I Write the Songs-CONTEST ENTRY

Title: Just Give Me a Reason

Disclaimer: I own nothing with the Sookieverse and am just borrowing it oh so briefly for this story.

Pen Name: orsinoslady

Virgin Writer: No

Teaser: Eric and Sookie have been together for 5 years as boyfriend and girlfriend, but Sookie is wondering if that's enough. Can they find their way back together?

A/N: This is planned to be a part of a bigger story, this is only the beginning.

Sookie POV

As I paced the foyer, I couldn't help thinking about everything that had happened to get us to this point. Where had we gone wrong? Eric and I had been together for 5 years; 5 wonderful years where we dated, made friends, had fun, made love. But, apparently, that wasn't enough.

Recently things between Eric and myself had been tense, almost hostile in many ways. There wasn't that ease there that we had both become so used to. And I felt that the tension was almost to the breaking point.

I breathed out a sigh as I sat myself in the rocking chair, waiting of the inevitable moment of confrontation when Eric walked through the front door of the house that we had come to call home. As I waited for him, I allowed myself to reminisce about growing up in this large farmhouse with my Gran as the only parent I knew.

My parents died when I was very young, almost too young to remember them. But I remembered enough to call to mind an image of them and my brother in the backyard and I can almost remember my mother's voice. But that's all I can remember. I still have my brother, so I have some connection to that part of my life, but he's several years older than me and even though Gran took him in too, more often than not he spent his time with his best friend Hoyt Fortenberry and stayed with him most nights.

When Gran died, she left this house to me and for a long time after I took up permanent residence I despaired of ever finding someone to live in this big house with me. But, I eventually met Eric when out with some friends in Shreveport, the largest town within a decent driving distance.

I guess you could say that the rest is history and we've been together ever since. We haven't made it official yet, however, and I think that's the basis of my tension with Eric. We've been dating for 5 years and we're both 27 now, so we met when we were 22. The majority of our friends are married and many of them already have one child, some with two or more.

To be left behind (as I see it in my mind) doesn't sit well with me. I let out another breath just as I heard tires crunch on the gravel outside. Eric was home and it was now or never. I heard his car door slam and his steps as he walked towards the house; his heavy tread as he climbed the three steps to the porch and his crossing to the door. His key in the lock and it turning as he let himself in.

He opened the door and paused when he saw me sitting in the foyer staring at the door. We looked at each other and I saw his surprise as well as the apprehension. He sighed as he walked in and closed the door. I watched him as he put his briefcase down and placed his coat on the hanger. He then turned and looked at me.

We both stared at each other for several moments, waiting to see if the other person would speak first and break the tension that was slowly building. Eventually I saw him swallow and ask, "How was your day?"

I stopped myself from snorting at his question. I know it was his attempt at diffusing the tension and possibly diverting me from whatever had me sitting here waiting for him. Instead of answering his question, I said, "I think we need to talk."

He stared at me before answering, "And it couldn't have waited until a little later, after I had a chance to relax and shower?"

I shook my head no, not trusting myself enough to talk at this point. I stood up and walked into the living room, trusting that he would follow me into it. I sat at one end of the couch and he sat at the other end. We were silent for a few more moments before he asked, "What do we need to talk about?"

I looked at him and saw that he was very tense and looking everywhere but at me. I sighed and asked, "What are we doing, Eric?"

He looked at me perplexed and said, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, us, this," I answered as I motioned between the two of us, trying to convey our relationship.

He seemed to carefully be choosing his words as he answered, "I thought we were dating."

I sighed and thought carefully about how to tell him what was on my mind. "Eric, we've been dating 5 years, 5 wonderful years. But, recently, I've been feeling that we're at a standstill."

I looked at him to try to gauge his reaction to what I was saying, but he had closed his face to me and I couldn't tell anything that he was feeling or thinking.

He eventually prompted, "A standstill?"

"Yeah, I feel like while we're great together, our relationship isn't going anywhere; it isn't moving forward and I don't like how this feels."

"Are you not happy anymore?"

"I don't know that I'm not happy anymore more, I just know what to think or how to feel."

