It's In The Blood: An Eric/Sookie Love Story

…What's in your blood...is in my blood…

Jimmy's Chicken Shack, Blood

A/N: I bring this story to you as an unabashedly TEAM ERIC member. Is everyone appropriately jazzed about this season? Editorial comment: More Eric with anyone, less Tara (pleez...). Remember, my stories generally take a dim view of Bill, and this one bastardizes some of the book/TV show story lines as well. Remember to read and review! As Booth once said to Brennan, "If you take the time to write it, I can take the time to read it." Respect and honor the muse…Review!

"Eric," Sookie pleaded as she followed the tall vampire into her home.

The drive back from Mississippi seemed even longer than it was given the cold and angry mood of the man behind the wheel. Waves of anger, impatience, and frustration poured off of him. Sookie had quit trying to talk to him about 10 miles past the were bar. He was in no mood and she got tired of hearing her own voice being whipped into the cool night air as the topless Corvette sped recklessly down the darkened highway. Her hair tangled as the wind thrashed across her face, quickly drying the tears that came unbidden down her face. Instead she spent the two hours watching the ghostly tress and dark shadowed houses fly by.

Sookie stood and watched as Eric paced the small living room. He had thrown his black leather jacket on to a side chair, and now moved rapidly back and forth in her living room, at times nothing but a blur of black tank top and jeans. And then he'd slow down as his hands ran through his hair, agitation showing in his very movement. Knowing he wouldn't be leaving any time soon, she disappeared into the kitchen for some juice for her and a heated True Blood for him.

She kept her voice calm as she placed his bottle on the table. "Eric, please," she started again.

"Sookie, shut up. Just for once shut up," he snarled.

"Excuse me? Shut up? Is that the best you can do Eric? Besides, this is my house. I won't shut up as you so eloquently put it." Eric shot her a dangerous look and she quickly stopped her rebuke.

Eric continued glaring at her and took several unneeded deep breaths. Then he started to speak, his voice a low, deep rumble. "Sookie, what were you thinking?"

She didn't bother to pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. It had been really, really stupid to go there by herself, but she'd be damned if she'd admit it to him. "I was looking for Bill. Something you are supposed to be doing…'duty' isn't that what you called it? Instead you're spending your time having sex with your newest dancer."

Eric interrupted her, "I'd be amused at your jealousy if you hadn't almost been taken by those weres."

"I'm not jealous." Sookie mentally slapped herself for saying that out loud. It wasn't the point and only made the statement take on even more meaning.

Smirking at her admission, Eric continued, "Sookie, you know nothing of weres. They are not as strong as vampires, and don't live as long. But where most vampires might just take your blood, the weres in that bar would not have been satisfied by that alone. They would have had you. As that one were said, you look like a 'picnic' to them. You were lucky I got to you when I did." Eric had started pacing as he remembered the grim scene that confronted him when he arrived to find Sookie. She'd been taken into a back room by several of the male members of the were-pack and she probably would not have emerged alive. Even if she had, her life would never, never, be the same. The thought made him want to roar in fury at the thwarted attack.

Sookie sighed, her lips in a thin line. "Then thank you Eric. I'm glad you found me. I take it that is part of the blood bond." Her tone was dismissive and had a hint of sarcasm. She was being intentionally bitchy to him. He didn't deserve it, at least not this time. But it had become such a pattern between them, she couldn't help it.

"You know it is, Sookie." His voice held resignation and his body finally collapsed onto the flowered sofa in the living room. Sookie took a deep breath as she felt most of the tension leave him. He might still be mad at her, but it seemed to be mostly out of fear for her. He held his head in both hands blindly looking at the bottle of True Blood sitting on the coffee table in front of him. "I can feel your emotions. I can find you anywhere. I knew you were frightened and in danger. You draw danger to yourself like some sort of human magnet."

