Enjoy

(^.^)

Just as I expected, when we reached the base of the stairs, I could see the man chained to the wall. There were multiple slashes across his chest, no longer bleeding but enflamed. His face had various patches of purple across it, and his neck was obviously mutilated. I reached forward with his mind, and behind the slight cloud that his pain created, I felt a strange buzzing. Then I realized exactly what the problem was. "He's glamoured." I stated to Eric, who turned to me in surprise. "There's nothing going on in his head, which means that he's still under the control of someone. I doubt he even remembers what he did, or why he did it."

Eric nodded, understanding that a vampire was behind the attack. I could practically hear the wheels turning in his head, and I wondered who he had in mind for the culprit. "Can you break the glamour?" He asked me.

"I'm not sure." I said, while walking closer to the man chained to the wall. "But I can try." Over the past couple of weeks, I had started to figure out how to use the light that came from my hands, and hopefully it would do the trick. I reached for the power in the back of my mind. It was like a bubble of sunlight, and when I pushed into it, I sent a jolt into the man.

He blinked several times, and the buzzing noise stopped in his head as coherent thoughts started to form. I pulled away from him as he looked around the room. "What's going on?" His mind was full of confusion, and any minute he could start to register the pain in his body. "Where am I?"

"Who sent you here?" Eric asked in an icy voice, ready to get some answers.

"I don't understand." The man stated simply.

Eric's eyes narrowed, and he started toward the man, but I stopped him. Looking at him, I asked, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I…I'm not sure." I watched the scenes play out through his head, and I learned his name was Ryan.

He'd sat in his living room, watching TV, when his cell phone rang. To make a living he worked as a firearms expert to train people who wanted to learn to shoot. The caller gave him an address that sounded oddly familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. Whoever the caller was offered him triple his usual rate if he could get there immediately. Ryan couldn't refuse, and had gotten to the address in just fifteen minutes. I felt a pang of pain in my heart as I recognized the house that he pulled up in front of, as well as who it was that met him at his front door. He was just walking into the house when Ryan's vision stopped, and the buzzing started.

I turned back to Eric with tears in my eyes, and he embraced me. "Who was it?" He asked gently, but somehow I think he had already figured it out, and just wanted me to confirm it for him.

"Bill." I said between harsh breaths as I started to cry. Eric carried me upstairs, leaving Pam to take care of Ryan, and took me straight to his office. Even though he kept up his calm façade for me, I knew that he was ready to kill, and I found that it didn't bother me. We were only there for a few minutes, setting together on his leather couch, when there was a knock on the door.

"Go away." Eric demanded in a hard tone.

"I'm here to see Sookie." I could hear Jessica's quiet voice from the other side of the door, and a growl vibrated through Eric's body.

"Come in." He said darkly, and Jessica stepped inside with caution.

When she saw the state I was in, she started to come closer. "What's wrong Sookie?"

"Bill sent someone to try and kill me." I choked out, and she seemed shocked, then relieved.

"It's good that you know, because that means that his makers command isn't good anymore. He sent me here to tell you that Eric tried to have you killed, but you already know better, and I did have my own reason to talk to you." She turned to Eric, "I'm really sorry, and I shouldn't even be asking, but I need your help."

He glared at her, but I touched his arm, and his expression softened slightly. "What do you want?"

"I want you to help me get released from Bill." She looked at the floor, unsure of what else to do.

"Of course." I replied immediately, and Eric looked at me stunned.

"Sookie," he started, "you don't understand what you're dealing with. Taking away a makers child is punishable by death. We can't just demand that Bill release her."

"Then what can we do?" I asked him, and he stayed silent for a minute.

"I know someone, a witch. I'm not too keen on magic given what happened with Antonia, but she's honest, and I think she might be able to help. Pam!" He called, and she appeared. "Get Kristen Agnali on the phone, and get her here as soon as possible." She nodded, and left to do what he said.

