Eric n' Sooks - Summer of '69 One-shot Contest

Title: Forever One

Pen name: onefee27

Characters: Eric and Sookie, with special appearances by by just about everyone else in the SVM world!

Disclaimer: All of these character's belong to Charlaine Harris. Also 'Attic's of My Life' belongs to the Grateful Dead.

A/N- This is my first attempt at any story which falls into the AH/AU category. I hope everyone enjoys it!

I would like to especially thank BIGlust4Eric for being a great and quick Beta!

Here are the words to 'Attic's of My Life'. I thought it would help you all better understand Sookie's frame of mind!

In the attics of my life, full of cloudy dreams unreal.
Full of tastes no tongue can know, and lights no eyes can see.
When there was no ear to hear, you sang to me.

I have spent my life seeking all that's still unsung.
Bent my ear to hear the tune, and closed my eyes to see.
When there was no strings to play, you played to me.

In the book of loves own dream, where all the print is blood.
Where all the pages are my days, and all the lights grow old.
When I had no wings to fly, you flew to me, you flew to me.

In the secret space of dreams, where I dreaming lay amazed.
When the secrets all are told, and the petals all unfold.
When there was no dream of mine, you dreamed of me.

The record player was playing the song 'Attics of My Life' by the Grateful Dead. American Beauty had been mine and Eric's favorite album since it had come out about six months ago and this was one of my favorite songs on it.

Often, in the warm summer evenings, we would put a record on and lay in each other's arms on a blanket under the stars. Tonight as the record played I was taken into my past. The song forced me to think back to the circumstances that brought Eric and I together and how we came to be at this place, at this time. Bon Temps, Louisiana, June 15, 1970.

Five years ago to this day, I split. I had come home for the summer from LSU. What was supposed to be a great summer quickly turned into the worst summer of my life when my Gran and I had a huge fight about my friends Tara and Lafayette. She was upset because of my choice to hang around with them. The dope-smoking hippies, she called them.

The fight took place right after we had found out my brother, Jason, was Missing in Action in Vietnam. Things were said, horrible things, which to this day I regret. The last words my wonderful, loving Gran heard come from my mouth were, "I hate you."

After saying those horrible, unforgivable words I ran to my room, slammed the door, packed a bag, and headed to meet Tara and Lafayette. They were splitting that night to go west and I made the quick decision to split with them. I didn't know where we'd end up at the time, but I knew no matter where it was it would be better than Bon Temps.

About three days later we arrived in San Francisco. I had never been anywhere quite like it before. After a few nights of sleeping in Lafayette's VW Bus we met a groovy chick named Amelia. She told us we could crash at her pad. Upon arriving at Amelia's pad we decided it would be the perfect place to crash for a while.

San Francisco was far out. It was so far out I decided to stay. After I'd been there for about two weeks, I wrote my Gran a letter. I had to apologize for the things I'd said and let her know I was okay. She wrote me back once letting me know she loved me and that I could come home whenever I wanted. I thought about it, but I couldn't go back to Bon Temps. My life was here now.

About a month after I received the letter she sent me, I got another letter. This time it was from Sam. Sam was a groovy dude who ran the local bar in Bon Temps. I worked for him, for a while, right after I graduated from high school. The letter from Sam was not a happy one. He was writing me to let me know my Gran had passed away.

Tara and Lafayette split shortly after Gran passed. They had decided to go back to Bon Temps for a while. They said they'd eventually be back, but I decided to stay behind in San Francisco. I was never going back to Bon Temps. There was nothing there for me anymore but an old broken down house and the memory of that horrible night.

After they split, Amelia and I got really close. We were actually inseparable. We did a lot of things during the day to get by. We panhandled on the street corners, we made jewelry and sold it, and we sold weed. It was enough to pay the rent and provide us with food to eat and there was always the free store when the money was low and we needed a new pair of shoes.

We spent a lot of our time hanging out in Golden Gate Park. It seemed to be the happening place to be, even in the winter time, and it was easy to sell our products there. As we were lying in the grass smoking a doobie, on a sunny but cool day, we were approached by a young girl. She introduced herself as Mountain Girl. She handed us a flyer. The flyer was designed in a way that all the words were swirly and there were crazy pictures all over it. It said:

Can you pass the Acid Test?

