I actually never thought I would write E/S again since I'm kind of over them now, but I still couldn't resist trying to change that horrible ending. I admit that I didn't watch the final season; I knew it would mostly be centered around B/S and I just couldn't stomach that. Although I am happy the bastard finally got his, even though it was such a cowardly way to go. I basically only watched the Eric scenes, but I still know pretty much everything that happened. Things in RL have sucked beyond the telling of it, my Cancer came back with a vengeance and I've had to go through Chemo the last few months, but no matter how crappy things get, I always find that fan fiction is a great escape. It's really all we have now that the last season was such a disappointment, hell, the last few seasons. Anyway, hope you guys like it!

Chapter 1

Sookie sighed in relief when she finally fell asleep; it felt like months since the last time it happened. She went outside to get some fresh air, knowing he was lurking in the shadows. She could always feel when he was near.

"You can't keep coming here."

Eric Northman stepped into her view, gracing her with a smile. "I don't know what you mean, this is the first time I've stopped by in years."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I know you've been watching me for a while, Eric, I can always sense you. I appreciate you looking out for me, but that's not your job anymore. You have to leave before he gets home."

"I'm not afraid of some pathetic human."

"Believe me; I'm well aware of that. I just don't want to make him mad right now, that always seems to happen whenever you're brought up. Things have been really stressful for him at work lately, I finally got Ella to sleep and I should be doing the same. Please, you have to go."

Eric gazed into her eyes; she looked absolutely petrified at the thought of her husband catching him there. He had been watching over Sookie for about a year now, ever since he returned to Shreveport to reopen Fangtasia when he decided to step back as CEO of New Blood. "How is Ella?"

Sookie rubbed her aching temples. "Except for the fact she never seems to sleep, she's doing great. I can't believe how big she's gotten already. She's ten months going on ten years; she has such an amazing personality. I know I'm tired all the time and basically crazed with all this new responsibility, but I didn't think I could love anything so much. She's my whole world."

Eric believed her, but there was also a sadness that he detected in her tone. He didn't know Sookie's husband all that well, but he knew they fought a lot. He witnessed one of their many arguments when he was lurking outside her home a few months ago, leaving before things could get too out of control. He didn't think Sookie would appreciate him being there for that. It pleased him to know there may be trouble in paradise, but then he felt guilty for being glad over her apparent unhappiness. Sookie chose to marry the man, she had always craved a normal life, there must be something about the human that he just wasn't seeing. Eric knew about Bill's death at Sookie's hand all those years ago, and that she refused to give up her fairy abilities for him. It made him very proud; she was finally accepting that part of herself as he always had. You should never deny who you were. "I would love to meet her."

She shook her head. "I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"I would never harm a child, especially not yours."

"I know you wouldn't," Sookie amended. "Ella just gets very fussy with new people, it took her months to get used to Jason and he's her uncle. It's just not the right time, but maybe when she's older. Look, I don't want it to seem like I'm not happy you're here. I've thought about you a lot over the years, it really is great to see you, but Max will be home any minute now. You really need to go."

Eric nodded. "All right, I will take my leave if that's what you wish, but this conversation is not over." Before he could take off, Sookie called him back.

"By the way, your last commercial was very cheesy."

He grinned, and with a wink, took off through the night sky.

Eric was still moody a few nights later; there was something very wrong about his confrontation with Sookie. He may not have been a part of her life for years, but the fire she once had was no longer there. It was as if she was defeated, that maybe things weren't perfect in her life like she wanted everyone to believe. He didn't think it was still her mourning over Bill, as far as he knew; it hadn't taken her long to move on. She had dated several men before she finally settled on Max, this he knew from the usual gossip around Bon Temps. Eric got frustrated at not being able to figure her out, so much so that he kicked his throne across the bar in agitation.

"Hey, watch it; you could have taken my head off!"

He sighed at the appearance of his progeny; it took almost a year for them to finally have a real maker/childe relationship once she finally decided she wanted back in the family.

