He took me up in his arms, but just as we headed up the stairs, a knock sounded on the door. He opened it with me still in his arms, and I was surprised to see Bill standing there. In his hands were a large envelope and his face bore a large triumphant smile. I could see that the yellow envelope was still sealed. "Put her down, we need to talk." Eric sat me down slowly, but I didn't let go of his hand.
"As you know, I filed a petition with the Authority to get Sookie back, and I have the results. I thought we could read them together, before I take you home." His gaze didn't leave my face, and I was disgusted.
But I smirked, and spoke up before Eric could, "Go ahead and read it." I told him, and he smiled, ripping the envelope open.
His eyes scanned the page, and we took a step back. A second later he looked up at us, and all I could see in his eyes was murder. "Get off my property, right now." I demanded of him, and closed the door in his face.
Eric kissed me again, and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I'm honored that you chose me."
"Well, you made such a great first impression, how couldn't I?" I asked with a smile, and he picked me up again.
I woke up on the day of the wedding, to someone pounding on my bedroom door. "Who is it?" I called out.
"It's Nick, your brother is downstairs and he needs to talk to you." The voice was muffled through the light tight door, and I hoped that our talking wasn't disturbing Eric, who was asleep beside me. He'd told me countless times that he doesn't hear me talking and making noise while he sleeps, but I still worried.
"Be right there." I told him, and went to put clothes on.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Jason grabbed me by the waist, and spun me around. I squeaked in surprise, and he laughed. "I got up this mornin' and when I remembered what you're doin' today, I couldn't believe it. I never thought you'd find someone, you know? With your mind reading thing and all." He said, trying to be casual, even though it had always been weird for him to talk about it.
"Yeah, and I'm just as surprised as you, but it's really happening. Thanks' for being here for me. I know a lot of people don't like Eric, but I love him, and I'm doing this no matter what."
Almost two hours after sunset, I stood in my kitchen, almost ready to walk out and have Jason give me away. Pam had stayed in the cubby the previous night, and as soon as she woke up, she had me in a makeup chair. She'd set up an entire 'work' station in the living room, with every beauty and hair product that I could imagine. It only took her an hour to compose my face just right, and then another half an hour to get me in my dress and perfect my hair. When I showed her the necklace I wanted to wear, she was appalled, until I told her what it was. Then she reluctantly agreed to work it in with my ensemble. Since then I'd been sitting in the kitchen, talking to her and Pam, and making sure everything was ready. I hadn't told anyone, but I had written my own vows, and hoped that I'd be able to say them.
Jason had gotten himself ready in a tuxedo to match Eric's, or so I had been told, since I hadn't seen him in it yet. He'd complained about how it fit in different places, but I reassured him he looked just as handsome as ever. Jessica was one of my bride's maids, along with Pam, and Tara. They all wore matching white dresses with small red flowers to match my veil. Pam went to check on the guests, and get them all seated. When she returned, she told me that Bill was out there, and I hoped with everything I had that he wouldn't interfere.
Pam also told me that Eric, all of the guests, and our minister were outside in their places, and I stood to join them in the only way I could. Jason walked me, arm in arm, out the door as the traditional music started to play. As I viewed Eric in his tux for the first time, I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes. The walkway for me had been set with a pure white carpet, and I glanced around the crowd as I walked. I didn't see Bill, but i knew he was there somewhere. As I looked I realized that the humans had all been put on one side, and the vampires were all on another. The numbers seemed to be even, and I wondered if Pam's masterful planning had made it happen.
I reached the stage, and stepped up in front of Eric, where Jason released me and took his place as the best man. The minister started, but I barely heard him, except for his last sentence. "…Mr. Northman has prepared his own vows, and I will let him speak them now."
My eyes widened, as I hadn't known that he'd done that, and he smiled at me reassuringly. "Sookie, I am not worthy of you. I am not worthy of all the love and devotion you've given me, or the happiness you've granted me. I am not worthy, but none the less you chose me, and I intend on spending the rest of my existence trying to make myself worthy of having an angel like you. Do you take me, as your husband?"
"I do." I said clearly, and looked at the minister, "I have written my own vows, and if you don't mind, I'd like to say them." He nodded for me to continue, and Eric stared at me, confused. "It took me a long time to know what to say to you, and even now I am unsure. When I first met you I thought there was no way we would ever end up together, but fate has brought us together, and I'm happy. I'm happier than I've ever been, and I must say that now, I feel like I'm the one who's unworthy to have you. You've been there for me, through everything that has happened, and I hope that you will continue to stand by me as I promise to do the same for you. I'll stand by you forever, and not just my forever but yours as well. Will you take me as your wife?" His face registered his shock at my words, and I knew he understood what I was pushing at. I had made up my mind months prior that someday I wanted to be turned by him, so we could be together for more than just my short human lifetime.
A bloody tear pooled in the corner of his eye, and he choked his words out. "I do."
The minister barely finished pronouncing us man and wife before Eric's arms were around me, and his lips were on mine. Everyone in the crowd applauded, and when I saw Jason's face from the corner of my eye, I knew he was in shock.
After we stepped down from the stage, we stood as everyone came up and personally congratulated us.
An hour later, we finally stepped into the house for a moment alone, and he turned to me. "Did you mean what you said? About me turning you?"
"Yes. Maybe not right away, but someday. I want to spend as much life as I can with you." He smiled, and a bloody tear rolled down his face.
