Eric's room, early evening

[onceaviking]

Eric got up a while ago and has spent some time in the bathroom. Showering.
Now he is seated at his desk with the laptop open, comfortably dressed (track suit, bare feet), with his wet hair combed back.

There's a small pile of bedding in one corner of the room. Bloody, stiff bedding. He will need to take care of that at some point.

But it can wait.

Comments

[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam has spent enough time hovering in and out of Eric's circle without actually coming into contact with him.

But now she's ready to talk to him. She thinks. She hopes.

It was difficult almost losing him. And it was difficult again when he wouldn't just outright kill that insane fucker that's currently chained up in their bar. Now she just needs to know why.

Steeling herself, she knocks on his door. He'll know it's her, but she knocks anyway.

[onceaviking]

The knock is a little unexpected.
He knows it's her.

He'd expected her to stop by sooner and then again -
He is not sure where they stand. Right now.

He turns the laptop off as he says, "Come in."

[lazy_but_loyal]

She uses her key to enter, demurely not looking at Eric right away, and shuts the door behind her. The room smells of sex and blood. As it usually does, she supposes.

Ambling over to his desk, she folds her arms and leans back against its edge. She's wearing a track suit, too, but her pink one.

"Well, you look much better."

[onceaviking]

He looks up at her.

"Thank you," he says. Dryly. "I should hope so."
No pussyfooting with Pam. That's what he likes about her.

Most of the time.

[lazy_but_loyal]

She sighs.

"So. Do I get to hear exactly what happened that made you change your mind about killing Russell? Because, y'know, going through with that whole plan right up until the last second wasn't easy. To say the least."

[onceaviking]

Part of him doesn't want to tell her.
He saw the look on her face.

But it is the truth. So he says it anyway.
"Godric came."

[lazy_but_loyal]

"I know, you said that," she says evenly with a nod.

So she kind of feels bad for looking at Eric like he was crazy when he'd said that, but it was in the heat of the moment and Eric had almost died.

"You also said he wanted you to spare Russell's life. Why?"

[onceaviking]

He looks away.

He feels kind of bad about that too.

"It's like when he didn't want me to kill the people in Dallas. It's just - it's what he says now."
Present tense. He isn't really aware that is how he is saying it.

"I don't think it was about Edginton as much. Anyway, that's not why I am doing this."

[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam frowns and sighs, uncrossing her arms and curling her hands around the edge of the desk.

"So why are you doing this, Eric?"

[onceaviking]

"Because he said something else."

He is still not meeting her eyes, as he continues.
"He said that there was peace. After the True Death. For everyone."

Everyone.
Even Edgington.

He can't let him have that.

[lazy_but_loyal]

Peace.

Pam furrows her brow. Peace?

And Eric believes this...vision of Godric?

She leans back a bit, looking away, trying to assess this. To make sense of it. To put herself in Eric's place.

If it's true, then killing Russell would mean he'd find peace as well.

And then of course, it all becomes clear to her.

"Eric," she begins slowly, "I can't say if what you saw and what you heard was truly Godric or not, and I don't think I could convince you that it wasn't, anyway. But if you really believe you saw him, then-- then I'll back you up on whatever plan you've got. You know I would."

She still thinks Eric should kill him. She's pretty sure he's aware of this.

[onceaviking]

He looks up at her then.
And if he was anyone else, the look in his eyes might have been described as grateful.
But Eric Northman doesn't do gratefulness.
Of course.

"I have a way to dispose of him where he will not be a threat. Ever again," he says. "He won't be able to escape on his own."

She will be safe. Sookie will be safe. Nora will be safe.

[lazy_but_loyal]

He meets her eyes, and that's enough for her.

"As long as you get the revenge you want, and as long as I never have to see the little fucker again."

[onceaviking]

"You won't ," he says. "And I will. He'll get to keep the chains."

[lazy_but_loyal]

"Where are you going to put him?"

[onceaviking]

"I'll have him buried in concrete. in the foundation of a building that's being put up."

Wrapped in silver.
Burned.
Starving.

[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam nods thoughtfully, though her expression remains mostly unchanged.

"Okay. Yeah, that'll work. You've already gotten everything lined up in such short notice?"

[onceaviking]

"Sometimes it pays off to keep an eye on what is going on with people who owe you. Herveaux is in construction. And his old mam is still in my debt."

He'd known that would come in handy one day.

[lazy_but_loyal]

"Oh, the were again," she says, and then shrugs. "Well, this ought to pay off his debt for good. Are you heading out first thing when we go back? And do you want me to go with you or what?"

[onceaviking]

"I am. And I'd rather you stay back. I need someone with their wits about them should The Authority show up again while I am gone."

[lazy_but_loyal]

"If Nan stops by for a progress report, I'll be sure to give her one," she mutters.

"Are you taking Bill along? He seemed pretty invested in seeing Russell to the end."

[onceaviking]

"I'd better. I prefer to keep tabs on him."

And perhaps rile him a bit.

[lazy_but_loyal]

"He'll probably need some consoling now that Sookie may never trust him again."

And of course by 'consoling' she means 'rubbing it in.' Which Eric is good at doing.

[onceaviking]

He smiles.
"There is that," he agrees.

She always did know how to cheer him up.

[lazy_but_loyal]

That's her Viking.

She smiles, too, but it fades after a moment and she grows quiet.

"You know," she says softly, "when I watched you step into the daylight...I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I'd never seen you in the sun before."