"Yeah well, until a year ago I led a pretty safe, and boring, life. Now everything is different." She snorted at the thought. She was certainly not the naïve innocent that she once was. Her gran was murdered, her brother arrested for murder, she'd killed a serial killer in self-defense and gotten involved with a vampire. Then came the real craziness…meeting Eric and getting a window into the whole vampire scene, including Dallas. Then of course there was the wanna-be goddess. And now her vampire boyfriend…would he be her fiancé now that he had proposed, even if she hadn't said yes? had been kidnapped.

Sookie took a deep breath as she took a seat on the coffee table across from him. Just as he could feel her emotions, she could feel his and she felt his fear for her clawing at him. He wasn't angry anymore, just afraid for her. She placed her soft tiny hands on top of the ones holding his head between them. He tensed briefly and then relaxed into her touch.

Her palm moved from his hand to touch his lips and then drop to his chin, lifting his face from his hands to look at her. "Eric, I know you are angry with me. And I know that anger is because you were afraid for me, afraid you wouldn't get there in time to save me. But you did save me and I'm home safe now. So, thank you." Her voice was barely a whisper and brushed across his skin like silk, all the haughty coldness and disdain dropped from her voice. She meant her thanks this time. They both knew it.

They stood there in her partially lit living room, her hand cupping his face, their eyes holding the others'. Sookie couldn't remember a time when she had actually taken the time to look into Eric's eyes except to stare him down in anger. For some reason, she'd lost her fear of him long ago, although that might not have been the smartest thing. She always thought Bill would protect her, but now she realized just how foolish that thinking probably was. Bill, vampire or not, was unlikely to be a threat to the were-pack Eric had just rescued her from. Of course, she wouldn't have been there if Bill hadn't disappeared. But, Bill was certainly no match for Eric. That was now clear.

Now that she thought of it, maybe she had looked into those Nordic blue eyes more than she thought. His eyes had seen way too much and it was easy to believe him when he said there was little that surprised him anymore, little except possibly her. She seemed to still be able to astonish him even when she wasn't trying to. And she never tried to.

Sookie's mind flashed to Dallas. She really had looked into Eric's eyes then, even into his soul. She'd seen pain as deep as she could ever imagine at his loss of Godric. She'd seen sorrow in his eyes when he realized she would be burned along with him in the sunlight despite his sacrifice. She remembered his look at her when she spoke of love of Godric and when he asked her to trust him. And she had trusted him, until he had tricked her into drinking his blood. But even afterwards, she'd trusted him more than she had realized.

Her eyes must have softened as memories flashed through her mind, stirring up some distant emotion. Eric couldn't know what she was thinking, but he could feel the change in her emotions. He lifted her hand from his chin, bringing her fingers to his lips. Without taking his eyes from hers, he took first one and then another of her small fingers into his warm mouth. He felt the brief gasp as Sookie felt the intimate spark at his touch, but she didn't try to pull away. He nipped and then lightly sucked on her fingers as her eyelids drooped slightly and her lips parted. Her feminine scent started to softly fill the room as her heart sped up and that initial spark turned into lightening that traveled from her finger tips to her core. She shifted her legs slightly squeezing her thighs together trying to ease the sudden ache.

With a soft kiss, Eric reluctantly released Sookie's fingers. Her brow knitted and was surprised when she heard a slight groan come from her mouth. She expected to see that mocking gleam in Eric's eyes at the way she was so susceptible to him, but there was none. Instead, she saw, and felt, his distress at releasing her.

Confused, Sookie asked, "Eric?"

Instead of answering her, Eric shifted his jeans to be more comfortable and then just leaned his head back against the sofa looking up at the ceiling. She would have been blind to miss his impressive erection. Of course, she'd seen his 'gracious plenty' in the basement that night, but this time it was for her, not some dancer. But what she didn't understand was why he had stopped himself. He'd made it clear that night, a hundred nights, that he wanted her…wanted her for himself.

"Why did you stop?" The vulnerability in her voice made Eric shift his head slightly to look at her, but he didn't raise it from the sofa back.

