I offer my thanks again to Charlaine Harris, who generously allows the likes of me into her sandbox to play with her dolls.

I am also grateful to NorthmanMaille for patiently listening to me whine and for her invaluable beta services.

What Price Desire

Sookie lay on her side, curled into a tight ball with her knees nearly touching her chin. Her left arm hugged her shins while her right maintained a stranglehold on the unfortunate leg she had been using as a pillow for over two hours now.

Her great-uncle Dermot, from the fairy side of the family, was the unhappy owner of said unfortunate leg and he had long since given up any attempts to console his niece. All his best efforts had been fruitless and in the end he came to the realization it was a futile pursuit. All he could do was sit and allow her to cling to him, to draw strength from him. At least he thought she was drawing strength. Yes. She must be. He had never felt more drained and it had been at least half an hour since her sobs had been so loud they had seemed to fill the entire house.

Now she was weeping softly onto his leg. His once neatly pressed linen slacks were soaked through and sticky against his skin, but that wasn't the worst of it. Hardly a minute passed when he didn't have to fight the urge to try and make some kind of sense out of the matted mess of Sookie's hair, which seemed to be splayed out in strings and tangles in every conceivable direction. Including one gravity-defying clump, which was standing straight up.

No. He would leave her hair to her. Surely she would stop crying eventually. When she did, she could sort out her own hair. Until then, he would sit and pat her shoulder, stopping occasionally to take another Kleenex from the box and gently wipe her nose.

She had surrendered to her grief completely. She had waited until the last possible moment; telling herself he would find a way. Of course he would. He had to. They were in love. Even without the bond, they were in love and love always found a way, didn't it? She had clung to that belief; that hope, so tenaciously she was actually taken by surprise when the moment came and there was no just in the nick of time reprieve.

Early this morning, the moment had come and gone, taking Eric with it and leaving only emptiness in its wake.

Sookie's tears flowed free, making her vision as blurry as her thoughts as she clutched Dermot's knee and drew her own left leg as close to her chest as she possibly could. The cluviel dor was in the pocket of her pajama bottoms and she could feel it better when her leg was pulled up tight. She didn't dare bring it out and risk Dermot seeing it. She felt certain the cluviel dor was the only thing standing between her and the dark abyss of insanity.

For a second she had considered showing it, in the hope Dermot actually would kill her for it. But the thought hadn't even had time to fully form before she rejected it. She couldn't take the coward's way out. Gran would never forgive her for it. She would just have to suffer, for however long it took. And Sookie was sure the suffering would last a very long time.

The thought of feeling this depth of pain for some indeterminable length of time only served to renew her sobs. The rest of the world faded into the background, far beyond her reach, leaving her adrift in the nothingness of her pain.

She didn't know exactly how long she had been aware of her surroundings once more, but Dermot was watching a recorded episode of Jeopardy. It had to be afternoon because the brightest streams of sunlight had shifted from the eastern to the mostly southerly facing windows. No doubt the kitchen, with its big, lightly curtained windows was bathed in light. She usually loved her kitchen in the afternoon, but not today. She still couldn't see clearly, but through her sniffling she was able to hear a man's voice saying, "I'll take Macabre Literature for four-hundred, Alex."

In response, host Alex Trebek immediately intoned the four hundred dollar clue in the requested category, "W. W. Jacobs' tale of attempting to interfere with fate."

"The Monkey's Paw!" Sookie exclaimed, springing to an upright stance. Dermot was so startled by her sudden movement he jumped from the couch as if it was on fire.

All at once everything was obvious to her. Her thoughts were focused with razor sharp clarity so conclusive she couldn't understand how she could have failed to see it before. That's why the cluviel dor came with the warning to be very careful before you made your wish. There would be consequences. You had to think it through. You had to be able to think of all the possible effects before you made your wish. You had to have a solid strategy.

Sookie knew what she had to do. It was so simple, so perfect. She felt the weight of the world shift off her shoulders as she slid her hand into her pocket and curled her fingers firmly around the cluviel dor. She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments and when she opened them again, she was smiling.

"Uncle Dermot, how would you like to go for a drive with me?"

Dermot regarded her suspiciously. The radical change in her mood seemed to give off an electric aura. He'd seen it before, but rarely. It always accompanied a fairy's decision to set upon a path of uncertain danger.

"Niece," Dermot said softly, "I don't know what you're thinking, but think again before you act."

This was not exactly a response Sookie had expected. Her smile broadened as she stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I figured it out. Everything's going to be fine. You'll see. I just need to get to Eric. Will you come with me?"

"Where are you going?"

"Tulsa."

~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~

Dermot had faltered only slightly before caving in and agreeing to accompany Sookie on her journey, due in no small part to her insisting she desperately needed a fellow driver she could trust. If she should begin crying again she would have to stop the car to keep from risking an accident and she couldn't waste who knew how long sitting at the side of the road in a puddle of tears. "In fact," she'd said finally, clutching his shirtsleeve desperately in her hand, her tear soaked eyes pleading from beneath her lashes. "I think maybe you should do most of the driving. You'll be saving my life by doing this. I know you will."

