Pre Edit Count – 2,021 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Smoke & Mirrors by Lifehouse

Previously:

Godric smiles and as he leans forward to see, he comments, “I take it the ceremony took. Hail King Eric and his Valkyrie Queen Sookie. May they live forever.”

Sookie gives him an odd look, and he looks at her with an eyebrow raised. “I truly wish you both the life, and though I know that you will not live past me, my heart never wants to think of either of you not in this world.”

Then his eyes get the mischievousness that Sookie is becoming used to. “Besides, who else would help me tease King Arthur here?”

Now:

Later that night, the three of them are checking out office spaces and talking about what they need to do. Unfortunately, it looks like there will be trips to both states that they cannot put aside. Eric is examining ways he might bribe the Maenad to move on. If that proves unlikely, he is more than willing to pull the same stunt to end her that Bill had come up with when he was stuck in New Orleans in the never ending yahtzee game.

He smirks as he realizes that he never ever has to hear the sound of the fucking dice in a cup. How a vampire can ever stand it, he would never know. But again, this was the queen he had found in a pile of scratch offs.

Looking through the financials of the state he now is King of, he smirks at his Maker.

Godric raises an eyebrow at Eric. “Yes?”

Sookie is leaning over with Godric looking at offices and, feeling the mischievousness of Eric, rolls her eyes as she mutters ,”Both of them, frat boys!”

Godric chuckles at her then gives a pointed look at Eric.

Eric tells him politely, “Thanks for taking care of my state.”

Godric chokes, then growls at him, while looking at the account set up for selling off some of the shit Sophie Anne had accumulated for some unknown reason. A boat? With no light proof room? He shakes his head and continues to look at the offices he now owns.

Sookie however leans back, covering her face. “What did she do, buy shit and never take care of it?”

“Yes.” Came to her from two separate people.

She rolls her eyes, and finally asks Eric, “You have any ideas for offices? You have lived here for how many years?”

He raises an eyebrow and tells her frankly, “Why do you think I chose a warehouse for Fangtasia?” He goes back over some of the information he is getting from Roman and frowns. “Godric, I thought you owned Hotel Camillia?”

Godric looks up and nods. “I do. Why?”

Eric looks up at him. “It’s listed as a possession of the state along with a couple other properties I know you own. For that matter, there are a couple that I invested in with you on here.”

Frowning at the information, Godric pulls Eric’s laptop to him. He then type in his log-in information and shows Eric the spreadsheet. “They are mine and here are the property records to prove it.”

Sookie watches the two men, surprised that they could remember properties as they are viewing them, much less be able to remember them in a list.

Godric is growing incensed and finally calls Roman. “How up to date is this fucking list you sent Eric?”

Roman is surprised by his normally calm Maker and answers him, “These are what were reported to us. Why?”

Comparing the lists, Godric replies, “Because the state was mainly backed by properties I own. I am seeing very rare instances that it was not something either I owned, or Eric didn’t already own. What is going on?” His eyes are dark as he tries to understand what is going on. He never would have allowed this to be true! Even in the event of his passing, everything went to Eric, and Eric would give what each of his Children would receive from him. His will is very explicit.

Roman’s eye snap black as he hears this. “I am not sure, but I will find out. If this is true, you may be owed a lot of money, Godric. And I hate to say it, Eric may end up with hardly anything from the state.” He rubs his forehead with his thumb, shaking his head. They were going to be much worse off if this is normal for the states.

Eric shakes his head as he tells Roman, “I have plenty of my own properties in the state. It was always a backup for me to move closer to Godric. But, we need to get this straightened out. How could this happen?”

The tall man is working on his computer on his end as he tells them, “I have no idea. And, it makes me wonder how much is true from the states. Goddamnit! This is not something we need right now, not with all the other issues!” He growls out, thinking of all the work it will be for him to send his audit teams around to make sure everything is on the up and up on the states.

Sookie slowly asks, “Maybe that was the plan? If the other things didn’t get us, this will? It was too easy to take two states and give them to Eric and Godric. Maybe someone anticipated this?”

Eric snaps his head up and he stares at his wife. “That is a very unpleasant thought, min älskade. Very unpleasant. It would make all the moves we just did to save us completely null and void.” He shudders as he thinks that they are even further behind now.

She nods. “Exactly. Except the calling. That could have not been planned for. But this? Too easy. All we did was eliminate one way for Russell to come at us, and left plenty of other ways.” She sits back with her arms wrapped around her.

Roman is seething as he is reading through the files. “She could very well be right. Problems that you guys had, we are countering in this timeline, but it seems that there are more lined up. Gentlemen and My Lady, it seems we need to be on top of our game.”

Eric growls and starts stalking back and forth, his hand running through his freshly cut hair. Sookie had chosen the shorter cut he had when she came back from fairy. It didn’t bother him, but right now, it was a nervous gesture he rarely uses. He often preferred to think, but the sheer need to do something — anything — to protect Sookie was pressing in on him. How could they be constantly one step ahead of his Mates and family?

