I leave the back entrance as Sam goes to his office to finish the bookkeeping for the nigh, and I can still feel the eyes on me and the void of the mystery vampire in the woods. At nine, shortly after the dinner rush calmed down, I had felt him approaching. He'd come right up to the front door of Merlotte's before suddenly veering off into the woods and staying there. When I get into the car, I feel the void follow, and it keeps up as I make my way onto the back country roads. Instead of turning to go onto Hummingbird Lane, I keep going, heading for the straight stretch that coincides with the lake. As I get there, I find myself in the most open area possible, and pull my car over to the side. Getting out, I lock the car and make sure that everything I need is in my pockets. Gathering my energy, I visualize where I want to go, and I know it will be the farthest distance that I've ever travelled at once. I feel the void come rushing toward me as white light shines from my chest. He tries to wrap his arms around me as he comes up from behind, and his arms pass through me just as I pop away.

Stumbling a little from the change in scenery, I get my footing and take a deep breathe.

I made it.

It takes a moment for the pain to register in my mind, and when I look down I see that the blood is already coming through my shirt.

Damn it. I chastise myself mentally as I lean against the wall of the brick building next to me. There's a slight ledge at my waist level, and I put my weight onto it as I feel with my hands to discover that he's removed a significant chunk of flesh from my abdomen. Nothing vital is missing, but I'm bleeding out, and I know that my time is limited to get help.

Casting out a net with my mind, I start searching for anyone like myself. I'm in a suburb on the edge of Shreveport, and I know the chances are slim, but I still have to try. I don't find anyone that can help me. I sit down onto the ground as the blood seeps into my jeans, and I do my best to draw up a beacon of light. Perhaps someone in the other realm will notice a beacon if I can create one, but I can't, and I reabsorb the small amount of light I had managed to muster. Closing my eyes, I start to simply block out the pain as I wait for the end.

274 beings are in my immediate vicinity of the neighborhood and a small wooded area.

216 are humans, scattered amongst the homes of the neighborhood.

43 are weres.

14 are vampires.

1 is different from the others, and suddenly I have hope. In my mind's eye, it is just on the edge of my vision and not quite in the center of the city. It is a beacon of light amongst the other minds, and I can't believe that I hadn't noticed it a second before. I reach for it, pushing my telepathy further than I normally do. It's almost as though the light is calling for me to find it, and I see a familiarity to the light that is there. Delving into it, I know that the owner is male. I still cannot tell if he is a human or something else, but he seems to notice my presence as the feel of his mind is suddenly tense.

Understand suddenly dawns on me, and my heart skips a beat in anticipation.

This is my mate. His light is so familiar, because it is a mirror version of my own.

I call to him mentally, and he seems to accept my presence in his head, even though I still cannot discern his thoughts. Determined not to die before I even have a chance to meet him, I call upon energy reserves that I was unaware I even have, and blindly pop to just a few inches from his location. I feel myself falling through the air, and a strong set of arms catches me before I can hit anything. I hear a distinct click. My eyes are still closed, and with the energy loss, I don't feel as though I can open them again. As I fall into his hold, I naturally curl into him, and my hand goes against his chest. Without a second thought toward the act, I push my binding light into his chest, and I can feel a deep current of emotions enter me. They are not my own, and I can tell that his body has instantly accepted my fae bond. All of the worries in the back of my mind disappear as I feel him there, a small presence that I instantly try to close off from being able to feel my pain, but he resists. He rips the bond open unexpectedly, causing me to cry out in mental anguish and I can immediately feel regret burning through him.

As my body begins to shut off, I turn off all sense of feeling and recede into my own mind. Given my reaction, he had released his hold on the bond for a second, but is back at it again and is gentler this time. He probes at my emotions and feelings, trying to decipher what is happening and who I am, and I pull myself together enough to send him a coherent thought.

I am dying.

Defiance of my statement rings through the bond from his end, and I can feel his fingers on my chin, opening my mouth. A thick, richly sweet liquid pours down my throat, and I choke for a moment as he massages my throat. When I finally manage a swallow, I can feel the pain in my abdomen tingling away, and I can feel that I am no longer in his arms. He pushes a sense of safety toward me, and I drift off into a dreamless healing sleep.

