AN- All characters are the property of Charlaine Harris.
When Sookie woke up she was encased in Eric's arms. The sun must not have set yet though because he wasn't moving. She squirmed out of his grasp and tried to find a clock. On the other side of Eric was a nightstand with a digital clock.
She jumped up as she suddenly realized she had completely forgotten about her shift at Merlotte's. She frantically searched about the dark room for a phone, or a light. Her hand found Eric's cell and she flipped it open. She was shocked to see her picture on the phone's background. When had he taken this? She hadn't even seen him snap it. She looked at it closer and saw that it must have been when she was looking at the broach in his living room. She shook her head and remembered why she was looking for the phone in the first place. She quickly dialed her work number.
"Merlotte's," she heard Sam say on the other end.
"Sam, this is Sookie..."
"Oh my god, what happened to you? I almost called the police but your Gran assured me that you were fine. She wouldn't tell me where you were." She almost didn't understand him he was talking so fast.
"I know, I'm sorry Sam. I forgot I was supposed to come in today. Do you still need me to come down?" She didn't want to tell Sam what was going on. She knew how he would take that.
"Are you alright Sookie? It's not like you to forget like that."
"I'm fine Sam. Did you need me there or not? Cause it would take me awhile to get there...I'm out of town." She would probably have to take a taxi to even get to Bon Temps.
"Out of town, huh? No, I think we will be okay here. Will you be in tomorrow then?"
"Yeah, no problem. Sorry again Sam." She let out a grateful sigh, she really didn't want to leave Eric.
"You know tomorrow night Bill is going to be speaking at your Gran's group," he said.
"Really!," she almost shouted. "I didn't think he would do that since we are broken up."
"So you really did break up with him?" He sounded so happy about this.
She might not be able to read his thoughts from where she was but she knew what he was thinking and she needed to stop him. "I'm...," dating? No it was more than that, "I'm committed to someone else now Sam."
"Do I know him?"
"I don't know, he's from Shreveport."
"Sookie! You didn't meet him at that vampire bar did you!" He was furious now.
"Yes as a matter of fact I did. And it's really none of your business Sam Merlotte!"
"Sookie, please...," he began.
"I'll see you tomorrow Sam," and she hung up on her boss.
Cold hands circled her waist surprising her. "Am I going to have to have a talk with this Sam Merlotte?," Eric whispered in her ear.
She shook her head, "I don't get him. I've been working with him for years now and he only takes an interest in me when I find someone else."
"He wants you?," she could feel his rage.
"I can feel how mad you are right now. Why is that?" It was almost like telepathy but with emotions, empathy she thought the word was.
His eyebrow raised, "Why am I mad? Or why are you feeling my anger?"
"Well I can guess why you are mad," she smiled.
"You have had more of my blood. The more you have the closer we become to each other." His eyes couldn't stop wandering and she realized that she was still naked. She felt his desire and it almost knocked her down.
"Wow there stud," she pushed away from him. "I'm not ready to go again just yet." She heard him make a hungry noise. "I need to call Gran. Did you know that Bill is still speaking at her meeting?"
"That is interesting. I wonder what he hopes to accomplish," Eric mused.
She held the phone up, "You are gonna need a better picture than that one."
"Perhaps one as you are now?," he grinned at her wickedly.
"Hrm, I'll think about it. I'll need one of you though. Ah, but I don't have a phone," she pouted.
She quickly dialed her Gran before he could push the picture issue. She was surprised to hear that her Gran was not that worried about her. It was as if she had forgotten that her granddaughter had left with a vampire. A vampire who was making it very hard to talk on the phone. He had wiggled his way between her knees and was in the process of kissing every square inch of her breasts. She quickly finished talking and threw the phone on the floor.
As soon as she let go of the phone, he pushed her back onto the bed. She felt his lust wash over her and she sent it right back to him. She watched as he closed his eyes and rolled his head around, "Oh, my love, that is exhilarating."
"You felt that? It works both ways?"
"Oh yes," he grinned wickedly, "I felt it." He picked up again and showed her how fun his shower could be. It was much larger than the one at her Gran's house and it was indeed quiet entertaining.
"Come with me to Fangtasia tonight," he said after they had finished.
"If that's what you want. I'm skippin out on work so I don't have any plans," she laughed. "Umm, I have a slight problem I think." She held up the remains of her clothes.
"I hardly see that as a problem," he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "I'll have Pam bring something over. I'm sure it would thrill her to no end to dress you up." He moved to his dresser and dug around until he came up with something acceptable. He tossed Sookie one of his Fangtasia t-shirts. He knew that if he didn't get some form of clothing on her, he would never leave his bedroom. Which normally would be fine but there were some things he needed to attend to at work. Eric watched Sookie put on the shirt and he had to admit he enjoyed seeing it on her.
