Pre Edit Count – 2,267 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic

Previous:

With that done, Eric glances over his shoulder at his mate. After checking on both her and the bond, he turns back to his computer. Before his beloved wakes, he will take care of some things. He sits there for a moment, his mind busily sifting through everything that could happen if he sends out the crest.

Once he comes to a decision, he activates it.  He will decide later if he will take back what is his, but he is tired of this idiot Compton who thinks that he has no power.  Once the message is sent out to those few who know what it means, Eric grins as he plans to let Billy Boy know how just little power he truly has.

It is time Bill learns the lesson that Sophie Anne forgot.

Now:

Eric works through his emails, and everything else he would need to work on for that evening, all the while ignoring Bill’s emails. Bill is a computer prodigy, and Eric has tested him a couple of times. With this knowledge, Eric has learned how to read emails without showing that he has read them. This knowledge has saved his ass more than a few times in the past year.

He rubs his face with his hands as he leans back in the chair. He glances at the monitor, impressed with the people Brandon had called in to fix the house. But then, he had already ensured that there were duplicates of the things in her house available for any contingency like this.

He also watches his grandson, though he knows better than anyone that the young man can handle anything. He is on a steady diet of Eric’s blood. He is by far not the last of Eric’s bloodline, but he is the only one in this branch, and he has already told Eric to change him if anything happens.

Brandon was orphaned at an early age. Eric has a standing order for his people to keep track of his offspring, and when the alert came down, Eric had gone to pick up his latest Grandson. He had been so very shocked when the child had opened his lids and Eric had seen his own eyes reflected back at him from the face of this child who in no other way resembled him.

At that moment, Eric could feel the connection to this young boy, and had taken him home with him. Brandon had grown up under Eric, knowing who he was long before the Great Reveal, and because of the status of being blood, (both by being Eric’s descendant and, from the time he had turned 21, by being on a steady diet of Eric’s blood) he was one of the closest to Eric.

By this time, Brandon was one of the most high-ranking humans under Eric. No other had been as thoroughly and extensively trained as Brandon was. And to return the favor of his farfar taking him in and loving him, he is dedicated to Eric. He is over 80 years old, and looks no older than maybe 25 or 26.

He is stricter than Eric is on security, and this last year he has been sleeping on the grounds or wherever he can to keep his farfar safe when Eric was resting here. He even volunteered to sleep here when Eric couldn’t. Last night was a fluke.

Thinking on it, and glancing at his mate, Eric grabbed the mike, and making the connection to Brandon, asks, “Jag måste du hitta någon att vakta min kompis om hon vill lämna. Om det är du, det är bra, jag vet att du bara inte vill lämna mig.” (I need you to find someone to guard my mate if she wishes to leave. If that is you, that is fine, I know you just don’t want to leave me.)

Brandon looks at the camera and chuckles. “Does she know that you’re calling her that?” He has watched over the fiery Fae and has seen her temper flare. She is not appreciative of the Supe’s levels of courtesy, but then, no one has really talked with her about it all, either.

Eric lifts an eyebrow at his grandson. “Not yet, but it shouldn’t surprise her. What do you want to do about her leaving during the day?” He knows his grandson’s thoughts on the matter, but this is not the same Sookie. Though, even he is having issues realizing the same thing.

Brandon frowns as he considers the options, then tells him, “I will guard her. If you are going to be awake, then I can get one of the others to watch over the house. It would take more than anyone would bring against this home to take out the safety room. But you have been waiting a long time for her and I don’t want anything to happen to her.” Not with how territorial Eric will be, he thought. This is the woman his Farfar has wanted more than any other in the world, even given his thousand years.

Eric smiles. “When are you going to find your own woman? You always said after I find mine, you would start looking,” he teases his grandson, gleeful that something he was sure that the man had never thought would come to pass has finally happened.