I dabbed my eyes with a tissue that Eric had given me, and he looked on with concern. "How are you?" He asked, ignoring Jessica's presence.

"I'll be okay, it was just a shock. I can't believe he would do that." I said, and Jessica hung her head slightly.

Pam came back in, and set some papers on Eric's desk. "I spoke with Kristen, and she'll be here tomorrow before we open. She's a few states over, so it'll take some time for her to get here. Also, you've got some major fans in the crowd tonight, so you should probably make an appearance on stage." He nodded, and she left to go back to the front door.

"Sweetheart, I need to go on stage for a few hours, do you want Pam to take you home?"

"No." I looked at Jessica, "Why don't we get a booth and have some girl time?" She just nodded, and Eric followed both of us out into the main area of the bar.

He cleared out a booth in the corner closest to him, and we sat down while he went up onto his throne.

I could hear the thoughts of all the humans get a little livelier with his appearance, and I realized that it would always be this way. He would always have lots of women and even a few men fawning over him, but it was okay. I was the one he'd chosen to come home to at night, and that was what mattered. Sensing my emotions, he smiled at me reassuringly, and I smiled back warmly.

"Sookie, can I ask you something?" Jessica asked, pulling my attention away from the stage. I nodded, and she went on, "I… well I kind of have been wondering if you would be okay with me… dating Jason?"

For a second I was speechless, unsure of what to say. "I'm flattered that you're asking me, especially since Jason's a grown man and can handle himself. You're probably the first girl to ever ask my permission. All I ask is that you're faithful to him."

"Of course. He's all I think about. Even when I was with Hoyt for a while, I was always thinking about your brother. I'm really glad that it's okay with you, since I'd like to be your friend." She said, and I could tell that she was surprised that I was okay with her and Jason. But I had been able to tell that he liked her a long time ago, and I'd figured that it would happen eventually.

I wondered about what might happen if they got too serious. Would Jason want to be turned? Pushing those thoughts away, I knew that Jason would do whatever was best for him and Jessica, and I would support him if it was what he truly wanted.

We started to talk about the things Jason had done in high school, and she laughed when I told her about some of the stunts he used to pull. As it got later, more and more people came in, and it took no time for her to start adding stories that he had told her. She couldn't believe the number of times that he'd gotten in trouble with Gran for being out too late and drinking.

At around midnight, a group of men from a bachelor party came in, and swarmed the bar. Ginger's usually dull mind became frantic as she tried to keep up with orders. I stood, and looked at Eric. "I'm going to help Ginger with the bar." He seemed uncertain, but nodded after a second.

When I tapped Ginger on the shoulder, she jumped, and looked frazzled. "Ginger, why don't you go take orders at the tables, and I'll handle things back here."

"Oh I don't know about that Miss Sookie, Mr. Eric might not like that." She said with a smile.

"It's okay, trust me. Eric is fine with you waiting on tables." She nodded, and went to do as she was told while I took over the bar. The set up with the alcohols and everything was very similar to the set up at Merlotte's, so I got a handle on it quickly.

Pam smiled at me from the front door, approving of my assistance, and Eric's eyes were glued to me while I worked.

"What can I get for you?" I asked one of the rowdier men from the bachelor party, who had not yet gotten anything.

He looked me over, and I made sure to block out whatever it was he was thinking. "How about your phone number?" The smirk on his face showed just how cocky he was.

"I'm sorry, my boyfriend wouldn't appreciate that. But I'd be happy to get you a drink." For a moment he seemed uncertain, until his smirk returned.

"I bet he can't compare to me, where is he?" I almost laughed out loud, but just smiling and pointing at Eric, who looked murderous. Turning to see where I pointed, the man's face paled for a second, before he looked at me nervously. "I can't believe you'd lie just to put me off." He grabbed my hand, spilling the beer that I'd been pouring and tugged at me slightly. "Why don't you call off work and we'll go have a good time?"

"No. Now let me go." I said forcefully, trying to pull away, but his grip only tightened. Then suddenly his hand was gone.

