Chapter 15:
(Eric's P.O.V)
"Eric, come and help me with this hatch." I look up and notice my brother, Stephan, is inspecting the hatch that leads down to the cargo area of the plane.
"What is it that you need help with exactly?"
"Well, I think that if we strap Sookie onto it somehow, she will be much safer."
"How exactly?"
"I have noticed that it is something paramedics use on humans. It stabilizes the human's body and makes it so that they do not further injure themselves."
"Do you think that I am incapable of holding my wife steady while we are in flight?" I ask, upset by his implication.
"Not at all Eric, but what if we hit turbulence, or what if the helicopter lands harder than you expect it to, or any other numerous risks. I just feel that it would be much safer if we transport her this way. With the stake being in the position that it is in it is too risky to take any chances."
I sigh. I know he is only trying to help. None of this is his fault, and he is trying to find busy work to keep his own mind from going into a tailspin. Stephan has always been so sensitive, and I know this has to affect him almost as much as it does me. He would be upset enough as it is, dealing with having been in battle and killing others because he never has been a fighter; he does it out of necessity, not because he is born to do it. Add onto that the fact that Pam was almost staked, I am distraught, and Sookie's life hangs in the balance, it would make anyone, vampire or not, upset.
"Stephan," I sigh again, "why is it that you need me to help you pull that hatch. You are more than strong enough to pull it."
"But, I don't want there to be any sharp edges for her to further injure herself on."
I stand and walk over to the hatch and look it over. "Stephan, just pull the pins. I know that the nuts are welded to the end of them but that would be the best root. See? Look." I kneel down next to the hatch and break off one of the welded nuts that is holding the pin into place and slide it out easily. "It is a door, just like any other. I know you are upset brother, but you need to use your head. We are going into a compound of an unknown monarch and I need you to be your normal, comforting, strong self. Please, just take a deep breath and think things through. You are always good at spotting angles I seem to miss."
Stephan laughs lightly."Well that is because not every situation entails layers upon layers of backstabbing and intrigue. What is that modern saying humans are so fond of?" He taps his chin lightly, clearly racking his brain trying to come up with the right turn of phrase. "Ah yes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. Sometimes things are exactly what they appear to be. You just lose sight of that from time to time."
I laugh at him. "Sure, except when the duck is really a shifter, trying to pass itself off as a duck. Then my layers upon layers of plans and contingency plans wouldn't seem so trivial, now would it?"
He laughs, throwing back his head in amusement. "Only you would see a shape shifter and plan for it to leap at you in a murderous rage, in something as simple as a duck. I wonder if every time you see a bird flying over head if you make plans for its possible attack." He laughs again, kneels, breaks off the other bolt, and slides the pin. "Ahhh this is perfect," he says and holds up the large piece of metal, inspecting it closely, for sharp edges or ragged bits that could possibly cut Sookie.
"Now I just need something to secure her tightly onto it. It will do us no good to tie her to it and then have her sliding around. That would totally defeat the purpose. This hatch is much larger than your little Sookie, so even if we tie her with rope to it she could still slide around. Do you have any ideas?"
I narrow my eyes at him and look him over carefully, and suddenly I realize what he is doing. Stephan may be emotionally distraught, but he has never been this dense. That little bastard is trying to distract me so that I don't dwell on all of the "what if's". This is why I wanted him to stay and not Pam; Pam and I would have just been utterly useless together. Her angst would have fed my own, and I would have gotten to the point where I couldn't think straight and I wouldn't be able to act rationally about anything. Stephan on the other hand knows exactly what I need in every situation, and knows just the way to calm me down and make me think things out, even if I REALLY don't want to be calm.
"Let's slide Sookie onto it, I have an idea but I need to use her as a frame of reference." We carry the hatch over and Stephan kneels next to Sookie and looks up at me, clearly waiting for further instruction. "Alright, I am going to lift her just enough for you to get the metal underneath her, but be quick; the longer I hold her the more likely the chance that I will accidently jostle her, all right?"