"Sookie, you know what I want. I've told you the truth all along. And at one time, I would have thought I would take you any way I could get you. But now that I'm faced with it, I find that is no longer the case. I want you to want to give yourself to me. I want you to leave Bill and be mine. I will protect you with all that I am." Eric's hands went back to his hair, running through the blonde strands. He snorted and continued, "Hell Sookie, who am I fooling? I already do protect you with everything. I always will, even if you don't know it, and even if you aren't mine." He shook his head and went to stand and she stood with him. They were body to body, not quite touching but close enough for Eric to feel the heat from her body and her breath whisper across his skin. Her scent became stronger as she felt him closer to her, knowing he could overpower her easily. That tiny pulse in her neck throbbed in the same rhythm as the blood that filled his rigid cock. He groaned softly as he struggled not to touch her again.

Sookie reveled in the look of sheer lust in his eyes. She'd seen lust there before of course, but this time the usual smirking humor was replaced by something deeper. She felt powerful and sexy. Without thinking, her hands went to his broad, muscled shoulders and watching the surprise in his eyes, she gently pushed him back onto the sofa.

"Stay." Sookie surprised herself with the clarity in her voice. Gone was whatever shyness was left to her, gone was any fear of what a relationship with Eric might be, gone were thoughts of Bill. All that filled her head now was Eric… the masculine smell of him, the muscles she had never, ever seen on a man before…not even her brother with the zero body fat, but mostly the look in his eyes: the swimming lust, the gentle waves of vulnerability, the turbulent passion that she saw in his eyes.

She could hear the deep tremble in his voice, the thread of a man barely holding on to sanity, to his code. "Sookie, don't do this. I am not a saint. If you start, I won't be able to stop us. And there is no room in our…relationship," he chose the word carefully, "for mistakes. For regrets." He hadn't been in a relationship like this in centuries, maybe ever, he couldn't remember. And he certainly wasn't going to start one with Sookie that she was going to regret as soon as day lit up her world.

"Eric. No regrets. No mistakes. I don't know what this all means, I can't pretend to. But what I do know is that every time I have needed you, you've been there. Except for that one time in Dallas when you let me believe you were dying, you have never lied to me. I would know. You have always shown me exactly who you are…the good, the bad, and the…indifferent." She could hardly choose the word 'ugly' since there was nothing ugly about Eric.

Eric raised his eyebrow in a humorous recognition of her use of the word 'indifferent' instead of the usual 'ugly'. "And Bill? When…if…he comes back?"

She stood with her hands on her hips, her head tilted to the side letting her long blonde hair brush against her arm. He thought she might be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. "Are you still going to look for him, Eric?" Her voice held a challenge.

Pursing his lips, he took the time to think this through. There were several options open to him, but ultimately he decided to not lie to her. He hadn't so far, and he certainly wasn't going to start now. "It is not in my best interest to find Bill." His voice held a note of finality.

"You said it was your 'duty.' Why is it now not in your best interest? Are you afraid of Bill coming back?"

Grabbing her hands from her hips, he drew her closer to him. "Compton does not scare me," he growled.

She raised her eyebrows, mocking him, looking at his large hands wrapped around her tanned arms. "Really? Are you sure this isn't some sort of competition? You said you didn't take Bill, and I believe you. But now you are saying it isn't in your best interest to find him. Why?"

Eric released her arms and ran his hands through his hair again. "It's vampire business, Sookie. And because it's vampire business, it is not in my best interest to find him, but I will anyway. For you."

Sookie gasped slightly at Eric's admission. He was anything if not a political realist. He hadn't survived over 1000 years by being anything less. It would be dangerous for him to find Bill if he had been told specifically not to, and that is exactly what it sounded like. And yet, he was willing to if only because it was important to her.

"That would be dangerous to you, Eric." Her voice was barely a whisper in the dimness of her living room, but sounded like a cry out loud.

Eric shrugged but didn't answer.

"Eric, don't do this."