That last bit had done it. She had her companion for the road to whatever lay waiting for her at the other end. This was her Hail Mary pass. Cher's 'All Or Nothing' began to run through her head. ~Baby it's all or nothing now, I don't wanna run and I can't walk out~

She ran to her room and grabbed a small suitcase. She gave it to Dermot and instructed him to pack a couple of changes of clothes, a swimsuit, something to sleep in and whatever toiletries or personal items he might need for a day or maybe two. She returned to her room and quickly packed her own overnight bag. She grabbed her laptop on the way out. She didn't really expect to need it, but once they were in Tulsa she wouldn't be able to take Dermot vampire hunting with her and it would give him something to do besides watch TV.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon. Less than an hour had passed between Jeopardy and Dermot turning the key to start Sookie's car.

They started out with only a half tank of gas, but Sookie didn't feel up to running into people she knew and having to chat or answer questions, so they didn't fill up right away. In fact, they didn't stop until more than an hour and a half later when they reached Texarkana. They had driven the distance mostly in silence, save for Dermot's occasional suggestion for Sookie to try and sleep. She never did. She couldn't, not now.

"Niece," Dermot began when they were back on the road and heading toward Hugo, Oklahoma with their new map. "Might I ask why we are going to Tulsa? What exactly do we hope to accomplish there which could not have been accomplished in Bon Temps?"

"I wish I knew," Sookie responded with a sigh. She couldn't tell him about the cluviel dor, but he did deserve some kind of explanation, or at least some conversation to take his mind off asking her questions she could not answer. "I only know I have to find Eric. I have to make him understand how much I love him and how much he means to me."

"Do you believe him to be unaware of your feelings? I've often heard your vampire Sheriff described as being quite perceptive." He was genuinely concerned and curious. He'd always been inexplicably interested in emotional matters. Particularly when those matters involved interspecies relationships.

"Oh, he's plenty aware of my feelings," she huffed, but when she heard her tone she was ashamed. She reigned herself in and went on. "But I believe he has doubts about how I feel."

"Hmm, yes, I imagine when you broke your blood bond with him without warning; it gave him cause to lose faith in you."

Sookie's hands went instinctively to her stomach as if to touch something she thought was there, but wasn't, like amputees having phantom sensations of limbs which have been lost. Could you have phantom pains from losing something which had never really been a physical part of you? Or had her bond with Eric actually been physical? She'd never really thought about it like that before, but it must have been, it had involved a blood exchange and that was definitely physical.

Their blood bond had been just as real, just as much a part of her as her arms or legs. Yet she had nonchalantly ripped it out as if she were doing something worth no more consideration than squeezing a pimple. Her hands groped at her stomach again. Nothing.

"Oh, God!" she shrieked. "It's gone. Dermot, how could I have done it? How will he ever be able to trust me again? How will he know how much I love him if he can't feel me?"

She shrugged out of the shoulder strap and slid it behind her so she could lean forward. She felt as though she might throw up. She folded over, lowering her head almost to her knees and sobbing into her hands.

Though he felt sure he was breaking some sort of responsible driving rule, Dermot reached over and stroked Sookie's back as she wept. "Your love will find a way, niece," he said in soft, comforting tones. "You will make him believe you again."

Dermot caught himself smiling at how pleased he was to be in a car with bucket seats so his slacks were safe from her grasps and tears. He quickly rearranged his face into a somber expression more suited to the occasion.

Sookie remembered the cluviel dor in her right front pocket. She reached in and wrapped her fingers tight around it. She felt a ripple of quiet ease its way through her. Nothing like the waves of contentment she used to feel wash over her through the bond, but it was enough for now. It was enough to allow her time to think.

The cluviel dor, she thought as her fingertips caressed it. It is the key. It will bring him back to me. It was simple. She would give the cluviel dor to Eric. It was meant to be a gift to someone you love and there was no one she loved more. Giving him this gift would prove it to him. He would know she loved him.

Then he would use the box to make a wish to fix everything so they could go home together and their lives would be all right again. Now she thought about it, their lives hadn't exactly been all right since they'd met. Their lives had been pretty much constant turmoil, but they had been together, a couple, married. As long as they were together, the devil could have the rest. She didn't care. She only wanted Eric.

She was putting her faith wholly in him knowing just how to put the cluviel dor to best use. He was over a thousand years old. He had seen almost everything. He'd probably seen hundreds of these things. In fact, the way human and supes alike constantly swooned over him she probably wouldn't even be the first woman to give him one.

Sookie felt a sudden pang of jealousy. How idiotic, she thought. I'm resenting a woman who may or may not even exist anywhere but in my own mind. I really am going insane.

The running dialog in her head continued throughout much of the remainder of the trip. There were occasional, brief conversations with Dermot, but those were confined mostly to topics unrelated to her current quest. He was trying his best to be supportive by not questioning her.

They stopped for dinner at a little place in McAlester, Oklahoma. The cashier recommended it when they stopped for gas. Dermot seemed to fear the prospect of running out of gas so they stopped more often than they really needed to. The extra stops stretched what should have been about a six and a half hour trip into nearly eight hours.

It was just before eleven when Sookie checked them into the Holiday Inn Express close to downtown Tulsa and asked the night clerk if he knew of any vampire bars in the area. She batted her lashes and added, "We've heard they're all over the big cities," just for good measure.

They'll be all over you if you're not careful, she heard him think. She saw the name before he said it. Forever Fangs. He was curious but he'd never been there.

"There's a place called Forever Fangs not too far from here. I'll write the directions down for you. I don't go there myself, but I know where it is." He ran her credit card and wrote out the directions in neat, printed letters.

She thanked him, took two key cards and went to the room to change.

