Never Walk Alone Chapter 07

Chapter 7

AN: This is meant to be accompanied by harmonica:

Oh I got the fanfic author’s blues,

Yeah baby, I said I got the fanfic author’s blues

Wrote a song about it

Wanna know why?

‘Coz I got these flaming guest reviews

That tell me I done no good,

I ain’t done right,

And I’m yesterday’s news…

But if they’d sign in or send a PM

They wouldn’t lose, no

And I wouldn’t refuse

Baby, we’d talk it out

And they’d get to walk a mile in my shoes….

:p

Sookie blinked and then came to her senses. She blew out a deep breath and frowned at him. “What are you doing here?’

Eric bowed slightly while extending the flowers and large box of chocolates to her with a hopeful expression on his face. “I wanted to apologize to you in person. I had hoped we could talk…”

“Talk? Good lord…” She sighed and glared at him, her mouth set in a grim line. She didn’t take his offerings.

The smile melted from his face as his arms dropped to his side.

An uncomfortable silence set in before she finally spoke. “I know what you did in my room the other night. Sam told me.”

He kept his face serene, but inside an atom bomb detonated. Fucking shifter! Pam was wrong: he knew he should have killed him when he had the chance… And Bobby had called and left a message informing him that he had turned down his offer to buy him out. He had to hand it to him: the bastard was pretty ballsy. And infuriatingly persistent and apparently not dissuaded by his threats. He’d have to have a little visit with him. Soon.

“What did he tell you?”

She huffed and shook her head. “Oh come on! You know damned good and well what you did!”

“You knew I had come into your home.” He kept his expression stoic, despite the unfamiliar, anxious feeling that was starting to invade him.

“Yes, but that’s not all you did, is it?” She had adopted a parental demeanor with him, which he found both irritating and humorous.

He placed the flowers and chocolate on the porch railing and turned back to her. He took an unnecessary breath and took the leap.

“Yes, I…took some of your blood, without your knowledge while you were asleep.”

“Don’t lie to me.” She frowned and made a “go ahead” gesture with her hands.

He bent his head and looked her in the eye. “I will never lie to you, Sookie. But…what I tell you may not necessarily be to your liking. You may not want to hear the truth.”

She snorted. “Well, that’s just great! I’m glad to hear you have some sense of right and wrong! So go ahead, what else did you do?” She nodded back towards the house, “In my closet?”

He grimaced as he mentally slow roasted Sam on a spit. “I admit, I…watched you as you brought pleasure to yourself…I had not intended on observing that, but I was in your closet at the time.”

She was overcome with anger. She forgot all about her safety…forgot all about the danger of confronting a 6’5″ vampire as she stepped out the door and smacked him on the chest.

“You big idiot! I can’t believe you did that…and…and Sam said you…you masturbated in there while I was on the bed. I am so…”

He reached out and grasped her upper arms firmly in his massive hands, pulling her out further on the porch.

“I meant it when I said I was sorry…for everything. I was out of line, but vampires have had to rely on stealth and secrecy for millennia in order to get blood. I admit, in the beginning, I had planned on…using you for blood, but that has changed. I…want to date you, for you to be my…” His voice trailed while he took in her enraged expression.

She tried to back up and realized she was caught in his iron grasp. She kicked him in the shin, which caused him to grunt and release her arms as he blinked in surprise. To her annoyance, she noticed that he had a slight smirk on his face. The smug bastard was amused, at her expense!

She reached back to slap his face, but he caught her arm in his hand mid-swing.

“Sookie, stop. I know you’re angry…you’ve got every right to be. But damn it, I want to make it up to you.”

She was furious, and tears began pooling in her eyes (something she hated but had always happened when she was mad). He released her and stared at her helplessly. Shit! This was going all wrong. He had not intended to make her cry.

