Thanks to Sarifina85 for bet'd, she's excellent!!!!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to CH. Some of dialogues belong to D J. Eboch and C. Jay Cox in the film Sweet Home Alabama. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: Some of you probably have seen the film so you guys know what to expect BUT I'm going to change some of the plots so...don't get too comfortable!

Chapter 1 – Happily Ever After?

''Sookie Stackhouse...'' he said tenderly as he glared into Sookie's blue eyes and held her hand as he knelt down, then he retrieved a small box from his suit trouser.

Oh, my God. She thought, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

He smiled confidently and asked, ''Will you marry me?''

''Are you sure?'' she replied, eyes widened at the realisation of what he was asking her. She gazed at the open box and a large diamond ring shone beautifully in the dim light and captivated her attention. ''I mean, a-a-are you really sure?'' she asked with apprehension.

''You know I never do anything rash,'' he said and then continued, ''And I usually never ask a question I don't already know the answer to,...so at the risk of being rejected twice, I'm going to ask you again.''

Sookie's body relaxed and her face glowed in happiness.

''Will you marry me?''

''Yes!'' she answered immediately and he picked her up and placed a gentle kiss on her rosy lips.

''Sookie, you havemade me the happiest man alive,'' he said croakily. ''I love you.''

''Oh, I love you too, Bill Campton!'' Sookie replied and kissed him eagerly.

Sookie didn't expect Bill to propose so soon into their eight month relationship but nevertheless she was very happy that he did. She loved him and he loved her. Everything was great and wonderful. She could recall the first time they met, it was at a party where her friend, Lafayette, demanded that she attend, much to her dismay but she obliged due to her friend's natural ability to make her feel guilty. She met Bill that night, he was with his then girlfriend, Lorena who was totally greedy, and the biggest power craving female fatal that Sookie had ever meet and she disliked her instantly.

Her first impression of Bill was that he was too stiff and formal, but she soon realised it came with the job since he was after all the mayor of New York and he had to live up to his people's expectations. They were introduced formally by Sophie-Anne, the hostess and the most respected woman in New York and possibility in the United States, and most importantly she was Bill's godparent. After the hostess left, her and Bill had the opportunity to converse more informally and Sookie found him to be incredibly pleasant and his manners gentlemanly, in addition to all of this. Bill was a very handsome man and Sookie liked him very much.

The last person she dated since staring out her new life in New York was Quinn but that didn't last long because of his family complications. To be absolutely honest, his mother and Sookie did not get on at all and she was unwilling to face his mother again and form a peace bond, so reluctantly she ended their relationship. So she was single and Bill was not, however this didn't last long, soon after they met, Bill broke up with Lorena and he too, was single. And that's their story so far...

''What are you thinking?'' Bill asked softly and brushed her hair away from her face.

She smiled lightly and turned her head so that she could see his lovely brown eyes. ''I'm thinking about you,'' she answered and kissed him on the cheek.

He laughed and his lips crack into a grin. ''Oh, I hope it's good,'' he said and held her closer to him.

''It is.''

''Please share your thoughts, I'd dearly love to hear you appraise me,'' he said teasingly.

''I'm sure you do. It's not every day you hear people talk good things about you,'' she replied, brow arched.

''That's the downside of being a mayor, I'm afraid,'' he said and asked, ''are you prepared to be criticized?''

''I'm thick-skin, so yeah, I'm prepared,'' she joked.

''The future wife of a mayor is thick-skinned, who would have thought, eh?'' He smiled.

''Well, she had to live up to her future husband's thick-skinned nature anyway.''

''Looks like we match,'' he stated, amused by the idea.

Sookie grinned blissfully. ''We certainly do,'' she agreed. She couldn't have asked for more, her life was finally in place, and with the perfect fiancé, she felt like she had reached her happily ever after. But one thing still clouded her mind...and she couldn't ignore it any longer.

''...I've been planning this for weeks. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on my godmother's face...'' Bill said and continued talking, ''Come on, let's call your parents.''

They were in the car and Sookie was lost in thoughts when she finally heard his suggestions. Parents?

''My parents passed away when I was eight,'' she replied. Haven't I told him this already? She asked herself, I'm sure I did.

His face turned white when he realised his mistake. ''I'm so sorry Sookie, I forgot, I was so happy that I forgot about your parents-'' he began to apologise but she cut him off with a kiss.

''It's okay,'' she said with a placid smile, ''It was an honest mistake, you're forgiven.''

Relief washed over him. ''Let's call your gran and brother,'' Bill suggested eagerly.

''No!'' she replied abruptly, before calming herself down and said, ''I mean...not right this second.'' She glanced at him and waited for him to speak but he didn't. The look on his face told her that he was confused and a little sadden so she continued, ''What I mean is, uh...Baby, would you mind terribly...if we just kept this to ourselves for a few days?''