He simply nods and waits, poised and ready to slide the metal underneath her the moment she is up high enough for it to be done. I position my hands at her hips and shoulder blade, ready to slide them under as soon as I give the signal. "Alright, on three, one… two… three…" I quickly, but gently, lift Sookie up off the ground, and I take great care as to not jostle her in any way. Vampires can be still as the grave without even trying, half the time we do it and don't even realize it, and we don't have those little human habits because after a few decades we just forget to do them. We don't have to blink, or shift our weight, or fidget, or itch, or any such nonsense; over the years I have had various occasions where my life depended on my being utterly still, but never have I had to remain so still and gentle so that the love of my life would not be injured further.
Stephan slides the metal into place as quick as lighting, and I gently lay Sookie into place in the center of the makeshift stretcher. I don't think she would have even noticed being moved if she had been awake during it. "Stephan, in the cargo-hold I have my emergency bag, bring it here please. Actually, just grab all of our bags if you can manage it, but I definitely need my emergency bag."
"On it," he says and zips off, disappearing as quick as wink through the now door-less hatch that leads down into the belly of the plane. I turn back to the metal and look at it closely. This was not going to be pleasant at all, but it would be worth it if it would keep Sookie safe. I place my fingertips on the cool metal at Sookie's side, just below the line of her breasts, and push my fingers through the metal. It groaned and complained but it eventually gives underneath the pressure of my fingertips. I bit my tongue to hold back the curses that want to so desperately pour from my lips.
I pull my fingers back and inspect them. Fucking hell, they are cut badly and I think I busted both my knuckles. If I was not trying to be so gentle there would have been far less damage, but with the situation being what it is, I don't have a lot of choices here and there is no way I am asking Stephan to do this.
I try my best to ignore the pain as I slowly make my way down the right side of her body and back up the left, spacing the holes six inches or so apart. I was just pushing through the last hole when Stephan came back into the cabin. "What in the name of Odin are you doing Eric?"
"What does it look like?" I snap at him. "I am creating holes in the metal so that we can thread the rope around her body and secure her better. You don't think I am doing this for the pure enjoyment, do you? Because you know how much I love to torture and maim myself." I roll my eyes at him and he just huffs in response.
He stomps across the cabin, drops my bag next to me, and throws himself on the couch, just as the mystery vampire from Queen Clarissa's compound makes his way onto the plane. "Sheriff Northman," he says, nodding his head in respect.
"Yes," I say and look up at him. He is fairly short. Well, everyone is short compared to me, but I don't think he is much more then 5'9". He is fairly muscular in form, a broad chest that seems to be well defined underneath his Nirvana t-shirt; his jeans match the grunge look, faded blue, beat-up denims that have strategic holes, placed in them all the way down the front. A dingy looking green flannel is tied around his waist and he wears a green beanie on his head to complete the look. Someone should tell him that the grunge look went out of fashion in 1994. If Pam were here she would be openly mocking him, despite the fact that he is here to help.
His skin is fairly dark; it is the beautiful russet gold that a lot of Native American's have, and the color of his skin had hardly taken on any paling over his centuries. His long black hair is pulled back into a braid and partially hidden by his beanie, giving the illusion that it is short, when from what I can see, if it was unbound it would go well below his bottom. He has those sharp cheekbones that all Native American's seem to have, but the really intriguing thing about our mystery vamp is the fact that his eyes are not brown, like most people of Native American or Latino decent. No, his eyes are a beautiful jade green color. He is actually quite striking, almost beautiful, instead of ruggedly handsome, like most men.
"My name is Jacob Atwater, I am Queen Clarissa's second. She sent me to escort you back to her compound and she asked me to offer you any assistance you may need in order to help make this happen." His voice matches his beauty, a light yet deep musical voice that you want to smile to whenever you hear it. I can't seem to help myself, I am openly staring at him and am not even ashamed of doing so. For one, I have never met a vampire of Native American decent before, for another he is just so… so… striking. I shake my head a little to cast off the charismatic nature of Jacob Atwater and look over at my brother, he seems to be just as taken with him as I am.