He wiped it away with a towel from the kitchen counter, and composed himself, before we returned to the crowd. Bill still hadn't approached us, and I wondered if he ever planned to. I looked over as we exited the house, and I could see him and two of his personal guards walking toward his property. Security had been in place since before the sun went down, but he still insisted with Pam on his own people being present. We were pulled away a moment later to pose together in front of a photographer that someone had hired. I stood with my brother in one picture and Pam in another, and Eric did the same. Countless photos were taken with multiple people of the crowd, and afterward Jason told me that for my wedding present he had hired the photographer and was having a book made with all the pictures for me to keep. I'd had no idea of what he'd been planning, and thanked him repeatedly.
Pam took me back inside after the photo shoot, and helped me out of my wedding dress to put on a black floor length one, with a pair of white sandals. Then we went back outside, and I started to mingle in the already buzzing crowd.
I talked to everyone I could, and Eric did the same, until a limo came pulling around the side of the house. "It's time to go." Eric whispered into my ear, and I looked at him in surprise, before nodding.
We found Jason, and I gave him a list of things to do while I was away. Pam was going to take care of most of Eric's business stuff, and Jason was going to stay at my house with Jessica to keep an eye on it.
Eric helped me into the limo after I gave Jason a kiss on the cheek, and then we were speeding away. "Where are we going? You still haven't told me." I asked, excited.
"Alright…I'll tell you. When Godric met the sun, he left me a private island, and it's a place I visited much when I was younger, about seventy miles from Hawaii. It has an old lighthouse on a cliff with an entire library inside, and a large beach house down below it. The whole place is surrounded in an exotic jungle. There's lots of wildlife there, and the waters around it are perfectly crystal clear. We can go hiking, swimming, or really just do anything we want. It's got internet and all modern stuff so you can call your brother or whoever you want. The kitchen should already be stocked, and every two days a worker comes out on a boat to clean and check up on everything on the island. Sometime while we're there, I have to fill out some Area 5 business paperwork, but it shouldn't take me long. I'd have had Pam do it, but I'm forced to do it myself." He relented, and I nodded, understanding that he had to do it. Maybe I'd spend my time in the library while he was busy.
The limo took us to a small airstrip on the edge of Shreveport, where we got onto a private jet, and took off. "Is this light tight?" I asked, and he nodded.
"When we land it will be daytime, and while I'll be in a travel coffin, were going to be in a hotel until nightfall. Then we'll take my boat out and get to the island. Pam sent us both clothes ahead to the island, so don't worry about any luggage or anything. There's going to be a man there, Mason, who will guide you through everything while I sleep. If you want to sight see during the day for a bit, then talk to him, and he'll take you wherever you want to go." He handed me a stack of travelling pamphlets, and I started to go through them. Finally I picked out a few places I wanted to go, and gave him back the ones I didn't care for.
We landed on the island after the sun had already come up, and I couldn't believe how beautiful everything was. The water was the most perfect blue I'd ever seen.
I'd only just stepped off of the plane, when a man with a suitcase approached me, "Mrs. Northman, I'm Mason, I believe Eric told you about me."
"Yeah, so, where are we going?"
"Well, you can stay in the hotel until night, or I can escort you in sightseeing." I chose the later, and gave him the pamphlets for the places I wanted to go.
After making sure Eric was safe in the hotel room, we leave, and he drives me all over the island to sight see.
Night falls just as we get back to the hotel, and I rush upstairs. Eric is just getting out of his coffin when I walk in, and he pulls me into a kiss. "Did you enjoy the sights?" He asks a moment later, and I nod.
"Mason gave me a camera to use, and said he'll email the pictures to you for me. When do we go to the island?" I ask, while also hoping that my pictures turn out alright.
"Right now, if you're ready." I tell him I am, and after a short drive, we are at a dock.
He walks me down the rows of boats, and finally stops at the biggest one on the end. It's a small yacht. "Eric…this is too much. Are you sure?" I ask, and he laughs.
"I've had this thing for years, I just don't use it much. I also have a few properties on the island, and Mason handles everything for me here."
The boat ride takes several hours, and I love the feel of the wind hitting me. The large vessel goes faster than I thought possible, and the first thing I see of the island, is a beam of light. As we get closer, I see that the lighthouse is setting on the top of a cliff. A river flows down around the base of the cliff, and spills into the ocean. It looks shallow, and Eric warns me that it's dangerously shallow, fast flowing and usually cold. I make a mental note to stay away from it.
The next thing I see is a gorgeous beach house, less than twenty yards from the water, and set up on a platform with stairs leading down. The beach sands are almost completely white, and the house looks like it's all wood and glass. Behind the house, and surrounding the cliff and lighthouse is dense patches of trees and foliage, and I wonder at the animals that could be hiding there. As soon as we're off the boat, he walks me right past the house, and up an easy path to the lighthouse. The outside is made of white painted bricks, and looks perfectly aged. The light at the top spins lazily, and the area around the base of the building is lit up by tall lights on poles. He shows me the view from the cliff, and eventually we make our way back down to the house.
The outside looks nicely rustic, but when we get inside, it's all modern. Automated lights switch on as we go through it, and he shows me everything. There's a living room with a large TV and a collection of DVD's and other things around it, three master suite's with full bathrooms, and a large kitchen. The dining room is set with a chandelier, and a dining table large enough to seat twelve people. Next to our room, is a small office, and he goes into it while I get a snack from the kitchen. When I finish my meal, I go to find him in his office.