Spellbound

Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'd also like to say for the guest reviewer that said that Eric was more concerned about the baby than he is Sookie; that is not so. It was meant that Sookie is headstrong and is always determined to do things on her own and on her terms. He isn't trying to control her. He's trying to insure that his wife and child are safe. She can't run off to Las Vegas to visit people anymore. She can't tell the guards when they can start taking charge of her safety. She can't fire the guards at a whim because she fears that they may tell Eric something that she's done that could endanger her life or that of the baby. He's not trying to treat her as if she doesn't matter. In my eyes, he's showing her that she does matter and that she can't just think about what she wants anymore. It has nothing to do with controlling her.

Anyway, the story is mine but the characters belong to CH.

Eric stood in front of the full length mirror as he adjusted his black silk tie. He watched Sookie as she repeatedly floated around the room behind him. She was picking up this and that. She was looking for something but obviously couldn't find it or remember where it was. Earlier tonight, Eric had moved her things back into their bedroom while she showered and when he did, he must have misplaced everything because she could find nothing. She'd stand tall, put a hand on her chin and nibble on her forefinger. She'd get ready to take a step forward but wouldn't move because she'd rethink her actions. She would then shake her head and prance off to another part of the room and look for whatever it was she was looking for.

As he lovingly watched her, he thought of how she has always been forthright with him. Even when he was being an idiot, she always told him the truth. She never held anything back but tonight, there was something more going on with her. He knew that something other than pregnancy was preoccupying her mind. Whatever was bothering her was more than she could handle alone. He knew that it had nothing to do with the doorman at the department store because Claudette had taken care of that.

The doorman was strong and he was under the spell of someone because no matter what had been done to him, he wouldn't talk. He wouldn't say one word. Since she couldn't break him, Claudette decided to give him to Neave and Lochlan to play with. There were no doubts that they could get him to talk. That is one problem that is on the way to being solved. He just needed to figure out how to get Sookie to talk. There was no need in Sookie being afraid to tell him what is on her mind. It couldn't have been fear of his reaction. He loves her and no matter what it was, they could handle it and they would get through it.

Sookie's resounding yes, to no one in particular, let him know that she'd found what she was looking for. He stared at her reflection as she stood at the foot of their bed putting her earrings in. He smiled at her frowning face. Sookie felt Eric staring at her and she looked at reflection Eric and asked, "What?"

He laughed and shook his head.

She returned his smile as she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You are so very handsome. I think that you must be the most handsome man in the entire world." She gave him a quick squeeze and stood in between Eric and the mirror. She ran her fingers over the lapel of his jacket and smoothed her fingers over his tie. Her blue eyes danced beautifully as they took in every inch of him.

"I do look good, don't I?" he asked smugly.

She lightheartedly slapped his chest. "I've always thought that you look good in dark colors. They make your eyes pop. I love a man with popped eyes." The confused look on his face made her laugh heartily. "That means they look bluer; even sexier than normal. I love a man with popped eyes."

He thought about what she said for a moment and gave a nod to show that he understood what she meant. "Since we are handing out compliments, you are the only woman that I know of that can look absolutely flawless without a drop of makeup on." Kissing the tip of her nose, he asked, "What have I done to be so lucky?"

Sookie shook her head and sighed. "I can only guess that the gods are with you."

The two lovers laughed as they held onto one another.

She rested her head against his chest and sighed. "Earlier today I missed you so much that it ached to leave you. It took everything inside of me to leave. When I woke up, I longed to be with you. I had to practically run past your bedroom door in order to have the strength to go out today. I almost left Claudette at the department store just to come home and lay next to you."

Eric kissed the top of her head. "You should've come home to me. When I'm in my rest, I miss you. Even before I admitted my feelings, I couldn't rest without you. I've always needed you with me but it's different now. It's nothing like it used to be. Our bond is stronger. I can feel more and more of you; your heartbeat, your soul. I can feel all of you."

She looked up at him and realization had finally hit her. "And you have my essence. Our hearts and souls are one now. Why didn't I realize this before? I'm so stupid. You know what this means, don't you?"

"No," he replied.

"It means that you're stuck with me for the rest of our existence. You're the other half of me. When we're away from each other, it'll be like our heart has slowed. You. Are. Never. Getting. Rid. Of. Me."

"That's a deal. I'll keep your essence and we'll keep sharing blood and forever will belong to us."

She hugged Eric tighter. How could she not know that her essence and his blood are what's making her yearn for him? Why didn't she realize it earlier? She closed her eyes and thought that maybe she does need to see a faery doctor. She wouldn't have to go home to see one. She could have Colman bring a fae doctor to the earthly realm. She needs to fully understand the changes that her body is going through and Dr. Ludwig just isn't going to cut it. She doesn't understand the fae women. She definitely wouldn't understand the dream. That's what she needed. She needed to understand the dream.

Eric sensed the sudden mood change in her. "Hey," he said. Using his forefinger to lift her chin, he asked, "What's wrong? What's with the sad face? Tell me what's going on in that little blonde head of yours?"