Soft cushioned leather greets me from the surface beneath my hands, which now lie limply at my sides. I can feel my newly bonded mate close by, and as I rouse he seems to come closer. Mentally I feel out my own body, and find that I am almost completely healed. Only a slight twinge remains in my stomach, and my energy has been fully restored. When I open my eyes, he is looking down at me, and I find myself becoming lost in the sea of blue that is his eyes. He leans closer, and his mouth opens slightly, allowing me to catch a glimpse of fang.

Fear and shock stun me in place, and he runs a hand through my hair as a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were a vampire." I croak out quietly, and my voice sounds horrible in my own ears.

An amused smile plays on his lips, "Yes, well, had a proper introduction been made, events would have likely gone much differently. It seems that in your desperation to live, you have somehow bonded yourself to me." The way he says it is as though he has accidentally caught the rarest of prey and is gloating.

Irritation fills our bond, coming from me of course, and I move to get up from the couch I am lying on. "I did not choose you out of my desire to live, although that is of course appreciated. I chose you because your mind was like a beacon to me. It is sort of a mirror image of mine, the same but completely different. With enough time we will perfectly balance each other out. My light recognized you, and when I shot you it was accepted by your body, and just because I just so happened to be hurt means nothing. I would have seen you for what you are to me no matter how we meet, whether through my finding you in my time of need or by bumping into you at the gas station."

"So what am I to you?" He asks, and there's an unnatural mirth to his eyes. It's almost as though no matter what I say it doesn't faze him, and his end of the bond radiates nothing but happiness and contentment. As a matter of fact, he's almost giddy.

I feel my eyes widen against my will as I realize exactly what is happening. I remember when I was little, and Niall had first explained bonding. He had told me that when a fae shot their mate with the binding light, the mate would feel nothing but happiness and peacefulness for a short while. Often times a fae would bond in secret, and would not reveal it until their mate had returned to normal because the forced emotional calm made them vulnerable to attack.

Worry invades my thoughts as instinct tells me to take him somewhere safe so that we can both settle in until he is returned to his normal state of mind. "You are my mate, and what you are feeling right now is not real. We just recently bonded, so you are being overcome with peace and calm by my light. Where are we, is this place safe?" I glance around and find that we are standing in some sort of office that doubles as partly a storage room.

"Of course it's safe, my child is here, and this is my bar." The glowing neon sign on the wall says

"Your child?" I ask, finding that the word is sticking out to me.

"Yes, Pamela, I made her in 1905. She is very loyal, and will have nothing but the utmost respect for you. You have nothing to worry from her." He says it with a certain finality that I find odd. Huh, he's really calm, but he's also still very protective. In my head I start to analyze him, and remember the traits that I learned from Niall that vampires often have.

Easily angered, manipulative, deceptive, grumpy, selfish, protective of their maker and mate, savage and aggressive.

I wonder which of these traits…

I'm thrown into disbelief as I remember that I don't even know his name. "I'm Sookie-"

"Stackhouse, yes, I checked your wallet once I got you safely into my office." The words are completely matter of fact, and I suppose I don't mind much, since we're technically fae-style married now. "I am Eric Northman." He says his name with a slight glint in his eye, as though I should recognize him.

Fantastic, I wonder if he's going to be a cocky once the happy wears off.

"Eric, hmm, I like your name." I know a small smile is playing on my lips, one that I can't help since his calm and happy is starting to affect me, and he gives his own broad smile in response. His fangs are still down, and the sight only unsettles me for a moment, before I reach out without hesitation and run my finger down one of them.

A strange purr rumbles in his chest, and his eyes roll back for a second as he moans slightly.

I immediately pull my hand away and take a step back, looking down and blushing profusely. When I feel his arms suddenly coming around my stomach from behind me, I jump, before relaxing into his embrace. He towers above me, and wraps himself around me as he leans his head down to whisper in my ear. "You smell like honey and wheat, and you remind me of my home as a human. I have never felt this way." He leaves his face in the crook of my neck, buried in my hair, simply taking in my scent.