We were silent again for a few moments before he asked me what I had kind of been hoping he wouldn't: "What has brought on these feelings for you? I thought everything was fine. We've been living together for a while now, you seem happy and I know I'm happy, so I'm a bit confused about where this is coming from."

I could feel the tears building up in my eyes as I told him that I wasn't happy and hadn't been for a while. "I keep expecting something from you that never happens."

"What do you keep expecting from me that never happens?" he asked me incredulously. "I feel like I've given you everything! I moved out to Bon Temps to live with you, even though it means commuting almost an hour every day just to go to work. I helped you update this house because it was stuck in some bygone era. I have given up a lot of my life to be here to keep you happy!"

I felt like I had been slapped in the face. "You've given me everything?!" I spat back. I had started out upset, but his reaction definitely lit the fire in me. "I'm sorry that moving out here has been such an inconvenience to you; that I've put such a cramp in your life just so you could be with me. But, you know what, that's ok. I'm about to make this decision very easy for you. I want you gone."

There was a moment of silence after I said I wanted him to leave where we both looked at each other, surprised at what I had said. But, I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to have said and done. "I want you gone," I told him with more conviction. "You can go wherever it is you want to go to get back your life that you supposedly gave up. And, while you're at it, you can include Cindy in your plans."

Now Eric looked like I had punched him in the gut. Before he could start spouting denials, I said, "You talk in your sleep. At first I discounted it as some weird dreams about an attractive woman that you saw on the street or even some porn star that you found on the internet when we weren't together. But you've been saying her name for a while now, often enough that I'm a little suspicious. Especially when you're obviously getting a happy ending in your dreams with her."

We sat there in silence and I was hoping that he would deny knowing a Cindy, would say that she was just this old high school girlfriend, that she was just some random woman he saw on the street and gave a name to. But, he didn't say anything of those things. He looked guilty.

"You should pack a bag and go somewhere else tonight. Call me tomorrow morning and I'll tell you when you can come by to get the rest of your things."

For a moment he looked like he was going to say something, but he ended up not saying anything; he just stood up and walked out of the room. I sat on the couch listening to the faint sounds of Eric moving around in our bedroom. A few minutes later I heard him walk back into the room and stop behind me. I didn't both to look at him and just waited to see what he would say to me. After a few moments he said, "I never set out to hurt you with everything that has happened. I know you have certain expectations of us and our relationship and that I didn't deliver. I just don't think I can."

There were so many things that I wanted to say to him, but just couldn't. I wouldn't have known where to begin. So I said nothing as Eric walked out the door and, most likely, out of my life.

Eric POV

I sat in my car after Sookie kicked me out not quite sure what to think or believe. I honestly was having trouble understanding what had just happened. Sookie and I had been dating for 5 years and I thought that everything was great. We had a great relationship, had amazing sex and we got along so well.

But I couldn't deny that I hadn't been completely honest with her. She was right when she said that our relationship was at a standstill and had been for a while. I had been feeling the same thing, but I couldn't do anything about it. For me, the spark or the essence of our relationship went out a few months back and I haven't quite figured out what it was that snuffed it out.

Well, I might be being a little dishonest there. I have a pretty good idea and it centers around Cindy. Cindy is a new financial officer in my company, Old World, and she is incredibly good at her job, which is why I hired her. However, she is also incredibly attractive and started to actively pursue me in the romantic sense about a month after I hired her. We work closely together most days and even though I resisted her and told her I was in a happy and fulfilling relationship, she wouldn't let it go.

Eventually, I couldn't ignore her any longer and I gave in to temptation. I am not happy that I did it and I felt and still feel horrible about the entire episode. I had every intention of telling Sookie that night what had happened, but when I got home, she had cooked my favorite meal and was waiting for me wearing nothing but an apron. All thoughts of confessing my sins vanished with one look at her.

The opportunity to confess passed and I swore I would never do it again. Except, I couldn't keep my word. The next thing I knew I was working later just for an opportunity to be with Cindy and not just so we could have sex. We would have long conversations about everything and nothing and I felt myself really connecting with her in a way that I stupidly thought I hadn't connected with Sookie in a long time.