Her plan was very clear in her head. She would walk right into Forever Fangs like she was just another fangbanger and read the room looking for anyone who had seen or heard about a new, tall blond and gorgeous vampire in town. If that didn't work she'd start up a conversation with a good broadcasting human and find out where any other vampire bars were.

Eric wasn't a homebody. He thrived on being the center of attention. He would want to be out making his presence known in his new territory. If this home wrecking Queen wasn't holding him captive in silver chains somewhere, Sookie would find him. She was so confident in her plan and her ability to execute it she thought she might just be able to find him even if he was in chains somewhere.

~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~

Club Amaranthine was what Queen Freyda had called a betrothal gift. It was a cavernous place, which occupied the first two floors of a four story, sleekly lined art deco building fashionably situated in the northwest corner of the downtown Core Business District. The surrounding area included the Performing Arts Center and the BOK Arena (home of the Tulsa Talons arena football team, the Tulsa Shock women's basketball team and the Tulsa Oilers professional hockey team, as well as numerous concerts and special events) along with many restaurants and other bars and clubs, all within walking distance. As an added bonus, the Tulsa Community College was only a very short drive (or a brisk walk) away.

Inside, everything was centered around an enormous lighted dance floor, taking up most of the middle of the lower level. The club had four bars, two upstairs and two down, a gift shop and more tables than Eric cared enough to count. As the name implied, the décor was dominated by deep purplish red. The walls were mostly covered with drapes of that color, as well as the carpeting and seat cushions. All things wood; tables, chairs, bar areas, were black lacquer and everything was heavily accented with punches of electric blue to keep the atmosphere from being too dark.

The upstairs carried on the same color scheme and was basically a huge balcony, extending from the outside walls inward to an ornate barrier of serpentine iron bars surrounding the open twenty by twenty foot space overlooking the dance floor below. The barrier was encircled by two rows of small tables.

There was also a conference room, which would comfortably accommodate 50, in addition to ten smaller, light tight private entertainment rooms. The latter rooms were made available at no charge to vampires who were visiting and in need a place to stay for the day.

When not otherwise occupied, human customers of Club Amaranthine could, for a hefty fee, have use of the entertainment rooms for a private 'Encounter With The Eternal'. Private encounters were a big profit maker for the club. They were billed as being "not for the squeamish or faint of heart", but in reality they were little more than a vampire taking a party of one to four customers into a room, giving a three minute memorized speech on vampire history through the ages, then dropping his/her fangs and allowing the paying customers to touch them … if they could muster the courage. More often than not, the vamp merely took them into a room and glamoured them into thinking they'd had a fascinating and sexy experience they could brag to their friends about later.

Eric sat in a shadowed corner near the swinging, 'staff only' half-door on the lower level, which led back to the storeroom and the offices beyond. His expression matched the darkness of his mood as he stared into the writhing mass of flesh dancing before him, one body almost indistinguishable from the next.

"I want you to have as comfortable a transition as possible," she'd said. "Since you are accustomed to having your base of operations in a nightclub I am giving you Club Amaranthine. It is near by, but not so close as to make you feel confined. It is quite successful, but as it is now wholly your own, you are free to make any changes you see fit."

Her smile had been stunning, as befitted such a beautiful face, and he believed her gift came from a sincere desire to make him happy.

Of course happiness was not an option for him. As is the case with anyone newly sold into slavery, the most he could offer her in return was acquiescence. "Your Majesty is most generous," he'd responded simply. His effort to smile had resulted in merely not grimacing, so he had hidden his expression with a formal bow.

The Queen had a second gift for him. She had created a new office for the man who would be her consort. He would be elevated to the rank of High Sheriff. He was to have authority over the sheriffs of Oklahoma, second only to her. When his reaction was again polite, but underwhelming, she swallowed her disappointment at his lack of enthusiasm for her gifts and ordered an escort to drive him to Club Amaranthine and introduce him to his new employees.

In one fell swoop, she'd replaced his home of Shreveport with a city three times as populous. She'd replaced his job as Sheriff with a promotion to High Sheriff and consort to a Queen. She'd replaced his bar with this Art Deco monstrosity. And there was another replacement still to come. This last one he dreaded most of all. He still had yet to work out to any degree of satisfaction exactly how he would be able to bear it when he was called upon to replace his Sookie with her.

Knowing he had to and summoning the will to actually do it were two completely different things. He could force himself to live here and perform the public functions of his new role. He was also more than certain of his ability to keep his bride to be gratified in the bedroom. However he was equally certain he would never be able to share her gratification. In his mind she would ever be a usurper. His maker had indentured him to her, without his knowledge. He was her slave and as such he was forced to give up the one thing he wanted above anything he had wanted in over a thousand years. And there was much he had coveted during the long span of his life.

He tried desperately to push Sookie from his thoughts, with little success. He'd fled the loneliness of his spacious new office in the back, when wondering what Sookie was doing had sidetracked his attention from the numbers on the balance sheets he was examining. Now he was mentally comparing the movements of every female in the building to how Sookie moved; how she walked, danced, smiled.

As his eyes made another in a countless series of sweeps across the room, he did a double take when he actually thought he saw her. He felt a shudder slither up his spine. It was as if his body was giving him a physical confirmation of his descent into madness. Yet when he looked again she was still there … and she was smiling at him. She had never been lovelier.

Eric rose slowly to his feet, a look of confused disbelief fixed on his face as he watched her pick her way through the crowd to come to him. He half suspected he had become delusional. He kept expecting his vision of Sookie to dissolve, but her approach continued.

"Eric," she breathed when she was only a few feet from him.

