EPOV

I open my coffin once I'm sure the plane has taken off and we're in the air. I know it is important to keep my invulnerability to the sun a secret, but I have a strong distaste for being in my coffin while I'm not at rest, I always have. So I'm not fond of the two hours I just spent in it from the house to the plane, getting loaded onto the plane, and through take off. Thankfully, I at least had my phone and the explicit text messages I sent Sookie to keep me entertained. Her growing arousal and embarrassment in the bond weren't too bad either.

I pass Pam's and Karin's coffins as I make my way to the passenger part of this private plane and see Sookie sitting in her seat. Her eyes are closed, and she's gripping the armrests so hard her knuckles are white. Ah yes, I guess her dislike of take-offs and landings is just as strong in my Sookie as it was in the other one. I send her calm through the bond and see her grip loosen slightly. I walk over and scoop her up before sitting back down in her seat with her in my lap.

"Eric, what are you doing out of the coffin already?!"

"We're already at cruising altitude, no one but you, me, and our flight attendant, who I paid a lot of money to so she would agree to be glamoured into never saying a word, can see me. It's safe."

"Oh. Okay." She says, much calmer now that I'm with her. I've already explained to her that should the worst happen and the plane crashes, I'd be able to get her out of it and fly us to safety.

It isn't long before her anxieties start back up, though, "What is it, Min Kara?"

"Huh? Nothing, I'm fine."

"Sookie…"

"Okay, okay, I'm just worried, aren't you? We have the council meeting tomorrow night, and then there's going to be a huge battle. And even if everything goes perfectly, our lives are going to change a lot. It's scary."

"Hmm," I contemplate, "It's true; much will change, but I think it'll be for the better. Yes, we'll still have to be careful and watch our backs, but not nearly as much, we'll have many more people working for us to do that for us. Yes, I'll be very busy the first few months, getting things in order because you know DeCastro isn't someone who's organized, but after that, it'll calm down, I know how to delegate. Plus, I'll give someone else the sheriff's job and make Pam my second, she lives for this kind of thing."

"You can't take Pam's job away; she loves being sheriff!"

"Yes, she does, but she'll love the new position more, it'll give her more people to boss around. Plus, I'm not sure there will even be a need for that position anymore, the king will be living in the area, I can handle it myself."

"Eric, I think you're wrong. She likes being in charge; she doesn't want to have to follow your orders, she wants to make her own."

"She already follows someone's orders, right now, it's DeCastro."

"You know what I mean! Like in the day-to-day things."

"Perhaps you're right. But she is much too important and good at what she does to just be a sheriff, if she wants a position like that so bad and does not want to be my second, I'll let her run Nevada for me."

"You can't send Pam away!"

"Sookie, she can stay or go as she pleases, but there are more important positions for her than the sheriff of an area I already live in."

She sighs but doesn't push the issue. Her knee starts to bounce incessantly a few moments later. I ignore it for a while, but eventually, my impatience wins, and I reach around to place my hand on her knee and stop her. She looks at me with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I just can't help but worry. These next two days, well, let's just say they're pretty darn important."

I smirk at her; I find it cute when she stops herself from cursing. There's nothing I can say to make her feel better, she's right. These next few days are dangerous, and if we didn't have to have the battle directly after the council vote, I'd make sure Sookie was far away from it. But knowing her, even if I had the opportunity to get her out of danger, she'd figure out a way to get right back in the thick of it. So, instead of letting her spend the next few hours sitting on me worrying, I decide on a fun distraction for both of us, it's not as if I can do any more preparation from in the air, everything is as prepped as it can be. All of my vampires are on the way to California, and as we're preparing for the council meeting, they'll be preparing for the battle, making sure to set up where we plan the battle to be so that we have as much of an advantage as possible.

I lean forward and kiss her, Sookie is obviously a little reluctant because of the flight attendant sitting not far from us. She knows the rules, though, so a few seconds later, I hear the door shut, signaling the attendant is leaving us alone and giving us privacy. It doesn't take long before I have Sookie turned around, straddling my lap and rocking her hips onto me. Meaning she officially forgot about anyone else on the plane. I spend the rest of the ride distracting us both. She owes me now; yesterday I bet her I could get her to join the mile-high club, and she lost. Although going by the look on her face and the feelings in the bond while we're getting dressed, it seems like we both might have won.

I, unfortunately, have no choice but to get myself back in the coffin once the plane starts descending. At least the distance is not too far from the landing strip and the hotel, so I won't be in here so long. I spent a lot of money on the extra-long coffin to fit my stature with the finest fabric and all the amenities to make this as comfortable as possible, but that doesn't mean I like being in here a moment longer than necessary. I feel it start to move and take out my phone to start comprising some emails I'm now able to send since the sun is setting soon, and most know I rise a little before the sun sets.