I close my eyes for a moment, sighing in contentment, and only open them when the door to the office opens in front of me. Instantly I am behind Eric, with one of his arms still wrapped around me from the side. The vampire who opened the door has long straight black hair, and appears to be a Native American. An aggressive rumble goes through Eric's chest, "Longshadow, get out."

Protective…..check.

"Pam has everything under control out here now." He says, and closes the door behind him but not before stealing a quick look at me as I peek around Eric's shoulder. Eric immediately turns back to me, seeming to have forgotten the intrusion completely, and I remember one of the side effects of the calm.

He's not even remotely on alert of our surrounds, or he would have heard Longshadow coming.

I work overtime, hurrying to think of a way to convince him to take me somewhere away from other vampires and any possible danger. It clicks suddenly, and I have no idea why I didn't think of it earlier.

"Eric, I would like to meet Pam now."

He smiles, "Of course, I just called her. She should be here any moment.

Taking me back into his arms, he turns me so that we are in the same position as before, and he's just an inch or so too tall to be able to comfortably rest his chin on my head. The door is suddenly open, and a woman in a stunning black dress is standing there. She's wearing ruby earrings and red lipstick, with red four inch heels, and it's almost like I'm looking at an outfit from a vampire fashion magazine. Her hair is done up in a fancy twist, and she looks completely pissed off.

"Pamela, meet Sookie. She is my bonded mate. She-"

"Bonded mate? What the fuck, Eric?"

"Pamela." His tone is only slightly harsher, and she stands a little straighter.

"Eric can I ask Pam something?"

"Yes, and Pamela, you will answer any questions she has."

"Fine." She doesn't sound happy, and I quickly resolve to make this as painless as possible for her.

"What do you feel from Eric right now?"

She sighs, and looks at Eric as though focusing. After a moment, her eyes widen slightly and she glares daggers at me. "What have you done to my maker? I haven't felt him this calm and boring…ever."

"It's a side effect of our bonding, it makes him calm and vulnerable but just for a little while, a few days I think. I need you to help me get him somewhere safe for that time."

She seems to think for a moment, before pulling out her cell phone. "You two stay here, and I'll book a flight and room at a hotel in Texas."

"Texas?!"

"Yes. Eric's maker is there, and he's the only one that could keep a handle on him right now."

She leaves the room, closing the door loudly behind her, and as I stand in Eric's hold I listen in on the blond woman named Ginger.

Pam is dialing into her phone, as Longshadow and Pam are at work righting overturned tables and gathering the pieces of broken tables into a pile. I wonder what happened after I popped in, but I don't have time to dwell on it as Pam starts. "Listen Isabel, I'm going to be putting Eric on a plane in about 30 minutes headed for there, and Godric needs to be there. This blond bitch appeared out of thin air above him, and then she shot him with this white light and now he's out of his mind! It's like he's in a calm coma! He's talking about being bonded to this witch, calling her his mate and she's getting whatever she asks for."

She stops to listen, and Ginger looks over to see Longshadow moving the broken table pieces outside through a side door.

Pam hangs up a moment later, and then dials another number. I leave Ginger's mind as she starts talking to an airline.

I seethe for a moment, unhappy with being compared to a witch. Eric seems to sense my unhappiness, and turns me in his arms. I put my arms around him, trying to imagine myself with this vampire forever, and he cradles my face in his hands. I lay my head against his chest a second later, and close my eyes, happy to have found my other half. We stay there, simply holding each other and content.

Pam comes back in a moment later, and throws a bag toward us, which Eric uses vamp speed to catch before it can hit us. "Let's go, you have a plane to catch."

)()()()()()()()(

I'm speechless as I look up at the sleek black private jet. It wasn't as though I hadn't grown up with money, with Niall's pampering and constantly forcing money into Gran's bank account, but I didn't really expect to find that Eric owned a private jet like this one. It's twice the size of any private jet I've ever seen before, and I feel that my suspicions of him liking to show off is correct.