Willa rolled her eyes, dealing with a pissed off maker was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment. "What happened with Sookie now?"

Eric glanced up at her, seeing a wonderful opportunity present itself. "You've been in Bon Temps longer than I have; you claim that Sookie is a friend. You must know what's been going on with her."

Willa shrugged. "No more than the usual, but I never see her during the day. She just seems worried a lot, with the baby and Max. I overheard her talking to Jessica once, she thinks Max might be cheating on her, but everyone in town thinks he's so great. No one would likely believe anything negative about him; Sookie didn't even wanna believe it. Maybe she's changed her mind. Hoyt sometimes goes fishing with him, he would probably know more about what's going on than I would."

"God, I can't even come to work without hearing about Sookie fucking Stackhouse. It's bad enough we have Sarah Newlin in the basement praying every damn night, like that's gonna suddenly save her soul or something. She's working my last nerve."

Eric growled. "If she's bothering you so much, Pamela, just go and shut her up. No one does that better than you."

Pam grinned, her fangs popping out. "With pleasure," she purred, heading to the basement to do just that.

He turned back to his young progeny. "Thank you, Willa, you've been most informative."

She stopped him from leaving, taking in a deep breath. "Sookie's not happy, Eric. She loves that baby more than anything, of that I have no doubts, but her marriage is falling apart. Anyone with half a brain can see that, I think she really misses you."

"If that were the case, she would be here right now. Sookie knows where to find me." He made his way back to his office, needing some time to himself before the bar opened for the night.

Eric was pleased when the last drunken idiot finally left; he was getting sick of sitting on his throne and pretending to care about entertaining these mindless fangbangers. Not much had changed in five years. He was about to leave himself when someone else entered the bar, it was a scent he knew all too well. Eric looked up to see Sookie standing there, her eyes red as if she had been crying, a bundle clutched to her chest.

"I didn't know where else to go."

As he got closer, Eric could make out the sleeping baby in her arms, a black eye and cuts adorning her beautiful face. No words needed to be said as he led her to his office, closing the door behind them. He cupped her cheek, inspecting her bruised flesh. "What happened?"

She couldn't speak, more tears falling from her eyes.

Eric silently asked for her permission and when she nodded, he took the baby from her arms, feeling how tiny she truly was. He was afraid Sookie might drop her in the state she was in.

"I left her stroller in the car," she whispered.

Eric nodded, cradling the baby gently as he headed outside to her car, finding the stroller and placing Ella inside of it, without so much as a peep from the infant. He pushed her back inside the club, knowing he would never live it down if anyone was to see him in that moment, but that was the last thing on his mind. Once back in his office, he turned to Sookie after parking the stroller by his desk. "Did that fucker do this to you?" Eric claimed, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Max got mad when I let it slip that you were at the house. I told him you didn't even come inside, but then he just accused me of sleeping with you and called me a few names that I would rather not repeat. I could tell he had been drinking and there's no reaching him when he's at that point. He…He started to hit me and I could hear Ella crying. All I cared about was reaching her; I was so terrified that he would start taking his anger out on her that I used my fairy light on him. I blasted him clear across the room; he crashed into the wall and was out cold. I didn't know what to do, so I packed Ella up and came straight here. I'm really sorry to just barge in like this, I know the place is closed, but you were the first person I thought of."

She was crying again and if there was one thing Eric couldn't stand, it was the sight of her tears. He wrapped his arms around her, letting her sob against his chest. "It's all right, dear one; you know you're always welcome here. Is this the first time he's hit you?"

Sookie shook her head. "I told myself I would never become one of those women. After everything Bill put me through, I would never be someone who would just let the man in her life abuse her. I hate that it took his death for me to realize everything that he's done. He took my life from me, and then he made me take his. I was so wrecked by guilt for infecting him that I just went along with everything he said, but I just couldn't give up my light, not even for Bill. I never thought I could have a normal relationship; I didn't even start dating until I got the telepathy more in control. I didn't want to be with a human man and constantly hear his thoughts every second, so I've been working with Niall to help me through it, but if I only let myself read Max more, I might have known just what he was capable of before I got too invested. He shows everyone in town a completely different side than he shows me. I thought he was sweet as pie when we first met, but that all changed after Ella was born. He was actually jealous of his own daughter, he hated that I was spending more time with her than I was with him. It got so bad that I was afraid to even leave her alone with him. I didn't want her to cry and have him ignore her."

