Season Four

[onceaviking]

She opens the door behind her and walk him back inside with her, still kissing him.

She is kissing him.

Just one kiss and he promised her that he would be happy. And now they are raining down on him like the sweetest dew and she is moving back toward the couch (kicking off her slippers on the way) and his hand is touching the soft fabric of her dress and - yes. Yes he is happy.

They settle on the couch and he touches her, almost hesitantly.
Sookie is far more resolute, as she grabs hold of the hem of his top and pulls it off him, grinning a little.

It's the sweetest thing he has ever seen.

Her dress goes too and she lies there in her underwear, all beautiful and radiant and warm and alive.

He leans down and kisses her rib cage.
Then her belly.

Sookie lets her head fall back and moans -

Comments

[dobadthings]

"That has nothing to do with the matter at hand," he says unapologetically. "This is vampire business, Sookie. It's best that you stay out of it."

Bill doesn't want to argue with Sookie in front of Eric. But he does keep a close eye on the both of them -- however much it pains him.

[onceaviking]

Eric manages to get the hooded top on without looking up from the floor.
His fumbling is as far removed from his usual self as the subservient position he is still in.

And it somehow, to her own surprise, breaks Sookie's heart.

"You have no right to do this," she tells Bill who is just standing there, staring at them.

[dobadthings]

"I have every right," Bill insists, lording it over them. "I am his King."

The sound of heavy boots on Sookie's driveway and then her front porch precedes the four large men in tactical gear who tromp through the door without an invitation. Having human guards working for you is useful that way.

"Arrest him," Bill commands, and two of them grab Eric under his arms while the other two point their high-powered rifles at him.

Bill is not waiting for Sookie to put her dress on as he signals for the guards to march Eric away.

[onceaviking]

She grabs her dress and pulls it over her head, as she follows them.

"Well, you're not mine," she retorts as she hurries after him, slipping her feet into her sandals on the way.

[dobadthings]

And Bill does not even afford Eric the luxury of flip flops as the guards escort him outside.

Bill follows as they proceed along the path through the cemetery, only glancing over his shoulder at Sookie.

"Yes, you made that abundantly clear when you lied to my face," he says, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

[onceaviking]

"You've got a hell of a nerve lecturing me on lying," Sookie snaps in a tone of voice that makes Eric start and look back at her.

[dobadthings]

Well. That stings.

Bill clenches his jaw. Ignoring her for now.

"Keep walking, Northman."

[onceaviking]

Eric keeps up the pace but looks at his King, beseechingly.

"Your Majesty. Whatever I am guilty of, Sookie had nothing to do with it," he says earnestly.
"She was only trying to protect me."

He knows it'd be better to keep his mouth shut but he cannot let her take any heat simply on account of the fact that she is a good person.

Surely the King can see that.
He cares about Sookie. That much is obvious.

[dobadthings]

Frankly, Eric's admittance doesn't make Bill feel any better.

"How touching," he mutters dryly.

"Silver him."

Upon his command, one of the guards holding Eric slips a pair of silver handcuffs onto his wrists.

[onceaviking]

Eric grunts and presses his lips together, to keep his fangs from coming down.

"He isn't resisting," Sookie says loudly. "You don't have to hurt him."

[dobadthings]

Eric is under the spell of a witch. He's dangerous. Even more dangerous than usual. Logically, Bill shouldn't be taking any chances.

But he hears the way Sookie pleads for mercy on Eric's behalf. And it tears him in two.

Still, he says nothing.

The guards march Eric across the lawn toward the mansion and up the stairs.

[onceaviking]

Sookie rushes after, right on Bill's heels.
"Where are you taking him?"

Bill's silence is beginning to frighten her. He seems so - resolute.
And Pam did say he had sent Eric off, knowing it might be dangerous.

"Sookie, stop," Eric says softly, lifting his face to look at her.

"You don't have to do this. You've done so much for me already."

[dobadthings]

Once inside, once of the armed guards presses a button on a panel. A reinforced door slides open to reveal a metal staircase leading down to the holding cells.

Bill shoots Sookie a look.

"Yes, you certainly have."

Why? Why would she go out of her way to protect someone like Eric? A liar, a manipulator, who would do anything to make Sookie his own.

...Or is he?

Never mind. Bill decides to keep Eric under observation until he contacts the AVL. Nan Flanagan. She'll have the final say.

Strictly vampire business.

"Put him with his progeny," Bill instructs the guards. A small mercy?

With Eric still in handcuffs, they urge him down the stairs.

[onceaviking]

Eric hears Sookie's enraged protests as he is led away but he dares not turn around.
She is accusing Bill Compton of, well -
It's obvious now that they are involved. Or have been.

He should have realized that. No wonder that he'd been so angry when he burst through the door.

He lets himself be led down the stairs without any sort of struggle.
Everything here is metal. Clean and sterile.

But there's a smell ...

[lazy_but_loyal]

In a darkened cell, there huddled a blanket-covered lump in the farthest corner in the shadows.

A lump named Pam.

She'll never forgive herself for slipping up like that. And she's sure that if Eric were himself, he'd never forgive her either. It was a stupid, stupid mistake. She let her emotions get the better of her. And she fucked up.

She hears the sound of footsteps in the hall, coming closer. The sound of the barred, metal door sliding back.

"In you go," says a guard.

And the door slides back again, clicking shut.

But Pam remains still and hidden in the shadows. Shrouded by a literal blanket of despair. Emanating regret and the stench of decay.

[onceaviking]

The sound of metal hitting metal as the door is shut is loud in the silence.

He stands, looking out between the bars, at the gleaming walls and the sterile floor.

And yet -

"It smells like death in here," he says to himself. Quietly.

[lazy_but_loyal]

"It's me," comes a small, sad, muffled voice.

Forgive Pam for not jumping up and throwing her arms around you, Eric, she's just going to stay in the corner here covered by her misery blanket.

[onceaviking]

Eric turns and sees the pile of blankets in the corner.
"Pam?"

It sounds like her voice.

[lazy_but_loyal]

She makes a little sobbing sound in place of an affirmative.

"Bill found you because of me," she sniffles.

"I fucked up royally. I'm sorry."

What would the real Eric do? Release her? The worst punishment she can think of.

[onceaviking]

This Eric asks, "Why are you hiding under there?"
Seemingly disinterested in punishing her at all.

[lazy_but_loyal]

"You know why I'm hiding," she mumbles miserably. "'Cause I don't want you to see me like this."

Maybe she's gotten better since the last time Eric saw her? Maybe she's gotten worse?

[onceaviking]

And no matter what it can't be that bad, right?

"Take it off," he says.

He's thought about Pam.
About not remembering her. How it must feel. Being forgotten.

He can at least put in and effort. Even if she is fucking scary.

[lazy_but_loyal]

"No," she says like a petulant child.

[onceaviking]

"Sookie told me I was your Maker," he says.
As did Emcee and Jay. And Pam herself.

"I command you."

Part of him doesn't think it'll work.

[lazy_but_loyal]

Eric is only saying the words. The command doesn't come from within him, doesn't reach into her, doesn't compel her like it should. The old Eric rarely ever had to command her to do anything but now she misses that feeling more than ever.

She flings the blanket off her head anyway.

And yep, her face has gotten worse.

There are also bright red blotches of blood under her eyes because she's been crying.

It's not a good look.