Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein are the sole property of Charlaine Harris and HBO.

A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews, and the interesting comments. You've all made me think; I hope this chapter doesn't confuse anyone too much. Some of you are concerned about the new blood bonds, and rightly so. There is much drama, battle and sexiness ahead because of them. This chapter will be a little out there, but it will be explained in due course. I hope you all stick with the fic.

Also, I've started getting back into some of your wonderful stories that I've been lax on reading/reviewing lately. There is a lot of talent and many well-written fanfics out there! I'm excited to be getting back in the loop. If I haven't commented on yours yet, I will in the coming days.

Anyway, here's a little timeline to refresh all our memories.

Friday Night: Sookie goes to Fangtasia and then Eric's house for the first time.

Saturday Night: Sookie covers a short shift at Merlotte's and then they fly to Honolulu.

Sunday Night: Sookie meets Preston, dinner at Eventide, De Castro and Victor show up.

Monday Night: Sookie spends the afternoon in the sun, gets the dagger. Eric blindfolds her, they have a great time, and then they go to the beach party with the translucent tent.

Tuesday Night: Room service guy kidnaps Sookie; she kills Victor and later stabs De Castro. It is still Tuesday.

Wednesday Night: (tomorrow) is supposed to be the party.

Thursday night: they are scheduled to return to Bon Temps so that Sookie can work on Friday.

Chapter 20

When we got back to the room, the first thing I noticed was the dinner cart from when I had ordered earlier. I quickly realized how ravenously hungry I was, and suddenly didn't care about the fact that my club sandwich was ice cold or that Bill and Pam would have to watch me eat. I think I've earned a good meal I thought to myself darkly. After devouring half of the sandwich and a few bites of coleslaw, I was satisfied enough to stop eating for a moment and think. The evening's events left a lot of questions in my mind: how strongly would Pam be connected to me? Would she be bonded to Felipe? What would Eric do about Bill? Why had I reacted so severely to Felipe trying to drain Pam? What was the true story behind this dagger?

I wasn't a violent person by nature, but possessing the dagger and taking so much of Eric's blood were changing me. Not just in the physical, although I was feeling stronger and healthier and my senses were much more acute, but also in terms of my character. I was far more sexually awakened; my personality was becoming less innocent and more than a little darker. I had heard stories about the fae and how they are both beautiful and terrible; I had also seen firsthand what vampires are capable of. Was I becoming some sort of bizarre hybrid? I knew that I would have to talk to Niall and Eric to get a better grip on what was happening to me. I would also have to talk to Bill and Pam. It seemed inevitable that a lot of private and uncomfortable conversations were impending and the thought of it made me feel utterly exhausted. I didn't know how long Eric would be with Preston but I thought I should talk to him first.

Trying to keep myself busy, I made a show of opening a bottle of wine on the cart and pouring myself a glass. I glanced up to see Bill staring out the window and Pam looking at her hands as though lost in thought. How selfish am I? Pam was just forced to give her blood to Felipe, and then take mine and a drop of Preston's as well. She must be so conflicted right now, sensing a little of everyone's thoughts. Vampires are very private about their feelings; what happened in De Castro's room was actually incredibly perverse. I decided to stop brooding on my own thoughts and break the silence.

"Bill, could you grant me a small favor and leave Pam and me alone for a moment? It won't take long; you could wait outside the door. I'd really appreciate it." I looked at him pleadingly, and he left the room instantly without saying a word. I'm not sure why I decided to go ahead and speak to her without first consulting Eric, but I considered her a friend and the conversation was one we definitely had to have. When he closed the door, Pam looked up from her hands and I noticed that her eyes were red. Pam never allowed herself to be vulnerable and it made me feel strange to be alone with her when she was upset.