Eric held her tighter, as much as it pained him to hear her confession; he knew that she needed to get it out. He loved that she trusted him enough for that.

"Max started getting drunk a lot and he would yell all the time, sometimes he would hit me. I know you were there one of those nights we fought; I hated having you witness that. I never wanted you to see me as weak, but I have been for so long now. Ever since I made the stupid mistake of not choosing you, this is my punishment. I deserve everything I'm getting for letting you go, I'm so sorry. You were dying and I was so heartbroken, but when you returned to tell me that you were cured, I should have been ecstatic, instead all I could care about was finding the cure for Bill and he didn't even want it. I've wasted so much time with men who never appreciated me, and I let go the one who has always been there, who never even asked for anything in return. Alcide loved me as best he could, but it was never enough. He always resented me for being involved with vampires; I don't think he ever would have let that go. But he was a good man, and I got him killed. I'm just glad Sam left Bon Temps when he did and got his own life or he could have suffered the same fate, I'm poison to everyone around me. I don't even know how you could even stand to touch me after everything I've done."

He heard enough, wiping the tears from her eyes and touching his lips to hers in a tender caress. "No, we all have made mistakes that we regret, I should know that more than anyone, but no one deserves to be abused in any way, least of all you. I understood you not choosing me, Sookie, you didn't know if you could really trust me then. You fell for me when I didn't have my memories, you couldn't have known that I would still want to be with you once they returned."

She shook her head. "But you told me you did, you said you loved me, and I said that I still loved Bill. Only so much of my stupidity can be blamed on his blood, I can't always use that excuse. You were so good to me, and I knew you would continue to be even after the spell broke. I just let my petty insecurities get in the way. I thought I was making the smart decision by walking away from the both of you, but if I chose you, I know you would have come back home with me. Tara might not have been shot, she wouldn't have become a vampire, and I wouldn't have ended up losing her all over again. I love you, Eric. I love you so much and I'm not afraid anymore. I know I don't deserve you…"

He cut her off with his mouth, this kiss more passionate than the last. Eric nearly kissed the breath out of her, holding her up once he broke away to stop her from falling. Her eyes were closed, an expression of sweet relief on her lovely face. Bruises or not, she would always be gorgeous to him. "I love you, too. I've never stopped. I knew if I was patient enough, you would eventually come to your senses. You're not going back to him. I don't care what I have to do; we'll get you a clean divorce. I would rather just kill him, but I know you wouldn't approve of that. You and Ella will be safe with me, once he is out of your house, I will gladly move in. Pam has everything under control here; it no longer needs my immediate attention. Is the cubby still there? If not, I can have another one built."

"It's still there, you would really move in with me? I don't understand, you should hate me."

Eric smiled. "Perhaps, but I was never one for doing what I should. I don't have it in me to hate you. This is it, Sookie, there's no going back now. We do this, we go all the way. I'm going to be there all the time, there's no getting rid of me. I'm no longer going to pop in once every few months to check up on you. If you decide that I'm not what you want, you're free to leave now and you'll never see me again. I may be over a thousand, but even I have my limits."

Sookie shook her head; the thought of not having him in her life anymore terrified her more than anything else. She couldn't bear that. "I want you to live with me. I want your face to be the first thing I see every day, and the last thing I see before I go to bed. I never want to spend another second away from you; these last few years were all I could stand. I want you to be Ella's father; I know you'll learn to love her more than Max ever did."

"I already do love her, sweetheart. She's a part of you."

Sookie felt more tears in her eyes; things were going to be different from now on. No more making stupid decisions, and now that Eric was fully a part of her life, she would never let him go again.