A/N - TB and SVM characters belong to HBO, Mrs Harris and Alan Ball, original characters and storyline are my own. Your reviews, feedback and alerts make my day. Please enjoy.

Chapter 18

Scene 1 - EPOV - Even Steven

I smelled the scent of victory in the brave little fairies words.

"Don't just stand there smiling," she hissed. "Sookie cannot hold out for much longer."

"Explain." I ordered.

"They have been trying to break the bond between the two of you for three days. She is fighting them but is becoming exhausted, her shields are weakening."

"Of what matter to them is the bond?" I asked as I lifted the fairy and headed for Fangtasia.

"It is why I encouraged her to find you again," Claudia explained. "If she is connected to you, they cannot keep her from leaving Faerun if she can get to a portal. If they break it, she will be trapped."

"You told her to bond with me?" I asked in statement. I thought the idea of bonding to me had been Sookie's. Yes to protect her but I thought she chose me personally, instead of Compton or even one of the other vampires.

"Foolish vampire," Claudine snickered ignoring me when I bared my fangs. "Sookie cares for you, she always has. I just nudged her in the direction she wanted to go, but feared to." She pulled out a parchment from her belt when we landed in the club's parking lot. "Here, this number should get you directly to Niall without having to go through the worthless assistants."

I was curious about the lack of scent from her or her brother. "How is it you and your brother can mask your scent?"

"A family trait. A lovely perk when dealing with your kind."

"Indeed," I said as I escorted her into the office. "You may wait here, or I can take you to your brother. Be warned, he is not a pretty sight."

"I would like to see Claude please. I need to know how much he was involved in this." Her gaze grew fierce, "I will not risk my children's lives for him if he willingly helped Preston."

I called Pam to me. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the fairy. "Pam this is Sookie's cousin Claudine. She has come to us to offer herself in exchange for Sookie. No one is to harm her or abuse her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Master."

"Then take her to her brother and order some food for her." I shot an inquiring glance at Claudine, "I assume you can eat what Sookie prefers?"

"Yes as long as it isn't lemon or high in iron," she said smiling.

Appius watched the exchange with bemusement. He waited to comment until after Pam and Claudine had left.

"You are being soft with her Eric, has she cast some spell upon you?"

I was dialing the number for Niall as I answered, "No Ocella, I wish only for her to be relaxed in our presence, perhaps she will give us more information. And for now she is of more use to us whole and untouched." Niall still had not picked up the phone. "Unless her Prince does not feel her worth the trade, then we will use a bit of persuasion."

I was about ready to flip the phone shut when the line was finally picked up.

"Brigant"

"Niall this is Eric Northman, such a shame you have not returned my previous calls."

"You are wasting our time Norseman. Sookie is remaining here. If you want Edgington's ring then courier one million."

"I am afraid is not so simple anymore Niall. I have some visitors with me, one calls himself Claude. Do you know him?"

"He is an employee, runs a club for me."

"Ah yes, these clubs you have scattered about my area. Do you know I have discovered several more of these? I have also tracked down the owners and their families."

"I will trade the ancient's ring for Claude."

"Must be a profitable club. I want more from you Niall, and you know it. I will meet you at the portal on Sookie's property in two hours. Don't be late."

"One hour, I have other appointments."

We both disconnected and I turned to Appius.

"Gather the others, we head to Sookie's." I told him.

"You did not mention the sister."

"No, in her circumstance I think a visual statement will be expedient."

I called for Pam and shortly we were on our way to the farmhouse. I would have Sookie returned tonight.

Scene 2 - SPOV -Mind Sweep

I tried prying open the window one more time, when I only received more splinters under my finger nails, I yelled and kicked the closest chair.

"Such a temper," Preston chastised from behind me. He had popped in through the locked door instead of walking through it. A habit he had formed since my attempted escape. He had forgotten to lock it behind him one morning and I had made it half way to the portal before being caught and punished.

"This is you lucky day Sookie," Preston continued when I didn't respond. "In a few minutes you will be free of your vampire, just as you wished." His smile displayed seratted teeth. "And the doors and windows will be unlocked, because you will never be able to leave Faerun again. You might want to pray to your God for a short human life span, instead of fairy because I plan on having you entertaining me for centuries."

"I will find a way to kill you Preston," I snarled at him. "You will make another mistake and it will be your last."

Two more fairy popped into the room who I did not recognize.

"Sookie, when we are done here you won't even remember your own name, but I will." He snapped at the two fairies. "Hold her."

The two strangers grabbed my arms and held me against my struggles while Preston pulled the flask from his belt. He walked over and grabbed my hair, pulling my head back. One of the fairies used his free hand to help pry my mouth open as Preston poured the contents of the flask down my throat. I tried to spit it out but they held my mouth shut and pinched my nose until I couldn't breath.