By the time I'm done, I hear someone trying to open my coffin, which is impossible from the outside, at least if you don't know the secret latch, one of the many precautions to keep me safe at rest. I'm wondering who is trying to open it when I start to hear knocking and then Sookie's voice, "Eric? Can you hear me? You can come out now; we're alone in our room."

I unlatch the lock, stand, and look around; we're in the master bedroom of a suite, and I see Pam and Karin's coffins in the living area. They should be waking up any moment, I grab my phone and call the Weres I have watching the other vampires of mine that traveled with us, they answer and confirm that all the coffins are here and where they're supposed to be. When I hang up the phone, I hear Karin's coffin unlock, then Pam's a few moments later. I walk out to the living area to greet them.

Pam sighs with her hand on her hip after she looks around, "Is this the presidential suite? It sure as fuck doesn't look like it. I paid an arm and a leg to get that suite." I quirk my eyebrow at her in response. "Okay, so you paid an arm and a leg for it, but I was the one that made the phone call."

"It's fine; there is more than enough room for four people. Plus, as long as all goes to plan, we'll only be here two nights and be on the first plane home Sunday morning. Which means we won't be in here much at all other than to die for the day."

"Yeah, but it was supposed to have a view of all of San Francisco, especially the bridge." She whined.

"Oh, it does… in my room," I add with a smirk.

"Ugh, why do you always get the best rooms?"

"Because, as you just admitted, I paid for it. Feel free to use your own card next time, and I won't say a word about which room you put me in."

"That's bullshit, and you know it."

Yeah, she's most likely correct, I am her maker, after all. I'm higher up on the totem pole and always get the first choice. Normally, I don't care enough to fight her on it if she really wants the best room, and when I do fight her, it's mostly just because I enjoy getting a rise out of her. Now, though, that Sookie will be traveling with us and I can enjoy the day, where I'm spending those days will matter more. "It matters not. As I said, we won't be here long. You know what you must do tonight, yes?"

She rolls her eyes, but I know she's just doing it to be bratty and doesn't actually mind her errands, "Yes, master."

"Good. And what about you, Karin?"

"Yes."

"Good. Go find yourselves donors, then get to work."

Pam gives me a wicked smile before vamping out of the room, Karin following much slower behind her. At almost all vampire-friendly hotels, but especially upper-class ones in popular areas like this one, have donors on staff or sitting at the bar waiting to be chosen, so it won't be long until they get to work.

I turn my attention to Sookie, who's busy running around the room unpacking. She's already changed into tiny pajama pants and a tank top. The sight gives me plenty of ideas on how I'd like to spend my night, but I quickly shake them off. I have a plan set to show Sookie the city. Pam made fun of me for hours when I called her and asked her to help me set it up. 'The world must be coming to an end, Eric Northman going out of his way to set up a romantic date? Are you sick?' Thankfully, after she had her fun, fun that took much longer than I'd have liked, she finally helped me.

"Why are you dressed for bed already?" I ask, walking back into our room.

"Well, I figured I best get a good night's sleep since tomorrow is going to be a busy one." She put the clothes she had in her hand into the drawer before putting her attention on me.

"Nonsense, we can rest during the day tomorrow. It'll be a long night anyway; you should be fully rested before going into it."

She thinks my words over, "Huh, I guess that makes sense. Then what do ya wanna do?"

"Get dressed; I want to show you around. You've never been here before, correct?"

"No, I haven't. I just figured we'd be so busy these next few days that I wouldn't get to explore."

"Well, you're right, we won't be able to see everything. We'll just have to come back again for that, but I have a few things in mind that you might appreciate."

I feel excitement growing in the bond and notice that she starts lightly jumping on her toes, "Where are we going?!"

"It's a surprise."

"Well, what should I wear?"

I vamp over to the closet where all the clothes Pam had delivered are already hanging and pick out the one she got specifically for tonight before handing it to Sookie. "Here, wear this."

She looks at the dress, "Oh, it's so pretty! When did Pam get it? I thought she showed me all of the stuff she got me for this trip. Cheese and rice, I thought she was going overboard before, but at least I could understand for such an important meeting, but this? Eric Northman, do you have something fancy planned?"

I shrug, "As I said, it's a surprise."

"Ugh, you know I'm no good with surprises!"

"Yes, well, you'll just have to be tonight," I say and vamp into the bathroom with my clothes before she has a chance to reply.