"I was thinking that maybe we shouldn't visit Megan after all. Don't get me wrong. She's a great doctor but she doesn't know a lot about fae women and she doesn't know what's going on with me. She didn't know that my senses are off."

He frowned. "What's going on with you?"

She tried to look down but he stopped her with his forefingers. He made her look into his eyes as she spoke. "I'm not as strong as I was. With the man at the department store, I didn't know that he was watching us. I didn't even know that we were in danger at the restaurant. Claudette told me that she couldn't sense danger when she was pregnant. What if something had happened today? I wasn't on my A game."

The thought had never occurred to him. Dr. Ludwig just seemed like the most palpable choice. She has treated many different species. He just thought that she was the most obvious choice. Thoughtfully, Eric said, "Don't worry. We'll think of something." He then added, "I never thought that this would happen for us."

"What?"

"This," he said as he looked at her. "Me and you, the baby; I am a happily married vampire and we are having a child. A vampire and a fae are having a child." Soon, his face was blank.

"Tell me," Sookie ordered.

"Because of my stubbornness, I almost lost it all."

"But you didn't. We didn't. We still have each other. We're great, Eric."

She smoothed down the front of his jacket once more before standing on her tiptoes and placing a kiss on his cool lips. Eric placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. He was enjoying the feel of her breasts as they pressed against his chest. She looked up at him and he selfishly treated himself to long, sweet, and delicious Sookie kiss. With each taste, her body ground harder against his. And just as always, his body responded to hers. His hardness stirred excitedly, almost impatiently for the simple feel of her wetness. Eric slid his hands from her hips to the curve of her perfectly round ass. He pulled her close; allowing her to feel his arousal even more.

Sookie giggled in his ear. "We just made love only an hour ago, Eric. Isn't that enough until later? You don't want too much of me too soon. I don't want you to tire of me."

As he nibbled his way to her neck, he said, "Who said that I'll ever tire of you? And for the record dear one, I'm not the one that's grinding against you. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you are the one that's trying to ply me with sex. Is that what you're doing, my lover? If so, I'll gladly let you ply me with sex if you'd like."

She let her lips dance across Eric's. "Oh dear vampire, I don't have to ply you with sex. You're mine. You'll always be mine." She bit his bottom lip seductively but hard enough to taste the sweetest nectar she'd ever tasted. She moaned as the blood trickled down her throat.

He loved seeing her feed from him. He also loved hearing her say that he belonged to her. He'd always belong to her but being the vampire that he is, Eric needed to hear her return the sentiment.

"Say it," he said.

"I'm yours, my dearest love. Heart and soul, I belong to no one but you," she said as she cupped his hardness in her hand. She slowly stroked him as she kissed him. He closed his eyes at the feel of her hand but decided to use this opportunity to find out what is wrong with her.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, my lover. Now tell me what else is on your mind."

With her hand suddenly on his chest, Sookie pushed slightly away from his body and stared up at him. She said nothing.

"You were terrified when you came into the office this evening. You were trembling in my arms and don't tell me that it was because you were afraid of my reaction to finding out that we are pregnant. That wasn't it. Though you didn't know it, I've always kept my eyes on you. I know when something is bothering you and when something is not quite right. So tell me what's wrong?"

"But I …"

"Shut down the bond?" he finished. "As I said before, my lover, I know you."

"I went to Faery today," she blurted out.

Eric stiffened in her arms.

"But I didn't go."

He looked confused.

"But I was there."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I don't even remember falling asleep. I'm not even sure if I was asleep but I was in the basement, The Unknown." Before he could ask what The Unknown is, she said, "I can't explain it. It's kind of like faeries wishes and dreams that didn't come to be but they want to be … they need to be but they never were. They're the dreams that don't want to fade away. Some of them become nightmares but mine was real. I could feel the dampness and the cold concrete underneath my feet. The hems of pants were wet when I woke up. I was in there."

Eric looked confused; just as Sookie expected him to be.

"It's a faery thing."

For now, that was an explanation he was willing to accept. "What do you mean you could feel it? You could feel what?"

Sookie walked over to the bed and before she sat down, she smoothed down the back of her chartreuse off the shoulder dress and began rambling on about the nightmare as she slipped her feet into her shoes. "Everything; I could feel everything. I was in a cold concrete room. I'd been there before but not like that. Not as a prisoner. But I wasn't really a prisoner because the door to my cell was unlocked. I could hear footsteps outside of the cell and I could hear children screaming." She looked at Eric with wide and terrified eyes. "I only left the room because of the children. They were calling for their mommy but, Eric there was no one in that basement but me and those children."

Eric sat down on the bed with her. "The footsteps; who did they belong to?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

He watched her closely and he could've sworn that she was back in the nightmare; back in the basement. It was as if she could hear the faceless footsteps all over again. She could hear the screaming children and she was looking at their faces. And just as she looked earlier tonight, Sookie was terrified.

"What did they do to you?" He held her hand and waited for her to tell him what happened.