It was only a whisper, but he heard it. Over the music, over the crowd, over everything, he heard the sound he would happily give up all other sounds to hear; Sookie spoke his name.

This wasn't a vision, it was really happening. The realization and all its implications hit him all at once and he reacted instantly, just as she reached out to touch him.

Eric quickly scanned the room. No one appeared to have taken any particular interest in her. He extended an arm, scooped her to his side and ushered her through the staff only door. They moved down the hall as quickly as they could go without him dragging her. They didn't stop until they were alone in the back alley.

"Did you come here alone?" he asked brusquely, pinning her to the wall with his body, his hands on the wall to either side.

"Eric, you're scaring me," she said, pushing back against him. "Dermot came with me to Tulsa, but not to here. I couldn't bring him into a vampire bar. I couldn't protect him."

"And who did you bring to protect you?"

"You're here to protect me." Sookie wrapped her arms around him and didn't let go.

His heart was overwhelmed by so much warmth; he thought it might explode. She was better than sunshine. How could he have left her? Better to have spent what little time he would have had left in her bed and died happily in Louisiana. His face dropped into the soft, windblown tangle of her hair as he returned her embrace.

Though she could have happily spent much longer like this, Sookie soon remembered her purpose. She swallowed hard, placed her hands on Eric's chest and pushed until he stepped back.

"Sookie?" His voice was a mixture of patience and confusion.

She looked up into his face so she could be sure to see any change; any nuance which might give her some insight into his feelings. "Eric, if you could have one wish, any wish, what would you wish for?"

A slight chuckle escaped him. He raised an eyebrow and smiled a crooked smile. "Has my little fairy come all this way to tell me fairytales? Have you captured a leprechaun or found a magic lamp?"

This wasn't exactly going according to plan. She took a deep breath and stood up as straight as she could. "I've brought you a gift," she said with great resolve.

His hand reached up and cupped her chin. "Seeing you is more gift than I could have asked for or deserved."

"No!" she cried. "I mean yes. I mean I have another gift, a real gift." She produced the cluviel dor from her pocket and held it up to him in both hands, anxiously examining his face for clues as he stared at her offering.

After a moment he lifted the tiny box from her hands, turning it over in his fingers. When he had looked at it from every angle, he met her gaze. She was clearly awaiting a response from him. "Thank you?" he said tentatively.

She visibly relaxed. "Do you know how to open it or get it to work?" she asked.

"A snuffbox?" He answered her question with a question, resuming his examination of the box.

"Huh?" Sookie's expression shifted from confusion to surprise. "You don't know what it is, do you?"

"Unless it is a snuffbox, which judging from your question it is not, no, I do not. Am I supposed to know what it is?"

"Well, no, I guess not. I just assumed you would. I'd never heard of one, but you're so much older I figured you would have at least heard of them."

"Heard of what, lover?"

"A cluviel dor, of course."

"A what?"

"A cluviel dor. It's supposed to grant a wish, but only one. You have to be very careful before you make your wish because you can't change it or fix it once it's done." Sookie smiled brightly up at Eric, all the love she felt for him clearly evident in her eyes. "My fairy grandfather gave it to my Gran. She left it for me in a secret drawer in an old desk up in the attic. I just found it the other day. There was a letter from her telling me what it was."

"It's a lovers wish box," Eric whispered. "I have heard of them, but I've never seen one before now and I never knew the proper name." He suddenly looked around as if he expected someone to appear beside him at any second. Then he grabbed Sookie's hand and pulled her deeper into the alley.

She felt dread slither over her like a soapy film that won't rinse away in soft water. "What's wrong? Did you hear somebody?"

"No," he answered, "But someone will come looking for me soon. If for no other reason than to verify I've not tried to run away."

"Use the cluviel dor and we can run away together!"

The minute the words left her mouth she came to a realization. He hadn't immediately wished for his freedom … or for anything else. She had assumed her dearest wish would also be his. Could she have been wrong?

Before her nerves could get the better of her, she asked, "What do you want to wish for, Eric?"

He smiled and his crystal blue eyes danced with mischief. "What would you have me wish for?"

"That we could be together always," she blurted.

His playful manner vanished. "Always, lover? Is it truly your desire to tempt me with such a prospect?"

Before she could answer, a tall, wiry male vampire, who couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen when he was turned, stepped out of the rear door of the club.

Eric casually stepped between the male and Sookie, his face a cold stone mask. The move wouldn't prevent the other vampire from smelling her, but it would convey the message his assistance was unwarranted and unwelcome.

"Does some emergency require my immediate attention? Or have I simply exceeded the bounds of my tether?" he growled at the boy.

"Oh, uhh, no sir, umm, Sheriff, uh, High Sheriff, sir," the young vamp stammered.

When the boy had neither moved nor added any further comment after several seconds, Eric folded his hands in front of him and demanded, "Were you under the misguided impression I had been standing in this alley waiting for you to join me?"

"No! I – I just wanted to make sure you were alright – sir."

"And are you satisfied I am indeed alright or would you have me provide you with some manner of proof?"

A nervous chuckle slipped from the boy's lips and he disappeared back into the building.

"Where are you staying?" Eric asked as he turned back to Sookie.

"The Holiday Inn Express off West Highway 64. Dermot and I are sharing a room."

"But not a bed, I trust?" he asked with a smirk. His lips and tone may have been all amusement, but his eyes asked for reassurance.