Laughing at his grandfather, he replies, “You have so many descendants, I never have worried about your bloodline going dead, farfar. You have no need for me to have any children.” In a move similar to Eric’s, he lifts his eyebrow and asks, “Nag nag nag…don’t you have a mate to ravish?” He tosses the ball back to the man he calls Farfar, but in his mind, he is his fader.

Unable to help the chuckle, Eric tells him, “She is sleeping.” He knows all too well what the younger man is doing. After all, it is a trick he had picked up from the best.

Brandon looks up at the camera. “What happened last night, farfar? I saw the tapes of Lafayette and Jesus bringing in medical equipment. Is there something wrong with Sookie?” He is concerned for his Fader’s mate; he has come to enjoy her standing up to a man most would be scared to even look at directly.

Eric smiles. “There was, but we righted it. She had way too much of other vampire blood in her. We started the Soul Bond last night. Part of the process was that it rejects any other blood in her that is not ours.” His voice flattens at the end as he tries to reject the memory that unfortunately, due to vampire memory, he will have for the rest of his life.

Brandon lets out a slow whistle. “How much?” He suspects it is Compton’s blood since he has caught the bastard feeding her for no reason, and finally said something about it to Eric. It just seemed like there were too many times when something was wrong… If had known what had really been going on, well, calls would have been made.

Eric stills, and answers quietly, “It was estimated to be half. She right now probably holds more of my blood in her than anyone else does.” This is saying a lot since Brandon has had Eric’s blood and knows of some others who have as well.

Brandon looks down, fisting his hands. When he looks up, his eyes are dark. “Whose?”

“Compton’s.”

Shaking his head, Brandon asks, “She is back. Are you going to take your rightful place now?” He looks up and stares into the camera. This is something that needs to happen. Brandon does not like the risks that have increased since Compton came back to this hellhole.

Sighing on the other end, Eric leans back and looks at his mate. “It depends on her, if she will allow it. She is everything to me, Brandon, so it depends on what she will want. She has already made a reference to vampire shit.” He flinches when he thinks back to that comment. Even sending the crest out would involve him in vampire shit. However, he had to send it out since he needed everything to be ready in case he has to claim his rightful place to protect her. There is nothing they could do if he needs them all of a sudden, though he has gotten stirrings in his bonds telling him that there may already be someone around who shouldn’t be.

Brandon leans against the door-jamb nearby and runs his hands through his hair. “Eric, it is the best and easiest way to keep everyone safe. It will help you kill Russell, something you need to deal with quickly. I don’t like the idea of him being down there and anyone, aka Compton, could dig him up at any time. This was not a wise choice by you.” He is determined to get Eric to realize he has made some poor choices, and that to fix them, they will need everything. He has an uneasy feeling about it all.

Rolling his eyes, Eric asks, “Are you done harping on that?” He leans back in the chair, folding his arms across his stomach as he stretches his legs out. He does not like to be reminded of his failures. He is well aware of them, thank you very much.

Brandon shakes his head, and is determined to lay it all out. “No. Farfar, I understood, you wanted an out if she didn’t come back. You wanted a way to die yourself in case you found a reason to believe that she was dead. Your mind wouldn’t allow you to walk out into the sun, not with Pam and me around and not with you being the head of the family. Shit, Eric. You are the rightful King of the Northern Cap! Your child only holds the throne for you. You have no business being here in Louisiana.” He glares at the camera. He is tired of trying to make him see sense. And it’s because of Pamela and Sookie that Eric has been here. It is time to move on. He has the girl and Pamela can just grow up.

Closing his eyes, Eric sighs. He knows that Brandon is right. But there are some facts that he needs to be made aware of. Godric. “But I am here. I needed to be here for Godric, I had been feeling something wrong for a long while, and I owed him. Then I found her. Brandon, I know you think that I’m wasting myself here, but Sookie is not going to find it easy to leave. And I don’t want the burden of another Kingdom on me. If Godric were still alive, I would have no issues, but with him dead, there is no one I can give the kingdom to that would keep this area safe for us to come back to when we wish.”

