"Now lay down and close your eyes." I told him, pushing on his shoulders gently. He pulled away from my hands.

"Nope, no." He objected, looking away from me. Stubborn ass Viking vampire.

"If you stay awake, you're going to start bleeding all over the place."

"I know what the bleeds are." He said, looking up to meet my gaze.

"Good, then you can clean it up. I'm not a maid." I told him, smiling. I hated that he was in this kind of mood. I hated that he'd lost his memory in general, but I'd prefer the Eric who was a dick and didn't feel, over this one… who felt and complained about everything. He didn't say anything for a moment, so I turned and started to climb back up the ladder.

"Stay with me?" He murmured. I turned back to him. "Please."

"Can't… Human stuff to do." I told him.

"Oh." He said, looking so pitiful and lost. I started up to rungs of the ladder and stopped, turning back to look at him. He was staring at me, a lost, empty look in his eyes. "What?" He asked. I sighed.

"Oh damn it. I'll stay." I said. I watched as his face lit up.

"Sookie?" I heard from above. It was Alcide. I'd forgotten he was still here.

"Alcide... Thank you so much for your help. I'll call you when he goes to sleep." I called up the ladder. I heard him growl… again.

"I'm not leaving you down there with that fanger… get up here, now." He snapped. I wasn't surprised at all of his reaction to me staying down here with Eric. He glared up the ladder in the direction Alcide's voice came from.

"I don't like him." Eric said.

"Like I really give a shit, fanger." Alcide called down, obviously hearing Eric. Eric was on his feet.

"Hey… Stop it." I said, putting a hand on his chest. "I'll be right back. Let me go talk to him." He grabbed my wrist before I could turn from him.

"Sookie, don't leave… please." He begged. I met his blue eyed gaze.

"I'll be right back. Just lay down, and I'll be back in five minutes." I promised. He slowly released my wrist and nodded. I climbed up the ladder and shut the doors gently behind me.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Sook?" He demanded. I placed my finger to my lips, and motioned for him to follow me outside. The moment we were out the front door, I turned to him.

"I'm trying to help him."

"Help him? He's a killer. He bought your house, built a cubby in it, kills your fairy godmother, and here you are… going to stay under ground with him? That's fucking ridiculous Sookie." He snapped.

"You yourself have seen that he isn't the same person… well, vampire he was."

"That doesn't make him any less of a killer."

"Well, you know… Just because Debbie has been clean for a little bit, doesn't make her any less of an addict or any less of an attempted murderer." I told him, giving him my best smart ass smirk.

"Debbie is different now."

"And Eric is too… You've seen that." I told him.

"Debbie's not a vampire, Sookie."

"Yeah, she's a werewolf, which makes her almost equally as dangerous." I said. I met his gaze. "Alcide, I'm trying to help him. I promised Pam I'd take care of him, and that's what I'm doing. He's not going to hurt me."

"You don't know that for sure." He told me.

"Damn it, Alcide. I'm a fucking fairy… I can take care of myself." I yelled. I felt bad for yelling at him, but I could take care of myself, and I knew Eric wasn't really a threat to me after what happened last night.

"Alright… Alright. I'm sorry. I just worry about you."

"I know… but I'll be fine." I assured him. He nodded.

"Come here." He said, opening his arms to me. I punched him in the stomach, playfully before allowing him to pull me into his embrace.

"I'm on your side… always. If you need me, call me." He said, before releasing me. I nodded.

"I will." He opened his arms, and I stepped out, walking back inside, and to Eric's cubby. I climbed down the ladder, and stepped off, looking over at him to see him staring at me.

"You haven't went to sleep yet?"

"I was listening to you argue with that dog." He told me. I sighed.

"Alcide is our friend. He's just worried-."

"That I'm going to hurt you." He said. I nodded once, before kneeling down by his bed. "Was I really that mean before? Did I hurt you?" He asked me. I met his gaze.

"Eric." I murmured.

"Tell me."

"You were a little… more violent back then, than you are now." I admitted. He nodded.

"I tasted you?" He asked.

"You did."

"Against your will?" I nodded.

"Yes. I belonged to another vampire then." He just nodded.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. I smiled.

"It's okay, Eric."

"I hate not being able to walk in the sun." He told me.

"All vampires' do."

"They don't hate it more than I do. I was having so much fun." He told me, smiling like a small child. "I'll never see the sunlight in your hair again, or the way your skin glistens when the light hits you just right." I wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. It was probably one of the sweetest, kindest things Eric Northman had ever said to anyone other than… his reflection.

"The dark isn't so bad." I assured him. "You still have the moon and the stars."

"It's not the same." He told me, sitting up. He looked so pitiful, and sad.

"You know, the Eric with his memories was such a happy vampire. He was a bit of a jerk… but he was always happy. He didn't mope, like you're doing."

"I have a lot of reasons to mope." He said.

"No… you don't. Your alive… that's reason enough to be happy."

"I'd be happy if you'd kiss me." He said, meeting my gaze.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kiss me. I'll be happy then. I'll even go to sleep." He said, leaning closer to the edge of the bed.

"Eric… I can't."

"Why not? It's just a kiss. It won't hurt anything." He told me, leaning towards me.

"Eric…" I murmured.

"Please?" He said, using the full power of his eyes. He wasn't glamourin' me or anything like that… it was just hard to refuse him when he looked at me like that. He was only inches in front of me now; I could practically taste him already. He leaned in the rest of the way and pressed his lips to mine. Every nerve in my body was telling me to move, to get up and leave… but I couldn't. He reached up and ran a hand through my hair, as our lips started moving in sync. I pushed away from him quickly, realizing I was letting myself get a little too into this kiss. When he finally opened his eyes, and looked at me, he smirked.

"I'm happy now." He said, touching my face. I shook my head.

"I… I have to go." I told him, getting up.

"No, wait… don't go, please."

"Eric." I groaned.

"Just until I fall asleep." He told me. I nodded.

"Alright." I said, sitting back down on the floor. He shook his head and scooted over to the far side of the bed, and patted the space.

"It can't be comfortable down there." He said.

"I'm fine… really."

"Sookie." He said. I sighed, and got up, crawling into the bed beside him.

"Thank you."

"For what? Getting in your bed?" I asked, confused. He smirked, as if the idea of me and him in the same bed excited him. What he didn't know was he used to put these kinds of fantasies in my head all the time, except we weren't wearing clothes in most of those. I looked at him, and sighed.

"Sweet dreams, Eric." I whispered. He smiled.

"They'll will be, cause you'll be in them." He said, closing his eyes. I watched as his eyes drooped, and he slowly fell asleep. I started to get up, and sneak out, but the moment the thought crossed my mind, he reached over, and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest. I sighed.

"Really?" I whispered. There was a hint of a smile playing on his lips, as he buried his face into my hair. I rolled my eyes.

"Fucking memoryless Viking vampire." I muttered. I rolled over, pressing myself closer against his chest, and closed my eyes, allowing myself to sleep alongside Eric. For the first time, I felt safe and content in his presence.