"He's family. It helps me calm down to have him close to me." Her hand moved to his brow and her fingers brushed his hair back and tucked it behind his ear. The look of longing on his face was too beautiful to be obstructed. "But you have nothing to worry about. I could never give Dermot, or anyone else, the parts of me you own."

His smile broadened. She had given the right answer. Happily for both of them, it was both true and exactly what his ego needed to hear. "Get another room. Leave a key for me at the desk. I'll come to you after sunset tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" Sookie wailed, clutching his shirt in both hands. "But I drove all this way! You can wish everything better again and we can both leave. We don't need to wait."

"Calm down, Sookie." He took her hands in his and leaned in close to her. "Get the room. You said yourself the wish must be carefully considered. Give me time to decide how best to proceed. Here," he placed the cluviel dor in her left hand and closed her right hand over it. "Take this with you for safe keeping. I won't have you spending your day tomorrow with your imagination running wild, wondering if I sent you away only to make a wish which did not include you."

He gave her a smile and pulled her close for a lingering kiss.

The touch of his mouth on hers and the sweet taste of his tongue awakened all the passions in her, which only this afternoon she was sure she would never feel again. She was in his arms. Her Viking – her Eric – her lover. Vampire Queen be damned. Eric belonged to her and she wouldn't give him up again without one hell of a fight.

Their kiss was epic, and though it seemed to go on for a very long time, it ended all too soon. Eric stepped back, took Sookie's hand and led her around the building to the parking lot. He installed her behind the steering wheel, gave her one last quick peck on the cheek and watched until she had driven out of sight before going back into the club.

With his mood greatly improved, he returned to his new office rather than to the closing time noise of the club's main room. He made a call to the bar to have a synthetic blood sent back to him. "Royalty, I think. I'm of a mind to drink to my new circumstances." He dropped the phone back into its cradle without waiting for a response. He wasn't interested in anything the staff here had to say. He laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in the expensive leather chair to wait for his blood. He'd drink it as he made the calls he needed to make.

Try though he did, he couldn't wipe the persistent grin from his lips.

~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~

It was nearly noon when Sookie woke with a shiver and glanced over at the clock radio on the bedside table. She'd slept in her bra, panties and t-shirt and had apparently kicked the covers off herself sometime during the night. She'd gone to sleep with the air conditioning running full tilt, swaddled in blankets with Dermot spooned behind her. He now had his back to her and was wrapped in the covers like a giant burrito. He's so like Jason, yet so not, she thought with a quizzical smile as she got up to adjust the thermostat in the room.

She went to the unoccupied queen-sized bed and pulled back the bedspread. She removed the thin blanket underneath and wrapped herself in it. Her eyes wandered back to the clock radio. Eleven fifty-nine. Eric wouldn't be here for at least nine more hours. She had to find something to do to pass the time, otherwise she'd go mad rattling around this room.

She slipped on a pair of denim shorts from her overnight bag and left a note for Dermot saying simply 'Gone to the lobby. Be back in a few minutes.'

Since it was after checkout, but before check in time, the lobby was empty except for a pretty woman about Sookie's age behind the front desk.

"Good afternoon," the woman said cheerfully as Sookie approached. Her nametag identified her as, Linda. "Late checkout today?"

"No, I won't be checking out today," Sookie responded, hoping they weren't booked up. "My business is taking a little longer than I expected, so I'll be needing the room for another night." She put her hands up on the desk and fidgeted with a small display of coupons for local restaurants.

"No problem at all," Linda replied with a smile as she adjusted the keyboard in front of her. "What is your room number?"

"Two-twelve."

Linda began typing and in just a few seconds she asked, "Sookie Stackhouse?"

"Yes. I didn't bring my purse down with me. Do I need to go get it so you can see my credit card?"

"That won't be necessary, Ms Stackhouse. I have all your information right here." Linda's beaming smile said, doncha just love how easy I'm making this for you? Or did Sookie read that from her thoughts? Sometimes it was hard to tell, especially with people like Linda who were strong broadcasters and so enjoyed being good at their job.

"Oh, and I need something else before you finish up there. A friend will be joining me tonight and I need to arrange for him a room too. You can go ahead and put his room on my card. He'll be checking in late, so if you could give me one key and keep his here for him to pick up when he arrives."

Linda looked up from her screen. "Does the second room need to be light tight?"

Sookie heard the question from Linda's lips and her mind at the same time, it seemed like two part harmony. Warning bells started going off and for a moment Sookie actually took quick glances around the lobby looking for the source of the sound.

Of course there was no actual sound. The screaming alarms were all confined to Sookie's suspicious mind. Her eyes narrowed as she gave Linda her undivided attention. "Why would you ask me that?" She listened for both Linda's mouth and her thoughts to answer.

Linda felt herself turning red as the evidence of her embarrassment flooded her face. She should have waited for the guest to say she needed the extra room for a vampire. For all she knew, this Stackhouse woman could be here doing business for the Fellowship of The Sun. Sometimes trying to anticipate a customer's needs really sucked. Sucked. A short giggle escaped from Linda and she immediately regretted it. That was so inappropriate, she thought. I'll be lucky if this woman doesn't call and complain to the corporate office.

"Please accept my apologies, Ms Stackhouse. It was a silly assumption on my part. We just finished the renovations for four light tight rooms and none of them have been used. I don't think the news is even up on our website yet." Then with a nervous laugh, she added, "I guess I'm just a little over anxious to get the word out."