It isn't long before I'm ready, and I go back to my phone while I wait for Sookie to finish up. When she's ready, I stand and go over to my luggage, once I find what I am looking for, I take it out and present it to her. She gasps.

"Eric, what did you do?" She asks as she opens the jewelry container to see a white gold necklace with one large diamond at the center of it surrounded by many smaller ones. "Eric, this is beautiful, what's the occasion?"

I take the necklace from her before walking behind her and putting it on, "No occasion, I just want tonight to be a memorable and relaxing one for you. I want you to put tomorrow out of your thoughts for the rest of the night and just enjoy an evening out with me. Do you think you can do that?"

Her smile widens to the point that it lights up her entire face, and her eyes crinkle with delight before she jumps and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss. When she finally breaks it to breathe, she says, "Oh, Eric, I love that idea!"

"Good. Then are you ready?"

She opens her mouth to reply, but her stomach growling interrupts her, she smiles at me sheepishly, "Maybe we can stop down at the bar and get some food first?"

"Luckily, dinner is our first stop of the night."

"Oh, good, because I'm so hungry I could eat a horse and chase the rider."

I quirk my eyebrow at her but don't question her further, I've come to enjoy her little Southernisms. Instead, I hold my arm out to her like a proper gentleman, which I certainly am not, and wait for her to grab it. After she does, we make our way down and out of the hotel and enter the car I already have waiting for us. The restaurant isn't too far from the hotel so we're there in only minutes. I chose a restaurant called Quince, it serves contemporary food, whatever the fuck that means. I only chose it because it was one of the highest rated in the city and it had a Michelin star I know that means humans think the food is excellent, which is what I want for my Sookie.

"Woah, Eric, this place is way too fancy for me, gosh, how much do these meals cost?" She asks as we walk to our seats after I give the hostess my name. Once we sit down, she opens the menu and continues, "Yup, that's what I thought."

"What?"

"You just know prices are crazy expensive when they don't put the price next to the meal on the menu."

"Sookie, it's okay, I'm taking you out tonight, you should not worry about the price, it's on me." I won't even mention the fact that she doesn't have to worry about money anymore because we're bonded now, and I doubt it's the best time to tell her that I've already added her to most of my accounts, so she'd have access to them should anything happen to me. In fact, I'm sure when we make it back to Louisiana, there is going to be a fight when she sees her new debit and credit cards. Sooner or later, she'll have to truly understand that we're more tied together than marriage, and therefore, she should have no problems having access to my, now our, money and possessions.

She huffs, but beneath her discomfort, I can sense she's excited to try this new place. She continues looking at the menu until a server walks up to us, "Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'll be your server tonight. Welcome to Quince, can I show you our wine list for the evening?"

I look at Sookie, and she nods her head, I look back at the waitress, expecting her to continue, only to realize her eyes haven't left me once. I reach across the table and take Sookie's hand in mine. I simply reply, "Yes."

She starts speaking of the different wines and what they pair well with, it's all much more complicated than it was in my time. When I was human, there was mead, ale, and one certain wine we were only able to acquire rarely, so it was saved for special occasions. Humans just make it too complicated nowadays. I mentally shake my head, I'm glad I only thought that and not spoken it out loud to Pam because she would have never let it go. She already has much too much fun calling me an old man and more recently a cradle robber since Sookie has entered our lives.

"I'll take a glass of tonight's special, please," Sookie says, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Bring us the bottle," I interrupt, I already know even if Sookie has agreed not to worry about the money, she's going to spend as little as possible.

"Very good, I'll be back in a moment to take your order." She says, still not taking her eyes off me. It's starting to annoy me; I hate when humans gape at me. Especially when I'm clearly with someone else.

"Eric, are you trying to get me drunk?" She asks coyly, "There's no way in heck I'd be walking straight after three glasses of wine, let alone a whole bottle."

"We can take the rest back to the hotel with us." I have some ideas about what to do with it that she might find interesting. "Plus, the night is far from over; I have a few more things planned for after this."

"Really? What?" I can hear the excitement clear in her voice.

"As I've already said, it's a surprise."

"You're lucky I'm already having a great time, or I'd get grumpy."

"And we wouldn't want that."

She laughs and opens her mouth to reply, but the waitress comes back with the bottle and two glasses. She places one in front of me and one in front of Sookie. She opens the bottle and places a little in my cup, obviously waiting for me to try it. Instead, I hand it to Sookie. She sniffs it lightly, then takes a small sip, "Mhmm, that's yummy."

"You like it?" I confirm.