He smiled grimly at her, at their situation, "Sookie, lover, if I don't find him and bring him back to you, then how will I know that you chose me over him? I am arrogant enough, even callous enough, to want to have him see you choose me over him."

Sookie snorted, "So this is all about competition. Who wins the Sookie prize when all is said and done." She sounded desolate and cynical at the same time.

Eric shook his head, "If you want to call this triangle we have a competition, then yes. But understand Sookie, I have always wanted you. He always had you. If you had met me first, things would have been different. You would be mine, and Bill never would have stood a chance. Do I want you just because you are Bill's? No. You must be certain of that. I would want you regardless of Bill's involvement with you. So, in reality, you and me have very little to do with Bill."

"And I suppose your ego would claim that you have quite a bit to do with Bill and me?" Sookie almost laughed at his high opinion of himself. Of course, in the back of her mind, she thought he probably deserved every bit of that opinion.

"Of course." He sounded positively cocky now, and his trademark grin was back in place for the first time tonight.

Sookie shook her head at him and leaned forward, placing her hands on the sofa back on either side of Eric's head. "You are the most irritating, self-important, arrogant man I have ever met."

Eric laughed and pulled her closer to him, "Well, thank you very much. I think you could come up with a few more gracious terms for me as well."

"I'm sure I could, but I don't want to inflate your ego any more than it already is. I'll leave those descriptions for your dancer to share with you."

Eric laughed out loud, pulling her within kissing distance of his lips, "You, lover, are jealous of Yvetta."

"Nonsense. But Eric, I don't share well with others."

"True enough. I remember you and Lorena's run- in at Godric's. Your possessiveness over Bill was as disturbing as it was thrilling: disturbing because it was because of Bill, thrilling because I wanted you to feel that way about me." His voice softened as he reached for her soft lips. Just before they touched, she heard the words, "You are mine, lover." His lips lightly touched hers, sucking on her lower lip demanding that she open to receive him. Their tongues caressed each other, mapping the feel and texture of the other. She tasted like honey and sin and he knew he could never have enough. He wanted to possess her, complete her, wipe away every cell, every tiny bit of Bill that might have ever touched her, been inside her, left any memory or thought behind.

Sookie lost herself in the kiss. God, he was a really good kisser. Granted, she hadn't kissed that many men…Bill really was it, so she didn't have much to compare to, but wow! Lightening whipped through her body, pooling in her feminine channel, heat and wetness making her silky panties uncomfortable and she moved her hips slightly to try to be more comfortable. The movement only caused more warmth to gather between her legs. Her breasts felt swollen and her nipples were hard and aching. She stroked her tongue across his extended fangs, intentionally drawing a small amount of blood. She felt his moan vibrate through her body, causing her womb to clinch, her own moan colliding with his.

He slowly broke away from the kiss, surprising Sookie and himself. Gently, Eric gently moved her body a small distance away, just enough to break from the kiss and to look into her eyes. Her pupils were large and they had gone from her usual brown to more of a dark chocolate color with passion. She was breathing fast and that small pulse he loved to watch on her perfect neck pounded rapidly. Eric thought he had never wanted anything as much as he wanted this woman in front of him now.

His voice was low and deep with unfathomable emotion, his blue eyes dark with excitement and need. "Sookie, help me out here. I'm not a saint. I'm not a monk. If you want to stop, you must do it now. Another kiss like that, I will take you, body, heart, and soul, and I will never let you go. Never is a *very* long time. You must be absolutely sure. We will have no room for regrets between us." She heard the absolute sincerity in his voice. She knew he meant every word he said. He would take everything she was and more, and keep taking, and she would be lost to him completely. And God help her, that was exactly what she wanted.

"Then never let me go, Eric."

TBC

Don't forget to hit that little button and review! My muse has been rather silent lately, so it is somewhat starving right now. Feed me, feed me. Updates should be up shortly, but happiness reviews would make sure of it! Rating will go UP in the next chapter.