At the first swallow I felt my shields drop and my mind opened wide and then Preston was there ruffling through my memories as I watched.

"Impressive Sookie, much more to you than expected. No matter it will not take long to find what I want." He said as he walked through the first open door.

Memories of my child hood sprang to the fore and I was helpless as Preston flipped through them, seeing every hurt laid upon me by the harsh words of the school kids. He laughed when he saw my mother ignore my attempts to inform her about Uncle Bartlette and I watched as he pulled out a mental pen and paper and made notes.

"Some good stuff here to use later," he said and his mental laughter echoed down long hallways.

Every attempt I made to raise my shields failed thanks to the potions magic. Preston hacked through my mind like a steamroller, leaving bits of memory scattered behind him in a debris field. He stopped once when he found Jason as an adult and I felt a flash of lust from him.

"Someone else to play with when we are through here. Why didn't Niall say anything about this luscious one. Didn't want to share after Dermot?." I heard him mutter.

Then we hit the memory of Bill walking into Merlotte's for the first night and Preston really got to work. I watched impotently as he fast forwarded through the encounter and later the beating by the Ratrays. He slowed down when Bill gave me blood for the first time, then sped through again, stopping only at each point I received blood. It dawned on me he was trying to see the bond between Bill and I created, more specifically where it was hiding in my head.

I stopped trying to raise my shields and instead went for a direct attack against Preston's mind. I was successful in getting through but once he realized what I was doing he called upon the other two fairies to help push and then block me out. I retreated back into my head and went on the offensive, pulling out a metaphysical sword and hacking at him.

This was new to me and Preston was more familiar with this sort of battle, able to ward me off with one hand while he still thumbed through my minds files. The potions magic was draining me, making it more and more difficult to remain on the offensive and I saw internal walls and doors begin to crumble. Preston reached the Dallas memories and the moment Eric tricked me into taking his blood. He froze the moment and began to trace the tiny thread which had formed. The connection, like Bill's wasn't strong enough to trace all the way so back he went to fast forwarding.

I attacked frantically, trying to break his concentration only to feel like a butterfly against a windshield. He paused only once, when he came to the memory of my defense against his lover Claudette. He played the scenes back over and over, frame by frame, calling out her name as the falling door ended her life.

"Preston, it was an accident don't you see now?" I begged him hoping the truth would literally set me free.

"She would still be here if it was not for you. You are the reason she was taken from me. It was your life she attempted to destroy." He whispered then spun and attacked me. While we were fighting in the corridors of my mind, every cut and slice was mirrored on my human body and my blood began to flow.

The memories were still reeling by and the closer we came to my offer to Eric to claim me the harder I fought to keep Preston distracted. I had lost the sword and now had retreated to dodging him and throwing whatever my hands could conjure. But despite my efforts, I failed. The moment Eric and I exchanged blood there had been an explosion in my mind as the blood bond tore open and the memory of that moment pointed the way to the hidden room.

When the flash occurred I spun on my heels and began running, desperate to beat Preston to the door way. He was close on my heels and laughing like a loon. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the shields still strong around the bond and leaped through the open door. When I twisted around Preston was there yelling as he tried to beat through the guards I had set after Appius attempt.

Every blow against the mental door formed a bruise upon my body. When Preston couldn't batter through on his own, he called out to the others and the three of them hammered at me. I refused to yield and time passed without end. They gave up on the door and started to work on the walls.

I let out a shout of victory when they triggered the first trap and watched one fairy mind scream away consumed by a witches spell. The second soon followed leaving me with Preston. I was becoming weaker and weaker and the walls were brittle and ready to fall. There was only one last trap to spring and while it should put a stop to Preston, I had to place my faith in my vampire to pull me through. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the scent, the taste, the feel of him and the words only he had ever spoken. When I was confident I had the imprint I breathed the last spell and wrapped my arms around my piece of Eric.

Preston broke through the remnants of the wall and triggered the spell. We both screamed as the magic consumed us and I clung with all my might to Eric, trying to pour my very essence into the bond as my mind shattered around me. I had held Preston off for five days.

Scene 3 - EPOV - War

We were gathered at Sookie's farmhouse, me, Appius, Pam and Thalia. The fairy Claude was tied to the porch steps and a freshly bruised and beaten Claudine was feeding him some porridge from Sookie's kitchen. I had explained our plan to Claudine and once both Thalia and Pam reassured her wounds they meant to lay upon her could be done is such a way as to not harm her unborn children she agreed to the beating.