''Sookie, it's going to come out sooner or later.''

''No, I know, I know, but, um...'' she gazed around the car interior, trying to pick out words from the empty space. ''It's just, I haven't seen them in about six years and I just feel like I should probably tell them in person.''

''Of course,'' he replied with understanding.

''And, um...I think I should do it alone.'' She bit her lips and waited for him to fire questions at her but he didn't, instead Bill remained calmly seated inside the car.

''Sookie, I have to meet them eventually.''

''I know and they will love you...''

''Is it because I'm a Yankee?''

She smiled at him in amusement. ''Well, that...and a Democrat,'' she replied humorously.

''Okay, no one will know,'' he finally agreed.

Before they existed the car, she rotated the diamond so that it was facing the inside of her palm which enabled it to remain hidden from the public view. She knew the most sensible idea was to take the ring off but she really didn't want to, she loved the ring and couldn't bear to be parted from it, well, not yet anyway. When they reached the threshold, Bill pulled her along as they entered the large hallway leading to the elegant ball room. She stayed as close to him as possible because she could hardly see a thing with flashes of light from the cameras snapping and clicking away at her.

''I'm sorry we're late,'' Bill apologised and held onto Sookie's arm.

Sophie-Anne cocked her brows in disbelief and scrutinized him with her penetrating gazed. ''That shade of lipstick does nothing for you. What kept you?'' she questioned but already knew the answer, it was obvious. She knew him too well.

''Oh, it's nothing,'' he replied and began to wipe the lipstick mark off with a tissue.

She glared at him. ''Ah, I know something is up. What's going on?'' she asked and turned her gaze to Sookie.

''Sookie, darling,'' she greeted politely and held out her hand for Sookie to shake, which Sookie reluctantly shook and tried very carefully not to let Sophie-Anne noticed the studded diamond on the inside of her palm.

''Hi, Your Honour,'' she said courteously.

''Look at you...always the belle of the ball.'' Sophie-Anne gestured to Sookie's floral dress. ''I hear very good things about you new clothing line.''

''Oh, yeah. Thanks.''

''Always a pleasure,'' Sophie-Anne replied and then her posture stiffened in curiosity. ''Bill?'' she asked.

''Yes?''

''Seems Sookie is wearing a skating rink on a very important finger,'' she stated with interest and a smirk graced her face.

''Um, You Honour, I'd really like to keep it –'' Sookie interjected.

''Oh, my God, you're engaged?!''

''...Quiet,'' Sookie finished her sentence in a groan. Before she knew it, flashes of camera went off and everything else was history...

***

''Bloody hell, bitch, I'm your first New York friend, and I have to read about it with millions of other people,'' Lafayette said dramatically.

''Sorry, honey, she just grabbed my hand,'' Sookie reasoned and glanced side-ways to make sure there was no traffic heading her way before making a turn.

''So, did you cry?'' he asked.

''Wouldn't you?'' she answered into the phone's mouth piece.

''One man for the rest of my life?'' he mused and continued, ''I'd bawl my bloody eyes out.''

''I'd love to see that,'' she laughed.

''So why don't you meet us? We're just around the corner from Starbucks.''

''Can't,'' she answered, and reluctantly said, ''I'm in Louisiana.''

''Oh...my God,'' he gasped.

Oh my God, indeed!

***

The journey back to her home town of Bon Temps ignited the dead memories that Sookie would rather like to forget and she soon regretted ever coming back here again. She pulled up the old dirt road lined by woodlands on either side, the view was beautiful even if its people were not and she did miss the atmosphere, on sunny days they used to go down the lake and swim, and when the weather was not so good, they would hang around Merlotte's and challenge each other to snooker matches. Those were the good memories but the bad ones over shadowed it.

The house came into view and Sookie's body burned with apprehension, not knowing what reaction she would receive. Her eyes scrutinized the place that was once her own home and she smiled sarcastically. Well the place certainly looks better than when I lived here, she mused.

She removed her engagement ring and got out of her car and slammed the door closed; she walked up the old wooden stairs with a brown envelope in hand, each step she took she was fast approaching her past. Sookie breathed deeply and lifted her hand to knock but before she did, the door swung open and a tall figure of a man stood there, his eyes penetrated her form and he stiffened immediately at the recognition.

''How can I help you?'' Eric asked sternly.

His face moved away from the shadow and Sookie could see his features more visibly now. He still looked the same but also different but she couldn't put her thumb on it. His clear blue eyes were cold in contrast to his tanned complexion and he still had that beautiful blond hair that Sookie remembered so well.

''How can I help you?'' he asked again but this time the tone was irritated. His face was scowled and his brows knotted in displeasure. He was not happy to see her.

She cleared her throat. ''Eric, I need you to give me a divorce,'' she said.