Jacob laughs lightly and I find myself smiling at his amusement, I just can't help myself. "Now you see why I wear the grunge look," he says and laughs again. "Most humans won't and don't give me a second glance when they see someone walking about in this ridiculous outfit."
"I apologize most sincerely, it is just that, well, you are very handsome, not to mention the fact that I know I have never encountered a Native American vampire before. It just seems like your people always tend to find a way to avoid such a thing from occurring," I say and shake my head, again being drawn into his magnetism and becoming distracted.
"Well, there is that one vampire you told me about Eric, what was his name, umm Longshadow? Yes that was it, and didn't he want to buy into your bar or something?" Stephan says.
"Yes, but the word through the grapevine is that he isn't really a Native American. Some of my contacts told me that he just pretends to be Native American because the general population is drawn to oddities. For them, or at least this is what I have been told, a Native American ranks up there with foreign accents. Women, men, everyone goes nuts for the unknown. As if being a vampire wasn't enough of a wild card, I just don't understand why you would pretend to have an accent or be of a different decent to attract a willing bed partner."
Jacob laughs. "Some are not as fortunate as yourself, I would imagine, and actually have to work at bedding another."
If I could blush I would have; his compliment doesn't embarrass but I am very flattered by it. Wait, what the fuck is going on? There is something not right. Again I notice that I am drawn to this unknown vampire like iron is drawn to a magnet. It is almost, magical.
He walks over and squats next to me and looks down at Sookie. He looks back to me and notices I am staring again and he winks at me. He actually fucking winked at me. "Don't worry about your feelings Sheriff; I get it all the time. It is part of my charm. Well that and I have extras. There isn't much anyone can do to avoid it. I am sure it is much worse for your brother than it is for you, seeing as how you have found your soul mate and your brother is still adrift at sea." He smiles kindly at me and turns back to Sookie. "Now what can we do to get her onto the helicopter and safely to the compound?"
"Wait… did you say soul mate?"
"Ummhmm."
"Are you sure, I mean, how do you know this?"
He tilts his head back and forth as if contemplating his answer. "A little of this a little of that." He places his hand on Sookie's chest and closes his eyes. "Fortunately none of her arteries were severed when the stake went in, but it is pressing on one. We will have to be careful when we remove it." He opens his eyes and looks at me and I find that I almost drown in the sea of endless jade. I am so comforted and loved that I don't want to leave this happy place. "The only thing holding her here is you Sheriff. It is important that you stay close to her until she wakes. I am afraid of the consequences if you travel too far away. When we reach the compound I will arrange for you to have a room that the two of you can share and you will not have to worry about being secure." He turns away and looks back at Sookie. The connection we are sharing may not be as intense, but I can still feel it lingering in the back of my mind.
"Now," he says and claps his hands together and rubs them back and forth as if to warm them up, "what is it that we need to do to get this little one ready to go?"
Stephan decides to take point seeing as how I am still slightly stunned from whatever whammy Jacob laid on me. This can't be good right? I am getting ready to go into an unknown nest of vampires and the second is so powerful that he has me mewing like a kitten without doing anything. "As you can see Eric and I have made a makeshift stretcher. Eric put some holes into so that we can bind Sookie down with rope so that she doesn't shift around too much during transport. I think that if we both lift up the stretcher it will be much easier for Eric to thread the rope."
He nods in agreement; I can actually see him thinking things over when he shouts, "Wait!", looking from Stephan and back to me. Stephan and I both flinch at his sudden and unexpected outburst.
"What, what's the matter?" I ask.
"Did he say Sookie?" he asks.
"Yes, my wife's name is Sookie."
"As in Sookie Stackhouse? As in her Royal Highness, Princess Susannah Stackhouse, the savior of hundreds of Supes, and the peacemaker to us all?" I am having troubles deciphering the emotions that are rapidly pouring across his face. It seems to be a mix of terror, awe, and I think wonderment.