"You saved my life…again. Sookie, the fact that my master allowed his bonded to give me her blood; it is a compliment I cannot explain to a human." Pam looked back down at her hands, and I decided to let the silence hang for a moment. I could sense that she wasn't finished talking, but was simply trying to find a way to phrase her words. After a few minutes, she continued: "it will take time for this to sink in. You and Eric have the strongest bond I have ever witnessed between a vampire and a human. Eric is my master, so naturally we share a connection. I have considered you a friend for some time now" again she paused for a moment "I am unsure how this will affect all of our relationships to one another. It is a disturbing thought. I cannot even fathom what could happen between Felipe and me, or what Preston will do when he finds out." Pam said sadly, and then stood up. She was walking towards to door. "I need a few moments alone. If you don't mind, I will wait outside and have Bill come back in unless you'd like some time alone as well?" Pam asked me quietly.

I realized that my mouth had gone dry. My jaw had been partially open during Pam's speech. I wasn't at all in the mood to talk to Bill after everything Pam had just said. I had way too much to think about.

"I could use some time alone as well. I would tell you and Bill to go back to your room, but you wouldn't do it anyway. I'll see you when Eric gets back?" I asked without looking at her.

Pam nodded and opened the door gently, exiting the room. I had never been so relieved to be alone.

* * * * *

The moment the door clicked shut behind her; I picked up my glass of wine and drained it. I wasn't a drinker by any stretch of the imagination, but anything that could numb my emotions was totally welcome. As much as I'd like to take a nap and forget the whole thing, my head was far too busy trying to make sense of everything that had happened.

Pouring another glass of wine, and this time vowing only to sip it, I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The smell of rotting vampire clung to me. I had showered an hour earlier with Eric in De Castro's room, for this very same reason, and now the shower stall seemed oddly gargantuan without my Viking standing by my side. I've been showering a lot more since Eric came into my life. I thought to myself with a small smile. Picturing him wet and glistening with soap, his blond hair dripping and sticking sexily to his cheeks, made me feel a whole lot better. Suddenly I realized what a good distraction it would be to allow myself some time to fantasize. It wasn't something I did often, but my brain was clouded with a million thoughts and I needed to unwind. I had a built up a lot of pleasant memories in the past few days; so many that I hardly knew which to choose. I thought back to my first night in Eric's four poster bed, standing in my royal blue lingerie and feeling his arousal blend with my own through the bond. Then I thought about our flight to Honolulu, when I was grinding over his body while dancing and pouring champagne over his chest to lick up. I thought about our numerous showers together, him blindfolding me, and his gentle pleasuring me on the beach before I drifted off to sleep. It struck me once again just how incredible a lover Eric is, and how in tune I was becoming with my own desires as a result of my sexual education.

Lathering up my body with soap and letting the pounding water ease away all my tension and confusion, I focused as hard as I could on projecting my need to Eric. Thinking about Eric only made me realize how badly I needed him; how a fantasy wouldn't do. In my head I thought about putting my wet lips all over his body, about running my hands down his muscular chest and over his perfect back. I imagined pulling my fingers through his hair, gently biting his neck and then kissing down his body. I imagined stroking his bum and running my mouth up and down his length. I thought of him holding my arms together behind my back as he pushed me against the shower stall and entered me, hitting my nub repeatedly with his groin. I was growing overwhelmed with my sudden and somewhat surprising arousal, when I realized what was happening. Eric and I were both turned on and we were mirroring it through the bond. I remembered seeing his erection back in the room as Pam drank from me, and figured that Preston was probably feeling the same way as Eric. Preston had walked in and witnessed it; moments later he mentioned that they were both feeling 'worked up.' It struck me that if I was sensing all this, and now Pam was connected to me (as well as Preston and Eric) what on earth would she be feeling now?

My arousal quickly turned to disgust and I shut off the shower in a state of incredible frustration. The four of us needed to talk and I had a feeling it was going to be the weirdest conversation of my life.