She sniffled and yelled at him, the dark cloud of anger and hurt finally bursting. “How? How can you make it up to me? By buying me a car dealership? A jewelry store or floral shop? That’s bullshit! I don’t want any of your damned gifts! In fact, I’m glad that you came over tonight. It saves me the trouble of driving the car and jewelry over to your place!”

She turned to go back into the house, but he caught her by the arm.

“Sookie, please. Give me a chance. Everything I gave you had special meaning and, it was to show you that I care and want to please you. I know it may seem like a lot to you, but-”

She interrupted. “Please me? You don’t even know me! If you did, you’d know that buying me expensive gifts doesn’t impress me!”

He was getting worked up. He roughly pulled her closer. “Then tell me what will! I…I’m new to this. I thought that jewelry and flowers.” He gestured to the porch rail, “And chocolates were what men give to women they are courting.”

She froze in his grasp. He had drawn her up against his chest and oh God, he smelled and felt so good to her. Damn it! ‘Get yourself together, girl,’ she admonished herself. She took a shaky breath and pulled back to give herself some distance.

“Yes, a nice, simple bouquet of flowers, maybe daisies or something. Or the pretty hyacinths you brought, would have been amazing by themselves. Or a small box of chocolates. Maybe a simple piece of jewelry. After a man and woman had dated a while. That would be appropriate. But you are not “courting” me. You are trying to buy me off, just like Sam said.”

He closed his eyes while he counted to ten. If Merlotte was in front of him, he would twist his fucking head right off and bathe in his blood!

His voice rose in anger, causing her to cringe. “I am not trying to “buy you off!” You are Mine, damn it, and I want to shower you in the very best money can buy, because you are worthy!”

She met his anger with a subdued voice. “I don’t understand what the hell is going on here. I really don’t. Gran comes to me in a dream and tells me she made a wish…and that you’re the perfect fella for me. Then you say I’m “yours” and I barely know you…but then again, you know me a little better than I do you, don’t you? Only I wasn’t conscious while you did your acquainting.”

“Like I said before, I apologize.” He drew closer and gazed at her, his ice blue eyes boring into her darker ones. “Look, I can’t erase what happened, but I want to make things right, if I can.”

She shook her head slightly and whispered, “I don’t think you can. Not after what you’ve done.”

He murmured, “Your eyes are so beautiful…truly, those sapphires don’t even come close…”

She swallowed thickly. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” He smiled and brushed her hair back from her face.

“Stop being sweet to me,” she whispered.

He continued to caress her hair. “Why? Don’t you want me to be “sweet”?”

“You aren’t sweet…you’re a …you’re a vampire…just a handsome monster.”

He smirked at her. “Handsome? Why, thank you. And yes, I’m vampire. Monster? Perhaps, but still…very much a man.”

“I can’t date a vampire,” she breathed out.

He kept the crooked grin on his face as he pressed, “Why not? Because I’m not human?”

“Well…I don’t know. Maybe.”

He admonished her gently. “Lest you forget, if I’m not mistaken, you’re not exactly human yourself are you, little fae princess?”

She jerked up and backed away. “I’m human, dammit! I don’t understand what Gran said about my grandpa being fairy or whatever, but I’m no monster!”

He stared at her, one eyebrow raising sardonically. “No? Maybe not, but you’re not quite the typical girl next door, are you? If I remember correctly, you said something about being able to read minds? That’s another sign that you’re not fully human. You are supe.”

“What do you mean “supe?”

“Supernatural. More than human…”

She shook her head. “Look, I just recently found out about my fairy heritage. Whatever that means. And really, I guess I should apologize for calling you a monster…you can’t help being a vampire.”

Both eyebrows rose as he looked at her questioningly.

She blushed. “I mean, oh hell, I’ve been ostracized my whole life for being a freak because of my telepathy. I know what it’s like to be shunned for what I am, for something I had no control over.”