Cindy knew that I was still with Sookie, but she had no problems with it. In fact, I think she enjoyed knowing that I had someone else to go home to, but that she was the one that consumed my mind. Now I have to figure out what to do with the entire situation. Sookie is obviously upset and I don't know that I can fix it. And, I'm not quite sure I want to.

I sighed and started the car to make my way to the local Holiday Inn to spend the night. While I would love to go somewhere else, news travels fast here and no matter where I went soon the entire township would know that Sookie and I were on the outs. At least at the hotel I would be able to ignore people and not have to deal with their looks of censure over what I had done.

I got to the hotel and got settled, but inside I was very unsettled. Since it had been a little while since it had happened, everything had had a chance to sink in and I was starting to freak out. I didn't know what to do or who to call. I couldn't call Jason, her brother, because he would kick my ass. I couldn't call Pam, my best friend, because she would kick my ass too. Everyone that I would normally call in a crisis was now off limits because of my infidelity.

So I called the one person who knew what was going on: Cindy.

As the phone rang, I almost chickened out and hung up, but Cindy answered before I could do that. "Eric, how are you?" her silky voice asked me.

I can honestly say that her voice is one of the things that ultimately was my undoing. She has one of those voices that sounds like sex and you can't help reacting to. Unfortunately, even in my freak out mode I wasn't immune to that.

"Things are….not alright," I said before telling her that Sookie had kicked me out.

She was silent for so long that I moved the phone away from my face to make sure we were still connected. "Well," she slowly said, "I can't say that I'm unhappy with this. I never said anything while you were with her, but it was starting to get old knowing that you were going home to another one, fucking another woman before you went to bed."

I was shocked, to say the least, that she felt that way. The way she held herself when we were together told me that she was happier not being in a "relationship" in the normal sense of the word. I said as much to her.

She laughed and said, "I learned at an early age to hide the majority of my true feelings from people. I've been doing that with you because I didn't want to cause too much of an issue with you and your little wifey."

"She wasn't my wife," I said automatically. And, then it hit me. The reason why Sookie was so upset with me about everything. Cheating on her was one thing and something that I would never get her forgiveness for, but we were together for 5 years and now I understood what she meant by our relationship standing still. In those five years, while I had told her I loved her, I had never proposed to her or attempted to move our relationship forward.

Occasionally she would try to bring up the next step or where I saw us going in our future, but I always found a reason to not have the conversation. Apparently she decided she couldn't take it anymore.

I heard my name being called and realized that I was still on the phone with Cindy. "Cindy, I'll see you tomorrow."

I then hung up on her. I couldn't believe that I was so stupid and blind to not see that Sookie just wanted us to move forward with our relationship and everything. I could have beat myself up over this.

I sat myself down in the easy chair in the corner and spent the rest of the night brooding over what had happened and where I wanted to go from there.

Sookie POV

I spent the rest of the evening after Eric left a crying mess. I heard the phone ring several times, but let the answering machine pick it up. About an hour after I kicked him out I forced myself up and into our, my bedroom to try to get some sleep. But, as soon as I laid down on the bed I realized that no sleep was going to happen while in there because the bed smelled like him.

Luckily, my old bedroom still had a bed in it and I went in there to spend the night. I was able to eventually fall asleep, but slept fitfully and woke up the next morning feeling terrible.

I drug myself downstairs, never more thankful than right then that it was almost the end of June and that I was on summer break from my teaching job. I got the coffee pot started and hit the play button on the answering machine. The first message was from Maxine Fortenberry reminding me that there was a bake sale this upcoming weekend and I had promised to make 5 pies for it as well as some individually packaged items. I made a note before deleting the message and moving on.

The next message was from Pam, Eric's best friend who had also become one of my favorite friends as well. "Sookie, it's Pam. This is the 3rd time I've called in 20 minutes. I'm going to assume that Eric is enjoying your luscious breasts and that you're not answering because you're enjoying yourself. Don't forget that I'm coming by tomorrow around lunch to pick you up for the spa day we planned several weeks ago. I expect you to look presentable as well; no sweat pants allowed."

My eyes widened when I heard Pam's message. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 11 o'clock and that Pam would most likely show up at any moment, hoping to catch me without clothes on. I quickly poured myself a cup of coffee before making my way back to the bathroom to try and get ready.