Happeners are likely to include:

Allen Ginsberg

The Grateful Dead

The Merry Pranksters

Neal Cassady

Here's where it's at:

The Fillmore Auditorium

January 8, 1966

Mountain Girl looked at us and said, "You two should come. It's going to be a gas." She then walked away and continued passing out flyers to everyone around.

Amelia and I finished our spliff and smoked a few more as we hung out in the park for the rest of the day. We made good money that day. Later that night we ended up at the Fillmore. On our way there, Amelia told me that she had a friend who had gone to an acid test in San Jose. She said that he told her it was far out.

When we arrived we found a big dance floor surrounded on two sides by balconies. There was electrical equipment everywhere. In the center of the floor there was a bathtub filled with Kool-aid. Amelia said the Kool-aid was spiked with the acid. As soon as she told me that, I knew this was going to be the happening scene tonight.

We each got some of the Kool-aid and the room started filling up. Music started blaring. There were crazy lights flashing, words and phrases projected onto the walls, and people running around in superhero costumes.

I felt tightening in my jaws and I started to laugh uncontrollably. As people walked by me I saw tracers following behind them in bright white light. Suddenly I felt the overwhelming urge to dance. I got up from where we were sitting, in the back of the room against a wall, and made my way onto the dance floor.

I began dancing and for what seemed like hours I just danced. At the moment there was nothing more powerful than the beautiful words coming from Jerry Garcia's mouth, until this total dream began dancing with me.

At first, I noticed him and thought he was quite lovely, but I didn't know him so I ignored him. After a while I began to realize there was something about him. Something that was drawing us together.

As we danced we both let the waves of music take us away, doing to our bodies what they wished. As we allowed the music to make our bodies move and sway, it was all in unison. It was like we were both on the same trip.

While we danced I could see the notes coming out of the speakers as the band played and they were all beautiful swirls of color. Around this beautiful dream dancing beside of me I saw a grand aura of purple, turquoise, and blue.

After a while of dancing, he grabbed my hand and led me away. I was not sure where Amelia had gone, but at the moment Amelia was the last thing on my mind. As we headed outside, I grabbed my coat.

When we got outside it was like we had entered a whole new world. It was as if everything stopped for a moment. He turned around looking right into my eyes and said, "You are truly angelic, a vision of beauty before my eyes." I looked up into his beautiful electric blue eyes and said, "Right on! I'm Sookie."

He helped me put my coat on then he took my hand and said, "I'm Eric. We began walking down the street, making our way back to my pad in the Haight. The walk was kind of far, nearly two miles, and even thought it was cold, it was a beautiful night. As we walked, he held my hand. We really didn't talk much. We didn't have to. Our souls felt intertwined. It was like we'd known each other our whole lives.

Upon arriving at mine and Amelia's pad, I noticed she hadn't come home yet. I figured she was probably still at the Fillmore. I lit some candles and incense, turned on our record player, and put on a Joan Baez album.

Once the music began Eric and I laid in the floor in each other's arms, smoking a joint, and watched the ceiling above us breathe. I decided to ask Eric if he was from around here, so I sat up and began to speak. As I opened my mouth he put his finger over my lips and quietly whispered, "No words; just feel." I somehow understood exactly what he meant.

When he pulled his finger away from my lips he ran his hand along my cheek. The feeling of his touch sent chills down my spine. He then sat up and gently kissed me. As he placed his lips on mine I felt his energy engulf my body. His energy was so spiritual and centered.

As he kissed me, he gently began to part my lips with his tongue. I let him in and felt his energy pass through me even more as our tongues began touching and dancing together. "Do you feel it?" He moaned into my mouth. "I do." I moaned in response into his.

As we kissed I put my arms around his neck and began running my fingers through his long blonde hair. He began running his hands up and down my back, under my shirt. I began to lay back and as I did, he pulled my flowing linen shirt over my head and threw it across the room. He then took his place on top of me and kissed me more.

He began kissing down my neck and along my shoulders. His kisses were soft like puffy white clouds in the summer sky. I could feel each one from the tips of my toes all the way to the top of my head. Each one sending ripples of pleasure throughout my body.