He picked the phone off the floor and dialed Pam. "Pam I need you to bring over something for Sookie to wear. I trust you will find something nice." Sookie was trying her hardest to be just as distracting as he had been when she was on the phone. She had moved up behind him on the bed and wrapped her legs around his waist. Her hands were currently exploring his backside.
"Are you bringing your new pet to Fangtasia?" She did not hide the contempt from her voice.
"Do not pretend to be stupid with me Pam. I know that you heard me call her my wife." He felt Sookie jerk in response. After a few moments her hands moved between his legs. He moaned involuntarily. "And yes we will be coming to Fangtasia." He was beginning to be annoyed with his child and her obvious opinion of Sookie.
"Yes, I seem to have momentarily forgotten that this human you just met is somehow married to you. How foolish of me?" He could almost see her rolling her eyes. "What I meant to ask was, will she be blending in or standing out?" He moaned again as Sookie worked harder at distracting him. "Should I call you some other time when you are less occupied?"
He growled into the phone. "She will be on my arm Pam, do not embarrass me by dressing her as a common fangbanger," he hung up before she could say more. He turned to the minx on his bed to give her the proper amount of attention.
They were lying in each others arms when Pam entered the kitchen. Eric got up and pulled on his boxers. "Pam is here love."
"Well I guess it's a good thing you're tall, or this wouldn't cover me at all." She pulled down on the shirt self-consciously.
His eyes wandered her body, "I like my shirt on you Sookie. You should keep it." She giggled and twirled for him. He caught a tantalizing glimpse of her cheeks as she turned. And then she darted down the hallway. He let out a growl and quickly caught her around the waist. "You are such a tease," he murmured into her ear.
Pam cleared her throat unnecessarily, "Are you quite finished? Or am I to stay and watch the show?" Her eyebrow arched.
"Would you like a show Pam?," he laughed. "It would not bother me, but I am certain Sookie would not be so forthcoming." Sookie shyly turned into Eric's chest so she wouldn't have to look at Pam after that comment.
"Oh my god! You have given her your blood!" Pam dropped all the items she had been carrying.
"That is none of your business!," he snarled.
"It is my business when it effects your abilities to handle you shit Eric! What in the world has gotten into you?" She examined Sookie closely, "Is she a witch? Have you put a spell on my maker?" She moved to pull Sookie away from Eric. Pam did not realize her mistake until it was too late.
Eric's eyes flared with rage. One hand pulled Sookie closer to him as the other lashed out at Pam. She was sent flying through the air and smashed into the wall. Pieces of drywall fell around her as the entire wall was divested of its pictures. She left a sizable hole in the wall that would need to be repaired. She looked up to see Eric towering over her gently holding the girl to him still. The look in his eyes sent Pam cowering.
"You will not harm Sookie, Pam! As your maker, I command it!" His fury rolled off of him in waves. His fangs were extended and his muscles where flexed. He glanced down to see how Sookie was and he was shocked to see her beaming up at him. Through the bond he felt a strange mixture of pride and desire. He had expected this display to frighten Sookie when instead it had aroused her. He could not help himself, he bent down and kissed her passionately.
Sookie moaned into his mouth ignoring the crumpled vampire on the floor. She did not know what came over her. Seeing Eric protecting her had sparked something primal in her. She was tempted to give Pam a show after all.
Pulling away from Sookie forcefully, he glared down at Pam. "Out of respect to you, as my child, Pam I will explain this to you. I do not, however, care how you 'feel' about my relationship with Sookie. So do not presume to lecture me!" The violence had not left his voice. He realized that he would not have to hide this part of himself from Sookie and it was liberating. She did not cower at his side like any other human would have. Sookie did not faint at the first sign of violence as had so many other women before her. And he suddenly understood why...This woman at his side was no other woman. She had been raised a viking. Maybe not in this lifetime, but she comprehended it on a level no modern women ever would. And she basked in it, even welcomed it. She expected him to be ruthless and violent. And he was.
Pam stared up in confusion at the pair that could not keep their hands off of each other. She had never seen her maker act this way. But the real shock was the way Sookie was acting. When Pam had originally talked to her she had been so timid. And now she could see that Eric's rage had practically made her tear her shirt off and throw herself at his feet. Like an offering to some pagan god. It was clearly intoxicating to him. Maybe it was due to the blood that he had given her. Eric was not used to human emotions, he had been dead far too long. She was concerned that Sookie would completely destroy her maker. She already had him eating out of the palm of her hand.
