This story takes place at Club Dead when Bubba interrupts Sookie and Eric. To me Eric shouldn't have waited that long for our Stubborn Sookie to give in so I'm taking things in my own hands to make things happen a bit faster...just a bit. Things unfold different than in the book which leads to a different begining on Dead to the world. I hope you enjoy this story and Merry Christmas!

I own nothing Charlaine Harris owns all the characters...I wish get Eric for Christmas though... :) Who wouldn't...

Chapter 1 – Clearing things up

...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle(1859 - 1930), (Sherlock Holmes)

"Miss Sookie, what you doing in bed with Mr. Eric if Bill is your boyfriend?" Bubba asked Sookie.

"That's a real good question Bubba," Sookie said as Eric removed his hand from Sookie's minimal panties. She wondered the same thing herself. Except…there was something wrong with what Bubba said, Bill was no longer her boyfriend. He left her, he betrayed her, he cheated on her and he was going to pension her off. True, it was too soon for Sookie to be with another, but…

"I am going to give her blood, Bubba," Eric said interrupting Sookie's thoughts. Eric started explaining to Bubba what needed to be done. Bubba listened carefully to everything and left to find Bill. Before Sookie reacted Eric had her arms pinned to the bed and was atop her. Six and a half feet of solid, undead, hard muscle and pure absolute masculine power trapped her beneath him with no intention of letting her go whatsoever. Sookie gasped and her breath caught in her chest. She feared Eric and at that moment she had no idea what his intentions were.

"What are you…" she started to ask when his demanding lips descended on her once more, claiming her. She squirmed under him and tried to get free, but she knew it was a futile attempt on her part. She would only get free if Eric let her free. She also knew that Eric wouldn't take her against her will so she wasn't sure what he was doing. He left her lips reluctantly and pressed soft kisses on her neck. Sookie closed her eyes, enjoying his soft caresses and her strength began to fail her. Was she finally giving up, was she going to yield to him? She had been about to a few minutes ago.

"Let me make something clear my darling…" Eric said as he kept on kissing her neck. Her bra was gone, she didn't even notice when he had removed it. "You are mine! And you will yield to me…soon." He said with absolute certainty. Sookie wanted to laugh and argue with him, but her strength to not succumb to his charms was slipping away.

"Are you psychic? I told you I will not have sex with you Eric, no matter how close we came a little while ago." She said stubbornly. Eric stopped kissing her neck, but she felt his smile spread across his lips, he moved to look at her, and he bore his gaze into hers. "I'm not yours or am I wearing an invisible sign on my forehead?" She asked annoyed and for a minute she thought she actually had been wearing the stupid 'I'm Eric's' sign.

"Yes, you are wearing an invisible sign on your forehead that says you are mine," Eric assured her giving her his signature smirk.

"No, I'm not yours," She tried to say in a convincing tone and also to reassure herself, Eric raised his eyebrows and looked at her with those blue eyes promising her wicked things and she knew she was in a whole load of trouble.

"No?" He questioned her; he sucked her earlobe and licked her neck making her whole body combust. She didn't know how he could possibly know her sensitive spots, was he that good?

"Then tell me, why you moan at my touch?" And to prove his point he licked her vein on her neck and she couldn't stop herself from moaning when his delicious and cool tongue touched her heated skin like that. Her body was already begging for more.

"Why does your heart beat faster when I'm near you?" She had prayed he never noticed, but she was obviously very wrong and at that moment she could feel her racing heart, just as any other moment when he was so near her.

"Why does your flesh burn in desire for mine?" He lowered himself enough to let his long and hard frame touch hers, but not enough to rest his weight on her and her already temperature rose even higher. She was literally on fire and she wanted him to turn it off. How does he know all those things if they had never been together?

"Why does your breathing accelerate when you hear the sound of my voice?" He whispered in her ear and she closed her eyes to enjoy his dark sultry voice. "Tell me Sookie, my future lover," He commanded. She gulped. She felt her eyes watered, but she will not give in, she will not cry. She couldn't deny any of those things and if she was honest with herself she wanted to know the answer as well. Eric knowing she didn't have an answer for him continued to pressure her.

"Tell me, did Bill make you feel that way?" Her head shook automatically betraying her.

"Did his gaze upon your body turn your body into flames, because that's what happens to you every time I look upon your eyes and I don't need my blood in you to know that? I can feel your heat come off in waves every time we are together. Deny it no more, lover. You are no longer his. I told you once before that I would protect you. Why do you insist on denying what you feel for me?" He asked in a softer voice.

Sookie couldn't hold her tears anymore. She didn't want to have this conversation right now. She was hurt and Eric was not letting her go and she suspected he never would, she knew that just as she knew her name that this night would change her forever. She knew that this night Eric would claim her as his and the very thought of it had her heart beating faster. She had lost. Eric had found the truth from her. He had found the secret she thought she had hidden in the depths of her heart and her mind. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

"I care for you Sookie. What do you think I'm doing here in Jackson?" Eric asked her caressing her face softly with his strong hands.

"Protecting your precious telepath," she said between sobs. He shook his head his gazed had softened towards her and her heart started beating in a different rhythm she had not experienced before. "Covering your ass so the Queen doesn't end you." She added as she tried to divert his gaze away from her. He shook his head again and that softness remained in his eyes making her feel…cherished for the first time in her life.

"I'm protecting someone I care for. I know you have his project, I'm here for you Sookie. I lied when I said I only wanted sex with you. I want everything with you, but right now is not the time to have this conversation. Bubba will be here soon, but know this I will always protect you because you are mine!" He promised her and this time she nodded and it wasn't that her body was betraying her again; it was her accepting what he had said. He let go of her arms. Eric smirked, about time his lover understood. He was done waiting for her stubborn mind to give in and for her to realize what they were to each other.

A\N: Since I know I'm not getting Eric for christmas I'd love reviews instead... xoxo