Sorry for the delay guys. Thanks for your patience.
"Sookie, no one can help you now."
I open my eyes and see Claudette in pure glowing light reaching out to me.
"Claudette?! How did you get here?" I ask.
"This is a dream visitation. You must come with me, Sookie. No one can help you now. You're stuck. The only escape is with me." She reaches out her hand.
I shake my head. I'm not going anywhere without Eric.
Claudette shakes her hand harder and grits her teeth. "This is not a request, come with me, Sookie."
"Eric…."
"Was going to get you killed sooner or later. Either by his own hand, or someone else's. He's a vampire, Sookie."
"We've talked about this many times and I've made changes to my life for ya'll, but you also know Eric is nonnegotiable", I say. Damnit, I'm not having this argument again. "He's comin with me.'
"Leave him! There's nothing you can do for him. Now GIVE ME YOUR HAND, Sookie."
"No."
"I can't help you anymore, do you understand that? When I leave, you're on your own. And you are completely and utterly stuck. Come with me, please", she says.
"Only if he can come to", I tell her.
She takes a deep breath. "I love you, Sookie, but you're an idiot."
I jerk awake and my eyes pop open. I'm exactly where I fell asleep, under piles of furs. The sun is high in the sky and it has to be late morning.
Eric's head is buried between my breasts with furs over his head. Hilarious. He moans and comes awake, kissing every inch of me.
"Sookie, Sookie, Sookie….." His tongue trails up my chest, his head emerging from under the furs, kissing my neck, then my lips. "Thank goodness."
"I can't believe you could breathe down there."
"Some things are more important than breathing", he says.
"It's late", I say.
"I know. I don't want to talk to him. I know this is going to go badly", he says.
"Maybe not", I say, "This is about me…"
"It's not about you, Sookie. This has been going on with my father and I for a long time. And I know it's going to go badly",he says.
"Maybe if you just tell him what you think…"
"He never listened to me. Never in his whole life", he says. He kisses me again.
"Thank God you're safe. I'm so proud of you", he says, and pulls me tight.
"Thank you", I kiss him back.
"What's the matter?" he asks, concerned.
"Nothing. Just tired." I can't tell him I had a disturbing dream about my fairy friend.
"My beautiful wife is tired?" he asks, sarcastically, pulling me on top of him. "You have slept all night and half the day."
"So have you, it's unlike you…."
"But it's so nice and warm down here…" he says.
"What are you doing?"
"Snuggling." He's below the furs and kisses my stomach several times, then escapes to breathe again.
"And your father? Honey, you have to figure out what you're going to do."
He takes my arm, and wraps it around him. "I know. This isn't going to go well, Sookie. There are too many of them."
"You sound….different. Defeated even", I say.
"I'm not defeated, never defeated. Just realistic. I need to get you out of here."
This man- full of vim and vigor, is realistic now? "I'm not going anywhere without you, Eric", I say, "Don't even suggest that."
"I have a wife, and a child on the way, you have no idea…I love you, Sookie." He sits up and kisses me. "You're my world and everything in it."
I deepen the kiss, and cup the back of his head. "Baby…."
He moans and leans closer. He rests his head on my shoulder a moment, inhaling my scent, kisses over my throat, around the side of my neck. If this were MY Eric, this is about the time he'd bite me. Instead, he looks up, blinking big blue eyes. I kiss him, and cuddle him close. He can call himself a devil, but this human man is sweet and wholesome and decent. Deadly just the same. But with an unexpected innocence.
This Eric is but one facet of MY Eric. There are so many sides to him: strong, capable, terrifying, cruel, sarcastic, angry, overprotective, domineering, sweet, kind, lost, needy, possessive, self sacrificial. And very loving. Whatever he is, I love him, and came to terms with that a while ago. I know that I'm not aware of most of his cruelty and we're both happier that way. MY Eric. He would never be innocent again. I suspected there was one man responsible for what Eric became. One man who made sure the sun would never shine on Eric's face, or its warmth shine on his heart. And he was lucky he was dust.
"I need to get up", he says, and jumps up immediately. The loss of his warmth is instantaneous. "Sleep. My father and I will decide what to do." His blue eyes look clear and fierce and they lock on mine. "I've never gotten this far before."
It's decided that we have to get as many people on our side as possible. Vallandra goes alone, with an armed retinue of Eric's men, to see King Olaf. If he doesn't believe that she and Ulfrick forgot about the engagement with Lena, she's hoping she can talk "woman to woman" with the queen about how hopeless it is to fight against it when your child falls in love. It's worth a try. And no one would dare harm her, but none of us want to see her go alone, guarded or not.