He kissed down my shoulder and then onto my chest. Then he looked at me and smiled. He then took my hard nipple in his mouth. He ran his tongue along it in a circular motion, causing me to let out a gasp, as he deftly used his fingers to fondle my other breast.

As he suckled lightly at my breast I began to tug at his sweater. He pulled away from me while pulling it over his head throwing it across the room to land where it may. He then went back to my breasts and continued his gentle ministrations.

He made his way back up to my mouth and I gladly complied. As he kissed me, I began running my hands all along his hard, sculptured chest. His body was like a work of art. I allowed my hands to make their way down to his jeans and I began to rub the massive bulge building inside of them. I popped the button and began to unzip them as he ran his hand up my leg under my skirt.

He began to kiss down my body which made me feel as if I was floating on a cloud. When he reached my waist he began slowly pulling my skirt and panties down my legs, placing soft kisses on each leg as he made his way down.

Once I was completely nude, he began kissing his way back up my legs until he reached my center. Once there, he gently spread my legs and ran his hand along my folds sending feelings of love, lust, and eager anticipation throughout me.

He spread open my folds and began rubbing circles with his finger along my clit, which caused me to jerk slightly, but soon pleasure washed over me. He then slid his long, nimble finger inside of me and began moving it in and out.

He placed soft kisses all around my sex and soon let his mouth and tongue take over for the finger that was rubbing my clit. As he sucked on my clit and drove his finger in and out of me faster and faster, I quickly began to feel as if I was teetering on the edge.

As he suckled harder and harder on my clit, he began to hold it between his teeth and flick his tongue quickly across it. This sent me falling over the edge so hard and so fast, I couldn't help but cry out his name. As I cried out I saw flashes of bright lights of pink and white swirling in front of my face.

Before I could catch my breath, he had removed his pants and crawled back up my body. His blazing blue eyes locked on mine as he entered me slowly. As his long hard member slid into my slickness, I again felt his beautiful energy fill me.

He placed his hands along the sides of my face cupping it and kept his eyes looking right into mine as he slowly drove in and out of me. He moved very slow, but went deeper and harder with each thrust.

I was writhing beneath him as waves of pleasure and passion flowed through my body. He began to speed up his movements and as he did, I began to shudder uncontrollably and moan. I shut my eyes giving way to the state of bliss that was overcoming me.

He flicked my earlobe with his tongue and whispered into my ear, "Look at me, Lover." I opened my eyes and our gaze met once more as I gave in completely to the feelings overtaking my body.

I felt myself begin to pulsate around him as his movements slowed. As my walls throbbed around his long, hard length, he plunged into me two more times as hard and as deep as he could and then began shouting my name as he exploded inside of me.

For what felt like an eternity, we laid in that position; him inside of me, cupping my face with his hands. He had rested his forehead upon mine so our eyes never left the other's.

We remained in that position until Amelia walked in. As she entered the living room she simply said, "Oh, I'm sorry," and continued into her bedroom. That was enough to startle Eric. He slid out of me and got up to gather his clothes and said, "I had better go now."

I gathered my clothes and began putting them back on and said, "You don't have to go. Let's smoke another joint." Eric then said, "Right on, that would be groovy, but I do have to split soon. My buddies and I are heading back east in a few hours."

At that moment, I felt my heart breaking inside. I had just met the grooviest man I had ever met in my entire life and now he was splitting. "Back east?" I asked as I lit the joint. "Yeah, we are heading to New York City for a while. You can come with us if you want. It will be a gas!" He said as he sat down in the floor with his back against the couch. I sat down between his legs and leaned against his chest. He placed his arms around me and held me as I hit the joint.

For a moment, I thought of leaving with him. There was still something about him. I was connected to him. It was like fate brought us together. Like our souls belonged together, but then I thought of Amelia. I couldn't split on her. "I don't mean to be a drag, but I can't go with you." I said as I passed him the joint with a slight frown on my face.