Then, as if he read her mind, he bit Sookie savagely. It was not a clean bite, not a lovers bite. He tore at her throat with a primal hunger. And Sookie welcomed it! She cried out as her blood flowed and she pulled herself onto his erection. Pam was indeed getting her show, and it was not at all what she expected. She huddled on the ground unable to move. There was blood everywhere and it was driving her mad, she suspected that was part of her punishment. He was attached to her neck. Sookie was using a nearby stool as leverage and was crushing into Eric madly. Just when Pam had thought she'd seen it all, Sookie reared back her head and bit Eric as hard as she could in his neck. Eric let out a scream and held her head to the wound. Pam watched in horror as Sookie fastened herself to Eric like a leech. Eric slammed Sookie against the wall, her head bounced with each thrust. They completed simultaneously as their screams echoed through the entire house.
They were both covered in blood. Eric recognized that he had gone too far but he could not control himself. Never in his life had he imagined he could do this with a human and not have to kill her or glamor her. He was glad to see that his blood had fixed whatever he had done to her neck. "Why don't you head to the shower again while I talk to my child, Sookie." He could not believe that Sookie had become as lost in the moment as he had. They really did make the perfect match. He watched as Sookie sauntered to the bathroom swaying her hips deliciously. He motioned for Pam to follow him to the living room and he gracefully sat down in his favorite chair. She sat down on the couch across from him and waited.
"What shall I do with you Pam?"
She understood that it was a rhetorical question and remained silent.
"Though I jested earlier, I had not actually intended for you to witness that. She is too much for even me, I can not control myself around her. As you have seen. Truly the reason is so bizarre that I doubt you will comprehend it however." He leaned forward slightly as if trying to see into his child's mind.
"I am all ears, as the humans say," Pam smirked.
"You heard me call her my wife, yet you did not grasp the significance. I used my native tongue and she understood. Not only that she spoke it, much better than you I might add." He paused for a moment, giving her a chance to consider.
"Am I to assume that you are speaking of reincarnation?"
"Pam not only is her soul reborn, but her body carries that soul. That is exactly what my mortal wife looked like. Why else do you think I would behave in such a manner? You think me totally mad and I understand that. But tell me Pam, how often do you get a second chance at something like that?" He shook his head, "Never! That is how often. I have been alive a long time now and I have never once heard of such a thing happening. I will not throw it away so casually."
"I only consider your position and your businesses. I do not wish to see you undermined because you have become soft and favor humans now." Pam was watching the floor intently, she knew if she looked up Eric would see her disgust.
"Tell me Pam, how does Sookie seem to you?" He was almost growling in an effort to control his anger. "Does she seem like every other simpering blood bag you have run across?"
"She seems much changed since meeting you," she said cautiously.
"Look at me Pam," her eyes shot to his automatically. "If Sookie was my human wife, what does that make her?" His eyes narrowed. "She is a viking Pam, and she will not put up with your disrespect for one instant. She is used to directing my slaves and running my house. She is well aware of how brutal I can be.
"One time a band of raiders penetrated our defenses and made straight for our houses to steal our belongings and take our families as slaves. That little girl in there, held off three large men. Killing one before I could even reach her. She watched as I hacked the remaining two limb from limb. Then she calmly handed swords to our boys and demanded that they get trophies. Tonight is not the first night we have fucked covered in blood or even in front of witnesses. She is every bit as vicious as I am. Do not doubt that for one instant Pam." He paused and smiled at her, "You might even like her."
Pam sat up straighter, "Do not expect me to waiver when it comes to you doing your job. My power is directly tied to yours and I will not see everything we worked for dashed on the rocks. I will not bother your pretty Sookie, but I will also not allow other vampires to see this as an opportunity to take you out."
"I would expect nothing less from you. If Sookie bothers you so much, you are certainly free to pursue other options." He has always let Pam come and go as she pleased and he was not about to order her to stay where she felt threatened.
"I am currently intrigued and wish to see how this plays out. I admit, I have never seen you more 'alive'. It is quiet interesting," she raises her eyebrow in amusement.
"She calls me back to when I was alive." Eric stands from his chair as he hears the shower turn off. "I need to get ready. Be sure to see to Sookie. I will return shortly." He enters the bathroom as Sookie is drying her hair. "I am sorry I missed you in the shower love," he says with a wink. "Pam will see that you are clothed. She promises to behave."
"Speaking of behaving," a worried look crosses her eyes. "What the hell was that out there? I mean don't get me wrong it was sexy as hell, but I don't think Pam needed to see that."
"I find I can not control myself around you Sookie." He shrugged his shoulders, "Pam needed to learn her place. It is not up to her who I do and do not give blood to."
"She won't hurt me?"
"I forbade it. She could not even if she wanted to. I am her maker, she can not disobey my command." He kissed her gently on the cheek and jumped into the shower before he was tempted to do more.
Sookie glanced around and gladly found a bathrobe that she could use. Eric's shirt was covered in her blood. She just left it on the floor, she would take care of it later. She dug through Eric's bathroom until she came up with a blow dryer. She giggled as she turned it on. She did not think to find one here.
