Spellbound

I want to thank y'all for the reviews, alerts, and the favorites. I also want y'all to know that I appreciate your patience with the way that the story is progressing. There is also something that I'd like to say. I know that this is an extremely long A/N but I feel that I need to explain a few things.

There were a couple of questions that people asked about Sookie saying that she never doubted that Eric loved her. She never doubted it…before they'd gotten married. She was led to believe by Eric that he loved her. Remember, Sookie is not human in this story. Sex is just an act. It's supposed to be and she did her best to overlook the things she believed he'd done. She kept holding on to what they had in Fae. He professed his love for her before they married and she believed him. He'd changed.

Another thing is that she was going to end her marriage and to hell with the supe world. The catch is that the supe world never knew that she was going to end her marriage. So as far as they know, she always keeps her word. Since she didn't end her marriage, she still keeps her word. When she'd decided that she just couldn't bear to be married to Eric anymore, Gran made her see that she was acting on emotion and she needed think about what she was doing before she ended her marriage to Eric and destroyed the progress that they'd made.

And as far as the summary goes, I think that it makes perfect sense. It was her belief that he didn't love her … it took some years for her to see it but that is what she believed when she told him that she was going to leave him. She tried being the Jackie Kennedy of the supe world and turn a blind eye to what was going on but she couldn't because she loves him. She has dignity and pride. She has self respect. She's going to find out who Freyda is. She's not going to let that go. We just haven't gotten that far into the story yet.

Everything that has happened between them will not be solved quickly. I'm trying to show how their relationship was before Fintan got into Eric's head. With the way they were at the beginning of the story, the hostility would have kept them from talking things over. Sookie wouldn't have listened to a word that Eric would have said to her. She would have shut him down with the quickness. The hostility would have gotten in the way and nothing between them would have been resolved.

I hope that this didn't come off as being rude because that is not my intention at all. If there are any other questions or inconsistencies, please let me know. I will try to clear them up as best as I can.

Oh and one more thing, springtime in Fae does not mean that it's springtime in the earthly realm. Fae runs on a different time scale. The faeries that are in the earthly realm may not be in their homeland but they know when it's springtime. No matter how long they've been from their home, their bodies know when it's happening. Sookie may have been a virgin when she married Eric but her body knows.

The characters belong to Charlaine Harris but the story idea is mine.

Once Eric was dressed and ready, he'd expected to have to wait in the living room alone while Sookie prepared for the night's event but he was in for a surprise. When he went downstairs, he found Sookie ready and waiting on him. The fireplace was blazing and she was curled up on the couch reading a book by a tremendously popular author.

He'd written tons of books on how to be a better person; a better woman. His newest book was about how it was possible for a woman to live a better and more gratifying life. Eric watched her as she flipped through the pages of the book and shook her head with contempt.

As Eric stood in the doorway, Sookie looked up to see his gaze on her. She gave him an eye-catching smile. Eric had never seen anyone so incredible. She had on a soft blue cashmere sweater and a pair of jeans. Even in jeans, she was graceful. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek and stylish french braid. The golden flecks of her hair sparkled in the firelight. Her blue eyes smiled at him as he admired her.

He has always loved her hair. Eric has always loved the feel of it when he would run his fingers through it when they made love. He'd stroke it. He'd tug at it. When she would sleep, he'd inhale the scents of her day; the summer sunlight or the winter breeze. That simple gesture allowed him to spend the day in the sunlight with her. Since she'd moved out of their bedroom, he missed that simple gesture. He missed spending her days with her.

"You are gorgeous." His voice was husky. Just like his eyes, his voice was filled with sincerity and admiration. "You are absolutely gorgeous."

Sookie thanked him as she graciously returned the compliment. "As are you," she replied. "Would you care to join me?" A simple smile welcomed him into the room.

There was no need for him to voice his answer because his feet replied for him. As Eric walked further into the living room, his eyes remained trained on hers. He sat down on the couch beside her and asked, "What are you reading?"

Sookie flipped the book over and showed him the cover. "'A Better You'; it's your basic you're not good enough so you need to change who you are book." Sookie began to giggle. "I think I've read everyone of his books. Jane buys them every time a new one comes out."

Putting her hand up, she said, "Don't ask me why I read them because I have no idea why. I think it's because it amazes me that a man feels like he knows what makes a woman a woman and if she changes everything that she is, she can be more than she's ever imagined. He has this idea that once the woman changes she will be the epitome of the perfect woman. He has the audacity to tell women what they should wear, who they should be. He even has the gall to tell women how they need to carry themselves. What could he possibly know about being a woman and what a woman needs?" She looked at the jacket picture of the author and shook her head.

Eric seriously pondered Sookie's words. He drummed his fingers on his legs as he stared at the wall. When he'd come to some sort of conclusion, he sat tall and looked Sookie straight in the eyes. He looked as if he was about to give a speech before the supe community. "It sounds to me that deep down he wants to be a woman."

She never expected an answer like that. Sookie laughed as loudly as she ever has. It touched Eric's heart to hear that sound. He hadn't heard her laugh like that since they've been in the earthly realm. In six years; he hadn't heard her laugh like that in six long years.

As he continued with his theory of the author, Eric's voice remained serious though his eyes were playful. "Think about it. He has these ideas of what a woman wants and what a woman needs. He believes that he knows how women should dress and speak. He is a woman that just so happens to be a man. He claims to have the secrets of what a woman has to do to change. What other explanation is there?" Eric rested his elbow on his knee and placed his thumb and forefinger on his chin. "I'll bet my fortune that he goes to every Maybelline convention ever planned. I can almost guarantee that he has every new shade of lipstick available."