Brandon looks up. “So bring him back. As I have told you, there was something wrong. He had never felt that way before. If I know that, then there is no reason that he would give up like that. Eric, bring him back.” He demands it of Eric. It would answer everything.

Eric closes his eyes, his head resting back. “Brandon-“

“No! I watched the video. I saw it all happen. He went up in blue flames. That is not what happens. There was something interfering. Bring him back, Eric. The worst is that he will walk back into the sun again.” Brandon’s voice is pleading, but strong. He knows what happened was not right, and he cannot understand why Eric just won’t act.

A red tear falls from Eric’s closed eye, but before it can fall much further, a small hand wipes it up. Eric’s eyes fly open and watch as his mate looks at the tear, then, looking at him, licks her finger.

Eric cannot help the purr that explodes out of him, and Brandon laughs as he hears it. He knows there is no chance Eric will listen now, and that is how it should be. “I suspect the misses is up. Go. Be with your mate, and I will take care of up here. I can meet her when the sun goes down.” He turns around to see what is going on, smirking at the sounds coming from his fader.

He smiles, and tells him, “Later, Barnbarn.” With that the headset comes off his head, and he pulls Sookie to him to kiss her. He is gentle, wanting her to know his softer side. He had showed her his love the last time. Now he is glad to have her here, and is letting her know it.

When he releases her, she smiles up at him. “Morning, or whatever time it is.” She can feel the bond singing in her blood, and in her head. She snuggles into his arms, loving the purr he is giving her.

Eric chuckles at her. “Afternoon. For some reason, I am up very early.” He holds her to him, and adjusts to hold her more easily. Snuggling is something left in him from his human days, but he had pushed it away since vampires are not ones to cuddle.

Worried, Sookie looks him over, but he takes her face in his hands and informs her, “I am fine. Believe me, my grandson is a rough taskmaster on his bad days. Though he is in a good mood now since he got to take out Bill’s human guards.” He chuckles. Good mood is too mild to describe Brandon’s elation in being able to take out the so-called ‘elite’.

Her eyes widening, Sookie exclaims, “Eric?! What the hell happened? Why were Bill’s guards here? Did they get in the house, and how with the spells?” She is upset that someone could have been here – they could have hurt Eric! Then anger floods through her as she thinks of the damage that may have happened. Her hands are lighting up, very subtly.

Watching his faery get fiery, he grins, and kisses his little one. “Shh, Lover. We were safe. They had a witch come to break in the house, and it sounds like Bill has been playing with his guards and testing how they could make it in here. Even with all that, the witch was failing even before my grandson came and took care of the problem.” He laughs, reminding himself to reward the witch when she arrives for her ability to make the shields so tricky. So much an hour can change in a mood.

Sookie furrows her brow. “Grandson?” She was curios. An honorary grandson, or a real one? Does Eric have children?

He chuckles. “I am sorry to say, that I was as much a man whore back when I was a human as I was before I met you. To be blunt, there was no way to prevent pregnancy, and it was part of our culture to encourage the birth of children since it was rare that they lived to adulthood. My children were what are considered bastards, but they were treasured. Once I became a vampire, Godric helped me keep track of my children and descendants. I had standing orders that if something happened to them, I was to be contacted.” He grins at her shocked face. Seriously, she knows nothing of times past when children often made the literal difference between surviving or dying.

He sighs, then continues, “Brandon’s family was murdered, and it was bad enough that I was going to get Brandon and glamour the memories of it from him. Instead, when I went to pick him up… Well… to be blunt, he looked up at me, and that is all it took. His eyes are the same as mine. I couldn’t give him up, so I raised him myself. Once he was fully grown, he started to take my blood. He is over 80 years old now, but he looks no older than you, Lover.” He watches her and monitors the bond between them. He gladly tells her all of it, wanting her to know as much about him as possible, even the bits he has kept quiet about here the New World.

