would. I did know, however, that this seemed to be yet another sign, another acknowledgment, that I was inexorably tied to him. It made my decision that much more certain in my mind. It was meant to be after all. It was inevitable. It had to be done. I just needed to convince him.

He looked at me when he heard my laugh, his head cocked to the side as though trying to figure out what was going through my mind. I wasn't ready to tell him what I was thinking, so I said, "Just trying to get my sense of humor back."

I walked over to him, took his hand, and we headed back to the hotel. We went back to the suite, and I saw by the closed door that Batanya and Clovache had already returned. I took Eric by the hand, and led him to my room. He hesitated at the doorway, as if he was unsure that it was what I really wanted. And it was what I wanted. I wanted him. I wanted his kiss, and his touch. I wanted to wipe away the traces of Craig's touch with Eric's own. I reached up and pulled him down for a kiss. At first he seemed to resist, but then I heard him whisper, "Sookie," and his arms crushed me to him as he deepened the kiss.

I ...[EDITED] SEE CHAPTER 1 NOTE

A/N: *peeks back in* So, um, what do ya think of my little surprise? And, are you all happy now? Was it lemony enough for you? Shall we all sing The Lemon Song? Or, should we find an old Viking song?

I promised I'd get back to the prologue, and I have. Now what? What is she up to? Just so y'all know, I had the prologue written first. I knew where I was going, I just never imagined it was going to take me 26 chapters to get back to it!