However, before I could get in the shower and wash away the evidence of last night's crying, I heard a car outside and a knock on the door. I sighed, knowing that Pam would sniff out what happened and braced myself for it as I went to let her in.

I slapped a smile on my face as I opened the door and brightly welcomed her in. Apparently it wasn't enough though because she brusquely said, "What the fuck happened to you?"

My smile faltered and I attempted to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Sookie, you look like you got hit by several trucks last night. Your eyes are puffy and red, signifying that you cried at some point last night. And, you were never good at lying to me. So, I repeat, what the fuck happened to you?"

The entire story came tumbling out of my mouth and I started crying again. In the middle of it, Pam guided me into the living room and onto the couch. She even sat there and listened to it all without saying anything. Once I had calmed down, she stood up and walked back into my bedroom. She came out with a wet washcloth and my forgotten coffee. She handed me the washcloth before walking into the kitchen with the coffee. She came back several moments later and the coffee was warm.

I wiped my face and took a tentative sip of the coffee. She was silent for a few more moments before she said, "So, all that happened last night?"

Not trusting myself to speak again, I just nodded my head before taking another sip of my coffee.

"Do you wish for me to kill him?"

I gasped. "Pam! No!"

"I was just joking, trying to gauge your feelings on the matter."

I looked at her, not quite believing that she was joking, but let it slide. "What are you going to do?" she asked after several more moments of silence.

"I'm not sure. I'm so upset that he was apparently cheating on me and that he just didn't seem to even want to have anything to do with me anymore."

Pam didn't say anything, just looked at me. "I guess the only thing I can do at this point is try to talk to him later when he comes to get his things and see if a night away has given each of us perspective and go from there."

Pam snorted and said, "A night away giving perspective? Please. If after several months of fucking some bimbo in the office didn't give him some perspective, then one night certainly didn't do shit for him. I say you wash your hands of him and move on with your life."

"But, Pam, he's your best friend!"

"He may be my best friend, but that doesn't mean I'll stand by while he makes the biggest mistake of his life and just let you welcome him back with open legs. I won't do it Sookie!"

I was a little taken aback by her vehemence on the matter and asked her why she felt so strongly about it. "Sookie, you are a strong woman and I knew the two of you were perfect for each other when you met all those years ago. But, that doesn't mean that after what's he's done he should be allowed a free pass on this. He needs to be made to understand that what he did was wrong."

"I think he knows what he did was wrong, Pam."

"Really? Do you really think that? Then why did he continue to fuck this woman without stopping it or saying something to you? Why did it take you finally saying something for this whole thing to break wide open?"

I didn't know what to say and I knew she was right. I just didn't want to admit it. "Come on," she said, standing up. "You need to go shower. I'm taking you to the spa day because you deserve it. But, I'm going to stay here so Eric can come get his things and you don't have to see him."

"What are you going to do Pam?"

"Nothing. I just want to spare you the pain of having to see him and deal with the apologies he will spout."

She ushered me into the bathroom and shut me in there. I sighed and went about showering, the whole time wondering what she was up to and why she wanted to be here when Eric got here.

Pam POV

It took a little bit of cajoling, but I finally got Sookie dressed and on her way to the spa. I even got her to take my car, feeding her some bullshit about I would have driven anyways and she should take it and not waste her gas. I didn't bother mentioning that I had texted Eric from her phone so he would think she would be here to meet him. I'm sure he's already plotting what to say to her to get back in her good graces. I could see earlier that if he came at her with an apology then she probably would have caved.

It might see weird that as Eric's best friend for as long as anyone can remember that I'm taking the side of the girlfriend that I've only known for a few years. However, I like Sookie and her and Eric are amazing together. At least, they used to be. Recently though, I could tell something was off. I never pressed it, figuring one or both of them would say something to me. But neither of them did. Which is why this clusterfuck happened I guess.

While I waited for Eric, I sat on the couch and thought about what I wanted to say to him. I was so pissed that he could do something like this to Sookie. Before he met her he was definitely a ladies man. He would usually find a different woman every night. That all changed with Sookie though. He told me that he could see himself being happy with her for a long time. I had no reason to worry about them. But, apparently, I should have been worried.