Sookie realized she'd been holding her breath. She exhaled loudly and forced a smile. It had been an innocent assumption. Sookie had said her friend would be checking in late. It wasn't much information to base such an assumption on, but Linda had been truthful. It had been mostly wishful thinking on her part.

"I guess we're both a little nervous," Sookie said. "And yes, I think I should take one of the light tight rooms. I didn't think of that."

"Is it your first time booking a room for a vampire too?"

An impertinent question, but again it was innocently intended. The prospect of having a vampire guest already had Linda trying to think of legitimate reasons why she could hang around after her shift. She'd seen people she'd suspected were vamps before, but she'd never been close to anyone she knew was a vampire. Just thinking about it was intoxicating for her.

"Yes," Sookie answered simply.

Linda made the reservation and charged Sookie's card. Sookie thanked her and poured two complimentary cups of coffee. She stuffed sugar, creamer and stir sticks into her pocket and turned to go back to her room. After only three steps she remembered the other purpose for her trip to the lobby.

"Do you have any brochures for close by things to do?" she asked Linda.

"Tons," Linda said, pointing across the room. "Right over there by the front door in that big rack."

"Thanks." Sookie went over to the rack and grabbed up about a dozen brochures without even paying any attention to what they were. She tucked them under her arm and carefully made her way back to the room.

Dermot was still exactly as she'd left him. She placed his coffee, along with a stir stick and his share of the sugar and creamer on the bedside table and dropped the brochures onto the unused bed. She prepared her coffee and took a big gulp. Not quite as hot as she would have liked, but it tasted good. After another drink, she grabbed a clean t-shirt and underwear from her overnight bag and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

Twenty minutes later she emerged from the bathroom freshly dressed with her hair wrapped in a towel. She felt as though most of her jitters had been steamed away, leaving an impending case of boredom as her main concern for the time being. She found Dermot sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, going through the brochures.

"There are a lot of museums in Tulsa," he said in a less than completely enthusiastic tone.

"Do any look like we could kill about four hours without wishing we'd just stayed here?" Sookie asked.

Dermot was confused. "Only four hours? It is over seven hours before sunset."

"I thought we could go do something and have dinner somewhere. Then we could come back here for the rest of the evening. There's a work out room and a pool and hot tub."

An expression of distaste crept across Dermot's handsome face. "I am your great uncle, Sookie, not your brother. I do not require 'working out' to maintain myself."

"Not everyone works out because they need to, some people do it because they enjoy it," she countered.

His furrowed brows were reinforced by the action of crossing his arms and staring up at her. He was not convinced and she had no intention of standing here trying to sell the concept of going to the gym to a fairy.

"Well, just because they have a work out room doesn't mean we have to use it. Can we use the pool? You do swim occasionally, don't you?" she demanded.

"Rarely. The water fairies consider it an act of invasion upon their territory." His arms and stare remained immobile. The effect was just as unnerving as he intended.

Every nerve in Sookie's body felt as though it was on a rack being stretched beyond endurance. "I see. And naturally the water fairies would be on the lookout for an invasion force to begin their attack in a chlorinated swimming pool at a mid-priced hotel in Tulsa! What a fool I must be for not thinking of it myself! How many guards do you think they'll have posted on the cement around the pool?" Sookie met his glare with one of her own, and mirroring him, she crossed her arms for emphasis.

Dermot's arms dropped and he casually picked up one of the brochures from the bed. "Very well. I concede the risk is likely slight. I shall accompany you to the swimming pool. I think this place could hold our interest for several hours." The hand holding the brochure stretched out toward Sookie.

She took it from him and read the name aloud. "Tulsa Glass Blowing Studio? Really, Dermot?"

"Oh, yes!" His entire face brightened. "Glass blowing is a stunning art form, and one of the few things our kind taught humans which they actually developed a proficiency for."

"People learned glass blowing from fairies?"

"Of course! Where did you think they had learned it?"

"I never thought about it at all actually," Sookie said. She didn't have the energy or the will to argue or ask any more questions. Fresh out of the shower and she was already exhausted.

"Oh, hmm." Dermot was temporarily taken aback, but he recovered quickly. Within seconds he launched into a vivid description of blown glass and how endlessly fascinating it was to watch. Humans tire more quickly than the fae, so naturally you couldn't watch for days on end like you could if you were watching fairies. But for occupying only a few hours it would be perfect. I can't think of anything better.

"If you should grow bored, there is a shop nearby run by a man who makes Native American pottery. Also a woman who has a gallery of hand crafted jewelry made from glass beads. According to these papers, there is also a good selection of restaurants to choose from when you are ready for dinner."

Sookie chuckled. Dermot was nothing if not amusing at times. "You sound like you should be writing advertising for the place."

"No need," he replied with a cheery grin. "Someone has already done it. It's all right there in that paper you're holding."

She glanced again at the brochure in her hand and laughed out loud. "Glass blowing it is then. Do you want to shower and change before we head out?"

He looked down at his rumpled, slept in clothes. "I think that would be best." He sprang to his feet and disappeared into the bathroom with the small suitcase Sookie had loaned him.

~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~ xxxx ~~~~

Dermot had been right about watching the glass blowing. It was one of the most amazing things she'd ever seen. She could have easily stood and stared for much, much longer than they did.

Before they left she bought a small pirate ship. It was incredibly detailed. Red glass sails billowed from its three masts and a black skull and crossbones flag flew over the crows nest. Everything else, from the hull to the figurehead, to the weblike ropes and rigging, was crystal clear glass. It attracted every ray of light around it and cast them back in shimmers of pink and blue.