Sitting up and pointing at the book, Eric looked Sookie dead in the eyes and asked, "Can you imagine what his closets look like? I'll bet that he has several pairs of Jimmy Choo and Prada boots."

Sookie laughed so hard that she was grabbing at her side. She fell back on the couch as she wiped tears from her eyes. When she was able to compose herself, she said, "My Maybelline would be ruined if I was wearing any. And answer me this, Eric, what do you know about Jimmy Choo and Prada boots?"

Shaking his head, Eric replied, "Enough to be sick of them. Do you have any idea how many pairs of shoes and boot I've bought for Pam?" He regretted the question as soon as he asked it but to his surprise, she did not comment on it.

"She's a shoe whore like me?" Sookie asked. Her eyes lit up at the idea.

It pleased him to see her so at ease. He recalled how at ease she was with him when they got married and how slowly it died away. He was never going to let that happen again. It made him happy to see her so relaxed. It was pleasing to see that she was feeling better though he could tell that something wasn't quite right. Her glow wasn't as bright as it usually is. He then placed his hand on her arm.

"Are you okay? We can stay in if you'd desire. We can have tonight another night."

She patted his hand as she removed it from her arm. "It's not possible to have tonight another night," she countered. "This night is as good as any and I'm fine. Don't worry over me. Besides, I'm anxious to see what you have planned for us."

Eric leaned back onto the couch and stared at her. He grinned boyishly at her. His eyes sparkled and were so full of the life and adventure that Claudine said vampires didn't have. His smile was broad and it reached his eyes. He looked so breathtakingly handsome, that for a moment, Sookie didn't realize that he was talking to her.

"I apologize," she said. "I didn't hear you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I said that it's good to see you smile and to hear you laugh. I'd forgotten how beautiful you are when you're happy." Eric nodded as if he was giving his statement confirmation. His expression was softly reminiscent. "Do you remember the first time I made you laugh?"

Sookie turned to face Eric. "I do."

"We were sitting by the pond and Claudette came bopping by with her music blasting. You started bouncing to the beat. When I didn't move, you asked me if knew the song. I told you that I did. As you learned later that night, I lied." He leaned against her shoulder and said, "I had no idea who Metallica was."

Sookie giggled.

Eric continued with the memory. "You asked me if I knew how to dance I told you yes. Needless to say, you were surprised at my magnificent dance moves. You said that you've never known for a vampire to dance. I said that we are the ones that invented dancing. You stared at me in disbelief. You even had the gall to tell me that was the worst lie you'd ever heard. I was completely appalled. I couldn't believe that you questioned my statement and that you called me on it. You told me to do dance with you. I declined as I glanced over my shoulders to be sure that no one was watching." He started to chuckle. "After hours of your endless needling, I folded under and gave in to the endless and torturous bout of peer pressure."

"Hours … the peer pressure?" she exclaimed. "You are such a liar!"

"That's the way I remember it," Eric stated boldly. "Anyway, I was trying my damnedest to be dashing and debonair while I tried to cover up my lie but regrettably, I failed … and I fell into the pond."

For the second time that night, Sookie's laugh was loud and relaxed. "Claudette popped from behind the tree and took pictures with her cell phone. When you emerged from the pond, you begged her to delete them but she said that she would never do that. She said that she would keep them for blackmail material."

Looking just as serious as he did earlier, Eric asked, "Does she still have the incriminating evidence?"

Sookie nodded. "She's even made copies."

"Blast," Eric said as he raised his fist.

Sookie continued to laugh. Eric continued to be mesmerized by the sound of her laughter. The little crinkles around her eyes and small crescent moons that framed her mouth; she was even more beautiful when she laughed. With his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his hand, he lovingly looked at her. "I meant what I said."

As her laughter died down, she asked, "What do you mean? What did you say?"

"That it's good to see you happy," he replied. "It's good to see you smile. I'm sorry that it took so long for me to realize what I was missing out on." With a nod, he concluded his statement with the words, "It's good."

Sookie abruptly stood up from the couch and said, "Time has to be running out. Shouldn't we be going? I'd hate for us to be late for whatever it is that you have planned."

Eric stood to his full height and looked down as Sookie. "Did I embarrass you?"

With her eyes trained on his, she replied, "I don't get embarrassed. Princesses don't embarrass easily."

His passionate gaze told her that he didn't believe a word she'd spoken. Her expression told him that everything she said was the truth. Eric did what men have been doing for all time. He kept his thoughts to himself.

"So," Sookie said. "Am I too casual?" She spun around so that Eric could assess her outfit. She didn't normally look for his approval on her apparel but since he was the only one to know where they were going for the night, she needed to know if what she had on was suitable. She didn't want to stand out.

Eric's eyes lingered over her body and he hungered for her. Her hips were fuller and they looked amazing in the jeans that she was wearing. The soft blue cashmere sweater that she was wearing was hugging her breasts as if it was made specifically for her. He licked his lips as his eyes continued to linger over her body.

When he didn't answer her question, Sookie said, "I can go change." She pointed in the direction of the stairway.

"Don't," he replied hurriedly. "You are stunning." Eric's smile beamed at her.

The way he waggled his eyebrows had her in a fit of giggles. Her eyes were sparkling with laughter. He stood for a long moment and simply stared at her. She continued to giggle as she slipped her tiny feet into a pair of soft blue stilettos.

Once she was settled perfectly in her shoes, she looked at Eric and asked, "Ready?"

"Ready," he repeated.

Eric placed his hand on the small of her back and led her from the living room. This time, she didn't step away from his touch.