"The offices in Shreveport have become too small for our needs, and frankly, I want the initial meeting to take place on home court. The offices in Shreveport are too rundown and small for representatives of monarchs and some of the wealthiest individuals on earth to visit. I have no room for expansion, and can't even have all the staff in our current offices. When Jessie gifted me this place before he died, I knew exactly what I would do with it," Sookie ran her fingers along the balcony railing on the back patio.
"This is impressive," Eric muttered, looking around. "When are you planning on moving in?"
"If everything goes according to plan, in three months, four at the latest."
"Wouldn't your offices be better suited in New Orleans, even Shreveport?" He'd never stepped foot in Bon Temps in all the time he'd been sheriff, not until Sookie.
"New Orleans or Shreveport isn't home court, and I will admit I get a kick out of the idea of having some of the most uppity people coming all the way here to seek my assistance." He chuckled at the thought.
"There is a perverse sense of amusement to see representatives of monarchs in this town. How well will your neighbors take it, though?"
"I doubt anyone will stop in town to take in the view." Eric couldn't help but picture the scene and shook his head in merriment.
"Come on, I need to get out of these heels; I have been in them all day. Gran is still awake, so I guess you will meet her." Sookie mumbled.
"Did you not want me to meet her." He asked. Her tone and emotions conveyed her reluctance.
"She is going to interrogate you on your whereabouts during just about every historical event in the last thousand years. If you happen to be there for any she is interested in, you might just well bid me a goodnight then." Sookie groused. If she were honest with herself, she really would welcome him between her legs for a couple of hours.
"Sheriff, I was wondering when my granddaughter was going to bring you by." Adele eagerly welcomed the vampire.
"Mrs. Stackhouse, a pleasure to finally meet you." Eric greeted with a handshake to boot, which surprised Sookie. She warned her gran not to take it personally if he refused her offer of a handshake.
Eric had truly believed Sookie was exaggerating, but if anything, she had done the opposite. The woman in question was currently heading up the stairs to bed. Well, he certainly wasn't getting his cock wet anytime soon. His constant thoughts of her had only gotten worse after her display in his office with Stan Davis. It certainly hadn't helped with Pam's inability to shut up when it came to the warm body upstairs.
It was another two hours before Adele called it a night, seeing Eric out. Knowing Sookie was still awake, he flew to her window, which, to his surprise, was open. "Were you expecting me?" She was in bed with a book.
"I expected you to have glamoured her an hour ago, but no, you were actually trying to be a gentleman." Sookie quipped.
"I was genuinely enjoying the conversation with her, and I could see her fading." He admitted, sitting on the edge of her bed. "You left after your rather impressive display in my office." He added.
"Well… I'm here now, and so are you." Sookie made a show of marking her page, closing her book, and putting it aside.
Eric kicked off his shoes and shuffled closer to her. He ran his finger gently over her lips, leaning in for a kiss. Her soft, sweet, warm lips molded so perfectly around his. She moaned into the kiss, pushing her body against his, her fingers threading through his hair as the kiss got more heated.
"Eric, Bill Compton has gone…" Sookie was shaking her head before Sophie-Anne had even finished her sentence. With Bill out of her life, she had forgotten about the mess in Mississippi. "Your majesty, I will have to call you back." He should have left his fucking phone at home. This was the first time he'd seen Sookie in nearly three weeks. She'd been sorting out a mess made by the child of the queen of Chicago. They were out at an exclusive restaurant he was an investor in. The night so far had been nothing short of wonderful. She was still in her bathrobe when he arrived at her apartment, one he didn't even know she owned until he got the address. She dragged him in and leaped onto him before he said hello. He'd fucked her thoroughly against the wall, then hellos were exchanged. Eric's jaw had dropped when she came out of her bedroom, ready to leave. She had on a tight black dress that displayed her décolletage to perfection. He struggled to keep his eyes on the road as they drove to the restaurant. She had an overnight bag as she was staying with him. His smile had only grown at the realization.
During the weeks she'd been gone, they'd talked every night on the phone, cementing their relationship and both admitting they'd like to take the next step.
"Call me back unless you are…" Sophie-Anne's roar was cut off by Sookie's interjection.
"Bill Compton was called by his maker, who is torturing him to get her hands on the database. He wouldn't be in this predicament if he hadn't felt the need to show off." Sookie muttered nonchalantly while cutting into her rather excellent steak.
"Database?" Eric asked.
"Yes, Bill is complying a list of vampires, their powers, history, and possible locations," Sookie added.
"Call me back when you can." Sophie-Anne ended the call.
Their jovial mood was a thing of the past. "We can still salvage the night," Eric growled.
"Mississippi was a nightmare, where I got staked, you pretending to be Leif, me killing Lorena, and Bill raping me in the trunk of a car after Debbie Pelt pushed me in and locked it. You saving me again. Your queen can hand over her entire kingdom, and it will still not be enough to go to fucking Mississippi to rescue Bill." Sookie ranted. She dropped her cutlery on her plate loudly, her appetite having deserted her. "William fucking Compton, even when he's no longer in my life, he still manages to fuck it up. "Do you know how much I've been looking forward to tonight?" They both knew with their relationship having taken significant steps forward; they'd have their first blood exchange tonight. The weeks leading up to her going to Chicago had been vital to the growth of their relationship. Communication was the foundation of their thriving courtship, a foundation they'd cemented while she was away.