He hit the joint and put his hand on my face, tilting it up to his. He then placed his lips gently onto mine allowing the smoke from his hit to enter my mouth and go to my lungs. He passed the joint back to me and gently caressed my face. He then stood up and said, "A chick as far out as you could never be a drag. It's no big deal. We will meet again. Our souls are one. Until next time, my lover." He smiled and flashed me a peace sign as he turned and walked right out the door.

Amelia must have heard the door because she came out of her room as soon as he left. She sat down on the couch with me and said, "Who was that? He was dreamy!" I looked at her as a tear ran down my face and said, "My soul."

For months and months, I waited for Eric. Everywhere I went I looked for him, just hoping that I would see him. I felt empty without him. He was my soul, my fate. Over two years passed before I saw him again.

Amelia, our friend Pam, and I were in the park on a beautiful summer day in June of 1968. We had made good money the day before so we decided to take today off. As we lounged on a blanket in the park we decided to smoke a doobie.

We laid back and smoked the joint as we listened to the raw sounds of drumming in the distance. As we passed the joint I began to hear something other than the sounds of drums. I heard a familiar voice say, "My lover, my soul!"

Upon hearing those words, I sat up and began to look around. I turned my head to the left and then to the right. I could not tell where the voice was coming from. I then felt a tap on my shoulder from behind. I turned and saw Eric standing there. I stood up and allowed him to take me into his arms. As he picked me up he spun me around and around.

That evening, Amelia, Pam, Eric, and I went to bonfire near Mount Diablo. Amelia met her boyfriend Tray there, as well as his friend Bill. The four of them went off together, leaving Eric and I alone. We sat on a blanket by the fire as drums played and as many of the partygoers danced around the fire and made love.

As we were sitting by the fire in each other's arms Eric said, "I have something special for us." As he spoke he pulled a bag out of his pocket. There was not enough light to actually see what was in the bag.

"Open your mouth," he said and once my mouth was open he put something small and round onto my tongue. I bit down on it and my mouth was filled with the worst taste ever. As I chewed, it became almost gaseous inside my mouth. That bad taste and gaseous sensation I knew, although I had only experienced it a few times before. It was the taste of mushrooms.

Together we scarfed down the bag of mushrooms and continued to sit by the fire. It didn't take long before I began to see Eric's shimmering aura of purple, turquoise, and blue swirling around him again.

As we sat by the fire watching all of those around us dancing, fucking, and frolicking, he began to caress my arm. As he ran his large hand softly up and down my arm it was as if electricity was flowing through us from one to the other.

"Do you feel that?" I said looking back at him, into his eyes. "I do feel it." He said as he began laughing. When he started laughing I began laughing. As we laughed I took a hit off of a pipe and passed it to him. We continued passing it back and forth until it was finished.

Once it was finished, I got up, closed my eyes, and began to allow the beats of the drums to take control of my body. As I danced, flailing my arms and gyrating my body, I found that Eric was watching me. It did not take long for him to join me.

He lit a joint and as he danced, the fiery end of the joint made bright orange circles and lines through the air. Seeing the circles and lines made me laugh as I continued allowing the drums to control my body.

After dancing for a while, just as he had the night we first met; Eric took my hand and led me away. He led me a few feet away from the fire to the blanket we had been sitting on before we began to dance.

We sat back down and Eric leaned back against a large log which was sitting on the ground. I leaned against him and he put his arms around me. We watched as bright sparks of many colors flew from the fire into the air.

Eric placed his hand onto my face and turned it so he could look into my eyes. He said, "You are my soul and without you I feel empty inside. I will never split on you again." He then brushed his lips against mine. When he kissed me I felt even more electricity than when he was caressing my arm earlier. We were one again. We would be one from now on.

I wanted to feel more so I turned my body so I faced him and brought my lips back to his. We began kissing and it wasn't long before our tongues were touching and mingling again. His kisses lit a fire within me. They made me feel wild and untamed.

I felt as though I needed to be consumed by his energy to put me at peace. I lifted my shirt over my head, removing it and climbed on top of him. I straddled him, as we continued kissing. He gently pinched and twisted my nipples which made my need for him even stronger.

I ran my hands along his rippled abs and chest pushing his shirt up as I rubbed. He pulled his t-shirt off and dropped it to the ground. After he removed his shirt I put my arms around his neck and held him tight allowing my breasts to rub against his chest and he began running his tongue down my neck.