My mouth fell open slightly as Eric was suddenly there, holding the man in the air by his throat. "She is mine." He said, and even though his voice was quiet, I could feel his anger. His face was a careful mask of control, but his rage rolled off of him in waves, and all of the man's friends took several steps back. "Do you understand?" Eric demanded.

The man struggled to nod his head, and Eric released him, causing him to stumble away. Every person in the bar, human and vampire was staring at me and suddenly I was bombarded with acidic thoughts.

How did she get Eric Northman? She's nothing.

I bet he would want me instead of her.

She won't keep him for very long.

What does he see in her?

Eric noticed the second that the thoughts came through the cracks in my shields, and with vampire speed he came around the bar and secured me against the wall with a searing kiss. A few people in the room looked away, while others whistled, and I was certain I could hear Pam chuckling from the door. I took the silence of his touch to reassert my shields, and finally he pulled away slightly. Giving me another quick peck on the lips, he turned, and took his place back on the throne.

Jessica came over after a second, and took a seat at the end of the bar. "I'll stay as long as I can." She promised, but I knew she would have to leave soon to return to Bill. I started taking orders again, as though nothing had happened, but I noticed that a lot of the orders were suddenly including a please and thank you. Ten minutes after the incident, one of the men from the bachelor party approached the bar, and gave me his order. As I was getting it, he said, "I'm sorry for the way my friend acted. We've been out all night, and he's drunker than he seems."

"It's alright. No harm no foul." I said, and handed him his beers. He went back to the others, who graciously took their drinks.

The rest of the night went smoothly, and after the final patron left I counted out the drawer. Pam was surprised by the number of drinks we'd sold, and gave me a leering smile. "We'll have to have you bartend more often. It seems that the human men like it when a pretty girl serves them drinks." I just smiled, accepting her disguised compliment, and finished cleaning up around the bar.

Eric came out from his office, and handed me a black jacket with Fangtasia written in fancy letters across the back. "It's gotten chilly outside." He said simply, and I slipped it on. "Are you ready to go home?" He asked, and I replied by giving him a small kiss. We got into my car behind the club, and he started to drive us back to my house.

"You did really well at the bar, I'm proud of you." He said, but I could tell that something else was on his mind, so I didn't respond and waited for him to say his piece. Sure enough, after a few minutes, he spoke up. "I wondered if perhaps you would want to come and work for me at Fangtasia?"

I was speechless for a moment. "I…I'm not sure. I would need to tell Sam about quitting Merlotte's." No comments were made, and I wondered if I would be happy working for Eric. I imagined that he would be a good boss, and I could probably quit whenever I wanted. On top of that I would be happy seeing him every night, and I was sure I'd get more respect from the patrons. At Merlotte's I had always had a problem with the drunken men grabbing at me, but Eric wouldn't let that happen, and I made my decision. "Let me tell Sam I'm done, and then I'll start whenever you want me to."

He didn't say anything in return, but I could see that he was happy. "I'll pay you twice as much as the shifter, and don't even get me started on the benefits." He said with a suggestive smile, and he moved his hand to rest on my thigh.

"Don't start what you can't finish." I challenged nonchalantly, and gave him an equally suggestive smile.

One of his eyebrows jumped up, and a sly look developed in his eye. When we got to my house, he instantly appeared next to my door. Pulling me up from the seat, he held me against the car, and crashed his lips onto mine.

I heard my car door close, and suddenly we were standing at my back door. It took me a moment to unlock the door, and we got inside the kitchen, never breaking contact. He directed me back against the refrigerator, and suddenly his hands were everywhere, leaving goose bumps wherever he touched.

"Eric." I murmured against his lips. "Not here." He nodded, and I could feel the bulge in the front of his jeans as it rubbed against my leg. Picking me up in his arms, he started toward the stairs, and I felt a good kind of nervousness building up in my stomach. I closed my eyes for a second, and suddenly we were in my bed.