"Umm… yes? But don't let her hear you call her Princess, she hates it."
"Unbelievable. Your wife is Sookie Stackhouse." He shakes his head back and forth in disbelief. "Who did this to her?" he asks and suddenly I can read the emotion on his face as plain as day, utter and complete rage.
"Compton, her ex," I say and Jacob narrows his eyes in irritation.
"I do not know him, but I assure you when you finally go on the hunt I will be at your side. I swear on my ancestors, this vermin that dared to harm a single hair on the Princess's head will pay."
"Thank you," I nod.
"Come on," he says, his joking and light nature completely gone. "Time is of the essence. Let us get her secured and onto the helicopter."
Stephan and Jacob lift Sookie's stretcher and I quickly yet carefully thread rope in and out of the holes. Ropes that I just so happened to have in my "emergency bag". I always liked the Boy Scout saying 'Always be prepared'. I took it to heart and now I carry a bag around with various things in it for every possible situation. I fuss at the ropes to ensure that she isn't going to go anywhere midflight, until I am absolutely satisfied that she is secure.
"She will be fine brother. Come on, let's get her onboard the helicopter." I just nod and follow him and Jacob toward the awaiting chopper. I watch helplessly as Sookie is slid into position and we all climb in after her. Jacob sits right by her side, almost guarding her, like a faithful puppy or something. It is really strange and curious to me. First, he is Native American, then he has the weird magnetism, and then there is the fact that he knows Sookie by name and is taking her protection as seriously as I would. This night just keeps weirder and weirder. I am positive that it will only get worse before it gets better too.
We are about half way through our flight when I heard someone singing. "Dirty babe, you see these shackles, baby I'm your slave, I'll let you whip me if I misbehave, It's just that no one makes me feel this way."
I look around confused; no one in the helicopter is moving their lips. Where the hell is that coming from? I notice my brother grinning and he nods towards my pocket. I reach into my pocket and pull out Sookie's phone as it continues to sing the most annoying song I have ever heard in my life. Why in the world Sookie would choose this as a ringtone I can't figure out. "I'm bringing sexy back, yeah, them other fuckers watch how I attack, yeah, if that's your girl better watch your back, yeah, cause she'll burn it up for me and that's a fact…"
I throw the phone open cutting off the song, thankfully, and growl my greeting. "Hello."
"Northman, it's Russell."
Now I am even more confused. Why would Sookie have such a suggestive song assigned as Russell's ringtone? "Why does my wife have a song about bringing sexy back and being her slave assigned as her ringtone for you Russell? Is there something that you need to tell me about your relationship with my wife?" I cannot help my verbal diarrhea; tonight has been trying enough already and hearing that song is just not helping matters any.
Russell laughs. "Eric, I had no idea that she had that song as my ringtone, but it shouldn't really surprise me. We have a kind of ongoing joke about that song. That really doesn't matter at the moment though now does it?"
I sigh. "No, is there a reason you called? I am midflight and even with my hearing I am having issues with this call."
"Ray Don and I will be landing in fifteen, twenty tops. We will meet you at Queen Clarissa's compound. I spoke to her and she said she was unsure if she had anyone there with the same ability as Ray Don's, but she told me that she was going to ask around though. I have heard things about her nest, but nothing has ever been confirmed. I am positive that if she cannot aid you with removing the stake that she will be able to help keep Sookie comfortable until we arrive."
"Good. How did you manage to get here so quickly?"
"Oh you know me darlin', a little of this a little of that, besides I think you are underestimating how much time has actually passed since we first spoke," he giggles. He actually fucking giggles.
"Actually, I think you are thinking of Sookie with the whole 'you know me' thing because that comment just confuses me completely. Russell, did you not tell them who we were? When Clarissa's second came to get us he was shocked about who my wife was."
"No, I did not think to mention her name. I didn't really think it mattered. If they didn't know then your king must not have said anything either. Was his reaction negative?"