Sookie blinks and looks at him. “You are a father?” It is something she never expected, but it explains a lot about how he treats Pam. Yes, if she can wrap her head around it, it would explain it all.

He nods. “Many times over, min alskare. It was nothing to be ashamed of, but my father wanted me to settle down with a wife. I could still have children with others, in fact it was expected, even encouraged. But having a wife was a political move. Children sealed the alliances. But having many children made the difference between you living or dying if something happened to you.” He tells it as it was back then. There was very rarely any love in a marriage back in those days, although he does believe his mother and father loved each other, very much so.

She looks down, then sighs. Eric lifts her head up, and looking down at her, he asks gently, “What is it Sookie?” He does not like the emotions coming across the bond…

She looks down and then tells him in a small voice, “I wish I could have your children, Eric.” She admits this because she knows now how important trust is for them to be together. This trust allows her to tell him, and to show her new maturity.

Looking at her, he sighs. “I would love nothing more than to see a child of the two of us. But, to be realistic, that ship sailed over a thousand years ago, Lover.” He pulls her close. “There is no seed in my body. I got curious once, and I took a test. I am sorry, Lover. If there were a way, I would do it.” Nothing could be more wanted than a child of the two of them. To him, it would be love incarnated.

She sniffs, then laughs to herself. “I hadn’t had any thoughts of it before now. I would never subject a child to having my so-called gift. The world is cruel, and it is hard to grow up knowing about things that no child should know.” She shudders, remembering the things her young mind had been exposed to, things that even with Eric’s upbringing would be wrong.

He hugs her to him. “If you ever want that child, I can find one of my descendants to make it possible. Just let me know. I would do anything for you, min aslkare, give you anything you wish. I love you, Sookie Stackhouse.” The last is said softly, but there is no reason for her to wonder. It is a statement, and the emotions involved make it soft from this hard man. She looks into his eyes, and she can see the love he has for her reflected there.

She looks at him and smiles. “I am so sorry for the wasted time, Eric. I can think so much more clearly now, and I am so ashamed of how I treated you.” That had been a shock. She had believed her family, but to feel the difference is incredible. Eric’s blood is there, but it is not making her feel as though she is to blame for everything wrong going on, and not having that weight on her is amazing. But she does feel shame now that she can clearly see how badly she has treated Eric.

He pulls her head down and holds her, then he kisses her as he feels her tears scald him down to his soul. “There is no reason, min aslkare. Once I found out how much vampire blood you had, I knew what had happened. And all it did was make me desire the woman who fought so hard against it to be mine. What did I say about regrets and ‘what if’s’?” He wipes her tears away so gently. This woman is everything to him.

She chuckles. “That you didn’t want to think of them. The past is that, the past.” She parrots back his words, trying to cheer up.

He nods and tells her as he looks down into her face, “You are my future, the only one who I will talk with, love with, and work with towards it. But we need to talk, Lover. Brandon has made some points in the last year, and he is right to do so. There is much to discuss…” He trails off as he tries to get it all under control.

She raises an eyebrow. “Like the fact you have responsibilities elsewhere?” She had heard it from the mind of man upstairs as well as through the headphones. As Eric had mentioned, she has a lot of potent thousand-year-old blood in her system.

His eyes widen. “That is one of them, yes.” And it is not one of the things he wants to talk to her about since he is worried that she might leave him over it.

Watching him, she tells him, “Well, no time like the present. I think it is time to lay our cards on the table, Eric. I think what we have to say will shock each other.” She is worried herself since she was warned about she needs to tell Eric. Not that it would make that much of a difference – it is what it is.

Pulling her closer to him, Eric rubs his head on hers, commenting, “I think life is going to be much more interesting now… which is good. I like interesting.” It is by far much better than the year without his fiery Southern Belle.

“Tell me that after you have to save my life again, Eric.”

Final count:   3,696 words.

Fairfarren~Wendy