A stewardess greets me as I enter the cabin with Eric directly behind me, and smiles to me as I take in the space. It looks similar to a lounge, with wide cushioned seats going down each side. A table is at each end, and there is a mini fridge set under each table. At the other end is two doors, one marked as a lavatory, and the other is a simple wooden door. The carpet in the room is black with red geometric patterns, and all of the upholstery is a charcoal grey. The walls are a light grey, and the lighting is warm and feels natural. It just gushes money and high class, and I find myself unsure of what to do in such a setting.

We settle in on the end of one of the wide couches, with him pulling me into his lap, and keeping us steady as we take off. Once we level off in the sky, I end up getting a meal made by the stewardess, and Eric surprises me by showing me how to turn the couch cushions around to end up making a booth seat with a table that comes up out of the frame of the couch.

As I eat the meal, he comes up with playing a game of twenty questions, and uses each question to ask me about my likes and dislikes. There's a calm calculating feel to his mind, as though he is slowly and carefully thinking about everything I say. He feels me checking into his mindset and emotions, and does the same, wrapping me in his mental presence that feels like nothing I've ever experienced before. I finish the meal quickly, and he turns the booth back into a bench seat so that he can lay with his back to the wall, and myself lying mostly on top of him. He continues to quietly ask me questions, and I continue to answer even as I drift in and out of consciousness. At some point a blanket appears on top of us and I can't handle the warmth and comfort that I'm experiencing. I go fully to sleep, and when I wake, I sense that Eric is next to me anymore. I am lying on what seems to be a bed, and by feeling out groggily, I see through the eyes of the stewardess that Eric is out on the tarmac. He's standing next to a shiny black Cadillac Escalade, talking to a woman wearing a knee length red dress with a fancy belt and high heels. Her hair is done up as though she's going to a fancy party, and my vision is cut off as the stewardess turns away from the window she was looking through. I pull back to myself lazily, almost willing myself back to sleep as he feels me waking, and caresses the bond gently. Just as I'm drifting back off, I realize that there is another vampire looming over me, and I'm immediately fully awake. I jump up, blasting the unfamiliar vampire with a stunning amount of my smite, and pop to Eric's side. The woman standing there drops fang and hisses in surprise, and a second later the other vampire appears next to her with his fangs out as well.

The bond fills with agitation and a sense to protect, and suddenly Eric is standing with me behind him, growling at the two others. He feels conflicted hissing at the woman, but doesn't seem to mind threatening the man. I peer around Eric, and see that he is dressed like a modern gothic cowboy too heavily influenced by cheesy cowboy movies. Delving deeper into the feelings Eric has towards the woman, I feel that he sees her as an ally, and I know that he's only acting like that because he's being protective.

I step out from Eric's side, and smile warmly at the woman, who quickly puts her fangs away. "I'm Sookie." She glances me over thoroughly, and takes several deep breaths before giving me an uneasy smile.

"I am Isabel, and this is Stan." She says, and quickly elbows him, prompting him to put his fangs away. He does so, and Eric immediately calms down, taking me into his side with a sigh. I watch them examine his change in temperament, and we are quickly gestured into the vehicle. Eric holds me on the ride, and we are pulling up to a tall hotel in the downtown of Dallas, Texas less than forty minutes later. When we get inside, Isabel and Stan stay nearby watching the other's in the lobby as Eric checks us into a suite under his name. When we get there, it looks as though we're only in a living room and there are several doors leading from the room, including glass French doors out onto a balcony.

As soon as the door closes, Isabel has her cell phone out and seems to send a text. A second later the phone vibrates, and she looks up at Eric. "Godric is not able to come see you until tomorrow night. He wants you to stay here, and don't go anywhere. If you need anything you are to call his day man. I will give you the number." She goes to a nearby table with a TV on it and produces a notepad, then rips a page off and leaves it on the stand.

She gives me another glance and a smile as Stan continues to glare at everyone, and they leave quickly.