He nodded and a serious expression came over his face. “Yes, I had no control over becoming a vampire. It was…something that was done to me without my consent.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, wow. I didn’t really even think about that….that must have been…”

He interjected, “Terrifying? Heartbreaking? Yes. It ruined my life as I knew it. I had to abandon my family, and I had a very…cruel maker.” He paused. “But make no mistake, over time I grew to relish being a vampire. Now it is who I am and I barely recall my human life. That is why I wanted to ask your forgiveness…it has truly been centuries since I have even wanted to try to…be human again.”

He was silent for several seconds and said softly, “But…I’m afraid I can’t be human for you. I am a monster, but I’ll try…”

Sookie interrupted him. “Your being a vampire wasn’t really what made me call you a monster. I’m not prejudiced against you for being a, what did you call it, “supe?”

He nodded as she continued. “I called you that because I was pissed. You had acted like a stereotypical, Bram Stoker vampire…I mean, you snuck into my house. And you drank my blood without my permission.” She paused, blushing. “And then, you saw me…”

He broke in with a whisper. “It was beautiful.” His eyes began to glow as he stared at her with burning intensity. “You excite me as no other woman has before.”

Her breath caught, and she felt dizzy from a sudden rush of arousal. He slowly bent his head and stopped with his mouth just above hers.

She had an overwhelming desire to reach out and run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to see if it was as silky as it looked. She licked her lips and groaned inwardly. He smelled so damned good: clean and masculine, with a subtle hint of sandalwood cologne or soap.

For several moments, he stood immobile and silent. She felt as if he was testing her to see what she would do…was he testing her? She could feel the warmth of her own breath misting back to her as his mouth continued to hover over hers. Sookie closed her eyes, hoping that he would be the first to close the whisper of distance between them and press his lips to hers.

When the kiss never came, she opened her eyes. His startling gaze bore into hers and he slowly, very slowly stood up to his full height, towering over her.

“Sookie. Please keep the gifts. I know now that material things are not the…way to your heart, seemingly.” She gazed up at him, feeling a myriad of emotions barrel through her.

He gently pulled her hand up as he pressed his lips to her skin. He lingered for a moment, scenting her as he ghosted his lips back and forth over her hand, all the while keeping his eyes trained on hers.

“I want to see you again, Sookie. This time for an actual date. Is this something you would do with me?’

Sookie slowly nodded her head. She felt as if she was having an out of body experience.

“Okay. Is eight o’clock tomorrow night acceptable? I would like to take you to dinner.”

Sookie nodded again and then said softly, “But you don’t eat, or drink…wine.”

He smiled at the joke he had only recently told her: a small victory for him.

“True, but you eat, and drink…wine.” The smile vanished and his gaze intensified. She felt as if he was trying to enter her body through his stare. “I simply want your company. I would like for us to get to know one another better.”

She whispered, “Yes…God…I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this after everything that’s happened, but…I think I’d like that too.”

He walked backwards down the porch steps, his eyes never leaving hers. “Keep the car and the other gifts, please. I want you to have them…they are yours.”

Sookie shook her head. “I can’t…it’s too much.”

He continued walking backwards, towards the cemetery. He had almost faded into the deepening shadows as he called out, “Sleep on it. I’ll see you tomorrow night, Sookie.”

She watched until he faded into the dark. She went and got the hyacinths and chocolate off the railing and sat down on her old wooden porch swing. She stayed outside for quite a while, swinging slowly and pondering her life. She also ate one of the chocolates before taking the box and bouquet back into her house. She got out an old antique vase of Gran’s and arranged the flowers. She made herself a sandwich and ate it while sitting in the kitchen before she headed back up to her bedroom for the night.

After brushing her teeth and changing into a nightie, she turned out the lights and stood at her bedroom window. She hesitated for just a moment before unlocking it and pulling it open, letting the night air in. She stared out at the moonlit yard, and for just a brief moment, she thought she saw a glimpse of pale movement in the trees. She watched for several minutes, but saw only the tree limbs swaying slightly in the breeze and then went to bed.

She didn’t dream that night.

Thanks again for all the positive feedback and constructive criticism!