"Oh, yeah. Suddenly, I'm a lot less upset that you went ahead and ordered me a whole bottle."

I smile at her, "Good, have you decided what you want to eat, Min Kara?"

She smiles a little at my name for her, and I can feel love in the bond before she looks down at her menu and nods, "Yeah, I'll take the spinach and artichoke dip for an appetizer, as well as maybe the cedar plank salmon for the entre, please."

"Of course, and for you, sir?"

"I'll take a Royalty Blend."

Her eyes widen, just now realizing I'm a vampire, I smell her interest and arousal grow but continue ignoring it as I have been so far all evening. "Of course, I'll be right back with your appetizer and Royalty."

The rest of the dinner goes well, Sookie seems to really be enjoying her food, which is all I really cared about. I keep the conversation off of anything too serious, though I can tell just by looking at her that she's still worrying in the back of her mind. Hopefully, the next stop, along with the alcohol I already feel making her mind a little fuzzy, will be enough to distract her.

When we leave the restaurant, the car is not waiting for us since our next stop is only a few blocks away. "What do you say, my Sookie, would you rather walk or fly to our next stop?"

It's warm out, so there's no need to worry about her getting too cold in the air, she thinks it over for a few long moments, "Fly, these are not the shoes for a long walk."

I smile at her but internally cringe. I should have thought ahead about that. Oh well, we'll just have to stop somewhere to get her more comfortable shoes because this stop is a nighttime boat cruise around the city, but at the stop after that, we're taking a walking ghost tour in the city, knowing how much she loves history and exploring I thought both would be good ways to explore this place she's never been. I look around, and once I realize we're alone and no one can see us, I wrap my arms around her, making sure she is secure, and lift off into the air, I leisurely fly us to the harbor.

"Wow, Eric, the lights are so pretty up here. I don't think I've ever flown with you in a place like this when we weren't too worried for our lives to enjoy the scenery."

I chuckle because she's correct. "Yes, well, hopefully, when all this mess is handled, we'll have much more time to do things like this."

"Actually, now that I come to think about it, I'm pretty sure I've never flown with you at all, they're all memories from the other Sookie. In fact, I don't think I knew you could fly until I came here."

I think it over and realize again she's correct. I don't respond because we're at the harbor and landing. Though humans have by now learned that some vampires have special abilities, that some even have the gift of flight. I don't like broadcasting that I'm one of those vampires to the world, so I make sure to land out of sight as well. It's always good to have a trick or two up your sleeve should the need arise to use it.

I take her hand and lead her to the private boat I arranged. There's a larger one meant for the same thing, but I figured she'd prefer being alone, less brains to block out. If I ever have the option, my choice is to always be around as few humans as possible. I give the captain my name and lead her to the back of the boat, where I have chairs, a blanket, more wine, some chocolates, and candlelight already prepared for us. Seeing how excited and happy Sookie is at the sight reminds me that I have to reward Pam for her hard work, this was all her idea. She's been hinting that she wants to go to fashion week this year, perhaps I'll surprise her with a trip.

"Oh, Eric, this is just beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it." I lift my lips in a small smile.

"Gosh, I don't think I could eat another bite, though," She says as she grabs a small chocolate and pops it into her mouth, I chuckle, "Mhmm, okay, maybe a few more bites."

We sit and talk. The captain is inside where you steer the boat, but he has a speaker where we're sitting that he uses to explain the different sights we're seeing as we pass them. It's not long until Sookie leans her head on my shoulder, and we just quietly watch the sights and lights go by, listening to the captain speak. I kiss her a few times, but she makes it clear early on that there's no way I'm going to get any further than that with her when a man is standing less than five feet away from us. "It doesn't matter if there's a wall between us, Eric. It's made of glass! I'm sure he'd be able to see and hear everything, and I doubt you'd like anyone else seeing me naked about as much as I would."

My fangs dropping, and the growl that leaves me is all the confirmation she needs to know she is right. So I content myself with kissing her and enjoying the sights, promising myself there will be time for that later. By the time we dock back on land, it's about 11:15, which is good because the ghost tour starts at midnight, it'll give us enough time to find her suitable footwear and get to the meet-up spot.

I feel her wrap her arm around mine and lean her head on me as we're walking, "Oh Eric, I think, no, I know that was the best date I've ever been on. It was so romantic, and I had such a good time, thank you!"

"It's not over yet, dear one, we have one more, no, now two more stops before I take you back to the hotel and have my way with you."