As he sent pleasure rushing through me by licking and kissing my neck, he began running his hand up my skirt. I wasn't wearing any panties so as his hand reached my center he began to gently rub my folds which made the feelings of pleasure increase within me causing me to moan.

With his free hand he reached between us and began unfastening his jeans. Once they were unfastened, he laid me backwards onto the blanket and completely removed his pants. He then lifted up my skirt and entered me. Waves of ecstasy shot through me as he entered me and began pumping himself in and out.

As he thrusted harder and harder he latched onto my breast and began flicking his tongue along my nipple. I was being filled with all the energy he possessed, yet I felt it was not enough. I still needed more for peace to wash over me.

I pushed gently on his shoulder letting him know I wanted to be on top. He lay back against the log and I climbed on top of him. As I sat down on his lap, straddling him, I impaled myself with his long, hard length.

He leaned up and took my nipple back into his mouth and began to suckle it as he pinched and squeezed at my other breast with his strong yet gentle hand. I slid along his length, taking him as far as he would go. We were both riding on the waves of bliss that were quickly taking us both to the edge. Heavy breaths and moans were the only sounds to escape our lips.

He leaned back again and slid his hand under my skirt which was flowing over him. With his fingers he began massaging my clit as I rode him harder and harder. As I was nearing my release I arched my back and placed my hands behind me which caused a tingling sensation to surge throughout my body.

The sensations I felt course through me took me to my peak and pushed me over the edge causing me to moan and cry out his name. As I experienced my quick and pleasurable decent Eric began to moan and I felt his release erupt inside of me. I then felt an overwhelming feeling of peace, happiness, and love which caused me to fall over in a hysterical fit of laugher.

As I lay on the blanket laughing, Eric lit a joint. He hit it himself and then positioned himself beside of me and passed it to me. I could barely stop laughing to hit the joint, but I finally contained myself. For the rest of the night we lay on that blanket and watched the stars dance around in the sky above us.

Seven months later, Eric and I were still together and found ourselves in one crowded pad that was about to get even more crowded. Eric had been crashing with Amelia and me since the day he arrived back in town and found me in the park. A few weeks later Tray and Bill started crashing as well. There were now five of us crashing in a tiny two bedroom apartment and in another couple of months there would be six.

Eric and I both agreed we needed to move before I gave birth to our child, but we had no money and nowhere to go. One day he brought up Louisiana. He asked, "Didn't your grandmother leave you her house in Louisiana?"

She had left me her house, but I couldn't go back. I couldn't bear to face the loss of my brother or the words I said to Gran the night I left. I knew going back would force me to do both.

I started to cry and as I cried I said, "I can't go back there." He took me into his arms and said, "You told me why you split and I know it hurts you, but I also know that you loved it there. You've told me yourself. Just think about it. Based on what you've told me it sounds like a real far out place to raise our baby." Deep inside I knew he was right.

The next month we arrived in Bon Temps and Eric began tending bar for Sam while I waited tables. We tried to save as much money as we could to prepare for the impending birth of our child.

On February 29, 1968, a few weeks early, our son Jason Fillmore Northman was born. He is now two and he was joined by a baby sister, Adele Love Northman, two and a half months ago on the first of April.

Tonight as we lay under the stars and enjoyed the beautiful summer night, we were completely silent. We just felt the music and allowed it take our minds where it wanted them to go. As the record ended, I came out of my recollection of the past and snapped back into the present.

I realize now as I lay with Eric's arms around me how happy and lucky I am. I start to cry. Eric licks away my tears and says, "What is wrong, lover?" As tears continue to fall from my eyes, I say, "Even though I had had no intention of ever returning here, I'm so thankful that we came back. You made me face the bad times and remember the good ones. Thanks to you, I finally found my way home. I love you."

Eric says, "I love you, too. I always will," and then he kisses me, sending the same feelings of electric energy through me as he did all those years ago. As we make love under the stars I know that he is truly my soul. We are one and will be forever.

Just so you all know, I'm not crazy! 1968 was a leap year, so there was 29 days in Feb.