Sookie tucked the box containing her new ship into her bag and pulled out the swimsuit she'd brought. With Dermot changing in the bathroom she quickly donned her suit on the other side of the dressing area wall. If Dermot came out before she was ready she would hear the bathroom door and could tell him to wait.

Though technically it was a bikini, her suit couldn't really be described as itsy bitsy. The front wasn't plunging, so there was a convenient little space between her breasts, just the right size for the cluviel dor. The bottom came up almost to her belly button and covered her rear end completely. All in all it was the most modest of her collection. Of course her swimsuits were most often used for sun bathing rather than actual swimming.

Dermot emerged from the bathroom just after Sookie had hidden the cluviel dor away in its new home for the next hour or so. He looked into the dressing area mirror and scowled at what he saw looking back at him.

"You just need to get a little sun, Uncle Dermot. That's all," Sookie said.

"Fairies are naturally fair," he humphed. "If you had more in you, you wouldn't get so dark."

"A good reason to be grateful I'm only one eighth fairy then," she said with a laugh and a truly genuine accompanying smile. It felt good to smile and mean it.

It became obvious almost at once Dermot was going to be no happier at the pool than he'd been in the room. He started out by following Sookie into the hot tub, but the heat soon drove him out. The temperature in the pool was more to his liking, but being immersed in water was clearly unnerving for him.

He gave up on the water altogether and began pacing around the pool as if it were a very small walking track. There were only a few people in the fenced in pool area and Dermot was keeping a close eye on them as if he expected one or all of them to jump up and try to drown him any minute.

"You look like you're on guard duty waiting for zombies," Sookie whispered when he reached the part of his path which passed closest to her.

That thought startled him into stopping. He took another quick look around. "Worse things than zombies can come out of the water," he hissed.

All Sookie could do was laugh. She'd never seen anyone with such a deep fear of water. "I'm sorry. I had no idea this would be so hard for you. Why don't you go on back up to our room and I'll be up in a little while. I want to sit here a couple more minutes then have a short swim. I won't be long."

He looked around again. "I'm not sure I should leave you alone."

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "I don't have the time to get into trouble. It isn't too long before Eric will be here."

Mentioning Eric was enough to get Dermot to see the wisdom in returning to the room. His protests receded and he excused himself, relieved to be returning to more appropriate clothing.

After a few minutes of alone time, Sookie got up and walked the dozen or so steps to the unheated pool. The local forecast had called for a high temperature of 92 degrees. It had reached 94. It was still over 80 despite it being so close to sunset. Even so, with her just out of the hot tub, the water in the pool felt cold to the touch when she dipped her toes over the edge. She shivered and broke out in gooseflesh all over. There was only one thing to do. She walked the remaining length of the pool, jumped into the deeper end and started swimming.

By the time she reached the shallow end her body had already made the adjustment to the cooler water. She turned around and swam back to the deep end, then repeated for three more laps. It wasn't exactly a full workout but she felt obliged to do something more than sunbathe or simply take up space in the water. Besides, there wasn't really enough sun left for sunbathing anyway.

With her fourth lap complete and only two other guests in the pool area, Sookie settled on the steps of the shallow end. She laid her head back on the edge and stared into the early evening sky as she soaked. Only a few more minutes and it would be time to go back to her room. She would shower and change before going to the light tight room on the third floor to wait for Eric.

"There are men who would accuse you of trying to attract the attention of other men by lying out here all alone and dressed like that."

Eric's voice filtered through to her as if from a dream. Her lips automatically formed into a smile at the sound. "Eric," she murmured in her sleep.

His laughter filled the night air. "It seems I am lucky on two counts tonight. Somehow you managed to not drown yourself while sleeping in a swimming pool, and you remember my name. I am all anticipation for the wonders of this night."

Sookie's eyes flew open wide and she awkwardly flailed her way into an upright sitting position. "Eric!" she almost screamed.

"Careful, my lover. You will wake the neighbors."

"How long have you been here? I – I must have fallen asleep. What time is it?" She looked up at Eric.

He was crouched on the edge of the pool, drinking her in with his eyes. "I've been here only a few minutes. You sleep beautifully in water, though I fear you will be pruned as a result. It is nine fifteen. May I join you?"

There was nothing like his smile. Who needed light when you could look at that smile and the fire in his eyes? "Did you bring a swimsuit?" she teased, knowing full well he wouldn't have brought anything but what he was wearing.

"Do I need one?"

There was a flurry of movement and within seconds he was with her in the water, completely naked.

"I'm pretty sure the hotel has a rule against skinny-dipping," she said with a grin.

He straddled her and leaned in to kiss her neck. "How puritan. Shall we move to the hot tub? It is close to the wall." His lips continued their assault across her neck.

He was saying something but she couldn't hear what it was. Something about moving? Perhaps he meant the water. She couldn't be certain over the sounds of her breathing and the water lapping against their skin. "Yes," she moaned.

Eric pulled back from her and cocked an eyebrow when he saw her eyes open in surprise. "Yes, move to the hot tub or yes, do that again?"

"You stopped," she said between gulping breaths.

"That wasn't the question, lover," he goaded with his sexiest lopsided grin.

Part of the question was about moving to the hot tub. That would be lovely. There was a second part as well, no clue what. "Both," she answered, trying not to sound too tentative.

Eric's smile widened and before she knew it he had lifted her out of the pool, transplanted them both into the hot tub and gone back to work at the base of her neck.

