Dead on New Year's

Chapter 22: What's Meant to Be

Disclaimer: I don't own the Southern Vampires. Sole copyright belongs to Charlaine Harris.

A/N:

Thanks all, for reading and reviewing, or even just enjoying this story. It was a great first experience with FF and it's been great coming back to it for editing, although I've been rather mortified by some mistakes. LOL

Thanks so much to Northwomn. She went through this amazingly fast and I took forever to get her corrections reposted. I can't thank her enough for her help. I shared margaritas with her when she passed through town, I think I still owe her for this.

000oo000oo-DoNY-oo000oo000

I was at Fangtasia watching a table full of men and women play Farkel while Eric was at the tribunal. It was all very surreal. The humans were the significant others of some of the powerful vampires who had come to Shreveport for the big event. Someone much higher than Eric on the food chain had decreed there would be no humans in attendance, but they had waited too long to make the official announcement, so people had brought their humans into town with them.

A few of the humans here in the bar were angry, having wanted to see first hand the vampire justice system. I couldn't understand that. While I wanted to be near Eric, I had no desire to be anywhere near a bunch of vindictive vamps while they figured out what to do with Gill.

Eric had required Ivan and Igor and several of his vamp staff to stay at the bar with us. The human staff was there as well, serving drinks and milling around. The bar was officially closed; Eric couldn't risk anything happening there when so many powerful vampires would be tied up at the tribunal, and he had to provide security for the valued humans they had brought with them.

A funny looking guy from New Jersey was sitting in the DJ booth complaining about the choices of music and two women with the largest silicone breasts I had ever seen were on the dance floor jiggling to every horrible song he played. We were all just waiting, and I was b-o-r-e-d. I released a big sigh and took a sip of gin and tonic. It was going to be a long night.

I went over to the table and asked a woman who'd come with the King of North Carolina if she'd teach me how to play the game. Her name was Bianca, and she seemed to be the most normal of the group. They welcomed me to the game, and I let my guard down enough to see what they were thinking. A few were pissed it had taken me this long to join them, since I was, by default, the hostess. One guy was excited that he was going to kick this beginner's ass, and a couple of them were thinking the norm – about how they would like to strip me naked and get in my pants. Ah, humans. We really are predictable.

A few hours later, I was getting tired, and I was getting tired of most of the drunken humans waiting for their vamps. When the Farkel playing group moved on to drinking games, I extricated myself from the table (word of the day, ya'll) and went to work behind the bar with Felicia. I was making Bite Me Martini's for everyone and it helped pass the time quickly. The two women with the giant boobs started making out in one of the booths (Yes, with each other) and the guy from New Jersey was filming it with his cell phone. I thought I might kill Eric if he didn't get back soon.

I heard his laugh in my head and knew he was close by and hearing my thoughts clearly.

Is it over?

Yes, Lover. I will be there shortly. The King of Georgia took a long time to deliberate since Gill was his subject.

Was?

Well, he is not entirely dead yet, but you could not have thought he was going to survive… Sookie, there were too many charges against him. And I thought you were repulsed by his actions?

Repulsed? Yes. Murderous? No. That's your department. I sighed. Whatever, Eric. I just want David to be okay when this is done.

Lover, because I know it is strictly humanitarian and nothing more, your concern for another vampire would warm my heart if it could.

Then it was quiet again in my head and I knew Eric must have been busy again. I got a couple of drinks from Felicia and delivered them to one of the tables. I was chatting with Bianca when I heard the back door slam against the wall when it opened. It did that if you weren't careful. My heart was speeding up, and I felt lust flooding my mind. I excused myself as I wiped my hands on a towel and made my way towards the door and the mind throwing dirty thoughts at me.

Eric and a group of vamps came into the bar area. I didn't see Gordy or David anywhere. I went to stand by his side.

"What happened?" I asked.

He casually moved me in front of him so he could press against me from behind. He kissed my neck and whispered in my ear, "Wait, Lover. I'll tell you everything in a moment. This will not take long."

That's disappointing, I teased. I was remembering the last tribunal Eric had been to and the crazy sex that had followed in our hotel room. I wanted him with a force that I could not describe. Eric put his hands on my hips and inhaled my hair. I started to lean back, putting my hands on top of his. All I could think of was Eric. Well, Eric and sex. Stupid blood bond.

He almost laughed out loud, but instead he rubbed his erection against my back. You are asking for punishment.

Please? I thought with a little wiggle of my ass. I was feeling overcome with his arousal. I didn't normally behave like that. My nipples were hard, my thong was soaked and my breathing was fast. Eric growled a little and several of the vamps looked at us for a second but then their eyes went back to their own humans.

Eric signaled someone to stop the music and thanked everyone for their presence in Shreveport and their support of Fangtasia after Gill's attack. He encouraged them to stay and enjoy the music and drinks and invited them to come back the next evening when the bar reopened to the public.

Blake, the King of Georgia, stepped forward and said a few words about Gill's businesses remaining open as the American Vampire League reallocated them within the community. He was going on about how they would remain vamp owned, and I couldn't listen anymore because Eric was licking and nipping at my jugular.

Pam came out of the hall by the office holding hands with a gorgeous female vampire who I didn't recognize and started to laugh when she saw us. Eric's head snapped up and they grinned at each other.