Ulfrick doesn't do much these days but shoot daggers at me with his eyes.
When she returns, he and Eric are gone for a week to meet with the king of another village. The moment they return, Eric and I get only two nights together. I can't be on horseback, so I can't go with them.
This time, it's the great King Harald, as worried about the Danes as we are. I'm getting a history lesson in all this. We have to save these people, these people who now mean as much to me as anyone in Bon Temps.
Eric reluctantly leaves me over and over, but it's our only choice.
Vallandra governs while they're gone, but Eric has put his friend Asgar in charge of the village and he comes to me more than her about what Eric would want done. He's Eric's friend, and sees Ulfrick as an elder, a beloved King on his way out. Things are changing.
But it's been a month, and I'm worried Eric won't get back in time. It's two of us ladies in the house, with servants, and Eric's men delivering food and wood.
As Arlene would say "I am shiiiit scared." Giving birth in the Dark Ages is dangerous. Nearly a fourth of all mothers die in childbirth or from some infection soon thereafter. Of course this is all only a dream. I'm starting to lose faith in that theory. The snow feels cold. Eric's arms feel warm. The food tastes like real rustic food. I tried to make venison taste like Lafayette's Jambalaya, but it was no good. Surely I should be able to make anything happen if I'm the dreamer?
I'm pacing when Asgar runs in and tells me Eric and the King have returned. I burst through the doors and out into dirt that has been churned into mud by the rain and melting snow.
I run toward him in desperation. God, I thought he wouldn't be here for me. He swings out of the saddle and hurries toward me.
"Don't run, don't run", he insists, and catches up to me, wrapping me in his arms.
"I thought I would be alone", I sigh against his broad chest.
"Never, never, never", he whispers, kissing the top of my head.
"Tell me what happened."
Sitting at the high table, Vallandra and I listen with heavy hearts. So far, we've had the cooperation of two kingdoms. Three have turned us down. They don't believe the Danes will make it as far their villages, and they don't want to join us and lose their people unnecessarily. I guess I don't blame them, but Ulfrick and Eric are so angry, Eric swears he'll never forget their treachery. I know him well enough to believe every word.
But Eric has to admit he's done all he can. The war may come before we're parents.
As another month comes and goes, the baby is late. I feel like a time bomb; there's nothing to do but sit and wait for me to explode. It's exhausting just to get up and move around all day. Eric gets more nervous by the day.
I'm sure he's nervous about the baby, but it's something else too. For the past week, any time anyone speaks, he jumps. Freida tells us there's plenty of lamb, and he jumps. The King tells him he's sending his sword and shield to be polished, and he jumps. Pacing. Shaking hands. Every time I try to get him alone, he won't talk about it. Even in bed, we keep a hand's breath distance between us, and he just tells me to sleep. He's frightened.
Today, Vallandra is looking me over critically for the thousandth time. "Darling, if you don't deliver soon", his mother starts, "Freida…come here please and get me something of the King's, that he doesn't wear anymore….I don't know, we'll figure something out. Eric, how do you feel about lamb for dinner…?"
He jumps. "That's it", I say, and get up, taking his hand. "You tell me what is wrong right now." Finally, he sucks in a big breath.
"Sookie, I need to talk to you." His voice – he's upset. "It's past time I told you something."
"Sure", I say, alarm in my voice. " I mean, yes." He grabs my arm and we walk into our bedroom. The second we're inside, he pulls me into a passionate kiss.
"I need to tell you something", he says.
"Why does your tone scare me? And what is wrong with your mother?"
"Oh that." He laughs hard. "Sookie, you have to understand these are Vikings. You're the shortest woman they've ever seen for one thing. My mother and the men think it's endearing." He kisses my forehead.
"What?" I grit out.
"That you're so incredibly and unbelievably fat. They don't know how you walk. Frankly, neither do I. You look 12 months along. I fear there's not enough wool in all of Sweden to keep you covered. Perhaps next spring we can buy some sheep from the Britons."
For a second, I can't think much less talk. Oh my f*cking God. Tears prick at the back of my eyes, but then I narrow them. The teasing smirk on his face that's headed toward a smile is his tell. My Eric could never win at poker. I have no idea how he fooled Russell twice.
There's only one person I know who would be THAT rude. Who loves to push my buttons. Only one who is that brutally honest, emphasis on brutal.
"Eric?"
"Yes", he says, and drags me into a kiss.
"Eric, Eric…" I squeeze him, kiss him, the man I love, for all his flaws is back.