"At first, I thought that something was after me and you because it kept trying to get me to call out to you but I wouldn't. You couldn't have helped me then. Don't get me wrong; I wanted to call for you but this voice, grandmother's voice, told me not to. It wasn't safe for you there. I know in my heart that if I'd called you, Eric, I would've returned home alone; no you, no baby."

Eric was no longer sitting. He was standing and his fangs had descended.

She looked up at him and continued. "When I didn't call you, that's when I heard the children. They were calling for their mommy. I knew that I wasn't their mommy but I told them that I was coming. They needed my help. They sounded so helpless and alone at first but then ... then they changed."

"They wanted to cause harm to you … to our child?" The death and the coldness dripped from each word he'd spoken.

Sookie couldn't bear the idea of someone hurting their child. She couldn't speak as a silent sobs escaped her. She reached up and squeezed his hand. Eric pulled Sookie up from the bed and held her in his arms.

"When I found them," she continued, "they kept calling me their mommy. They were in a glass prison like thing. I told them that I wasn't their mommy. It angered them. They told me that I needed to let it go because they are my children. They said that it's not good for them. That it isn't like them. The 'it' that they were talking about is our baby. When I wrapped my arms about my stomach, they became so evil and cruel. Their eyes were dead. They were trying to get out of the glass prison but couldn't. They were kicking and banging on the glass. They were trying to get to the baby. They wanted to kill our baby. They want to take the baby's place, Eric. They want our baby dead so that they can be."

"It'll never happen," Eric said angrily. The wheels in his mind were spinning madly. He was coming up with plan after plan. He began stroking her head as she cried. "No, my lover; it'll never happen."

"I'm not strong enough anymore. While I'm pregnant, I'm not strong enough. What if they get me while you're at rest? If I can travel to Faery in my sleep, who's to say that I won't be gone one night when you rise? What if Fintan is behind …?"

Eric stopped her in mid-sentence. "There are no what ifs. Do not fear, my love. I will protect you. Do you hear me? I'll protect you both. We'll get through this. Promise me that you won't despair."

"I promise," she said as she found the strength in her voice.

Kissing her once more, he said, "Go and clean your face and I'll meet you downstairs. I'm going to make a couple of phone calls and as soon as you're ready, we'll meet up with our friends and celebrate our good fortune, okay?"

"I love you," Sookie said. Before she stood up from the bed, she called his name. "Eric?"

"Yes, lover?" he answered.

"I'm not weak."

Eric looked surprised at her words. "I never said that you were. I've never believed you to be weak. What would make you say such nonsense?"

"The tears, the crying, the fear," she said. "I want you to know that I'm not weak."

"The tears, the crying, the fear; in my eyes, they make you strong. You are not afraid to show what you're feeling. You are not afraid to come to me for help. You shouldn't be and you shouldn't feel weak. I am your husband. If you need me, you have me."

"What will the others think of me? They saw me crying."

"Who cares what they think or what they saw?"

"I'm a fae; a Brigant. I'm a faery princess. I cannot be weak. This chink in my armor is unacceptable. I'm not supposed to be weak but …," she said with a pause. "I just can't handle this alone."

"We all have fears, Sookie and they don't make us weak."

"You're only saying this because you love me."

"I'm saying this because it's true. You could've kept this to yourself and told me nothing but you didn't. It doesn't matter that you are crying or that you are telling me through tears. What matters is that you came to me. I love and respect you for that. Even after all we've been through, you came to me."

"I do love you," she professed.

"Good," he replied. "Now you go and get cleaned up so that we can go."

She kissed him before getting up from the bed and going to the bathroom to wash her face.

As soon as Sookie was out of sight, Eric pulled his cell phone out and began dialing. Pam answered on the third ring just as he reached his office door. "Yes, Eric. I've called everyone. They're going to be there at 11:00. They know that excuses for not showing up will not be accepted. Some of them tried to get there yesterday but they couldn't make it. Oh, I do have one message for you. Claudette said that she's coming because of Sookie and not because you tried to order her around. And she told me to tell you thanks for ruining her date."

Eric ignored everything that she'd said. "Call Brendan," he ordered.

Pam couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?" she asked surprised. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Does he still want a meeting?"

Pam nodded as if Eric could see through the phone.

"Answer me," he ordered. "Does he still want a meeting?"

"Sure but that was months ago, Eric," she answered. "Why do you want to meet with him now? He's never been a big supporter of your marriage. He'd rather see you and Sookie crash and burn before helping you. What are you up to?"

"Tell him that I will speak with him."

"Are you not going to answer my question? Why are you willing to …?"

"Enough!" he yelled. "Do as I've ordered you to do and don't question me again."

Pam immediately humbled herself. "Yes, master."

"Call me back in ten minutes and give me the update."

Pam sighed. "Are you serious? They never answer our calls right away. If he doesn't' call me back in ten minutes, what am I supposed to do?"

"Call him."

Eric hung up without a goodbye. His next call was to the Ancient Pythoness. Unlike Pam, she answered on the first ring.

"Northman," she purred into the phone. "What took you so long? I've been waiting for your call."