"I'll see the two of you tomorrow," she said. Then she gave the woman a hungry look. "I might be late however, so I've asked Ginger to open for me."

Eric nodded at her. "Have a good night Pam," he said in English, but then he finished in his old language. She laughed and headed for the door.

Without a word, Eric grabbed my hand and we followed her out to the parking lot. I started to ask about David, but he stopped me, putting his finger to my lips. I heard his thoughts, unfocused and erotic. I shouldn't like tribunals, but I certainly enjoyed what they did for my Viking's libido, not that he needed any help to begin with. We stood still for a second, just looking into each others' eyes. I was tempted to bite the finger being held to my lips, but I sensed that Eric had a very weak grasp on his control.

He put his forehead to mine. "Sookie, do not speak or touch me again until we get home. I cannot be responsible…" he trailed off with a shake of his head. He looked down at my breasts, and I saw a fog cover his eyes. Then he looked up again, focusing on my eyes. I looked at him questioningly. He stroked my cheek with a thumb. "Lover, please. I want to take you home."

We didn't make it out of the garage before he had my clothes torn off of me. I was bent over the hood of the Corvette with him pounding into me from behind in a heartbeat. There was no romance or kindness; this was a primal mating for both of us. I couldn't have stopped it from happening, and I didn't want to.

Eric was speaking low and fast in his native tongue holding onto my hips and pulling me back as he rammed forward. I had my hands on the hood of the car and was bracing myself for the impact and taking all of him in with pleasure. I came in a rush, screaming something that was supposed to be his name. He growled and pumped even harder and finally came with his own incoherent yell.

He was barely finished with his climax when he pulled out and flipped me over to enter me again from the front. He was making longer and slower strokes this time and I was going crazy. It was both torturous and heavenly, feeling elated as he filled me and devastated as he pulled out. I rolled my head back and forth and tried to put my feet up on the car to get some kind of leverage. He moved a hand to my clit, and I felt shocks traveling all through my body. I was close and felt him beginning to tense when he bent down to drink from my breast and we went over the edge together.

I don't know how long we stayed locked together in each other's arms. I was lying on the cold hood of the car while he was bent over, his head resting in the crook of my neck. I think I lost consciousness for a bit, and vampires didn't get tired, so there really was no telling how much time had passed. Eventually, he carried me into the house and to our bedroom. We removed the remnants of our clothes and stretched out on the bed, tangling ourselves in each other again.

"Better?" I asked quietly.

"Much," he sighed and nuzzled into my neck for a lick. Then he stroked my back lightly with just the tip of his fingers and stared into my eyes. It was intense and relaxing at the same time, which more or less summed up our relationship as a whole.

After a few minutes, I sighed and asked, "What will become of David?"

"Blake is going to take care of him. He has decided that David is owed a great deal, more than some of the other employees that Gill wronged. The bartender will be the new owner of several of Gill's businesses."

"Wow," I said, thinking it was going to be quite an adjustment for David.

Of course, Eric heard what I was thinking and relieved my fears. "Gordy is going to stay with him for a while and help him learn to run things. They will be witnesses when Gill is forced to meet the sun. They will be protected, but they will be there to see it."

I couldn't think of anything to say to that. I wasn't sure if I'd really want to witness it.

"He asked to Sookie. David said he had to be sure that Gill was gone." I nodded. "I offered to assist him with the bars if he needed anything. I know you will want to keep tabs on him."

"Thank you, Eric. It means a lot to me."

"Yes. Well...Sookie, about before. That was…" He paused and needlessly exhaled before continuing. "It is the adrenaline that does it. The tribunals, they make me agitated and the resulting deaths. I imagine myself at war in my youth. The feeling is...overpowering. You can not imagine the things I have done when I have experienced it in the past. But you and I are so attuned to each other right now, when it happens," he shook his head, "I have to be buried inside of you. I can not explain it any differently."

I tucked his hair behind his ear. "Believe it or not, I understand. When you feel like that, I feel it too."

He brushed the hair from my cheek and looked into my eyes. I barely heard him, but just before he kissed me, he whispered, "Soul mate."

As the sun rose and his daily death approached, I knew he was right, that everything my grandfather had told us was true and more. We were always meant to find each other.

000oo000oo-DoNY-oo000oo000

A/N:

Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed, and those of you who read but didn't drop me a line. This was first story that I posted for anyone to read and it's sort of like my baby. I know it's a little rough, and for those of you who read it in the original form, it was kind of porny. Yes - porny, not corny. Well, it might have been that too. I'm pretty pleased with the subtle changes I made and the removal of a little porn. LOL

When I originally finished this story I had some ideas for outtakes, and I still do, but it's been over a year since this story completed and I haven't done them yet. I'm not ruling them out, I'd never do that...but I just don't know how likely it is. I wrote what I thought was an epilogue, but Northwomn and TVgirl tell me it's more like the start to a sequel...and I'm not prepared to do that...so I'm just hanging on to it. Maybe some day.

Thanks again...I had no idea when I wrote this story where it would take me in FF and the people that I would meet because of this site and the fandom. Thanks also to the girls at the Blue Whale Pub that got me started on this ride in the first place! :P