While I didn't work with Eric at his company, I was the lawyer he kept on retainer. I started out as a criminal lawyer, but decided I preferred to do my work in the boardroom so I switch to business law. Eric was my first client. Since then I've built quite the client base and was known as one of the best lawyers for a business to have on their side. And, that's why I get paid the big bucks.

I was jolted from my thoughts by the sound of tires on gravel. I stood up and walked to a window to peek out. I saw Eric get out of his car with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. I snorted and went to open the door. Eric was striding towards the door, but drew up short when he saw me standing there and not Sookie.

"Pam," Eric said cautiously. I could see he was trying to gauge the situation and figure out how much I knew.

"Eric," I replied.

We stood there staring at each other for a few moments before Eric asked, "Where is Sookie?"

"She's gone to the spa day we had planned for today."

"Why aren't you with her."

"I decided my place was here after hearing about what happened last night."

Eric didn't say anything for a few moments and then said, "Let me explain Pam before you jump to conclusions."

"Before I jump to conclusion Eric?"

I could see he was about to say something else but I cut him off. "I think it's a little hard to jump to conclusions when Sookie cried her eyes out on my shoulder earlier when I showed up and she told me everything that happened last night. Cheating on her? You really did that? That was the Eric I used to know; the Eric that you were until you met Sookie. Or so I thought. Is this Cindy the only one? Or is she just one in a long string of people that you've been with behind Sookie's back?"

"Pam, you've got it all wrong!"

"I have it all wrong? Then please explain to me how it is you cheated on Sookie. Did your dick just happen to fall into this woman? She tripped and you fell on top of her? Is that it? I'd like this to be a horrible and wrong situation, but I honestly don't see how it is. Once Sookie told me, I started to think back to how things have been at the office recently. I could tell that Cindy was attracted to you, but that's nothing new considering how much women throw themselves at you. But then I had noticed that you were distracted around her and I started to wonder. I can't believe that you would do this."

"Pam, please. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Really Eric?" I scoffed at him. "You didn't mean to hurt anyone? I guess you should have thought about that before sampling the wares on another woman while being in a relationship. I made Sookie go to the spa day to spare her having to listen to you and whatever wimpy excuses and apologies you would cook up to get her back."

"What are you talking about Pam?"

"Sookie still loves you and she seemed ready to just forgive you. But, I'm not going to let her do that."

"What! You have no right to get in between the two of us! If she wanted to forgive me and let us move on then you should let her!"

"Do you even hear yourself Eric? You came here expecting forgiveness. I can't believe you. Come inside and get your shit. Then you need to leave. I would suggest you don't show up here for a while. From this point forward, I'm going to be Sookie's legal council and if you do anything at all that she isn't ok with, you better be ready, friend or not."

Eric stared at me for a few seconds before slightly nodding. He stomped up the stairs, thrust the flowers at me and stomped his way to their bedroom. I rolled my eyes at his childish antics. I went back to the living room to wait for him to finish. I could hear him thumping around back there packing things. He shortly started to make trips outside with bags and some boxes of his things. He eventually walked into the living room and said, "I've gotten all the things out of here that I can get by myself. The few pieces of furniture that are mine I'll come by for later this week."

"Alright, just make sure to let me know so that I'm here for it."

Eric stomped out the door and went to his car. I heard him start it up and then start back down the driveway. While I hated that this had happened to my two friends, I could tell by Eric's childish reaction that he obviously needed some time apart from Sookie to grow up and realize what he lost.

Eric POV

I couldn't believe the nerve of Pam! Who did she think she was to march in OUR house and tell me that I wasn't wanted? I couldn't believe it. As I drove back to the hotel I had gone to the night before I steamed about the confrontation I had just had and plotted different ways to get back at Pam. I imagined severing our business contract and cutting off all contact with her and trying to blackball her name in the industry. But I knew that was pointless as she had built herself quite the reputation and I knew that I would be making a terrible move dissolving our business relationship.

I sighed as I arrived back at my hotel room. I sat down in the armchair and just sat there for a while. I couldn't believe any of this was happening to me. I didn't know where I was going to go from here. What I did know was that I had to figure out a way to fix the rift between myself and Pam that I had put there and I had to figure out a way to get Sookie to forgive me.