Then he stops and stares at Sookie. “Roman, where is Nan?” Thoughts are running through his head, connecting dots that there had been no clue of before.

“I have her in Nevada taking care of a fuck up by De Castro. Why?”

Eric is punching buttons on his phone and starts cussing as he tosses it down in rage. “’Cause Compton is missing. Check on her. I would not put it past her to have done something.” He had wanted to move the vampire to another location, only to read the report stating that he is gone. Someone had broken into Fangtasia.

“Or his bitch of a Maker.”

Eric’s head starts nodding. “Son of a bitch. I knew we should have ended him then and there. But I couldn’t until Godric became King. Knulla!” He stands and clenches his hands, thinking through the alternatives left to them.

Roman sighs. “Deal with what you can. I will put a request for him as the Guardian. Hopefully someone will think twice and let us know.” He leans back in his chair, and realizes he has to move now. But, he isn’t liking the implications.

Eric agrees, and Sookie reaches over to end the call. She sighs, but before she can say anything, Godric comments, “I think it is time for us to take care of business in Bon Temps. We need to check on Sookie’s Gran, take care of her brother, and anything else in that place. Get something done tonight and crossed off our lists.”

Sookie sighs and nods as she heads out of the room. Eric is staring after her, not liking the melancholy feeling that came over her.

Godric watches the two, and cannot wait until he is part of the Bond they share. It is times like this he works to not be jealous and remind himself that she admitted to loving him, but needs time to trust he will be here.

He also reminds himself to be busy doing something tonight so that the two of them can have some time together, without him.

Eric looks over at his Maker’s face and tells him softly, “She loves you. I feel it.” He can feel the sheer need of Godric for their Mate.

Godric nods. “She admitted it, and told me that the previous timeline had hurt her. She trusts that you will be there for her, no matter what. You proved that to her, and I failed. She had no idea why my passing hurt her so badly then, but she is hesitant to trust me now. Even though I didn’t do it this time, I acknowledge that the pain I caused in the past is responsible.” He sighs.

Closing his eyes as he thinks through her past, he finally nods. “Too many people left her, didn’t care for her the way she deserved. I think it hurt her, and I will be frank, I am relieved that she does love me and admits it. Be patient, and you will receive a gift I cannot explain.” Eric opens his eyes to his Maker.

Godric nods then rises as Sookie makes her way back in the room. He smiles at her, asking, “Are you ready a stoirin?”

She shrugs, telling them bluntly, “I guess. I am sorry, but I am not looking forward to the thoughts from there.”

Eric comes to her and pulls her into his arms. Kissing her head, he tells her, “We will be there. We love you, and you just need to remember that. One night is nothing in the lives that we will be leading from now on.” By the end he is looking down into her eyes. When he sees her acceptance, he tells her, “Who knows, maybe the lady in the lake is there.”

Her eyes narrow. “No way Buster. No meeting any lady of the lakes. You got me.”

They all laugh, and soon are walking down to the vehicles, Godric taking point and opening the door for the two of them to sit in the back as he drives. Sookie asks, “Is there a time I can drive?”

“No.”

She rolls her eyes at her vampires, and settles into the plush leather seats in the back of the SUV. She grins as Eric gets in and immediately wraps his arms around her, murmuring to her, “I make a better seat belt, lover.”

She settles in his arms, holding his marked hand in hers and examines the mark.

He watches her, looking at the mark himself. Within minutes, they both have sunk into their Bond, sharing their emotions, causing Sookie to relax, and thus relaxing both Godric and Eric.

Unfortunately, the time for their relaxation comes to a close as Godric pulls down the bumpy driveway of Sookie’s Gran’s home.

Sookie looks up and sighs. “Eric?”

He is nuzzling her neck as she sits with her own head in his neck. “Yes, Lover?”

“If I get stupid, help me.”

He sighs. “If you need it, of course I will help you. You never need to ask, Min Älskade.”

She chuckles. “And that worked out so well the last time.”

Godric parks the SUV and opens the door, holding out a hand to his Mate. “But, this time you won’t fight the help. Asking is one thing, accepting is another. Come, a stoirin, let us meet with your Gran.”

Taking a deep breath to center herself, Sookie takes Godric’s hand and slides out of the vehicle. Eric is soon beside her and offers her his arm. They all know her Gran would have a hard time accepting Godric as a suitor for Sookie’s affections. If she had such a hard time with Eric with the Warlow factor, they are sure she would have the same issues with this relationship.

Adele exits the house, staring at her Sookie. The noticeable changes are a huge shock to her. Sookie walks with her head up, her eyes are a different color, and both she and Eric seem to subtly glow. She has never seen a couple more suited for each other than them.

It makes her to stop and realize, she needs to trust her granddaughter, because she has no explanation as what is going on.

Sookie is staring at her Gran as she comes to her own conclusion. When they stop in front of her, she hears that her Gran is resisting an urge to curtsey. “Sookie. My child, what has happened?”

With a slight smile to her face, Sookie tells her. “A lifetime was accomplished, truths found and the course of history changed. What has happened here in Bon Temps?”

Final Count: 2,255 words

Fairfarren ~