EN: ATS, Chapter 9

**A/N: *evil laugh*  Enjoy!**

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Although a thousand questions zipped through his mind at the speed of light, Eric was entranced with this real Sookie. When she had floated (floated!) up to match his height and then softly kissed his cheeks, the enchantment easily doubled.

So did the questions.

The desire to fully taste those tantalizing lips won, however, and before he was even truly aware of having done so, his lips had captured hers, his tongue was parrying with hers, and his hands…

Moments later he felt the earth move but, with his senses being overwhelmed by the heady taste and feel of Fairy Sookie, he barely registered the sensation. Finally nearing the end of what remained of his self-control, he regretfully ended the kiss. As he raised his head to gaze down at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips, he instinctively noted the surroundings in the periphery…

“What the hell?” Automatically bringing her closer into the protection of his large frame and instinctively freeing one arm just in case, he looked around in amazed assessment of their new location.

Tinkling laughter met his explicative.

“I thought we could use some privacy as we become reacquainted,” she said, sweet light and amused pride in her actions shining from her eyes.

Not that he objected, but… “Where are we?”

There was something beautifully ethereal about the place, a shimmering, glimmering otherworldly aspect that made his senses tingle.

“Not far,” she replied with a too-innocent expression and a shrug. “We’re in a fairy field about 120 miles from whence we came.  It’s the one place I could think of where we could be both safe and alone.”

Having sensed neither threat nor onlookers, he doubly approved of this plan.

“Well, then,” he replied, his voice lowering seductively as he wrapped his free arm back around her waist, “let us proceed to become truly acquainted…” Eric lowered his head and ably captured her willing lips once again.

Although he was in no way sure how it was possible, he was sensing more of “Sookie” in the woman, the Fairy, in his arms during this scant few minutes than he ever had with the actress, yet some part of him recognized a peculiar sameness… and yet the differences between the actress (and the part she played) and the creature in his arms were extremely – and pleasingly – obvious.

As he inhaled the few faint wisps of her sweet scent escaping from the fairy suppression and gave up the argument with his fangs, he allowed his hands to roam more freely down the curve of her back to explore the delightful curves of her ass, he was thankful for the differences between the human actress and the fairy being.

It was the eyes, he thought with sudden clarity long minutes later as he trailed his lips along her jaw then down her neck to nip at her collarbone.  Any similarities between the two surely began and ended with Sookie’s eyes.

The questions continued to seethe in the background, but for now, he was quite happy to succumb to the soft lips and faintly glowing skin of the luscious fairy creature in his arms.

When she eventually pulled away, he tried very hard not to pout, at least not to do so obviously, but she snickered at him anyway.   Her increased breathing and heartbeat told his hardened cock that she was as affected as he was, which helped some.

Some.

His mood was appeased when she flicked her hand and a large tent suddenly appeared behind them.  Upon entering he was slightly disappointed to see a comfortable sofa with several throws and pillows and a dark wooden table atop the plush Turkish carpeting instead of a super-convenient bed, but was mollified when the fairy in question plopped herself into his lap once he sat.  Fairy lights, appropriately enough, and a half dozen amber-glass lanterns cast a warm, twinkling glow inside their private little world, and he gazed down at the fairy in his lap, and smiled.

“So, Eric Northman, tell me about yourself,” she instructed as she grazed her palms over his broad chest.  “You are someone I want to know, and now I can.”

 •~•0•~•

“Three…two…,” Niall counted silently. Trust Sookie to make off with The Northman at her earliest possible convenience, he chortled to himself.  That was pure Sookie Brigant – if she wanted something or someone, she sure as hell went after it.  However, the current “locals” probably wouldn’t be quite so understanding.

Sure enough…

“What the fuck?” King Richard reverted instantly to Sibling-by-Turning Stan and frantically surveyed the surrounding area for the missing Royal Brother. When he caught no glimpse of Eric, he astutely (if eventually) checked his camera. He had meant to snap a couple of pictures as a lark (and, possibly, future blackmail) but had pressed the wrong buttons on the infernal contraption and had filmed the entire episode instead. Considering the current situation, this did not displease him.

He could grab screenshots later.

As he watched the film in fascination, he missed the wry, sly smirk on his calm Maker’s face.

Godric, long accustomed to the ways of the Fae, wasn’t the least bit phased. Indeed, he shared a smirk and a shrug with the daring, darling girl’s old relative. Fairies would insist upon being fairies, and it wasn’t as though he hadn’t noticed how oddly Eric would sometimes behave with the actress portraying his cinematic love interest.

The thought briefly occurred to him that in the books and on the show the characters of both Sookie and Compton each had other romantic interests (one being Compton with his great-great-whatever granddaughter for some incestuous reason), but that Eric did not. Sure, he had the occasional feed and fuck, but not even the “ho on the pole”, as Pam named her, counted as an actual romantic interest.

Strange.

He did feel a bit badly for Richard, however, even if the Child was understandably acting far more like Stan in his bafflement.  At least he was learning The Ways of the Fae under these more acceptable circumstances rather than in the midst of an annoying war.