If she had appeared with me, unharmed next to her severely beaten brother, Niall's suspicions would be aroused. Our story was she had attempted to rescue her brother and had been captured. She was known to care deeply for her last sibling so it was plausible. She was to have confessed her pregnancy when the torture started. She had warned her brother if he spoke against her she would make sure he remained a victim of my mercy while she returned to Faerun.

She gave me information to use against Niall to force his hand. There was a great rift in the land of Fae. Young fairies unable to breed with their own kind, or like Claude, spurned because of their sexual orientation had fled to the human lands to make their way. There were more hybrid fairies born every year then full Fae, driving the fear the species was close to extinction. Factions had split, demanding the portals to the human realm be closed permanently so no more Fae would leave. Niall was the faction who wished to remain in contact with the humans and for the last fairy year had been battling a civil war.

Claudine risked much to come to me, and I hoped her Grandfather would fall for the injuries laid upon her and take her back to Faerun without questioning her motives further. It felt odd to accept the return of such a strong foe to her people instead of killing her. The time was close and I pulled Claudine to the side.

"My every instinct is screaming to kill you, but for Sookie I hold my hand," I informed her and took an unneeded breath. "If they try to harm you upon your return, find your way back to me and I will protect you, for Sookie."

"Thank you Viking, your honor precedes you," she responded with a smile. "I should be fine when I return home. Believe it or not there are many more like me who wish only peace and to be left alone."

I nodded and took my leave, joining Appius and Pam who was pushing Claude in front of her as we walked to the cemetery.

I wasn't expecting the exchange to be easy so when we were ambushed by a group of Fae I pulled the iron broadsword from my back with glee.

Appius and I circled Pam who crouched over Claude, another sword in her hand and an iron knife at the fairies throat.

I decapitated the first fairy assailant and laughed when Appius swung his iron hammer tearing the second in two. Pam sliced the back of another fairies knee as he tried to leap over her for me and I finished him off. We fought for five minutes and when the Fae ceased to come there were a dozen piles of fairy dust spread around us.

Pam pulled Claude to his feet with a laugh. "Nice little warm up, didn't even break a nail."

We continued cautiously to the cemetery where Niall was waiting for us with six more guards. He looked us over guardedly and saw our wounds to be minimal.

"Your reputation is well earned then Northman," he smiled wryly before speaking to Appius. "Appius Livius it has been a millennia. I did not expect to find you in the New World."

"I was curious," Appius replied.

"So it appears," Niall spoke briskly as he pulled out a signet ring from his pocket. "I believe you can identify this for Northman, Appius if you would please." He tossed it to one of his guards and bid him to approach Appius.

Appius glanced at it and nodded, "It is Edgington's."

"Excellent," Niall exclaimed. "Then bring me Claude and the ring is yours."

"I want Sookie returned Niall," I said. "She is mine by our laws, the laws your people agreed to abide by." While rare a bond between Fae and vampire had occurred before, understandable since a full Fae and vampire could potentially have the same life span. Laws were formed before the Great War to keep the Fae partner from being banished. Those laws were never retracted, according to Mr. Cataliades they were still on the supernatural books.

He brushed me off, "She does not wish to return. She is happy in our world, we are her family."

"As happy as she was when she left the first time, abused and battered?" I snarled in reply. "She can no longer bear children thanks to her family. Why would she wish to stay with such as you?" I asked. "Are you willing to break your laws and keep her from me?"

"The bond is no more," he snapped in return. "You have no claim."

I shook my head, "I cannot reach her, but the bond is indeed still intact," I said then at his start of surprise, "Someone has told you different? They lied Prince."

"No matter," Niall waved a hand in dismissal. "Take the ring, we are through here."

I glanced over to Appius and smiled, "Ocella if you would please?" I turned back to Niall to explain, "I think it is you who does not understand. You will return my bonded immediately." From the brush around us stepped seven more vampires, each holding a fairy captive they had taken from their human beds. I had rounded up each Fae employee and owner of every club I could find. Ocella had picked each vampire by hand for their ability to control themselves around the Fae as well as a little bit of help from Claudine to partially block the scent. The eighth vampire to step forward was Thalia with a slumping Claudine.

"You would threaten War Vampire?" Niall asked in astonishment his eyes wide and locked on Claudine.

"More than just a War Prince," I pointed to Claude and then Claudine. "These are your grand children, full blooded Fae and the last of their line. She is pregnant with twins I believe," I said indicating Claudine. "She foolishly tried to rescue her brother."

Then I looked Niall straight in the eye, "So yes I am willing to go to war for Sookie, can you say the same? How would your people react to the knowledge you allowed dozens of innocent Fae to be slaughtered and your grand children and unborn great grand children to be murdered, all for a lowly hybrid human?"