Sookie had never had sex in a hot tub before and for the next hour Eric made her wonder how she would ever be able to have sex again without one. They made love as he expertly moved them onto, out of and around the hot, pulsating water jets, driving them both to one volcanic orgasm after another. When they were finished, he pulled on his jeans and gathered their cloths. He slipped her into his shirt and carried her up to the room she had arranged for him.

As he laid her on the bed, her hand went suddenly to her chest. "The cluviel dor! It was in my swimsuit top!"

"I have it here." Eric produced the small box green box from his pocket and Sookie breathed a sigh of relief. Eric smiled mischievously and touched her cheek. "I believe you were too distracted to be expected to think of gathering trinkets."

"I was attacked in the pool," she said as she snapped at his fingers as if she might bite them.

"Your ample charms were more than I could resist," he countered as he pulled his hand away in mock fear of her teeth.

"I was asleep."

"You were magnificent."

"You're incorrigible," she said with a giggle.

"My mother used to say something very similar." He sat down next to her on the bed, leaned over and brushed a kiss across her lips. "Now, I believe we have other business to tend to." He held the cluviel dor between them. "Tell me what you know about this little gem."

"Not much at all actually." Sookie shifted to get more comfortable and met Eric's patient gaze. Everything would be okay soon. She could feel it. "My grandfather Fintan left it with Mr. Cataliades to give to Gran. She hid it in a desk in the attic along with a letter.

"It's a fairy love token and very powerful. It can change the world and cause lots of repercussions if you're not really careful with your wish. You only get one wish and it has to be personal, not for world peace or anything like that.

"It seems to have the power to make me feel calm and comforted when I hold it. Does it have that effect on you?"

"Not that I've noticed," he answered. He looked at the cluviel dor, then back at Sookie with a radiant smile. "Of course I have been indulging in comforts far more calming to me than anything I could hope to obtain from holding a magic snuffbox."

Sookie returned his smile and blushed slightly.

"You said it came with a letter?"

"The letter was mostly personal stuff to me. Nothing more about the cluviel dor than I've already said, except that she hoped I'd never have to use it." Sookie could feel her nerves creeping up on her. She reached for the cluviel dor, then changed her mind and put her hand on Eric's thigh instead. Good decision, she thought. Her nerves began to settle at once. "We don't have enough information do we? We can't use it yet."

Eric covered her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't fear, my lover. I can add to what we know. I have spoken with the ancient Pythoness and she offered a bit more information than you already had.

"She said all creatures, both natural and supernatural, are selfish by nature. Greed and desire are basic components of our make up. We want. What we do not already have, we take if we are strong enough.

"Thousands of years ago, fairies wanted to devise a way to set themselves apart from all others; something to make them appear superior. What they came up with was the cluviel dor.

"It was the most powerful magic ever conceived. It could do anything … except what they had hoped it would do."

Sookie was spellbound by his words. "What did they hope it would do?"

"Overcome greed. It was designed to be given as a gift between lovers, because the basis of the gift is the mutual desire to give. You must wish to give to give the wish."

"What the hell does that mean?" Sookie asked, clearly perplexed.

"In order for the wish not to have undesirable consequences, it must be unselfish.

"That was the fatal flaw in the design. One would pass between lovers as a marvelous, priceless gift. Then it would be used to wish for something greedy or self-serving. This would lead to the terrible repercussions you were warned about."

"One Tin Soldier," Sookie said, her voice on the edge of despair.

It was Eric's turn to be confused. "Excuse me?"

"It's an old song about these people who live on a mountain and they're famous for having a fabulous treasure. The valley people are jealous and they slaughter the mountain people so they can have the treasure. The treasure turns out to be a stone engraved with the words – Peace on Earth-

"We have this all powerful thing that could change the world, but we can't wish for the only thing I want." Sookie began to cry. She buckled forward, landing with her face in the middle of Eric's chest.

His arms closed around her and he whispered urgently in her ear. "Shh, don't say it Sookie. Do not speak now."

Eric's mind was racing furiously. He couldn't bear seeing what their situation was doing to her. She had said 'we' and then 'I'. Was it enough to base everything on? Did it mean for certain her fondest wish would be for them? What would it be, he wondered? For Freyda to die or perhaps simply for his contract to be dissolved? For them to be together? Surely, but for how long? One more time? Until she dies? She might be hit by a bus tomorrow and tomorrow would not be nearly long enough. Dare he hope she would wish for more? More of them? More of him? Could he take such a risk?

"Sookie, my love, you know what I would wish for if I could. I would wish for you to be in my heart, my life and my arms, always. But the selfishness and greed of such a wish would surely result in tragedy, so I cannot."

Sookie only cried harder, her body shaking as she sobbed.

Eric tightened his right arm around her as he lifted his left, which held the cluviel dor, he brought it close to his mouth and spoke with conviction. "Gift from my lover, I shall have my wish now."

Sookie tried to pull away but he held her fast.

"Eric, stop! You can't! Noooooo!" she screamed. "What are you doing?"

He kissed her forehead and whispered, "I am loving you."

Then he turned back to the cluviel dor and continued speaking to it. "I wish for the woman I love, the brightest star in my night sky, my lover, my wife, to have what she wants above all other things, to have her hearts desire."

The instant Eric stopped speaking the top of the cluviel dor dissolved and a stream of fine, pale green mist began to rise from within the box. They sat on the bed, clinging to each other and watching in stunned silence as the mist swirled around them, slowly filling the room.