“My brother has been fairynapped,” Stan, for the king had surely left the rooftop if only in his own opinion, groused. Godric’s soothing reassurance through their bond had told him that Eric was fine, but still… Fairynapped!

He glared appropriately at Niall.

“Be at peace, kingling, your Eric is in good hands.” Probably literally by now…Sookie always did have a mind of her own. She also had a great heart – a depressingly good one for having been born a fairy – so he knew no harm would come to The Viking. “We might as well get on with the introductions in the meantime.”

He glanced around and mentally snickered. Not one of his fairies seemed the least bit surprised. Gelsey was miffed, of course, since Sookie was her main charge, but Claudine was doing a fine job of containing her own smirk.

“You know Sookie, well, you know of her at any rate, but this is another one of my Chosen heirs, her cousin Claudine,” he paused and held his hand out for the other relation he adored as a child of his heart. She was the only one of the triplets he could stand – where Claudine was graceful and quiet, appealing in a somewhat reserved manner yet possessing a quick, biting, and rather bawdy sense of humor once you knew her, Claudette and Claude were both prim, pompous, self-important asses. He had refused to believe Sookie when she told him that they could only have gotten it from him.

Brat.

He thanked himself quite heartily for remembering to send Claude away on “kingdom business” to keep from having to endure his presence in this earthly realm. Claudette, also thankfully, was far too busy trying to decide which of her unimpressed and unimpressive suitors to breed with next.

As Claudine approached, he kept a watchful eye on the male vampires. As his chosen heir, Sookie had been trained quite well regarding “how the world worked” and how to safely defend herself. Naturally she had her own guard (from whom she escaped on a regular basis), but Claudine, sadly, had little skill for either The Art of War or The Ways of (Speedy Vampire) Men…

Grace, courage, and powerful fairy magic, yes.
Self-defense and self-preservation, not so much…hence the other two fairy guards.

She could cut anyone down to size with her sharp tongue… but not with her softly elegant hands. Dark of hair and fair of face, Claudine looked exactly as she was: a short, sweet, over-sheltered, somewhat spoiled “dark” fairy princess who was surprisingly worth the light in her beloved patriarch’s eye.

Unfortunately, she was also cursed with a heart of gold.

He noted the instant she flashed her dimples at the ancient vampire whose interest was immediately, and probably eternally knowing Fae magnetism, attracted, and valiantly held back the obligatory eye roll. When she chose to bestow it, Claudine also had fairy charm oozing from her dainty little pores.

Niall almost felt badly for the old blood sucker.

Almost.

Claudine didn’t say a word to the male vampires, choosing instead to give each a polite nod, but the old one had captured her interest in a way she hadn’t quite expected. She’d been told all about them, of course, and knew the one who looked like an ancient boy was one of the most powerful creatures in this realm. For some reason, though, she hadn’t expected his eyes to be so very blue, or his expression to be both world-weary and beguilingly young. An odd but fascinating mix…

Keeping Claudine tucked safely under his arm, Niall indicated the tall blonde female fairy who still appeared faintly miffed.

“The beautiful lady to my left is Gelsey, and is deserving of all of your sympathies. She is Sookie’s personal guard. You can see for yourselves how easy her task is…” He shrugged wearily then indicated the other two fairy guards with a careless gesture.

“They’re the backup for both Sookie and Claudine…”

His introductions were cut short by the appearance of a tall, dark-haired fairy with a lithe but muscular build and an extremely handsome face.

“Ahh, Preston, so glad you could join us,” he quipped, not bothering to hide his displeasure with the arrogant brat who coughed something that sounded rather like “Claudette”.

His expression immediately changed to one of understanding with a touch of sympathy. He nodded his forgiveness, then turned back to the Ancient One and The Kingling.

“And here we have the final member of our party, their cousin Preston.”

Preston took one look at Stan (who was eyeing Gelsey with intense if respectful appreciation) and was immediately, and obviously, smitten.

Although The Royal Player, Preston’s proud nickname among those who knew him,  tended to more appreciate the males of most species, he felt no need to limit his philandering and enjoyed extensive pleasures on both sides of the fence.  Sadly, he hadn’t yet realized that this Vampire King Richard apparently did not partake of such universal pleasures.

Niall sighed as his gaze swept their little group.

Sookie had proven true to her normally outrageous personality by taking off with her chosen vampire… Claudine was making charmingly demure eyes at her chosen Antique… And now here was Preston showing an extreme lack of physical subtlety over the fucking Vampire King himself – who was making his own noticeably more subtle interest in Gelsey politely evident.

On Preston’s behalf he vaguely wished his powers included the ability to deflate certain…things, but most of all he was becoming slightly peckish! Dinner had never seemed so far away…

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**A/N:  I was going to use the name Ainsley for Sookie’s main bodyguard, but felt it has been overused enough by now, so I went with Gelsey, which apparently means Jasmine in some form of English or other according to the interwebs.  Sooooo, what didja think? Go Sookie??**

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