"Asshole! How long?" I smack his chest.
"I think you know. The morning you woke up telling me I sounded different."
I remember the strange feeling I had when I went to bed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I smack him again.
"When I stepped into this world, you were so close to him, there was so much love between, you and him…me and you, I can't keep it straight. Like me without my memory. Honestly, I thought you liked him better", he says, a vulnerable crack in his voice.
"I do", I hiss, glaring at him.
He's wounded. "It seems, Mrs. Northman, you prefer every Eric but the one you married."
"Idiot." I smack him a third time. Then pull him into a hug and try to disappear in his arms.
"What's going on? What does this mean?" I ask.
"I don't know", he answers.
"What happened?"
"I put you into a dream state. I thought you could see what it could have been like if we were together in my old life. But then you didn't wake up. I tried everything, but I couldn't wake you up. I stayed up all day trying to wake you, but you know how hard it is for a vampire to stay awake during the day. I must have fallen asleep myself and joined you."
F*ck. "How do we get out of here?!" For the first time since I got here, I allow myself to fall into a fit of sobs about our situation, and admit my fear. What is to become of us? Are we stuck here forever? Can we contact anyone to wake us up?
"It's been almost two years here", I say, "How long has it been in real life?"
"Two days", he says.
"Claudine." But she's not here, she warned me.
"She visited me in a dream", I explain. "She asked me to go with her."
"And you didn't?! Dammit, Sookie."
"I'm not going anywhere without you."
"Why can't you ever be sensible?!" he shouts. "Our actual bodies are lying there on your bed. I could go for years without blood. It wouldn't be comfortable, but technically I could go centuries. It's already been two days since you had any water. A few more and you'll be in serious trouble. Sooner rather than later, you'll die, if we can't do something fast. And now I can't help you."
"Someone will find us. I haven't been to work for two days now, Sam will get worried. Someone will come find us."
"You're so sure?" he asks, angrily. "And then what if they can't wake you up?"
"Can you contact Pam?"
"I've been trying since I got here. I've been trying to wake us up since then too. But we seem to be…stuck."
"Dammit." Now it's four times I've hit him. "What does any of this mean? This is a dream right? Do you recognize any of this? Please tell me you don't."
He sighs and closes his eyes. "I do recognize it. The words, the actions, I've lived it all before. All of it except you. My father and I never got along. I spent most of my twenties with one woman or another. And half my thirties too before…Russell came with his wolves and killed my entire family. You have to understand for my people back then, back….now, everything was the Danes' fault. Everything, it had to be. It was the way we thought.
I swore vengeance, thinking he was a Dane. And the Danes came and we fought and everyone died. I fought to the death to protect my village, and to get vengeance for my family, but I died in battle. Asgar and Ysgar waited with me. I remember just lying there waiting to die, so angry with myself for not seeing that sword swing coming. Waiting for my body to burn, so I could go to Valhalla. It was only later with Godric that I found out Russell had nothing to do with the Danes or with any world I ever knew. When I said I had never gotten this far, it was true. I had never made this much progress or did this much war planning with my father. I was always…gone. And he died before we could talk. I hoped to get enough help to prevent a slaughter this time. But the past just keeps repeating itself."
No, no, no. This has a different ending this time. I'm here now, and everything has changed, right?
"But this is different", he goes on. "I haven't spent the past two years in this world between an anonymous woman's legs. I've spent them with you. I've spent more time learning to be King. I'm going to be a father…" He falters.
He squeezes his eyes closed and mutters "Please, please, please."
"Eric!" I grab his hand.
"Sookie…" There are tears in his eyes. "Getting married sounded like a death sentence to me back then. It meant a wife, babies, no more fun. No more women and wine. So I refused. And spent a millennium regretting it. It's all I've ever wanted for many years. I told my father I would marry when I was ready. It's been a thousand years, and I'm more than ready. You have no idea how glad I am to have you for my wife. Or to be a father. I never thought, never, ever…"
I hold him close. "Our baby, Eric. What happens? Is the baby only in our dream? What if we love the baby and lose it? If I die asleep, will our baby die too?"
"Sookie!" He yanks me hard into his arms. "I swear. I swear to you, that will never happen. I will fix this. I'm not weak."
He always says he's not weak whenever anyone tries to help him with anything.
"No one said you were", I say, clinging to him. "You have to save us, Eric."
He inhales sharply. "I swear I will."
"Oh God!"
I double over.
"Sookie!"
"It's the stress, it has to be." I press my hand against my belly. Be still baby, not now.
But the floor beneath me is soaked. "Eric!"