"I'm going to use the bathroom," Sookie mumbled as she stood.
Eric signaled the waiter. "Could you package this up and the dessert to go. Work has unfortunately interrupted our evening." Eric mumbled.
"Of course, Mr. Northman." Eric sat at the table, trying to find a way to avoid going to Mississippi because he knew nothing would convince Sookie to go with him. If she wasn't going, he wasn't either.
Sookie hadn't said a word as they drove back to his place, and neither had he as he worked on a plan. He'd been looking forward to showing her around his home; yes, she knew what it looked like from her dreams. To his utter delight, she had admitted the only aspect of her nightmares that she would call dreams were her nights with him, which made her even more annoyed at her own stubbornness when it came to their bond. Eric felt he was just at fault. A lack of communication had played a part in Sookie's uncertainty. In truth, it destroyed any hope of having what they had now. They'd pledged without him explaining to her what giving the blade back to him meant. Yeah, he was just as much at fault as her for the clusterfuck that their relationship became.
He couldn't keep the queen waiting any longer. The phone was answered on the first ring. "Your majesty."
"Will Miss Brigant accept a job helping to rescue Bill from Lorena?" Sookie rolled her eyes from her position by his bookcase as she inspected his collection.
"She has already made it clear that she will not go to Mississippi. Not even the offer of your kingdom will induce her to accept." Eric found he had to work hard to stop himself from smiling. It wasn't helped by Sookie doing just that.
"I see," Sophie-Anne whispered.
"It's my understanding that as a monarch, your contract with your sheriff supersedes any contract a maker might make with another monarchy." Eric's eyes widened to comical levels when he realized what Sookie was doing.
"Yes, Eric just renewed his contract for another ten years, so yes, I can insist he see out that contract. Terminating the contract comes with a large financial settlement, one I can still refuse to accept." Sophie-Anne answered.
"Eric will call you back."
"Of course," Sophie-Anne murmured, her confusion evident.
"Did you just pre-empt Appius'…"
"When it comes to your maker, it is prudent to have several contingency plans in place," Sookie muttered.
"Honestly, the ideal plan would be one where he doesn't make the deal and come here in the first place. I'm helping Sophie-Anne just in case plan A fails. I only realized it after I gave her Threadgill for free. This I actually forgot about." Sookie admitted, rummaging through her purse for her phone.
"Hello, this is Susannah Brigant for Russell Edgington." Eric settled back in the arm-seat to watch Sookie work.
"Sookie, this is an unexpected surprise." Russell practically cooed.
"Hello, Russell, I need a favor," Sookie muttered.
"You owing a favor is not something anyone with a brain will turn down. What can I do for you?"
"Could I convince you to detain Lorena Kraski and have Compton delivered to Louisiana tomorrow night?"
"Consider it done." Russell's quick acquiescence surprised even Sookie. She was going to owe one hell of a favor.
"I owe you on." She muttered she had a gift in mind to send as well.
Those who do die make sure they die, and those who do live make sure they live unless it directly affects you. With those words in mind, Sookie had little choice. "Oh, tell Betty Jo to stay in for the next few nights," Sookie informed him.
"I will do just that. Thank you, Miss Brigant." Eric realized Russell knew Sookie enough to take the warning seriously.
"If Lorena just so happens to meet the true death for any reason..." Sookie let the sentence hang, knowing Lorena was dead.
"Sookie, it's always a pleasure." Russell chuckled, ending the call.
"Let the queen know Bill will be free tomorrow night."
"You, Miss Susannah Sookie Stackhouse Brigant, are a marvel." In her dreams, he was quite put out by her rescuing him at the gas station, his ego wounded. She marveled at the difference between him seeing him as a human with a quirk and him seeing her as Niall Brigant's granddaughter and the Ancient Pythoness' rumored potential successor.
"It's what you do. You've been doing it long before I met you, and you saved my life in the process. My ego certainly didn't come into play then." She realized she'd said it out loud. "And you are exceptional at what you do. It would be rather foolish of me to feel put out by you doing what you do best. Above all else, when it saves me having to travel to Mississippi to save Bill fucking Compton."
"I guess so." She whispered.
"Your majesty, Bill Compton will be free to travel tomorrow night; whether he is in any shape to travel is debatable." He wanted to add it would be prudent to send someone to pick him up but thought better of it lest she sent him. Eric stared at Sookie as she went back to his bookcase.
"I take it Miss Brigant is responsible for this sudden development."
"Indeed." Eric chuckled.
"When the time comes, no monetary compensation will have me release you as my sheriff. Frankly, I'd be stupid to do so. If she did, she'd lose Sookie too, and she knew it. "Thank you for the information regarding Threadgill. We have made our position clear in no uncertain terms." She added, ending the call.
"If Appius had forced me to sign over my assets, she would have voided my contract. Money offers as much protection as manpower. I think that was more about losing you than me." Eric smirked.
"I don't care as long as she sticks to her word; that is all that matters." Sookie straddled his lap, burying her face in his neck.
"I concur." With a firm grip on her ass, he stood, walking them to his bedroom. He gently planted her on the end of the bed, getting on his knees in front of her.
"I know what it means… this time." She whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "I know how I feel about you." She added.
"And how do you feel about me?" He asked his lips mere inches from hers.
"I love you." His kiss said it all. He loved her, too.