''Excuse me?''

''You heard me, I want a divorce,'' she replied with a hint of annoyance.

''After six years...you show up here without as much as a ''Hey, there, Eric, remember me...your wife?''

''I am not your wife!'' she snapped.

His face changed into a smirk. ''And that's where you're wrong, lover,'' he answered.

She glared at him. ''Come on, Eric, the joke is over. Let's just finish this. I've got a plane to catch,'' she persuaded and handed him the brown envelope.

''You're shittin' me, right?'' He looked at the envelope in her hand and refused to take it.

Sookie could no longer contain her emotions. ''You know, I've never actually understood that expression, but no, I'm not 'shitting' you,'' she fumed and continued, ''look, just sign this and I won't bother you again.''

''How do you know that I don't want you to bother me?'' he inquired and his gaze intensified.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself but it was not working. ''Because, we both want this to end,'' she pointed out.

''If I remembered correctly, Sookie, it was you who walked out on us,'' he fired back, ''so you have no right to come here and ask me for a divorce.''

She flinched at his words. ''You knew where I was. And don't even pretend you spent all this time missing me,'' she scoffed.

''Oh, I missed you all right. But at this range, my aim is bound to improve,'' he threatened and folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner.

''Is that a threat? Please don't waste my time or money. I've got a lawyer who charges $300 an hour. He billed me every time you sent these papers back,'' she moaned irritably.

''Well, I'm glad to see you finally got the message,'' he said lightly and stretched out his body. His lips curved into a smile and he shut the door in her face.

''What are you doing?!'' Sookie screamed angrily and violently knocked on the door.

''You should recognize the gesture,'' Eric replied from behind the door. ''You should leave,'' he suggested vehemently.

''Could we just try to keep this as civilized as possible? Please sign these papers so I can go home,'' she pleaded and carried on knocking.

Eric tried to ignore her as best as he possibly could. He turned the stereo on full blast and closed his eyes. His mind was running wild and he was rapidly losing his-self compose, Sookie had walked back into his life and she didn't care how much she had ruined his. He groaned heatedly as the knocking persisted.

He forcefully hauled the door open and Sookie stop dead in her tracts. ''What do you know from home?'' he asked crossly, there was no patience left in his bones. She was getting to him. ''Hell, I bet your Gran and Jason don't even know you're in town,'' he lay into her.

''That's my business.'' Sookie bit back and forced her eyes back to him.

''Honey, those people are the only family you got.''

''Don't you 'honey' me, honey!'' she barked.

''Get your ass back in that car,'' he said pointedly, ''you drive over and see them and then maybe we'll talk.''

''Eric! You dumb, stubborn, redneck hick!'' she yelled at him, completely losing her cool, ''the only reason you won't sign these papers is because I want you to!'' she added fervidly.

He looked at her in amazement. ''Wrong! The only reason I am not signing this, is because you've turned into some hoity-toity Yankee bitch...and I'd like nothing better right now than to piss you off!'' he growled.

Sookie huffed in exasperation, and just then she gazed came across an object that soon made her curious. ''What are you doing with a red corvette?!'' she asked in wonder.

''That's my business!'' he replied and ranted, ''divorce, my ass.'' He shut the door and locked it before walking off to the kitchen fridge to retrieve a bottle of beer.

***

''Hey, asshole...Next time you lock somebody out, make sure they don't know where the spare key is hidden,'' she said boldly as she sat on the leather sofa gazing at her soon to be ex-husband, who was in the kitchen.

Eric looked at her in shocked annoyance. ''Well, see, that's the thing about hide-a-keys, it'd be nice if your wife told you where it was!'' he complained and walked directly to where she sat. He stood in front of her like a Viking as he observed her profile, she was still as beautiful as he remembered but she was somehow different, he noticed that she maintain her manner better and her accent has changed, well outwardy anyway, just a scratch of its surface but somewhere deep inside him, Eric could tell that this wasn't really the real Sookie. She was trying to be someone who she couldn't. She was lying to herself as much as to everybody else, and he took an instant dislike.

''I'm not your wife, Eric,'' she stated plainly, ''I'm...just the first girl...that climbed in the back of your truck.'' She gave him a light smile.

''Sookie...'' his voice softened at her declaration. Their eyes locked, each recalling their time on that fatal night.

Sookie interrupted him then and she stood up beside him and spoke in all honesty, ''But you're right, I have changed.'' She gazed at his face tenderly.

''Well, then...allow me to remind you.'' Eric pulled the brown envelope from her hand and tore it in half and gave it back to his wife, who at that moment was looking extremely furious.

''Why did you do that!?'' she roared.

Eric gave her a sarcastic smile. ''Go home,'' he said and once again, he closed the door.

And this time Sookie didn't knock.

SOO let me know what you think. Should I continue?