* * * * *

After I dried off and put on some comfortable clothing, I looked at the clock. 11:30pm. An awful lot had happened in last six hours and I couldn't help but wonder what would happen in the next six. I imagined De Castro was still unconscious, and by looking through the peephole I saw that Bill and Pam were still waiting outside the door. I knew Eric was going to have something to say to Bill for leaving me alone earlier, and I also knew that Preston, Pam, Eric and I were going to have to figure out the dynamics of our newly formed bonds. Furthermore, there was still the issue of what Preston would be telling the Nevada vampires, how we would deal with Felipe when he woke up, and why the dagger seemed to have a mind of its own. I came to the painful realization that by being with Eric, the majority of our holidays together would probably unfold the same way as this one had. In other words: a total disaster.

It hasn't been all bad I reminded myself absently, while sipping my wine. I did get to meet Preston, who I liked in spite of myself. I also became considerably closer to Eric, got to spend some time on the beach, and had perfect sex more than a few times.

It is all Felipe's fault that this vacation turned sour; if he wasn't so power hungry and bent on being King, everything would have worked out.

At the same time, and even knowing he had planned to start a war and torture me, I couldn't bring myself to want him dead. It was a relief that a fraction of my character remained. After cutting his hand off without seemingly having a second thought, I had since been starting to feel horribly guilty. I knew he would have killed Pam if I hadn't intervened as Eric had been too stunned to move. I also knew that if I had stabbed him anywhere else at all he probably would have died…but it made me sick to think about what I had done. My guilt, I realized, was mingled with the relief of knowing that I was not and would never be, a killer.

This thought made me feel a little better about the whole situation, and so I allowed myself to relax a little. I was still looking for answers, but I had to wait until Eric got back. It occurred to me that one answer which didn't really have potential to bring me more grief was the story of the dagger. I decided to call Niall again and ask a few more questions. Now that I had used it, I was certain he would be eager to talk. I picked up the phone and dialed the number on his card. As usual, a fae operator answered and asked me to hold the line. I made a mental note to ask Niall, perhaps the next time I saw him, where he spent the majority of his time and why he didn't just answer his own phone. After a moment, he picked up.

"Hello child. I am pleased to be hearing from you again so soon." Niall's beautiful and rich sounding voice came through the receiver, and, to my surprise, I felt better.

"Hello Niall" I started to say sweetly "I am calling to ask you a few more questions about the dagger." I said, and wasn't sure if I should proceed by adding that I had already used it to stab two vampires.

"I assumed as much. I take it then, that you have had opportunity to use it already?" He asked, concerned.

"Yes, unfortunately I have. I stabbed a vampire who had planned to torture me. He instantly crumbled from the wound." I said, ashamed.

"I must say that I'm surprised. My blade has taken to you much more quickly than I had expected. It illustrates further that I was correct in entrusting it to you. You are much more of a fairy then I could have imagined; Sookie you have made me very proud." Niall said quietly.

"Well, thank you. I was wondering why it pulsates in my hand sometimes. It's like it acts on its own." I said, knowing how foolish I sounded.

"That is exactly right." Niall said to my amazement, and then continued: "this blade will know when you are in danger. It has magical properties which reinforce the severity of its cuts, it will never tarnish, it will, in short, begin to strengthen your abilities as a fairy. This is a weapon of nobility." He said, point blank.

I was suddenly terrified to own it.

"What kind of abilities?" I asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

"It will make you even more appealing to vampires, much more, but not to the extent of a pure blooded fairy. It will increase your health, perhaps even the longevity of your life…to name a few. That is all I will tell you over the phone. When you return to Bon Temps, I would like to take you up on your offer of having dinner. There is much to discuss." He stated, and I knew it wasn't a suggestion.

"I would be happy to. I get home late Thursday night, and I work on Friday. Would you like to meet on Saturday night?" I asked him.

"I shall see you then. Be careful." Niall said, and hung up.

If I previously thought the conversation wouldn't bring me any grief, I was wrong.

TBC