She puts her hand that's not wrapped around me on her hip, "Oh yeah, and what makes you think you're getting lucky at the end of this date? Technically, if you think about it, it's our first, and I'm no easy woman, I'm a lady. I have a three-date rule."

"Just a hunch. Women are rarely able to say no to my charm."

She scoffs, "Oh yeah, well, we'll just have to see about that."

"That we will, dear Sookie."

She huffs but moves on, "So where is the next stop on this amazing date?"

"First, we need to find you some proper footwear."

"Oh, Eric, I was just joking, I can walk. Plus, there are no stores open this late at night, and I'm not positive, but I have a feeling we're pretty far from the hotel."

"You're right; there aren't any stores open. Thankfully, I have connections here and have already put in some calls."

"What? When?"

"Before we left the dock, you were much too focused on your chocolates to notice."

I smile when she blushes slightly, "Well, they were really good, what did you expect?"

"I'm glad you enjoyed them, that's what they were there for," Pam went all out and imported them from France, I didn't tell Sookie this because she would have yet again started worrying about money. "Ahh, here we are."

We stop at a small boutique that's clearly closed, though I do see a light on in the back. I knock once, "Eric, what are you doing? They're closed!"

"Worry not, they're expecting us."

A beautiful woman who looks to be in her mid to late 40s with long brown hair opens the door with a bright smile on her face, "Eric! It's been too long!"

"Celine, it has. How have the years treated you?" I ask as she pulls me into a hug. I feel Sookie's surprise and even a small flash of jealousy when I return the hug. She knows it's not often I allow others to touch me, especially so comfortably.

"I've been fantastic, as you see, I've expanded. This is my fifth shop now, and they're all over the world."

"Yes, I remember when I met you in Paris, and you only had dreams of opening one."

"That feels like a lifetime ago. And where would I be if I had not met that handsome stranger who had faith enough in me to fund my first shop?"

I smile, she would have made it with or without me, it was nothing but a smart business move, though I have grown fond of her over the years. I wrap my arm around Sookie's shoulder, "Sookie, this is Celine, Celine, this is my Sookie."

Celine's eyes light up, "Is this the one I've heard so much about? Pam would call me just to complain about you two over the years. Come here, Sookie, I feel like I already know you!" She says as she pulls Sookie out of my arms and into her own.

I decide not to explain that, technically, this isn't the woman I had such a tumultuous relationship with, it doesn't surprise me that Pam felt the need to complain and vent about it. And who better than the woman she buys most of her clothes from? She's probably the best friend Pam has ever had.

"Hi, Celine, it's nice to meet you," Sookie says, and I can tell she feels more at ease now, knowing that Celine has heard of her.

"Come in, come in, I have the perfect pair of flats that will match this dress, just because you have to be comfortable walking a lot doesn't mean you can't be fashionable still, right?" She says as she leads Sookie into the boutique, me following behind the women.

"I completely agree, that's why flats are my favorite type of shoe. I only wore high heels tonight because Eric is a giant, and our height difference is crazy." Sookie laughs, and Celine joins in, I can't help but feel a little chagrined at their conversation.

It isn't long before Sookie has on a new, much more comfortable-looking pair of shoes, and we're on our way out, not without another hug from Celine and a promise to be in touch soon. The ghost tour is about four blocks away, so by the time we make it there, we're just in time. Sure, this isn't what I'd do to have an entertaining night, but I know Sookie loves things like this, especially because she and her grandmother used to do them when they visited New Orleans.

It's a larger group than I expected for this time of night, so I lean in and whisper to her, "Is this group too big for you? Is your telepathy and their thoughts bothering you?"

"No, I'm okay! Ever since the fairy Kool-Aid, I can manage my telepathy a lot better. Plus, if it gets too much for me, I can always use it as an excuse to hold you close," she says as she winks at me. She leans in even closer, "I'm actually focusing on that guy's thoughts over there because he thinks he has a connection with the afterlife. If there are ghosts here, maybe I can meet one through him."

Her telepathy always catches my attention, I know what troubles it's given her over her life, but it seems like such an interesting gift to have. I attempt to listen to the man's thoughts through my telepathy with Sookie, and it works surprisingly well, I can see many ways this might come in handy in the future. Unfortunately, through the whole tour, the guy didn't see even one ghost, so either there were none around, or the man is a fake. Either way, Sookie really enjoyed the tour, and I found myself having a good time as well.

By the time we return to the hotel, I can tell how tired Sookie is, so I take her to bed. The sun is going to rise in a few short hours anyway. We spend the rest of the night making love before falling into rest as the sun rises. I'm happy I gave her this fun night before all the danger and worry take over over the next few nights.