"I have long hair as well love," he commented as he poked his head out to see what she was laughing about. "I do not use that often though I admit. The hair styles change all the time, sometimes it is hard to keep up. Before the Great Revelation, we had to be able to blend in anywhere. I was very good at it," he announced proudly.
"Of course you were dear, you are very cunning," she states casually.
She can hear him laugh in the shower, "You know me so well."
"So it seems," she remarked. The more she was around him, the more she was recalling. It felt like a roller coaster ride. Just when you get to the top and can see clearly, you are dashed into unexpected depths. The first dip had scared her and made her nauseous, but now she just clung on and enjoyed the ride. New revelations did not shock her any longer. The more she recovered, the more whole she felt. As if she had been missing this part of herself all along. It was invigorating and she constantly longed for more.
She exited the bathroom to find Pam in the kitchen drinking a True Blood. She eyed her cautiously before finally asking her what she had brought for her to wear. Pam merely pointed to the garment bag that she had dropped on the floor previously. She retrieved the bag and found a shoe box below it. She thanked Pam and went to put it on. Eric was already out of the bathroom so she went in there to get dressed. She gasp as she unzipped the bag and saw the red dress that Pam had chosen. It was silky and shimmered in the light. It had an empire bust that was gathered in the front with a tie. She was grateful that it had straps because it was clear this was meant to be worn without a bra and she needed all the support she could get. When she put it on, it flowed freely down to her knees. In the box, she found some beautiful, high heeled, strappy, black shoes. She about jumped out of the shoes when Pam suddenly appeared behind her with the bar stool that she had been sitting on in the kitchen. She placed it on the floor and motioned for Sookie to sit.
"Let me fix your hair and make-up," she announced with no emotion.
"Oh, um, thank you." She sat down dutifully. "The outfit is gorgeous by the way, thank you."
"It's expensive too," Pam replied as she started on Sookie's make-up.
"I guessed as much," she murmured. She opted to remain silent while Pam went to work. She did not wish to antagonize this vampire further.
Pam was limited by the hair care products that where in Eric's bathroom. Though extensive for a male, they did not contain things like curling irons or pins. Sookie had naturally gorgeous hair and she just left free. Plus the hair served to cover the signs of how Eric had ravaged her neck. Even with his blood in her, it was still noticeable. Especially to a vampire. Though she would likely be fine by the morning. Pam shook her head remembering how he had ripped into Sookie. It was reckless and Eric was never reckless. She wouldn't even have survived if Sookie had not previously ingested Eric's blood. Pam could hear Eric talking on his phone and she decided to see how much Sookie really knew.
"Are you aware that he almost killed you out there?," she asked as she was applying her own make-up on Sookie. She decided to use Eric's language to see if she did indeed speak it.
As soon as she heard the language that Pam was using, she understood that she was being tested. She thought carefully before answering, "You presume that I do not trust my husband. That I have not placed my life in his hands many times" She did not feel like Sookie right now and her viking side was not going to tolerate questions of loyalty. She glanced in the mirror and saw that Pam was staring at her in shock. She decided to lighten the mood. "Your accent is terrible by the way," she allowed a small smile to show.
"Eric tells me that constantly." The corners of Pam's mouth turned upward ever so slightly.
"I could help you," Sookie offered.
"Maybe you could," Pam mused. "It might surprise Eric."
"I do not doubt that. Plus it relaxes him."
"You noticed that?," Pam was impressed.
"He is no longer hard for me to read. Between my past knowledge and our blood sharing, the only things I do not know are things that occurred in my absence. We will have to compare notes some time. Though I admit, all of my memories are not intact yet. They are disjointed and often confusing." She absently pondered how different she sounded when she gave in to her viking side. It wasn't just the language, it was as if she thought differently.
"Your acting like him," Pam chimed in. Answering the riddle Sookie had been trying to unravel.
Sookie nodded, "Nothing seems to bother Aude. I find it...peaceful. Sookie is a constant mess. It seems I will need to meld the two or likely lose one."
"Well, I was done with your make-up ages ago. I was just waiting for an opportunity to question you," Pam announces as she places all of her make-up back in her purse.
"I know," Sookie jumped off of the stool lightly. "Just like I know that Eric faked that phone call to get you talking and he is actually outside listening right now."
Down the hall Eric roared with laughter. He could not have hoped for a better outcome. He knew that his wife could handle herself but he still wasn't sure about Sookie. He suspected that Sookie had always stood up for herself however. He was surprised to hear his wife answering Pam. It was as if Sookie had given herself over to Aude. It was very interesting to hear. She did know him well, she had completely seen through his little ruse. Pam did have a good point though. He had almost killed Sookie, he would have to learn to control himself more carefully.
"Oh Sookie, you look radiant," he said as soon as she exited the bathroom. He was glad that he had opted for a black suit tonight; he knew that Pam would dress Sookie well. "Let us go my love."