Niall did not say a word, but his guards were muttering behind him, as a precaution I had the last five vampires in hiding step forward. Our numbers were now even.

I summoned Pam and Thalia to me, each had an iron knife at their victim's throat. "You have a half hour to bring forth Sookie and the one who took her. If you do not, Claudine will die first, then her brother and finally one by one the Fae behind me." I fell silent and waited for his response.

He continued to look at Claudine who lifted her face, posing so the worse bruises were on display. "Please Grandda, I wish my babies to live," she begged.

Niall snapped his phone open and made a call, turning his back to us when it sounded like he was arguing. I became wary when I saw his shoulders slump, but then he straightened and faced me. "They are on their way. Give me Claude for the ring as a sign of good faith."

I flicked a glance at Pam and nodded. She pulled Claude with her and held out her hand to the guard. The guard dropped the ring into her hand and she shoved Claude forward to fall at his feet.

*Pop*

The pain from the bond almost dropped me to my knees, I fought to keep upright but saw Pam fall by extension, caught in our maker bond and both Appius and Thalia gasped. Two fairies stood before us, one supporting a fairy male whose face was slack with drool pooling from his lips. They threw him to the ground with a grunt of distaste. The other fairy held Sookie by the hand, clothed in just a torn shift. Her body was black and blue with slices from a blade scabbed over. Her eyes tore a cry of fury from me and Thalia and Appius had to hold me back. They were empty, blank with less life than a glass doll.

Niall grabbed her shoulder and pulled her from her fairy guard then pushed Sookie forward. "Here, she is yours, now let my people go."

I grabbed Sookie from them and Thalia let Claudine run to her Grandfather. One by one the vampires released their prisoners until all that remained were a line of Fae facing a line of Vampire. I spoke to Niall over the top of Sookie's head. "Leave this realm fairy, and do not come back. If I ever find you or yours have returned to harm her or her family, I will tear the world asunder until every fairy is dead, are we clear?"

"She will not live forever," was Niall's response and with a pop he was gone.

I spoke to Ocella, "Take that filth to Fangtasia and prepare him for me." He smiled and flung the Fae over his shoulder then sped away. Thank you for your assistance this evening. I will not forget." I said to the remaining vampires who bowed slightly and took their leave.

"Thalia please watch over the Club." She inclined her head and followed Appius. I helped Pam to her feet. "Pam come with me to the farmhouse, I fear she will need familiar surroundings to recover." I picked up Sookie and flew her to the house. I heard Pam call Dr. Ludwig behind me.

With Pam's assistance we bathed Sookie and had her dressed in a clean gown and lying in her bed when the Doctor arrived. She took one look at me, then a looked at Sookie and pushed me out the door.

"She is in no shape to handle your anger Viking, go take it elsewhere. Your Child will help me. I will call when I am done. Now go, I am sure there is something else you could be doing with that emotional over load," Doctor Ludwig said pointedly before closing the bedroom door in my face.

I flew to Fangtasia, only taking time to pull on some disposable clothes before racing down the basement stairs. Appius was waiting for me, the Fae already strung up and tools laid out in a pattern.

"I believe your woman took his mind Eric," He noted.

I grabbed the fairies chin and twisted his face so I could see his eyes. A memory teased at me and I frowned. "I have seen this before," I said running the last few months through my mind. "One of the witches we were interrogating tried to cast a spell, Sookie reflected it and the witch ended up like this." I pinched a pointed ear to see if the creature could still feel pain and was rewarded with a gasp. "Well almost like this, he could not feel any more pain which caused the fun to end. Sookie was not harmed either." I explained.

"Having only observed the spell in use once, perhaps she missed a crucial variable."

"Possibly, for now though I can enjoy our little friend here." I stated as I took a scalpel and began to strip the skin from the fairy slice by slice. With Appius assistance we completely dismantled the fairy, who toward the end was definitely sane and understanding exactly what was happening to him. Sookie's spell had worn off. When we were finished every drop of Fae blood had been collected in the vials which had once held mine and all of his pieces and parts had been packaged. There was a large market in the supernatural world for all things Fae.

"I will take this to the demon market and dispose of it. You wish to keep the blood?" Appius asked.

"Yes," I said. "Give the money to Mr. Cataliades; he will deposit it into Sookie's accounts."

"You will tell her where it came from?"

"Only if she asks."

"You go to her now?"

"Yes"

"I will see you next evening then." He said then reassured me, "She is strong Eric she will recover."

"I know," I replied but my undead heart still ached. I had failed in keeping her safe from her greatest fear.