I look over at Jacob, he is kneeling next to Sookie, his palms placed on her forehead, his eyes closed, and I could see his lips moving. I cannot make out what he is saying but I think he must be praying. "No not negative, just odd."
"Odd how Eric?" he asks. I try and figure out a way of explaining what happened so that I could get Russell's feedback without being completely obvious. I am sure that Jacob can at least make out my side of the conversation, no matter how noisy the helicopter is.
"He must be sitting near you."
"Yes," I say. "We are still in the helicopter, didn't I already say that?"
"So you did, I am just a little slow this evening."
"You're not the only one," I snort. "Apparently I have forgotten how to tell time."
"Yes well at least you have a valid excuse; I am just slipping in my old age."
I laugh at that. "Russell, if you are old then I must be ancient because you are half my age."
"Well that is very true, GRANDPA." He giggles again, but this time I chuckle along with him. It feels really good to lighten my mood. This must be why Sookie is friends with him. He is really good at taking your mind off of a stressful situation. After a few moments we both return back to reality. "What can you tell me Eric? We can always talk more when I get there but it is good to have a little information before I land."
"He is Indian, I am unsure which tribe, but I am not so forward as to ask either." Jacob's eyes open and he smiles at me. Once again I am drawn into that smile and feel completely comfortable with him. I can't help but to smile back at him. "He has a very magnetic personality as well, I trust him completely."
"Wait, what? You wouldn't trust your own mother and you are telling me that after meeting him what ten minutes ago that you trust him completely?"
"That is exactly what I am saying."
"Is it his gift?"
"I think so."
"Hmm… well I told you that I have heard some strange things about Clarissa's nest. She is relatively new to the crown, but she has one of the best-run areas. No one that I know of has stepped foot into her nest, but there are rumors that they all wield some form of magic. She also never leaves, ever. From what I understand, she and her whole nest lived just outside of Albuquerque in some small little hole in the wall, and when she took over as Queen after the great reveal, the entire town she lived in went with her. I guess we will just have to take a wait and see attitude here and pray to whatever God's we believe in that she isn't some traitorous bitch. Now really isn't the time for it, we need peace not treachery."
"I agree," I say and Jacob clears his throat.
"We will be landing in two minutes," he says and I nod in acknowledgement.
"Russell, we are about to land, I will see you soon yes?"
"Yes my boy you will, keep your eyes open and watch your back."
"Oh believe me I will. By the way, when you get here we need to talk about Sookie's relatives, I need some advice."
"That doesn't sound good."
"Somehow, I doubt it is ever good when it comes to dealing with him."
Russell sighs. "Yes, he has been quite troublesome at times, I must admit. All right, I will see you soon."
I disconnect the call and look at Jacob; of course he is smiling again. "You having troubles with your in-laws?" he asks.
"In a manner of speaking."
"Hmm, it really doesn't surprise me. Niall, he can be thoughtless. He has his own priorities and always puts them first, no matter the cost to anyone else."
To say that I am stunned is a bit of an understatement. "How did you…"
"Know who her realities are?" He rolls his beautiful green eyes; I am really starting to hate the annoying human habit that all vampires everywhere seem to have picked up on. "Come on now Sheriff, is it really that big of a surprise? I know who she is, I know she is a Fae Princess, why would I not know her lineage?"
I narrow my eyes at him. I may trust him for some inexplicable reason but I did NOT like how much knowledge he had about us, when we have none about him. "Why would you know in the first place? I did not even know. From my understanding it is not common knowledge."
"Oh I am positive that it isn't," he says and shrugs his broad shoulders, and turns to look out over the landscape. Apparently our conversation is over. I didn't have any answers, only more questions and I am starting to become more and more irritated about the situation. I do NOT like being unprepared and that is exactly what I am in this moment. Completely unprepared in a situation where I am completely vulnerable. Jacob and his Queen will have me and mine at their mercy, and if they are untrustworthy or devious in any way, we are completely and totally fucked.